Chapter 73
Chapter 73
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: Again, Writer
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This is a work of fiction and has no relation to any real names, events, organizations, place names, or individuals.
Chapter 27: Ad Shoot.
Woo Ji-hyun headed to the ad shoot location with Jo Jin-gu.
Since it was a special occasion, Jo Jin-gu had come to pick him up personally.
“There are surprisingly a lot of staff here.”
“Yeah. They said it would be a small-scale shoot.”
After parking nearby, Woo Ji-hyun and Jo Jin-gu entered the set with wide-eyed expressions, looking around the indoor space in bewilderment.
It was their first time on an ad shoot set, so they were taking it all in like it was a new world.
But amid the crowd, no one paid them any mind.
Everyone was too busy with their own tasks.
“You’re early.”
“We have to keep to the schedule. That’s what appointment times are for.”
“Nice.”
As Woo Ji-hyun and Jo Jin-gu stood there blankly, a familiar voice called out from behind.
It was Lee Woo-hyung.
Standing next to him was his agent, David, dressed in a sharp suit.
“Hello.”
“Yes, it’s been a while.”
Having grown close with Lee Woo-hyung, Woo Ji-hyun had also become somewhat comfortable with David.
It was only natural, since David spoke Korean.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Jo Jin-gu from Frontier Management.”
“I’m David.”
Following Woo Ji-hyun’s lead, Jo Jin-gu exchanged business cards and greetings with David.
The two quickly dove into business talk.
They had similar roles today, so they were discussing that.
Bzzz! Bzzz!
“Your smartphone’s really buzzing up a storm.”
“Of course. I’m a pretty hot sports star. This is to be expected, right?”
“I’m jealous.”
“You make a ton of money too. So why aren’t you dating?”
Woo Ji-hyun eyed the nonstop KakaoTalk barrage with envy.
He hadn’t seen them clearly, but judging by the profile pics, they were all beauties.
Some were even female celebrities.
“Can’t compare to you.”
“I’m a special case. You make way more than your peers.”
“My standards are high. I like slim types, like models. I have my own three criteria they have to nail.”
“Looks, body, personality?”
Woo Ji-hyun made a face like he’d seen a ghost.
It was as if Lee Woo-hyung had read his mind.
“How’d you know?”
“Obvious. Guys all want the same ideal type. Pretty is pretty, honestly. It’s just after that tastes diverge.”
“Men really are simple creatures.”
“I’m a guy too, but it can’t be helped. It’s instinct to go for beauties.”
“So that’s why you’re chasing instinct so hard.”
Woo Ji-hyun smirked at Lee Woo-hyung, who was still firing off KakaoTalks mid-conversation.
It wasn’t just one or two people.
“Gotta enjoy it while you can. I spent the whole season just training. This is my first time shining as an athlete. So I’m gonna enjoy myself. It’s my reward for all that hard work.”
“I get it.”
“Carpe diem. You know what that means?”
“Of course. It’s Latin for staying true to the present reality. One of my favorite sayings.”
Woo Ji-hyun smiled as he replied.
It was one of his favorites too.
At the same time, he started to understand why he’d bonded with Lee Woo-hyung so quickly, like it was fate.
“Lee Woo-hyung! Haha! Great to see you!”
“Oh, sure.”
Lee Woo-hyung, who had been standing next to Woo Ji-hyun sending KakaoTalks, awkwardly greeted a middle-aged man who’d suddenly approached like they were old pals.
He snuck a glance at David out of the corner of his eye.
“Whoops. Got so excited I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Oh Young-seok from Kakao Page.”
“Ah, you’re the executive director.”
No sooner had Oh Young-seok finished than Lee Woo-hyung smiled and replied.
David had mouthed who he was at just the right moment.
“Haha, yes. I hold the executive director position. And I’m a fan of you, Lee Woo-hyung. Mind giving me an autograph?”
“Of course.”
Lee Woo-hyung gave Oh Young-seok an autograph and even posed for a photo with the hearty laugher.
In just a few days, he’d gotten pretty good at fan service without any awkwardness.
Oh Young-seok then greeted David and Jo Jin-gu as well.
He was especially pleased to see Jo Jin-gu, having met him a few times for business reasons.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Woo Ji-hyun.”
“I’m Oh Young-seok. I really enjoyed Maestro on the Field. I’m a huge soccer fan myself. I binged from the first serialization to the finale right away. Thanks for the great work.”
Oh Young-seok’s eyes sparkled as he spoke.
His voice and gaze were full of sincerity.
And it was true.
“Thank you.”
“I heard from President Jo that you’re preparing a side story.”
“Yes, meeting Woo-hyung gave me some inspiration. So I worked on about ten chapters for a side story.”
“Ooh!”
Oh Young-seok’s eyes lit up.
It was a massive epic at 20 volumes, but he’d still felt unsatisfied.
As a reader, he’d wanted more.
Hearing Woo Ji-hyun was making a side story thrilled him.
“Of course, I didn’t want to miss this opportunity either.”
“You’ve got real sense. No wonder you’re one of Kakao Page’s top two.”
