บท 19: CHAPTER 19: Leon’s Model Debut
"Leon!"
"Hm? Amane?"
Standing idly in front of his house's entrance, Leon's eyes lit up as his ears picked up a voice he hadn't heard in a while. The voice of his cram school friend whom he hadn't seen after the lockdown of his mother and maid had begun.
The young girl was wearing a rather unique attire for one of her age. It was a white button-up with a tie placed around her neck, a pair of black dress pants, and finished off with leather shoes.
If it weren't for her youthful face, he would've assumed her to be some office worker who preferred to wear dress pants over a pencil skirt.
With her hair tied into a ponytail and swaying in the wind, Amane quickly reached where Leon stood, hardly out of breath despite the distance she had traversed.
"Amane, it's been so long! What are doing you here though?"
Speaking to the young girl who was beaming with a smile, Leon asked why she was suddenly here at his house.
As far as he knew, he hadn't yet told her where he lived, and it was rather poor timing for her to meet him because he was quite busy that day.
After all, it was the day when he would head to the shooting location where he was hired to model for the Cromwell Group.
But before Amane could explain, Anastasia exited the gates of the Greenfield estate as she began to answer Leon's question.
"I have brought her here, Young Master. Miss Amane will be directly leading your security personnel for today's outing"
"Eh? Amane? Security?"
Just as more confusion beset his mind, Amane quickly spoke to clear it up, not wanting Anastasia to speak for her.
"I didn't tell you this before, Leon, but my family runs a security group! So, we've been hired to protect you while you work as a model!"
Further elaborating on the details, Leon finally realized why she was so outcasted at a young age. Knowing her family background, he could draw some similar experiences from his past life to help him understand the entire situation.
But despite learning of the prominent family Amane came from, he didn't let it affect how he viewed the young girl in the slightest.
He knew quite well the pain of having a close person change their view of you to a negative light, and he didn't want to inflict such suffering on someone like Amane.
Even after they grew close, he could make out some faint trembling from her as she explained her relation to the Azuma security group.
"I didn't know that, anyways, Amane! Give me your contact details. I wasn't able to speak to you for so long, and I want to catch up!"
Switching the topic of conversation casually, Leon wanted to convey to the young girl that he didn't think much of her family background.
He wanted to show that he cared more about her as a person rather than as a member of some well-known family.
"..."
Seeing this display, Amane's smile only grew more radiant as her chest began to warm up from all the emotions she was experiencing.
Her worry about Leon seeing her in a different light had dissipated and had been replaced by a more profound desire to stick close to him and have him as a constant presence in her life.
But before they could get too close, Anastasia stepped in to separate them both. Her jealousy has won over her duties as a maid.
"Alright, Miss Amane. Would you mind backing away? I wouldn't want our neighbors to spread rumors regarding you and Young Master Leon"
"Hm? Acting formal now, Anastasia? You're finally acting like a proper maid now. Considering how you approached my family of all people for help, you must've done a lot of reflecting"
"I'm very grateful to receive Miss Amane's words of praise. I'm sure that your personal evaluation is equal to how much of a coccydynia you are. It enlightens me as to your true worth as a person"
"...Did you just insult me right now?"
"...I'm sure Miss Amane doesn't require my help to decipher such basic grammar. I wouldn't dare to presume the level of intelligence a daughter of Azuma would possess"
"..."
"..."
"DOG!"
"CAT!"
As Anastasia and Amane fought despite having not met each other in a while, Leon smiled as he saw how close the two of them were.
'How beautiful youth is'
…
..
.
"Is this all necessary?"
"Yes, it is commensurate to what the Young Master requires for today"
"If anything, I think it's not enough. But Anastasia said it would be best to not draw too much attention"
Exasperated, Leon was quiet as Anastasia and Amane surveyed the sight before him. A group of three black and bulky cars could be seen having gathered at the entrance of his home.
Their engines whirred with a silent hum of fury as their appearance radiated an immense aura of strength and security that no one could deny.
Within each vehicle, a small group of trained women exited the doors before gathering themselves and forming a line. Promptly bowing to greet Leon with immense fervor.
"A pleasant day to you, Sir Leon!"
"Eh?"
Seeing everything in front of him, Leon's mind thought that such an entourage was more fitting for a celebrity or politician, not someone like him who was just internet famous.
