After the fan meeting, Joo Seo-yeon suddenly realized she hadn’t expressed her gratitude.
She was unsure of the exact reason why he had handed her the coffee.
Maybe he was just trying to comfort her because she looked a bit down.
But, aside from that…
“I just snatched the coffee without saying anything.”
All she asked was, “Why are you here?”
Well, Park Jung-woo had something to do, so she thought she should treat him to a meal later.
And while she was at it, she decided to contact him right away.
“Are you crazy?”
That was the reply she got.
Concerned about a scandal if caught meeting an actress alone, apparently.
And he was a minor, too.
Park Jung-woo firmly believed they should never be seen alone together.
“It can’t be helped.”
Looks like she’d have to treat him later.
Since Jung-woo didn’t respond any further, she decided to let it go.
Actually, her motive for wanting to treat Park Jung-woo to a meal wasn’t anything fancy.
“I wanted to ask about Min Se-hee, the writer.”
Since they were currently filming Sky Garden, she could easily find a way to talk to her without going through Jung-woo.
But it felt awkward.
She’d failed to ask her friend Jung-woo about what he liked.
“Did he catch on?”
Clearly, like a true actor, Jung-woo was perceptive.
He probably sensed she had something to ask.
But that was typical of Jung-woo.
Anyway, the fan meeting had affected Seo-yeon in many ways.
Who would have thought she’d run into him there?
“……”
Thinking of that complicated scenario made her feel puzzled.
“Let’s think about that later.”
Seo-yeon resolved herself and diverted her gaze.
Currently, she was in her manager Park Eun-ha’s car.
And today…
It was the day they had a meeting with the chair brand, Aids.
*
“Hello, I am Kwak Hyun-woo, the team leader of Aids’ advertising planning department.”
“Hello, I am actress Joo Seo-yeon.”
As they exchanged greetings, she sensed the other person was sizing her up.
That kind of scrutiny was something Seo-yeon was pretty used to.
She knew why.
First of all, because she was young.
And also, due to her limited experience in the past, they doubted her ability.
That was the prevailing sentiment, but now it seemed like a different kind of suspicion.
In fact, she had experienced such scrutiny once before.
“If he turned on the lights, the PD would definitely be giving me that look.”
Basically, a gaze filled with the question, “What on earth is this kid doing here?”
But this time, it felt more like, “What’s this actress doing here? How much is she hoping to take from us?”
“Well, Aids doesn’t use high-priced models relative to its brand reputation.”
It seemed that using expensive models didn’t yield much effect.
For the record, this was information she picked up not from her past life but purely from recent internet articles.
On the other hand, they were currently expanding their business.
However, due to fierce competition in the domestic chair market, it felt like they were struggling to find new avenues.
“I’ve seen you a lot on TV lately. The Éclat Étoile ad you shot was really good too.”
As soon as they entered the meeting room, Kwak Hyun-woo started with that line.
Starting with compliments.
That was a basic strategy.
You had to make the other party feel good to better discern their intentions.
Kwak Hyun-woo was also watching Seo-yeon closely, just like she was.
“Why is she here?”
He couldn’t directly ask such a question.
Moreover, the Seo-yeon standing in front of him was not someone you could casually joke around with.
“She’s clearly a high school student, about to turn eighteen.”
She was still very young for an actress.
Yet her looks and aura didn’t scream “young actress.”
Her expression was unreadable, making it hard to gauge her thoughts.
And her crimson-tinted eyes were serene, as if they could see right through him.
Kwak Hyun-woo could rattle on about the movies and dramas Seo-yeon had appeared in, but all he got was a nod from her.
Other than the occasional nod, she displayed little to no response, which left him feeling increasingly uneasy.
“The manager seems to trust the actress a lot.”
It was as if every decision was made solely by the actress herself, and the manager quietly listened.
Usually, it was common for young actors to have their managers handle meetings, so this was a bit unusual.
“…May I ask why you wanted to set up this meeting?”
Eventually, Kwak Hyun-woo posed that question first.
After all, if it was about an advertisement, he would have to decline and send her away.
He had just given her some compliments, so surely there wouldn’t be any bad feelings.
