Chapter 157: One by One (1)
Chapter 157: One by One (1)
It was called the Ju Seo-yeon Challenge.
In truth, it all started from something quite trivial.
"Alright, this is fitness YouTuber Park Ho-seung. One of our members sent me a video and put in a request."
A man with a handsome face appeared on screen.
He was Park Ho-seung, a fitness YouTuber with a million subscribers.
With his good looks and great physique, he naturally attracted female subscribers, and because his physique was genuinely impressive, his male subscriber count grew just as naturally.
In short, he was highly influential in the fitness community.
The video he had received from a subscriber was none other than the clip of a certain actress lifting a chair on the recent episode of Golden Duckling.
"Ah... I see. This is the chair lift that actress Ju Seo-yeon showed on the latest episode of Golden Duckling."
As soon as Park Ho-seung saw it, his eyes widened in surprise.
Wait, how did she lift it like that?
Even as that thought crossed his mind, seeing how she gripped the bottom of the backrest like a barbell and swung it up told him she was someone who worked out.
Actually, regardless of gender, when someone pulls off a move like that, you stop seeing them as a man or a woman and just see an athlete.
Park Ho-seung let out a few impressed "ho-ho"s as he finished the video, then immediately waved his hands dismissively.
"Ah, no way. You can't do this. You absolutely shouldn't. If you do it like this, your back will be shot. First of all, there's a person on it, right? Even if the weight is the same, lifting a person is a completely different ballgame compared to lifting a barbell or a dumbbell."
"So, you're saying you can't do it?"
His manager, standing off-camera, chimed in.
"A high school girl did it, though."
"Hey, she's not exactly a 'normal' high school girl."
"I guess you just can't do it then. Your muscles are going to weep."
At his manager’s persistent needling, Park Ho-seung gave a bright, forced smile.
"Fine, let's give it a shot!!"
And that was how it began.
Of course, thinking it would be too difficult to lift an adult male, they invited a female member to sit in the chair.
After ensuring her posture was properly fixed...
The chair, for the record, was the same Adiz model that Seo-yeon had lifted.
"Ah, this chair has great weight distribution. If you look here, the bottom part is easy to grip..."
He even added a bit of product explanation.
"Hrrgh!!"
Though perhaps not as effortlessly as Seo-yeon, Park Ho-seung actually managed to lift it!
The view count for this video surpassed 3 million in just three days.
It was a staggering feat, gaining a million views a day.
Consequently, as the video became incredibly famous...
"You'll hurt your back. Working out isn't just about lifting heavy weights; it's about correct posture and—"
"..."
The problem was Park Ho-seung—the man who was both handsome and buff, the kind of guy who made people say, "I'll kill you if you work out."
It’s a common prejudice, isn't it?
If a person is too handsome, people tend to think they lack professional depth or only succeeded because of their face.
Park Ho-seung was a YouTuber who struggled with that image.
Because of that, the phrase "Park Ho-seung did it" hit other fitness YouTubers who were serious about their craft differently.
Why the hell did that guy have to do it?
If he did it and I can't...
That sentiment spread through the fitness YouTube community.
And thus, the <Ju Seo-yeon Challenge> was born.
"Alright, member, please have a seat on the chair!"
"Okay~!"
But once they actually started doing it, it turned out to be surprisingly good content.
Since a female guest sat in the chair, she could show off how light she was.
Meanwhile, the fitness YouTuber could successfully complete the challenge and feast on the views.
Thanks to the <Ju Seo-yeon Challenge> helping to discover rookie fitness YouTubers, it became a rite of passage that every newcomer had to attempt!
*
"That's the situation, Team Leader."
"This is ridiculous."
The advertising planning office at Adiz was in an absolute frenzy.
The reason was that while the person sitting in the chair changed, every single person was using an Adiz chair for the lift.
Thanks to that, the chair Seo-yeon had lifted had unintentionally become known as the "gym chair."
No, it was just an office chair.
"They say our chair has great weight distribution. Plus, it's very sturdy, so our ratings are going up along with it!"
"Well, that's certainly a good thing."
"Sales for this month have already increased by 20 percent."
"20 percent?!"
Kwak Hyun-woo felt like he might faint.
A 20 percent increase was a figure Kwak Hyun-woo had only seen in his dreams; it was easy for sales to drop, but nearly impossible for them to climb like that.
He had heard of cases where sales jumped after changing an ad model, but...
We haven't even released the ad yet?
They had only signed the contract with Ju Seo-yeon.
If it was already like this...
"Assistant Manager Jung, tell the other employees to treat Actress Ju Seo-yeon with the utmost respect."
"Ah, I'm already doing that."
At those words, Kwak Hyun-woo gave Assistant Manager Jung a beaming smile.
It was a smile that said, I really like our Assistant Manager Jung because he's so good at his job.
