Chapter 35: Internship (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 35: Internship (1)
I know exactly why Lee Cheong-hyeon was singled out to appear in the music video—and not just vaguely, either.
It was because Cheong-hyeon had mentioned it in passing during a variety show he appeared on early in his debut.
— “Cheong-hyeon, I heard you actually made your debut through a music video?”
— “Yes! I appeared in our label senior Jang Jun-hu’s song, ‘Time Gone By’!”
— “But I heard the reason you were chosen out of all the trainees was… because you were handsome?”
— “That’s what a staff member told me later, yes!”
In other words, he was picked purely for his face.
However, sending Lee Cheong-hyeon to that music video hadn't been a particularly wise choice.
While Cheong-hyeon was generally good at everything, he had relatively little experience performing in front of people compared to the other trainees.
There was Choi Je-ho and Kang Gi-yeon, who had been entering every competition under the sun since they were kids. Then there were Jeong Seong-bin and Park Ju-woo, who had consistently taken practical tests in applied music classes and auditions.
In contrast, the only experience Lee Cheong-hyeon had standing before a large crowd was a piano competition he’d entered as a child.
Because of that, his facial acting and expressiveness were the weakest among the five at the time.
The future Lee Cheong-hyeon would quickly overcome that gap as he gained stage experience, but that wasn't the case right now.
‘If we’re going to promote them as a group of talented all-rounders, Choi Je-ho is the right choice, even if we set the Jang Jun-hu issue aside.’
Furthermore, the protagonist of the music video was a man filled with sorrow, longing for his long-lost first love.
A seventeen-year-old boy in a coat, walking down a street covered in fallen leaves on a lonely autumn day, lost in bittersweet memories? It was the height of incongruity.
‘His image doesn't exactly scream "perfect fit for the role."’
At his current age, Lee Cheong-hyeon suited the term "pretty boy" better than "handsome man" or "handsome youth."
Instead, Choi Je-ho—who was practically the human embodiment of the "indifferent" keyword—was the perfect candidate for this kind of job.
“Even if Je-ho Hyung goes… I don’t think we should send him alone.”
Jeong Seong-bin expressed his opinion clearly, despite his hesitation. He was a steadfast kid, true to his nature.
“You don’t have to worry about that.”
I knew exactly what Jeong Seong-bin was worried about.
Even if the younger members were minors, Choi Je-ho and Jeong Seong-bin weren't that much older. It meant that if a grown man decided to be a bully, even Choi Je-ho would likely be helpless.
But what worried me even more was…
‘A personality controversy.’
After all, the one we were sending was the Choi Je-ho. No one could predict what he might say to provoke someone on any given day.
I gave Jeong Seong-bin a reassuring smile.
“Because I’m going with him.”
“I didn't think you’d actually follow me.”
Choi Je-ho spoke as he finished his makeup, showing off a style that highlighted his clean, exposed forehead.
Though he couldn't hide his youthful freshness, he definitely looked much more mature than Lee Cheong-hyeon.
Today was the day of the music video shoot, and I had been sticking to him like a leech from the moment he left the dorm to our arrival at the salon.
“This is all out of concern for you, Mr. Choi Je-ho.”
“Lick your lips before you lie like that.”
“Just in case you were wondering, don't lick your own lips. They’ll just chap more.”
“You’re such a trip. Don't talk like that in front of other people…”
“I believe I told you to mind your manners outside, didn't I?”
It was no easy feat trying to maintain a smiling face so we looked like we got along while talking like this.
I checked the positions of the people around us through the large mirror, then lowered my voice so only Choi Je-ho could hear.
“Do you remember the Ten Commandments for when the camera is rolling?”
Just in case, I had sat everyone down last night—including Choi Je-ho—and drilled the precautions for being on camera into their heads.
It was all basic stuff.
Stuff like that.
I’d made him transcribe it ten times and he still couldn't memorize it, so I spent the whole night muttering it by his bedside, telling him to treat it like ASMR.
By 3:00 AM, he had reached the point where he could recite it fluently just to get me to stop. As expected, repetition is the best for memorization.
At my question, Choi Je-ho answered with a look of utter exhaustion.
“Yeah. My ears are practically bleeding.”
“Don't worry. I checked, they look fine.”
I said, massaging the shoulders of the fully styled Choi Je-ho.
Of course he should have them memorized; there were only ten.
I had gone and given a "vision presentation" so moving it could bring a person to tears just to get the Planning Team to change the lead actor.
Since that day, the way people at the company looked at me had become strange—100% in a bad way—but I didn't care.
Compared to the days when I was openly bullied by Department Head Nam, this was paradise.
