Chapter 188
Chapter 188
Don’t You Agree?
“Great work!”
“Go on, hurry!”
“When does it air? I have to watch it.”
“Yeon-seo! Go crush them!”
Was this really something to be cheered on for? At the urging hands of the staff pushing his back, Yu Yeon-seo feigned reluctance and stepped outside. Even though the shoot was over, they even fixed his hair again, saying he had to look good for the broadcast.
“So, all I have to do is just show up?”
Yu Yeon-seo looked at his secretary with a mischievous smile. Come to think of it… this was the first time Im Seung-hyeon had made such a request regarding his schedule.
“Do as you please, Young Master. You don’t have to go.”
Im Seung-hyeon looked as if he was belatedly regretting it. But Yu Yeon-seo had no intention of changing his mind now. He was planning to take a break for a while due to the soul-tuning anyway, so wouldn’t it be good to at least show his face on a broadcast?
“The game’s over the moment you show your face anyway.”
With Lee Tae-gyeom also actively stepping up, Yu Yeon-seo glanced back and forth between the two.
“Why you?”
“He’s doing it for his sister, and I’m doing it for our CEO.”
“CEO Han?”
He acted like it was no big deal to me… I guess he complained about it a lot behind my back? He chuckled and turned on his phone screen.
‘He doesn’t look much like me, though?’
There had always been people who claimed to be his look-alike, even when they weren’t, and Lee Yoon-seo wasn’t the first. Besides, it was common practice in broadcasting to fabricate facts and package them with exaggeration. Quite a few people had fallen for it. There were even ordinary people who had to post clarifications on their social media.
Until then, Yu Yeon-seo hadn’t thought much of it. He figured Lee Yoon-seo was just another common sacrifice for broadcast ratings. He also assumed the advertising staff were so fired up because they were his fans….
“Huh…”
That’s what he thought, at least, before he searched and saw the articles and fan reactions about Lee Yoon-seo that he hadn’t seen yet.
“Look at this?”
Isn’t this a bit much?
‘Wow, I can’t believe I’m finally seeing Yu Yeon-seo in person.’
Writer Ryu, waiting for Yu Yeon-seo outside the cafe, looked around with a face full of anticipation. She recalled what her seniors who had met Yu Yeon-seo had said, and interviews from other celebrities.
(Guess who I saw in Gangnam yesterday? Yu Yeon-seo. Wow, it was insane. How can a person look like that?)
(Yu Yeon-seo? Even as a man, I gotta say, wow, he’s no joke.)
(Honestly, I don’t think he and I are the same species.)
(I’m not one to fall behind anywhere, but the moment I saw Yu Yeon-seo in person, I thought, ‘Wow, this is a different league.’)
The fact that she could see the man of rumors in person made her cheeks flush.
‘He won’t change his mind now, will he?’
(His personality? Maybe in the past, but he’s not so fickle now.)
(Honestly, even back then, wasn’t he entitled to throw that much of a fit? They were trying to steal his thunder, so he shut them down from the get-go.)
Once the only flaw in his resume—his professional career—began to soar, the broadcasting industry started re-evaluating Yu Yeon-seo, scheming for ways to get him on their shows.
But rumors that he would be taking a break for a while after finishing his scheduled movie promotions had left them all just licking their lips.
“Gasp…”
While everyone else was twiddling their thumbs, she had, by a stroke of luck, gotten the chance to have him appear. Writer Ryu caught her breath as she came face-to-face with Yu Yeon-seo, who was just getting out of his car.
“Hello, Writer.”
“…”
“Writer?”
“Ah, hello!”
Coming to her senses a few seconds later, Writer Ryu bowed her head, her face beet red. Lee Tae-gyeom and Im Seung-hyeon weren’t surprised by her reaction at all.
It had been over five years since they started seeing him. He’d always had a captivating charm, and his looks only seemed to grow more brilliant with age, even without any special effort. Add to that a more mature aura and the pale skin from the soul-tuning, and he exuded an air of mysterious, profound beauty.
“Wow… I’m sorry.”
This kind of reaction was an everyday occurrence. When he politely curved his lips into a smile, Writer Ryu let out another gasp of admiration.
“Should I just go inside?”
