Chapter 48: Actress Yoo Young-eun
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 48: Actress Yoo Young-eun
[Trait acquisition conditions met.]
[Complete first sex with a virgin without hypnosis (1/1)]
[Gym Rat's Audacity: Rank (A)]
[You are filled with confidence. You are always certain of your choices. Rather than worrying about what others think, you know how to calmly assess your situation. Your eloquence increases.]
This was the trait I obtained after spending the night with Miju.
I had wondered why I didn't get it with Ye-seul.
It turned out the conditions were quite strict.
First sex with a 'virgin' 'without' hypnosis.
It wasn't easy.
But somehow, I’d pulled it off.
'I feel like something has changed.'
It was a whopping A-rank.
The same rank as my Sturdy and Solid Body.
I figured I’d have a chance to test it out eventually...
...Or so I vaguely thought.
I didn't expect that chance to come so soon.
Why, you ask?
It was because of the woman standing right in front of me.
She was wearing an off-the-shoulder top made of mesh that was slightly see-through.
It was a loose-fitting style, but the design left her midriff exposed, revealing her toned abs.
To top it off, her denim skirt, which barely covered her thighs, was striking.
As she sat there with her legs crossed, my eyes naturally drifted to the space between them.
It was like an "absolute territory," teasing a glimpse but never actually showing anything.
She held that precarious pose while staring at me.
"Is this the one?"
Her tone was incredibly arrogant.
As if looking down on people was just a natural part of her daily routine, she pointed a finger at me.
Honestly, it was annoying.
We’d never even met before, so why was she pointing?
She wasn't someone I knew, and for a second, I wanted to tell her to put that finger away before I snapped it, but I held my tongue.
It was because Kim Hosu had warned me repeatedly before we entered.
'She’s famous for having a hellish personality, so please, do not get on her bad side.'
She was someone who could make even a CEO like him, who usually acted all high and mighty, tremble with fear.
She was clearly an influential person in this industry.
"That’s right. Haha, he’s a photographer who recently signed with our agency."
"How unexpected. I thought he’d be a bit older."
"Haha, he is indeed the one who took Ye-seul’s profile pictures."
Kim Hosu answered while fawning over her.
He was breaking out in a cold sweat like a private standing before a general.
Just who was this woman?
Was she the daughter of some incredibly powerful family?
"Not bad. Hey, you."
I wondered who she was talking to.
"Can't you hear me?"
I guess it was me.
"Are you talking to me?"
"Who else is here besides you?"
"My apologies. I thought you were ignoring me and continuing your conversation with the CEO."
"What?"
"Was I wrong?"
I was surprised by how sharp the words coming out of my mouth were.
She’d called me here and then made me stand there for thirty minutes like she was appraising a piece of merchandise.
My opinion of this woman had long since taken a vertical dive into the abyss.
So what if she was pretty?
She had zero manners.
Unlike Kim Hosu, I had no reason to suck up to her.
If taking her picture was going to be a pain, I could just quit.
CEO Kim Hosu wouldn't like it, but what could I do?
"I don't know who you are, but making someone stand here while ignoring them isn't exactly polite."
"You don't know me?"
"No, I don't."
"Ha, are you being serious right now?"
"Yes."
I could see Kim Hosu’s face turning pale beside me, but these words weren't coming out of my own volition.
Once the floodgates opened, they had no intention of closing.
"You don't actually think every person in Korea knows who you are, do you? Honestly, I can see that you're pretty, but there are plenty of women as beautiful as you in this country."
"W-What?"
It was the truth.
She was dazzlingly beautiful, sure. But Miju and Ye-seul were just as stunning.
My eyes were already accustomed to them.
There was no way I’d be that easily impressed.
There was Kim Hosu, looking like he was about to faint.
There was a middle-aged man looking uncomfortable.
And then there was the woman, glaring at me with a face so red it looked like it was about to explode.
Wow, looking at them all like this, the contrast is stark.
