Éclat Étoile.
A company famous for women’s cosmetics.
Some say it’s a French company, but in reality, it was a domestic brand based in South Korea.
It was pushing a luxury strategy… or at least it thought it was.
“Aah, with Song Hee-bin’s contract coming to an end, we really need to find a new ad model.”
The brand strategy team at Éclat Étoile had been having headaches lately.
Sales in the cosmetics sector had plummeted due to the rise of new brands.
To be precise, they were struggling against competition from other cosmetics.
The actress Song Hee-bin, who they had used as a model for five years, was finally leaving after this contract.
“She definitely must have gotten offers from other cosmetics brands.”
Recently, Song Hee-bin gained massive popularity from a currently airing drama.
Naturally, she would want to work with brands that could offer her more money and higher value.
“Aah.”
Team leader Jung Tae-soo was feeling the pressure.
It was becoming painfully clear that they were falling behind other brands.
“Shouldn’t we use a model with more recognition?”
“The budget…”
“But if we pick a lesser-known celebrity, it’s meaningless.”
“That’s true, but if we use a famous one and the results don’t come through, it’s going to be hard to recover losses.”
It wasn’t just about the amount paid to celebrities.
The real issue was the potential loss if they brought in a popular celebrity and the sales numbers didn’t meet expectations.
Honestly, they were already hanging by a thread.
Since Song Hee-bin’s contract was off, they needed to find a new model within a month.
“She said she might extend, and yet, this is how celebrities are…!”
Team leader Jung Tae-soo yelled in frustration.
But what could he do? It was their fault for not presenting better contract terms.
“Uh, Team Leader.”
“What is it, Assistant Park?”
“How about this one?”
Assistant Park displayed a picture on his tablet screen, showing a woman from [Past, Looking Back].
The star who gained significant attention as the grown-up Yeonhwa, Joo Seo-yeon.
And she was on some cable broadcasts too, apparently.
“She definitely has a good face. But isn’t Joo Seo-yeon a bit unknown for an ad?”
“That’s true. But she’s bound to rise, right?”
“Oh, so you want to bet on her future?”
“Yes, exactly!”
Seeing Assistant Park nodding vigorously, Jung Tae-soo sighed.
This wasn’t a child’s game, betting on an uncertain future.
“Assistant Park, when was Yeonhwa last relevant? Joo Seo-yeon hasn’t really appeared properly anywhere, and you know? This film she’s shooting is a thriller.”
“That… is true.”
“A thriller with a female lead? She’s most likely just going to be a supporting role. When will her next project come? How will we build up her recognition? She’s a child actor who disappeared for ten years; she’s barely made a splash in theater. Who’s even going to watch? Theater audiences?”
“……”
Assistant Park sulked and returned to his seat.
Jung Tae-soo thought he may have been too harsh, but it was just how it was.
Advertisements boil down to image and recognition.
No doubt Joo Seo-yeon had stunning looks.
But looks mean little when it comes to advertisements.
The luxury of the product and its appeal to women were what truly mattered.
“But I’ve got to submit a report.”
At least he’d shortlisted a few candidates.
However, there had to be celebrities among them that higher-ups were interested in to proceed.
“Two idols and two actresses…”
They all had some level of name recognition.
As Jung Tae-soo pondered on one last candidate, he thought, “Well, why not? Joo Seo-yeon.”
It’d be fine to add her as a filler.
Her face wasn’t exactly a bad fit.
She had some buzz recently, right?
Of course, Jung Tae-soo wasn’t thinking too much about it.
It was merely to fill in space on the list, nothing more.
A week later…
“Yes, Joo Seo-yeon?”
The Éclat Étoile director visited the brand strategy team.
A large man stood there with a beaming smile.
“Wow, Team Leader Jung has an eye for talent. Let’s go with Joo Seo-yeon for the next ad model.”
“Huh??”
Wait, what?
Jung Tae-soo wanted to ask, but…
“Thae-sum-dal and Yeonhwa! You know, ten years ago, I was really having a tough time, and that drama pulled me back together. Oh, did I tell you that story? It was exactly ten years ago, in the summer.”
The director droned on for an entire hour.
Jung Tae-soo had no idea.
He didn’t know that the director, Baek Min-chan, was a huge fan of the Thae-sum-dal drama.
“Uh, but Director, isn’t Joo Seo-yeon a bit low-profile…”
Cautiously, he spoke up.
“Ah, visibility! You know as well as I do, it’s not always about hiring the hottest star. Sometimes you gotta do what’s called ‘low-entry buying,’ right? You sign a deal when the price is low!”
“Um?”
Now, that’s low-entry buying?
“Ahem. Anyway, it may seem risky, but you know that I have a knack for this. I saw that child artist ten years ago and thought she was going to blow up. Just look at how splendid her comeback has been. Trust me, in a year, her name value will skyrocket.”
Jung Tae-soo had a whole list of counterarguments about why Joo Seo-yeon was still just a high school actress.
But Baek Min-chan had a fine instinct.
His instinct wasn’t just about having a good eye for talent—it was about that sharp “sense of success.” He was the kind of guy who started from a small room and built the business into what it was now.
“……Alright.”
But honestly, he had little faith in it.
But if the bosses say so, he had to go along with it.
After yet another two weeks.
Éclat Étoile, Company.
“Hello, I’m Joo Seo-yeon, a rookie actress from Nova Entertainment.”
