Chapter 159: One by One (3)
Chapter 159: One by One (3)
Since filming Star Fisherman, Seo-yeon had kept in constant contact with the two actors she had worked with on the variety show.
Lee Sang-soo and Song Gwang-min.
Two of South Korea’s most iconic actors.
Of course, it wasn't exactly for the sake of networking. It was simply because she had developed a genuine passion for fishing.
Because of that, she had occasionally tagged along with her manager whenever the two went out to fish.
At first, they seemed to think, Wow, this kid is dedicated, or Is she already trying to manage her connections? But eventually, the prevailing sentiment was that they were just happy to have another fishing buddy. Besides, things like this were fairly common in their circles.
However, as Seo-yeon had become busier lately, their contact had grown a bit sparse.
"You're asking if I'm interested in a movie role?"
"Yes. I think it would be best to discuss the details in person."
Since she couldn't exactly discuss the specifics over the phone, Seo-yeon brought it up while they were out fishing together.
Naturally, Ji-yeon was with them this time.
"Ju Seo-yeon, this is my first time fishing, you know."
"I'll teach you!"
"..."
At Seo-yeon’s enthusiastic declaration, Lee Ji-yeon simply nodded in silence. It was easier to just go along with it. Even if she refused, she knew she’d end up being dragged along anyway.
"Ah, Ju Seo-yeon. Shouldn't you tell Jo Seo-hee? You need to talk to the director, too."
"Right, I already asked her."
"Really?"
"Of course."
Seo-yeon had no intention of acting on her own whim. First of all, it wasn't even certain if Lee Sang-soo would accept, and a mere actress couldn't just go around making executive decisions.
As for Jo Seo-hee, her eyes had nearly popped out of her head the moment she heard Seo-yeon’s plan.
"Wait, you're in touch with Lee Sang-soo?! Tell me, tell me everything! A vacancy in Gyeongseong Lady? Ah, you heard from Ji-yeon? Right, there is an issue. It would be amazing if Lee Sang-soo could take that spot, but..."
Seo-yeon had to stop Jo Seo-hee from craftily trying to snag Lee Sang-soo’s phone number.
In any case, it seemed Lee Sang-soo was one of the actors Jo Seo-hee deeply respected. Thus, she had scurried off, saying she would speak to Director Baek Min herself.
"I got a call that evening saying it was fine."
"…Her initiative is terrifying."
Lee Ji-yeon shook her head in disbelief. Both Jo Seo-hee and Seo-yeon had an explosive level of proactivity. They seemed to put things into action the second a thought crossed their minds.
Moreover, she felt like they were actively weaponizing their age. Since they were young, people tended to overlook a bit of pushiness as being "cute." Of course, this wasn't exactly being pushy, but normally, a process like this would have taken much longer.
"So, when are we going fishing?"
"Probably the week after next?"
"What if I have a schedule?"
"I know you don't."
How do you know? Ji-yeon was about to ask, but then she suddenly realized that Seo-yeon kept a meticulous eye on 'Ramiel’s' streaming schedule. There was no other way she could be waiting in the chat every single time before the stream even started.
In short, by looking at Ramiel’s schedule, one could pretty much figure out Ji-yeon’s schedule. In fact, Ramiel tended to stream only when Ji-yeon had no work.
...I knew it, but still.
Doesn't this girl like VTubers a bit too much? No, liking them is fine, but she really wished Seo-yeon would stop sending Super Chats. It was getting exhausting having to return the money to Auntie Sua every time.
Ji-yeon found Sua difficult to deal with in many ways, mostly because of the period when she had misunderstood her.
"So, let's practice before we go fishing. I'll teach you."
"I'll practice on my own."
"...Hmph."
Seo-yeon pouted, but Ji-yeon ignored her. If she let Seo-yeon "teach" her, her body wouldn't survive the experience.
*
The long-awaited Episode 2 of Golden Duckling, featuring Ju Seo-yeon!
Since Episode 1 had caused such a stir, the number of people waiting for the premiere of Episode 2 was on a different level.
The person suffering the most from this was Young-bin.
Dammit, why did I suggest going to the pool?
To make matters worse, he had to work late today. He couldn't even go home and was stuck watching Golden Duckling with his colleagues. And of all things, Episode 2 was the swimming pool episode!
Unintentionally, he was about to show his wife and daughter in swimwear to the entire nation. I mean, sure, it was just swimwear, and it wasn't like they were wearing anything revealing, but... man.
"Aww, Team Leader Ju. Relax your face. You look so much better when you smile like you do on TV."
"No, it's just, with everyone watching..."
"The atmosphere in the team has been great lately. Whether it's the dev team or the planning team, everyone beams the moment they see you."
