Work Text:
“A what brand deal?”
Chanyoung's eyes remained on the tablet where spArk's schedule were stacked like tetris blocks, but he repeated himself.
“A Calvin Klein boxers ad.”
Iwol blinked his eyes. It was a big international brand. Have they reached that point of their career where they get brand deals from companies like them?
But did he hear it correctly?
“Boxers?”
“They won't make you show much skin as the ones you usually see online,” Chanyoung paused, remembering what the marketing team told him, “at most, you'll be topless.”
“What did you tell them?”
“That I'll talk to the members first.”
It didn't sound like a bad deal, and CK was a widely known brand. But thinking of the kids doing an underwear brand deal… (Iwol knew they're all adults but his mind refused to accept it).
He was too distracted by the brand name that he almost forgot to ask.
“Manager, who was it for again?”
“For you and Jeho.”
Oh.
Jeho’s image flashed in his head. It's a really good deal.
Brand photoshoots only took a day but the preparation he and Jeho had to take was over a month.
From the concept the crew had shared to them, they have to show their torsos. In fact, Iwol was in a better position since he only had to show his arms and a slight peek to his abs—because Jeho was asked to be completely stripped of his upper body clothes.
They've been hitting the gym every single day. Iwol had completely broken Seongbin's stairmaster record, while Jeho had been doing push-ups in ways that made him wonder why that guy was an idol and not an athlete.
The result, of course, was as satisfying as the process.
“Iwol-ya, we'll put heavy makeup on your back, okay?”
“Ah, yes! How should I sit?”
“This is fine!”
While Iwol kept his back straight for the makeup artist, he watched Jeho get dressed as well.
Although that wasn't really the right term because he was wearing fewer clothes than he had worn when they entered the studio.
The concept for today's shoot was a neat sexy look. The stylists dressed them in low-waisted denim jeans. Iwol wore a plain cropped and fitted black shirt while Jeho had a denim jacket with nothing underneath. His abs were working overtime today as well.
Of course, the highlight of the shoot was the boxers.
Iwol faced an embarrassing moment earlier with the stylists that still kept him flustered until now.
“Are the pants really this low…?”
“Iwol, you have to at least show the garter with the Calvin Klein label.”
While being dressed, Iwol bowed to himself—he would never let spArk come out with sagging pants. Never would he ever let them wear pants that would show their underwear, but if it’s for a brand deal, he’d weigh the costs and effects before considering it.
He had finished his own photos quickly earlier so now he had the luxury to rest while being prepared for the second concept. Looking at Jeho getting his photos taken in the center, he really proved himself to be spArk's sexy center emperor.
The director's only instruction to them was that the concept was neat and sexy, but Jeho was doing everything on his own.
He had his body slightly bent to the side, one arm gently raised so his jacket followed upward, revealing his washboard-like abs.
“One more pose, Jeho! Put your arm on your head now!”
Jeho did as he was told. He lifted both his arms and rested them on his head.
Iwol whispered to Daeyeon, who was watching next to him. The manager had a camera open, taking photos and videos of Jeho for their behind-the-scenes vlog.
“At this point, shouldn’t he just take off that jacket?”
“The director probably wanted as many photos as they could take.”
“Isn't this too sexy to be published?”
“Calvin Klein has released campaigns with more skin exposure so I think this is more tame. Are you uncomfortable with the concept, Iwol?”
He shook his head at Daeyeon's concern. He had agreed to this with all his consent and it didn't really bother him.
Maybe he's just a little shy, but that's that.
Jeho's first photoshoot had finished. The stylists also wrapped up Iwol's makeup so he had been freed from the heat of the vanity lights. The first place he went to was the monitor.
“How was it?”
The director hummed in satisfaction while scrolling through the photos. “It's all good but…”
“What's the problem?”
Behind Iwol, Jeho peeked from his shoulder to look at the monitor as well.
Iwol squinted his eyes at him and slapped his bare shoulder. “Go get a jacket or towel. Why are you still naked?”
“Why would I get dressed when the shoot isn't over yet?”
Before their bickering escalated, the director suddenly stood up.
“Let's change the concept!"
“Yes…?”
The director's revolutionary idea, apparently, came from spArk's MISSION concept photos—Iwol's photo to be specific.
It's still vivid in his mind (because it was really ridiculous) about how his photocard from MISSION were sold at 10 times the market price of Cheonghyeon's photocards. It’s ridiculous.
To be specific, it was the one where he had red lipstick smudged on his lips.
And now, the CK director was attempting to do something similar.
From the earlier photoshoots, Jeho had his usual nude lip color but the makeup artist had changed them into a darker shade of red.
