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“‘Summer is in our hands.’?”
“What a refreshing feeling.”
A carbonated drink CF came in. It was a long-awaited outdoor shoot, and everyone was nervous since it was their first major CF.
Kim Seonghyeon and Jeong Dajun were riding skateboards they had chosen as props, whizzing around.
“Phew, I thought we’d need stand-ins, but they’re really good!”
The CF director seemed very satisfied. Jeong Dajun, being young, had recovered twice as fast as the doctor had predicted and was energetically roaming around the set as usual.
“Tsk, I told him to be careful….”
“He must want to play.”
“I always feel uneasy when I see him. He’s like a child left at the water’s edge.”
As Seong Jiwon sighed, he glanced at him with a hint of pride.
What’s with that, huh?
His attitude towards me has been annoyingly strange since last time. He quickly noticed it as I glared at him and changed the subject.
“Hoyun, aren’t you going to ride?”
“I’ve only ever ridden a regular board.”
“Are you good?”
“No one in my neighborhood could beat me….”
“Sometimes I can’t tell if you’re serious or not….”
As Seong Jiwon murmured ambiguously, I finished checking the CF storyboard written on the printout I was holding. Kang Ichae, who had been enthusiastically following Kim Seonghyeon and Jeong Dajun with a camcorder to film the BTS footage, approached Seong Jiwon this time.
“Seong Jiwon! What are you doing and where right now~?”
“Today, we’re shooting a ‘Ranta’ CF. I’m checking the storyboard with Seo Hoyun~.”
“Ranta is so delicious~! Please share your thoughts.”
“Yes, yes…! It’s all thanks to our fans, Noeul, that we were able to be here. We will make sure not to disappoint the advertiser who kindly invited us and show our passion in everything we do.”
“Wow… Did you memorize all that?”
“…Huh? I’m being sincere.”
“…”
Kang Ichae was quite flustered and then caught me, who was next to him, as his next target.
“Seo Hoyun, do you drink Ranta often, even when you’re not working?”
“Even when I’m not working?”
I frowned slightly, looking displeased.
“Come on, my blood is made of Ranta….”
“Oops! My apologies.”
“Please be careful with your words.”
“Aigoo, aigoo. I’m sorry~.”
Kang Ichae seemed satisfied with my response, and with a hum, he went off searching for his next target.
Goodness, he’s not filming for someone else; he’s doing it for his satisfaction. As I clicked my tongue and finished checking the storyboard, all the members gathered.
Thankfully, we had a schedule in the morning. Even if the shoot took longer, we could go to the CEO’s office.
Right, today is the day.
Finally, it was time to change the members’ contracts.
Although it could be changed by mutual consent, this was an exceptional measure.
From what I saw, our group grew independently, considering the company didn’t provide much support. The current share we were receiving was outrageous.
“The shooting has started!”
As expected of a carbonated drink shoot, the staff’s energy was overflowing from the beginning. We responded strongly, nodding, and entered the pre-booked skate park.
“We’ll start with Seo Hoyun’s shot!”
“Yes.”
I brushed my hair back and walked slowly.
The members’ faces were full of mischief as if they were planning to tease me when I was off camera.
The camera slowly focused on the carbonated drink in my hand and then moved toward my face. I looked at the camera and slowly recited the lines I had memorized.
“Summer is in our hands.”
The camera director slightly raised the angle. I took a step forward, staring straight ahead, and lifted the corners of my mouth to smile.
“Grab onto the cool youth.”
“―Okay, cut!”
Did it turn out okay?
Anyway, we had to record the lines separately later, but we actually said them out loud during the shoot.
The director, who was checking the footage, tilted his head slightly.
Didn’t he like it?
“Seo Hoyun. Great. It came out well, but I’ll try another angle.”
“Yes, understood.”
I nodded and returned to my original position, and the members who tried to tease me suddenly changed their minds and remained quiet, just watching.
Once again, the director called cut and stared at the monitor, rubbing his chin. Then he turned his attention to me.
