National Groom Candidate?! Thanks to Those Guys Too

The I Live Alone live broadcast came to an end with the studio panels leaping to their feet in thunderous applause.

"He's really Korea's number one groom candidate, isn't he?!"

"An oppa like that... no, a man like that existing in reality? I can't believe it!"

"Seo Ha-rin must be the envy of the entire world! For real!"

"Haa..."

I covered my burning face with both hands. Throughout the entire broadcast, the panels in the corner of the screen had shrieked and swooned at my every little action, leaving me mortified to the point of wanting to die. I'd just woken up Ha-rin like usual, set the table, grumbled a bit, and even picked up some rolled omelet for her with my chopsticks. Was that really something to get so hyped about?

That was when it happened.

Ding ding!

My phone on the table started vibrating like crazy.

"W-what is this?"

I snatched it up in surprise, only to see notifications flooding the screen nonstop. The CocoTalk messages had long since surpassed [999+]. Messages were pouring in from college classmates, seniors and juniors, even buddies from my military days.

"Oppa! Oppa! The internet's going absolutely nuts right now!"

Ha-rin, who had been checking her phone beside me, let out a scream.

"Real-time trends from 1 to 10 are all yours!"

"For real? Let me see!"

Eun-jin unnie, Ah-hyun, Chae-yeon, and Min-ji all crowded around Ha-rin's phone at once.

"Why the hell is 'marriage registration form' a trending search?!"

I yelped in horror.

The community boards were on the verge of exploding.

The viewers were completely done in by the gap between my everyday sweetness and my wild, beastly physique.

"Eun-seong? At this rate, you're national oppa material, aren't you?"

Oh Ji-yeon flashed a satisfied smile over her wine glass.

"This reaction is historic,"

Tae-ho hyung stuck out his tongue in awe.

But the faces of the food bugs—who had been looking forward to the broadcast more than anyone—were gradually hardening.

"Hold on..."

Eun-jin unnie spoke up with a grave expression.

"This... isn't good, is it?"

"Huh? What do you mean, unnie?"

"Think about it, Ha-rin. Up until now, our Bear Doll was ours, right? But that broadcast just advertised him to every woman in the world!"

Ha-rin's movements froze at Eun-jin unnie's brutal fact-bomb.

"Whoa...? You're right? We just advertised oppa's sweetness to the whole nation!"

Ha-rin clawed at her hair.

"What if oppa's popularity keeps skyrocketing? What then?"

Ah-hyun clung to my arm with a teary face.

"You guys for real? Who's going anywhere? Just eat the leftover chicken."

I pried them off with a hollow laugh. No matter how famous I got, where would I even go? My core was still 'Polar Bear Seo Eun-seong,' the guy who fed the food bugs.

But Oh Ji-yeon's prophecy hit the nail on the head. That single broadcast had skyrocketed my market value beyond imagination.

The next morning at J&J Entertainment's 7th floor.

"Good morning! I'm here for work?"

The moment I stepped into the Actor Team 1 office, I was greeted by a literal mountain of documents.

"Team leader... what the hell is all this?"

Oh Ji-yeon's desk was piled high with scripts and contracts like a fortress wall.

"Eun-seong, you're here?"

Dark ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠circles ringed her eyes, but her gaze was brighter than ever.

"Yeah... but what's with all these documents...?"

"I told you, right? Your value would double. But I was wrong."

"Huh?"

She curved her red lips into a grin.

"It didn't double. It quintupled."

"Huh...?"

"My phone battery's died three times in the last few days. Beverages, outdoor gear, cosmetics, appliances—CF offers from every brand under the sun."

She proudly patted the towering stack.

"But we can't just take anything. Your first one has to match your caliber."

She handed me a sleek, premium binder from the top of the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠pile.

"Eun-seong, this is your first CF. Top-tier premium coffee machine brand."

"Coffee machine?"

"Yeah. What got the public hooked on you from that broadcast? The sweet, perfect morning oppa vibe, right?"

Her analysis was razor-sharp.

"Sunlit kitchen... a godlike man in a fitted shirt brewing coffee... handing over morning coffee with a soft voice. No concept fits your image more perfectly. Wanna take a look?"

"Sure. Let's see."

I nodded and skimmed the contract.

And then—

The number in the deposit field made me gasp.

"A hundred million?"

I sucked in a breath without realizing it. Counting the zeros left my legs weak, and I plopped onto the sofa.

"I-is this my deposit? For a one-year single campaign?"

"Why so shocked? You're worth it now. Don't doubt my eye."

She patted my shoulder.

From movie extra and MV lead to a hundred-million-won CF model. My life felt like it was suddenly fast-forwarding at 100x speed.

"Time to sign?"

"Yeah. Obviously."

I scrawled my signature with trembling hands.

A few days later, at a rental studio in Gangnam for the CF shoot.

"Eun-seong! Softer, a bit more! Think of the camera lens as your loving partner!"

The ad director's shout made my facial muscles twitch.

"Whew."

I steadied my breath and rolled up the sleeves of my white dress shirt. Standing before the coffee machine in perfectly tailored slacks, my visuals and fit were flawless.

The problem was my acting.

"Good morning... coffee..."

I held out the cup like a robot sputtering lines.

I'd nailed the emotionless killer in Glorious Outing. But staring at the camera for cheesy melodrama? Emotions just wouldn't click.