“Yes, yes! Only Producer Park and I know you’re making a brief appearance. You’re scheduled to appear as a surprise guest… Uh, uh, and…”
“Calm down.”
Writer Ryu looked like she was about to hyperventilate, so Yu Yeon-seo gently placed a hand on her shoulder. She swallowed hard again.
“Ah, anyway… thank you for granting our request.”
“My manager told me you asked him to save our program?”
“D-Did I say that?”
“That’s what he said. I thought your passion was so remarkable that I had to come see for myself.”
A top star, whom everyone recognized, was acknowledging her efforts. Writer Ryu’s eyes grew moist as if she had just yawned.
“Thank you so much. We won’t film for long, since you’re busy…”
“It’s fine if it’s long.”
Deeply moved, Writer Ryu gave a signal to Producer Park, who then cut off Choi Hyo-in and Lee Yoon-seo, who were in the middle of their discussion.
“Just a moment. We have a surprise guest who happens to be a perfect match for our guest today.”
“What?”
This wasn’t in the script… MC Choi Hyo-in was slightly flustered. They were already struggling to proceed because Lee Yoon-seo had no broadcast-worthy material. Would a surprise guest change anything? It would probably be someone close to Lee Yoon-seo who would just frustrate them even more, right?
“Huh?”
Lee Yoon-seo, who had been maintaining a serene smile to act like Yu Yeon-seo, was also captivated by the tall, glamorous person he saw in the distance. The moment he confirmed it was Yu Yeon-seo, he couldn’t control his expression. The camera captured his face turning grim.
“What, what is it? Oh my… Don’t tell me it’s really Yu Yeon-seo?”
Choi Hyo-in shot up from her seat. Forgetting she was in the middle of filming, she scurried over to where Yu Yeon-seo stood. The sound of the staff, who had belatedly noticed his arrival, gasping in admiration echoed through the space.
“Hello.”
“W-Wow. What brings you to this humble place…?”
“I was here for a commercial shoot nearby and heard you were filming, so I thought I’d drop by.”
He was acquainted with the MC. She had hosted the press conference for ‘Snake,’ and after seeing Yu Yeon-seo in person, she had become such a fan that she changed her phone’s wallpaper. She hastily pulled a lipstick out of her pocket and applied it to her lips.
“Hey, Producer! You should have told me Yeon-seo was coming!”
“We didn’t know either. Our youngest writer apparently convinced him…”
“Writer Ryu!”
Choi Hyo-in grabbed both of Writer Ryu’s hands and jumped up and down. Lee Yoon-seo, who had been completely sidelined, bit his lower lip at the sight of Yu Yeon-seo, whose features were distinct even from a distance.
“Since you’re here, how about a short interview? As a fan, I’m also curious about what you’ve been up to, Yeon-seo…”
“Shall we?”
One of the staff members brought a chair, placed it next to Lee Yoon-seo, and whispered.
“Please move aside for a moment.”
“What?”
Pushed aside in a daze, Lee Yoon-seo felt a sense of humiliation at being moved from the center. He was the sole guest, so he had thought he was the star of the day.
He had believed that no matter what anyone said, he was a Yu Yeon-seo look-alike, and those who criticized him were just jealous. That was, until he saw Yu Yeon-seo’s face in person.
Yu Yeon-seo looked at the pre-arranged seat and smiled as if troubled.
“Uh… You already have a guest. I’ll just sit at the end.”
How can he be so considerate… Choi Hyo-in, completely smitten, moved her own chair next to Yu Yeon-seo’s, forcing him into the center. Laughter rippled through the staff.
“Then please say hello to the camera.”
“Hello, this is actor Yu Yeon-seo.”
Ignoring Lee Yoon-seo, who was staring daggers at him from the side, Yu Yeon-seo bowed his head to the camera. The entire staff applauded and cheered.
“What brings you to such a humble place?”
“I was shooting a commercial nearby when your youngest writer begged my manager to please save your program, so I came to save it.”
At his joke, Choi Hyo-in covered her mouth and laughed. Anything a handsome man says is funny. It was a complete contrast to how she had treated Lee Yoon-seo.
“Coincidentally, our guest today is someone who’s been making waves online as a ‘Yu Yeon-seo look-alike’… Are you aware of him, Yeon-seo?”