He didn’t plan to use Seo-yeon as a model again, but you never know.
It was best to keep all relationships harmonious.
At that moment, as Kwak Hyun-woo observed her, Seo-yeon opened her mouth.
“First off, I’m a little interested in the Aids advertising model.”
As expected.
Kwak Hyun-woo thought to himself, “Well, why wouldn’t she be?”
Then came the dilemma of how to frame a refusal, as those thoughts crossed his mind.
“…Sky Garden.”
“Pardon?”
“I’m currently looking for a sponsoring brand for Sky Garden. A recent announcement just went up.”
Why was she telling them this?
Wasn’t it strange for an actress to mention a drama sponsorship?
But even if she mentioned that a sponsorship slot was available, fitting in a chair advertisement felt tricky.
More importantly, he had no clue what Sky Garden was about.
After all, he wasn’t an industry insider, so how would he know what any unreleased drama was about?
“Sky Garden is primarily about the stories of students.”
To be precise, it satirizes private education and academic background.
So, naturally, there would be plenty of scenes of students studying.
At school and at home.
That was when Kwak Hyun-woo started feeling a flicker of interest.
Now he understood why Seo-yeon brought up Sky Garden.
“She probably thinks that getting sponsorship for Sky Garden would be effective.”
However, Seo-yeon didn’t say that directly.
Asking for sponsorship in a drama wasn’t something an actress should do.
Instead…
“I’ll be playing the lead in Sky Garden.”
“…Lead?”
“Yes.”
Kwak Hyun-woo paused to gather the information he knew.
“Joo Seo-yeon hasn’t played the lead before.”
He had heard she won a leading role in a recent movie audition.
That final round had become quite the hot topic.
But that was just her competing for the lead role; she hadn’t acted as a lead in any movie yet.
All the films she had starred in had been a bit murky when called “lead roles.”
One had her as a villain.
The other was categorized as a lead but didn’t carry the weight of taking on a leading role.
Maybe it could be considered supporting with a lead status.
“But now, she’s playing a lead role?”
Sure enough, they weren’t wrong about calling her an upcoming star; her speed at landing roles was extraordinary.
How many projects had she shot in a year?
Something like that crossed his mind.
But then again, many rising stars appeared in all three broadcasting station dramas, so it wasn’t as if Seo-yeon was unique.
“Sponsoring a chair brand for the lead role in Sky Garden…
Indeed, there was merit in that.
The only problem was not knowing the extent of it.
“Is it really okay for you to tell us such things?”
“What if you improperly reveal who the lead is?”
“It’s fine; it was announced yesterday.”
Oh, really?
A quick check on his smartphone revealed an article about Sky Garden.
Indeed, it stated that the lead role had been cast for Joo Seo-yeon.
The article must have been featured prominently; thus, it didn’t seem something hidden.
With the sponsorship announcement already made, it didn’t contain any confidential information.
Seo-yeon only shared information known publicly.
Rather, he felt embarrassed for being unaware of all this.
“The timing is quite coincidental.”
This was just as Aids planned to release student chairs.
Development was already complete, and they were only debating the launch date.
Naturally, they hadn’t settled on a model yet.
“It’s true this product is significant.”
The Korean chair market was saturated these days.
To the extent that there were even many foreign brands filling the market.
In this scenario, Aids was attempting to find a way out, and since their main focus had been office chairs, it made sense to now shift towards student chairs.
When considering that, Sky Garden was certainly an attractive project.
Let alone the lead actress Joo Seo-yeon was also a big draw.
“But….”
Kwak Hyun-woo fell into deep contemplation.
He was still skeptical about needing to use an expensive model.
Seo-yeon observed Kwak Hyun-woo’s face as he wrestled with that dilemma.
“Thank goodness.”
Noticing his troubled expression, Seo-yeon let out a sigh of relief.
What she knew about Aids was rather scarce.
In her past life, they had launched student chairs and lost money because they were overshadowed by a similar brand that came out around the same time.
Why were they completely squashed?
Well, it all came down to Sky Garden.
The chairs sponsored on Sky Garden established a brand creating a grand effect, leaving Aids in the dust.
