Second Photoshoot
Second Photoshoot
A peaceful and warm weekend morning.
A-ra had to get to work early in the morning, so I fed her a hearty breakfast and saw her off.
Lately, A-ra had been busier with work, and she was really upset that she couldn't spend time with me.
To what extent? She was practically threatening the Director every single day, demanding her workload be reduced.
Was that the reason?
Starting last week, I began getting calls early in the morning from a number that looked like it was from the company.
- Seong-hwan-ssi, how's your schedule today?
Haa...
A voice I had heard just last week.
It was the voice of the one person who could keep me from resting when all I wanted was to rest.
"I'm busy."
- Lies! I know A-ra's at the broadcasting station shooting today, you know.
The owner of that voice was, as expected, the agency's Director.
It was a call from an unsaved number.
She took advantage of the fact that I answered most calls thinking they were from MCN PDs or writers, tricking me into picking up.
She was a really scary person.
"More importantly, is it okay for you to call a married man this early in the morning?"
- Why wouldn't it be? I'm just calling a company employee.
"Employee...."
Come to think of it, the Director was the head of a company called an agency, and I was merely one of its employees.
Looking at it that way, it felt pretty miserable.
- Anyway! If you're not busy, come straight to the agency right now.
"Haa... What on earth are you trying to make me do this time..."
- Today? You're curious about what I'll have you do? Curious, aren't you?
"Forget it~ You're not going to tell me anyway, are you?"
She hadn't told me until the very end last time either.
She had a knack for teasing people, so I knew better than to get my hopes up.
- Is that so? Anyway, come straight to the agency right now!
"Yes...."
- That's our Seong-hwan-ssi for you. Wouldn't it be great if everyone was as kind as our Seong-hwan-ssi~
"In exchange, I can bring Lil' One, right?"
Our agency was full of cats.
When it was on TV, they even promoted it with the nickname 'Cat Office,' so that tells you everything.
- Lil' One? Ah, now that you mention it, you said you adopted a puppy a little while ago, right?
"Yes. Since it's the weekend, I was planning to play with her all day, but I felt bad leaving her home alone."
Even as I spoke on the phone, Lil' One was playing around on my lap.
How could I possibly leave such a little one behind and go out?
- Of course you can bring her! Actually, it might even be better if you do?
The Director's reaction was unexpectedly dramatic.
I had thought she might say no, but I never expected her to be so positive about it.
"What on earth are you planning..."
- I told you I'll let you know when you get here, didn't I?
"Haa... Alright, I'll come right now."
I ended the call with the Director and let out a long sigh.
She wouldn't even leave me alone on the weekend...
"Let's go, little wriggler."
"Woof!"
It's dangerous outside, so I'd better put her in a carrier since she isn't old enough for walks yet.
***
"Wow... a puppy."
"Can I pet her?"
"Yes, please pet her gently."
When I arrived at the agency, I ran into the idol trainees who had been spending time on the first floor.
I vaguely recalled hearing they were about to debut soon...
The whole group seemed to really like animals.
Before I walked in here, they had all been crouched down together, petting a cat's head.
"What's this kid's name?"
"Lil' One."
"Wow... you gave her a really cute name too."
"Little wriggler~"
It wasn't just a simple liking, either.
I could feel the affection overflowing in their every move.
And that toward a puppy they'd just met.
They seemed like people who raised animals at home.
Ahem... That aside, my daughter's name was cute, indeed.
Just as cute as she looked, mhmm...
These people clearly had a good eye for things.
The members petted Lil' One for a while, and then, as if satisfied, handed her back to me.
"Thank you. Maybe because I petted the puppy, my nerves have settled."
"That's a relief. When do you debut?"
"Today!"
What?
I knew they were debuting, but you mean it's today?
Then they shouldn't be here petting a puppy right now, should they?
If it were me, I would have been too nervous to even move.
"Really? Congratulations on your debut."
"Ahaha, we don't know how the results will turn out, so it's too early for congratulations."
"Too early? Isn't success practically guaranteed if you're debuting from our agency? It means the Director saw potential in you, right?"
As far as I could tell, even if she didn't look it, our Director had legendary talent-scouting skills.
Wasn't she the one with the keen eye who recognized A-ra's talent at a glance, when no one else even paid her any attention, and recruited her?
"That's what people around us say... but I worry that I might only be causing losses."
Our Director never did anything that would cause her a loss.
She only proceeded with matters where the profit and loss were already calculated.
