Chapter 126: Next Time, For Sure
TL: Aniea
“Please look this way!”
“Your head, slightly down!”
“Good! Just stay still for a moment!”
Click-!
With the sound of the camera shutter, a blinding flash obscured my vision. Even so, I didn’t blink once and kept a silent smile on my face.
Chachachachak-!
Then the photographer in charge of today’s shoot twisted their body this way and that, clicking the shutter constantly.
Kneeling was the basics.
At times, they even lay flat on the ground.
“This time, naturally to the other side! Good!”
Even while doing all this, they kept giving me directions for various poses, generously offering compliments, showing true professionalism.
Thanks to that, even though it was my very first time doing a model shoot, I was able to approach it with a relatively comfortable mindset.
“Okay! Let’s get things reset and go again!”
It felt like we easily went over a few hundred shots, but the actual shooting time seemed to have taken less than five minutes.
And in reality, it was probably about that. I had heard beforehand that there wasn’t much time to shoot.
-Starting from the studio rental to the staff wages, and even Kang Woo-ju ssi’s wardrobe and modeling fee, time is money. Money!
-Is the budget limited?
-Not at all! Truly, and graciously, CEO Kim Eun-ha doesn’t put strict limitations on the budget. Thanks to that, we’re way more relaxed compared to other projects!
-Relaxed...?
Hehehe-
I looked around and reflexively questioned that, and the person in charge laughed openly and added an explanation.
-It might be a little different from what Woo-ju ssi imagines. Just because we have a big budget doesn’t mean we can waste time.
-Ah, then maybe...?
-That’s right. With the increased budget, we try to shoot as much as possible, in as many varied ways as we can. It increases the chances of getting high-quality results!
...Is this some kind of lottery?
I briefly thought that to myself, but since that was the expert’s opinion, it felt odd to argue.
Also, rather than pouring effort into each individual shot, it did seem like shooting thousands or tens of thousands of pictures and selecting a few was the better approach.
“Woo-ju ssi, could you come take a look over here for a moment?”
Just as I was about to go change clothes, the staff member suddenly guided me over to the monitor.
On the screen, the photos we had just taken were displayed in folders, and without hesitation, the staff began scrolling through with the mouse wheel.
“We’ve been going for over an hour now, so I thought we’d take a ten-minute break. If it’s alright with you, could you help me select some photos during that time?”
“I don’t have any knowledge in this field, though.”
I honestly shared how I felt. If I pretended to know something half-heartedly, it was obvious a professional would see right through it.
To this, the staff stroked their chin and nodded repeatedly up and down.
“Hmm. You’re definitely different from the rumors.”
“Rumors?”
“You know, the stories that come up the moment you type ‘Kang Woo-ju’ into the search bar. That you’re arrogant, or that you’re the hidden illegitimate son of a chaebol group.”
“.......”
They weren’t wrong.
After all, that was exactly what Kim Eun-ha had asked of me back when I was filming <Peaceful Chaebol Life>.
After the drama ended and I started doing theater with the kids, the image had softened a bit, but it was still being maintained to some extent.
“Well, on the flip side, there are also strange nicknames like [Delinquent Slayer], [Idol of the Staff], or [Santa Claus with Dementia].”
“What on earth...”
Dumbfounded by the ridiculous nicknames, I asked again, and the staff shrugged and explained.
First, [Delinquent Slayer], that came from when I was mentoring Kim Cheol-su, and ended up coaching the delinquents around him as well. Apparently, the rumors got exaggerated.
“The rumor goes that you kidnapped the local troublemakers one by one and brainwashed them. They call it the ‘Room of Kindness’.”
“The Room of Kindness?”
“Yes. Apparently, once someone goes in there and comes back out, they all become model students? They apologize to teachers and even pick up cigarette butts off the streets.”
“.......”
It was partially true. So I couldn’t exactly agree or deny, and just stayed quiet.
Seeing that, the staff member seemed amused, lifting the corners of their mouth as they continued explaining.
At least the nickname [Idol of the Staff] wasn’t so bad. Apparently, word had spread throughout the industry that working with me came with a lot of perks.
“I heard that chartering a bus for the staff is just the baseline, and you even rent out entire massage chair cafés nearby so the crew can take turns resting?”
“.......”
There were too many proof shots of that on the staff’s personal social media for me to deny it.
Besides, all those services mentioned earlier were actually results of Kim Eun-ha’s efforts to build up the ‘Kang Woo-ju’ image and offer a bit of consideration.
“What’s the last one about?”
“Oh, [Santa Claus with Dementia]? It means you give out gifts even when it’s not Christmas, and then forget what you gave so you keep handing out more.”
I wasn’t sure if I should take that as a compliment. Honestly, the “hidden illegitimate son of a chaebol group” sounded a lot better by comparison.
Maybe he noticed the look on my face because he quickly waved his hands with an awkward smile.
“Ahaha... Don’t take it too seriously. Apparently, it’s mixed with a meme that used to be used for the U.S. President at one point. But the nickname people use the most is [Archangel Woo-ju].”
“Sorry? Archangel Woo-ju?”
“Yes! Literally means an angel descended from space! They even changed the name of the fan café, I think? Some even call it [Woo-ju Who Embraced Eun-ha]....”
The person in charge trailed off with a subtle look in their eyes. As if I wouldn’t understand the meaning behind that. I let out a fake cough and changed the subject.
“Ehem. Personally, I like this photo.”
“You’ve got an eye for it! That one really stood out to me, too. It’s honestly hard to believe this is your first time doing a model shoot.”
