CHAPTER 20: Living Weapon Leon

A/N: Hello. Sorry for the sudden disappearance again. Just got done with my first prelims for college, and it was quite the experience HAHAHA. 

…

..

.

"I look forward to working with you all"

Speaking with a humble tone along with a gentle bow of his head, Leon greeted the entire staff of the photo shoot as he made his way to the first location he was assigned to model in.

For the first shoot, he would be showing off some of the summer collection clothes that were to be released in the various shopping districts of the Cromwell Group sometime next month.

Wearing a white button-up and some beige pants, Leon could tell that the attire he wore was the very definition of a summer-like appearance, but he was a bit confused about why pants were chosen over shorts.

'Are the women of this world really that attracted by a man's legs? If it weren't for the fact that I'm trying my best to adapt here, I would've worn shorts without any worry'

Under the immense heat of the summer sun, Leon was quite annoyed by the restrictions on his wardrobe, but his personal grievances didn't matter at that moment.

Now, he was a hired model of a major company, to not inconvenience the staff who were suffering in the heat with him and to not embarrass his family with a professional blunder; the young boy sucked it up as he began to set his mind into the right state.

'Focus, Leon. You spent your entire past life wearing masks of deceit and cunning to survive in the criminal underworld. Putting up a smile or two for a photo shouldn't be too hard!'

Though Leon was a bit nervous at his first time as a professional model, his abundant memories and experiences of his past life supplemented his lack of knowledge in the world of modeling.

Control of one's body and facial language was key to making sure you weren't swindled or exploited by some villain looking for an opportunity to capitalize, so he simply applied the same principles he had ingrained into his mind into his modeling work.

"Mister Greenfield, whenever you're ready, shoot a pose and look at the camera!"

Calling out to Leon was one of the many assistant photographers, holding a series of tools and instruments of her trade. 

All around the young boy was a crowd of professionals, each working to bring about the most pleasing image.

Though they usually gave it their all in every job they were assigned to, the crowd was especially motivated this time around to make sure Leon's photographs turned out impeccable.

Seeing his naturally perfect looks, they felt their pride as photographers being set alight to make sure the world viewed the young boy in the same way they did. Utter fascination and admiration.

"Group A! Move those light reflectors a bit back! Group B! Stay on standby with that equipment! Assistant, bring me my second set of lenses!"

Among the impassioned professionals was Leyla, who worked for her team relentlessly, believing it to be her responsibility to make sure Leon Greenfield would become a household name in the world of professional modeling.

'Leon might not have much experience modeling, but regardless of how poor his performance might be, I'll make sure these photographs rival the likes of high-end fashion magazines!'

Doubt. The reason why these women worked so hard was because they doubted the ability of Leon to model properly.

It wasn't something that came out of a place of ill-intent; it was simply normal expectations based on logic. 

Even Anastasia and Amane, who doted on Leon, didn't expect him to put on a master-class display.

But, their expectations would be shattered once again, not that long after their first shattered expectations with how his styling and make-up turned out.

"Happy…blissful…energetic…summer…got it"

After inducing his mind into the perfect state for the photoshoot's theme with a series of deductions on what would be the ideal mask for him to wear, Leon turned around to meet the staff with a solemn expression.

His eyes were half shut as his breathing steadied despite the humid hot air surrounding him. His heartbeat entered a calm rhythm before rising up in a great tremor.

"Alright!"

With his green eyes shimmering with faux excitement, Leon appeared to become a completely different person as he faced the camera.

His body moved about wildly as he seemed to relish the sensation of the sun's heat on his skin. His smile widened as if he weren't bothered by the drawbacks of the coming summer.

In all manners and definitions, Leon embodied what it truly was to be a youth enjoying their golden years in the season of sunshine.

"Ready, Leyla?"

"Huh?!"

Pointing at the lead photographer with a boisterous shout and smile, Leon shocked the staff at his sudden shift in behavior.

But before they could ask what had happened, they were brought further into the trance of a mask produced by the greatest criminal of another world.

One so convincing that it drowned its victims in a torrent of illusions and suggestions before they ever had the chance to question it.

"Haha, why are you all standing like a rock? You're supposed to be photographing me, right, slowpokes?"

Half-shutting his eyes and plastering a cheeking grin across his face, Leon sunk all the women around him into a fantasy of his own creation. One of a boy who lived for summer.

"Keep your fingers on the shutter and your eyes on me. Okay?"

"!!"

Unconsciously, the staff of the photoshoot began to fulfill their duties as Leyla took the first shot of the day. With the sound of the shutter echoing through the humid air, Leon had successfully enraptured his victims.

