Chapter 543: Myung Je-il Studio(2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 543: Myung Je-il Studio(2)
The photo shoot proceeded as planned.
We started with the children first. Our own session depended on how long it took to get the kids' shots done. After all, the little ones were the real stars of the show.
"Alright, everyone, stand up front!"
Myung Je-il appeared, wielding a massive camera. I wondered who would go first, but Seo Ye-rin stepped forward without a moment's hesitation.
"Our Yu-na takes after her mommy—she’s not afraid of the camera at all!"
Ye-rin walked out with Yu-na, a beaming smile on her face. I thought they might take individual shots, but since the kids were still so young, it seemed they’d be posing together.
The studio staff stood behind the camera, armed with toys and ready to swoop in and comfort the kids at a moment's notice.
They look reliable.
'Go ahead and cry; we're ready for you.'
Seeing them standing by with such grim determination made me feel a strange sense of gratitude.
As it turned out, Yu-na actually seemed to enjoy the attention, giggling and chirping as the lights flashed.
"Ah, good! Perfect! So beautiful! I love it!"
Even Myung Je-il showered Ye-rin and Yu-na with exuberant praise. I wondered if this was just part of his service, but seeing the other staff members watching in genuine awe, it seemed Ye-rin and Yu-na were truly special.
"I see it now..."
Oh Yun-ji nodded beside me.
"What? Are they too pretty? You jealous?"
I got smacked for the joke, but Yun-ji just shook her head.
"No. If I were going to be jealous of someone's looks, I would've started a long time ago. It's not like I'm lacking, anyway."
"..."
Well, I couldn't argue with that. Just because Seo Ye-rin was beautiful didn't mean Oh Yun-ji wasn't.
"Then what do you 'see'?"
"Yu-na. She’s the child of two massive attention-seekers like Seo Ye-rin and Kim Woo-jin, so of course she loves the spotlight."
Snap!
In an instant, the eyes of everyone nearby whipped toward us. It was as if they’d suddenly realized they had overlooked something monumental. The atmosphere turned abruptly serious.
"Whoa, damn. You're right... It's Seo Ye-rin and Kim Woo-jin. Yu-na was so cute I forgot for a second."
"...I think we need to be very careful with her education. Woo-jin, what if we enroll Yu-na in tea ceremony classes or something to teach her some restraint?"
Yoo Ah-rin and Choi I-seo, each holding their own child, spoke up with grave expressions.
"Hey, what's wrong with my Yu-na?"
I pouted in protest, but they weren't finished.
"Think about it. We have a girl who used to spam the Bamboo Forest every single day, and a guy who used to smirk while using that to pick up girls."
Wait.
When did my image become so distorted? I sounded like some predator who prowled anonymous boards to hunt for dates.
"I'll raise her well."
The two of them looked even more worried at my declaration.
"Dad, please come over here!"
"Coming."
At the staff's request, I hurried over. A fully dolled-up Seo Ye-rin was waiting for me with Yu-na.
"Yu-na, look! It's Papa! Papa!"
"Pa-pa!"
Yu-na laughed brightly and lunged into my arms. As I lifted her up, Ye-rin immediately linked her arm with mine.
"Okay! Taking the shot!"
Myung Je-il began firing off the shutter. As we cycled through various poses, Ye-rin whispered a question.
"Woo-jin, what if Yu-na says she wants to be an actress or an idol later?"
"Hmm? Why? You're an actress too."
Ye-rin was currently preparing for her comeback after graduating university. She practiced her acting often, and her skills had clearly reached a new level. Perhaps it was because she had experienced the full spectrum of life's joys and sorrows as an actress, but there was a newfound depth to her performance.
"I'm fine with the job itself. But in this industry, you get cursed at no matter how hard you work."
"..."
"There are so many senseless malicious comments. I'm so worried she'll get hurt."
"..."
It felt a bit early to be worrying about that, but I suppose these were things she had felt firsthand. It was a testament to how much she loved our child.
"It's okay, don't worry."
In times like this, a father and husband just needs to provide reassurance.
"We'll just sue them."
"..."
This is what realistic comfort looks like. It’s much more efficient to just hit them with the facts rather than spouting sentimental nonsense like, 'I'll protect you,' 'We'll be fine together,' or 'I'll create a world where no one gets hurt.'
"We'll just sue every last one of them. We can just borrow the Uju Group legal team."
Ye-rin stared at me blankly for a moment, then let out a chuckle and nodded.
"Let's do that! We'll sue them all!"
"Oh, that expression! So good! Soooo goooood!"
Ye-rin raised her hand high with a brilliant smile. As she basked in the excitement, I leaned in and whispered in her ear.
"That guy doesn't actually know English, does he?"
I was a hundred percent sure the guy couldn't speak a lick of English.
* * *
Click, click! Click, click!
Next up were Choi I-seo and Seo-woo.
After their solo shots, I joined them for the family portion. Unlike the session with Seo Ye-rin, this one was filled with more static, composed poses. It felt very much like I-seo.
