Archive of Our Own

A struggling model trying to make a name for himself in an unforgiving industry. Determined, sharp-tongued, and fiercely independent, Taehyun refuses to let anyone pity him—even when he's barely keeping himself afloat.

Beomgyu's older brother and a renowned model. Charming, confident, and effortlessly playful, Soobin lives life on his own terms and has no interest in taking over the family business.

Beomgyu's secretary and one of the few people who can handle his cold personality. Professional, observant, and loyal, Yeonjun often knows more about Beomgyu's life than he should.

Taehyun's best friend and biggest support system. Cheerful, protective, and always ready to drag Taehyun out of whatever trouble he finds himself in.

Beomgyu's wife. She knows he doesn't love her and that he is gay, but she has no intention of leaving the marriage. For Haejin, their relationship is a fair exchange—status, wealth, and power in return for keeping up the perfect image of a marriage.

˚₊‧꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱‧₊˚────⋆✶°✧────˚₊‧꒰ა ♡໒꒱‧₊˚

Chapter -1

THE PERFECT MARRIAGE 

Beomgyu stood in front of the mirror, adjusting his tie with precise, practiced movements. His expression remained stern and cold, not a single trace of emotion visible on his face.

Once he was satisfied with his appearance, he turned away from the mirror and headed toward the stairs.

He had barely taken a step when a familiar voice called after him.

"Honey~~"

Beomgyu clenched his jaw.

He stopped but didn't turn around.

"What do you want?" he asked coldly.

Haejin quickly walked toward him, a small smile on her face.

"Well... at least we can eat breakfast together."

Beomgyu's expression didn't change.

"No. I don't want breakfast that you made."

Her smile faltered.

"Don't worry. I didn't make it... It was Chef Jung."

"Still... I don't want it."

Haejin lowered her gaze and quietly sighed.

She had gotten used to his indifference.

Still, she always tried.

She looked up again, forcing another gentle smile.

"Well... what about tonight?"

Beomgyu finally turned around, raising an eyebrow.

"Tonight?"

Haejin nodded.

"Yeah. Your brother's birthday party. Your mother especially called me and asked me to join."

Beomgyu stared at her for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh.

"Fine. I'll tell the driver to pick you up. We'll meet at the venue."

His gaze briefly traveled over her appearance.

"And dress properly."

Before Haejin could say anything else, Beomgyu turned around and walked away, leaving her standing alone at the bottom of the stairs.

She watched his retreating figure silently.

Even after two years of marriage, she still found herself chasing after the smallest bit of his attention.

And Beomgyu?

He never looked back.

On the other side of the city, in a small apartment that barely had enough space for two people, Hueningkai's excited voice echoed through the room.

"Tae!!!!! You gained ten thousand followers and got a small brand advertisement!"

Taehyun, who had been sleeping on the couch, slowly sat up with a groan. His hair was messy, and his eyes were barely open.

"What?"

Hueningkai shoved his phone toward him, grinning from ear to ear.

"You heard me! Ten thousand followers! And we finally got a brand deal!"

Taehyun blinked at the screen, still trying to wake up.

Ten thousand.

It wasn't much compared to the famous models he followed, but for him, it meant something.

It meant someone was finally noticing him.

A small smile appeared on his lips.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously! Now get ready. We have to leave."

Taehyun immediately jumped off the couch.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Because you were sleeping like a dead person!"

"Kai!"

Hueningkai laughed as Taehyun disappeared into the bathroom.

Within minutes, the sound of the shower filled the tiny apartment. Taehyun quickly got ready, fixing his hair and choosing one of the few decent outfits he owned.

When he finally stepped out, he turned toward Hueningkai.

"Do I look okay?"

Hueningkai looked him up and down before giving him a small nod.

"Yeah..."

Taehyun narrowed his eyes.

"Just yeah?"

Hueningkai burst out laughing.

"You look good, idiot. Now hurry before we lose our first actual opportunity."

Taehyun grabbed his bag, a genuine smile finally spreading across his face.

For the first time in a long while, he felt like maybe things were finally beginning to change.

When they finally arrived at the location, both Taehyun and Hueningkai's excited expressions slowly faded.

They stood outside a small beauty shop tucked between two much larger stores.

Taehyun stared at the faded sign above the entrance.

"This is it?"

Hueningkai looked down at the address on his phone and then back at the shop.

"Apparently..."

It wasn't a well-known cosmetic brand. The shop sold affordable makeup and skincare products, with shelves packed tightly against the walls and colorful posters of lip tints, compact powders, and basic skincare products covering the windows.

A small handwritten banner near the entrance read:

NEW COLLECTION - 20% OFF.

Taehyun's shoulders dropped slightly.

He had imagined professional studios, photographers, makeup artists, and a huge campaign.

Instead, he was standing outside a tiny local cosmetics store.

Hueningkai noticed his expression and nudged his shoulder.

"Hey. Don't look so disappointed."

Taehyun sighed.

"I'm not disappointed."

Hueningkai raised an eyebrow.

"You're literally making the face of someone who just lost a million-dollar contract."

Taehyun rolled his eyes.

"It's still work."

He took a deep breath and straightened his clothes.

"And I need the money."

Hueningkai smiled softly.

"That's my boy."

Taehyun pushed open the door.

Neither of them knew that this small, unimpressive advertisement would be the beginning of something neither of them could have imagined.