The director looked at Jeho closely, even squinting. He had Jeho standing with both legs widely opened so they could see each other eye to eye.
“Something is still missing…”
One of CK's staff then raised her hand.
“How about a kiss mark?”
It was on a Monday morning that Won Chaehee had been refreshing her social media feed continuously. She was lucky to have nabbed a seat on a rush hour in the subway so she could comfortably look at her phone.
Calvin Klein's social media account just released a teaser for their new ambassadors. It was just a silhouette of two men but it was so obvious to her and other sparklers.
No other male idol had Jeho and Iwol's insane physique.
ㄴ isnt this spk
ㄴ jeho and iwol… our sexy eldest hyungs oh my god
ㄴ i'd recognize those arms anywhere. KIM IWOL
ㄴ how is it possible to see someone's abs in a silhouette?
At exactly 9 in the morning, upon refreshing her feed, a new post came up with the Calvin Klein logo.
There it was. New photos of Kim Iwol and Choi Jeho.
Won Chaehee's fingers moved faster than her eyes. She immediately liked the post and reposted it in her account. And when she's done, she finally laid her eyes on the photos, with her phone in maximum brightness.
“Gasp…!”
She barely stopped herself from gasping loudly. To ensure no other involuntary gasps would come out, she looked at the photos with her hand covering her mouth.
The first photo shown was Jeho's.
A full-body shot on a white backdrop. He wore light blue denim pants and a plain white shirt that was so fitted to his chest muscles, highlighting the CK logo on his chest even more and making his tanned skin pop. One of Jeho's hands was on his waist, his thumb barely grazing the garter of the underwear that was above the pants’ waistband.
Won Chaehee felt that it was too indecent to zoom in on the garter while she's in public transportation with full brightness so she just had to look at the photo from afar. The boxer's iconic white waistband with the Calvin Klein label, light blue denim pants. white fitted shirt, and Choi Jeho's tanned muscles…
Is Won Chaehee dreaming right now?
But above all that, there was something that made her scream earlier.
Her fingers zoomed in on Choi Jeho's face. Calvin Klein at least had the tact to upload the photo in 4K HD quality so the pixels didn't even budge when she zoomed.
And there it was, in its full glory, a red kiss mark on Choi Jeho's face—it's in his chin, just slightly below his lower lip.
Blood immediately rushed to Won Chaehee's face. A kiss mark on his chin? Really?
Was this really allowed? Did Kim Iwol even allow this to happen?
Who the hell kissed their Center Emperor Choi Jeho? This had to be done with a prop or some tool, right?
Just as she was about to storm off on her private account to explode about this photoshoot concept, her finger accidentally swiped to the next photo, one she had forgotten because of the shock from Choi Jeho’s pictorial.
This time, Won Chaehee wasn't able to suppress herself and ended up letting out an indignified noise. She ended up squealing on public transportation.
On her screen was Kim Iwol's photo.
He had blue denim jeans as well, slightly smaller and fitted than Choi Jeho's baggy pants. As if making him contrast the other, Kim Iwol wore black fitted CK shirt, the same style as Choi Jeho.
But on Kim Iwol's face, on his lips, was a pinkish-red lipstick smudged to his cheek.
Won Chaehee had to zoom in on the photo. Calvin Klein should have posted a close-up or bust photo of the kids! What were they thinking, just posting full-body shots?
On a closer look, Won Chaehee realized something that made her brain short-circuit.
[ CALVIN KLEIN's new ambassadors, spArk Iwol and Jeho, stun in 2026 Summer Magazine ]
ㄴ you're kidding me. what is this
ㄴ THEY KISSED I KNEW IT THEY KISSED IN THE STUDIO
ㄴ i dont want to hope but. did pep really kiss wangje… the lipstick shade is just the same… maybe they just have a kiss stamp… but… wolje kiss… did pep kiss wangje please…
ㄴ here's why pep kissed wangje (completely empirical evidence). in photo 1, you can see the measurement for the kiss mark on wangje. photo 2 is pep's lips size. putting those two together, it's just the same.
ㄴ banging on your doors. ua release the behind the scenes NOW
ㄴ does iwol know we're fucking crazy about them
ㄴ iwol how could you show your pale tummy and neck do you know your fans are wolves do you know choi jeho is a starving alpha wolf in rut TT
ㄴ choi jeho boxers WTF THATS NOT ALLOWED
ㄴ that kim iwol arms account thrives again today congratulations
ㄴ day 1 of asking iwol in bubble pop if he's the one who kissed jeho in the photoshoot
The following week, right after the brochures sold out, a new content came up on spArk's account. The photoshoot behind-the-scene vlog finally went online.
