I'll Make Sure You Stand Tall Today
"Is Se-rin really coming here today?"
Gulp. Yeong-jae and Seong-do, the self-proclaimed die-hard Serazade fans, swallowed hard.
Even the writers who had come to see Park Geon-woo for the first time today were utterly dumbfounded.
Just hearing the name "Se-rin" come directly out of Geon-woo's mouth was shocking enough.
"..."
But one thing was absolutely certain: the party room was thick with tension.
"I don't know exactly what time she'll get here, but Se-rin did say she would drop by for a bit today," Geon-woo said calmly.
"Aaaaah! Her Ladyship Se-rin is descending upon us!"
"Yeong-jae! I can die happy now!"
Yeong-jae and Seong-do threw their arms around each other.
"Kyaaa! Writer Geon-woo! You're the best! Simply the best!"
"Geon-woo! Is it for real? We're actually going to see Han Se-rin today?"
"Yes, Writer Ha-jeong."
Watching his colleagues rejoice, Geon-woo let a gentle smile spread across his face.
These were the people who had been a source of great comfort to him during his long slump.
He felt relieved that he could repay their kindness, even if only a little.
Geon-woo pulled out his phone and checked the message he had received from Se-rin.
A soft, natural smile tugged at his lips.
At the same time, in a studio located on the outskirts of Gyeonggi Province.
The photoshoot for a famous luxury brand, which had started in the late afternoon, finally wrapped up around dusk.
"Great job, Se-rin! You're the absolute best! You really are in a league of your own!"
The magazine staff showered Se-rin with praise as they reviewed the shots on the monitor.
Se-rin had finished the shoot without a single bad cut.
Her reputation as a walking luxury brand was by no means an exaggeration.
"Mi-seon, go start the car first. I need to get to the writer as soon as possible."
No one could have guessed that Se-rin had focused so intensely on the shoot solely because she was desperate to see Geon-woo.
"We still have plenty of time, Se-rin."
"Still, it's my first time meeting the writer's friends. I don't want to be late. Do you know how important first impressions are?"
"Alright, alright. I'll go start the car."
Mi-seon found Se-rin's whining adorable.
With that, Mi-seon left the studio with the agency staff.
Se-rin, standing with her arms crossed, turned her gaze toward the hair, makeup, and styling staff.
"Excuse me."
"Y-yes? Se-rin?"
The waiting staff jumped in surprise.
It was rare for Se-rin to strike up a conversation first.
"I have an important appointment tonight..."
"Ah! Should we touch up your makeup? Redo your hair?"
The head of the makeup team asked, her face lighting up.
Se-rin was famous for being cold and quiet.
Having her make a personal request like this was both surprising and exciting.
The rest of the staff felt the same way.
To think the great Han Se-rin was asking them for a favor.
"Yes, please."
The moment the words left Se-rin's mouth, the waiting room bustled with activity.
The staff went far beyond just doing their best; they poured their very souls into styling her.
I hope the writer and his colleagues like it.
Se-rin grinned as she looked at herself in the mirror.
Cruelly, time marched on without waiting.
"Alright, everyone. There are only five minutes left until Writer Park Geon's broadcast, so let's use the restroom and get ready."
At the words of Writer December 32nd, the other writers began to stand up one by one.
"Geon, why don't you go get some fresh air?"
"Should I, hyung?"
Geon-woo, who had been nervously sipping his drink, stood up.
It was then.
Suddenly, a commotion broke out outside the party room.
The gasps and murmurs of the staff and other guests echoed through the hallway.
"Hyung? Could it be Han Se-rin?"
Starting with Yeong-jae, the writers froze in anticipation.
Had she really arrived?
Right on cue, the door swung open.
"I'm not late, am I?"
A clear, melodious voice instantly cut through the loud music of the party room.
"Hello, everyone. I'm Han Se-rin. Huh?"
Se-rin tilted her head.
No one was welcoming her.
To be precise, they were too stunned to speak.
They had come face-to-face with Han Se-rin before they could even mentally prepare themselves.
"...!"
The writers stared with wide eyes, completely shell-shocked.
How can someone be this beautiful?
"S-Se-rin?"
Even Geon-woo's jaw dropped in surprise.
Yet, he couldn't take his eyes off her.
She was in full makeup, her hair styled in elegant half-up waves.
She wore a striped ivory-and-black two-piece outfit.
Complete with white high heels and a charming little black handbag.
If Se-rin's look during the recording of I Live Alone had been simple and natural,
today she was as glamorous as if she were attending a year-end music festival.
"Is her beauty even real?"
"Han Se-rin is insanely gorgeous..."
Under the collective gaze of the room, Se-rin walked over to Geon-woo, the click-clack of her heels echoing softly.
Naturally, the writers stared intently at the two of them.
They had only heard rumors, but this was the first time any of them had seen Geon-woo and Se-rin together in person.
"Geon-woo oppa? How have you been?"
Gasps of envy and shock erupted from all corners of the room.
Oppa? She called him oppa?
The great Han Se-rin calls Park Geon-woo "oppa"?
"O-Oppa?"
Geon-woo's eyes shook wildly.
Calling him "oppa" in front of all these people...