"If we film the ad like this and Sky Garden does well..."
If things went really well, they might even seize the throne of the domestic chair market!
Kwak Hyun-woo felt that this wasn't just a vague fantasy.
Ju Seo-yeon—she was the goddess of the advertising world for Adiz.
He had heard from recent research that éclat Étoile treated Ju Seo-yeon almost like a deity, and now he felt he understood why.
And.
That goddess of advertising was currently...
"Didn't you say you were going to improve your image?"
"..."
...at a cafe, being teased mercilessly by Park Jung-woo.
*
A small cafe.
Seo-yeon had an appointment with Jung-woo today.
Naturally, it wasn't about the recent variety show or the ad.
This was, so to speak, a bit of business on Seo-yeon's part to secure a future schedule.
"Next year's schedule?"
Park Jung-woo looked at Seo-yeon as he spoke.
He was now too tired to even bother telling her that an actress shouldn't just call out a male actor whenever she felt like it.
He wondered if she thought she was fine as long as she wore sunglasses and a mask.
Well, I guess people wouldn't recognize her as easily if she's not in a school uniform.
Seo-yeon's default look was a school uniform.
Because of that, she definitely felt different when she wasn't wearing one.
The "high school girl" vibe was strongest in the uniform.
When she wore casual clothes, her aura as an actress was more emphasized.
At a glance, she could even pass for an adult woman.
"Why do you ask?"
This was the first time Seo-yeon had asked about his schedule.
So far, the shows they had appeared in together were The Moon that Hides the Sun when they were children, the variety show Desert Island Survival, and most recently, Dream Future.
Surprisingly, they appeared on the same programs quite often.
However, those appearances hadn't really been based on Seo-yeon's or Park Jung-woo's personal choices.
The Moon that Hides the Sun was a child actor role to begin with.
Desert Island Survival was a show Park Jung-woo had happened to join by chance.
Well, Dream Future was perhaps the only one they had participated in by choice.
"So, do you have a schedule for next year?"
"Not yet."
Right, not yet.
Park Jung-woo wasn't the type to pack his schedule as tightly as Seo-yeon did.
"Then..."
Seo-yeon hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"What do you think about Director Jo Bang-woo's movie?"
"Director Jo Bang-woo?"
That was an unexpected name.
Jo Bang-woo was a director who was once called the "Wizard of Box Office Hits."
However, he had suffered a string of failures and hadn't taken on any work recently.
There were rumors that he would film one more movie next year, but not a single person viewed that prospect positively.
It had gotten to the point where he was more often referred to as "Director Jo Min-tae's father."
Having a son who was a successful director might mean he was successful as a father.
But as a director, he was a "has-been."
That was the word that suited him perfectly.
"Honestly, I'm not sure. I did hear he's filming a movie next year."
As Park Jung-woo spoke, he suddenly wondered about Seo-yeon's intention behind the question.
She wouldn't just tell him to go out for it for no reason...
"Wait, are you planning to appear in Director Jo Bang-woo's movie?"
"I'm planning to audition. I don't know if I'll get picked, though."
"No, wait..."
Should I stop her?
Park Jung-woo genuinely thought so.
If it was a movie by Director Jo Bang-woo, Park Jung-woo honestly didn't want to recommend it at all.
A washed-up director.
Unfortunately, Park Jung-woo agreed with that assessment to some extent.
the brilliant sense he had shown in the past had now become rusty, old, and faded.
To the point where even the word "retro" didn't fit.
Is it because of something from her child actor days?
He had never thought Seo-yeon was the type to dwell on such things.
But for Seo-yeon, Director Jo Bang-woo might indeed be a special connection.
After all, the reason Park Jung-woo had been able to film The Moon that Hides the Sun with her was because Director Jo Bang-woo had helped Seo-yeon get an audition back then.
No, it's not just me.
Meeting Park Jung-woo and Jo Seo-hee...
It was all possible because of Director Jo Bang-woo's help.
He realized that fact anew.
Perhaps Jo Bang-woo was a more significant figure to them than he had thought.
If Ju Seo-yeon goes for it, she'll definitely be picked.
Park Jung-woo had read the entire script for Sky Garden, the drama Seo-yeon was currently starring in.
Min Se-hee, who had been trembling with anxiety, had shown it to him before submitting it to the station.
That drama was definitely going to be a hit.
And if Seo-yeon was the lead, it was a hundred percent guaranteed.
Park Jung-woo was confident enough to bet his entire acting career on it.
That was how certain he was of Sky Garden's success.
And then there's 'Mine'.
The audition period would likely overlap with the release of Mine.
Early or mid-next year.
How much would Ju Seo-yeon's name be worth by then?
One thing was certain: only mediocre actors would flock to an audition for a Jo Bang-woo film.
Industry connections, the movie's success...
How many actors would want to participate in a film by a director whose future was so uncertain?