Unfortunately for Iwol, his busy schedule didn't leave him time to watch the vlog—hence why he's only watching it days later. He had seen the reactions online of Sparklers and the explosion of Bubble Pop messages. It's an understatement to say they were hyped about the photos and the vlog.
Maybe he really should have told the managers to cut that part out…
Slightly feeling antsy, Iwol began playing the video on his phone.
[ “Hello! We're at the studio today to take photos for Calvin Klein's magazine this season.” ]
The vlog opened with Iwol's greeting. He's getting his hair styled, while in the background, Jeho could be seen sitting on a sofa, playing on his phone. Jeho was all dolled up, dressed in the brand's clothes from head to toe.
Upon hearing Iwol's voice, Jeho stood up and walked toward the camera. He stopped right behind him, just a few inches before the chair where Iwol sat.
[ “Hello, Sparklers.” ]
The scene switched to a different setting, into the photoshoot studio where the backdrop to Jeho and Iwol's released photos could be seen.
[ “Isn't he cold like that?” ]
Jeho spoke to the camera, although his body remained facing toward the center of the studio, where Iwol was taking his photos. His fitted black shirt was almost like a cropped top and every time he moved his arms, the shirt would lift up a little and his pale tummy would peek.
When Iwol finished his own photoshoot, he walked toward the camera where Jeho stood.
[ “Cover up.” ]
[ “Excuse me?” ]
The two stood before the monitors, their physiques making the black screens look tiny even when they were crouching to see them closely.
The director’s voice could be heard in the background.
[ “We’ll change the concept a little. Just a little, if that’s okay.” ]
[ “What do we need to do?” ]
[ “A kiss mark on the face.” ]
[ “On both of us, PD?” ]
[ “Hmm… Should we see it on Jeho’s first?” ]
Kim Iwol clicked the screen of his phone to pause the video. Memories of that day ran through his mind, leaving him flustered.
Upon suggesting the kiss mark addition, the stylists looked for a kiss mark stamp but they couldn’t find any, as it wasn’t planned. Since Jeho looked really repulsed when he suggested getting a real kiss mark instead, Iwol was going to give up on that and ask a staff member to buy one from the nearest cosmetic shop.
“Are you going to do it?” Choi Jeho suddenly asked him.
“What?”
“The kiss.”
Choi Jeho said something really horrifying. Did he mean Kim Iwol should kiss him? What if his skin broke out because Kim Iwol kissed him?
“Why me?”
Instead of answering, Choi Jeho simply looked at him as if he's asking something stupid. It's even more infuriating because it's a look he always gave Kim Iwol.
“You suggested it. A real kiss.”
Kim Iwol whined but Choi Jeho had a point.
He weighed the options.
First, the staff could go to the nearest cosmetic shop to buy a kiss mark stamp but delay the filming. Or second, get someone else to kiss Choi Jeho on his cheek.
The main problem: who would do the kiss?
Anyone else doing it would result in fans being upset, but if it's another member doing the kiss…
It really is the only way.
Although his lips were almost pressed into a frown, Kim Iwol agreed. “Fine. I'll do it.”
The stylists immediately had his lips painted into a different shade than what he had earlier. His usual Nightscape Aurora 01 was replaced by a brighter pink that made his lips more plump and shiny.
They also put so much tint to ensure that he would actually leave a mark on Jeho's face.
“Where should it be?” Iwol asked the director.
“On Jeho's right cheek, please.”
“Okay, I got it.”
Choi Jeho glanced at him.
“Do it quickly.”
Kim Iwol instantly bit back. “Be quiet.”
He looked at Choi Jeho's cheek, his right cheek. There's a thin layer of foundation covering his skin which only just made his natural skin tone pop better. It's still unblemished, with or without the make up. Their weeks of effort dieting and working out showed through his sharp jaw.
Kim Iwol reached out to Choi Jeho's cheek, with his left hand quietly and hesitantly moving toward his face.
“How about here?” He asked and softly poked at Jeho's cheek.
“Kim Iwol, just do it, seriously.”
Even if Choi Jeho told him that with brows furrowed to death, how could he kiss him in front of 20 or so people in the studio watching them?
He knew it's part of the idol life and that the kiss shouldn't mean anything, but it’s just so embarrassing to Iwol to be watched to kiss a coworker. And Choi Jeho, of all people too!
“Hey…” he called him, almost whimpering to Jeho.
“Can't we do this somewhere else?”
Fortunately, Jeho seemed to have understood his words. He looked around the studio, paused at the dressing room, then grabbed Iwol's arm.
Choi Jeho spoke, looking at everyone and even specifically glancing at the camera director.
“No one follow us.”
