Chapter 86: Year-End Awards Ceremony (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 86: Year-End Awards Ceremony (2)
When Jang Ji-hye contacted the designer, they apparently asked if they could come over right away instead.
“At this hour? All the way here?”
“Yeah. They said communicating with you directly is the fastest and most accurate way.”
“I mean, it’s fine with me, but isn’t it too much trouble for them?”
“They said they want to do it because they enjoy it. They’d probably be honored and even happier if you gave the okay.”
“O-okay then. Tell them to come. It works for me…”
Now that the decision to attend the awards ceremony was final, I felt a bit of nervous tension. I paced around with my hands behind my back.
I’m only wearing this for official actress activities, so let’s just think of it as a work uniform. Honestly, it’s not that different from skinny jeans.
Thinking of it as fan service for the people who put food on my table helped the nerves fade a little.
I wore skirts just fine when I was acting as Yeon Si-ho.
It wasn’t me, Lee Yu-jin, wearing an evening dress; it was the actress Lee Yu. My job was simply to play the role of that actress…
I controlled my mindset that way.
“Yu-jin, do you hate exposing skin in front of people? Or do you just hate wearing ‘girly’ clothes?”
“I just prefer a neutral style. It’s not that I hate exposure itself; I just hate how men’s eyes gravitate toward me even more when I do.”
Since I used to be a man, I could practically simulate in my head exactly what kind of look they were giving me. It just gave me the creeps.
That’s why I stick to long pants even in the dead of summer.
You have no idea how skin-crawling it is to be looked at like that by the same sex. You don’t know unless you’ve experienced it.
“But they say that’s just how it is. It’s instinct. Eyes just move on their own.”
“I know that too.”
“I’m just worried you’re draining your mental energy by getting too caught up in that.”
“I know. I know you’re worried.”
The designer arrived sooner than expected—a burly foreign man.
Surprisingly, he was a designer from Hermès.
“What? Jang Ji-hye, were those clothes from earlier all Hermès?”
“I told you before. They were drafts I received from a Hermès designer.”
“Uh… was I playing LoL then?”
“No. You were watching a LoL video. You must have heard it and forgotten immediately.”
The Hermès designer unleashed a barrage of praise until my mind felt like a tattered rag, and only then did we move on to the design consultation.
He turned on a recorder and held a pen over a notepad, looking at me with such a reverent gaze that I felt embarrassed.
“From the knees down, and from the elbows to the fingertips—I think that much exposure is fine. For the neck, please cover it just enough so the collarbones aren't visible.”
By now, I could handle simple English conversation without Jang Ji-hye’s help.
“Make the skirt a bit voluminous so the line of my thighs doesn't show through.”
“Understood. And what else…?”
After meticulously taking down my requests, the Hermès designer vanished as quickly as he had arrived. He said he’d have to pull an all-nighter starting now to make it in time for the year-end awards.
“I didn’t know there was a Hermès designer in Korea.”
“That man flew in just for you.”
“R-really?”
“Apparently, the competition among Hermès designers to be transferred here was fierce, and he’s the one who crushed everyone else to win the spot.”
“I-I see.”
I checked the fan cafe, and everyone was in the middle of a total WWE-style brawl over what I should wear to the awards ceremony.
└ I want to see Yu-jin go all out with a freaking gorgeous evening dress and just annihilate all the other actresses ㅠㅠ
└ No way, she’s still a baby elf, we have to protect her. Absolutely against any exposure.
Ugh. As soon as I entered, I took a heavy punch to the gut that made my head spin.
└ I’m not insisting on exposure, I’m just saying it’d be nice if she wore a freaking gorgeous evening dress;;
└ That eventually leads to exposure, doesn't it?
Everyone assumed I’d show up completely bundled up. Like that pretty but boring evening dress Jang Ji-hye had prepared.
The new dress does show my calves and forearms, but it is a modest concept…
Still, I hoped they’d recognize that I’d been as considerate as possible for the fans.