“Not quite that level. I just work hard.”
“That’s exactly why HQ loves you, Writer Woo Ji-hyun. Writers who meet deadlines like you are rare.”
Oh Young-seok’s face darkened briefly.
They’d signed a bunch of big-name authors with high hopes, but only a few kept deadlines.
In fact, only two unexpected ones had met every deadline without fail so far.
“I heard it’s just me and Seong-pil.”
“Oh, you’re close with Ye Seong-pil?”
“We’re same-age friends.”
“Hoo.”
Oh Young-seok looked impressed.
Woo Ji-hyun’s connections were surprisingly extensive.
Birds of a feather flock together, he thought.
“Oh, Executive Director!”
As he chatted animatedly with today’s models, a burly-bearded man who looked like a bandit came rushing over panting.
Everyone’s eyes turned to him.
“Good morning, Director.”
“I was waiting inside and came out when you didn’t show.”
“Haha, I was meeting today’s models. You know this guy, but it’s Lee Woo-hyung. And Writer Woo Ji-hyun, who’s shooting the ad with him today.”
“Hello.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Woo Ji-hyun.”
At Oh Young-seok’s introduction, Lee Woo-hyung and Woo Ji-hyun bowed politely.
Oh Young-seok then introduced Jo Jin-gu and David.
“Great to meet you all. I’m Choo Seong-gwang. And Lee Woo-hyung! Big fan personally.”
“Thank you.”
Choo Seong-gwang barely nodded at Woo Ji-hyun and Jo Jin-gu, but fawned over Oh Young-seok, Lee Woo-hyung, and David.
Lee Woo-hyung frowned slightly, but Woo Ji-hyun showed no reaction.
He’d half-expected it ever since the casting offer came.
“Let’s head inside for now. Prep isn’t done, and the models need to review the storyboard.”
“Yes.”
Led by Choo Seong-gwang, the five headed to the conference room.
Along the way, Woo Ji-hyun and Lee Woo-hyung kept exchanging greetings with passing staff whose eyes met theirs.
“Here’s the storyboard for today’s shoot. Since it’s not video, it’s pretty straightforward. There are a few concepts, but nothing too tough, I think.”
“Hmm.”
Woo Ji-hyun and Lee Woo-hyung closely examined the printed A4 sheets as Choo Seong-gwang explained.
As he said, no concepts looked difficult.
Most focused on the chemistry between Woo Ji-hyun and Lee Woo-hyung.
“I’ve got a uniform after all.”
“Uniforms suit you best.”
“I’ve never even worn the Dortmund one yet.”
Lee Woo-hyung muttered awkwardly while checking the storyboard.
He’d just transferred, so he hadn’t actually worn the uniform.
He’d only posed with an official shirt marked with his number at Ziggy Park or something for photos.
“Oh, did you not bring it? I asked your agent separately.”
“I brought it. Two just in case.”
Choo Seong-gwang glanced at David in momentary panic.
David, who’d been quietly listening, pulled two of Lee Woo-hyung’s home uniforms from his bag.
Brand new, still sealed.
“Ooooh!”
“Ow!”
Oh Young-seok, who’d been silently listening to the storyboard explanation, let out a beastly yell.
The cry echoed from right beside him.
Choo Seong-gwang stared at the uniforms with gleaming eyes too.
“One’s yours.”
“Huh?”
Oh Young-seok and Choo Seong-gwang, greedily eyeing the uniforms, looked stunned.
David had pulled out two, and Lee Woo-hyung handed one to Woo Ji-hyun without hesitation.
“Might as well match since we’re shooting together, right?”
“W-Well, sure…”
“If it was just you, fine, but we’re together. Consider it a bonus gift.”
Lee Woo-hyung grinned.
He’d been pondering a going-away gift before leaving the country. This was perfect.
“Oh, I brought something for you too.”
“A gift?”
“Nothing fancy.”
Accepting Lee Woo-hyung’s uniform, Woo Ji-hyun carefully opened the carry-on he’d dragged to the set.
Lee Woo-hyung’s face lit up with anticipation.
Not fancy packaging, but somehow exciting.
Click.
The carry-on opened, revealing the contents.
Lee Woo-hyung’s pupils dilated massively.
Inside were all the books Woo Ji-hyun had ever published, neatly plastic-wrapped.
“This!”
“All signed. Covers perfectly preserved. Took me half a day…”
“Ooooh!”
Seeing Lee Woo-hyung genuinely thrilled, Woo Ji-hyun felt rewarded.
He’d wanted to give a meaningful gift after all the favors. Glad he liked it.
“Even the flops and failures are in there, but they’ll be rarities someday. I’ll make it so.”
“Huh? You wrote this novel too?”
“Rare item few know about. Can’t even find a used set. My skeletons, but still my kids.”
“Thanks.”
Lee Woo-hyung expressed sincere gratitude, gazing at the dozens of books filling the carry-on.
It was truly one-of-a-kind in the world.
“I’ll ship Maestro on the Field overseas as soon as it’s out. Keep it for your collection.”
“What about the new one? You’re not skipping the new book, are you?”