"Didn't we promise that I'd call you oppa the next time we met? Geon-woo oppa?"
"Ah... right, we did. Haha..."
Geon-woo's mind was spinning.
Se-rin leaned in and whispered softly to him.
"Well? Do I look pretty?"
"Ah, yes. B-but Se-rin, do you usually dress like this?"
"Yes. I actually just threw this on in a rush because of my busy schedule...?"
Se-rin pouted slightly.
Of course, it was a slight lie.
As she spoke, she glanced at the female writers who were said to look after Geon-woo.
She wanted to see their reactions.
"Isn't that bag a limited edition from Chanel?"
"I think that two-piece is a limited-edition collaboration, too. Se-rin is so cool..."
"Those shoes are impossible to get even if you have the money."
The female writers were already eyeing Se-rin's outfit, bag, and shoes with intense envy.
Heh.
Out of Geon-woo's line of sight, the corners of Se-rin's mouth curled upward.
It was definitely worth the effort.
Now, it was time for the finishing touch.
"Oh! I think the broadcast is starting!"
Se-rin quickly grabbed Geon-woo's arm and pulled him down to sit next to her.
The writers' jaws dropped at how naturally she did it.
The broadcast of I Live Alone featuring Park Geon-woo ended successfully.
The writers watched along, holding their breath at times and letting out exclamations of awe at others.
"Wow, hyung! You look like a total celebrity! How are you so good at talking?"
"You didn't even look nervous, Writer Park Geon!"
"Are you going to debut as a celebrity next?"
The writers were amazed and couldn't hide their surprise.
Despite it being his first appearance on a major network variety show, Geon-woo hadn't trembled at all.
Instead, he had blended in naturally with the cast of I Live Alone.
"Whoa, the celebrities even asked Geon-woo for his autograph!"
"I'm so jealous, Writer Park Geon!"
"Writer Park Geon is a famous author now... I'm so proud of you."
The writers were especially shocked by the scene where the cast members, starting with the famous MC Jang Hyeon-seong, asked him for autographs.
"Does this mean we won't be able to see Writer Park Geon anymore?"
"He's going to get so busy, right?"
"Yeah. Is today our last meeting? That's so sad."
A wave of worry washed over the writers.
In the web novel industry, it was common for authors to change completely after hitting it big.
And now, Geon-woo had even appeared on a hit national variety show.
While they knew Geon-woo wouldn't change, they couldn't shake the feeling that he was drifting into a completely different world.
"Oh, come on. That's not true. I'm still the same Park Geon who writes web novels, just like before. Don't worry."
Rather than feeling hurt, Geon-woo felt grateful.
Their worries about things that hadn't even happened only showed how much they cherished him.
"Exactly. My Geon-woo oppa is not the type to change. I guarantee it!"
Se-rin chimed in to support him.
"Ugh! I'm so jealous! Why don't I have a reader like Se-rin?"
Yeong-jae clutched his chest in mock agony.
"You should work hard on your writing too, Writer Yeong-jae."
"If I do, will a reader like you show up?"
"Well, I can't promise that."
Laughter erupted in the party room at Se-rin's joke.
However, the warm laughter didn't last long.
The end of the I Live Alone broadcast meant it was time to say goodbye to Se-rin.
"..."
Perhaps because of that, none of the writers spoke up easily.
They were reluctant to let their brief encounter with Se-rin end.
"Thank you for coming today, Se-rin. You must be tired after your schedule, so please go home and get some rest."
Geon-woo stepped in before things got awkward.
He then caught the eyes of his close junior writers.
"It was an honor meeting you today, Se-rin! Get some rest!"
"I was so happy as a fan! I can die with no regrets! Se-rin-nim!"
Yeong-jae and Seong-do quickly backed Geon-woo up.
"It was great meeting you today, Se-rin!"
"I hope we can see you again next time!"
Fortunately, the other writers didn't try to hold her back and began bidding her farewell.
"Go on, Se-rin. You should head out."
Geon-woo tried to send her off as quickly as possible.
But Se-rin had other plans.
She stood up, crossing her arms.
"Why is everyone trying to kick me out? You're hurting my feelings. I'm staying to hang out longer."
The atmosphere in the party room instantly heated up.
"Aaaaah! Seong-do!"
"Yeong-jae!"
Yeong-jae and Seong-do hugged each other in excitement.
And that wasn't all.
"Han Se-rin! Han Se-rin! Milky-white Han Se-rin!"
"Park Geon-woo! Park Geon-woo!"
Not only were they chanting Se-rin's name, but they also started chanting Geon-woo's. The writers were in full festival mode.
Geon-woo let out a wry smile and looked at Se-rin first.
"Are you sure you're okay? You must be exhausted."
He was genuinely worried about her.
Just showing up to the gathering was more than enough.
"Geon-woo oppa. I'm going to make sure you stand tall today. So just sit back and watch, okay?"
Se-rin gave him a playful wink.
Then, she raised a bottle of champagne high in the air.
"Excuse me, everyone! How can your glasses all be empty like this? That's not allowed!"
Se-rin playfully narrowed her eyes at them.
"Haha."
Watching Se-rin completely charm his colleagues with her bright energy, Geon-woo couldn't help but chuckle.