One hour before the commercial shoot.
Jeon Sun Young arrived at the studio and spotted Ryu Soo-gyeom, the photographer who had been consistently working with Par.
She walked over to him.
“Please take good care of us today as well, Photographer Ryu.”
Ryu Soo-gyeom was a veteran photographer with fifteen years of experience.
He had steadily built his career, specializing in cosmetic commercials, and was a pivotal figure in helping Par become one of the top cosmetics companies in the country.
Because of this, Jeon Sun Young couldn’t help but be a little nervous around him.
It was also why she’d sought him out to greet as soon as she arrived at the studio.
Of course, that didn’t mean Ryu Soo-gyeom had a bad personality.
He could be a bit sensitive at times, but he was always professional and had a gentle side as well.
However, for some reason, even after receiving her greeting, Ryu Soo-gyeom’s expression didn’t brighten.
Instead, he replied with a rather stern look.
“I’m the one who should be asking for a favor with the new model today. Just make sure the shoot doesn’t get delayed like last time.”
As soon as Ryu Soo-gyeom finished speaking, an awkward look crossed Jeon Sun Young’s face.
The reason was simple.
She knew better than anyone why Ryu Soo-gyeom was reacting like this.
“So he’s still upset about the shoot with Anya.”
Anya was Par’s exclusive model under contract since last year.
As one of Korea’s top cosmetic brands, Par always recruited the most fashionable stars of the era as their main models.
Anya was no exception.
As the Leader of the ambitious idol group Ollidui, planned by one of the big four Planning Companies, she had been in the spotlight for her consistently trendy sense of style since her debut.
A dazzling visual, fashionable style, a solid fandom…
Anya was, without doubt, an extremely effective promotional model for cosmetics.
But there was one major flaw: her personality was less than pleasant.
Being an hour late to shoots was the norm.
She would go into the waiting room for makeup and not come out for over two hours, so someone would have to beg and plead just to bring her out.
Even after she finally made it to the set and stood in front of the camera, the problems didn’t end.
She posed stiffly the entire time, her expression filled with irritation.
People showered her with compliments—“You’re beautiful, it’s amazing, you’re perfect”—and even had to kneel and beg just to get a single smile out of her. Only after five hours did they finally get ten minutes of satisfactory shooting.
That was what happened at the last shoot.
So it was no wonder Ryu Soo-gyeom was blunt in his reaction.
And, sure enough,
“Are you really going to keep using Anya? Even though she causes such a mess?”
That was the question that came out of Ryu Soo-gyeom’s mouth.
To be honest, Jeon Sun Young didn’t want to use Anya as a model anymore either.
The ridiculous part was that Anya still had a good image with the public.
Not just good—a great one.
She was constantly praised for being attentive to her fans and proactive in everything she did.
Because of that, even Par couldn’t do anything about her.
After all, they couldn’t expose the personality of their exclusive model and break the contract just to prove that justice prevails.
All they could do was continue using her, consoled by the effectiveness of her promotion.
So, all Jeon Sun Young could do now was,
“I don’t use Anya because I like her, you know…”
She forced a troubled smile, trailing off at the end.
Ryu Soo-gyeom understood the meaning behind her reaction and let out a sigh.
“Yeah, I get it. It must be tough for you too. But just the thought of working with Anya again gives me a headache. A real headache.”
“I’m sorry.”
“That’s fine. So, how is Mas Cool Rum’s new model? Do you think today will go smoothly?”
At Ryu Soo-gyeom’s question, Jeon Sun Young, forgetting her earlier awkwardness, recalled the moving moment she met the new model in person during contract negotiations.
In a word, Tae-ha was overwhelming.
There was nothing else to say but that he was absolutely perfect.
Even to Jeon Sun Young, who had met no small number of celebrities, his in-person visuals were top of the top.
It was unbelievable how all his features fit so perfectly on such a small face, each in the ideal position.
So even if his personality was bad, it wouldn’t have mattered.
Granted, all celebrities are bright and friendly when signing a model contract, but she could tell at a glance that his personality was genuinely good.
Recalling that moment, Jeon Sun Young unconsciously blushed.
Then, regaining her composure, she spoke.
“Ah, yes. Kang Tae-ha is a really good person. He looks even better in person.”
“I know he looks good. I finished researching the subject ages ago. I’m talking about his personality.”
“His personality seemed good too. At least, that’s how he seemed on contract day.”
“Hmph. How do you know he wasn’t just pretending to be nice for that day? People said Anya had a good personality, too.”
“That’s…”
“Anyway. If this rookie actor causes a mess today as well, I won’t just sit back. I’ll show them what’s what for real.”
“I’ll make sure it goes well.”
Ryu Soo-gyeom seemed determined to be strict today.
Which only made Jeon Sun Young more nervous.
“Today… it’ll be all right, right?”
That was when Tae-ha arrived at the studio.
