Chapter 168
Chapter 168
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 168
Chapter Title: The Yandere Fairy's Gaze is Strange
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There wasn't even a moment to catch a quick nap in the car.
About twenty minutes passed?
We got straight out of the vehicle and, following a man I'd never seen before, entered a large, quiet room.
The well air-conditioned indoor air brushed against my face, and a mix of faint cosmetics and hairspray scents flooded my nose all at once.
To top it off, long rows of makeup tables and massive mirrors lined both sides.
It felt just like a dressing room in a dedicated filming studio.
"You're Han Haeseong, right?"
"My name is Han Haeseong, yeah... but where exactly is this?"
"It's the dressing room. Have a seat here for now."
Even though I'd guessed right that it was a dressing room, the situation didn't sit well with me at all.
I sat down in one of the chairs, half-dazed from the guidance.
Then, a woman approached with a soft voice.
"Your skin is in such great condition. I'll just do a light base."
"...Huh? Oh, sure."
Next, another man appeared, gave a light nod, and started working with a spray and a roller brush in hand.
I didn't even have a chance to refuse.
Tone-up cream evened out my skin tone, and thin foundation soaked meticulously into my face.
Soon, my forehead, nose bridge, and jawline were smoothly finished.
'Who am I? And where am I again?'
Sitting there in a daze like a puppet doll on the chair, the man who looked like a hair designer fired up his blow dryer and began shaping my hair.
He parted it naturally to flow back, tidied the sides neatly to expose my ears.
Finally, with some wax on his fingertips adding texture to the front and sides, the me in the mirror looked completely different.
Still...
Why were they giving me full makeup and hair styling like this? Where were we even headed?
The face in the mirror was definitely mine, but it felt strangely unfamiliar.
Like I'd become a celebrity or something.
'...Is this really me?'
The Heavenly Peach had indeed changed my looks enough to make some unfamiliar woman in Seoul swoon, but staring at myself in the mirror after suddenly getting pro-level makeup and hair in a fancy studio like this? It was way too surreal.
I wasn't about to take the stage or star in a drama, was I?
I'd just hopped in the van at Yerim's say-so.
Swoosh.
I slowly turned my head.
In my line of sight stood a figure a short distance away to my immediate side.
It was Chief Secretary Jin Hyeong-o, impeccably dressed in a suit.
I had no idea when he'd arrived, but he stood there quietly, hands neatly clasped in front without even crossing his arms.
"Where's Yerim?"
"The young lady returned to the company for work."
"...Pardon?"
"It's fine. I'll be with you all day today."
Not fine at all?
Just seeing Chief Secretary Jin Hyeong-o brought back that nagging unease about Choi Jeong-su sinking into the sea.
I let out a short sigh and spoke up.
"So, what exactly am I doing today that requires makeup and hair styling?"
"I'll explain shortly."
"Hold on. You've given zero explanations from the van ride until now—this is getting a bit scary."
"...I'll tell you once the makeup's done."
No point pushing; he clearly wasn't going to budge.
I ground my molars.
'Fine, let's get the makeup done first and hear him out.'
And just like that...
The makeup and hair were finished before I knew it.
Confirming the staff had all cleared out, I took a deep breath and slowly rose from the chair.
Then, I turned to Chief Secretary Jin Hyeong-o, who was still standing silently beside me.
"Now, will you tell me, Chief Secretary?"
As I furrowed my brow deeply, he took a slow step toward me.
"Today, Haeseong, you're scheduled for a print ad shoot."
"P-Print ad?"
"Yes, that's right."
"What kind of print ad?"
"A simple air conditioner print ad."
An air conditioner print ad?
The sudden makeup and hair styling had been bewildering enough, but now they wanted me to do a shoot?
'Did I just hear that right...?'
My hands flailed in the air for a moment before freezing.
No matter how I thought about it, I'd either misheard or this was Chief Secretary Jin Hyeong-o's idea of a bad joke.
"W-Wait a second. You mean I'm shooting an air conditioner ad right now?"
"Yes. To be precise, it's a viral ad for a new product launch."
