Chapter 339: Model Debut (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 339: Model Debut (2)
While Choi Je-ho was struggling to become the ultimate clothes hanger, Lee Cheong-hyeon was also putting in grueling effort.
As Park Ju-woo diligently hunted down and presented jewelry pictorial references, Lee Cheong-hyeon absorbed them perfectly. Then, Kang Gi-yeon conducted camera tests, and they entered intense practice sessions so that Cheong-hyeon could look his most radiant regardless of the setting or product.
"Cheong-hyeon, your fingertips look a bit forced..."
"Really? Where’s the problem? The index finger? The middle one?"
"Try to relax your hand. Right now, it looks less like a hand wearing a ring and more like a hand pulling on a leather glove."
Every time I stopped by the practice room, that’s what the kids were up to. Since I didn't need to find references myself, my workload had actually decreased.
Lee Cheong-hyeon, who was striking various poses, asked through gritted teeth without moving his lips, "Shouldn't Je-ho Hyung be doing camera tests too? He's shooting a pictorial as well."
"Have you ever seen that guy look awkward in front of a camera?"
"Ah."
If we limited the scope to being in front of a camera, Choi Je-ho’s expressive power easily surpassed industry standards. To be precise, his abilities truly shone when he was 'being watched by someone.'
Ahead of the concert, I felt an internal check-up was necessary, so I had briefly skimmed the members' resumes—specifically the proficiency section. Back then, I saw that Choi Je-ho’s Self-PR Score was 19. It meant his talent for showcasing himself was near perfect.
What would be the point of me saying anything to a guy like that? It would just be overstepping. So, I just stood by and clapped whenever Choi Je-ho hit the weights, telling him he was doing a good job. Oh, and I left a long-winded lament on Challenge. The dedicated team decided to discuss things closely with the advertiser.
Everything was proceeding smoothly, but Lee Cheong-hyeon spoke up with a shrunken posture.
"But I'm a bit nervous."
"About what?"
"Can I really pull off accessories that so many designers worked together to create?"
He was worrying over nothing. It seemed I hadn't given him enough praise lately.
"How long has the brand we're advertising been in business?"
"About 100 years? I think that's what it said on the official site."
"That's not much. Your face is a masterpiece created by the collective efforts of every ancestor since Dangun. Five thousand years of Korean history are contained in your face."
At my words, Kang Gi-yeon wore an expression of pure disbelief.
"But the one with the longer history doesn't always win."
"Even so, there's a reason the term 'classic beauty' exists."
"Would anyone expect an antique elegance from a life-novice like me?"
"Let's just change the word slightly. Your face has 'luxuriousness.' That is a value any jewelry brand is forced to pursue. It's also an aura that not just anyone can easily possess."
"So you're saying I look luxurious, right?!"
"Of course. Now go back and work on your hand positioning again."
His confidence restored, Lee Cheong-hyeon excitedly ran back to Park Ju-woo and Kang Gi-yeon. He then proceeded to show off hand movements that would put a professional nail art model to shame.
Won Chae-hee, who was eating alone for the first time in a while, saw 'View more posts' pop up on her SNS. Since she only followed a few accounts besides the official spArk account on her fansite master handle, it was rare for new posts to pile up like this.
'What did they share so much of?'
Each post had a small gray caption indicating it was reposted by @spArk_official.
She flicked her thumb to scroll up to the first post she had missed, and then...
'What the...?'
...A set of incredible abs caught Won Chae-hee’s eyes. She practically threw her chopsticks down and hurriedly lowered her phone's brightness. Even though she knew she had a privacy screen protector on, and even though she hadn't intentionally clicked on a sensitive post in public, Won Chae-hee’s heart hammered like she had committed a crime.
≫ Reposted by @spArk_official.
@NIDAS
The new muse of NIDAS,
Together with spArk’s Jeho
A fluttering autumn, a new beginning
#NIDAS #Jeho #spArk
≫ Reposted by @spArk_official.
@NIDAS
If you want to run
With the NIDAS track top
#NIDAS #Jeho
≫ Reposted by @spArk_official.
@NIDAS
Jeho presents this autumn’s lineup
Check it out now on the official website
bat.ly/n725
#NIDAS #New_Autumn
≫ Reposted by @spArk_official.
@NIDAS
[EVENT] Poster Giveaway Event
For customers purchasing over 80,000 KRW
One A3-sized poster provided
For purchases over 100,000 KRW, both types of posters... See more
Every post was filled with new photos of Choi Je-ho. His skin tone was darker than usual, perhaps from tanning for the shoot. His sharp abs were visible through a track top that featured a tasteful mix of white and gray.
'Who wears such a provocative windbreaker in autumn...?'
Even though the design of the clothing was ordinary, Won Chae-hee couldn't shake the thought that it was provocative. Was it because NIDAS hadn't given Choi Je-ho an undershirt? Or was it because Choi Je-ho had bulked up? Her thoughts were endless.
A cut where he slightly lifted his arm to expose his serratus anterior finally forced Won Chae-hee to gulp down an entire glass of cold water. Worldly desires flooded in. Nevertheless, her fingers were fast and precise as she saved the photos.
