Chapter: 109
—
The shocking episode of
Of course, the fuss escalated since a part of that expensive dodom was turned into spicy soup.
—
Post: Isn’t this dodom a bit scripted?
Wasn’t that a fishing variety show from long ago?
Didn’t the divers secretly help by pulling fish up from the water?
Is this also some kind of trick?
—
Such comments were often flying around.
But surprisingly, these claims were swiftly rebutted.
– What do you mean, scripted?
└ What?
└ Huh?
– How can you script a dodom?
– Looking at how it was caught, it was alive. If it was all staged, you’d have to admit it honestly.
– LMAO, right?
The fact that the caught dodom was alive meant it could hardly be scripted.
Honestly, anyone who’d watched the show wouldn’t even think such a big dodom could be faked.
Just looking at its visuals, it looked like something that could swallow a person in one gulp.
While discussions were bubbling in the general community,
—
[Joo Su-yeon with a fishing rod vs. Chae Seo-ah]
In Joo Su-yeon’s fan community, such debates were rather serious.
– Honestly, Su-yeon with a fishing rod would be stronger.
– Axes or kitchen knives have short reach.
– Chae Seo-ah is fast, so she just whacks it.
– Haven’t you seen how Su-yeon swings that rod? If it hits Chae Seo-ah, it’s instant split!
– If they got into a fight and ended up injured, Hong Jeong-hee would win, LOL.
Despite being a fan community of actresses, half of the posts were still about match-ups.
But they didn’t only have such content.
– Seoyeon is pretty.
– You can tell she gets all excited whenever she’s on variety shows.
– Yeah, she’s natural.
– She seems nice.
– Honestly, she doesn’t have a nice face, right?
– She’s nice though.
Over time, the number of fans for Seoyeon was slowly increasing.
Viewers who originally enjoyed The Sun Hidden by the Moon were tuning in.
Those who watched Close Your Eyes ended up searching for the actress, leading to more fans.
Beginning in earnest after The Chaser and Dream Future, her fan base started to grow rapidly.
And with her appearance in Star Fisher, she even attracted fans from a broader age range.
Now, registered users had reached five thousand.
—
And Seoyeon’s influence didn’t stop at the fan community; it reached unexpected places.
“Director, our fishing rod sales have doubled recently??”
“…What?”
Right then, a domestic fishing rod manufacturer, famous for its products, was experiencing an unexpected boom.
In a market dominated by Japanese brands, such an increase in sales was quite extraordinary.
“Why?”
“Recently on Star Fisher, a female actress caught a dodom…”
“A female actress caught a dodom? Isn’t that staged?”
“There are some whispers about that, but what she caught was astonishing.”
The manager showed the video that was already circulating as a short clip.
It wasn’t just any catch; it was a dodom flying out of the water.
“Is this CGI?”
“…Some say that too. Ahem. Anyway, this rod we used is ours.”
The fishing rod company had been continuously sponsoring Star Fisher.
The recent fishing rods that appeared were pricey, designed to withstand quite a bit.
“But did you see how it held up while catching the dodom? If you search for dodom fishing on YouTube… it’s just after seven minutes when it bursts!”
“Hmm, but ours broke at the end…”
“Yeah, to be honest, if it were American or Japanese rods, they would’ve broken long ago. Anyway, that’s probably why it got so much attention.”
Who would have guessed that sponsoring one of the few fishing variety shows would turn out this way?
“…Do we have any advertising models?”
“Of course, we do.”
“How about this Joo Su-yeon actress?”
The manager pondered for a moment.
Joo Su-yeon was an actress that gained momentum with recent events.
If approached now, it might be the best time.
“…Should I reach out?”
With the manager’s suggestion, CEO Kang Dae-sik nodded.
But he also felt a hint of regret.
“If I had known this would happen, I should have contacted her sooner.”
Before, Su-yeon had a value comparable to a rookie.
But now?
She was definitely worth much more.
Even if it was merely hype, she was truly a hot topic in the industry.
As Su-yeon was becoming the hottest potato in the advertising world.
“Prices have gone up again.”
Earlier, a brand had already secured a spot for her at the lowest point.
“I’m impressed by your insight, Director.”
“Wow, the myth of a luxury brand! No wonder it’s possible.”
“They say heroes emerge in troubled times…”
Éclat Étoile.
The company that made Joo Su-yeon their advertising model when her value was at its lowest.
“Ahem, I realized that long ago. It dates back to when I first saw The Sun Hidden by the Moon ten years ago.”
These days, when he went to the office, colleagues were busy showering him with praise as they dolled him up.
Sales, which had bottomed out, were rapidly rebounding.
If things continued like this, they might even surpass peak sales.
“Ah, but there’s something ambiguous about this.”
But, of course, there’s always someone who throws a wrench in the plan.
The head of the business strategy division, Jeong Tae-soo, was that person.
“Ahem, ambiguous, you say?”
“Director, we’re a luxury cosmetic brand, right?”
“That’s true.”
“While our cosmetics are flying off the shelves, the highest seller is…”
“Highest seller?”
“Sunscreen.”
“…Wait, what?”
Sunscreen.
Well, it is a beauty product, after all.
“Our actress, Joo Su-yeon, runs around so excitedly every time she appears on variety shows, she seems to grab everyone’s attention.”
—
Survival Without People, and Star Fisher.
Both were shows that female actresses typically avoided.