Thanks to Baek’s strong insistence, a young actress showed up.
*
“A cosmetic ad?”
Seo-yeon pondered seriously.
Cosmetics were still a tough subject for her.
Not that she didn’t wear makeup.
Her unbeatable TS skin kept her porcelain smooth without needing care.
Under the sun, she didn’t even need sunscreen; her defensive skills were top-notch.
She was pretty even without makeup… but of course, her mother, Suah, wouldn’t just let that slide.
“At least wear some basic makeup, my daughter.”
“……”
And so, she began applying BB cream and at least a minimum of lipstick or eyeliner.
She wasn’t gifted with her hands, so she didn’t do it very well.
Plus, most of the time, professional makeup artists handled her makeup anyway.
For an actress, getting used to makeup was unavoidable.
“But an ad…”
A cosmetics advertisement was like a badge of honor for women.
Getting picked or not was akin to pride for female celebrities.
Even Lee Ji-yeon had done BB cream ads at one point.
Thinking back to how much she bragged about it…
“Oh my, Seo-yeon! You got a cosmetics ad? Éclat Étoile is a brand I use too! Look at mom’s keen eye!”
In reality, Suah used the brand’s products.
Though she didn’t use them often due to the price, she loved their lipstick for its great pigmentation.
Of course, that felt a bit distant for Seo-yeon.
Ultimately, she had no choice but to accept the cosmetics ad.
It was a good opportunity, after all.
“Hello, I’m Joo Seo-yeon, a rookie actress from Nova Entertainment.”
And so, at Éclat Étoile’s office.
Being a brand that claimed to sell luxury cosmetics, the company looked very glamorous.
“This company seems to have some reputation.”
Getting a chance from such a company?
Seo-yeon honestly felt a little puzzled.
Even her manager, Park Eun-ha, could feel the tension.
“I’m Jung Tae-soo from the business strategy team. And…”
“I’m Baek Min-chan from Éclat Étoile.”
Even a director showed up for the meeting.
Do directors normally show up like this?
Seo-yeon had experience in companies in her past life.
Higher-ups usually didn’t bother to show up for such meetings.
A team leader showing up was already a rare occurrence.
Or was every celebrity ad contract like this?
“Ahem, I’m just here to observe, so you don’t need to mind me too much.”
Baek Min-chan said this.
But why would he come in the first place?
That was the mystery, but…
“Well, you must have heard some details by now. We at Éclat Étoile would like to propose a 1-year exclusive ad model contract with you, Seo-yeon.”
“A year?”
“Yes, and of course, after that, we can extend the contract and renew it again. The terms will definitely improve.”
The first contract had to be extra cautious.
It sets the standard. You can raise prices but can’t lower them.
Seo-yeon didn’t think too much about it.
Given her low recognition, she was certain the contract fee wouldn’t be too high.
But then…
“4 billion for the exclusive model fee for a year.”
Oh, 4 billion. …Huh?
“4 billion?”
4 billion was a figure she had only seen as game money in her life.
She had filmed dramas and received film contracts as a B-level actress.
Her film contract was about 200 million.
But 4 billion? That was double!
Considering the difficulty of the shoot, it was a mind-blowing sum for Seo-yeon.
“Honestly, I could survive on half of that.”
Jung Tae-soo felt the sting.
Someone like Seo-yeon, they could easily manage with just half that amount.
But Baek Min-chan demanded a strict standard.
He insisted on giving at least B-level rates.
Because it would prevent her from easily leaving for other offers when her contract expired.
Given the situation with Song Hee-bin, it was understandable, but still, it felt excessive.
“……What are the terms?”
After reading through the contract carefully, Seo-yeon nodded.
There didn’t seem to be any excessive clauses.
Park Eun-ha, her manager, also nodded.
In fact, it felt like very favorable terms for Seo-yeon.
It almost felt like there had to be some hidden agenda behind it.
“I’ll do it.”
With 4 billion on the line!
Forget about the cosmetics; what did it matter?
“When will the ad shoot start…?”
“I’ll give you the schedule, so just provide the available dates.”
With Manager Park Eun-ha’s comment, everything progressed smoothly.
The ad negotiations, and the signing of the contract would be later for inspection, but it was practically set.
“Oh, but I heard you have a role in a thriller film. What character is it?”
“Um, that’s… confidential.”
“Aah, understood. I was curious, but that’s a bummer. As you know, what role you play does affect the ad’s image.”
Feeling good about finally signing the contract, Seo-yeon awkwardly smiled at Team Leader Jung Tae-soo’s words.
She couldn’t divulge, as it was a term newly stipulated in the film contract.
“Come to think of it, isn’t this a problem?”
The murderer role.
Seo-yeon dismissed it lightly, but it could hugely affect an actor’s image.
Especially if played well, it could resonate even more.
‘…Hmm.’
Isn’t this a big deal?
4 billion.
Seo-yeon stared intently at the contract.
She suddenly saw 4 billion flying into the sky.
It was quite a well-known story that actors who played murderers often got dropped from ad contracts because of their images.
Seo-yeon was even doing a cosmetics ad.
If the movie hits, there’s a 100% chance she’d be cut off.
“I need to improve my image before that.”
Seo-yeon felt a rush.
She had to find a role that would counterbalance the image of Cha Seo-ah before that 4 billion was snatched away.
Coincidentally, there happened to be one movie and one drama that could help her.
But the problem? Both projects were linked to people she had connections with.
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