But his unease was dissuaded by Anastasia and Amane who reinforced the belief that he needed this level of protection minimum after his recent exposure on social media.
Realizing that it would be near impossible to talk them both out of it, Leon simply sighed as he accepted the goodwill of his maid and friend.
"Good day to all of you as well. I'm not sure if I will encounter any danger today, but I'll be relying on you all to keep me safe"
Not wanting to cultivate ill will among the security personnel who he thought reluctantly accepted this assignment, Leon greeted them with kind words to hopefully alleviate their grievances.
But in reality, the women who were assigned to be his entourage were currently at their peak state. They had prepared their minds and honed their skills to protect this handsome young boy with all they had.
They were in a state where they would unquestioningly give their lives to ensure the success of the mission, so hearing Leon's kind and gentle words left a deep impact on the psyches of these women.
'So this is Leon Greenfield. The young boy who the young miss is infatuated with'
'He's so kind and gentle. He reminds me so much of the boss' late husband'
'No wonder he caught the eye of the young miss. She's a daddy's girl even after all these years'
They all replied to his words with gentle smiles. Leon grew relieved as he saw he didn't become an antagonist in the women's eyes. Anastasia clicked her tongue as she watched her Young Master grow closer to her family's competition. And Amane grew embarrassed as she could tell what her servants were thinking in their heads.
With these states of mind, the group eventually headed off to the site of the shooting for the Cromwell Group.
…
..
.
"Damn it, another male model has canceled again?"
"At this rate, the shoot won't be done by the deadline! We can't afford to extend it!"
At the set of the model shoot, numerous staff could be seen to be stressing over their lack of available male models.
It was a known fact that having men attached to a product would greatly boost its sales, and the prominent Cromwell Group spent every expense to capitalize on this phenomenon.
But it would seem that their luck had run dry as every male model they had worked with before had suddenly refused to work, wasn't available, or was flat-out impossible to contact.
As it stood, there was only one last hope in the minds of all the staff, Leon Greenfield. A young boy who had suddenly become extremely famous online after one post.
With his endearing looks, the photographers and coordinators were sure that he was a good fit for the project they were leading, but what worried them was the fact he was a complete amateur.
He had no professional experience, and his worth was solely derived from his online fame, which to professionals like them was a red flag.
'More often than not, people who suddenly get famous online are hard to work with'
Speaking with a disgruntled voice in her thoughts, the lead photographer, Leyla, grew worried about the success of this shoot hinging on someone like Leon.
With years of experience under her belt as a photographer, she had numerous strenuous experiences with people like him.
'Stiff expressions. Awkward body language. Poor stamina…and sometimes a difficult personality to boot'
Though she was a woman who greatly admired men and sought their attention and affection, she also had her pride as a professional.
She would accommodate the needs of all her male models, but it didn't bring a smile to her face if it resulted in a sub-par result.
'If only I could work with a man who could inspire my passion…'
But such lofty aspirations were near impossible for someone like Leyla. Professional male models who worked hard to give out an amazing shoot were reserved for the most elite of photoshoots, not some monthly magazine for a shopping district, even if it was tied to the Cromwell Group.
As she thought this, the sounds of tires screeching on asphalt reached the ears of all the staff in the shoot location.
The shoot was based around a shopping district of the Cromwell Group that had been cleared and reserved for the project, so it was quite easy to see the approaching cars in the open gathering spot.
"Ugh…"
Though many of the women on the staff admired the imposing nature of the convoy of black cars, Leyla felt her worst fears had been realized.
What kind of person, who was only internet famous for no less than a month, would hire such an intense security detail?
There was only one person in Leyla's mind, a difficult person who was filled with ego and pride. Someone who would make her job more difficult than it already was.
Sighing, Leyla rose from her seat to meet the male model who would make or break the project she had been assigned.
But before her exasperations could manifest themselves, all her emotions were stopped as the doors of the car opened and a figure stepped out.
"..."
His long blonde hair radiated like the sun, and his green eyes stunned everyone who had met them.
His figure filled out the rather basic clothes he was wearing, and his face appeared gentle and kind despite not expressing any emotion.
As the young boy scanned his surroundings, his gaze eventually landed on Leyla, stiffening the woman greatly.