Chief Secretary Jin Hyeong-o's expression was utterly calm.
The abrupt makeup and hair had been odd, but now all the puzzle pieces clicked into place.
"...And this is supposed to be simple?"
"The direction is straightforward, and since it's print, no lines—just stand there."
I ducked my head then lifted it again.
A hollow laugh nearly escaped, but I swallowed it and hurriedly pulled out my smartphone.
In this mess, there was only one person to call.
Seo Yerim.
The call connected after two short rings, and a familiar voice rang in my ear.
-Doing well with shoot prep?
-Ha... Yerim, what am I supposed to do when you push stuff like this without even consulting me?
I forced the words out low, laced with bottled-up frustration and disbelief.
But her voice was relaxed, even leisurely.
-Why? I thought it'd suit you, so I set it up.
-No, Yerim. I never heard a single word about an ad shoot. You just said, 'I'll hook you up with a gig,' and that was it!
-Not just anyone can shoot ads even if they want to.
-When did I say I wanted to shoot an ad? This sells my face!
A brief silence, then her voice returned.
-Once you build a rep in ads, the gigs roll in easy, and the pay's great.
Why did she have to sound so selfish?
Irritation surged, but I ground my teeth.
I could just say no and be done.
I inhaled and exhaled to steady myself.
-...I'll find my own work later. No plans to shoot today, so let's hang up.
Click—
Chief Secretary Jin Hyeong-o, who'd watched the whole exchange in silence.
As if he'd anticipated everything, he spoke calmly.
"Even if Haeseong doesn't shoot, it won't delay things, so no need to worry."
"Good."
"I figured you might say that, so I had another male model on standby."
"That's a relief."
"If anything, I'm sorry. The young lady can be bulldozer-like at times, so I fully understand how you feel."
At least that was a silver lining?
I'd been inwardly worried about messing up the schedule...
True to form for a major corp's chief secretary, he was thoroughly prepared.
I bowed slightly to him in thanks and turned toward the dressing room door when—
Knock knock—
A unfamiliar knock echoed clearly in the quiet space.
Chief Secretary Jin Hyeong-o stepped forward without hesitation and said politely,
"I'll get it."
He approached the door and gently turned the handle.
As it opened with a soft click, a woman stood on the other side.
'Wh-What!?'
It was Cha Seol-ah.
The center of a girl group that once swept Korea.
Now turned actress, steadily building her name in dramas and films as the 'it girl' of actresses.
She looked doll-like pretty on camera, but in person? Insanely gorgeous.
And even slimmer than on TV.
"Oh, this isn't it. Sorry."
The moment Cha Seol-ah's eyes met mine, her face flushed red, and she quickly bowed her head.
Looking flustered, lips downturned in apology, she shut the door again.
Frozen, I pointed at the closed door with a finger.
"Th-That was Cha Seol-ah just now, right?"
To my question, Chief Secretary Jin replied in his usual deadpan tone.
"She's the actress originally scheduled to shoot the ad with Haeseong today."
"Ah..."
Bzzz.
Bzzz.
Then my phone vibrated again.
I checked the caller and picked up.
-Hello?
-Haeseong...
-...Yeah?
-I'm really sorry... I didn't think about your side at all and just bulldozed ahead. It was something we could've discussed...
Yerim's voice was different from the last call.
No confidence or bravado this time.
It was sheepish, full of genuine apology.
-I'm sorry too.
-Why? You didn't do anything wrong.
-You were looking out for me by lining up work, and I snapped too hard.
-No... I'll find you something else. Just tell the chief secretary no shoot today. Don't worry about cleanup.
I wanted to say okay and hang up, but Cha Seol-ah's mind-blowing looks kept flashing in my mind.
I'd never been this close to a celeb in my life.
'...Probably won't get another shot at seeing Cha Seol-ah up close.'
Suddenly, madness overtook my thoughts.
Any disgust for face-selling ad work? Long forgotten.
I smirked slyly and continued.
-Nah, forget it. Since we're this far, I'll do the shoot today.