Then he pulled Kim Iwol toward the secluded dressing room, locking the door quickly.
“Is this good enough?”
Kim Iwol hid his embarrassment in a cough. “Yes, thank you.”
They stood there quietly for a few seconds. Choi Jeho just let him think in silence, like he always did.
“Okay,” Iwol breathed in before continuing, “can I do it now?”
Choi Jeho didn't answer but simply leaned toward him.
At 183 centimeters, Kim Iwol is a tall man. However, when Choi Jeho stood before him, there's a visible height difference between. Somehow, he made five centimeters a very big deal.
“I'll, uhm, do it here.” He said and lightly tapped Jeho's cheek.
Jeho suddenly asked him. “Are you nervous?”
“How could I not be?”
It's annoying how unbothered Choi Jeho could be. Kim Iwol is tripping over his own words, and here is Mister Center Emperor casually standing, leaning his weight on one foot. His lax posture made Iwol so annoyed he ended up hitting his arm.
“Why are you suddenly nervous over this?”
“What's weirder is that you are so unbothered by this.”
That's where Choi Jeho's expression crumpled a little, making Iwol press his finger in the center of his brows.
“Don't frown.”
Iwol only ended up clicking his tongue upon seeing Jeho frown even deeper.
“What is it?” Iwol asked him.
Jeho only answered him with a question. “Are you uncomfortable with this? I'll tell the director I don't like this if you are.”
It suddenly reminded Iwol of the past, when Jeho almost ran through the UA office because of a self-produced content plan that involved childhood experiences. The Choi Jeho he helped back then is now the one trying to help him.
But it wasn't really the problem for Iwol.
“I'm not uncomfortable.” He told Jeho.
He repeated himself, seeing the man still deep into his frown. “Seriously, I'm not.”
“Then?”
“I'm just… embarrassed?”
The rush of blood left Iwol's cheeks a red much intense and deeper than the lipstick they put on him. He wasn't lying about the embarrassment.
It's just that, he had never experienced kissing or being kissed.
Even if they tell him it's for work, he's still left flustered by the sudden intimate skinship.
Jeho tilted his head at Iwol's words, trying to understand him.
Then he asked, “should I just kiss you instead?”
The image formed in his mind as quickly as it disappeared, and as instant as Iwol's answer.
“No?!”
Jeho seemed to have taken it differently, because he sounded offended by Iwol's intense rejection. “What? You don't want me to kiss you?”
“No?! I mean, well, I don't know?! I've never even thought of that!”
“So you want to kiss me?”
This time, Iwol paused to think. Would it make sense to answer him with a firm no when Iwol really don’t feel like it?
His silence made Jeho lean toward him, curious. “What? You really do?”
“Ah, be quiet!"
“Kim Iwol, we’re running out of time. Just kiss me.”
“You are so, so infuriating.”
Jeho kept lingering next to him, always following where Iwol moved so he couldn’t completely escape him. Iwol couldn’t even hide his reddening cheeks, and perhaps his neck too because Jeho has been glancing since earlier.
“You know it’ll be over quickly if you just do it,” Jeho told him.
It’s upsetting to admit that he is right. The more Iwol made excuses and escaped him, the more they delayed the filming and the longer he would have to stay in this isolated room with Jeho—and the weirder he’d feel about him. Curse him and his weak and easily swayed heart.
So he faced Jeho. Iwol is reminded again of the five centimeter gap they have when he has to look up just to meet his eyes. Jeho’s right cheek, that’s where his target is.
“Don’t move,” is all the warning he said as he placed his right hand on Jeho’s shoulder. The slight pressure pushed him down lower than Iwol’s level. It felt nice to have Jeho so pliable under him.
And with his free left hand, Iwol covered Jeho’s eyes.
“What—”
The hand covering his sight kept pushing him, locking him in Iwol’s hold, which is exactly what cued Jeho to just stay still in his position. With nothing to see, all Jeho could focus on was Iwol’s breath against his skin.
He wasn’t speaking or doing any movements at all.
Should Jeho say something?
Would that startle Iwol, and they’d go back from the start again where Iwol kept hesitating?
Jeho decided to at least give Iwol a subtle signal, a soft movement to check on him. Just as when he moved his head to the right, to where he remembered Iwol to be facing, something soft pressed against his cheek which left him frozen.
Or rather, near his lower lip.
Scratch that, Jeho is sure it touched his lower lip.
“Why did you suddenly move?!” Iwol suddenly exclaimed. His hand over Jeho’s face tightened that he has to tap it so Iwol would finally let go of him.
When Jeho finally got to see him, he furrowed his brows.
“Why is your lipstick messy?”