“I’ve done a poster shoot before. Just once, but I learned a lot from a senior at the time, and it’s been helpful.”
“Oh, right. You did do a poster shoot. Still, even with that considered, it doesn’t make sense. I’ve been in this industry for over 10 years, and it’s rare for things to go this smoothly.”
“I’m embarrassed to hear that.”
Hahaha-
Even after that, we kept chatting while selecting photos. Since the shoot was going smoothly, the overall atmosphere in the studio remained cheerful.
“I should go change now.”
“Yup!”
Leaving behind the staff member who gave a playful salute, I headed toward the dressing room.
***
“Hey hey, isn’t that Seo Jun-woo over there?”
“Huh? I think you’re right.”
“Whoa. Should we ask for an autograph?”
“Hmm... but the vibe feels off. He’s been staring blankly out the window for a while now. Maybe he was already like that before we got here?”
People sitting at the café table were murmuring while looking at Seo Jun-woo’s side profile, but he didn’t react at all, like a corpse.
The atmosphere around him was so heavy that even fans who recognized him didn’t dare approach easily.
Rumors began to circulate, maybe he had just gotten dumped or a close friend had passed away.
‘...Ah. It really changed.’
Surprisingly, Seo Jun-woo himself was feeling a sense of loss similar to what the fans were guessing.
Regaining his fading focus, Seo Jun-woo locked eyes on the culprit behind the turmoil in his heart.
Across the street stood the Mirae Department Store building. Right on the front of it was a massive banner of Kang Woo-ju, the new model.
‘...At first, I didn’t think much of it.’
After all, his contract was nearing its end anyway, and he had tons of other offers aside from the department store gig.
Giving up that one banner didn’t mean he was lacking opportunities, or that he regretted it. Or at least, that’s what he thought.
But now, seeing his own face gone and Kang Woo-ju plastered up there instead... It stirred up a mess of feelings he couldn’t quite describe.
‘...Frustrating.’
Grit-!
Seo Jun-woo bit down on his lip. If he didn’t, he felt like a scream might burst out on its own.
After hearing the news that the signage had been changed, he had come here as if possessed. Who knows how many hours he had been sitting like this.
Even after pouring an entire drink into his stomach, it felt like a giant thorn was stuck in his throat, making it hard to breathe.
Not even the icy cubes he swallowed could calm the boiling rage inside.
It had truly been a while.
A feeling he had long forgotten.
‘I’m furious.’
Tremble-
Seo Jun-woo unconsciously clenched his fist. Because for someone like him, who had debuted early and always walked a smooth path compared to others, this feeling of frustration was a very unfamiliar emotion.
‘...Yeah, I’ve definitely been getting soft lately.’
He had called it a smooth path earlier, but that was only in comparison to others.
The entertainment industry was colder than anyone could imagine, and money didn’t make exceptions just because someone was young.
To survive in such a ruthless world, how much effort had he poured in? What showed on screen was never the whole story.
But after all, he was only human.
As his career grew and his network expanded, jobs started to come in easily even without much effort. He wasn’t as desperate as he used to be.
‘People still praised me even when I did the bare minimum.’
He had always been talented at acting. And after gaining experience, even by his own judgment, he had become quite exceptional.
-Jun-woo ssi, tone it down a little. Just a little.
-Huh? What do you mean...?
-Ahem. Well. It’s weird to say this as a director, but your acting is so good that the rookie actors can’t keep up.
Maybe that’s why.
Even when a director made the bizarre request for him to tone down his performance, he didn’t think much of it.
Except for the so-called great seniors, no matter what role he took on, he always overwhelmed the presence of other actors.
After realizing that this was even having a negative impact on the project itself, he began practicing a style of acting that adjusted to his co-stars.
‘I’ve never once regretted that choice... until now.’
But right now, the moment he lost the spotlight to Kang Woo-ju, regret began to creep in.
If he had made a different choice back then, would his face still be up there in that banner?
‘...I don’t know.’
Haa-
Seo Jun-woo let out a sigh without meaning to. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t be certain that he would’ve won against Kang Woo-ju.
In fact, in that recent theater performance they had done together, he had truly given it everything.
It had been so long since he worked that hard, he couldn’t even remember the last time. He had practiced like a madman.
‘And still, I lost.’
An unmistakable defeat, so clear that there was no room for denial. Even now, when he closed his eyes, Kang Woo-ju’s figure on the stage flickered in his mind.
His legs trembling from the grueling practice, his whole body soaked in sweat, yet still wearing that cool, confident smile.
Those eyes that lit up so sharply, as if his soul had transformed the moment he stepped into character.
“Ha, hahaha....”
Recalling that expression again, Seo Jun-woo let out a laugh without realizing it.
People nearby gave him strange looks, but Seo Jun-woo didn’t care at all.
When he locked eyes with Kang Woo-ju, who was looking down at him from beyond the glass window, the corners of his lips slowly lifted.
‘Just as I thought, this is fun.’
Seo Jun-woo felt the emotions rising within him. A mixture of many feelings, he made no effort to hide it.
Long dormant.
His passion and obsession for acting were awakening again.
‘Kang Woo-ju, next time, I will win. No matter what.’
Rattle-!
Seo Jun-woo immediately stood up and turned around. Waiting fans came up to ask for autographs, but he lowered his head and politely declined.
“I’m sorry. Something really urgent just came up.”
Seo Jun-woo quickened his pace.
Now, even a single minute, a single second, felt too precious to waste.
*****
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