Early in the morning, accompanied by Lee Seung-hwan, Ou Yang-yang arrived at a VOGUE exclusive photo studio located somewhere in Seoul.
Unlike the chilly winter outside, the shed was bustling with activity and professionalism.
Huge backdrops, intricate lighting rigs, reflectors, and stylists, makeup artists, and photographers' assistants moving about... The air is thick with the scent of hairspray, cosmetics, and an invisible, high-pressure creative atmosphere.
The photographer in charge of this shoot was Kim Cheol-woo, a photographer in the Korean fashion industry known for his ability to uncover the inner drama of people.
He had a thick beard and sharp eyes. When he saw Ou Yangguang come in, he looked him up and down, his gaze lingering on Ou Yangguang's amber eyes for a moment. He nodded and said directly to the stylist and makeup artist beside him, "That's the feeling. Keep him in his current state. I want that... obsessive feeling beneath the brokenness."
At a command, Ou Yangguang was pressed in front of the makeup mirror.
The makeup artist, a skilled middle-aged woman, examined Ou Yangguang's face and softly exclaimed, "You have a really good foundation, but it's a bit too 'healthy.' We need to tone it down a bit."
Instead of deliberately concealing the faint dark circles under his eyes, she used lighter concealer and highlighter to create an almost transparent sense of vulnerability caused by lack of sleep.
The base makeup is applied very thinly and sheerly, almost revealing the skin's natural texture, emphasizing a "raw," unrefined, and fragile look.
His eyebrows were shaped more neatly, with the ends slightly drooping down, giving him a somewhat gloomy look.
The eye makeup is of utmost importance. A matte earth tone is used to blend over a large area, deepening the outer corner of the eye and the lower eyelid to outline a deep and even slightly sunken contour. The eyeliner is elongated, not upturned, but straight or even slightly drooping. Paired with his eyes, which are already filled with complex emotions at this moment, a silent accusation and stubbornness arise spontaneously.
Finally, apply a nearly colorless lip gloss to his slightly dry lips to create a pale, dehydrated look that conveyed longing.
The hairstylist styled his hair to be fluffy and slightly messy, with a few unruly strands falling across his forehead and the corners of his eyes, adding to his disheveled and unruly appearance.
Next up was the outfit. Instead of a haute couture suit or trendy clothes, the stylist brought out a soft, slightly oversized off-white silk shirt, with the top two buttons casually undone, revealing a defined collarbone.
The material of the shirt allows light to create subtle variations on it, resulting in a blend of softness and fragility.
The trousers were a well-fitting pair of black dress trousers, but the fabric had subtle wrinkles, as if it had been through a struggle.
He was barefoot, standing on the cold floor.
When Ou Yangguang stood in front of the huge white background in this pose, the entire studio fell silent for a moment.
He was no longer the dazzling idol, nor the arrogant heir to a conglomerate. He was like a beautiful but cracked piece of porcelain, a fragile soul teetering on the edge of collapse and lucidity.
The weariness and alienation emanating from within, along with the still-burning flame deep in his eyes, perfectly matched the theme Jin Zheyu wanted: yandere, fragile, deeply affectionate, stubborn, and crazy.
"Great! That's the feeling!" Kim Cheol-woo excitedly picked up the camera and adjusted the settings. "Kwang-ssi, listen, I don't want you to strike any standard poses. Forget the camera, forget you're taking a picture. I want your emotions, your struggles, your... pain and persistence. Imagine you're waiting for someone who will never come back, or guarding a dream that's about to shatter. Your eyes need to tell a story!"
The lights suddenly came on, and the intense beams enveloped him, as if isolating him from the world around him.
Ou Yangguang stood in the center of the halo, squinting slightly to adjust to the bright light.
He recalled the empty apartment from last night, the harsh words he had spoken during the argument with the other members, the lingering warmth on his pillow after Kim Ji-won left, and the coldness of reality at this moment... All sorts of emotions surged into his heart like a tide, naturally permeating his entire being without any need for deliberate performance.
He leaned against the cold backdrop, slowly slid down to sit on the ground, curled up one leg, casually rested his arm on his knee, and unconsciously clutched the soft fabric of his shirt with his other hand, his knuckles turning white.
He tilted his head slightly, his eyes vacant, staring at some empty point outside the camera lens. His pupils were unfocused, filled only with a desolate sense of bewilderment.
The light shone down from his side and above, casting deep shadows on his face. His long eyelashes cast fan-shaped shadows under his eyes, and his pale lips were tightly pressed together, as if he was trying his best to suppress some emotion that was about to burst forth.
It was a kind of fragility, imprisoned by an invisible cage, as if it would shatter completely at the slightest touch.
The sound of Jin Zheyu's shutter was like a rapid heartbeat as he constantly changed angles, capturing the undercurrents surging within this still image.
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