“Is that so? I had no idea.”
Yu Yeon-seo looked at Lee Yoon-seo with a surprised expression. Lee Yoon-seo was struggling to maintain his composure.
With this type, if you show any sign that you know who they are or that you care, they just get bolder. It was better to take the stance of, ‘You were that famous? I’ve never even heard of you.’
“Ah, so this is the person who’s here as my look-alike…?”
“Hello.”
Lee Yoon-seo quickly hid his dismay. On the contrary, this was an opportunity. If Yu Yeon-seo was on the show, the ratings would naturally skyrocket. It was better to ride his coattails and make a name for himself. Lee Yoon-seo had long since abandoned the thought of being the main character.
‘He won’t be able to say anything to me directly anyway.’
A celebrity’s image is their lifeblood. Yu Yeon-seo wouldn’t take that risk.
When people claiming to be look-alikes of other top stars appeared, the stars themselves could only say, ‘I’m honored,’ and couldn’t say anything negative directly. He thought Yu Yeon-seo would be one of them.
“What do you think, Yoon-seo? Do you think you two look alike?”
“Our names are similar. What a coincidence.”
Lee Yoon-seo’s expression brightened. I can hear the gears turning in his head from here. He must have assumed I wouldn’t be able to say anything directly. I have been pretty tame lately. Time to manage my image.
“But… you don’t look much like me.”
“Excuse me?”
“This person is trending online? Surely not. People have eyes, don’t they…?”
But the foundation of my celebrity life was rooted in being an asshole. At his mocking tone, Choi Hyo-in’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Uh, uh… Do you think so?”
“Hyo-in, did you really invite him because you thought he looked like me? Were you that desperate for a show topic?”
“If you put it so bluntly, it makes it hard for me to host…”
Choi Hyo-in glanced at Producer Park. The producer, suppressing a smile, gestured with his finger for her to continue. In fact, he was relieved that Yu Yeon-seo had said it so directly.
Lee Yoon-seo had already been cast for the sake of broadcast controversy, and they even had him sign a waiver promising not to complain about the show later. He had readily signed it, prioritizing his own promotion regardless of whether he received hate comments after the broadcast, and it had come back to bite him.
“Th-Then how about appearing as a solo guest on our program yourself, Yeon-seo?”
“That would be difficult. You already invited the ‘look-alike’ first. It would hurt my pride to appear after him.”
“Please! Save us one more time!”
After that, the show revolved around Yu Yeon-seo. He took the opportunity to enthusiastically promote ‘Scent of the Wind,’ which he had produced. If only Director Cheon knew about these efforts….
“Would you like to say a word to Yoon-seo? He came all this way as a ‘Yu Yeon-seo look-alike,’ after all.”
“Now that you’ve seen me in person, you admit you don’t look like me, don’t you?”
Lee Yoon-seo didn’t back down and mumbled a response.
“It wasn’t me who claimed it, my friends said so…”
“Is that so? Not your claim? Your friends must have poor eyesight… Anyway, didn’t you come here to milk that title for all it’s worth? If it were me, I wouldn’t have come. I have some self-respect.”
Yu Yeon-seo said as he brushed a piece of dust off the man’s shoulder. Lee Yoon-seo, who hadn’t expected to be mocked so openly, clamped his mouth shut. Seeing him in person, he had no choice but to admit that he didn’t measure up in the slightest. This wasn’t a level that could be achieved through imitation.
“From now on, live your own life instead of being someone’s look-alike. Your parents who gave birth to you must be upset.”
According to my fans, he kept using my name to get attention. He even created an online shopping mall under the ‘Yu Yeon-seo look-alike’ title, and on the product page, he used himself as a model and manipulated the photos to look similar to me. Profiting off my name? He crossed the line.
Yu Yeon-seo smiled leisurely and rose from his seat. Then he spread his arms. He had asked Writer Ryu to encourage an over-the-top reaction from the staff.
“Besides, there can’t be a look-alike for me, right?”
“Agreed!”
“Of course!”
“You’re even more handsome in person!”
“Please come back one more time!”
Starting with Choi Hyo-in, the staff erupted in loud cheers.
Of course. This face is the reason I never even considered reincarnation.