The moment Taehyun stepped inside, chaos greeted him.

Someone was running around with a hairdryer in one hand and a makeup brush in the other.

"Where's the ring light?!"

"It broke!"

"Then use the backup!"

"There is no backup!"

Hueningkai slowly turned toward Taehyun.

Taehyun stared back.

"...Should we leave?"

"Absolutely not."

Before Taehyun could respond, a woman rushed toward them.

"Taehyun?"

"Yes?"

She grabbed his wrist.

"Thank God! You're here. Come, come, we're already twenty minutes behind!"

"Wait-"

He barely had time to remove his shoes before he was dragged toward a tiny room at the back of the shop.

Inside, a makeup artist was frantically arranging products on a plastic table while another person struggled to fix a crooked backdrop.

"The backdrop is falling again!"

"Just tape it!"

"We already used the last tape!"

Hueningkai covered his mouth, trying not to laugh.

Taehyun gave him a murderous look.

"Don't."

"I'm not saying anything."

The makeup artist suddenly appeared in front of Taehyun.

"Sit."

Taehyun sat.

A brush immediately attacked his face.

"Close your eyes."

"Okay."

"Not that tightly!"

Taehyun opened them again.

"Sorry."

Behind him, something crashed.

Everyone froze.

A bottle of foundation had fallen to the floor.

"Don't worry! It's fine!" someone shouted.

Taehyun slowly looked at Hueningkai through the mirror.

Hueningkai was already shaking with silent laughter.

"This is your big break," he whispered.

Taehyun clenched his fists beneath the table.

"I'm going to kill you."

A few minutes later, he was finally pushed in front of the camera.

Except the camera wasn't actually working.

"Why isn't it turning on?"

"The battery is dead."

"Then charge it!"

"The charger is missing!"

Taehyun closed his eyes.

The atmosphere inside the executive meeting room was quiet and controlled. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the city, while several business partners sat across from Beomgyu at the long glass table.

Beomgyu sat at the head of the table, his posture straight and his expression unreadable.

Beside him stood Yeonjun, his secretary, calmly going through the documents and handling the discussion with effortless professionalism.

"The campaign for the upcoming collection is ready," one of the partners said. "We only need your final approval, Mr. Choi."

Beomgyu glanced through the documents before placing them neatly on the table.

"Approved."

Yeonjun immediately made a note.

The discussion continued for several minutes before Beomgyu finally spoke.

"There's one more thing."

Everyone's attention turned toward him.

"I want a fresh face for my makeup brand."

One of the executives looked slightly surprised.

"A new model?"

Beomgyu nodded.

"Yes. Someone unknown. I don't want another familiar face from the industry."

Yeonjun looked up from his tablet.

"Do you have anyone specific in mind?"

"No."

Beomgyu leaned back in his chair.

"Find someone who can represent the brand. Someone who stands out without trying too hard."

Yeonjun nodded professionally.

"I'll have the casting team prepare a shortlist."

"Do it quickly."

"Of course."

The meeting continued without another interruption.

Everything was precise.

Everything was professional.

Later that night, Beomgyu arrived at the venue for his brother's birthday celebration.

The grand hall was already filled with guests, soft music playing in the background as people mingled beneath the warm lights.

The moment Beomgyu stepped inside, his eyes briefly landed on Haejin.

He didn't approach her.

But Haejin noticed him immediately.

"Honey~~~"

She walked toward him with a bright smile and slipped her arm around his.

Beomgyu's eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't pull away.

"Let's go and wish your brother," Haejin said sweetly.

Beomgyu simply nodded, clearly uninterested.

They hadn't even taken a few steps when an excited voice called out from across the room.

"Gyu!!"

Beomgyu's expression instantly softened.

Standing there was his older brother, Choi Soobin.

Soobin looked effortlessly handsome in a perfectly tailored suit, his model-like appearance drawing attention from everyone around him. Unlike Beomgyu's cold demeanor, Soobin wore a bright smile as he walked toward them.

Beomgyu smiled and gave him a quick side hug.

"Happy birthday, hyung."

Soobin's smile widened as he reached up and ruffled Beomgyu's perfectly styled hair.

"Thanks, Gyu."

Beomgyu immediately frowned.

"Hyung!"

Soobin laughed at his dramatic reaction.

Haejin couldn't help but chuckle.

"Happy birthday, Soobin. You look handsome."

Soobin placed a hand over his chest dramatically.

"Thank you, my lady."

Haejin laughed again.

For a few minutes, the three of them talked casually. Soobin did most of the talking while Beomgyu mostly listened, his expression slowly returning to its usual bored state.

Then his phone buzzed.

Beomgyu glanced down at the screen.

Sir, we're currently arranging the models for the upcoming campaign for your makeup brand. We should have the shortlist ready soon.

His eyes lingered on the message.

Soobin noticed immediately.

"Seriously, bro? It's my birthday and you're still on your phone?"

Beomgyu didn't even look up.

"Yeah. It's important."

He typed a quick response before slipping the phone back into his pocket.

"I'll be back."

And before Soobin could complain again, Beomgyu turned around and walked away.

Soobin stared after him.

"That man seriously needs a life."

Haejin smiled awkwardly.

"He's always been like that."

Soobin sighed dramatically.

"Unfortunately."

Neither of them noticed the way Beomgyu's attention had already returned to one thought.

The new face for his makeup brand.