'No, seriously... making a kid with naturally thick lips do a pose where he touches his lips is just... too much... And making a giant, indifferent door-slab man like Choi Je-ho do that hollow-eyed acting... they're clearly determined to wreck the fans...'
An unrefined, yet more-truthful-than-anything voice of her heart filled Won Chae-hee’s chest.
≫ @minam_hunter (Semi-Hiatus)
Jeho-ya, I can't see the sportswear, I only see your abs. Is this right?
└ Is Mi-heon Nim really on semi-hiatus? You show up almost at the same time as the official account.
└ Ha, if I log in one more time this week, I'm seriously going to delete my account.
The public reaction wasn't much different. From within her cozy trash can, Won Chae-hee wiped away a tear.
'Shorts with long socks is seriously too much. Putting side slits in training pants is just perverted. Is this even clothing made for exercising?'
Even as she complained, Won Chae-hee calmly checked how many colors the crew socks came in. It seemed like a good idea to let go of her old socks, which were worn down to 50% opacity near the big toe, and replace them with these fairly sophisticated new NIDAS socks.
'Wasn't there a large NIDAS store near the office?'
Checking her map app, she saw there were three large stores. When she commuted on the hellish subway, the mere fact that her office was in a busy district made her want to quit, but at times like this, her company loyalty surged.
Meanwhile, 'sold out' signs began to appear on some products online. There were two main reasons why things would sell out at a time that wasn't even peak shopping hours.
First, there was no stock. Second, the fans' firepower had ignited.
A brand as large as NIDAS couldn't possibly have failed to secure enough stock to distribute nationwide. Therefore, the conclusion had to be the latter.
Won Chae-hee selected one of the main items Choi Je-ho had modeled that was marked as sold out. The sophisticated design of the detail page caught her eye.
'Unisex design with no waistline, functional clothing with three pockets including an inner one... Easy to wash, and priced so that buying just one piece guarantees at least one poster... You can choose between Type A or B for the poster regardless of the product color...'
To put it more simply, it was a product that didn't feel like an 'ad designed to rip off fans.'
'Sigh.'
Should I buy a windbreaker?
Won Chae-hee quickly ran the numbers in her head. For a fan who was a working professional, one outer layer she could wear comfortably and a few pairs of socks was not a burdensome expense.
If it was an A3-sized poster, she wouldn't even need to put it in a tube; she could just slip it into a binder for movie posters.
And this idea must have come from Kim I-wol. Because the only person who would think about storage and practicality when everyone else was printing giant posters was the oldest member, who knew the fans' hearts suspiciously well.
Won Chae-hee finished reading all the new bait before her lunch break ended and left the restaurant satisfied.
However, Won Chae-hee didn't end up buying socks on her way home. This was because a pair of socks (color selectable until stock ran out) was given as a free gift to clothing buyers.
These guys aren't treating people like suckers. That alone made her like NIDAS one point more.
A brand's image improving within a fandom brings about a significant butterfly effect. Even if that image only improves by a tiny margin.
This ripple effect was present in NIDAS’s new pictorial.
High-quality sportswear from a proven brand, reasonable prices instead of sky-high ones padded with useless trinkets, and posters provided based on the purchase amount as long as one new item was included, even if it wasn't a collaboration product.
Thanks to this, Won Chae-hee had the experience of spending her money without feeling the need to curse. To an outsider, it might seem like she should 'just not spend money on things that make her want to curse in the first place,' but unfortunately, that rarely happens in the life of a fan.
So, Won Chae-hee decided to cherish this current experience. Keeping her old bamboo spear tucked away safely behind her back.
"The photos came out great."
"Right? A lot of my friends contacted me saying they saw Je-ho Hyung’s pictorial."
Jeong Seong-bin and I sat snugly together, looking at Choi Je-ho on the NIDAS official site.
As expected of Choi Je-ho. The kid is a bit self-centered, but he certainly gets the job done.
"Whoa, did Je-ho Hyung sell everything out?"
Lee Cheong-hyeon, who had just returned from school, approached and asked without even putting down his backpack. He rested his chin and both arms on the shoulders of his two hyungs, squeezing in between us to look at the monitor.
"That's amazing. I don't think I can do that."
"Jewelry ads have a different vibe. You were cast with the goal of elevating the brand's luxury image. You just need to play your part well."
Despite my explanation, Lee Cheong-hyeon looked unsatisfied. It seemed he felt regretful that his situation was different from Choi Je-ho’s, who could show results through a string of 'sold out' tags.
"Next time, I'm definitely going to be a home shopping model. And I'll buy everything myself to set a sell-out record."
"Isn't that fraud?"
"If you don't pay, it's fraud; if you do, it's sajaegi. I'm telling you now, I have no intention of letting the word 'sajaegi' appear next to spArk’s name, so drop that thought."
At my words, Lee Cheong-hyeon retreated, saying, "Right, sajaegi is a no-go."
And it wouldn't be long before Lee Cheong-hyeon stepped up from being a simple promotional model to becoming the muse of a luxury jewelry brand.