Influencer Debut (1)
“Haa……”
Kim Jin-ah, the marketing assistant manager at the struggling clothing brand Upten, let out a deep sigh.
“We have to make up for last month’s deficit quickly… but how?”
She massaged her temples, racking her brain, but no brilliant solution came to mind. All she wanted was to escape this nightmare as fast as possible.
How had things come to this?
Her company had taken a sharp nosedive over the past year. Reckless business expansion had ballooned their losses. Even their core clothing sales were performing terribly. The executives were busy shifting blame onto one another, leaving the entire responsibility for fixing the deficit on her—the lowest-ranking employee.
I really want to quit this damn company…
Of course, her bank account balance wouldn’t allow it, so she had no choice but to endure with sheer grit.
Honestly, though, fixing the deficit won’t solve the real problem.
Upten fundamentally lacked competitiveness. Average designs, average materials, average prices. It was far too plain compared to rival brands, with zero distinguishing features. Yet they still marketed themselves as a “fresh, cutting-edge brand for the youth.” As a young person herself, Kim Jin-ah found it utterly ridiculous.
To turn the company around, they desperately needed something new.
“Ugh… I don’t know anymore.”
This wasn’t the time to worry about the company’s distant future. Right now, she had to put out the immediate fire.
A short-term way to skyrocket sales.
The answer was obvious: influencer sponsorship.
The strategy was to boost exposure through influencers and improve the brand’s image.
The question is who to approach…
She needed someone with enough recognition to genuinely elevate the brand. But would a top-tier influencer really agree to wear Upten clothes? On the other hand, picking just anyone would waste money and time without helping the image.
“Haa… I guess I just have to search.”
With eyes as lifeless as a dead fish, Kim Jin-ah scrolled through her Instar feed, hunting for an influencer who could be the oasis in the desert that might save their failing company.
She kept scrolling endlessly until—
“……!”
Her eyes snapped wide open.
A photo popped up of a man striking a pose inside a gym.
This guy…
Kim Jin-ah stared closely at the photo, digging through her memory.
Isn’t he the one from that subway video?
The video that had gone viral under the name “Short King Slayer.” He was the protagonist who had stylishly taken down the villain.
That’s him! It’s definitely that guy!
She had been desperately searching for him. In fact, she was the one who had left a comment on the video asking where to find him.
I found him… I finally found him!
From the very first moment she had seen his face, Kim Jin-ah had been certain. This man was the savior who could rescue Upten from its crisis.
That sharp jawline and captivating eyes. The perfectly angled bone structure and ideal proportions. He was the kind of talent who would shine no matter what clothes you put on him. People often say clothes make the man, but the reverse is also true—the wearer can completely transform how clothes are perceived.
He was the perfect model to offset Upten’s plainness.
He doesn’t have many followers, but that’s fine! This is actually an opportunity!
It was the classic “buy low” strategy. She had to secure him before any other company snatched him up.
Kim Jin-ah left a direct comment on his photo inquiring about sponsorship and asked him to DM her if he was interested.
Haa, I wonder if he’ll even reply…
Someone like him probably had high standards. There was also the chance he was a sub-account for another influencer, or even one of those AI models that had become so common lately. Still, she was grasping at straws. Anything was worth a try.
And that very evening…
“He replied!!”
Kim Jin-ah, who had been eating instant noodles at home, jumped up and grabbed her phone.
“He needs clothes…?”
It was a rather meaningful reply, but at least a ray of hope had appeared.
First, she set up a meeting with him. They needed to discuss the direction of the sponsorship in person. While it could have been handled through DMs, the real purpose was to confirm whether his real-life appearance matched the photos.
“Please don’t let him be AI or heavily photoshopped……”
That night, Kim Jin-ah fell asleep while praying.
A few days later, on the day of the meeting.
To get straight to the point, Lee Hojin was not photoshopped. If anything, the photos failed to capture even a fraction of his beauty.
“Hello.”
Inside a café located in a busy downtown area, Kim Jin-ah froze with her mouth hanging open the moment Lee Hojin walked through the door.
Are you kidding me… he’s insanely handsome in real life too…!
