Winter Swan

The studio was too bright and Silje felt lost. She looked at the camera and she didn't know what to do.

Click, click.

The photographer continued to take her photos and against the constant flashes, Silje felt exposed.

"Huh? Why aren't you posing?" the photographer asked in confusion.

This was awkward. She had to do something fast. NOW! People were staring at her in annoyance. Everyone was busy and they had a deadline to meet.

This was bad. Silje finally got a photoshoot, and she was ruining it.

"Now, let's get going! I just need a few good photos and we can be done for the day."

The photographer obviously wanted to finish this day as quickly as possible. He seemed to be frustrated by her lack of experience. He whispered to his assistant quietly before grinning, "You can't do it? Then should we change to another model?"

This was a cruel world. One wrong step and your turn would taken away. There were plenty of other models who could take your place.

In the hectic studio, Silje bit her lips.

"No, please let me try again."

She had to do this like this was her last chance. She remembered the dark bathroom in her apartment and realized that there was nowhere else for her to go.

This was it.

Looking at the annoyed photographer, Silje smiled bitterly. She was going to be replaced the moment she made a single mistake, so why not just ask for what she wanted?

The photographer looked confused by her smile. Silje asked, "Music please."

"What?"

"Please change the music to Solveig's song."

It was such a random request that everyone looked surprised. They also looked irritated, but Silje wouldn't back down.

"Gosh, fine. Hey, someone find me the song. Do we have Solveig's song? Yeah, Solveig's. Her Highness wants it right now apparently."

The photographer continued to smoke, drink his beer, and mocked her, but Silje didn't care. She remained calm and confident. It didn't matter what anyone said. Her job was modeling, which meant she just had to focus on making her outfit look good.

When the familiar melody filled the studio, the photoshoot started again.

Click, click.

The camera flash went off busily just like before, but one thing was different.

Silje.

As Solveig's song entered her soul, Silje let go. She became someone else entirely as she posed.

She hugged her fragile body with both of her arms and bent forward like a ballerina. She looked soulful as the music continued to remind her of her past.

"Huh?"

As Silje posed with amazing emotions, the photographer seemed shocked. He gaped but quickly recovered and started to work his camera.

Click, click.

To emphasize the feminine blouse, Silje used her long skinny arms to pose. She also stood tall and posed again like a delicate dancer.

Click, click.

The photographer lost himself in Silje as he continued to shoot. The atmosphere in the studio changed as everyone became still and stared at the unknown model.

And the photoshoot was just starting.

As the song reached its climax, Silje's eyes changed. Suddenly, she jumped high and expertly like a swan.

"…!"

It was such an amazing jump that everyone gasped. When she came back down on the floor, Silje straightened her legs to show off her sparkling boots. Now, it was her warrior side that came out. Gone was the fragile girl, and instead, a fighter was standing and challenging the camera.

As she stomped on the floor hard with her boots, it was clear that Silje was ready to fight New York. With her intense smoky eyes and straight nose, Silje looked breathtaking.

"Wow! I can't believe this! How could this be? You looked so stiff just a minute ago, but now you are amazing. Very good! Perfect!"

The photographer exclaimed as he immersed himself into the shoot. He was right. In the beginning, Silje seemed like an amateur, but now she seemed very comfortable in her body. She had full control over it.

Silje twisted her body and formed her long arms in the most delicate yet powerful way. With every pose, she showcased her outfit perfectly.

Finally, the photographer put down his camera and announced, "Cut! That's it! Good job!"

Slam!

With his words, Silje fell to the floor, but she was smiling widely. It was the happiest smile she ever had on her face. Today, with Solveig's music, she was able to express herself, her hardships and how she survived them. She fell to the bottom of the ocean among the fjord, but she was able to swim back to the surface. She was exiled from Norway, but here in New York, she was fighting her hardest to make a new life for herself.

Silje went through so much, but she had no regrets. Even in this moment, Silje was sad, but she still smiled.

At today's photoshoot, Silje revealed her soul to the camera.

***

Perhaps it was because the photos captured her soul…

A few days later, Silje received an unexpected call from her casting manager.

Silje replied, "Oh, pardon? They asked me to visit them with my portfolio?"

"Yes, a few places contacted our agency about you, so I am letting you know."

There were so many models in the agency that even from the beginning, the manager seemed to be uninterested in Silje. Even now she sounded indifferent.

"I delivered the message, so my job is done. By the way, you were only a substitute model for that photoshoot, but the photographer must've really liked you. A few of your photos were actually put in the magazine."

The casting manager was right. Silje was covering for a no-show model that day, and one small photo of her was supposed to be included in the corner of a page. However, the photographer loved Silje's photos and insisted on putting them as individual pictures on their own. The magazine editor apparently had no objections.

The result was four entire pages in the fashion magazine called "Neese" which carried Silje's pictures. As a nameless Asian model, this was a shocking event. Surprisingly, two of the photos were also closeups. On top of that, "Neese" was a fairly well-known magazine.

After seeing her face on the magazine, two agencies contacted her and wanted to see her in person. There was no reason for her to refuse the invitations. As soon as she got the call, she grabbed her portfolio and hailed a cab.

"Taxi!"

When she arrived at the building, Silje couldn't believe it. It was a luxurious black building and her eyes widened.

Was she at the right place?

She felt unsure, but she didn't want to be late for the audition. Silje quickly took the elevator. She couldn't believe her luck. Although she had been to many auditions before, this was the first time she had been called into such a high-end office.

She got off on the 8th floor and when she left the elevator, her eyes widened even more.

The reception area was huge and decorated with black marbles. Most of the walls were made of glass, and Silje could see various models walking around with smiles. The walls were decorated with the photos of world-famous models.

This was definitely different than any of the agencies she visited before. This had to be one of the top-rated agencies in the city. As she walked in, Silje couldn't help but feel intimidated and out of place.

"Hello, this is IMN Agency."

"Can you repeat the dates? Let me check the schedule and try to make it work."

The phones were ringing nonstop and there were several receptionists answering calls professionally.

Silje was soon ushered into a private room where the agency manager conducted the meeting.

"Welcome. May I have your name?"

"Oh, My name is Silje Kim…"