“Hello! I’m the rookie actor Kang Tae-ha! Please take good care of me today!”
***
“Bright greeting. Not late, either.”
Ryu Soo-gyeom, who had arrived at the studio fifty minutes early, watched Tae-ha bow deeply and thought to himself.
But his heart was still cold.
Celebrities could change their personalities as quickly as a bouncy ball.
And it wasn’t just because he’d been burned by Anya recently.
Fifteen years in the industry had given him plenty of data to back this up.
He met countless celebrities every year who acted like kings and queens in their own small worlds.
Of course, such people never lasted long. Once a personality controversy broke out, he’d never have to see them again.
But that wasn’t the point.
What mattered was that, regularly, celebrities with similar personalities still ended up in front of Ryu Soo-gyeom’s camera.
There was no way to filter out problematic personalities beforehand.
In this line of work, if the promotional effect was good, you used them as models, regardless of their character.
That was the reality.
So Ryu Soo-gyeom kept a suspicious gaze fixed on Tae-ha.
But then,
“Ah.”
As Tae-ha straightened up from his deep bow, Ryu Soo-gyeom found himself letting out an involuntary exclamation.
Seeing him in person, he felt something he hadn’t felt even after reviewing countless videos and photos of Tae-ha to research him as a subject.
“I didn’t know a model could give off this kind of feeling…”
What struck him was that just facing Tae-ha made his body feel warm.
At times, he even felt as if the only two people in the room were him and Tae-ha.
That was how deeply immersive Tae-ha’s first impression was.
As Ryu Soo-gyeom stared, unable to pull himself together, Tae-ha met his eyes, walked over, and held out his hand.
Ryu Soo-gyeom shook it reflexively, and Tae-ha spoke.
“You’re Photographer Ryu Soo-gyeom, right? I’ve always liked your work, so it’s an honor to work with you today.”
Regaining his senses, Ryu Soo-gyeom managed to ask,
“You’ve seen my photos before?”
“Of course. All the Par photos are created by you—I couldn’t possibly have missed them. I was especially impressed by last month’s Parr Perfume shoot.”
Ryu Soo-gyeom was quietly surprised by Tae-ha’s words.
The Parr Perfume shoot was the project he’d poured the most effort into in years.
And Tae-ha wasn’t finished yet.
“I also really enjoyed your exhibition ‘Flower Zoom-in’ from the year before last. I thought it showcased another side of nature’s beauty that you could only appreciate by looking closely. If I’d had more money, I would have bought one of the photographs, but I was still too new back then, so I couldn’t. It’s a shame.”
Ryu Soo-gyeom’s eyes widened in shock.
It didn’t matter if Tae-ha had really seen the exhibition or not.
This much sincerity deserved praise.
None of the celebrities he’d ever worked with had bothered to research him in advance to get closer.
Ryu Soo-gyeom had always been the one studying his subjects to capture them perfectly, so this was a fresh shock.
Because of that, these words flowed naturally from Ryu Soo-gyeom’s lips.
“You can still buy the photos.”
“Pardon?”
“The photos from the exhibition. You can still purchase them. Unlike paintings, photographs have a broad concept of the original, so if you want, I can send you the link.”
“Oh! That’s great! I didn’t know you could buy them after the exhibition ended.”
Ryu Soo-gyeom continued chatting amiably with the easygoing Tae-ha.
Before he knew it, quite a bit of time had passed.
“Wow, it’s already this late! I’ll go get my makeup done and be back soon, Photographer Ryu!”
It was only after Tae-ha left that Ryu Soo-gyeom realized the actual purpose of today’s meeting was for a commercial shoot.
“Oh no. This won’t do. If I let myself be charmed this easily, I’ll end up getting burned. I need to stay alert.”
For all he knew, Tae-ha might end up holed up in the waiting room for over two hours after saying he’d be right back for makeup.
Celebrities were unpredictable like bouncy balls.
So, Ryu Soo-gyeom did his best to brace himself.
But for some reason, the corners of his mouth wouldn’t come down.
“Hah.”
Just then, Ryu Soo-gyeom let out a sigh.
Tae-ha appeared, having finished his makeup in just fifteen minutes, and Ryu Soo-gyeom felt relieved.
He realized he hadn’t been mistaken about the person.
And at last, the photo shoot began.
Since he became a photographer, Ryu Soo-gyeom had never enjoyed a shoot as much as this one.
It was only natural.
The most perfect subject he’d ever worked with was actively cooperating with the shoot.
What surprised him most was that, despite it being his first time as an advertising model, Tae-ha perfectly understood the concept Ryu Soo-gyeom had prepared and translated it into every pose.
Feeling his body grow hotter as the shoot went on, Ryu Soo-gyeom became certain.
“This will be the greatest masterpiece of my life.”
It was only natural.
With each passing moment, the perfection of the results was reaching new heights.
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