"You'll surely succeed, so don't be too impatient. Well then, I'll be off now."
"Thank you! Seong-hwan-ssi, work hard on your filming today too!"
"Yes, yes... Excuse me?"
Filming for what?
I tried to ask urgently, but the idol trainee noonas had already gone far away,
and only I was left in that spot.
"What filming...?"
"Woof!"
".....Let's just go up for now."
I didn't know what she was trying to make me do, but it wasn't like she'd eat me alive.
I steeled my heart and climbed up the stairs.
*
"Urgh..."
"Seong-hwan-ssi! You have to look this way!"
A black suit that fit me perfectly.
For some reason, the dress shirt's buttons and cuffs were undone.
If I were a student, it would have felt delinquent,
but for a working professional or when styled by a coordinator, the loosened necktie somehow felt cold and aloof.
And the fedora placed on top of my head.
This was what they'd had me change into the moment I met the Director.
"Filming... filming..."
"Seong-hwan-ssi! You have to finish quickly so you can go eat lunch!"
"Eugeut..."
The photographer and the Director had been constantly demanding poses from me since earlier.
I didn't know why the Director kept hanging around the set,
but seeing her continuously conferring with the photographer, I could tell she was up to something.
"Okay! Let's end the morning shoot here for now!"
".....Good work."
"It's Seong-hwan-ssi who worked hard!"
The photographer wiped her forehead with the towel hanging around her neck and handed me an ice-cold iced Americano.
It was the coffee another staff member had gone out to buy earlier.
"Seong-hwan-ssi, which photo do you like best?"
"Me...? I don't have any power in this matter..."
"Don't be like that. This afternoon, I'll photograph you together with the puppy you brought. And I'll take a few solo shots of the puppy too, print them out on expensive paper, and even give you a framed picture."
"Ahem....I liked the pose where I put my finger on the fedora brim."
If I could get a solo photo of Lil' One, I could endure this humiliation as much as needed.
After all, how famous was our agency's photographer...
"Keuh... As expected, a good model knows a good pose when they see it."
Having said that, she brought over a laptop and began showing all the photos taken earlier.
The Director, who seemed interested too, looked at the screen while crunching on ice cubes.
"Director, what do you think of this photo?"
"It's a bit lacking. How about the one next to it?"
"This one... the angle's a little off..."
"Then skip this pose and scroll further back."
"Okay."
She clicked the mouse for a while, and then the photos taken earlier in the session began to appear.
"But what kind of photos are we taking?"
"Huh? You didn't hear?"
"The Director doesn't really tell me much."
"These are the photos that will go into the goods we're releasing this time."
"Ah."
Wait.
If it was related to the goods, didn't I have the right to choose the photos too?
It seemed the Director had tried to keep it a secret from me for her own profit.
No way! I was going to choose the photos!
"Eueuk...! Photographer-nim! What are you doing telling him that!"
"Hahaha! What else am I supposed to do! It's a matter of protecting our Seong-hwan-ssi's rights!"
The photographer seemed to be well aware of things too.
I received the mouse and started looking through the photos one by one.
"Hmm..."
"What's wrong?"
"There just aren't really any that I like..."
I looked through them from start to finish, and surprisingly, there weren't many I liked.
The somewhat okay ones were the one taken on the stairs and the one holding a bag...
But even these were just 'somewhat' okay...
"Earlier you said you liked the one where you put your finger on the fedora brim?"
"Ayy, it's a bit much to use as a goods photo. And seeing how the Director is acting, these are 100% cards."
"Ttikeum."
"I've decided."
"Which photos did you choose?"
"Not the ones here. I want to take new ones."
I sprang up from my seat.
Then I picked up Lil' One, who was playing with other staff members, and came back to the desk where the Director and photographer were sitting.
"I'll make my decision based on the ones with Lil' One."
"Oh... That doesn't sound bad."
"Uh... Seong-hwan-ssi? A puppy is nice too, but for ultra rare cards, a solo shot is usually..."
"If I don't shoot them with Lil' One, I won't release the goods."
"Keuk..."
That was the penalty for keeping the fact that we were taking goods photos a secret.
Wouldn't this make things fair between us?
"Right? Little wriggler?"
"Woof!"
"Lil' One says daddy's right too."
"Eueu... Alright, alright! In exchange, this is a secret from A-ra, okay?"
"Of course. If A-ra finds out you called me out here and even lied about it..."
What would happen?
It was so terrifying that just imagining it made my legs go numb.