*
Jang Ji-hye, who was organizing the accessories, shoes, and makeup tools to coordinate for Lee Yu-jin’s ceremony, tilted her head at the words of Yu-jin’s mother.
“Oh? I thought you said that because you expected Yu-jin to act out of spite?”
“I don’t lie to my daughter. Her intuition is so good she’d catch on immediately.”
Yu-jin’s mother continued as she helped tidy the dressing room.
“Do you know that when Yu-jin said on U Puzzle that she wanted to live with her mom and dad forever, she actually meant it?”
“I suppose so. She has zero interest in men, after all. But won’t that change later?”
“Honestly, I wouldn’t mind if Yu-jin never changed her mind and lived alone for the rest of her life. As long as she feels that’s true happiness.”
“Wow. Usually, parents want their children to find a good partner.”
“Her father and I got married after pushing past all the family opposition, so we know. Just as we were each other’s condition for happiness, maybe being alone is Yu-jin’s condition for happiness.”
“…”
“I started thinking that when I saw her get the shivers every time a man confessed to her.”
“But didn’t you enjoy the fact that Yu-jin gets so many confessions?”
“Oh, I enjoy the fact that the whole world recognizes how beautiful my daughter is. Those two things are completely different.”
“Ah, I understand now.”
“Now that the entire planet acknowledges her beauty, I have nothing more to wish for. Every day feels like a dream.”
Yu-jin’s mother looked so happy that Jang Ji-hye felt a strange sense of envy.
*
The new dress arrived on the morning of the awards ceremony. It wasn't a close call, but it was tight.
“Jang Ji-hye, am I shaking?”
“A little?”
“Try to fire me up so I don’t shake. Or give me some courage.”
“Peter, this is a custom, and this dress is just a look item. It’s like a LoL skin.”
“Good.”
From now on, I was preparing for work.
I was putting on the uniform I’d wear at my workplace and performing my duty: acting.
For today, I had taken on the role of the actress Lee Yu attending an awards ceremony.
“Alright, let’s do this. For the fans.”
“Then what about your mother?”
“Mom is my eternal Fan No. 0. Whether I’m an actress or if I’d never become one.”
“Ooh. Look at you, the lines are just flowing out now.”
I changed into the evening dress and received a meticulous makeup application.
I am currently selecting a female champion skin to deploy into the Rift known as the awards ceremony.
Using the mental control technique Jang Ji-hye had suggested before made me feel much more at ease.
When I opened my eyes, the person in the mirror was a version of myself so dressed up she felt like a stranger.
And every time I saw that reflection, a desire to troll welled up in me, far surpassing any desire for After-Sales Service compensation.
Dear Divine Being, if you don’t visit me in a pipe dream soon, there’s no telling how high the overdue interest will climb.
“Yu-jin, Yu-jin, you’re so beautiful. You’re a total goddess of beauty. No one can deny it.”
“At least it’s better since you didn’t add ‘Elf’ at the end.”
Embarrassed by my slightly tight voice, I gave her a blunt scolding on purpose and stood up.
I put on 15cm high heels and picked up a Birkin bag.
“Honestly, Ji-hye, I was braced for you to tell me to wear earrings or a necklace too.”
“Were you looking forward to it?”
“No way. I said I was just braced for it.”
“When the primary armament is enough to sweep everything away, why bother dragging along clunky secondary weapons?”
Jang Ji-hye was visibly delighted as she adjusted the lines of the dress here and there.
“A black evening dress, high heels, and full makeup. With this combo, you can turn any other actress into a total humiliation. Tedious accessories are just a nuisance, right?”
“Sis, you’re seriously the best right now. The other actresses are probably trembling and praying they don’t get caught in the same camera frame as you.”
“Daughter, you’re truly beautiful. I never imagined I’d see you like this.”
Feeling awkward, I avoided their eyes.
“I’m just going to an event for actresses in a dress code befitting an actress.”
“Let’s go.”
“Yes, Mom.”
