Chapter 50: Visiting the Set
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 50: Visiting the Set
My eyes widened at the penalty for failure.
‘One member will cancel their contract?’
What kind of nonsense was this?
Miju, Ye-seul, and Heo Da-young—I had worked so hard to get every single one of them. And now the system was saying one would just up and leave if I failed?
I wanted to protest against this systemic tyranny, but...
[Quest rejection is not possible.]
The system nailed it down. It was telling me to make Yoo Young-eun a member, no matter what. So, there was no room for negotiation?
This was enough to bring me to tears.
What was the time limit? Was it just going to judge success or failure without a proper deadline?
[3 attempts remaining]
As if it had been waiting, the system message popped up, and I clutched my head.
"This is making me dizzy."
"Are you okay, Senior? You're not sick, are you?"
Ah, right. In the shock of the quest details, I had forgotten Ye-seul was right next to me.
"Ah, I'm fine. It's nothing."
"It looks like you've been overdoing it since this morning. Do you have a fever?"
Ye-seul placed her right hand on her own forehead and her left hand on mine. Her hand was warm.
"You don't have a fever... Do you perhaps have low blood pressure?"
"It's not that. I'm really okay, so don't worry."
"But I am worried."
Ye-seul looked like she didn't know what to do with herself. I hadn't noticed it during our first meeting, but unlike her outward appearance, she often showed a side that cared deeply for others. That was probably why she was able to firmly cut off guys like Joo Yeon-seok when they hovered around Miju.
‘For someone who claims to be timid, she’s quite proactive when it comes to looking after people.’
She might be the type to go through fire and water to protect those around her.
"So, how long are you planning to keep your hand on my forehead?"
"Ah, I'm sorry! I did it without thinking."
Startled, she pulled her hand away. The warmth that had softly enveloped my forehead vanished.
Hmm, maybe I shouldn't have said anything. I felt a pang of regret as her hand moved away.
If I failed this quest, it meant my relationship with Ye-seul could be shattered.
‘It could be Miju, or maybe Da-young.’
I couldn't let that happen. Not after everything I went through to get here.
"Anyway, did you come here to ask about Young-eun?"
"Ah, that too, but..."
Ye-seul hesitated for a moment before asking, "Um, you didn't tell Miju, did you?"
"Tell her what?"
"About the two of us going to the cinema together."
"I haven't had the time."
I really hadn't. Too many things had been happening.
"That's a relief." Ye-seul breathed a sigh of relief.
"But why?"
"Oh, no reason! I was just worried... that Miju might misunderstand. Hehe."
Ye-seul awkwardly changed the subject. I didn't press her further.
"I haven't seen Joo Yeon-seok lately."
Ah. Ye-seul didn't know. She wasn't there during the stalking incident. It seemed Miju hadn't told her. Otherwise, Ye-seul, who cared for Miju so much, wouldn't be so calm.
‘There’s no need for me to mention it.’
I decided to keep it a secret until Miju chose to speak up.
"Who knows? Midterms are coming up, so maybe he's just busy?"
"Hmm, maybe. I heard the Student Council has been in an uproar lately..."
It seemed the rumors hadn't fully spread through the school yet. It was only a matter of time, though. Soon, talk of the Student Council President's dismissal would get out. Miju would probably tell Ye-seul then.
‘It’s not my place to get involved.’
"Was that all you wanted to ask?"
"Ah, yes. But Senior..."
Ye-seul's lips quivered slightly. Why was she hesitating so much?
‘Don’t tell me.’
She wasn't going to talk about the gym here in front of all these people, was she? I tensed up slightly.
"What was Young-eun like in person?"
Ye-seul's eyes sparkled like starlight. She looked genuinely curious about the senior she admired. She waited for my answer like a child waiting for a Christmas present.
Oh, so it was that?
What should I say? I couldn't exactly tell her that the senior she admired had a terrible personality, and while she was pretty, she was so rude that working with her seemed impossible.
"She was pretty. I guess there's a reason she's an actress."
"Right? Every time I see her on TV or the big screen, she's so beautiful I just end up admiring her."
"Is that so?"
"I heard she has a bit of a strong personality, but that's probably to survive in the harsh entertainment industry, right? I've been feeling it lately too. This field is really hard to endure. Even for a common SNS star like me, it's tough... so for someone like Young-eun..."
Was it just my imagination, or did her gaze look like that of a believer who had just seen the Messiah?
"And if you take photos of such a great actress, Senior, I think it would be a huge help to you too. Having work with famous people in your portfolio helps your career a lot."
It felt like she really wanted me to work with her. She probably thought it would be a win-win for both Young-eun and me.
"And if I could sneak in while you're working and take a photo together... Hehe."
Was it just me, or did that sound like her true motive? I had a total fangirl standing in front of me. Where did the chic SNS star go?
"Ah, but you said you weren't going to do it, right?" she asked in a dejected voice.
Her disappointment was written all over her face. It was painfully obvious.
"I don't know yet. We'll see."
Now that a new quest had appeared, I had to reconsider.
"Really?"
Ye-seul was about to ask more, but class had already started, and the professor walked through the door. I won't mention the fact that Ye-seul practically bolted out of the lecture hall.
-[Ye-seul]: If you do end up working with Young-eun, you have to invite me!
I'd keep this text a secret too.
*
"Please have your assignments ready by next week."
In the end, I couldn't focus on the lecture at all because of the new quest to recruit Young-eun.
‘If I don’t succeed within three tries, one member leaves.’
They made it impossible to refuse and even added a ridiculous condition. If they were going to do this, they should have given me the quest before I rejected Yoo Young-eun’s offer.
‘I can’t work with someone as rude as you.’
