Be A Model

Aryan's POV

After reaching home, I asked Eron again why he had gotten emotional over Rony's words. But, as always, my tight-lipped brother chose to keep it to himself rather than share.

Not wanting to force him, I decided to leave it as he wished.

Just as I was about to head to my room, he suddenly made a request.

"Can I stay with you tonight?"

Expecting a yes, he looked at me with hopeful eyes. It was rare for him to ask something like this, but honestly, I was happy to hear it.

Later, after freshening up, Eron came to my room carrying his pillow and bedsheet—he never slept without them.

Lying down beside me, he faced me directly, his gaze fixed on me without wavering. He only did this when he wanted to say something but was struggling to find the words. It was as if his heart and mind were at war over whether to speak.

"Is there something you want to say?" I asked, knowing full well how difficult it was to get him to open up.

After a brief hesitation, he finally spoke. "Brother, can you promise me something?"

A promise? That was unexpected. "How can I promise without knowing what it is?" I asked, curious about what was on his mind.

His fingers curled around the edge of his bedsheet as he hesitated before continuing. "Promise me… that you won't leave me, even if I do something wrong. You can scold me, punish me, do whatever you want, but please… don't walk away from me.

His voice wavered slightly, but he pressed on.

"Brother, I have no one else in this world but you. I don't want to lose you."

His words caught me off guard. Where was this coming from?

I frowned slightly. "Who said you only have me?"

Eron pouted at my answer, making me smile. I sighed and relented. "Okay, okay, I promise. I won't leave you until the day you get fed up with me. Happy now?"

Eron shook his head firmly. "I will never get fed up with you."

I chuckled. "Who knows? Maybe one day, when you start your own family and have kids, you won't even want me around anymore."

His expression turned serious as he responded without hesitation. "That's never going to happen. I'm going to stay with you until the end."

His firm words sent a warmth through my heart. But deep down, I knew the truth—one day, we would have to part. And that thought brought a dull ache to my chest.

I didn't want to be separated from him.

But what could I do?

The person who would take him away from me was none other than his father…

I could only wonder—how long will our journey together last?

...

The next morning, Aryan woke up gasping for air.

Eron's arms and legs were sprawled over him, practically pinning him down like an octopus.

"Ugh… get off me, you oversized koala." Struggling, he somehow managed to wriggle free from the suffocating embrace. Once he escaped, he stretched his sore limbs, shaking off the sleepiness.

Since he wasn't feeling drowsy anymore, he decided to head downstairs.

To his surprise, his mother, Lisa, was already up, sitting on the sofa with a pensive look on her face.

"Mom..." Without hesitation, Aryan flopped onto the sofa, resting his head perfectly on her lap.

Lisa smiled, running her fingers through his hair. "You're up early today. What happened?"

Aryan peeked up at her. "I should be asking you that. Why do you look so dull? Is something wrong?"

Lisa hesitated for a moment before sighing. "It's nothing too big… just a business issue. The model I hired for today's shoot got into an accident."

Aryan blinked. "Wait, today is the shoot..."

Lisa nodded. "Yes. If I postpone it, that will be a huge loss."

Ever since his father and he had encouraged her, Lisa had started her own small fashion boutique, bringing her designs to life. This was an important step in her journey.

"Why not ask Dad for help?" Aryan suggested.

Lisa shook her head. "I know seeking help isn't a bad thing, but… I want to prove myself. If I can't handle something this small, how can I run a business on my own?"

Aryan admired her determination but still wanted to help. "Then how about finding another model?"

Lisa sighed. "I've been trying, but no one is available in such short period."

For a moment, she looked defeated. But then, suddenly, her face brightened, and she turned to Aryan with a gleam in her eyes.

"Wait a minute…" She held Aryan's face carefully, examining him like a sculptor inspecting their finest masterpiece.

Aryan shifted uncomfortably. "Mom?"

Her lips curled into a hopeful smile. "Why didn't I think of this before? Aryan, can you help your mom?"

Aryan blinked. "Huh? Help how—?"

Then it hit him.

She wanted him to be the model.

"It's not what I'm thinking… right, Mom?" Aryan asked anxiously, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in his gut.

He had been a model in his past life and wished to become one, once again but not as a disguised one.

Lisa beamed at him, completely unfazed by his reluctance. "Can you please… just this one time? You have such a pretty face, Aryan. No one will even realize you're a boy!"

Aryan stared at her in horror. "Mom, are you aware of what you're talking?"

Lisa, however, was in full persuasion mode. "Come on! You even played Cinderella in eighth grade. You pulled it off flawlessly!"

Aryan groaned and buried his face in his hands. "Mom… that was one of my darkest moments."

Lisa wasn't backing down. "Aryan, pleaaase~" She hit him with the ultimate weapon—her puppy-eyed look.

He sighed deeply, knowing full well there was no escape.

"Fine…"

Lisa squealed in delight before wrapping him in a tight hug. "That's my boy!"