It felt like flailing at thin air without a scene partner. Ads were definitely tougher for a rookie actor.

"Cut! Eun-seong, you're too stiff! Sweeter! Eyes dripping honey!"

I broke into a cold sweat at the director's notes.

"Sorry. Let's go again."

Gaze at it like a lover, they said... But I was a lifelong singleton who'd never properly dated.

That was when—

"Oppa! We're here!"

"Bear Doll~ Killing the shoot?"

The studio entrance grew noisy as familiar faces barged in. Ha-rin and the food bugs had made a surprise visit to "supervise" my CF shoot.

"What are you guys doing here? Schedules?"

"Came to cheer you on! We had something nearby. Whoa, but that shirt fit? Insane!"

Ha-rin's eyes sparkled at my look.

"A real man shines in a shirt. Shirt magic."

Eun-jin unnie and the others oohed and aahed, settling into seats behind the cameras.

"Ignore us and shoot! Director! Eun-seong oppa fighting!"

Even with Ah-hyun and the members' cheers, I only tensed up more. Spouting cringy lines with these food bugs watching? Pure punishment.

"Going again! Ready! Action!"

The director restarted.

Whew. Nail it this time.

I picked up the cup and stared at the lens.

But—

Hmm.

My eyes kept drifting behind the lens. To the catering snack table in the corner, where the food bugs had gathered.

Eating like that in the middle of this.

Chae-yeon and Min-ji were shoving macarons whole into their mouths. Ha-rin was choking on a hastily gulped sandwich. Eun-jin unnie and Ah-hyun were demolishing bread like mad.

In that moment—

Sigh. These food bugs...

Rationality flew out my head. In its place surged my deep-boned 'mom instinct.'

Eating so fast again. Gonna get indigestion.

Without realizing, my eyes overflowed with heartfelt worry and affection.

Just a sec? Is this it?

I suddenly imagined the lens as those guys.

They are cute, though.

A soft, tender smile spread across my lips. I offered the cup as if tending to my real family, whispering in a warm voice.

"Eat slower. You'll get a stomachache. Here, have some coffee with it."

Casually attentive, endlessly caring eyes and tone.

"Gasp? Did you see that?!"

"Whoa... So that's actor Seo Eun-seong? Melting..."

The female staff inhaled sharply in unison.

The director stared through the monitor, fist clenched.

"Cut! Okay! Perfect! That gaze! That voice! Korean women's hearts are puddling right now. Great work!"

Applause erupted at the director's ecstatic OK.

Whoa? It worked again?

I finally relaxed with a sigh of relief.

For the movie, I'd recalled Nepal starvation pangs. This time, everyday moments with the food bugs.

And—

Is acting always this easy?

It clicked perfectly again.

"Whoa, Bear Doll? Heart skip just now?"

"Thought he was my real boyfriend? Seo Eun-seong acts well?"

Eun-jin unnie and Chae-yeon gushed from behind the camera at my "acting."

Misunderstand away. Good results were all that mattered.

Having nailed the CF shoot, I returned to the waiting room.

"Good work, Eun-seong. Nailed your first CF."

Oh Ji-yeon handed me a cold water and patted my shoulder.

"All thanks to you, team leader. And those guys too."

I grinned, pointing at the food bugs devouring leftover sandwiches on the sofa.

"Save the praise. Time for the next step."

"Hm? What's next, team leader?"

Instead of answering, she pulled a thick script bundle from her bag. Way chunkier and heavier than the movie or MV ones.

"What's this?"

"Your next project, Eun-seong. Not a movie extra this time."

Her eyes turned serious.

"What kind?"

"Terrestrial weekend drama series. A meaty sub-lead role."

"S-sub-lead? Me? In a broadcast drama?"

I took the script in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠shock.

"Yeah. Calls flooded right after I Live Alone. KBC—you know them? Their drama division head called me direct and slotted you in. Lots of lines. Key romance tension in the story."

"From KBC?"

My heart raced anew at her explanation.

Drama sub-lead. This meant stepping onto the real actor path.

"Team leader... can I pull it off?"

"You can. I guarantee it."

I flipped the cover with shaky hands.

"Huh...?"

I rubbed my eyes and double-checked.

The familiar three letters next to the heroine's name.

"Na-yeon... unnie...?"

I mumbled blankly, and Oh Ji-yeon chuckled.

"Yep. Your first drama partner is Kim Na-yeon. Not a cameo this time—full-on proper romance. Gonna be fun, right?"

She grinned mischievously, but a chill ran down my spine.

"What? Kim Na-yeon?"

"That vixen again? Bear Doll?"

"Eun-seong oppa doing romance with her?"

Ha-rin, Eun-jin unnie, and Ah-hyun—all munching sandwiches on the sofa—whipped their heads around. Faces already stone-cold, eyes blazing blue murder.

"Oppa, hand over the script. Gotta check for kiss scenes right now."

Ha-rin chucked her sandwich and lunged.

"No, Ha-rin? This is work...?"

"Work's work! I can't watch you skinship with that vixen!"

"Right! We'll monitor the set!"

Eun-jin unnie and Ah-hyun joined the fray, grabbing for the script.

"The script's gonna rip! Why are you like this?"

I held it high overhead, sweating bullets.

Weekend drama, of all things. Totally unexpected.