The Cam Shot

Shot 04

Although Shawn was feeling a bit nervous that Axel might unknowingly blurt out the unexpected night they had spent together, he still managed to compose himself as if what promptly he did at that moment is normal. He acted normal. He leaned his face a bit closer to Axel's ear. "Don't you dare say it in public," he hushed with a threatening voice. "Let's talk about it later," he demanded.

He saw Axel's eyes moved to his side, looking at him, and looked back behind him. He could feel how Axel's mouth moved against his palm as he gulped right after he hushed him down.

Shawn followed Axel's gaze. There, he saw and just realized that everyone's attention was centered on them. With query-looking pairs of eyes, they were silently waiting for him to say something or explain what is happening.

"Is there a problem, Mr. Jimenez?" Mark, the manager of the debuting group and the group Axel is in, finally asked after a minute of silence.

Shawn took a deep breath, releasing the sudden tension forming in the atmosphere. He cleared his throat, coughing. "There's not a problem." He glanced back at Axel's face. He softly brushed his thumb and index finger separately at both corners of Axel's lips. "I just noticed something dirty and sloppy at the sides of his lips. An artist and an idol should not show himself untidy in the eyes of the public."

His eyes went down to Axel's lips. Axel has a unique color of his lips with its transitioning shade of pinkish-red. His focus momentarily stopped. He simply stared at those kissable lips he's wiping. They were too attractive for anyone especially for him which reminded him of someone from his past that he truly loves. It reminded him of his first true love, Neil, but Neil's lips were a lighter shade from Axel's.

Axel stepped back causing Shawn's hand to be left in midair. He gently bowed his head. "I'm sorry, sir. This won't happen again," he apologized, letting out a soft stutter of shyness. Then, he brushed the right side of his mouth first using his right palm, and then the back of the same hand on the other side.

Shawn got back to his senses upon hearing Axel's low voice. Shaking his head at a very slow pace, he immediately lowered his hand back to his side, realizing that it was still raised in thin air. What are you thinking, Shawn? Stop imagining Neil! he scolded himself. Neil will never be yours and he was never been yours. Stick that deep in your mind, Shawn, he added making himself realize what kind of fool he is.

Moving one foot backward, he left Axel out of his sight as he faced the other people inside the room. Yet his eyes instantly followed Mark walking towards Axel. Mark held Axel's shoulders, pulling the latter away from him. "I'm sorry about it, Mr. Jimenez. I will make sure this will not happen again."

It was noticeable to Shawn how Axel flinched from being secretly squeezed by his manager. "Again, please accept my apologies, sir," Axel repeated. He lowered his head as if he really meant it.

Shawn's lips stretched into a small smile, slowly forming a hidden smirk on the side. "It's okay, Mark. You don't have to worry. I will let it slip for now since they are still trainees. But once they become one of our company's official idols, I will expect this won't be an issue. And our idols will always be presentable at all times." Then, he quickly ran his eyes on Axel like he was examining Axel's appearance and look.

"Understood, Mr. Jimenez," Mark apologetically responded.

Shawn let out a chuckle, lifting the ambiance. "Anyway, going back to business," he started with an uplifting voice. He walked back to the spot where he was standing when he was introduced a while ago. "But before that, I want you all to relax yourselves first. And don't hold your breath as if I am going to eat you all alive," he added making him hear a couple of sighs of relief. "Although pressure is given and always on our shoulders, let us not all forget to enjoy our job in this company. We cannot produce great quality entertainment production if we don't enjoy what we are doing. So, I hope everyone here is with me for the betterment and more success to come for SJ Entertainment."

He showed them an accommodating and approachable smile yet his aura was still giving an authoritative vibe as their boss. He scanned the room as he said his final words of this urgent meeting to introduce himself as the new CEO of JGC. The room has not a big space. But, it was enough to cater the number of persons called for this certain peep talk. Most who were in the room are SJ Entertainment's idols and trainees together with their managers and mentors. That is the reason why Axel was also in the same room.

After a few more face hopping, observing his new employees talking with each other, his eyes landed on Axel who was looking at him like he could not believe that they would see each other again in a very unexpected circumstance. He slightly frowned that made Axel look away from him when their eyes met. But after a second, the guy glanced back at him again, countering his intimidating gaze.

He, himself, had never thought that the guy he had spent the night with, thinking that it was Neil, is a trainee under the company he will manage. He never thought that their paths would come across once again with him being Axel's boss.

