It’s a few days after the release of our reality show teaser, which caused quite a stormy sensation.
While I was getting my makeup done for the album jacket photo shoot and reviewing the reference materials for the shoot, our manager approached me with a serious expression and called my name.
“Seungbeom-ssi.”
“Yes, Manager-nim.”
I listened with a lighthearted attitude, thinking that at best, Do Yuda or Zen must have caused another sort of trouble, but the manager immediately leaned down and whispered in a very low voice.
“Dicoon sent you a proposal to become their ambassador.”
“…What?”
At those words, I froze in place like a broken robot. No, what kind of ambassador proposal did the manager talk about while I was getting my makeup done in this chaotic waiting room?
“After the last broadcast, your pajamas became viral on SNS, and they completely sold out. It seems like Dicoon has taken that into consideration.”
“…….”
I recalled the memories of that stormy day at the manager’s words.
Idol Outfit Information Account (@idoL_closet)
PantheOFF teaser #1 Han Seungbeom Pajama Information – Dicoon Silk Short Sleeve Pajamas Basic 02 ₩4,890,000
For a moment, I thought it was info about Nihwalee outfit, not the Captain’s. Captain, are you a golden spoon.…? You probably haven’t even received your earnings yet … Did you buy it with the contract money?
└ He must be having a sponsor hahaha. Ugh, what an ugly way to live, tsk tsk.
└ Sir … what’s the matter? Even if you’re so consumed by your inferiority complex that you’re going around spreading false information and defaming others, Han Seungbeom doesn’t even know you exist ^^
└ Finished sending the PDF to Fox with love ♥ Captain, let’s get another pair of pajamas with the settlement money. I love you ♥
Account owner, please share the information about Lee Hwayoung’s pajamas as well!
└ They’re custom-made.
└ Seriously, this group is crazy……
The pajamas Han Seungbeom wore are sold out woah. His outfit shot even made the insane price tag seem insignificant.
└ It was seriously pretty, though. As soon as the teaser came out, everyone went crazy asking where it was from, right
└ Han Seungbeom’s face privilege hahaha
└ Looks like the Muses went a bit overboard. I wasn’t able to get my hands on it ㅠㅠ haha
└ The price is too expensive for Seung Minsu, so I don’t think the Muses were the only reason it sold out T.T… The widely accepted theory is that it became a massive hit once Inheartgram influencers and celebrities jumped on the bandwagon and bought them
└ The Myumyus are beggar
It was a bit embarrassing to see such a big deal made over a simple pajama, but I have to admit I was surprised too. How many people would have known about the existence of ridiculously expensive pajamas made by luxury brands?
‘You guys, did you really have to buy pajamas that cost 5 million won?’
Buying pajamas that cost millions of won should only be done by people with extraordinary economic concepts, like Choi Jeokhyeon. Even when I made a lot of money back in my original body, I never bought clothes like that. It felt a bit strange that I caused others to make purchases that I wouldn’t even consider myself.
After it became a hot topic on community sites and SNS, I couldn’t contain my rising anger and called the crazy dopamine addict who orchestrated all of this to confront him.
“Just because your life is a flower bed, doesn’t mean you need to make mine like that too, you crazy bastard! You did this on purpose, knowing full well that I wouldn’t know it. You should have thought about the consequences before you acted. Why the hell are you doing this?!”
“Because it’s fun, haha.”
“…….”
I decided the course of my life after that.
I will kill all these f*cking bastards who are messing up my life and return this body to Han Seungbeom. And then, I’ll achieve Buddhahood.
My life was so unlucky. I had to live with that kind of person as my friend.
As I swallowed back the curse and clenched my teeth, Choi Jeokhyeon seemed to think it was time to stop the joke, and he said this.
“It was a bit of a prank, but I didn’t do it to cause you harm. There’s no way I would try to ruin your life.”
“Based on the way you’re acting right now, it looks like you are trying to.”
“Just wait a little longer. There might be some good news.”
‘Is this the good news he was talking about?’
There were plenty of brands that made reasonably priced clothes with more trendy designs, but I began to have a clearer idea of why he specifically picked Dicoon for me.
‘It wasn’t just a simple gift, damn it, Choi Jeokhyeon.’
Recently, Dicoon had started to become aware that it was being overshadowed by other brands due to its old-fashioned image, and it was highly likely that they were looking for celebrity ambassadors to break out of the slump. I was aware of that, but I never would have thought of intentionally wearing outrageously expensive pajamas to create a controversy and get noticed by the brand.
I hate wasting money.
‘It wouldn’t have been this controversial if it was an item that people would consider ‘okay’, like an outing outfit or bag, even if it had a similar or higher price tag.’
No, but shouldn’t he ask for my opinion too?
“Haa…..”
My head started to ache as I pictured Choi Jeokhyeon’s sly smile. As I sighed heavily in exasperation, the manager, with a slightly uneasy look, spoke to me as if to persuade me.
