Casting Seol Eun-a
“Excuse me!”
My eyes had already spun out of control, so I chucked the corn bread aside and took off after her at once. When I stepped into her path and spoke, she flinched hard and spat out the words like a machine.
“I don’t have time… I don’t do two-shots… I have a boyfriend too…”
“…”
All I’d said was “excuse me,” and she was reacting like it was day two of her period. Then again, after what the manager had said earlier, this clearly wasn’t the first or second time something like this had happened to her.
“I’m not trying to pick you up or anything. This is who I am.”
I pulled a business card from my wallet and held it out immediately.
Abby Paramugson – Kang Taekgu
The clerk’s face twisted into something complicated the moment she took it. Because it wasn’t a real business card.
Obviously a part-timer like me wouldn’t have one. It was just a scrap of paper I’d printed on A4 and cut out in case something like this came up.
“I know it looks shady. But I really do work there. And you might even remember me—I’m the guy who buys two corn breads every day around this time…”
“I remember…”
At least something was connecting between us. Of course, the suspicion never left her eyes.
“You need cash in a hurry, right?”
“…?”
Trying clumsy persuasion on someone already bristling with wariness was useless. From the few scraps of information I’d just overheard, I pulled out the one word most likely to hook her.
“I saw what happened back there. You just got fired out of nowhere and now your money situation’s a mess, isn’t it? Actually, I’m looking for an advertising model right now, and someone like you would get cast for sure. I’ll talk to the CEO and get you an advance on the modeling fee right away.”
“I-I’ve never even thought about modeling or anything like that…”
“You don’t have to overthink it. See that ad panel over there?”
There happened to be a dental clinic ad nearby—four pairs of men and women flashing bright, perfect smiles.
“Just picture yourself taking one of those spots.”
“This is all so sudden I don’t even know what you’re talking about…”
“Then let’s talk it over properly. Is there any drink you like?”
“I like mango yogurt…”
“…”
She was so shy she couldn’t finish a single sentence properly, yet she stated exactly what she wanted without missing a beat. Of course, the shyer she was, the better it would work for what I needed.
We moved to the nearby Gong Cha. I’d be a little late for work, but considering this was basically an extension of the job, it was more like I’d come in early.
Slurp… slurp…
The clerk wordlessly sucked on her straw. While she did, I started studying her.
This was exactly the face I’d been looking for. Flawless, snow-white skin with eyes, nose, and lips set into it like cornelian cherries blooming on a snow mountain no foot had ever touched.
Delicate features on a tiny face, crafted with the precision of a master artisan’s handmade doll. And yet, because she still seemed unused to making expressions, a natural quality shone through.
No matter how advanced medicine got, it could never beat the power of art. Even if AI produced a near-perfect portrait, you still somehow felt the uncanny valley.
“Why are you staring like that…”
Every word she spoke dripped with the wariness of someone who’d been harassed by men far too many times. When she flashed those slightly crooked front teeth that still needed braces, I grew even more certain I’d made the right call.
“I told you I’m looking for a model. I just wanted a clearer look. What’s your name?”
“It’s Seol Eun-a…”
“I’m Kang Taekgu, and I’m twenty-two this year.”
“You’re my oppa by a year…”
“Uh… then is it okay if I speak casually?”
“Doesn’t matter…”
I couldn’t tell if she was naturally friendly or the opposite. Wondering if the pheromone was already affecting her, I asked carefully.
“Just for reference—you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. You really don’t have anyone you’re seeing right now?”
“Why are you asking that…”
The second I started probing her love life, the walls went back up. Time for me to tear them down first.
“You don’t, do you? If you did, he would’ve done something when you were in trouble. Recommended a different job somewhere that isn’t packed with young people, at least.”
“…”
It must have made sense; a look of reluctant agreement tilted across Seol Eun-a’s face. To build a little more closeness, I offered another deduction.
“Want one more? Those guys who file complaints saying you’re unfriendly? I bet every single one of them is someone who tried to pick you up and failed.”
“How do you know that…”
“I’ve been through it too. Twisted kids who, if they can’t have something, will smash it just to satisfy their greed.”
“…”
Seol Eun-a’s eyes went wide, as if that possibility had never occurred to her. Her way of speaking was a little odd, but pretty girls were supposed to be kind by default.
