CHAPTER 052: A+
CHAPTER 052: A+
My looks rose to A+ rank. How different would I be?
I swept up the shaggy hair that had grown out and covered my eyes.
“……!”
The moment my features were revealed, I unconsciously held my breath.
Each feature became far sharper and more three-dimensional than before.
It felt like the carefully edited photos fans uploaded online had turned into reality.
Now, even without special lighting, it was like my skin gave off a faint glow just from standing still.
At this level, I could confidently say there would be no strong likes-or-dislikes.
I had four stat points left now.
Wondering if I could go even higher, I tapped the Looks stat again, but nothing budged.
It seemed A+ was the highest rank for now.
Then I should invest the remaining stats into acting.
There wasn’t any immediate filming ahead, so once my next project was decided, I’d raise whatever abilities were needed then.
‘In that case, now…’
It was time to go create a pretext for the looks upgrade.
“I’m going to cut my hair now.”
At my words, the salon director was delighted.
“Oh, yes! Do you know how stifling it’s been all this time? I know it was for filming, but with your hair covering everything up, it was driving me crazy. If you’ve got a handsome face, the more you show it, the more you profit.”
The director considered a style that would suit me, exposed a bit of my forehead—then suddenly went, “Oh my,” widening his eyes.
“What is it? You look even more handsome than before.”
“I guess it’s because I finished dieting, put on a little weight again, and I’ve been working out hard.”
At my answer, the director nodded.
“Honestly, before, you were too bony. It was to the point I felt sorry just looking. With some weight back on, you look much better. Now all I have to do is my part.”
The director lifted the scissors with a solemn air.
Every time a chunk of hair was cut away, admiration followed.
“Oh—your face is starting to glow more and more. It’s like we turned up the lighting just on you.”
Maybe because of what the director said, other people in the shop started glancing at me too.
Their eyes reflected in the mirror.
They looked like hair-and-makeup staff for other celebrities, and the blatant attention was a bit burdensome.
It was a kind of attention that felt different from the aura I got from Impact.
“Wow… what the heck?”
“Why? Something happen?”
“No, over there…”
Even the celebrities who turned around at the murmuring commotion openly stared at me and exclaimed in admiration.
“…Who is that?”
“…That’s actor Ryu Sunho. He was in Possessed Investigation.”
“…Huh? Kang Seoho? Wow… but was he always that level?”
It felt like I’d become a monkey at a zoo, but my black-history video had already been broadcast to the whole world.
This much attention, I could enjoy it and endure—
“Sunho, are you hot? Your ears are red. Want me to turn off the heater? Or get you something to drink?”
“…Yes. Cold water, please.”
…Maybe not yet.
Looks like I’ll need a few more years getting rolled around in the entertainment industry before I’m used to it.
At last, the cut finished, and when the director completed the styling with hair products, I heard people here and there gasp.
“Oh, this is insane.”
“Isn’t he AI…?”
“Calling it AI is almost insulting…”
“I should never stand next to him.”
“He’s really living alone in this world…”
In the middle of it, one female celebrity, seemingly provoked, urgently told her manager.
“…Book Ulthera at the dermatologist tonight. No—let’s do the Chanel injection too.”
The director wore a proud expression, satisfied with his work.
“You’ve been hiding this face all this time! Do you know how much you’ve been losing out?”
“It was for the project…”
“Still, once you cut it and go out promoting, it’ll be chaos. Right, guys?”
The assistant designers nearby nodded quickly.
“Yes. People are going to capture your face and it’ll spread everywhere.”
“I can already imagine the comment reactions. Like, ‘Hidden beauty,’ that kind of vibe.”
“I’ll tell my friends. If Actor Sunho shows up on TV later, they have to watch.”
Seeming quite pleased by their praise, the director smiled and patted my shoulder.
“Don’t forget to stop by my shop before you go to broadcast shoots.”
“Of course.”
Jung Daeyeop, my road manager, came back from the restroom, finally noticed me, and raised his thumb with his mouth hanging open.
“Ooh…! In the end, hair is completed by the face…!”
When the director shot him a slight glare, Jung Daeyeop hurriedly changed his words.
“O-of course, hair makes looks shine more…!”
Flash Entertainment’s CEO office.
CEO Hwang Cheoljune and the finance division head were talking.
The two seemed quite close.
No wonder—the finance division head was a founding member who started Flash Entertainment with CEO Hwang Cheoljune.
Coming from a major accounting firm, the finance division head got pulled in by CEO Hwang Cheoljune, his high school senior, who said, “Let’s do something fun together,” then joined and systematically corrected his slapdash management, driving the company’s growth.
If Hwang Cheoljune was the field commander, the division head was the strategist who held the flow of money and set the board.
The balance between the two had created the Flash Entertainment of today.
Their topic right now was Ryu Sunho.
“Incredible, seriously. He didn’t just win one award—he got a triple crown, and then went to the Advertising Awards and won more?”
The division head spoke while scrolling through articles on his phone.
From the Rookie Award to winning at the Advertising Awards.
Without resting for even a moment, he kept creating new issues and making articles pour out.
According to the PR team, there was even a running joke that Ryu Sunho was currently the number-one favorite celebrity among reporters.
“Right… I’ve never seen a guy like this before. The Acting Awards, sure, but I never imagined he’d come back with an award from the Advertising Awards.”
“His price must’ve risen even more in just a few months. No matter how you look at it, we can’t let Ryu Sunho go. Right now is still the bottom—so we need to tighten the relationship even more and lock in his goodwill.”
“I know. That’s why I’m thinking.”
“Ah, right. You said you’d decide the level of support after seeing whether he won awards. With those results, an officetel won’t cut it—are you going to give him an apartment?”