“Seo Hoyun.”
Did he not like something?
“Yes, please tell me.”
I prepared myself to do whatever he asked, but the director said something unexpected.
“Your diction is really good, like an actor.”
“…Yes?”
“Your facial expressions are fine too… I’m just curious. Did you take acting lessons?”
What was this about?
These days, offers for me to act were coming from everywhere. And I wondered if the CEO had a hand in it here too.
I cautiously replied with a slight guard up.
“Ahaha, no, I’m just following your direction.”
“Wow, your words are so eloquent.”
The director didn’t say anything more.
I was relieved he didn’t ask me if I wanted to act here, either.
Fortunately, Daepaseong Entertainment was a mid-sized company and couldn’t exert too much influence on this CF director…
“Wow!”
Suddenly, the staff let out a burst of admiration. Curious about what happened, I turned my head and saw Kim Seonghyeon waving from a distance.
“Seo Hoyun, look at this.”
“What?”
Kim Seonghyeon poured a drink into a paper cup, then got on a skateboard with the cup still in hand. He then rode down a half-pipe.
“…What is that?”
Swoosh!
At exactly the same moment, he came down from the vert using the momentum, caught the cup mid-air, and spun on the half-pipe.
“Wow…”
Kang Ichae sincerely admired him. Kim Seonghyeon returned to his original position and lifted the cup, not spilling a single drop of his drink.
“Not bad, right?”
“Seonghyeon! Can we have an interview? Please, let’s do an interview!”
As Kim Seonghyeon strolled over, drinking from the paper cup, Kang Ichae excitedly thrust the camera toward him.
This guy… would have been fine without being an idol.
“Seonghyeon, let’s use that for the commercial!”
The director, who had seen this, rushed in with excitement. Kim Seonghyeon seemed slightly bewildered since it was a spontaneous move, but he eventually used it in the shooting.
“I want to try too!”
“Don’t.”
“Hmph.”
I cut Jeong Dajun off in one swift motion as he tried to follow Kim Seonghyeon’s lead with a skateboard in hand. He was recovering from an injury and still wanted to show off…
From then on, it was Kim Seonghyeon’s time. The staff didn’t hold back on their praise and applause for him. They seemed happy because they got good shots, and the shooting ended quickly.
At that moment, I caught Seong Jiwon’s gaze as I turned my head to take a break.
“Hoyun.”
“…Yeah. What?”
For some reason, I felt uneasy when he made this expression.
Jiwon, who could kill someone with the amount of practice he put in, smiled even more…
“Did you hear what he said earlier? Are you going to act?”
“Why are you doing this too?”
I narrowed my eyes and clicked my tongue quietly.
“Who did you hear it from?”
“The manager. Seo Hoyun refused Min Jiheon’s recommendation because he didn’t like it.”
“What’s with the exaggeration?”
“So?”
It was not for me to decide whether I liked it or not.
He’s someone I should refuse… But not this. I wore my jersey training suit and gulped down a carbonated drink.
“I won’t do it.”
“Why? The director also asked if you were acting. From what I see, you have talent.”
“Do you think everyone has talent? It’s just a casual remark.”
“No, when I was at a big company, I received acting training and saw many people who were actually actors.”
“Seong Jiwon.”
As a warning to “slow down,” Jiwon slightly recoiled but soon laughed and continued to hang around my side.
“Did the manager ask? To try to persuade me?”
“No, it’s not that. I just thought you were thinking about something else.”
Thinking about something else?
I didn’t understand the meaning, so I asked.
Jiwon sat down beside me and opened a carbonated drink.
“Okay, I can see what you’re thinking, Hoyun. We don’t have seniority, and we only got first place on that music show before because of a rebound. We should avoid individual activities until we have stable recognition. With just a mediocre acting skill, if one person stands out for the reasons, there might be internal issues again.”
“….”
Ding!
[Is he a Talmud scholar?][1]
I closed my mouth as he hit the nail on the head. I had the confidence to refute anything, but I couldn’t say anything when my true intentions were exposed so candidly.