It had only been a few hours since I said that. No, the quest appeared less than thirty minutes after I rejected her. It was as if the system had been waiting for me to turn her down.
It felt like I was being mocked. Of course, I was grateful for the gym and the traits the system gave me, but being given something only to have it threatened to be taken away was far more frustrating than never having it at all.
‘If you’re going to be like this, don’t give it to me in the first place.’
I stopped grumbling. Ultimately, I had to convince Young-eun to become a member within three attempts. Which meant...
‘I have to succeed with the hypnosis within those three tries.’
At my current Shop Level, there were two methods of promotion: Text Promotion and Pyramid Scheme Promotion.
‘I don’t have any members who can pull Young-eun in through a pyramid scheme, so that leaves Text Promotion.’
But that wasn't enough. Even without checking, I knew the success rate would be abysmally low. No matter how much I built up her affection, it wouldn't be enough to convince her. Which meant...
‘I have to level up the Shop.’
The only thing I could do right now was level up the Shop. There was no other way. I checked my remaining points.
[Health Points (HP) – 2300]
[Sex Points (SP) – 1900]
The Health Points required to level up the Shop were 5,000. 1 Sex Point was worth 1.5 Health Points. If I converted SP to HP...
‘It’s tight.’
1,900 SP could be converted into 2,850 HP. Combined, that made 5,150 HP. I’d have to invest everything except for 150 HP.
‘I have to do it.’
I had no choice. I couldn't afford to lose a member for nothing. However, if I didn't get a new promotion method with this level-up... I was screwed. I'd have to grind quests just to raise the gym level again.
"So, please..."
I rubbed my hands together and pressed the level-up button. The die was cast. All I could do was wait for the result.
[Purchasing Shop Level Up.]
[Shop Level has increased from 2 to 3.]
[Additional items added - Costume Crafting]
[Shop prices (excluding promotions) are further discounted by 15%.]
[New promotion method unlocked - Poster Promotion]
[2 free Poster Promotions provided as a service.]
Yes! It appeared. A new promotion!
How effective was it? With a racing heart, I opened the Poster Promotion details.
[Poster Promotion – Before & After]
[You can include photos along with your desired text. Photos used for Poster Promotion can be chosen at will! 3 times the effectiveness of Text Promotion! Apply now! You too can become a beauty!]
The Pyramid Scheme was 50% more effective than Text Promotion. But three times? That was a massive jump.
"Wow."
This was insane. This would work. I felt a surge of confidence that I could succeed within three tries.
Alright. I was ready. Now I just had to go find Young-eun. It was a bit embarrassing to contact her again after I was the one who rejected her, but...
"I'm desperate too."
I contacted CEO Kim Hosu.
"CEO, I'd like to get Yoo Young-eun's contact information."
*
"Whoa."
Beside me, Ye-seul’s jaw dropped as she looked around the set. This was the filming location for the famous drama Invincible Youth. It was the drama where Yoo Young-eun played the lead role.
How did we end up here? When I contacted Young-eun, she told me she was too busy and that we should meet at the set.
‘Why are you contacting me again? You were so stubborn about refusing.’
‘I want to see if we can find some common ground.’
‘Fine. Come to our set. It seems you don't really know who I am. I'll show you. I'll show you who I am.’
I had accepted the invitation despite her words, which could be seen as arrogant. As for Ye-seul? Since it was a chance to see her idol, I brought her along as a special treat. I figured she’d love it, and I was right.
"Look over there! It's Bae Su-jin! Wow! Hye-sun is there too! And even Jun-hyun... I never thought I'd see them in person."
Ye-seul, now in full fan mode, couldn't stop marveling every time she saw an actor.
Me? I wasn't particularly impressed. I didn't watch much TV, so I didn't know many celebrities, and even seeing the "beautiful" actresses didn't move me much. The reason was simple: Ye-seul and Miju, who were right by my side, were far more beautiful than them. That was all.
Anyway, after arriving here, I had to re-evaluate Young-eun's status.
"I'm Choi Jae-ho. I'm here at Yoo Young-eun's invitation."
I had heard that people in broadcasting could be incredibly rude, but...
"Oh! You're the one invited by Actress Young-eun? Ah, I see. Please, come this way."
As soon as I mentioned Young-eun's name, they guided us with the utmost politeness. Even a manager at a high-end restaurant wouldn't be this kind.
"Thank you."
Following the assistant director's guidance, we reached the dressing room. In the largest room I had seen on the way, Young-eun was sitting with her legs crossed, looking over a script. She looked up at me.
"You're early. And who's that next to... Ah, the friend Jae-ho took profile pictures for? The one who pushed my pictorial aside and stole all the buzz."
Young-eun looked back and forth between Ye-seul and me, then snorted.
"I see why you said I wasn't exceptionally pretty. It's because you walk around with such a beautiful flower by your side."
Ye-seul stood there with her mouth agape, unable to even scream, just stomping her feet in excitement. This was what they called a "successful fan," right?
"H-H-Hello. My name is Hwang Ye-seul. Um, I've liked you for a long time... After seeing you in that movie, I totally fell for you, and I even wanted to become a celebrity myself..."
Young-eun listened silently as Ye-seul poured out her long-winded admiration. I wondered if this was the same rude Young-eun I had met before. Had she changed?
"It's nice to meet you too. If I had known there was such a pretty junior, I would have talked to Roland Ent in advance. I'm glad we met now."
Never mind. It was a "business smile" that stopped right at the corners of her lips. Right now, she was acting the part of a chic but polite star in front of a fan. I guess she really was an actress. There wasn't a hint of awkwardness in her performance.
After a brief greeting with Ye-seul, Young-eun turned back to me.
"Nice to see you again, Jae-ho. Shall we pick up our conversation where we left off?"