Chapter 102
Chapter 102
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 102
Chapter Title: Yumiho
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The president blinked blankly.
"When it's too good, your vision goes white, right, President?"
"Th-that's what you meant?"
"I'll show you how far a Korean idol can go. So..."
I stood up and whispered.
"Why don't you match my level too, President?"
I turned and walked away.
'What a waste of time.'
Sa Hyeok's documentary wasn't bad, but his downfall was already set in stone. Maybe that's why this felt like flat cola.
Sa Hyeok was Sa Hyeok, and I was me.
'Now it's time for me to do my thing.'
A laugh bubbled up naturally. I entered the room and picked up the script. Yeah, now it was time to aim for the top.
***
-Great press conference. Cha Dowon's guts made my knees give out.
I stared at my smartphone screen. Even though I rarely replied, the police chief's grandson and future mukbang emperor messaged me often through the app.
I sent a quiet reply.
'Yeah?'
The response came right away.
-First reply in ages and it's super short. Isn't that too much?
'Sorry.'
-Tch. Anyway, when are you coming to school? Is it okay for a student to skip this much?
'No time for school.'
-No, even as an idol that's too much. When does your busy schedule end?
'Not until graduation.'
Well, for middle school, just showing up for the graduation ceremony would be lucky.
I set down the smartphone and looked around. The music video set was bigger and more detailed than expected.
"You invested a lot."
Kang Minje said from beside me.
"Of course. The president was like, 'What does matching levels mean? A threat?' and just poured out the money anyway."
"Good for you."
"Was it really a threat?"
I lied without batting an eye.
"No. I'm not good at threats."
What do you take me for?
Kang Minje's eyes wavered. Why, it's true. Half threat, half plea. What a loyal employee who cares about the company.
I looked at the flower decorations and said.
"Did you help with the music video too, Minje hyung?"
"Yeah. Discussed it with Executive Director Joo. Stayed up all night ironing out opinions."
Ah, that's why it was so meticulous.
"The story's packed tight. I was surprised."
"If you weren't around, it would've been simpler."
Kang Minje adjusted his hanbok collar. His hair was light-colored, but strangely, the hanbok suited him.
He grinned brightly.
"Lucky there's someone who can pull it off."
You trusted me and made it like this?
I nodded slowly. The storyboard spun once in my head. Tricky, but doable.
In the distance, I spotted the director for this music video. Kang Minje grabbed my shoulder.
"Let's go say hi."
"Is he famous?"
"Top of the industry."
Oh. Gotta make a good impression.
The music video director had a flashy fashion sense. I bowed, eyeing the dozen piercings in his ears.
"Hello. Zenith to you. I'm Cha Dowon of Zenith."
"...Kang Minje."
What? You fox. Why get shy about the idol greeting?
The director swept back his hair and laughed.
"Wow, hearing it in person is even better! Hello. I'm Director An!"
The friendly-looking director scanned me up and down.
"You're even prettier in real life."
"I'm pretty handsome, right?"
"You're still young, so the cuteness wins out. You'll get handsomer with time. Don't worry, Dowon. Great bone structure."
Diss and compliment in one.
I nodded.
"The content's complex. You memorized it all?"
"Of course."
"We'll film the choreography separately. Today, we're shooting pretty visuals first. Hold still."
The director grabbed my face and examined it from angles.
"Good angles."
I tilted my chin to my best camera angle.
"Better like this?"
"Yeah, exactly. Hey, this kid's got sharp eyes."
Of course, with cheat-upgraded skills. I smirked and struck a music video expression.
"That's it. Yeah. I watched your stuff hard, Dowon. You nailed the emotions back then too. As expected."
I am pretty good.
"You're the talk of the industry lately, Dowon."
Ah, time to play humble. I turned my face away shyly.
"I caused a bit of a scene."
"No. Beyond the press conference, people are saying your skills are legit. Barely any NGs, right?"
"It's overhyped. I mess up sometimes."
"You're humble too. That's why I came hyped."
Oh.
I bowed and straightened.
"Honored. I'll do my best to meet expectations. As much as you trust me, Director, I'll trust you."
I smiled brightly, and he adjusted his hat.
"Now I'm feeling the pressure."
That's the point, Director. Get your head in the game.
"Well, let's do this."
I shook his hand and turned. He greeted Kang Minje too.
"Oh, right. Dowon. The actress? She changed."
"Oh?"
"Sudden CF gig, took off. Got a last-minute replacement."
Oh.
"That's too much."
"Tell me about it."
"Who's the replacement?"
"Uh, I don't know much... Oh, there she is."
My body froze. What did I just see?
A familiar woman.
No, she looked even younger than when we first met.
"Hello! Director."
"Miho! You're here. Introduce yourself. This is your partner today, Miho. Cha Dowon."
She smiled at me.
"Hello. I'm Yumiho."
So familiar. The mole by her eye, speech patterns, habits—all the same.
Felt like a dream.
'Not quite a nightmare...'
But close enough.
'Never imagined we'd meet like this.'
A ghost jumped out in front.
Thought it'd be at least five years from now, but here?
"Um, Cha Dowon?"
"Ah, sorry. I'm Cha Dowon."