Just looking at the eyes above her mask, no normal person would even think of filing a complaint. And then, without meaning to, I added one more thing.
“Or they smash themselves instead…”
“What is that supposed to mean…”
“Ah, nothing. Forget it.”
What the hell was I spouting in front of someone I’d just met… At least it was clear the pheromone wasn’t affecting her.
“Your manager earlier was way out of line. Chewing someone out in front of everyone like that? Not cool.”
“I’ve always hated him…”
“He’s at that age where baseless hostility toward young women hits peak levels.”
“Why do you know so much about women…”
“It’s not that I know a lot. It’s just that your situation doesn’t feel like someone else’s. I’ve gotten plenty exhausted because of people I never asked for.”
“You don’t seem like the type…”
“Ghk… You’re pretty blunt, huh? There’s stuff about me you don’t know. Anyway—do you go to school?”
“I don’t go to school… I’m too dumb for college…”
“It’s not that you’re dumb. You just never had the conditions to study, right?”
“How did you know that too…?”
“…”
I hadn’t. I’d only said it so she wouldn’t feel bad, and it just happened to land on the truth.
“Same here. Coming up from the countryside, living expenses cost twice what everyone else pays, so the second school’s over I have to run straight to work. Naturally I end up at a disadvantage with grades and everything else.”
I hadn’t even been back at school long, but I was sure that would be the case. And maybe the empathy play was working better than expected.
Eun-a’s wariness seemed to be loosening, bit by bit.
“What’s this advertising thing about…”
“I’m looking for an amateur model. Pretty faces are everywhere, but I needed something fresh and unspoiled. And that something is exactly you.”
“I’ve never thought of myself that way…”
“I didn’t know either until you took the mask off. If I’d known from the start, I wouldn’t have spent a whole week wandering around looking for a model who didn’t even exist.”
“…”
Maybe it was because I’d told her she was the one and only. The corners of Eun-a’s mouth, which had been nothing but tension, curled up just a little.
“How much does it pay…”
Scribble, scribble…
I wrote the figure on the notepad I always carried and showed her. The average rate for girls like her.
“Doesn’t seem like that much…”
“I already told you. Finding a new part-time job is going to take time, so use the modeling fee I advance you. You’ll have to do a light interview with the CEO, of course, but I’m certain you’ll pass. If you’re still worried, I can give you time to talk it over with your parents.”
“I don’t need to talk to them…”
“Yeah? Well, you’re an adult, so you can handle that much yourself. Either way, this is a job that puts your face out there, so I’m just mentioning it in advance.”
She was already someone whose outstanding looks had dragged her into all sorts of annoying trouble. It made sense she might hesitate at the idea of that beauty going nationwide.
“I do need the money, though…”
“Finding a part-time job means applications, interviews—even if you rush it, you’re looking at at least ten days, right? And the same thing could happen at the next place, so your options get even narrower.”
“Where am I even supposed to work that’s okay…”
“Hm? That’s something you’ll have to start thinking about from now on. But… if you take this job in a positive light, I’ll help you look too.”
I had no obligation to go that far, but to persuade Eun-a I was ready to give her my liver and gallbladder both. She pulled the straw from her lips with a faintly surprised look.
“Why would you go that far for me…”
“The second you say yes, you become my client. Normally we’d go through an agency for this, but you don’t even have a manager, so I’m saying I’ll handle all the conveniences myself.”
“That sounds okay…”
The offer to help her find the next part-time job seemed to really catch her interest. She tilted that cute little head and sank into thought on her own.
“…”
Meanwhile I was lost in a completely different thought. Why was this girl so lacking in confidence?
Of course, being beautiful didn’t mean you automatically got an outgoing personality. But the plus factors of good looks were absolute.
People who’d received kindness from everyone since the day they were born usually grew up without many wrinkles in their hearts, full of confidence.
Eun-a’s beauty was so extreme it had literally gotten her fired.
She covered her lower face with a mask so she wouldn’t cause trouble, yet half the guys still came after her based on her eyes alone.
And yet her speech and attitude were nothing but anxiety.
Like someone crossing a single-log bridge while carrying a time bomb, she trembled so delicately it almost hurt to watch.