She had met countless influencers before, but this was the first time someone looked even better in person than in their photos. Kim Jin-ah instinctively knew—she had just caught a massive fish.
“…You’re Miss Kim Jin-ah, the representative, correct?”
At the sound of Hojin’s deep voice, Kim Jin-ah quickly fixed her slipping glasses and pulled herself together.
“Ah, y-yes! I-I’m Kim Jin-ah!”
She bowed her head, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment.
Why am I getting so nervous…?
She clenched her fists.
That’s right. He’s just a college student. Meanwhile, I’m a seasoned professional who’s been through everything. Plus, I’m the one who proposed the sponsorship. Don’t freak out!
“I’m Lee Hojin.”
He sat down across from her. Immediately, she could feel every pair of eyes in the café turning their way.
Ugh…
It was uncomfortable, but she couldn’t let that stop her from doing her job. To ease the tension, Kim Jin-ah started with some light small talk.
“…First of all, thank you for agreeing to work with our company. Have you eaten yet?”
“I woke up at noon and had a hamburger for brunch on the way here.”
“Ah… I see. No morning classes today?”
“Nope. I stayed up until four in the morning playing games and then crashed.”
Kim Jin-ah gave an awkward smile at his words.
Is he telling jokes on purpose because he noticed I’m nervous? Or is he always like this?
Most influencers were sensitive about their image and tended to put on a polished front. But with him, she sensed none of that. Instead, his unpretentious attitude actually felt bold and confident.
Kim Jin-ah cleared her throat once to regain her composure and got to the main topic.
“The request this time is for a sponsorship of our new collection……”
She explained the details smoothly. The basic idea was that the company would provide him with several new items, and he would wear them and upload photos to his Instar.
“As long as the clothes and logo are clearly visible, the format doesn’t matter. We’ll pay an advance, and once you upload the photos we’ll review them and send the remaining balance.”
“Hmm… Yes, I understand.”
After they finished signing the contract, Kim Jin-ah handed him the paper bag she had brought.
“These are our new items. I prepared them in the size you mentioned, but if they don’t fit I’ll send different sizes.”
“Ah, they should be fine. I know Upten sizing pretty well.”
“Oh, really?”
Did he usually wear Upten clothes? Maybe that was why he had agreed to the sponsorship.
After the meeting, the two stepped out of the café and exchanged polite goodbyes.
“Then, Hojin, I’ll be counting on you.”
“Sure. I’ll wear them well and take good photos~”
Watching Hojin walk away humming cheerfully, Kim Jin-ah thought to herself that the future of Upten might finally be about to change.
“Whoa, these are comfortable.”
After finishing the meeting with Kim Jin-ah and returning home, I immediately tried on the new clothes she had given me. The familiar fit felt perfect.
“As expected, Upten clothes are the best. Comfortable and low-key.”
I had always liked plain clothes, so I used to wear Upten often. But after the pink pill increased my height, my old clothes no longer fit. I needed a new wardrobe anyway, so when they offered free clothes, there was no reason to refuse.
“Making money just by taking a few mirror selfies? What a great deal~”
Imagining spending the cash on in-game purchases, I took some outfit shots.
“Hmm… Is this angle good?”
I’ve realized it many times now—selfies are genuinely difficult. Maybe it doesn’t fall under the category of male sexual appeal, because my selfie skills remained average at best. After taking and deleting dozens, I finally got a few usable ones.
“Let me upload to the gallery first……”
“Okay.”
With reactions like these, the photos were clearly fine. I uploaded them to Instar as well and added a simple caption.
“This should be enough, right?”
I hit the upload button and sent Kim Jin-ah a DM asking her to check it. The review passed without issue, and I received the remaining balance safely.
“Nice.”
The deposited money went straight into game purchases.
“There’s nothing sweeter than spending free money on microtransactions~”
That night, I played games until dawn. I must have fallen asleep right as the sun was rising.
When I woke up, it was well past lunchtime.
“Mmm……”
I rubbed my sleepy eyes, turned on my phone, and checked the time. But before the clock, another number caught my attention first.
Instar Alerts: 999+
Missed Calls: 6 (Kim Jin-ah)
The photo I had uploaded yesterday had completely blown up Instar.