Even Director Kang had said as much while passing by. In the end, Young-bin couldn't leave immediately and was caught by his employees the moment work ended.
"Come on, Team Leader. You have to watch it with us."
"Exactly! Why didn't you tell us you were appearing on the show?"
"I didn't know either."
"Ayy, there you go playing coy again."
No, I really didn't know. How was he supposed to know Sua would keep it a secret? Since she hadn't done it out of malice, he couldn't even get mad. Besides, whenever he stood in front of his wife, his mind just went blank anyway.
Well.
Young-bin eventually took a seat. Seeing the employees huddled in front of the TV in the breakroom, he figured this wasn't so bad. His daughter was an actress, after all; this was only natural. How was this any different from watching her movies?
Plus, there was one good thing about Young-bin appearing on the show. The superiors who used to give him a hard time couldn't treat him recklessly anymore. They seemed worried that since he was on TV and his daughter was the famous Seo-yeon, any bad behavior might leak to the media.
Thanks to that, there were many rumors among the employees that Young-bin might be appointed as the director for the company's new project.
Performance-wise, he was solid. Recognition-wise, he was peaking. Young-bin’s recent rise was nothing short of terrifying.
But above all...
I'm so jealous.
I'm so jealous of his wife and daughter.
If I had a wife like that, I'd be so happy to go home.
How does he have two daughters? And they're so well-behaved. I bet they even give him allowance money.
"Ahem!"
Whenever employees gathered, those kinds of looks naturally gravitated toward Young-bin. Especially from those around his age—their eyes were thick with envy they couldn't quite hide. To Young-bin, whose face was now somewhat public, those looks were the spice of life.
Yeah, if I'm going to be famous, I should at least get these kinds of perks.
"Ah, but Team Leader, are you okay with the pool episode today?"
"Pardon?"
"I mean, your wife and daughter will be in swimsuits."
"Ayy, nothing happened. Really."
And it was true. They had just played normally and come back normally. Above all, Sua had been wearing a parka over her swimsuit the whole time.
But as he watched the broadcast...
The moment the show started:
「Mom, why are you covering up?」
The scene showed Seo-yeon suddenly yanking down the zipper of the startled Sua’s parka. Then, the moment she saw what was underneath, Seo-yeon immediately zipped it back up.
Of course, the camera didn't show what was inside, but...
「We definitely need to cover this. The show will get banned.」
Sua stood frozen, clutching her parka with both hands after her daughter’s sudden ambush.
"..."
Young-bin was also frozen. Wait, that happened?
The other employees, who had been about to cheer, started glancing at Young-bin. It was becoming difficult to guess how this had been edited.
*
With the news of the pool trip, viewers were filled with anticipation. After all, Sua had already shown off an incredible figure since her first appearance. And while Seo-yeon was an actress, she was known for never wearing anything particularly revealing. Naturally, interest was peaking.
While the viewers were buzzing with excitement, Seo-yeon had actually been quite worried during the filming. She was reluctant to wear revealing clothing on a broadcast.
Of course, Seo-yeon had recently bought a pretty swimsuit to wear in the summer. She just hadn't had the chance to wear it because she’d been so busy.
Since Seo-yeon’s mindset was fundamentally "I'm beautiful!", she usually avoided clothes that ruined her appearance. If you're born pretty, you should dress pretty. Why hide it? That was her philosophy. However, showing that to the general public was a different story.
And so...
"Oh my, sweetie. You had a swimsuit like that?"
"...I bought a new one."
Since a rash guard wasn't her style, she had compromised with a competitive one-piece swimsuit. She had brought the pretty one too, though—to wear after filming was over. For now, she planned to keep a parka over her one-piece. That should be fine.
"What about you, Mom?"
"Me? I just brought the one I used to wear."
"Really?"
Seo-yeon didn't think much of it. She figured her mom would have brought something sensible.
"Unnie, Unnie! Su-yeon’s swimsuit is pink! Look at all the frills~."
"I'll play with you in the pool."
"Really?"
Seeing her happy little sister made Seo-yeon’s lips curl into a smile. During her own puberty, she could never have gone to a pool with her family. Back then, she would have thrown a fit at even the slightest bit of exposure. It was likely because she had been mentally confused in many ways at the time.
"Wait, where's Dad?"
"Dad can take care of himself."
"Hahaha, exactly!"
Young-bin laughed loudly, clearly excited about the pool trip. Then...
"By the way, who is that person over there? They've been filming for a while."
"Ah, that's someone filming for an ad. Like a vlog style. There will probably be a few more people at the pool."
"Ah, vlogs, I know those. Your dad is part of the new generation. I even have an Insta, you know?"
"You have an Instagram?"
"...Though it's mostly just people swearing at me whenever I post something."