He didn't seem to need any direction, his mask simply led him to act in a way that most befitted the images the magazine needed.

It was a level of immersion that only people well-versed in confidence plays could perform, and the professional photographers wound themselves around his finger without any trouble.

Moving from set location to set location, the shutter of the cameras never stopped once as the workers felt a desire to capture all of Leon's movements.

The frolicking around the fountain of the central plaza as the light of the sun reflected off the shimmering water.

The lackadaisical walk through the lush greenery of the pathways filtered the heat through its shade, giving way to a more laid-back and gentle atmosphere.

The relaxed unwinding in the cafes. Sipping on an ice-cold drink in the air-conditioned shade, the brightness of the outside lies waiting just within reach. 

All of his actions were recorded in every possible pleasing angle. And Leon's attire changed every so often as well.

From his white button-up and beige pants to a plain stylized shirt and jeans, the young boy had unknowingly showcased the entire summer collection of the magazine in the midst of his deep immersion.

The amount of content he covered with his photographs had exceeded his original contracted obligations. He had now begun to take on the work the other male models were supposed to be covering. Ones who were absent from the shoot. 

As hours passed in the frenzy Leon had birthed, the bright midday had slowly begun to turn into the sun-setting afternoon. And as the day slowly came to a close, so did the existence of Leon's mask.

…

..

.

'I messed up…'

Sitting by a bench in the shopping district, Leon contemplated with regret as he had failed to estimate just how deeply he needed to immerse himself in his persona.

He had forgotten how he used to swindle entire groups or organizations to his whims back in the prime of his villainous career, so he had made an absolute mess of the photoshoot as a result of his ignorance.

'Ahhh, did I ruin the entire shoot?...'

Scrunching up his face in regret, he slowly upturned his head to meet the face of the staff, whom he assumed would be looking distraught, but instead, he was greeted with resounding smiles and joy.

"This shot turned out really good! How about we use this for the spread on page twelve?"

"Hm? But won't it be a waste to throw away this wide-angle shot? The composition is nearly perfect"

"Agh, usually we would be struggling to find good photos, but now we're struggling with which good photo to include in the magazine!"

The various workers on the set were discussing with one another with excitement about the results of the shoot.

Just as he was confused as to why they weren't up in arms at the stunt he had pulled, Anastasia and Amane approached him with faces of exasperation and flush.

"Young Master Leon, just how many things are you hiding from me?"

"Eh?"

"Leon, I know that you're a passionate person, but it's good to settle down on the effort every now and then, alright?"

"Hm?"

After a short talk, Leon learned that he had essentially made the photo shoot a resounding success. 

His immersion which resulted in the taking of many superb photos had solved many of the logistical issues the staff were facing as a result of a lack of male models in their employ.

But instead of celebrating such a thing, the young boy grew worried that he might've intruded on the work of the other models, to which Leyla responded with a deep glare of determination and hatred.

"Don't worry, Mister Greenfield. If any of those bailing models dare to ask for any of these photos to be taken away, I will use all my connections….to conveniently erase the opposition"

Experiencing the reassurance of a storied professional photographer like Leyla, Leon eventually settled down and accepted the results of his actions.

If he was assured that no harm had come because of it, he could rest easy knowing that he did well for a lot of people today.

"I'm relieved I didn't cause any trouble this time around…"

Slouching onto the bench in relief, the young boy smiled weakly as the exhaustion of immersing himself in a person for hours finally caught up to him.

"Phew…"

But in his state of absent-minded relaxation, the women by his side grew flush at the sight of his tired self, their expressions openly revealing their sudden burst of temptation at the sight of Leon's current state.

With droplets of sweat pouring down his face and the contours of his fit body, along with the rising and falling of his heaving lungs, he appeared to them to be begging for some woman with no self-control to attack him.

"Young Master…"

"Leon…"

Sighing with exasperation, Anastasia and Amane ordered the security personnel to make sure Leon couldn't be seen by the gazes of predatory women.

After forming a wall to protect the young boy from any harm, the two young girls began to pamper Leon a fair bit. Handing him heated towels and a variety of refreshing drinks and finger snacks to replenish his lost energy.

Under the immense caring of them both, Leon was quiet whilst he awkwardly bore the looks of frustration of Anastasia and Amane.

The pair of them looked extremely conflicted while looking at the young boy they so dearly cared about. As the day drew to a close, the two of them knew that they had their work cut out for them as soon as the photos Leon modelled in would be released.