2. I Want You

The United States Fashion Week event went very smoothly. Fifteen models showed the latest designs from a renowned Korean designer. It was also the anniversary of one of the core boutiques, which now has ten branches, including two in London and one in New York. After three rounds, the models, who had finished spinning, returned to the backstage. The place where they do their make-up. There was an open break room on the left side. Axel flung himself onto the sofa as he exhaled roughly. He immediately leaned his head on the back of the sofa. "Axel! Gosh, you look so tired!" Axel raised both eyebrows with his eyes still closed. Then when he felt a shock from the side, like someone had just sat up, Axel jerked his eyes open. "Aish. Why did you come in such a hurry?" Axel cursed Jonathan, the manager who was like his best friend. Jonathan brought a tissue and made a pitiable face. He guiltlessly wiped the sweat from several spots on Axel's face. "Look at this. You must be feeling really tired after all the modeling and photo shoots-" "Ah!" Axel immediately moved his head away and swatted Jonathan's hand away. "What's wrong with you, you're overreacting." Jonathan frowned, looking unhappy with Axel's treatment. "Hey, I was showing concern for you. How can you care about my care like that?" Axel's eyes looked strangely at Jonathan who was dramatizing his way of speaking. Axel had indeed worked with Jonathan for almost eight years of his career in entertainment. But even if Axel was used to Jonathan's behavior, Axel was still always surprised. How was it that Axel always had to work side by side with a man like this? "Oh my..." Axel sighed heavily. "Do you always have to be like this? I appreciate your concern, so now shut up. Okay?" he asked as he cupped Jonathan's face with a pleading look. As if he was pleading with a child. Jonathan was somewhat taken aback when Axel pressed his cheeks together. To the point that his mouth was shaped like a fish's mouth. "A-aaa! Bwgwaimwana akwu bwicara?!" Jonathan pushed Axel's hands away with an annoyed jerk. "Aish. It's lucky that I've been working for so long and you've earned so much for me." Jonathan straightened up in his seat. He had a look of disbelief on his face. Getting carried away wanted to dramatize the situation. "Hey, I know you don't really care about me. You just want my money, right?" Jonathan asked, dramatizing. Jonathan, who of course knew that Axel was dramatizing, happily accepted. "Of course. In this day and age of high prices, who doesn't want and need money?" "How dare you say that." Axel ended his words with an exasperated smirk on his lips. Suddenly Jonathan laughed. Meanwhile, Axel's eyes happened to be watching the surroundings. At that moment, Axel's eye movement stopped when he accidentally caught the figure of a woman. Axel frowned, paying attention to the woman who stood quite far away but was still within sight. He remembered the woman - the one he had asked to do his make-up. She was chatting with three other make-up artists. For some reason the corners of Axel's lips automatically curved. Forming a smile that implied interest. "Hey, Mr. Jonathan," Axel called out as he tapped Jonathan on the shoulder without looking away. Jonathan winced and was surprised to get such a heavy pat from Axel. The pat was so tight and original that it almost hit him in the face. Without further ado, Jonathan caught Axel's hand and stopped the rapid succession of claps. "Hey, what's wrong with you? Hey, Axel!" Axel then turned his head to Jonathan. He brought his face closer while pointing at it. "Do you think my makeup is messy or not? Or are there parts that are erased because of my sweat?" Axel asked. Seeing Axel suddenly acting strangely like that, made Jonathan frown in astonishment. Of course he felt there was something strange about Axel. So Jonathan just looked at Axel with a look wondering what was going on. "Hey!" Axel snapped a finger in front of Jonathan's face, snapping him awake. "I asked you a question!" "Wh-what? What's wrong with you?" "Just tell me if there's any part of my makeup that's not done?" Axel's tone was hurried and urgent. Although Axel looked suspicious, Jonathan nodded stiffly. The look on his face showed that he was still guessing what had happened to Axel. "Oh, yes. There are some parts of your makeup that are fading. I don't know what to call it, but..." Before Jonathan could finish speaking, Axel grinned