“But that brand… not so much.”
First off, three years from now, they would be caught smuggling cheap Chinese parts.
There’d even been controversies regarding misconduct, and all the models that appeared in those ads were left with a bad reputation.
So Seo-yeon hoped Aids would take that spot.
For the record, Aids was also the brand of the chair she used in her previous life.
It was the chair she sat on while working her first job.
“If Aids secures that spot, it won’t be problematic.”
In fact, it would even fit their image better.
Reviews had certainly indicated their performance was better, and this new chair was blatantly a “student-only” chair.
There was a chance it might have an even bigger impact than in her previous life.
After thinking that, Seo-yeon opened her mouth.
“I don’t expect to receive a high contract fee.”
To Kwak Hyun-woo, who was lost in thought, Seo-yeon prodded.
“Just pay me the same as your current advertising model.”
“Pardon? Are you serious?”
Kwak Hyun-woo’s eyes widened.
What was happening?
If that was truly the case, then uh-oh! There was no need for deliberation; they should contract immediately without hesitation.
“Except.”
“Oh, yes.”
Hearing “except,” Kwak Hyun-woo regained his composure.
“Surely there would be a condition attached.” If it were ridiculous…
“I need you to take stunning photographs.”
“……Huh?”
“Especially, make sure they look intelligent.”
“……??”
Kwak Hyun-woo thought she was joking.
But looking into Seo-yeon’s intensely serious face, he realized she was sincere.
“So, umm… are there no other conditions?”
“No.”
“Then.”
“You really should take beautiful photos.”
“Of course.”
How many times did she need to stress that?
“But is that really it?”
Kwak Hyun-woo was baffled.
What did she mean to take beautiful photos?
Well, it was an advertisement, so it must be taken beautifully.
That thought crossed his mind, but…
“Ah, yes, of course. Surely that’s what we should do.”
Anyway, it was a chance to use a rising star cheaply.
Kwak Hyun-woo was no fool; there was no way he would let this opportunity slip away.
*
Thus, Seo-yeon concluded the negotiations.
She genuinely hoped Aids would sponsor Sky Garden.
“Considering it’s a sponsorship, it will probably be finalized later.”
That point had come up in the news before.
Due to a lack of chair sponsorships, they had to settle for random options, but in the end, it turned out great.
After that time, all the student brands secured their spot, so those expectations began to manifest while filming Sky Garden.
“Aha, another sponsorship came through.”
However, Min Se-hee, the writer, wore a troubled expression.
As Seo-yeon had hoped, Aids had apparently come in as a sponsor shortly after.
“Since I’ll be directing the PPL anyway, don’t worry too much about the script.”
Director Kim Il-soo chuckled heartily.
Naturally, if there was a PPL, it had to surface in the story, causing writers to pay attention to the script.
Of course, many writers also couldn’t care less.
In those cases, directors often covered it up with their direction.
“That’s a relief.”
Listening to the conversations around her, Seo-yeon internally sighed in relief.
Aids had genuinely brought in solid PPL as she stipulated.
“This chair ad will have Seo-yeon in it, right?”
“Ah, yes.”
“I saw the recent poster, and it turned out really well!”
Director Kim Il-soo laughed while saying that.
It was quite common for actors appearing in dramas to also appear in ads.
“Oh, so that’s why the PPL came in.”
Min Se-hee seemed to understand belatedly.
After all, it was an excellent opportunity.
As long as the drama did well, at least.
But honestly, Min Se-hee lacked confidence.
“…But will it really do well?”
She was uncertain if her script would resonate with audiences.
Everyone had said it was good, but it felt vastly different from the public broadcast vibe.
“Sigh.”
While pondering that and letting out a sigh, she sensed a peculiar gaze nearby.
“……?”
When she turned her head, there was Seo-yeon’s face.
Surprised, Min Se-hee gasped as she realized Joo Seo-yeon was staring at her intently.
Why hadn’t she made a sound before approaching?
“Min Se-hee, writer.”
“Yes, yes?”
“…Could we chat for a moment?”
At that remark, Min Se-hee froze.
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