Chapter 75: The Dream Team

"Hey, is this really Dahye?"

"I almost fainted when I went into PSY and saw her. I saw the photo with Chaerin."

From the morning, the classroom was in an uproar because of Dahye.

Normally, the kids would be rubbing sleepy eyes, scrambling to copy homework from a friend’s notebook, but today, they were having heated discussions about the photos of Dahye uploaded to Chaerin’s PSY World album.

All the talk was about ‘Yoo Dahye’.

"So I wasn’t seeing things back then."

At that moment, a female student broke the silence.

"A while ago, I saw someone who looked just like Dahye getting into a car used by celebrities. I figured there was no way, so I thought I was mistaken, but it must’ve been her after all."

"What? A celebrity car?!"

"You know those famous vans that celebrities ride."

"No way, really?! Dahye’s that well-connected?"

"Well, she must be, if she took pictures with Chaerin."

The subject of Dahye, now a hot topic, showed no signs of dying down.

"Hey, everyone, hi~"

The classroom door opened, and Dahye entered with a bright smile, waving her hand in greeting to let everyone know she’d arrived.

"Hey, Yoo Dahye! What’s going on?!"

"Are you a celebrity?!"

"Is your family rich or something?! I heard the clothes you’re wearing cost hundreds of thousands of won!"

"How could you not tell us?!"

The moment Dahye appeared, the kids surrounded her, bombarding her nonstop with the questions that had been burning in their minds.

"What’s up with you all?!"

Dahye, flustered by the kids suddenly swarming her, showed visible confusion.

She then asked them to explain what was going on.

"Your picture with Chaerin unni showed up as an article. Chaerin unni wrote on her PSY guestbook that you’re her favorite little sister."

"Ah, that? Is that all?"

Thanks to her friend’s detailed explanation, Dahye now understood why the kids had suddenly flocked to her.

"No, my family’s not rich. It’s just that my brother is close with Chaerin unni, so he got an invitation. He asked me to go with him, so I went, and that’s how I got to know her."

She couldn’t quite reveal that her brother’s novel was being adapted into a drama and that the lead actress was Chaerin unni, so she settled on calling him an acquaintance.

"Wow! Really?"

"Your brother is awesome."

"Ah, I’m so jealous."

After hearing Dahye’s words, the kids looked at her with envy.

"Then what about those expensive clothes?! Didn’t you say you’re not rich?!"

One of the kids voiced the question everyone was wondering. How could Dahye have such clothes if she wasn’t rich?

"My brother bought those for me, so I don’t really know?!"

This was Dahye’s honest truth.

She had never gone shopping for clothes with her own money.

She’d never bought anything after looking at a price tag; her brother always paid, so she’d never thought much about the price.

At the party, she only ever heard, ‘The dress is pretty,’ or ‘It suits you,’ and never once, ‘Wow, you’re wearing such expensive clothes.’

This was the first she’d heard about the price.

"Does your brother make a lot of money?!"

"Hmm, I guess he does."

He was skilled enough to casually give her a big allowance every month. Ever since her brother started making money, they’d moved into a nicer house and their situation had improved, proving his capability.

"Wow... wasn’t your brother a high schooler?"

"Yeah, he is, but he does all sorts of stuff."

Before she knew it, she was bragging about her brother.

"I’m jealous."

All the classmates gazed at Dahye with the same envious eyes. A capable brother, a contract with an agency, and now she was even close with a famous celebrity—Dahye seemed to have it all.

The kids looked at her differently now.

Before, they hadn’t really noticed her, but after seeing her on PSY World, Dahye suddenly looked very pretty to them.

"Yoo Dahye. Can I see you for a moment?"

The awkward conversation with the kids ended, and Jung Minwoo called out to Dahye.

"Why?"

Minwoo, carrying a different air than usual, felt unfamiliar to her.

"It’ll only take a moment."

"Hmm, okay. Sure."

She asked for the reason, but he wouldn’t give her a straight answer.

She felt a bit strange but figured it couldn’t be anything serious, so she followed Minwoo.

"What is it?"

The place he led her to was the end of the hallway—a spot other students rarely passed by.

Minwoo composed himself and looked at Dahye.

"Dahye."

"Huh? Go ahead."

"Go out with me."

"What?!"

Jung Minwoo was a boy she’d once had a crush on.

At least five girls in the class liked Minwoo, making him pretty popular.

He’d always seen her as just a friend, and now, all of a sudden, he was confessing to her—it caught her off guard.

Strangely, though, she didn’t feel happy or excited. In the past, her face would have turned red and she’d have been unable to speak.

But now, her heart was completely calm.

"Thank you. But, I don’t think I can."

Dahye calmly shook her head, refusing Minwoo’s confession.

"Why? Is there someone you like?"

He’d thought she would accept for sure, so her rejection was completely unexpected and flustered him.

"No. It’s not like that."

Dahye trailed off for a moment, then spoke with difficulty.

"I used to like you. Really. But now, those feelings just aren’t there anymore."

Something she would never have dared to say before.

Back then, she’d have been too embarrassed to speak her mind.

But strangely, now she was being honest about how she felt.

It even surprised her a little.

"Right now, I have a dream. I want to chase that dream. Thank you for telling me how you feel, but I don’t think I can date anyone."

Dahye carefully chose her words, making her feelings clear.

‘The reason Oppa doesn’t date must be because of his dream.’

As she spoke, a face suddenly popped into her mind.

Her brother, up all night with the lights on, writing.

Beside him, Goh Daesik oppa, drinking coffee and drawing comics.

And Arin and Hyein.

What they all had in common was that they never took their eyes off their goals—they just kept moving forward.

They spent their nights working for something, planned out their days.

