* * *

“Oh? Cha Haetsal! Yoo Junhee is over here!”

The designer working on Junhee’s hair raised their hand to get her attention.

The pointed tip of her high heels came into Junhee’s peripheral vision, approaching quickly.

Cha Haetsal, standing diagonally across from Junhee, scrutinized him with a sharp gaze, as if an invisible net was scanning his entire body.

Junhee, already tense, stiffened even more.

“Where’s PD Park?”

Suddenly, someone rushed over, holding a thick stack of papers.

“Ah, Director, you’re here!”

“Did you brief Yoo Junhee on the concept?”

“Um, yes? Well, I mean, kind of….”

The man’s face turned pale, clearly flustered.

“PD Park, didn’t I tell you yesterday to take special care since we had to switch the main model?”

“I’m sorry….”

“Do you have time to apologize? Are you planning to ruin the entire launch show?”

Cha Haetsal’s icy glare made everyone nearby, including Junhee, shrink back.

PD Park, standing before her with his hair neatly tied back, was sweating as if he were under a scorching sun.

“There was just… not enough time. The change in the main model was so sudden, I thought you might understand….”

“Understand? Who’s going to understand if we say there wasn’t enough time and that we’re sorry? The audience doesn’t care if we prepared for a year or a month. If we mess up, it’s over. Can you take full responsibility for that?”

“No, no, I can’t. I’m sorry….”

“Stop apologizing and go fix it.”

Before she even finished speaking, the man darted off somewhere in a hurry.

The Cha Haetsal Junhee had met socially with Yoonjae was a completely different person from the one here—sharp, meticulous, and precise like a human protractor.

Only then did Junhee realize that this place was another kind of battlefield.

“Junhee, when PD Park brings over the concept brief later, go over it carefully. Then check the outfits on the rack and get familiar with them. Once your hair and makeup are done, try not to touch your face.”

Junhee made sure to memorize every word she said.

“Yes, I understand.”

“You must be nervous, right?”

Junhee tried not to show it, but it seemed he couldn’t fool Cha Haetsal’s keen eyes.

Without a word, he looked at her, and she placed her hand on his shoulder.

“Listen carefully. There’s only one thing I want from you.”

Her confident voice seemed to ease his anxiety.

“Even if you make a mistake, act like it was intentional. Stand tall, as if everyone is beneath you. I’ll handle the rest.”

---

As soon as his makeup and hair were done, an assistant stuck by Junhee’s side.

It was probably someone sent by that PD Park guy from earlier.

“Here, the finale is the most important part, so you need to memorize this.”

The theme of the accessory brand’s launch show was ‘Alice in Wonderland’.

It was the very fairy tale Junhee had read countless times to his younger siblings.

The stage he glimpsed from backstage looked like a dream world, almost surreal.

A long runway stretched out with rows of seats packed tightly in front of it.

There was no way he could stay calm.

“Yoo Junhee, you’ll only appear in the finale. The helper will get you ready, so once you change, wait by that line. Don’t leave your spot. If you need the restroom, go now.”

Junhee nodded, his face tense with nerves.

Having not had even a sip of water since morning, he wasn’t hungry at all.

He had been too anxious to sleep the night before, worried that eating anything might upset his stomach.

Still, there was one bit of relief.

Whether it was out of consideration for his lack of experience or simply the plan, he didn’t have to do much walking on the runway.

“Make sure you check all the accessories carefully. Don’t forget even one piece.”

Since the accessories were the highlight, it was no surprise.

As Junhee inspected them one by one, he picked up a rabbit mask hanging on the rack.

The mask had a protruding rabbit nose and ears that stood up, sparkling with gemstones along the white parts.

“Do I need to wear this too?”

“Oh, yes. That’s right. You’re the ‘Rabbit,’ after all.”

“…Sorry?”

The staff responded nonchalantly, as if it were obvious.

“The White Rabbit, from ‘Alice in Wonderland’.”

The show had begun.

Models, helpers, and staff were all rushing around, busy as ever.

Earlier, it had felt like a battlefield; now it was more like a bustling marketplace.

The lights of different colors peeking through the black curtain backstage, combined with the thundering sound system, only made the atmosphere more overwhelming.

Even though he hadn’t eaten anything, his stomach was churning more than before.

‘…Act confident.’