Why?
Well, they could easily get labeled as burdensome, ruining their image.
And they had to endure the scorching sun for long hours.
Their skin would tan and roughen.
With exhausting filming planned, actresses usually steered clear of these two shows.
But despite being on both, Seoyeon’s skin was sparkling.
No sign of blemishes or even a tan.
At this point, rumors spread online: “Éclat Étoile’s sunscreen is that good.”
“We might end up becoming a sunscreen brand at this rate.”
“Ahem.”
Well, of course, there’s nothing wrong with strong sales.
The mood at the company was amazing, and everyone was busy praising Director Baek Min-chan.
“But still, we are definitely a luxury cosmetic brand.”
Well, there’s no downside to sales, but they also needed to keep an eye on their image.
“Of course, there are lots of positives. Some customers who use sunscreen end up trying our other products.”
“So, shall we film another ad promoting not just sunscreen but also everything else?”
“By the way, we’re preparing to launch a new premium line soon.”
The exact release date was about a month away.
“Right. How about investing some money and properly shooting this one?”
“Hmmm…”
Internally, people suggested using a different actress to advertise the new premium line.
Someone with a more sophisticated image.
But they were concerned about Seoyeon’s age.
As a young actress, her main audience was primarily teens and early twenties.
Most of her ads were for products aimed at those demographics.
This new line, however, targeted a wider audience of older individuals.
So they were thinking of casting an additional adult actress…
“Alright, I’ll bring this up with the director.”
“Thanks!”
Tae-soo bowed slightly as he responded.
Originally, he hadn’t found Seoyeon reliable.
After all, at the time she was relatively unknown; how much influence could a young actress have?
But her beauty was undeniable, so he accepted.
But the director’s words were spot on.
There’s a hint of lightness to it, but Director Baek Min-chan had an eye for talent.
The sales were proving it, weren’t they?
And as The Chaser and Dream Future aired,
Seoyeon’s recognition soared rapidly.
Her bright image from variety shows was a big plus.
We can manage a luxurious image through our cosmetics.
Managing an actress’s image was also something advertising companies had to consider.
Seoyeon could definitely handle it.
Tae-soo was now convinced of that.
—
Just when discussions in the ad industry were heating up over this,
Star Fisher had a reunion gathering to celebrate the recent buzz.
Normally, they’d have done this right after filming, but the chaos over the dodom had thrown everything off.
“Thanks to Seoyeon, I got to have dodom spicy soup.”
“…I had no idea it was that expensive.”
Seoyeon replied softly.
It was true.
Who would guess that was a fish only caught a handful of times in a year?
After filming, she stumbled into her Wiki article during her usual ego-searching and realized…
Joo Su-yeon Incident/Controversy section.
Notably, the dodom spicy soup controversy was listed.
Could this be the very first controversy…?!
No matter how you slice it, a dodom wasn’t just any fish.
How should she put this?
Wouldn’t it make her seem a bit foolish?
Seoyeon paid subtle attention to her image.
Just yesterday, the clerk at the convenience store asked her, “Why would you make spicy soup with a dodom?”
Who would have thought this would be such a big deal?
“Well, it’s such a large fish, so making spicy soup is not out of the question.”
“That’s true.”
As I-sang Soo and PD Jeong Seung-hyun chatted, Seoyeon made a slightly hesitant face.
But Liam from Thunderst, who also appeared with her, was feeling mighty down.
And who could blame him? Seoyeon’s epic win overshadowed him completely.
Honestly, many wouldn’t even realize he was a co-star.
Liam, leisurely nibbling on grilled fish, turned his gaze away from the stares.
And then, he made eye contact with Seoyeon, who was staring intently at him.
“What’s up?”
“Nothing. Just…”
Seoyeon squinted at Liam.
Now that I think about it, he seems familiar.
During filming, he was all dolled up, so she hadn’t noticed. But now, with typical makeup, she had a vague recollection.
From a not-so-great event…
She recalled something that hadn’t even turned into a big issue, just a brief mention in an internet article.
An incident that led to the disbandment of Thunderst.
“…By the way.”
At that moment, I-sang spoke up to Seoyeon.
“I watched your movie this weekend.”
“Really?”
“The Chaser, you know. Honestly, I’m not great with thriller films.”
I-sang absentmindedly reached for his soju glass, then hesitated.
After all, they hadn’t ordered drinks since Seoyeon was still underage.
“Honestly, watching the movie, I can hardly believe it’s the same person.”
I-sang chuckled as he said that.
Chae Seo-ah from The Chaser had drawn in darkness.
But the Seoyeon from the variety show seemed like a ray of sunshine.
The subsequent Dream Future wasn’t quite his vibe, but there was still something captivating about her.
An actress.
Now that he couldn’t see himself acting anymore, those words felt too bright.
Seoyeon was just that fitting as an actress.
“If I get a chance, I’d really want to act together someday… Aah, just ignore my rambling.”
As he said that, Seoyeon thought of I-sang the actor.
An actor who faced a significant failure in Hollywood.
To put it precisely, his pride as an actor had been utterly crushed, leaving him lost in his path.
If I recall correctly, I-sang would retire completely after five years.
After Star Fisher, his presence would fade from the broadcasts.
But…
“Sunbae-nim.”
Seoyeon said while fiddling with her empty glass.
Personally, she didn’t want to see him retire.
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