“We should give an apartment. Bigger square footage, good location.”
“Okay. Normally I’d oppose money leaking out like this, but for this one, I’m approving it no matter what—ROI doesn’t matter.”
“We need to show, loudly, that we’re paying attention. Leak some information quietly through industry contacts, and call him in so we can make a show of it.”
CEO Hwang Cheoljune had his secretary summon Team Lead Jo Sehun and relayed the matter.
A little later—
The moment Ryu Sunho entered the CEO’s office with Team Lead Jo Sehun.
CEO Hwang Cheoljune and the division head’s eyes both went wide at the same time.
“You… cut your hair?”
“Wow… your face is glowing. Like gold?”
CEO Hwang Cheoljune had climbed from road manager up to this seat.
He’d been through everything in the entertainment world and met countless celebrities.
So even when he saw actors people called handsome, he rarely felt much.
But for the first time in a long while, he felt pure admiration based on looks alone.
‘With the hair cut, his features show clearly and the whole vibe comes alive. His eyes look sharper, and his facial outline seems more defined too…’
CEO Hwang Cheoljune quietly called Team Lead Jo Sehun.
“He didn’t do something to his face, did he?”
“He didn’t do anything. After filming ended, he restored the weight he lost from dieting and worked out hard.”
“Right… you’re not the type to make him do that.”
“You don’t have to worry about plastic surgery controversy. He’s been posting his workout log on SNS every day.”
“Then that’s fine.”
CEO Hwang Cheoljune couldn’t take his eyes off Ryu Sunho.
With those looks, that level of acting skill, talent across the board…
How much potential value was that?
Staring as if spellbound, he finally came to his senses and spoke.
“Actor Ryu, your work has been amazing. Triple crown at the Acting Awards and even an advertising award. Congratulations.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“But I heard you’re currently living in a semi-basement… is there a special reason?”
“There isn’t. I was too busy with schedules to make time to look for a place to move.”
In truth, there was somewhere I kept investing money using knowledge from my past life, but there was no need to say it, so I held back.
“Right, you went straight into a leading film role the moment the drama ended, so you must’ve been swamped. Still, a semi-basement isn’t good for an actor. For your bronchial tubes, and your skin.”
CEO Hwang Cheoljune leaned forward and asked.
“So we’re going to move you somewhere else. Do you have any preferred area?”
“……!”
They were going to move my home?
The company?
Of course, they weren’t saying they’d give me a home—it probably meant they’d provide rent-free housing under the company name.
But even that alone was a huge benefit.
I’d already been thinking about moving above ground to manage my condition.
This would let me save even more money.
‘And.’
CEO Hwang Cheoljune’s expression was very favorable right now.
If so, I felt like I could honestly say what I wanted.
“I’d like it to be a safe place. And I’d like there to be a park nearby where I can run.”
CEO Hwang Cheoljune answered without hesitation.
“Then an apartment near the Han River would be good.”
The finance division head across from him nodded too.
It seemed like this was already something they’d mutually agreed on.
Then CEO Hwang Cheoljune asked Team Lead Jo Sehun.
“How many years is Actor Sunho under contract with us?”
“A three-year exclusive contract.”
CEO Hwang Cheoljune made a thoughtful expression for a moment.
Then he nodded and looked at me.
“If Actor Ryu is fine with it, we’ll draw up an addendum agreement.”
“An addendum…?”
“Maintain the three-year exclusive contract, and if you re-sign after that, we’ll transfer ownership of the apartment you live in into the actor’s name.”
At that shocking proposal, the division head and Team Lead Jo Sehun both had a flash of alarm cross their faces.
The division head looked like he wanted to say something, but CEO Hwang Cheoljune stopped him with his eyes and said,
“We need to go this far for it to match the level.”
A few days later,
Vacuum State was successfully submitted to the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival.
Now it was time to set the release date and prepare marketing in earnest.
The distributor, Playty, also began moving in earnest.
In the chilly air, the film marketing team lead was passionately presenting while looking at the PPT on the screen.
“So our core strategy is to place the trailer on digital signage…”
Seated at the head of the table, Han Seungwoo rested his chin on his hand with a bored expression, spinning a fountain pen.
“Boring. Seriously.”
At Han Seungwoo’s cold voice, the temperature in the meeting room dropped.
“Is that all?”
“Pardon? Ah… yes. For the first draft plan…”
“Again.”
Han Seungwoo set the fountain pen on the table, declaring the meeting over.
The executives and the film marketing team lead shuffled out awkwardly, and left alone, Han Seungwoo roughly loosened his tie like he was frustrated.
He was furious at employees who couldn’t bring out this film’s sharp charm at all.
“Even if they redo it, will a good idea come out?”
It didn’t seem likely.
Everything so far was the same old thing.
“Then this body appears.”
He thought he had to step in himself.
Because he knew the film best.
‘Ah, though Ryu Sunho exists too.’
Wouldn’t the person who knew the film best after the director be the lead actor?
At the same time, he recalled a recent article about Ryu Sunho.
It said he participated as a producer at the Korea Advertising Awards and won.
When he received the report from his subordinate, he also heard that the Instagram promotions for Possessed Investigation were ideas he planned and executed himself.
He definitely had an uncommon sense.
‘Should I meet him and talk?’
Thinking he needed to go meet Ryu Sunho right away, Han Seungwoo stood up from his seat.
Just then, the meeting room door opened carefully, and his executive secretary came in.
“Division Head, the content business division head says he has something to report regarding the final announcement for the drama script contest…”
Han Seungwoo, already filled with other plans, looked at him briefly and said shortly,
“Proceed.”