Iwol answered back, suddenly full of snark. “Well, who was it that suddenly moved?”
The perfectly moist and shiny lipstick was now smudged to the side, as if it were purposely wiped. It also lost the gloss it had earlier, and Jeho assumes that it’s now on his cheek because he can feel the stickiness.
The wall mirror showed their state. There’s a perfect lipstick mark right below Jeho’s lip that matched Iwol’s lipstick shade. The smudge looked too scandalous yet somehow, Jeho thought the pink shade looked good against Iwol’s pale skin.
The three consecutive knocks on the door snatched their attention.
“Iwol? Jeho? Are you both alright in there?”
“Manager Chanyoung! We’ll be out in a second.”
Not yet.
Jeho isn’t satisfied yet.
“Kim Iwol.”
The man didn’t even look at him. Iwol was too busy checking on his make up through the mirror, trying to clean up the smudge without making a bigger mess.
“What?”
Jeho then told him. “I don’t think the kiss mark is visible enough.”
[ IWOL & JEHO returned ! ]
[ “I’m sorry, the lipstick smudged. Choi Jeho wouldn’t stay still.” ]
[ “Why am I at fault?” ]
Iwol paused the video again. It’s so painfully embarrassing to see how disheveled they came out of that changing room. No wonder sparklers were all over his Bubble Pop messages when the video was dropped.
He couldn’t take it anymore and watched everything in 2x speed. The video has been out for days and seeing as to how he’s not being canceled yet online, there’s nothing important in the video. Iwol skipped to the interview part with the advertiser’s side.
[ An interview with CK’s newest models ]
[ Q: How are you liking the photoshoots? ]
[ IWOL: It’s fun! CK took care of us a lot. I’m also very grateful to the gifts you gave us, and there are also for the other members who aren’t here. ]
[ JEHO: Thank you for having us here. We don’t get a lot of opportunities to do commercials together. ]
[ Q: How do you think will the fans react upon seeing the photos? ]
[ IWOL: I hope they’ll like them! ]
[ JEHO: Well, they really seem to like it when you show skin. ]
[ IWOL: Me…? Not you? ]
[ JEHO: Mine too, but they go… kind of crazy when it comes to you? ]
[ IWOL: Don’t call our sparklers crazy. Are you crazy? ]
[ Q: How would you describe Calvin Klein in a single word? ]
[ IWOL: Choi Jeho. ]
[ JEHO: Me…? ]
[ IWOL: Yeah. Denim, a plain white shirt, and the Calvin Klein waistband. Do you see the vision? ]
[ Q: I do! It’s exactly the vision we were going for. ]
[ IWOL: I knew you'd understand. ]
[ Q: What is the one Calvin Klein apparel that everyone should have? ]
[ JEHO: The denim set-up. I like the clean look it gives. It just fits my style. ]
[ IWOL: It’s the underwear for me. ]
[ JEHO: Oh yeah, the underwear too. I've always had Calvin Klein underwears. ]
[ IWOL: Thank you to Calvin Klein for sending us gifts. Jeho would not buy replace his old underwears no matter how much we persuade him. ]
[ JEHO: Why would I buy when they’re still in perfect condition? ]
[ IWOL: It’s literally in the same condition as your old bag. Don’t you have any pity for it? ]
[ JEHO: Stop exaggerating. ]
[ IWOL: The state of his underwear has shown me how durable CK apparel is. ]
[ JEHO: It’s in perfect, wearable condition. You’re overreacting. ]
[ IWOL: I’m seriously so grateful for this opportunity. I’ve been thinking for years on how to burn his underwear just so he would buy one. ]
[ JEHO: Seriously? ]
[ Q: Jeho has done fashion shows before but Iwol hasn’t, right? ]
[ IWOL: That’s right. ]
[ Q: Then it would be an honor for us to have IWOL’s fashion show debut with JEHO! ]
[ IWOL: We’ll be very glad to join! ]
END.
Was Kim Iwol crazy?
Were they crazy? How could they include the underwear talk in the interview?
Remembering Jeho's disintegrating old underwear, Iwol felt his surging desire to overhaul Jeho's closet again.
ARTIST MESSAGES
Iwol puppy: y/n, please forget that…
Iwol puppy: Please forget everything I said about Jeho’s underwear.
Iwol puppy: but yes, we finally replaced everything.
Iwol puppy: Thank you again, Calvin Klein.
Iwol puppy: I don’t have to see his pitiful boxers anymore.
Iwol puppy: Who told Jeho on bubble that I'm talking about his boxers
And if there were Sparklers asking about the kiss again, Iwol would choose to pretend he didn't see them for the sake of his sanity.