Free Web NovelDuring the hiatus, the two of us, who had been plotting together how to somehow become models for Sansung Electronics, decided to become siblings.
“Whew....”
The two of us inhaled the air of official models together.
Shin Seojin had also become a Sansung Electronics model alongside me. While I handled phones, earphones, and smartwatches, Shin Seojin took charge of home appliances like refrigerators, TVs, and washing machines.
With an easygoing smile, Shin Seojin had recently appeared on a show program and properly showcased his cooking skills.
It was probably because a man who cooks well is always among the traits women like. Thanks to that, becoming an appliance model hadn’t been difficult.
“Wait, Yeoreum, what’s with that look in your eyes right now...?”
“I’ve been caught.”
“I can see your ambition leaking out—you want to steal my position, don’t you? Too early for that. I’m a man with an actual cooking certification.”
“You even have a certification...?”
“You saw me play the piano without a stand-in during <We Rund>, didn’t you? There was a time when the number one trait women liked in men was playing the piano well. Whenever the times change, I adapt too. I’m not the kind of guy who gets pushed aside easily.”
“Why are you this prepared as a man, senior?”
Shin Seojin shrugged.
“I want to be number one on the ‘man people want to marry’ list, that’s why. Why~.”
“Didn’t you take that spot during the latter half of <We Rund>?”
“I got it stolen by Ji Haebeom the very next month. I was happy for one month.”
Shin Seojin changed the screen on his watch as he spoke.
“Right. The music video was good. You’re good at romance. That brat—how much practice did he put in?”
“Please don’t forget to like every comment I leave on the MV.”
“I already hit like on all of them in advance in case I get audited.”
As expected, a gentleman among gentlemen.
“But that guy Myeong Jeha is definitely... different. How should I put it, ah, anyway....”
I should be receiving more praise for my acting, but the topic jumped straight to Myeong Jeha, and it pricked my pride.
On top of that, during the behind-the-scenes camera shoot, Myeong Jeha slyly acted like it was his first time doing romance, like he was a complete beginner at kiss scenes, which made me the only one who ended up feeling unfair.
‘People will still think I have experience, but that I’m worse than Myeong Jeha.’
He acted so convincingly innocent that I almost got fooled too. What a shameless old man.
“How does he get liked by women without even trying? It feels like he was just born that way.”
“Don’t worry about that. Women tend to prefer older men a bit more. Just a slight tendency.”
At my words, Shin Seojin showed an unusually shy smile. He even raised his fist to cover his mouth. What’s gotten into him?
“Really...?”
“Of course.”
“Really?”
That was when I realized something had gone wrong.
‘...Wait. Senior is way younger.’
But I didn’t bother correcting him.
The shy smile on Shin Seojin’s face, as he accepted that he, as an older man, would be more popular than the younger Myeong Jeha, was just too awkwardly endearing....
“We will now proceed with entry.”
Following the guidance of the guards speaking into their radios, we entered the pop-up store. The shutters of the reporters who had been waiting went off in dazzling flashes.
I raised my hand in greeting so that the wrist wearing the watch would be clearly visible. The day I would stand in front of real cameras wasn’t far off now.
The filming of <Seoul Metropolitan City> was just one week away.
* * *
Head of Asia-Pacific Originals at NetHolics.
In short, the APAC director, Andrea Shark, walked into the airport with unhurried steps.
Boarding the private plane emblazoned with the massive NetHolics logo, she took out a vial of artificial tears from her arms.
The one who made the final decision on whether to enter the Korean market. The one who finalized the selection of original productions. The one who held the greatest media decision-making power within NetHolics.
The explosive growth of NetHolics, driven by her sharp instincts, expanding at a maddening pace. She stood at its center.
However, when she requested a dedicated flight to Korea from headquarters, the meeting room had briefly fallen into a puzzled silence.
“Is that really necessary?”
Korea was not yet a market ready for full entry, so the reaction was natural. Moreover, major Chinese investors had withdrawn, making it even more questionable.
NetHolics entering Korea had been expected.
K-dramas were weak in Europe but strong in Asia, so everyone agreed the timing was right.
But Andrea’s visit meant something different. There was no need for her to go personally.
Still, she gestured to her secretary and replied in a confident voice.
“It is necessary.”
She had heard about Jinhae. One of the expansion strategies the IP was aiming for. That was to blend content into everyday life.
I want to try it, I want to go there, I want to do it.
If the reaction didn’t end with the success of the work but continued to carry on, the power of that IP would generate so much added value that it would be impossible to measure.
Leaning back comfortably in her seat, Andrea picked up her tablet PC. She wanted to check the MV that was still receiving comments even now.
<The Great Garland>, which had recorded a mega hit across Asia. Two actors from that very work, which Andrea was also familiar with, had appeared.
Their acting was quite decent.
‘But not yet.’
However, being good at acting alone wasn’t enough to break into a new market.
The United States, and Europe.
She thought of the barren lands where K-dramas had yet to spread. The sense of unfamiliarity from different cultures hindered deep immersion.
No matter how similar human emotions were, there would inevitably be moments where something felt slightly off.
For example, a scene a director wanted to emphasize in a peculiar way.
At a dining table, waiting until the eldest person picks up their spoon before eating is completely natural in Confucian cultures.
But for audiences in non-Confucian countries, that dining behavior alone creates a strong sense of hierarchy.
That was why, for their first original K-drama production, she chose an extreme situation.
A hospital is fundamentally recognized as a place «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» that saves lives.
This fact wouldn’t change in any country.
The white walls of a hospital and the sacred cross stand like a fortress against illness.
But if zombies appeared.
If the place became filled with beings that were neither dead nor alive, then all those existing beliefs would shatter.
A situation where you can no longer rely on the medical staff. Tools that once saved lives turning entirely into weapons. And furthermore, Seoul—naturally the center—becoming isolated.
The MV she had been watching ended. Among the related videos, a familiar face appeared.
INTUBE
[MV Dohwaseon — With that kind of heart — Shim Juhwan OST]
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An actor who, after becoming an adult, had only two works in their filmography, yet both became mega hits across Asia.
Andrea had watched both <Beyond the Closed Door> and <The Fuse>, but Do Gyeoul in <The Fuse> had been far more impressive than Do Gyeoul in <Beyond the Closed Door>.
That chilling gaze that seemed unable to accept something at all. The cold anger embedded deep within.
There was a sense of distance that naturally made the viewer put up a wall.
As she stared at the tablet, a flight attendant approached and announced takeoff.
“Alright, shall we go?”
Carried by the plane as it soared cleanly into the sky, the head of NetHolics set her course for Korea.
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* * *
A big catch is coming.
“Yesol. This is really serious. What are we going to do?”
The news that Andrea Shark was coming to Korea spread in an instant.
Public attention was already entirely focused on <Seoul Metropolitan City>. The three major broadcast stations had each released new works, but all of them were mediocre.
Neither <The Great Garland> nor something like <Unfair Trade> that could ignite viewers had appeared yet. Monday–Tuesday dramas, Wednesday–Thursday dramas, weekend dramas.
At best, they were moderate successes.
“So what is Yeoreum doing these days? That group chat you guys have still exists, right? The one you left me out of.”