For Junhee, it was easier said than done.

He’d never lived confidently, so being told to be bold for just this moment felt impossible.

But he had no choice, so he decided to model the behavior, even if he had to rely on his imagination.

If he were to think of the most confident person around him, it would probably be…

A face with haughty eyes under thick eyebrows and a well-shaped mouth came to mind. Junhee shook his head vigorously.

‘No, no. That’s not confidence, that’s just shamelessness.’

Remembering him, Junhee couldn’t help but recall their phone call from the previous night.

— Have you had dinner?

‘I ate.’

— With whom?

‘At home, alone.’

Junhee had answered, thinking it might be an urgent call or perhaps some new information about those mysterious photos, but it was just Ki Taeryu asking about dinner, out of nowhere.

— Must have been lonely.

It wasn’t surprising to hear nonsense from him, even in the early evening.

Junhee stifled a sigh instead of responding, but that low voice came again.

— What about lunch?

‘…I ate out.’

— With whom?

‘Are you interrogating me right now?’

— No, I’m just showing interest.

It sounded just like those school bullies who’d ask why you were upset after tormenting you.

‘Who does he think he is, an epidemiologist?’

What did it matter to Ki Taeryu who Junhee had his meals with?

‘If you don’t have anything important to say, I’m hanging up.’

— Strange. Your lips were so soft, but all I hear are sharp words…

Click.

Junhee ended the call first.

Had he not, his sanity might’ve been the first to break.

Another call had come in shortly after, but he didn’t answer it.

The reason Junhee had barely slept last night wasn’t just the event—Ki Taeryu’s shameless comments definitely played a part.

“Yoo Junhee, please stand by!”

Lost in thought for a moment, Junhee snapped back to reality and took his place in line.

Just moments ago, his heart had been pounding so hard it made his head spin, but now, his chest felt oddly calm.

Maybe thinking about that brazen man had helped soothe his nerves. It was a surprising but welcome realization.

Two staff members grabbed Junhee by the arms and guided him onto the stage setup.

He fit perfectly inside a rectangular mirror installation, surrounded on all sides.

Reflections of his tense expression filled every mirror.

‘…If I can’t be confident, I might as well be shameless like him.’

Determined, Junhee pulled on the rabbit mask.

The mask covered most of his face, so no one would be able to recognize him.

The lights shifted, and a unique sound dominated the atmosphere.

The mirror installation slowly started moving, carrying Junhee onto the stage.

Other models joined him as they made their way down the runway.

‘Closer than I thought…’

Seeing the audience packed tightly on both sides and in front, his mouth went dry.

Eventually, the stage setup came to a complete stop.

Countless eyes were fixed on him.

Recalling the storyboard poses, Junhee raised his left arm and looked down at it diagonally.

In his left hand, there was a unique pocket watch with a chain wrapped around his wrist.

As he read the Roman numerals on the watch, a fleeting expression of surprise crossed Junhee’s face.

The short hand was passing right between VII and VIII.

The long hand was pointing directly south.

It was exactly 7:30.

Someone had called Junhee, texted him, and reached out at this time on more than one occasion.

Remembering that made him feel a sudden urgency.

He looked up, almost frantically.

His masked eyes turned towards the direction between 7 and 8 o’clock.

There he was.

With his dark eyes, as if he had been there all along, he was staring intently at Junhee.

His gaze was piercing, as if it would bore right through him.

In that moment, it felt as if someone had invaded Junhee’s world and pressed the mute button; everything went silent.

Everything but him lost its color and blurred away.

Only the bittersweet, intoxicating scent of Ki Taeryu’s pheromones sharply connected the two of them.

‘But what do I do?’

As a ringing sound filled his ears, the world that had momentarily stopped began moving again.

‘I think I might have been wrong about this.’

His heart raced.

It was exhilarating and terrifying, like a soap bubble that could burst at any moment.

---

“Great job, everyone!”

“You all worked hard. Today was fantastic.”

The show ended successfully.

Among the cheerful greetings and compliments, it seemed like Junhee was the only one unable to feel fully happy.

Someone patted Junhee’s slumped back.

“Junhee, you did amazing. The response was incredible! People were begging us to take off the mask and reveal who you were.”

“…Pardon?”

Cha Haetsal’s sudden appearance brought a fresh wave of surprise for Junhee.

* * *