I guess I botched the first impression, huh?
I had a feeling my photography career was going to end pretty quickly.
"Ha, haha... How amusing. To think there’s actually someone who doesn't know me."
The woman said, barely managing to suppress her emotions.
The way she stammered showed she was quite flustered.
"J-Jae-ho, you really don't know? This is Yoo Young-eun. The actress famous for Signal 21 and Invincible Youth..."
CEO Kim Hosu said urgently.
"Signal 21? Invincible Youth?"
An actress?
Yoo Young-eun?
Never heard of her.
The last drama I watched was the Reply series back when I was in school.
"I don't really watch dramas or movies."
"Ha, this is ridiculous. A photographer who doesn't watch movies or dramas, the most important visual media?"
"Well, that’s not really important, is it? In the end, what matters is the chemistry between the photographer and the subject. It doesn't matter what movie that subject was in."
I found myself speaking sharply to her without even realizing it.
"You really don't know a single thing about me."
A vein popped on Yoo Young-eun’s forehead.
"Sorry. Like I said, I don't watch movies. I'll check them out if I get the chance. Though I don't know when that’ll be."
She seemed like a pretty famous actress with a lot of clout.
But whatever, I didn't care.
"J-Jae-ho..."
Kim Hosu said, trembling.
"M-Ms. Yoo Young-eun is the y-youngest daughter of the Jeil Group..."
"Pardon?"
"She’s the youngest daughter of the Jeil Group."
Jeil Group... where had I heard that before?
'It sounds familiar.'
Jeil, Jeil, Jeil...
Reflexively, I checked the back of the phone I was holding.
The logo 'GY' was clearly engraved there.
It was a phone made by Jeil Electronics.
Oh, it has the same name as Jeil Electronics.
Jeil Group, so they work with Jeil Electronics...
Wait.
'What?'
Did my expression slip for a moment?
"I guess you finally realize now."
Yoo Young-eun smirked, her lips curling.
"Now you know how you should be acting, right?"
She bounced her crossed leg up and down.
She was wearing a victorious smile.
Stay calm.
So my opponent was a famous celebrity and the youngest daughter of a chaebol family.
No wonder she was so high and mighty.
I’d snapped at her because her attitude rubbed me the wrong way.
But it was because I didn't know, right?
If I beg for forgiveness because I didn't know...
No way.
She didn't have the face of someone who would forgive.
Instead, she’d use this to squeeze me and work me to the bone.
Kneeling was the worst possible move.
In a situation like this, it was better to find a different breakthrough.
Operation: "You're the first man to ever treat me like this."
"So?"
"What?"
Everyone in the room looked at me as if I were insane.
Yoo Young-eun especially.
Her eyes said she couldn't believe such a crazy person existed.
She looked at me like I was a strange animal. Not a monkey in a zoo, but maybe a blue dragon that suddenly leaped out of the ocean?
Well, that’s how it felt to me, anyway.
"Honestly, what did I do wrong?"
"W-What are you talking about?"
"Didn't you call me to the studio through CEO Kim because you wanted to see me, Ms. Young-eun? I came all the way here because your side requested to work with me, but you just stared at me for thirty minutes like I was an object. You didn't say a single word to me and pointed your finger at me the moment we met. And after all that, you ask if I know who you are?"
"W-What on earth are you...?"
"I'm not finished. Just because you're a famous actress, don't assume everyone knows you. It’s been a long time since I’ve looked at a TV. I don't even watch the year-end acting awards, so what do you expect..."
I let it all out.
I’d finally done it. I’d given a stern lecture to the youngest daughter of the Jeil Group, the greatest conglomerate in Korea.
Regret washed over me immediately after.
Why did I do that?
Am I going to end up encased in concrete and dumped in a river?
Am I going to disappear without a trace and be sold as a slave to some remote island?
A million thoughts swirled through my head.
"Y-You..."