and tapped his manager twice on the shoulder. Before Axel got up from his standing position and ran away just like that. Leaving Jonathan dumbfounded. Jonathan reached out and opened his mouth, about to yell at Axel, but ended up unable to get any words out. His tongue felt tongue-tied as he couldn't get enough of Axel. "God, that brat!" growled Jonathan, including a groan at the end of the sentence. If he didn't love Axel like his own brother, he would have resigned a long time ago. *** It was exhausting. Today Olivia was helping Jane, her senior, who had seven makeup clients. Granted, Olivia was just helping with the usual stuff. But seeing the crowd in one room, even though the room was big, Olivia felt claustrophobic. Moreover, everyone in the room looked so busy going back and forth. Just seeing it made Olivia feel tired. Now Olivia decided to step out of the big room into a fairly quiet hallway. Olivia stood facing the large glass as a substitute for the wall, looking at the night sky stretching out. Olivia occasionally closed her eyes as she took a deep breath. Feeling the calm air from the hustle and bustle of the people in the room. It felt so soothing when Olivia enjoyed this kind of tranquility. Like something inside her that was bound and restrained, was instantly freed. "Ah, at least I can see Axel tonight," Olivia murmured between her eyes. Olivia opened her eyes again and saw a printed photo. There was Axel in the print, when Jungkook performed at London's Fashion Parade Week last month. Olivia's smile grew warm. "How handsome is this man. Gosh, why did God create a creature as beautiful as you?" Without Olivia realizing it, Axel was already standing a few meters away from her. Axel watched Olivia with a questioning gaze. Whose photo was she looking at? Olivia closed her eyes again while bringing the printed photo in her hand to her chest. As if she was hugging Axel. Axel, who felt curious, finally stepped closer. He didn't know what Olivia was thinking until she was so focused that she didn't hear the sound of his footsteps. "Why are you alone?" Olivia suddenly opened her eyes and turned her face. Her eyes immediately widened in surprise and jerked back a step. A man who had just arrived and was stepping toward her made Olivia suddenly stiffen. The man, Axel, raised both eyebrows. His hands were stuffed into his coat pockets. Seeing Olivia who suddenly stiffened and looked at him in horror, Axel was provoked to laugh amusedly. "Why are you looking at me so strangely?" Axel asked. He had stopped walking when he was three steps in front of Olivia. "You... aren't doing anything wrong, are you?" Olivia still blinked. But her shock had subsided. Nervous to death, Olivia replied, "A-ah, that... what kind of thing?" Axel seemed to think for a moment. "Yeah... that, getting caught stealing, for example?" Olivia's forehead wrinkled. Because of her nervousness, Olivia didn't catch the implied joke behind Axel's sentence. Axel immediately let out a small laugh. "I'm just kidding. Are you in trouble? Scolded by your seniors again?" "No," Olivia replied quickly, taking Axel by surprise. "There's nothing wrong. You... what are you doing here?" Axel didn't answer. His eyes looked at Olivia intently, highlighting a meaning.Axel slowly stepped closer to Olivia. Making Olivia even more nervous, taking a step back. Axel's height that was more than Olivia's made Olivia have to look up. "My make up is a bit messy, ssh... I feel oily from sweat. Can you fix it?" Axel asked in a low and deep voice. Olivia almost gaped if she didn't hold her lips immediately. "W-why... no, I mean, you can ask the others for help." "Right, I can ask others for help," Axel replied, briefly casting a glance outside. "But you've been handling my makeup since the beginning, so I'm afraid of someone else messing up." Olivia fell silent. Her heart was racing so fast at that moment that her whole body suddenly stiffened. Olivia's tongue was tongue-tied even though she had the vocabulary to refuse. But she couldn't say anything at all. "How's this?" Axel's eyes turned to look back at Olivia. "I just want you to..." Axel read the name tag on Olivia's right breast. His lopsided smile curved a little. "...Olivia?" Olivia's heart skipped a beat. Her body froze without being able to say anything. She just stood there looking at Axel intensely. "What?" asked Olivia. 'Didn't I hear wrong?" she continued silently. "I want you, Olivia."