Chapter 6
Chapter 6
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Atelier (4)
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"I'm Kim Seulgi. I run Atelier as the CEO."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Jeong Gyeowol."
CEO Kim Seulgi smoothly extended her hand for a shake, acting as if nothing had happened.
Her hand was slightly red from how scalding hot the tea had been, but she pretended not to notice.
"You're even prettier in person than in your photos, and your proportions are better too."
"Ah, thank you."
The CEO herself had the kind of looks that made me wonder why she wasn't modeling.
Having a beauty like her praise my face and figure right in front of me left me flustered, not knowing where to put myself.
I could feel my cheeks heating up, but her next words quickly cooled me down.
"I'll teach you some photography tips later."
"...Were my photos weird?"
"...Ah, no! It's not that your photos were bad. They just couldn't capture even half of how stunning you are... I mean! You're so gorgeous in person that with just a few tricks, you'd take incredible photos!"
The CEO waved her hands frantically in excuse, but it was already too late.
Those photos I'd put so much effort into... Were they really that bad?
Wait, think positive.
It wasn't that I couldn't take photos; it was that the camera couldn't capture my beauty.
From today on, my phone's camera was fired.
Maybe she caught my determined glare, because CEO Kim Seulgi hurriedly changed the subject.
"Do you have any experience in modeling at all?"
"No, none whatsoever in this field. Is that a problem?"
"Not at all. We actually prefer total newcomers over people with half-baked experience. If anything, this works out perfectly."
We prefer newcomers over mediocre veterans.
Her words felt like a wedge driven straight into me.
Of course, CEO Kim Seulgi couldn't possibly know about the man I used to be.
This feeling bubbling up inside me was just plain old inferiority complex and paranoia.
As if to prove it, CEO Kim Seulgi pulled out the contract with a bright smile... Contract?
"Well, no need for a long interview, right? Let's just sign the contract."
"...No tests or anything? Like standing in front of a camera or striking a few poses?"
"Do you want to do that?"
"No, not really..."
"You'll be doing all that once you start working anyway. No point tiring yourself out now."
"But what if I end up moving like a mannequin once we actually get going...?"
This wasn't some lightning-quick deal cooked up on a whim.
Just meet, greet, and dive straight into signing without asking questions?
I'd never signed a modeling contract before, but I was sure it wasn't this simple.
"Everyone has a first time. If everywhere just hired based on experience, where would rookies even start? Poses improve with practice, and you'll get used to the camera over time too."
But my issues went beyond that.
My stamina was so abysmal that I'd gotten winded just walking here.
The fact that I needed pay by the week instead of the month.
Having to juggle a second job and adjust schedules accordingly.
There were more than one or two things to negotiate with the CEO.
I knew I was just part-time help being picky, but these were points I had to bring up.
After hearing me out, CEO Kim Seulgi smiled as if none of it was an issue.
"Don't worry. If you look beat, we'll give you plenty of breaks. Pay? We can do it daily if you want. Shoots are natural light during the day or indoor lighting at night, so we can work around your schedule."
It felt like a Doraemon wish-granting lamp—whatever I asked for, it was done.
This problem solved one way, that one another.
But the world didn't spin that easily.
Take the shoot times, for example.
Indoor lighting and natural light were definitely different.
Movies and dramas often spent days reshooting scenes just for natural light... If indoor lights could substitute, they wouldn't bother paying extra for all that hassle.
CEO Kim Seulgi was being suspiciously accommodating, bending over backward to fit me.
And we usually call people like that suckers... or scammers.
But someone running a business like this probably wasn't a total pushover.
So... scammer it was?
Looking at it that way, even her earlier clumsiness started seeming like an act.
Rushing into a contract without questions felt like a ploy to hook a naive newbie like me in one shot.
"...W-Why are you staring like that?"
When I met her eyes head-on, she looked guilty and averted her gaze.
Ha, had I stumbled into a shady outfit from the start?
If I signed now, maybe it'd lead to nude shoots.
Or a slave contract where I model hundreds or thousands of outfits a day for peanuts.
I scrutinized the contract for evidence...
What the hell is this?
It was spotlessly clean.
Model contract stipulating all terms between Party A (Atelier) and Party B (Jeong Gyeowol).
Modeling contracts weren't much different from actor ones in general.
Even if they'd hidden unfair clauses, they wouldn't escape my eyes.
But no matter how hard I looked, nothing harmful to me jumped out.
No weird clauses either.
Just one thing: the pay rate looked off.
Maybe they'd listed an insane hourly rate, then claim it was a mistake and revise the contract to trap me.
"...From what I know, fitting models get around 20,000 won per hour."
"...Huh? Who told you that?"
Sure enough, she looked flustered.
Who told me? Friends who'd actually done fitting model gigs, sharing their raw experiences.
I wasn't making it up.
Job site stats showed average hourly pay for fitting models in the low-to-mid 20,000 won range.
Stats and reviews proved it.
"That's for grabbing any random off the street. Someone like you is different."
"...?"
I made a face like I had no idea what she meant, and she looked equally baffled.
What the heck does that mean?
She'd posted the ad to hire random civilians.
I'd applied as one of those civilians and made it here.
What was different?
"...Are you being modest?"
"...?"
She kept saying things that made no sense.
Was she mistaking me for someone else? She'd just asked about my experience herself.
I was a complete civilian with zero industry creds—not a single line, not a single hour.
"Ah... No way?"
"...?"
"You walked here, right?"
"Yes, so?"
"How many business cards did you get?"
"...Two."
How'd she know I got business cards?
This already suspicious woman was getting more suspect by the minute.
"We don't call people entertainment scouts hand business cards to 'civilians.' And... honestly, I like you so much, Jeong Gyeowol. I really want you to model for Atelier."
"Ah..."
Only then did I get what CEO Kim Seulgi meant.
I was the weird one.
I knew my looks were top-tier, but I'd been subconsciously downplaying them.
Pretending not to know, putting up defenses.
My failures from my past life were messing with my head in this one.
"Sorry. I honestly thought it was sketchy."
"Totally understandable. I've heard there are tons of scammers preying on fitting model hopefuls. Being cautious makes sense. And the terms are better than you expected, right? No games or haggling—I wanted to show our sincerity from the start. Personally, I hate that kind of business."
Somehow, I was grilling the boss like she was the desperate applicant.
And the boss—the one who should cut me loose—was the one clinging.
In this bizarre standoff where the roles were reversed, I was the one who raised the white flag.
There'd been a misunderstanding, but clearing it up now fixed that.
"It's my first time modeling, but I'll do my best. Looking forward to working with you."
"We're the ones who should say that."
I signed the contract and shook hands with CEO Kim Seulgi.
That instant.
"Waaah! Yes! We did it!"
"...?"
A scream echoed from outside the office.
It was Manager Lee Arang.
At the same time, CEO Kim Seulgi visibly relaxed, her rigid posture slumping.
"She's been peeking in the whole time, making me even more nervous. Whew. She's the real boss around here. The real boss. Always threatening to quit. I liked you so much I wanted to snag you no matter what, but she's glaring daggers from behind. Looks like I was the one interviewed."
I barely held back the laugh trying to burst out.
This woman a scammer?
Then yeah, I'd fall for it hook, line, and sinker.