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Angel Smile

The background is set in a small, quiet town on the outskirts of Seoul. In this town, people were friendly, except for one particular neighbourhood. In this neighbourhood, everybody lived their lives as if treading on eggshells, all because of one particular household: the Lees. People surnamed Lee were a dime a dozen, but these particular set of Lees were unique. Dysfunctional. The family consisted of four people; the father and breadwinner Lee Do Joon, the delinquent son Lee Hyuk, the top student Lee Gun, and the town's most beautiful girl Lee Yeo Ri. Lee Yeo Ri was regarded as a saving grace, but before anybody knew it, the saving grace was slowly disintegrating from within. Hidden underneath her perfect, angelic smile, was a girl who was slowly being crushed and torn apart. This is her story. — TRIGGER WARNING — This story contains depictions of rape, violence, and other traumatic scenes. — Cover art by Ren (Twitter: @ikinashi_ren) — Please consider commenting or reviewing; any and all feedback are appreciated! :D

ihateyounot · Urbano
Classificações insuficientes
299 Chs

First Photoshoot

Several days after she made the call, Mrs. Choi, Park Soo Yeon, personally came over to the apartment to pick her up for her first shoot.

It was for her profile and portfolio, but since they didn't have much time to accumulate the photos, Mrs. Choi decided to maximise the little time she had to work with.

"Thank you for coming all the way here, Auntie. I'm sure you're busy with other things as well," Yeo Ri bowed her head gratefully to the older woman.

This time, there was only Park Soo Yeon. Da Na had wanted to come along, but since it was for business, Park Soo Yeon didn't allow her to. Though, part of the reason was because she wanted to monopolise the girl's time all to herself...

"It's no trouble. Your house was just on the way, so Auntie came to pick you up in passing," Mrs. Choi said, smiling sweetly. Inwardly, she was thinking about the kind of concepts she wanted Yeo Ri to do for her photoshoot. She had a dozen of them lined up, but they did not have the time to do it all. She could only choose two or three out of the many so it would not overwhelm the girl.

Gun came out of the house soon after the two exchanged greetings. Since Yeo Ri was still a minor, he was accompanying her as chaperone. He had been present during the contract signing as well, so Mrs. Choi did not find his presence unusual.

The three got into the company car and they drove off to the venue.

"Are you excited, Yeo Ri-ah?" Mrs. Choi asked as she glanced at the rather fidgety girl.

Yeo Ri blushed after she was found out, and offered the older woman a small smile. "A little bit."

"Don't worry; the staffs are nice and you'll definitely enjoy it," Mrs. Choi said.

"I'll be right by your side, so don't be nervous," Gun supportively held her hand, smiling reassuringly.

"Mm," Yeo Ri grasped his hand tightly and nodded.

After travelling for almost twenty minutes, they finally arrived at the studio. It was a three-storey building in an urban area. The design of the building was sleek and modern, painted black and white, which made it easier to differentiate it from its neighbours.

"The second floor is the studio, but we'll be heading to the third floor first to get your makeup ready first," Mrs. Choi explained. "Oh, that's right! Starting from now, you should call me 'President', okay, Yeo Ri-ah?" Mrs. Choi smiled at her. Now that the girl was signed as one of her company's new talents, they should learn to separate private and business matters.

"Yes, President," Yeo Ri obediently followed her instruction. Her lips were set in a straight line as she tried to keep a serious expression.

"Good girl," Park Soo Yeon's eyes glowed with amusement as she patted the girl's head. Yeo Ri's earnest look was just too cute, she thought.

Park Soo Yeon entered the building first, followed by her secretary who had driven the car for them and the two siblings who were holding hands.

Gun could feel Yeo Ri stiffening up as they neared their intended destination. "Don't worry, you'll do fine. I'm sure you'll be amazing at it. The staff will help you, don't worry," he whispered more comforting words to try to ease her anxiety. "I'm right here."

Park Soo Yeon climbed up the stairs after greeting the receptionist and led the group to the third floor. It was a dressing room filled with racks of clothing and three dressing tables. Makeup products, beauty items, and hairdressing equipments were arranged neatly on the side.

A glamorous-looking woman was already waiting for them inside the room. Seeing Park Soo Yeon, her gaze brightened.

"You're here, Mrs. President," she greeted with a slight smile. She glanced at Park Soo Yeon's back, spotting the Lee duo.

"Oh, she must be the girl you were talking about!" She exclaimed. The woman came over to Yeo Ri's side and scrutinised her from head to toe. She lightly touched Yeo Ri's skin, nodding in satisfaction. "Her skin is a little dry, but overall, the quality is good; smooth and no blemishes."

"Ah... hello?" Yeo Ri reflexively took a step back but still bobbed her head in greeting. She glanced at Park Soo Yeon, her eyes signalling her confusion.

"Meet Kang Bo Ra; she's your makeup artist for the day," Mrs. Choi said, introducing the woman to the duo.

"I've only seen her in pictures but the real deal is no joke," Kang Bo Ra muttered. Once again, she sized the girl up from top to bottom, nodding her head in appreciation. "No wonder you wanted to manage her personally. She's got potential."

Park Soo Yeon rolled her eyes, "You're scaring the girl. Yeo Ri-ah, she's a bit crazy but she's good at what she does. Don't be scared, okay?"

"Hey!" Kang Bo Ra glowered at the older woman. "The crazy one is you," she retorted exasperatedly.

"Yeo Ri-ah, introduce yourself," Park Soo Yeon ignored the lady and nodded to Yeo Ri.

Yeo Ri quickly bowed her head, her voice pleasantly soft and polite, "Nice to meet you, Miss Kang Bo Ra. I am Lee Yeo Ri."

"No need to be so formal; just call me 'Unnie'," Kang Bo Ra reached out for a handshake with an easygoing smile. "And who's this? I thought the President was only signing one person. Is he your boyfriend?" Her eyes was glued to Gun, flashing with another look of appreciation. The girl was pretty but the boy was not so bad himself. When the two stood side-by-side, it was like a beautiful painting.

"Ah, no, this is my brother," Yeo Ri hurriedly shook her head. "He's here as my chaperone."

Gun bowed slightly, "My name is Lee Gun." His introduction was simple and curt but his tone was polite.

"I see, I see," Kang Bo Ra nodded. The two did not resemble each other very much, so she hadn't assumed it, but looking at the two of them, they certainly have one point of resemblance: their good looks!

Kang Bo Ra looked at Park Soo Yeon with an inquisitive gaze. Knowing the President, she would have probably scouted the boy too. She wondered if her attempt was unsuccessful.

Park Soo Yeon seemed to realise the meaning of her look and responded with a shrug and a light sigh.

"Then, shall we get to work?" Kang Bo Ra changed the subject soon after. They were running on a tight schedule and she did not want to waste any more time.

She whisked the younger girl to the dressing table and began working her magic.