Shawn's attention was all on Axel. And his eyes examined Axel's body from his head and down to his feet and went back to his face. He gulped realizing that it will be awkward working with Axel. Or it was just him thinking that things will be awkward between them? But whatever will happen he must keep himself composed as possible as he should be. He must not show that he's somehow affected or else Axel will think that he couldn’t forget the eventful night they shared together.

Axel gave him a malicious smile. Shawn was sure that it was for him since Axel directly stared into his eyes. And the way the young man looked at him was like he was flirting with him. He then remembered the day he woke up on his bed with Axel beside him as the memory of that day flashed in his mind.

You know what? That face will be a lot cuter when I see you moan. Hmm… you’re not a bad top yourself!

Shawn's eyes grew wide as he remembered what Axel commented about him. At this point, he still couldn't believe that he topped someone he barely knows other than Neil and without love, just the effect of being drunk.

The smile on Axel's lips widened. Shawn sharpened his eyes. It seemed like Axel had something in mind that he didn't like. And he didn't like it. He shook his head, instantly plastering a stern facial expression.

Shawn moved his head gesturing towards the door, telling the guy in front of him to follow him outside. It seemed like Axel got what he wanted to tell him because he nodded to him.

Sliding his hands inside the side pockets of his customized blue slacks pants, he excused himself. He made the first step, leading Axel the way. But he stopped on his tracks when his eyes caught the hand suddenly holding Axel's hand, gripping and stopping him. He raised his head, intently running his eyes from those hands holding up to the face of the owner of the hand. He could not stop from frowning as the guy pulled Axel closer to him.

"Hey, where are you going, Ax?" the guy asked. He was looking at Axel seriously.

"I'll just go to the restroom. And stop holding my hand. You're acting strange again, Hun," Axel replied whispering. Yet, it was still audible to Shawn's ears.

"Want me to go with you?" The guy threw a look at Shawn. He finally noticed Shawn was standing in front of them. "Do you need something, Sir?" the guy asked with respect.

Shawn gave him an intimidating smile. "Nothing. I'm just wondering if I already met him before. He looks very familiar to me." He averted his gaze to Axel who pocketed his lips as if biting it from the inside of his mouth.

"Did we meet before?" He intentionally asked. And it hit him that he didn't know Axel's name.

You don’t wanna know my name, perhaps?

"I think we haven't, Sir. If you'll excuse me, Sir, I really need to go to the restroom right now." He lowered his head as if he was giving him respect. But, he acted like he was seducing him a minute ago.

Shawn simply listened to Axel responding to the guy beside him. "No need. I can handle myself, Hun. And stop nosing around," Axel hissed to Hunter. Then, Axel annoyingly snapped his hand, letting his hand free from Hunter's grasp. He left rushing out the room, passing through in front of Shawn without throwing a look at Shawn.

Shawn was kind of surprised by what he just witnessed. That guy is something.

"Ahmm... Sir, I'm sorry for what Axel just acted earlier," Hunter apologized, which made Shawn turn to him. "He's really like that," he added. He looked straight into Shawn's eyes, giving him the vibe like he's in a relationship with Axel.

Shawn's eyebrows met in between. Are they in a relationship? He exhaled some air through his nose. Then, he smirked. It looks like someone is hiding something from someone, he guessed. Poor guy. He doesn't know his boyfriend slept with other guys, he thought.

"It's okay. I understand he needed to go to the restroom right away. You don't have to say sorry on his behalf." Shawn tapped Hunter's shoulder before he turned his back to him.

So, his name is Axel. A smirk crept on Shawn's lips as he took the way out of the room. But it did not last long. It faded out upon seeing the similarities of Axel and Neil.

He gently closed his eyes as he took a deep breath the moment he stepped outside of the said room. He massaged his temple. Here he goes again, thinking of Neil that he must already forget. It has been years already. Yet, he still couldn't remove Neil from his system, from his heart and his feelings.

"You looked so stressed, Mr. Jimenez. Do you want me to help you wind out the stress from your body?" a chuckling flirty yet seductive voice suggested beside Shawn.

Shawn opened his eyes. He narrowed his gaze to his side. There, he saw Axel looking so innocent. But looking at Axel's lips, it tells him otherwise.

He turned his head, seeing if there's someone other than them in the hallway. He sighed when he saw no one. And good thing, they were away from the room they came from.

"Are you just going to stare at me, Mr. Jimenez? Or you want me to start right here right now?" Axel pressed the fingers of his right hand against Shawn's broad chest. "Oh... It still feels the same, Sir."

Shawn's brows furrowed. "What are you talking about? Follow me." He gripped Axel's right wrist, putting the latter's hand down. He started to walk, dragging Axel to the place he knew no one would hear them.