Being around them made her think about a lot of things.

The boys in class, who spent all their time playing around, now felt distant.

"Sorry. I’m going now."

She had nothing more to say.

Dahye bowed her head slightly, then coolly turned her back.

"Who does she think she is... tch."

After Dahye left.

Jung Minwoo gritted his teeth in frustration, glaring coldly at Dahye’s retreating figure.

Oppas—!

Dahye’s voice resounded loudly, filling the whole studio. She came bustling in, carefully set something down on the floor from her arms, and changed into slippers as if she’d done it a thousand times before.

"These are snacks, these are drinks, and this is a sponsored product!"

Looking up, her bright smile was full of a request. She was clearly here to ask a favor, and the sight was so blatant it made us laugh.

"What are you asking for this time, our cute model, bringing all this stuff?"

Goh Daesik smiled as he washed his hands and came over to Dahye. He started opening the bags she’d brought, eyes full of playful mischief.

"I got a sponsorship from PSY World this time. I need a photoshoot, pretty please, oppa."

Dahye carefully pulled out a sneaker to show Daesik. It was a high-top, white with a subtle blue line accent. She also took out a mint-colored dress made from quality fabric.

It had a matte finish, with gentle pleats, and its color shifted in the sunlight—a unique feature.

"Wow, this is really pretty! It’ll look great on you, Dahye."

Daesik alternated between the sneakers and dress, expressing his admiration.

He also hyped Dahye up.

"Heh, not bad, right?"

Compared to the past, she was now brimming with ease and confidence.

He liked that look on her.

"We’ll have to get the lighting just right to bring out its beauty."

Daesik tapped his chin with a finger, then quickly rearranged the white backdrop and lighting set up in a corner of the studio. It was a mini studio he usually used for drawing his comic characters.

"Dahye, go change. Your makeup looks fine today, but touch up your lips a bit more."

I organized the reference images on my screen and gave Dahye a once-over. Maybe it was the basic modeling and posing lessons she’d gotten from her agency, but her confidence and presence were really shining through.

"I’ll work on the captions for the photo album. Daesik, can I leave the pictures to you?"

"Okay, got it."

Just like that, an impromptu T.F.T team for Dahye was formed.

I sipped the drink Dahye brought as I brainstormed the ad copy.

Meanwhile, Dahye changed into the dress and sneakers and took her place in the set Daesik had prepared.

"Dahye, turn your right shoulder a little. Good. Now look slightly downward—that’s too expressionless, try raising the corners of your mouth just a bit."

Daesik adjusted the lens and coached Dahye’s pose like a pro.

He’d studied countless model poses and expressions for his comics, and now he was putting all that to use.

Dahye followed Daesik’s directions easily.

"Nice. Now, let’s try a little twirl. Let’s show how softly the dress flows."

Dahye loosened her waist just as she’d learned, shifted her weight to one foot, and posed as if spinning. She concentrated on Daesik’s words, even minding the direction of her gaze and fingertips.

"This time, let’s focus on the shoes. I want a shot below the knees. How about tying the laces while sitting?"

"Like this?"

Dahye perched lightly on a chair and pretended to tie the laces. Sunlight spilled across the floor, and the mint dress and sneakers against the white backdrop created a stunning shot all on their own.

"Yeah, that’s it. Perfect angle."

Daesik pressed the shutter repeatedly.

I turned to my computer and started working on the promotional captions.

[One-piece dress:

Faster than sunlight, blooming before the flowers.

With a fluttering hem, I tempt summer itself.

So light, the wind gets jealous!

Let’s all go flirt with summer.]

[Sneakers:

Summer begins at the tip of your toes!

Boing, boing—with every step, your heart bounces!

Lively, cool, just like me.

Freshness bursting from every step.

Want to give it a try?]

"Oh! As expected from our writer. These captions are killer."

About an hour had passed, writing and erasing several times.

Before I realized it, Daesik had come up behind me, reading the captions on the screen and grinning with satisfaction.

"You think they’re okay?"

"This is more than enough. I think they capture Dahye’s freshness and cuteness really well. It feels lively and vivid."

"I’m glad you see it that way. I was worried it might sound old-fashioned."

Relieved that my intentions had come through.

"Are the photos done?"

I glanced over at the set. Dahye, looking pretty tired, was lying on the foldable bed, resting.

"Yeah, when we took pictures before, she used to be so awkward. I guess people really do get used to things. She’s practically a pro model now—she strikes poses naturally. The photos will come out great. If I touch them up a bit in Photoshop, they’ll be perfect."

"You’re amazing. You study well, draw well, take great photos, you’re a computer whiz."

Even if I hadn’t helped Daesik, he would’ve succeeded in no time. He really is something.

"Amazing? Says the genius who became a successful writer since middle school."

"You’re exaggerating again."

"It’s not exaggeration, it’s fact."

"Heh. Anyway, thanks for putting up with my sister. I appreciate it."

"No need to thank me. If you want to thank me, keep writing fun stories. My only hobby is buying and reading your books."

"You talk big, you punk."

The more I get to know Goh Daesik, the more genuine he seems.

Snore, snore...

"...Is that snoring?!"

A sound cut through the air, drawing our attention.

"Seriously..."

The sound was coming from Dahye, lying there resting.

"She must be really tired. She said she doesn’t get home until after 10, going to Seoul for lessons."

Looking at the sleeping Dahye, a tinge of pity appeared on Daesik’s face.

"Honestly, just lasting this long is impressive. Let her rest. Let’s get back to work."

"I’ll head to the photo studio."

"Yeah, please."

Daesik removed the film from the camera and left the studio.

I watched Dahye sleeping for a moment, then got back to work.