Young-eun’s lips quivered, but she couldn't find the words.
"The young lady was in the wrong this time."
"I told you to call me 'Actress' on set, didn't I?"
"The Actress was in the wrong."
The middle-aged man beside Young-eun offered his advice politely.
He seemed used to these situations, remaining unfazed even as Young-eun grit her teeth.
Did I survive?
Judging by the reaction, it didn't seem like they were going to call the concrete truck.
"Fine. Since even Chief Park says so, I'll forgive your rudeness this once."
"What about an apology?"
"What?"
"If you made someone stand there for thirty minutes, isn't it only polite to apologize?"
"..."
To hell with it.
Since I’d already started, I decided to go all the way.
I was certain that as long as that Chief Park guy was there, I wouldn't die in this room, at least.
Biting her lip, Young-eun looked back and forth between me and Chief Park.
She seemed to be looking for his help.
But he avoided her gaze.
"Chief Park, just you wait."
She muttered in a voice so small it was barely audible, then forced herself to manage her expression and reached out a hand to me.
"I-I'm sorry. I was rude. But you know you were in the wrong too, right?"
A clear apology.
Even though she added a caveat at the end, the fact that a high-born lady swallowed her pride was enough of a reward.
"Of course. I apologize as well."
I bowed politely and shook her hand.
"I didn't mean it when I said there are plenty of women as beautiful as you in Korea. You truly are beautiful. I just lost my temper for a moment... I'm sorry."
Rudeness is rudeness.
I’d unnecessarily hurt a beautiful woman’s pride with my words.
But Young-eun’s expression was strange.
Was that not it?
"A-Ahem, well, as long as you know. I wasn't looking for that kind of apology, but let’s just move past this little incident."
"Sounds good."
Somehow, things were settled.
Behind her, CEO Kim Hosu looked pitiful as he secretly clutched his chest in relief.
Sorry, CEO Kim.
Only then could I ask why I’d been called here.
"So, why were you looking for me?"
"You're the photographer who took the profile pictures for a model named Hwang Ye-seul, right?"
"Yes, that’s right."
Ye-seul wasn't exactly a model, but I was the one who took those photos.
"I want to do a project with you."
"Pardon?"
"I really liked your photos."
"You liked my photos?"
"Yes, so I want to work together. I'll pay whatever you ask. Top industry rates..."
"I'm sorry."
I bowed my head and expressed my refusal.
"I figured you’d... What?"
Did she not expect me to refuse?
Young-eun asked back with a shocked face.
"I don't think my skills are quite at that level yet."
I'm sorry.
I turned down Young-eun’s proposal.
*
The day after I turned down Yoo Young-eun’s photoshoot.
I headed to school like any other day.
It had been a weekend full of events.
"I'm exhausted."
I felt like I was going to die of fatigue.
I thought back to my meeting with Young-eun.
Haughty, high self-esteem, stubborn, and a total brat.
That was the image of Yoo Young-eun I had.
She even had a gaze that could overpower others just by looking at them.
If it hadn't been for the Gym Rat's Audacity trait I’d just obtained...
[Gym Rat's Audacity: Rank (A)]
[You are filled with confidence. You are always certain of your choices. Rather than worrying about what others think, you know how to calmly assess your situation. Your eloquence increases.]
I likely would have been stuttering and unable to even speak in front of her.
'Not a chance.'
The trait’s effect was definitely real.
The real reason I turned down her offer?
She looked like a nightmare to work with.
I didn't have the confidence to endure her picky nagging.
I felt like collapsing right now; I didn't want to take on more work.
"Ugh."
My head throbbed at the thought of studying.
Was this the Monday blues?
Or was it the aftermath of meeting someone so powerful?
Just as I was about to trudge through the school gates...
Vroom.
A luxury foreign car slid to a halt right in front of me.
Huh? Who is this?
"I guess you go here?"
The window rolled down, and Young-eun’s face appeared.
Why the hell are you here?