As a game developer, showing his face in such a public space invited sharp arrows. Nevertheless, Young-bin, who consistently uploaded photos of himself, was quite an impressive man in a way.
Just then, Seo-yeon felt her phone vibrate. It was a KakaoTalk message from Sua.
[I don't think your dad realizes it yet. It's amazing he believes that.]
[It's funnier if he doesn't know, so let's leave it. But how can he still not know?]
[But that's what makes him cute.]
Seo-yeon saw Sua giggling to herself after sending the message. Seo-yeon gave her a skeptical look, then closed her phone.
Once the family arrived at the pool, they changed and gathered.
"What? Why are you both wearing parkas??"
Young-bin understood Sua, but hadn't Seo-yeon passed her puberty phase? Despite his thoughts...
"Well, whatever. Let's go, Little Dinosaur!"
"Rawr!!"
Su-yeon raised both arms and ran after Young-bin.
Wait, you said you'd play with me.
Seo-yeon felt a strange sense of betrayal. Then she looked at Sua. She herself had an actress image to maintain, but Sua didn't have that problem, did she?
"Mom, why are you covering up?"
Thinking nothing of it, she pulled the parka down. And then...
"We definitely need to cover this. The show will get banned."
No, seriously, this might fail the broadcast standards. Seo-yeon thought gravely.
The reason was simple: the swimsuit was a bit too small. She had suspected as much when Sua said she just "brought what she had," but Sua’s chest had apparently grown even recently. Combined with the swimsuit, it was... a lot.
"...Sweetie, am I too fat?"
"No. That's not it."
Is that what she calls fat? Seo-yeon wondered. It was true that a large chest didn't always make clothes look "neat," but beyond that, Sua was... well...
"It's dangerous."
"Huh?"
"Literally dangerous."
Fortunately, most of Seo-yeon’s comments were edited out. The producers likely decided that while it was funny, the "level" was a bit too high and cut it. Naturally, the viewers who couldn't see the deleted parts reacted accordingly.
Most of the reactions were like that. Besides, even with the parka on, it was impossible to hide everything. It wasn't a regular coat, but a thin swimsuit parka.
Even though their bodies weren't fully revealed, the mere outlines were enough to spark such conversations. Of course, those were the comments on unmoderated communities. In well-managed places like Ju Seo-yeon’s fan cafe...
And so, the pool filming began. Just as Young-bin had said, nothing special happened. At least, not where Young-bin could see.
"Mom, your swimsuit top slipped."
"Oh my, what do I do!!"
"Unnie, skip me across the water!"
"Wait a second."
While Young-bin played by himself, the other side was a chaotic mess. There were scenes that could have been broadcast accidents, but fortunately, there was no actual exposure, so they passed.
"Alright, on the count of three, we all jump in with Dad."
"Okay!!"
"...Me too?"
Young-bin blinked as if it were obvious. Unable to refuse with the cameras watching, Seo-yeon had no choice but to nod.
Actually, Seo-yeon had never learned how to swim. But as is usually the case, people don't go to these kinds of pools to actually swim. You just go to enjoy the atmosphere.
"One, two, three!"
At Young-bin’s shout—Splash!
At the same time, the water surged violently, and a massive pillar of water shot up from where Seo-yeon had jumped in.
The community didn't think much of it, but...
"Ah, it's deeper than I thought."
Su-yeon, who had jumped in with a tube, poked her head out from the center of it. Young-bin grabbed Su-yeon and then looked around. Curiously, Seo-yeon was nowhere to be seen.
"Wow, Su-yeon. I think your sister was so heavy she sank to the bottom."
"Really?!"
Su-yeon looked around, then covered her mouth with both hands. Her face was full of shock.
"Daddy, Daddy! I think Unnie really can't come up because she's too heavy."
"Right? Your sister might look like that, but her weight is..."
Just as he was about to finish his sentence, Young-bin vanished. Someone had grabbed his ankle and dragged him under.
"Eh?"
Su-yeon was bewildered by her father’s sudden disappearance. Where did he go?
"...Su-yeon."
"Hiee!"
Seo-yeon spoke as she lifted Su-yeon, tube and all.
Look, she couldn't swim, so she had sunk deep for a moment. She had even bumped her head on the bottom a little. She only stayed down there to check if the floor had cracked.
...She might be heavy, but she could float.
I knew it, you shouldn't just jump into pools recklessly.
In any case, Seo-yeon spent the rest of the time "punishing" Su-yeon by dragging her across the water like a jet ski. As for Young-bin, she had just tossed him somewhere.
Other than that, it was a perfectly normal, uneventful shoot. Truly.
However, regardless of that...
Various controversies cropped up on the community boards. The problem was that most of them were just playful "slander" posts about Seo-yeon.