His steps echoed around the now-silent venue as he slowly approached her. As he stood face-to-face with the lead photographer, Leon smiled as he extended his arm towards her.
"Hello, are you the lead photographer of the shoot? I'm Leon Greenfield. Though I'm an amateur at modeling, I'll do my best. I look forward to working with you"
"Eh?"
Leyla's mind blacked out. Who was this young boy? She knew she was quite handsome from the photos she was shown upon learning that he would be working in the shoot, but the reality of his appearance was far too detached from what she remembered.
It was as if his face was sculpted with the sole intention of alluring and seducing any woman who laid their eyes upon him.
Leyla's eyes were trained to discern a person's appearance to bring out their full potential under the lens of her camera, so she was completely stunned by just how perfect Leon appeared to be.
"Um? Is something wrong?"
"Hm? Oh! Uh! No! Just a bit tired…haha…"
Snapping out of her daze and realizing she had been silent this entire time, Leyla panicked as she thought she had ruined her first impressions, but much to her surprise, Leon wasn't the least bit offended.
"That's a bit concerning. Have you been drinking water, Miss? It's quite sunny outside today. Even under shade, it's quite easy to get parched"
The season of summer was slowly approaching, and with it, the unforgiving heat of the sun.
With the shooting venue being an open gathering spot in the shopping district in the middle of the day, Leon worried that the lead photographer was suffering from dehydration.
Wanting to be considerate to the worker who was probably waiting for him to arrive, he took out his water bottle and offered it to Leyla, stunning her and all the other women around.
"You can have some of my water, Miss. My mom prepared some Pocari for me, so it should help alleviate your thirst"
With a gentle smile, Leon wanted to leave a good impression on the head of the project for any inconveniences he might've caused.
But to his act of goodwill, he was only met with silence and burning red expressions on Leyla and the surrounding women.
"Huh?"
Before Leon could ask why he was met with silence once again, Anastasia, Amane, along the rest of the security detail, gathered themselves around Leon. All of them wearing fierce expressions.
"Forgive us being late, Miss. We were simply met with some traffic on the way. If you could lead us to where the Young Master must go, we would be grateful to make up for lost time"
As Anastasia spoke with the flustered Layla, Amane and the servants of the Azuma quickly advised Leon to tuck away his water bottle. Telling him it was a disturbance to the state of mind of the staff, something which only brought him more confusion.
After the situation was de-escalated, the group of women guarded Leon as he made his way to a dressing room reserved for him. Leaving behind a crowd of women still struggling to process what had just happened.
"So that was Leon Greenfield? Amazing…"
"He's way too handsome. I thought I was beginning to hallucinate from the heat…"
"And that personality too. Is it possible for a man to be that kind?..."
The staff who were once worrying over the success of the project were now filled with certainty, certainty that whatever came out of their photoshoot today would surely make waves in the world.
"So that's why there's so much security. That boy is a natural attractor of women's desires…"
Finally getting her grip back on reality, Leyla finally learned why such lengths were made for an unknown man who had only gained fame recently.
Without it, Leon Greenfield would surely be assailed by a mob of women who wish to sate their desires with his alluring figure, appearance, and disposition.
"I can feel it. The fires of my photographer soul are now set alight!"
Thus began Leon's modeling debut. An event that would go down in history.
…
..
.
"Hello! Is this the hair styling and make-up section?"
Peaking his head into a tent, Leon asked if he was where he needed to be to get his hair styled and make-up performed.
And to his question, a small group of stylists responded with stiff voices. Anxiety plastered on their faces.
"Y-Yes. M-Mister Greenfield, correct?"
"Yes!"
Responding with a bright smile, the group of late twenty-year-olds flinched at the realization of who they were supposed to be working with today.
They had long gotten over their fear of working with men with all their experience styling male models, but Leon was simply a different breed from all of them.
Perfection encapsulated. It was like asking some street artist to work on a masterpiece painting that had yet to be finished.
"Umph"
Planting himself on one of the seats that stood in front of a professional-grade mirror and lighting rig, with dozens of styling tools and apparatuses nearby, Leon grew excited about his first experience with a professional stylist.
'I did have some experience with some famous barbers, but nowhere was it as intricate as this'
He wondered how he would look at the end of his styling, but just as he pondered on such things, he realized something he needed to address. His long hair.