Unless the script was truly amazing... but even then, the competition wouldn't be that high.
And Ju Seo-yeon was going to enter that?
It would be like a natural disaster for the other applicants.
In fact, the moment Seo-yeon entered, the higher-ups might even question if there was any need to hold auditions at all.
"...I'll think about it."
But Jung-woo couldn't just refuse.
It was a rare request from Seo-yeon.
And his intuition was sending a strange signal about this movie.
"More importantly, didn't you say you were going to improve your image with this variety show? You don't look like you have any intention of doing that."
"..."
Seo-yeon, who had been relieved by Jung-woo's positive response, felt like she had been punched by his follow-up comment.
Image improvement!
The intellectual image she was supposed to show on Golden Duckling had completely vanished because of the Ju Seo-yeon Challenge!
"It did improve. At least... I'm not a gorilla anymore."
"Really? Oh, that's unexpected."
I've become a Head-butting Dinosaur, though.
Seo-yeon couldn't bring herself to say the rest.
*
The impact of Golden Duckling was, quite literally, substantial.
She thought she had failed to improve her image, but it seemed she had at least succeeded in planting a friendly image in the minds of those around her.
When she went to class...
"Seo-yeon, I watched Golden Duckling yesterday. Your dad is so funny."
"Is that really your mom? Wow, I was watching with my mom, and she looked so bitter."
"Right, my mom kept saying she aged so much because of me."
"Your younger sister is so cute."
Mostly comments like that.
Your dad is funny.
Your mom is so beautiful.
...What about me?
Strangely, Seo-yeon was being sidelined.
Wait, wasn't I the protagonist of the show?
Why are you only talking about my mom and dad?
Seo-yeon felt a little slighted.
"But the Head-butting Dinosaur is cute, isn't it?"
"Even if she looks a bit silly."
"Hmm."
Even at home, conversations about the broadcast increased.
For the record, the cameras were put away for now.
Anyway, Sua couldn't deny her daughter's words.
Our daughter isn't exactly the smartest, to be honest.
Thinking that saying it out loud would hurt her feelings, she just gave her a hug.
Seo-yeon realized that her mom hugging her was what she did when she didn't have anything else to say.
Regardless, when she was being hugged, she could understand why everyone was talking about her mom.
She was, after all, amazing.
"...Dad's home."
Around that time, Young-bin rattled the door open and walked in.
As soon as he entered, he was poking around everywhere with a long stick he had found somewhere.
"There are no cameras today."
"No, how can I believe that!"
Young-bin shouted in a wronged tone.
He had been tricked throughout the entire filming, even at the swimming pool.
Ju Seo-yeon's vlog? No, what was it?
Anyway, she said she was filming a video for her fan cafe, but fan cafe my foot.
It was broadcast on national television for the whole country to see!!
"People these days... whenever they see me, they all bite their lower lips."
"...Ahem."
"I had an interview today, you know? I went in as an interviewer. Everyone was pinching their thighs and biting their lower lips."
Young-bin spoke with a face full of regret.
How shocked had he been when he heard the news that Ju Seo-yeon's episode of Golden Duckling was airing?
When it actually aired, Young-bin's feelings were truly indescribable.
How am I supposed to go to work tomorrow?
That was his thought, and indeed, when he went to work the day after the broadcast, everyone greeted him with very peculiar faces.
"Wow, what a total braggart."
"How can your wife and daughters be like that?"
The people who brought up his family and expressed envy were better.
Young-bin's shoulders naturally straightened with pride then.
But.
"At home, you... pfft!"
"Ah, Team Leader Ju. I have something to... cough... pfft!"
His peers and superiors were practically a fountain of laughter.
Even if Young-bin just asked a simple work-related question, they found it the funniest thing in the world.
Lately, Young-bin had become a virtual evangelist of laughter at the office.
Quite tragically.
On top of that, next week, his wife's appearance in a swimsuit would be revealed to the whole world.
I'll show these guys...
Still, it's better than Dad.
Seo-yeon thought.
Even though she had become a Head-butting Dinosaur, wasn't it better than being the nation's laughingstock like Young-bin?
And that wasn't the end of it.
In the aftermath of Golden Duckling, the agency was being flooded with calls.
Most of them were from advertisers.
It was only natural, considering how much Adiz's stock had risen.
"Seo-yeon, an ad offer came in!!"
Park Eun-ha, her manager, said with a wide smile.
But her gaze was strangely off.
It felt like she was cautiously checking Seo-yeon's reaction.
When Seo-yeon stared at her, wondering why, she added:
"For your mother."
...Wait, what about me?
Seo-yeon felt like she was being left out in the cold again.
And.
Two days later.
"The trailer for Sky Garden is coming out this time."
Director Lee Min-hwa of Sky Garden mentioned it on set.
The broadcast date was now officially on the horizon.