While we waited outside the salon after finishing our preparations, the manager pulled the car out of the parking lot and came up.
I ushered today’s "big star," Choi Je-ho, into the back seat and sat in the passenger seat, asking, “Manager, is Jang Jun-hu Sunbaenim coming to the shoot today?”
“Actually, since you asked, I checked with Jun-hu’s manager hyung. They’re filming separately. He probably won't be there today.”
“Is that so?”
“Why? Were you a fan of Jun-hu?”
“He’s such a senior artist that I was just wondering if there was anything we should be careful about. Since I’m tagging along even though I’m not the one filming…”
“Hey, Jun-hu isn't that difficult of a person! He’s just a bit blunt in his expression, but he really adores his juniors.”
That son of a bitch who ‘isn't that difficult’ committed an unspeakable act against our kid, you know?
And I had no intention of agreeing with the idea of sugarcoating "violent and unreasonable" as "blunt in expression."
‘Anyway, so he’s not coming.’
It was for the best if he wasn't there. It meant I wouldn't have to act as a shield for Choi Je-ho.
“More importantly, Je-ho, you really look sharp now that you’re all dressed up.”
“Th… thank you.”
Wait, the thank-you didn't come out immediately? This punk needs more ASMR.
When I glanced at Choi Je-ho through the rearview mirror, he seemed to realize he’d been slow to respond and sheepishly avoided my gaze.
‘I’ll let it slide just this once since we’re on our way to work.’
Still, I was satisfied with the assessment that he looked sharp. The reaction at the salon had been good, too.
‘Once the music video drops, people won't be able to see anyone but Choi Je-ho.’
It was a good development.
The filming site, which I was visiting for the first time in my life, was incredibly hectic.
As soon as I arrived on-site with Choi Je-ho, I started by giving 90-degree bows.
I even greeted the filming director—who had allowed me to scurry around the set—with such vigor it looked like I was ready to plant my head right on the floor.
‘My primary goal was to act as a breakwater between Choi Je-ho and Jang Jun-hu if he showed up… but since he’s not here, there’s no need for that.’
I took a long look around the back of the filming location, where preparations were busily underway.
The place was filled with filming equipment I’d only ever seen in behind-the-scenes clips of music shows.
In the past, I would have only been interested in the employment environment of the video industry, but not anymore.
Watching Choi Je-ho walk toward the bench the camera was pointing at, the first person who came to mind was Kang Gi-yeon.
That guy who starts shaking like a leaf if you even put a small handheld cam from the office in front of him.
‘Thinking about when we have to film our debut music video, I really do need to come up with a plan.’
He was the one who wouldn't know what to do with his wandering gaze in Spark’s first music video.
Thinking of the near future, Kang Gi-yeon needed to get used to the camera as soon as possible.
I had more than enough experience learning things over someone’s shoulder from my time at Hanpyeong Industry.
Drawing on those memories, I stood next to the manager and worked hard to burn the camera placement and angles into my brain.
I had to at least get a feel for the atmosphere so I could run mock tests or whatever for the kids.
Fortunately, I didn't need to worry about Choi Je-ho’s acting.
That punk was actually good at facial acting. Perhaps because he’d been dancing for a long time, his expressiveness was outstanding.
At this point, there was probably no one in our team who could play a "lonely man looking sorrowful after a breakup" as well as Choi Je-ho.
‘That’s part of why I pushed for him. If he messes up, I’m the one who’ll be in trouble.’
I had absolutely no intention of hearing anything like, "This instructor is disappointed in Assistant Manager Kim," from UA after seeing the final product.
Then, I suddenly thought of the countless free-riders who had passed through my life during group projects.
This must be how comfortable and cozy you guys felt.
I won't forgive you, but I can empathize.
The filming proceeded as we moved between several locations. This was because Choi Je-ho was scheduled to film all the drama cuts.
It seemed the singer would only be filmed singing in a studio or on a set. It was better for us if the filming locations didn't overlap.
Of course, I didn't just stand around watching the shoot.
Since it looked like there would be a lot of luggage to move as the locations changed, I started joining in to carry all sorts of bags halfway through.
When people expressed concern that the equipment was quite heavy, I generously displayed the skills I’d honed while climbing the 100 Famous Mountains one by one, burdened even with Department Head Nam’s bottled water.
Thanks to that, I even received compliments on how I managed to move the luggage so well without getting in the way of the people or the camera.
“Why are you hauling so much stuff?”
I was moving a bag the junior writer had packed into the vehicle with a sense of pride when someone asked from behind me.
It was Choi Je-ho.