'Do the high schools of this world allow men to have long hair? Though this world seems to be very biased towards men, it's better to be safe than sorry'
Turning his head to the stylists who were struggling to approach him, he spoke to them with a small request of his. One that immediately stopped them in their tracks.
"Excuse me, Miss. But would it be okay if you can cut my hair short?"
"Huh?"
The stylists were gobsmacked at Leon's request. He had asked for them to cut his long flowing blonde hair that was akin to golden silk.
For most of them, they thought such an act would be sacrilege against all beauty, but Leon's continued words gave them an enlightened perspective on it all.
"The shoot today is based on summer, so I thought it would be more appropriate to have a more refreshing hairstyle for the photos. Most people prefer having short hair under the summer heat, right?"
Seeing that Leon was willing to change his image for the theme of the shoot, the stylist was greatly surprised.
For most male models, the stylists' jobs were to do their best to make the model's pre-existing appearance match the theme of the shoot. Regardless of how distant the two were.
So seeing Leon be willing to accommodate the project's theme was something they hadn't expected. But what they didn't expect more was the second reason for his decision.
"Also, I'll be applying for high school in a couple of months, and I want to make a good impression. It would be a bit embarrassing for me if I stood out in a bad way, hehe"
"..."
Hearing his gentle laugh along with a slight blush on his cheeks from embarrassment, the stylists shouted in their heads what kind of person had the gall to reject such a handsome young boy on the first day of school.
But before they fell into a rabbit hole of cursing the hypothetical idiots that would look down on Leon, the stylists realized that the young boy was entrusting a lot to their hands.
Not only was he entrusting them with how he looked in his modeling debut, but also with his high school debut, the golden years of youth for any teenager across the world.
Realizing the responsibility in their hands, the stylists threw away all fear and anxiety as they faced Leon with great determination.
"Leave it to us, Mister Greenfield. We will make sure that you look impeccable, not only for the shoot but for your first days of high school"
Hearing their acceptance of his request, Leon smiled as he felt the goodwill of the stylists.
"Thank you! Also, feel free to call me, Leon. May I ask what your names are?"
As the stylists introduced themselves one after another, Leon let out another wide smile as he felt immense joy flow out from his heart, stunning the stylists once again with his peerless beauty.
'This boy is too dangerous…'
'With his handsomeness, he can already seduce any woman he wants…'
'But under our trained hands, how much farther can we push his allure? What is the limit for Leon Greenfield?...'
Acting like they were tasked with a world-ending weapon of destruction, the stylists were blinded by their curiosity as they began to push Leon to heights of beauty never seen before in this reversed world.
…
..
.
"Is Leon alright in there?"
"The Young Master should be fine. The tent isn't soundproof. The moment a single sound of struggle reaches my ears, it will be the end of those stylists"
Waiting outside the tent, Anastasia and Amane talked with one another as they waited for Leon's styling to be finished.
Along with them, the staff of the shoot had been periodically sending glances to the entrance of the tent, their interests being the young boy who was currently being worked on.
Seeing how much attention he had already drawn to himself, the two young girls could only grumble with frustration at the sight of it.
But before they could dwell on their grievances for too long, the flaps of the tents opened as Leon stepped outside after two hours of work being done on him.
All the women in the area immediately widened their eyes in shock of what had happened to him, with the only sound being produced being the voice of the lead stylist who appeared to be in awe and fear of what she had created.
"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds…"
Leon's long blonde hair was no more, instead, it was now replaced with a refreshing short haircut. The gradient of his sides was a pleasing fade as the bangs and top of his head were styled immaculately.
His already imposing aura had been heightened with his change of hairstyles. If that weren't enough, light makeup had been applied to his face, letting his light skim shimmer under the sunlight and allowing his most alluring features to be more properly emphasized.
The small group of stylists had done it, they had achieved what was thought to be impossible. They had elevated the beauty of Leon Greenfield.
The stylists knew the world would not be the same. Few of them laughed. Few of them cried. Most were silent.
A turning point had been reached, one that could never be taken back. A weapon of female mass destruction had been brought to reality through Leon Greenfield.
"Guys, is there something wrong?"
Turning his head to his companions, Leon asked why everyone was looking at him weirdly, but to his voice, Anastasia and Amane only whispered something to one another with grave eyes.
"Bring more guards, Amane"
"I'm already on it, Anastasia"
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