19

                                    

                                          
||Lucas||
                          
Fashion shows were a familiar occurrence to Lucas. He wasn't nervous for shows very often, he had gotten used to them over the years. The show went smoothly. Lucas was pleased with his work for the night. He felt a rush of confidence when he modelled the new clothing line. The icy concept was creative and beautiful and Lucas felt a rush of excitement when he was put into the pieces of art. The boy made his runs down the catwalk and looked at as many people as he could in an attempt to make some connections and get them really interested in the clothing line. He saw many new faces of fans coming to appreciate the art. They sat in the furthest rows that were normally reserved for the public. The closer rows of seats were meant for the familiar buyers who battled to get their hands on the original articles and many commonly seen companies. The media companies were well known throughout the Mode Maudelle brand since Madame Maudelle only worked with certain companies with which she had contracts. It helped to eliminate the risk of her work being plagiarized or leaked to the public too early. Along with the familiar company names, came the familiar company employees. There were a few faces that Lucas could pick out from the crews set behind their large cameras, but he didn't have names to associate with them. One employee, specifically, stuck out a little more than the rest. His fluffy hair bounced around his head as he lowered his eyes to his tripod. The strands were the colour of midnight and stood out against his lightly tanned jacket. The boy's frame was quite small but the photographer did not look fragile. He carried a strong aura, if anything. There was some kind of fire behind his dark brown eyes that took all of Lucas' focus. Lucas couldn't decide if knowing who that photographer was would leave a good mark on his life, or continue to shake his thoughts. 
                          
The show continued in a blur. The mass amounts of moving bodies was an organized chaos. Lucas hadn't had time to think while he posed for the cameras and rushed backstage to change into the next pieces of clothing. When he sat back down in his makeup chair once the show had ended, he took a moment to organize his thoughts. He remembered back to what Yuta had told him. If Lucas ever wanted to enjoy peace of mind again, he needed to introduce himself to the photographer. 
                          
The makeup artists that swarmed around Lucas continued to attend to his looks in silence. Lucas took his job seriously. His position too high and his image too public and important to not be dedicated to his career. He was committed and sometimes serious, but he usually made small talk with his fellow models backstage and cracked jokes with the crew. The girl who worked on his makeup touch-ups stopped for a moment to take a good look at her canvas' face. Lucas assumed that she was looking at him to find which points she needed to fix until she spoke out. 
                          
"Are you okay?" She looked at the model directly in the eyes, something that didn't usually happen. Normally, the makeup artists didn't talk much, too focused on retouching the models' looks within the short timeframe between the runway show and the after party. Things usually felt more tense before the after party than during the show. The after show was an opportunity for Madame Maudelle, along with her models, to interact with the public and promote their work. The after parties played an important part in the company's success. 
                          
"I'm fine. Just a little nervous, I guess." Lucas lowered his eyes from the makeup artist's, feeling too uncomfortable to hide the truth while looking at her. He glanced down at his lap as he spoke, then returned his gaze to the woman who faced him, her brows knit together and her mouth pursed. She didn't believe what Lucas said and knew that he was avoiding something in their conversation. 
                          
"Well, whatever it is, don't worry too much about it. It can't be that bad, your Lucas Wong." The artist used his name as if it was a reason to gloat. Lucas didn't care much for titles. He was the top model but he hadn't been given that position without putting his everything into the job for years. He started at the bottom, just like everyone else, and felt that he was no different than the others who did the same job. 
                          
Lucas nodded his head and smiled at the girl who continued to use her makeup on him. She didn't push the topic any further, which Lucas was grateful for. Many of his colleagues were extremely friendly. Most of the modelling team had been working together for years. Many had been hired onto the job around the same time so they knew each other well and could tell when something was wrong. When they shouldn't push the topic any further. 
                          
Lucas finished his turn at the makeup table and exit the small backstage area. He joined the other models who shuffled around the area that held the catwalk a few minutes before. He spoke with many people who attended the show and tried to promote his modelling team's work as much as possible, without seeming pushy. He was the main face of the company and wanted to give the brand a friendly image. The model tried to interact with as many photographers, interviewers and fans as much as he could, while trying to avoid that one particular boy, as much as possible. He knew that he planned to talk to Jungwoo, but he hadn't found Yuta yet and knew that he wouldn't be able to confront the boy on his own. Yuta told Lucas that he would be at the show to help and the minutes that passed without his familiar Japanese friend made Lucas feel more and more anxious. Lucas stared across the room where a short boy with blue hair stood, interviewing one of his colleagues. The model's heart seemed to sink and he took deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself down. That night was going to either put his mind to rest, or make him even more obsessed.