“We’ll have to go back to the company to find out the details, but it’s certain that the offer has come through. There’s nothing particularly problematic, and if Seungbeom-ssi is okay with it, I think it would be fine to accept the offer.”
“…….”
The manager’s appeal put me in a dilemma.
Although I ranked high in the boy group individual brand reputation analysis due to my success on Survive IDOL and my high popularity, my career was still lacking to become an ambassador for a prestigious fashion house. Furthermore, wasn’t Dicoon a brand that had been taking a conservative stance on collaborations with celebrities?
So, this was quite a gamble on the brand’s part.
‘It feels like the role might be a bit too much for me….’
There was no need to rush to become an ambassador, as the offers would eventually come once I established my career and gained influence overseas. However, I couldn’t ignore the fact that the image of a ‘
celebrity who was coveted by luxury brands even before debuting
’ would probably be of great help to me in the future.
After pondering the situation for a while, I nodded to the manager.
“I’ll have to take a look at the contract first, but if it doesn’t deviate too much from the typical ambassador contract, I think it should be fine.”
“Then I’ll pass it on to the company right away!”
When I answered positively, the manager’s face immediately lit up and he grabbed his phone and left. It seemed like he had received a bit of a hard time from the higher-ups regarding the ambassadorship issue.
…..Goodness gracious.
***
“Good! Nice! Perfect! Flawless!”
As I struck a pose that matched the concept in the green background set prepared for chroma key, the photographer enthusiastically showered me with compliments while pressing the shutter.
Normally, on set, such reactions were habitually given to keep the subject’s spirits up, but seeing him grin and shout at the top of his lungs, it seemed like it wasn’t something he was saying it out of obligation.
‘You must be quite pleased with the result.’
As the reactions started to become overly excessive to the point of feeling burdensome, the photographer, wiping the sweat dripping down his face with his sleeve, shouted, “Okay! Thank you for your hard work!”
“Are we done already?”
When I questioned why the shoot was already wrapping up when it had been that long since we started, the photographer replied with sparkling eyes, as if asking what the problem was.
“Yes! Is there a problem?”
“It seems to have ended much sooner than I expected.”
“Ah, right! It did end too quickly. I don’t really pay much attention to time. If the subject isn’t skilled and the results aren’t good, the shoot can drag on forever, but in the opposite case, it can be over in a flash. Rest assured, Seungbeom-ssi, we finished early because you already have so many usable photos.”
“…I see.”
“By the way, I’ve never seen anyone this skillful when they’re still a rookie. Wait, no. It feels like you finished it faster than veteran celebrities? Seungbeom-ssi, you must be born with it. Seeing how well you’re doing despite having no experience, you’re 100% talented.”
“Thank you. I hope we can work together again next time.”
I smiled innocently toward the photographer who was enthusiastically praising me while mentioning my experience, and then I bowed my head to express my gratitude.
‘I didn’t deceive you on purpose.’
It seemed that the combination of Han Seungbeom’s unreal appearance and my years of experience made the photographer and the surrounding staff think that I was a total born genius.
Besides, how could I say, ‘
Oh, actually, I have a lot of experience. Because I’m Seo Yutae
‘? I simply smiled innocently and greeted the surrounding staff as I walked around.
Please spread the word that I’m a brilliant prodigy.
After finishing the jacket photo shoot so smoothly, I left the set and headed straight to where the other members were.
“Zen-ssi, please put your mouth where it belongs!”
“I haven’t said anything yet. You’re being unfair.”
“No. I don’t mean that you’re loud, I mean that your lips are weirdly shaped. No crucian lips, no!”
“I didn’t do it on purpose. I was born with the appearance of a carp.”
“It comes out unconsciously because you’re nervous. I think it would look better if you relaxed a little.”
“Yuda-ssi, you shouldn’t open your eyes in drowsy manner.”
“…It doesn’t look sexy?”
“Yes, it doesn’t.”
“I’m sorry…….”
I watched the two idiots struggling loudly with a cold expression on my face.
‘Yeah, this is what a normal beginner’s photo shoot looks like.’
It was a moment that reminded me that even if you’ve been filmed in front of a camera many times before, it’s one thing to be photographed in a stage, but it’s entirely another thing to be photographed in a still, un-choreographed position. Especially since Zen and Do Yuda had this strange obsession with looking cool, it was obvious that every shot they took was destined to fail.
‘If they’re lucky, they might get at least one good shot. Idiots are idiots, but the photographers are professionals.’
I quickly distanced myself from those two and walked away.
When I arrived at the other set, I almost backed away at the sight in front of me.
“Ugh, huh…..”
At the front of the set were Woo Kangwon doing push-ups and Lee Hwayoung holding dumbbells.
Is this Taereung
1
or a concept photoshoot set?
No, I got it. Before a shoot where you had to show off your physique, it was natural to do some pumping up. I also remember doing the same thing when I was in my original body
However, seeing someone else doing that with my own eyes, it felt like I was watching the frantic paddling of a swan beneath the surface.
2
While I was caught up in such strange thoughts, I made eye contact with Lee Hwayoung.