“What do I have to do…”
“Just two or three schedules. Attend one portfolio meeting, do a camera test, and the actual shoot. You’re not a professional actress, so there won’t even be lines—just smile prettily and you’re done.”
“I’m not good at smiling…”
“Just smile normally?”
“People make fun of my smile a lot. They say it’s weird…”
“…?”
How could that be possible? A cute girl like her could just curl the corners of her mouth and look several times happier than anyone else.
But at the time I didn’t know. I had no idea how bad Eun-a really was at smiling, or why she had ended up that way.
Either way, I succeeded in persuading Seol Eun-a and bringing her to the company. The moment we stepped into the office, we ran straight into Team Leader Uriheung.
“Hey, what time do you call this coming i—ohh…”
He’d been about to chew me out for being late, but the second he saw Eun-a’s face his mouth snapped shut. What clearer proof could there be?
“I found a model. Where’s the CEO?”
“In his office… u-heung…”
Please, for the love of god, could he stop making that disgusting sound? The girl was already shrinking from all the unfamiliar older men; now she was curling up even tighter.
“CEO? This is Seol Eun-a, the one I mentioned before—”
Clap! Clap! Clap!
The instant we entered the CEO’s office and I started to introduce her, he began clapping. He rose slowly from his seat, fixed his eyes on Eun-a, and murmured a single word.
“Bravo!”
“…”
Could he please just greet her normally? It felt like having the weird family tradition no one was supposed to know about exposed in front of a friend.
“Is she really okay?”
“Perfect. I knew you could pull it off.”
“It feels like we skipped a few middle steps… and there’s something I need to tell you. She’s not actually a current university student.”
“Doesn’t matter. The image is what counts—who cares if she’s currently enrolled? Like I’ve said before, hyung doesn’t give a damn about empty formalities and all that blah blah—”
He really could talk forever. Instead of learning anything about Eun-a, he just kept bragging about himself.
“And this is something only you and I need to discuss…”
There was still one more matter to settle. I left Eun-a in the CEO’s office and slipped out to the smoking area.
“What is it?”
“Well… I know this is going to sound weird, but is an advance possible?”
“Why do you suddenly need money? Don’t tell me you got someone pregnant.”
“What the hell… It’s not me, it’s Eun-a. She said she needed cash urgently, so I used that to persuade her and bring her in. I already quoted her the average rate.”
“It’s not a huge amount. Just cook the books a little. You’re good at that stuff, so take care of it yourself. Add another two hundred thousand on top of the average rate.”
“Thank you. By the way, what kind of ad is it?”
“Public service announcement.”
“I figured.”
“You knew?”
“Just looking at the model conditions, it felt like it would be.”
“…”
Shin Duhyeong suddenly went quiet and stared into my eyes for no reason. Had I said something wrong?
“Is there a problem or—”
“Nah. You’ve got sharp instincts. She doesn’t have an agency or anything, so you manage her yourself. The shoot’s in two weeks; before that we’re gathering the models for a meeting.”
“Got it. Then I’ll be going—”
“Ah, and one more thing…”
“…?”
Shin Duhyeong still had something left to say. This was a man who usually spat out whatever came to mind without a filter, yet this time he glanced around carefully before speaking with unusual caution.
“Does she have a boyfriend?”
“…?”
What was the intent behind that question? I had no choice but to ask it myself to avoid triggering the pheromone, but as the CEO he had zero reason to care about a model’s private life.
“Yes. She said she has a boyfriend she just started seeing.”
And yet the lie slipped out of me without thinking. It wasn’t that I particularly suspected Shin Duhyeong, but my instincts were already managing the risk.
“Tsk… Get going.”
Why the tongue click? Whether Seol Eun-a had a boyfriend or not, there was no reason for him to feel disappointed.
Tap… tap…
Shin Duhyeong turned his back and leaned against the railing, drumming his fingers. It looked like he was deep in thought over some idea, but it hit me completely differently.
Why had he been so surprised earlier when I guessed the purpose of the ad? He was always talking me up like it was a habit, so why did he assume I couldn’t see that far?
Of course I’d only had a vague hunch myself. But when money-strict Shin Duhyeong told me to add an extra two hundred thousand on top of the average rate, a thought rose unbidden.
Ah. So this is one of those jobs where you eat blind money.