Jang Ji-hye and I sat in the back of the Cullinan, while my brother took the passenger seat. Mom and Dad planned to follow in the Carnival.
“Y-you’re my daughter?”
“For now, I am indeed your firstborn.”
“I can’t believe it… I can’t see my daughter, only light. It’s so dazzling I can’t recognize her. Did you cast a spell to blind me?”
“Oh, stop it! Can’t you see Yu-jin is nervous? Do you really want to tease her like that?”
“ I wasn’t trying to tease her—urk!”
Dad took a smack to the back and was dragged into the Carnival by Mom.
The Cullinan started smoothly, and we did one last check.
“I’m only wearing this because it’s work.”
“I know, I know. Just like how you stubbornly wore those skirt costumes while filming Yeon Si-ho.”
“I am absolutely, definitely not wearing an actress uniform outside of work.”
“Uniforms are only for working hours, right. Once you clock out, it’s over.”
“I’m telling you now, I will never, ever wear something like a bikini, even if it’s for work.”
“Why would an S-grade actress wear a bikini in front of others? It only lowers your class. That’s strictly forbidden.”
Jang Ji-hye said as she continued to meticulously check my style.
“When you’re playing, just be high schooler Lee Yu-jin and do whatever you want. When you’re working, just do what’s necessary for the brand of actress Lee Yu. That’s all there is to it.”
I was going to work now.
I was going to proudly claim the spoils of war known as the Rookie of the Year Award, crafted from the love and interest of the fans.
I had simply equipped the combat gear suitable for that battlefield.
Before I knew it, we arrived near the red carpet of the broadcasting station, where a line of celebrity vans was waiting to enter the ceremony.
We pulled up at the end of the line.
“Wow, everyone’s cars are so big and nice. My Cullinan suddenly looks flimsy.”
“That’s because those are customized vans or Sprinters. The Cullinan is much, much more expensive and prestigious. Idol groups who have to change clothes often in the car prefer bus-like vehicles.”
“I’ve never dared to feel disappointed in the Cullinan. I just thought it was interesting to see other people’s cars.”
“Other celebrities will probably look at your Cullinan with envy and feel intimidated. It’s a car worth over 1.4 billion won.”
As we waited for our turn to enter, I got bored and spoke to Jang Ji-hye jokingly.
“Hey, Jang Ji-hye. The Peter trapped inside me is so bored he’s tempting me to just quit right now, go home, and play LoL. Try to convince him otherwise.”
I was telling her to say something—anything—because I was bored.
“Peter, can you hear me?”
“The Peter trapped inside Lee Yu-jin is listening.”
“Peter, you’re not trapped inside an elf. You’ve become the sole crew member, the captain, and the commander of the most powerful Elf-class aircraft carrier in the world.”
A thrilling shock raced down my spine the moment I heard those words.
“Is a ship male or female?”
“Uh, female, right? Ships are feminine…”
“The clothes you’re wearing now aren’t just a pretty evening dress. They are a powerful weapon and the ultimate aerial force that will crush all enemies on the battlefield known as the red carpet.”
I couldn't help but chuckle.
“You must be studying hard since you’re filming an ace pilot movie. I didn’t expect you to tie it together like that.”
“Captain Peter, lead the Elf-class carrier USS Lee Yu out there and sink them all. Preferably, bring back the Rookie of the Year Award and some other spoils for a grand victory parade.”
“That place is just another Rift, after all. I’ll show them exactly how hard a Challenger of Challengers can carry.”
The Cullinan moved smoothly and came to a stop in front of the red carpet.
My brother quickly got out and opened the back door, and through the opening gap, a flood of camera flashes poured in.
It reminded me of that moment in my past life when the lid of a dark cauldron opened and light came flooding in.
The moment I was saved just before being boiled alive.
Before stepping out, I looked back at Jang Ji-hye one last time.
“I’ll be back after I’ve crushed them all.”
“Yeah. I’ll have your change of clothes ready the moment you get back.”