As I watched Lee Hwayoung put down the dumbbells and pretend like he hadn’t done anything, I had no choice but to keep my mouth shut.
“…….”
“…….”
A silence so suffocating it felt like someone might die continued.
I looked away and opened my mouth as casually as I could.
“…Do your best.”
“…….”
.
.
.
After returning to the waiting room, I decided to just sit back and rest.
I had learned that wandering around aimlessly would only drain my mental strength.
“Phew…..”
When I leaned back on the waiting room sofa and unlocked my phone, a website that seemed to have been left open earlier appeared instead of the default homescreen.
‘Ah, it scared me.’
It was the same community that had leaked our personal information the other day. I’d been checking in periodically, so I guess I had forgotten that I had it open.
Once I realized what the site was, I immediately put my phone down and looked around to see if anyone was present. It wouldn’t do any good if it became known that a celebrity was monitoring a shady community.
But contrary to my worries, the waiting room was empty, as most of the staff were out filming. I sighed with relief and picked up my phone again to close the site.
And in the process of doing so, a post title that naturally caught my eye made me stare blankly at the screen, frozen in disbelief.
Wow, there’s a fake Seo Yutae in RH Entertainment’s new group omg omg
…..What?
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Translator’s Corner:
Taereung (태릉)
is Korea National Training Center. It’s the first athletic training center of South Korea. Basically, it’s the national facility to train atheletes. ↩︎
You know how a swan always appears swiming so calmly, gliding gracefully across the water? Very demure, very pretty. Actually, underneath the water, the swan’s two legs are paddling swiftly, frantically, and continuously to keep up her momentum above. MC is using this metaphor to show how Kangwon and Nicholas “putting in a lot of effort behind the scenes”. Since the concept photo later would show them looking so cool with their exposed body, but actually to reach that “cool”, they were working hard. ↩︎
I can’t add footnotes in netizen comments, so well….. here
Sponsorship (스폰)
in the realm of entertainment industry, this refers to
financial relationship where one person provides money or gifts to another in exchange for sexual favors
. So, an artist having a “sponsor” is not a good rumor to have, that’s why MC is freaking out.
Seung Minsu (승민수)
it’s from
Seung (From Seungbeom) + Minsu
. I was actually stuck at this first because I was like ??? Seungminsu who ? Is this typo ? so I left to eat lunch, and while I was suffering from the spiciness of chicken feet (I cant eat spicy foods so why did I do this to myself….) I SUDDENLY REMEMBERED WHAT DOES IT MEAN.
So, there’s this a hit webtoon titled “Cheese in The Trap”. I never read them so idk much, but I watched the kdrama adaption, and back when I was in school, I really like that drama so it kinda stuck on my memory … okay. So, in this drama. There’s this character named Son Minsu (손민수). At first she was decribed as your usual stereotypical unpopular outsider timid girl with glasses. The kind of classmate that would make you “huh? we have classmate like her?”. Minsu admired the MC, Hong Seol. Seol is that ordinary-looking girl with curly hair (in MC webtoon standard you know, how the ordinary girl got the most handsome boy trope), but she’s the smartest student on their department and popular with the others. So, later after a short university break, this Minsu appeared in campus looking a lot like Hong Seol. It was 100% imitation, from hairstyle to outfits. Even make up style. Even copied all MC’s items and later plagiarized her assignment too. Later when MC go public with the ML, she even secretly pretended the ML is her boyfriend, stealing MC’s couple phone holder with the ML too. When MC found out, she confronted Minsu why she stole her phone holder. But Minsu said she didn’t and cried and basically playing the victim card. In short, she’s a legend in the webtoon world.
Okay you might ask, why she’s so fenomenal? Isn’t “a villain imitating the MC” a common trope? The thing is … MC literally didnt look like your usual pretty girl MC. Her hairstyle literally looks like a dog hair. So ofc people would think “
Why are you imitating someone like that???
“. And CITT is one of the OG popular webtoon. So from then on,
people would call someone who imitated the behavior and clothing style of people around them as “Son Minsu”
.
Later, this term developed. The act of “
purchasing clothes or products used by celebrities
” is called “
손민수질 (Son Minsu Disease)
“, and ‘
an item purchased by many people because it was used by celebrities
‘ is called “
손민수템 (Son Minsu Item)
“. In this way, “Son Minsu” has become a term synonymous with ‘
copycat
‘ and
‘imitation fraud
‘. This is what used by the netizen talk except they changed the Son to Seung to fit Seungbeom’s name, because it’s the act of people purchasing product following what Han Seungbeom wore.
omg that’s a whole class … aren’t you glad learning someone new everyday … check out the drama if you like college romance. The MC is portrayed by Kim Goeun, who starred in Goblin and Exhuma. The side characters are starred by big names like Lee Sungkyung and Nam Joohyuk too.
Anyway, I added Han Seungbeom’s age explanation in the previous chapter’s translator notes. So, in case you missed it because you read too early, you can check it out now.