"First music video, so I'm nervous, but I'll work hard."
"Yeah."
Yumiho turned to Kang Minje, then bowed deeply.
"Um, I'm a Zenith fan. I... like Kang Minje the most."
I see.
A laugh escaped.
'Didn't you say you had no interest in idols back then?'
Pretended not to know me at all. No, she was a fox fan from the start.
Kang Minje smiled back.
"I see. Thank you."
"Um... I like Cha Dowon too. The press conference was amazing."
Strange feeling.
'You, greeting me like this.'
I hid my complexity and smiled brightly.
"Thank you. Looking forward to working with you today, Miho."
Yumiho.
Yumiho had a past too.
That confident woman looked pretty naive now.
I smirked and brushed my hair. The long wig felt stuffy. As I went to fix it more, Kang Minje grabbed my arm.
"Don't touch your hair."
"Ah, right."
Wearing historical accessories. I nodded.
"Yeah, can't have this falling off."
"All expensive stuff. Made by intangible cultural heritage artisans, I heard."
Oh.
"President really shelled out."
"It's more connections than money, but he went all-in."
"I see."
"I went all-in too."
I glanced at Kang Minje's profile. Un-fox-like desire burning in his eyes.
Fine. If he's like this, I'll match it.
It was work.
Even with a past ghost showing up, work was work.
'Yumiho, Kang Minje, me, work.'
Laughter bubbled up again. I clenched and released my fist.
'Do the work first, think later? I can decide anytime.'
If they dressed us in artisan-made stuff, the ambition's no joke.
Kang Minje and I sat at the set. Our scene first.
I recalled the next shot. Scene 34. Go scene in a historical house.
'No big deal.'
Smiling at each other over Go.
"Stand by!"
We sat before a luxurious Go board. The stones looked like delicate glass beads.
'No way these are artisan work too.'
Gotta handle carefully.
"Action!"
The director called. I picked up a stone carefully and placed it. Then looked at Kang Minje.
'Huh?'
I made a good move, so he should look caught off-guard. But he just smirked slightly.
'What emotion is that? Angry?'
I smiled per the storyboard anyway. He followed, but subtly off.
"Cut! NG! Kang Minje, your expression's weird!"
Oh.
I tilted my head. Isn't this a simple scene?
'Ah, got it.'
Kang Minje can't act.
'Great at fooling people, but can't act on camera. Weird guy.'
That's why I questioned him starting acting over music. Crazy?
Kang Minje rubbed his forehead.
"Ah, this is tough."
What did you even do?
"My expression comes out wrong."
"Yeah. Super weird one, hyung."
"Driving me nuts. Rather write songs, this is too hard."
"You're fine on stage, but acting's tough?"
He mumbled, head down.
"That's stage. This isn't."
What's the difference?
"Again. Stand by!"
He got into position.
"Action!"
Clack—
I placed the stone again.
'Oh.'
Fox eyes subtle. Lips trembling a bit—looked like he needed the bathroom.
'Really can't act.'
I acted faithfully. But the director called.
"Cut! NG! Kang Minje, expression!!"
Oh.
Kang Minje dry-washed his flushed face.
'For this, Lee Seungjun or Leader hyung would be better.'
Like I lack songwriting talent, maybe he's acting-phobic.
"What do we do..."
His lips quivered.
'This'll go all night?'
I sighed and threw out a Hail Mary.
"Hyung, make the face you did when I stole a bite of your ice cream back then."
"Huh?"
The fox blinked.
"You were shocked I ate too much, so I offered mine?"
"Ah, yeah?"
"Smile like that."
Can't act for shit, seriously.
Kang Minje nodded. Director called.
"Stand by! Action!"
Clack—
I placed it right. He looked caught off-guard.
'Finally.'
We met eyes and smiled. Director's voice.
"OK! Cut! Got it at last."
We stood. Heading to monitor, director said.
"Wow, Kang Minje. I was stressing how to shoot you earlier."
"Sorry."
"Looks good, thankfully."
On the monitor, we looked like best bros. Director eyed me.
"Heard your talk earlier. You two close?"
How to answer.
'He hates his past known.'
I smiled brightly.
"Yeah, we've been friends."
"Jealous. You know each other well then."
Who knows.
'Even a ten-foot pond's clearer than a one-foot person's heart.'
Didn't know he'd steal my girlfriend.
I looked at Yumiho watching from costume change. Thinking about it, this meeting was all wrong.
Suddenly curious.
Why these two?
'Weird vibe.'
Not mad now, just intrigued.
"Your acting guide was great, Dowon."
"No biggie."
"Next scene with Yumiho?"
"Yeah. Here she comes."
Yumiho ran over in pink historical garb, fluttering.
Director glanced, then back at me.
"Her outfit saturation's too high..."
Yeah, kinda clashed.
"This bad?"
"Pink and shiny. Was this the plan?"
A staffer rushed up.
"Sorry! Wrong costume."
"Change it quick! What's going on!"
Yumiho hurried off to change. Watching her back, I crossed my arms.
"She's jinxed today?"
Director blinked.
"Dowon?"
"Feels like bad luck day. You know, those days."
"N-no way."
I rolled my shoulders.
"Days like this, accidents always happen."