Seo-woo started to tear up at one point, causing a brief pause, but I-seo calmed him down instantly by patting his back and holding him close.
"I hope Seo-woo grows up to be just like you," I said as we posed.
I-seo turned to look at me.
Click, click.
The photographer had been telling us to keep our eyes on the lens, but for some reason, he was just firing away without a word now.
"Why?"
"What do you mean 'why'? If he's like you, he'll be sharp and get things done. He's the eldest son of our family, after all."
I was glad that the eldest son was I-seo's child. He would protect the other kids and keep the family centered.
...And hopefully, he wouldn't end up with six wives like me. Since I-seo was so sensible, Seo-woo would be too.
"Hmm, I feel differently," I-seo replied with a soft smile. "I want him to be like you."
"...You want my son to have six wives?"
"Not that, you dummy."
I-seo stomped hard on my foot.
Thank god. Six daughters-in-law? The mere thought gave me a headache.
...
......
.........
Father, how on earth did you live like this?
"Ahem. Then why? Why do you want him to be like me?"
When I glanced at her and asked, I-seo chuckled.
"Because it's fun."
"...For the sake of fun?"
It was such an un-I-seo-like answer that I was momentarily taken aback. She gently pulled me closer, then suddenly leaned across Seo-woo to give me a kiss. Her face was flushed red.
"Ah! Gooooood! Perfeeeeect!"
"And," I-seo continued.
The crazy bald guy was screaming something, but I-seo didn't seem to hear him.
"That way, there will be two of my favorite person in the world."
"I-seo...!"
I moved to hug her, moved by her words, but hesitated when I realized Seo-woo was between us. How could I express this feeling? I wanted to let her know right now.
Since we were in the middle of a shoot, I couldn't give a long speech. I searched for the most concentrated expression of my affection and whispered into her ear.
"Want to go to a hotel after this?"
Crunch!
She stepped on my foot again.
* * *
Then it was Yoo Ah-rin's turn.
Chae-rin seemed grumpy for some reason, staring at Myung Je-il with a pout. But as soon as I poked her cheeks a few times, her mood cleared, and she started beaming.
"Ah-rin."
"Yeah?"
With Chae-rin perched on my shoulders and my arm around Ah-rin, I asked a question.
"Why do those people look like that?"
"More! Smile! More! Natural!"
I forced a smile at Myung Je-il's barking. Ah-rin, also maintaining a smile, answered me.
"Look like what? Who?"
"The staff behind Myung Je-il. They look like they're in a foul mood."
"Well, can you blame them?"
"Huh?"
"Don't talk! Smile!"
"They're watching three different women take photos with their kids, and the father is the same guy every time. How could they possibly look happy?"
"Ah..."
So that's why their expressions had been souring. They had looked so heartwarming during Seo Ye-rin's turn, but as time went on, their faces were filled with nothing but loathing for me.
"Should I file a complaint?"
When I muttered that, Ah-rin nudged me in the ribs with her elbow.
"Don't be stupid. We barely have enough time to get the kids' photos done. We still have to do individual shots and then the group photo after this."
"I'm screwed. It's exam period."
"Is that why you ran here like a dog when I said we were going out? I thought you were going to start drooling."
"Don't taaaaalk!"
"..."
"..."
A brief silence followed.
"You should really try studying with Choi I-seo. I'm already worried about our kids."
The problem was that their mothers were too smart. I could already see how much the kids would be pushed. As their father, I’d have to make sure they were okay.
"I'm actually relieved. Even if I don't manage them, I know Choi I-seo will take care of it."
"Pfft, true."
"Shut da mooooouth!"
"Hey, that guy definitely doesn't know English, right?"
"A hundred percent. I've never seen anyone who actually speaks English talk like that."
Ah-rin, who had been thinking the exact same thing, whispered back.
"Oh, shit. Do whatever you want!"
Myung Je-il seemed to have caught on and was pouting as he snapped the photos. As we posed, I spoke to Ah-rin again.
"Hey, Ah-rin. I've been thinking while we've been doing this."
"What?"
"Oh, talk again? Shit!"
"Should we take wedding photos later, too?"
"..."
Ah-rin glanced at me, then replied with a nonchalant expression.
"What wedding photos? That's a hassle. It's not like we're having a wedding."
"We are."
"...Really?"
Ah-rin narrowed her eyes in disbelief, but I was quite serious.
"Yeah, we are. We might not be able to invite guests, but we'll have one just for us."
"..."
"What, you don't want to?"
"I mean, it sounds like a huge pain."
She said that, but her face was turning red from a mix of embarrassment and anticipation. Seeing her grumbling so cutely, I couldn't help but chuckle.
"Let's do it, okay?"
"Fine, you jerk. Just focus for now."
"Got it."
Ah-rin tried to keep a straight face despite her blushing cheeks, but the corners of her mouth were twitching upward. I smiled, feeling satisfied.
"Oh?! Shiiiit! Nice! Amazing! Good!"
I really wanted to tell the staff to get that bald guy some English lessons.