“But I wish you’d do as you please. Don’t worry about what others think.”
“…”
“Hoyun, you have more than enough qualifications to do that.”
Didn’t this kid suffer injustice?
Even though he dedicated his youth and practiced for a long time, Seong Jiwon prioritized the other members first.
Noticing the uneasy expression on my face, Jiwon cracked a joke.
“And if you become more popular, won’t we be able to ride your coattails?”
“How far will you go to accommodate others?”
“Huh? Ahaha… I’m not accommodating, Hoyun.”
Seong Jiwon crinkled his nose and cleaned the empty drink can before leaving.
However, the core issue remained.
Both Jiwon and others were mistaken…
“…I’m not interested in acting.”
Ding!
[I gave you a special feature!!]
Why did everyone think I wanted to act?
Not at all. I have no talent.
Min Jiheon didn’t know until he dug deeper.
I clicked my tongue and threw the empty can into the trash bin.
“Geez, I can’t understand.”
For now, I left the unsolvable problem alone and continued monitoring.
Kim Seonghyeon’s skills looked even more artistic as the sunlight reflected off him.
The picture came out really well.
“Let’s wrap up the shoot. Thank you for your hard work!”
“Thanks for your hard work~.”
Everyone was happy with the early end of the shoot, clapping and exchanging greetings with the staff.
After shaking hands with the youngest prop master, I was about to leave when my phone suddenly rang.
“…”
It was the CEO.
For some reason, I had a bad feeling about this. I stared at my phone briefly before slowly answering and placing it by my ear.
“Hello, this is Seo Hoyun.”
– “Ah, Hoyun.”
I could hear a low sigh and a slightly apologetic voice.
– “I’m sorry, but it seems we can’t renew the contract this time.”
“…Excuse me?”
– “I’ve already talked to the manager. Let’s talk again later.”
I was about to ask what kind of nonsense that was when the manager hurriedly entered the shooting site.
At the same time, the CEO sighed once more and hung up the phone.
…What is it this time?
“Guys! Guys!”
Anyone with that face would know something had happened. All the members remained frozen, waiting for the manager’s next words.
Being extra cautious, the manager grabbed Jeong Dajun and whispered to him.
“Dajun, I’m sorry about the timing, but we must go to the company immediately.”
“Why?”
“Seonghyeon, later….”
“Why.”
Being the leader, Kim Seonghyeon stepped forward and blocked the path between the manager and Jeong Dajun.
Dajun looked at the manager with a puzzled expression, not understanding the situation.
I also walked over to them, trying to sort out my thoughts.
Jeong Dajun? What about Dajun?
What’s left? Victory is Mine? The broadcasting company? Or a dating scandal? No, we’ve dealt with all of that already.
Dajun also kept his promise to me, so it wouldn’t be a dating scandal.
So, what could it be…
Ding!
The unsettling system window sound echoed.
I stopped walking and glanced up at the explanation that appeared, sighing deeply.
“Ha…”
This was insane, seriously.
Meanwhile, Kim Seonghyeon, who still hadn’t grasped the situation, quietly questioned the manager.
“We need to know so we can be prepared.”
“Well… Ah, I shouldn’t be doing this.”
The manager couldn’t sit still and eventually whispered quietly enough that no one around could hear, covering his mouth with his hand.
“It’s an issue with the exclusive contract.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Dajun. They say Jeong Dajun had a double-exclusive contract. So, we have to go and explain quickly. The CEO is really angry right now….”
Dajun’s eyes grew wider and wider. I stared at my cursed fate and the system window.
[Double-Exclusive Contract
Resolve Jeong Dajun’s double-exclusive contract issue!
Success: 10,000 points
Failure: Jeong Dajun’s withdrawal, main scenario progress impossible]
Seriously, couldn’t there be a single quiet day?
[1] Talmud, as in Jewish scholars. I’m not exactly sure if this is a Korean phrase or something.