“Hello~?”
As I sat down in an empty seat on the bus and answered the phone, I heard a voice I hadn’t heard in a long time.
Hello, this is Seol-hwa Geum! Do you remember me?
“Yes, what’s the matter?”
“Um, so when should I head over?”
Are you… okay with this?
“Yes, well… my sister can handle themselves with whatever food is at home. I don’t really have much to do, and it sounds kind of fun.”
The sudden request from Ms.Seol-hwa was to act as a substitute model.
It wasn’t anything too difficult—apparently, the original model had something come up suddenly and had to cancel, so I was the only person she thought of as a fitting substitute.
She explained that she would pay me, that it was perfectly fine to refuse, and even if I did agree, since I had no prior experience, it wouldn’t matter as long as I didn’t seem completely out of place.
After expressing gratitude and getting the location details, I got off the bus.
“Hmm… It’s quite far from home… I’m not familiar with this area either…”
It would take about an hour to walk, and since I’d never been here before, finding the right bus route was time-consuming.
I stood in place, kicking a pebble on the ground, deliberating. In the end, I decided to take the subway.
Among the rattling subway cars and the countless people traveling even on the weekend, I found myself in a new neighborhood.
“Wow… So this is Gangnam…”
I had entered Gangnam, the heart of South Korea’s metropolitan area and the hub of the largest floating population.
The difference was palpable.
This was nothing like the countryside or even the neighborhood I used to live in.
Even though I now lived in Seoul—albeit on the outskirts—this was on an entirely different level.
Even during the daytime, the streets were packed with people, and the buildings were dazzlingly extravagant.
There were foreigners everywhere, something I’d never seen before, and towering skyscrapers that seemed to fill the sky.
“Alright, focus.”
Shaking off my daze, I hurried to the location Seol-hwa had sent me.
***
Geum Seol-Hwa POV
“Phew… I made it!”
“Manager, did we secure a replacement?”
In the heart of Seoul, on one floor of a large shopping mall, dozens of people were bustling about.
Half were working on clothing design and development, like Seol-hwa, while the other half were responsible for shooting and presenting the finished garments.
“We can cover the no-show for outfit number 8! But since I called the replacement on short notice, it’ll take some time for her to arrive. Let’s move on to the next outfit, and we’ll shoot number 8 when the substitute gets here!”
“””Understood!”””
At Seol-hwa’s instructions, everyone replied in unison.
Geum Seol-hwa was the general manager of the clothing brand Noabelphi.
She worked as a fashion designer and also oversaw shooting, design, and overall management for a brand commonly referred to as “Noa.”
Incidentally, her hobby was creating cosplay costumes.
“Manager, that’s a relief! Outfit number 8 was designed by you, wasn’t it? Even though you’re busy, you still manage to create designs like this… But is the substitute suitable?”
One of the recently hired interns asked energetically.
“Ah… well, to be honest, she’ll probably suit it even better than the original model.”
“Lower the collar a little! Make the expression more natural!”
“Lower the collar further. The focus needs to shift downward.”
They were in the middle of a shoot with the cameraman.
“Hello~”
“Hey.”
“What were you doing? You’re late.”
The person responsible for delaying the schedule arrived nonchalantly, smoking a cigarette.
“The traffic was a bit heavy. Why’s our manager so upset?”
He exhaled smoke as he walked in, holding his cigarette.
Taking off his jacket, a large tattoo on his back became visible.
The intern, who had been watching curiously, quickly stepped back, noticing the chilled atmosphere in the studio.
“Put your hand down, Kang Han. Don’t act like a jerk just because your dad got you here. You know we had to use a substitute because of your delayed schedule, so don’t stir up trouble and just do your shoot quietly.”
“…Alright, sure.”
“Everyone, stop spacing out and let’s keep going!”
“”Yes!””
Honestly, I couldn’t stand the guy.
Maybe it was because his father was the CEO of Noa, and he had been spoiled.
He had height and looks, but no personality and no manners.
A parachute model, through and through.
Rumors about him messing around with women were rampant, and most staff avoided him.
He seemed to enjoy the situation, repeatedly showing up on set and forcing his way onto the shooting lists through connections.
“Should I just quit? Seeing him stresses me out and gives me headaches…”
During a short break, as I seriously pondered this, my phone rang.
“Hello? I’m in the middle of a shoot—what…? Sigh… Alright, I’ll head over as quickly as I can.”
A sudden issue had arisen, and Seol-hwa hastily packed her things and dashed out.
“It’ll take about two hours, so handle things yourselves! There’s not much left, so work hard!”
***
Lee Su-yeon POV
“…Am I really okay to be here…”
I had received a message from Ms. Seol-hwa saying something urgent had come up.
If I entered now, I’d be surrounded by strangers, in a completely unfamiliar environment, doing something I didn’t know much about.
It reminded me of how I felt in my early 20s, starting my first part-time job.
“Hello!”
From the frosted glass door, I could already sense the atmosphere inside.
The soundproofing wasn’t great, as I could hear the shutter clicks and the hum of people’s chatter.
Taking a deep breath, I opened the door and stepped inside.
The studio was momentarily enveloped in silence.
Some turned their heads at the beautiful voice they were hearing for the first time, while others blinked in confusion and surprise at the familiar voice.
“I came as a substitute at Ms. Seol-hwa’s request! Please take care of me!”
“…Senior?”
In the studio completely covered in white, Si-ha held a pose while staring at Su-yeon.
Fortunately, I wasn’t turned away.
Rather, many people approached me, asking various questions and even expressing their admiration as fans.
Amid the chaos, after the greetings had somewhat concluded, people got back to work.
They measured me with a tape measure and seated me in front of a dressing table.
It took only a few minutes for the studio to return to the same bustling pace I’d observed when standing outside the door.
“So, the substitute was you, senior?”
“Unfortunately, it turned out that way. What are you doing here? Modeling?”
Si-ha nodded.
“Impressive…”
After having a short conversation with Si-ha for a few minutes, he left.
“Hmm… That guy should become Min-young’s son-in-law someday…”
I was mumbling to myself when someone approached me.
“Wow~ Fancy meeting you here again. Do you remember me by any chance?”
“Uh… yes, your name is…”
I vaguely remembered being handed his business card before, but I couldn’t recall much else about him.
The only thing that came to mind was that the atmosphere hadn’t been very pleasant back then.
“I’m Kang Han. I think I’m older, so can I just speak casually?”
“Ah, sure… do as you please.”
It didn’t matter to me whether someone used formal speech or casual speech.
The man who introduced himself as Kang Han naturally moved a chair and sat right next to the one I was sitting in.
“So, what’s your name?”
“I’m Lee Su-yeon. Are you done with your shoot?”
“Yeah, I’ve finished, but something unexpected came up, so I’m sticking around for a bit. Can I get your phone number? You don’t seem to have much makeup on, but you’re more than good enough as a model. Your height’s a bit lacking, but I like petite women, so you’re really my type.”
Kang Han let out a laugh as he placed his arm on my shoulder.
Taken aback by his entirely unanticipated move, I simply stared at him with a look that asked what he was doing, then brushed his hand off.
The hand that had rested on my shoulder reeked of cigarette smoke.
“Ah, my bad, my bad. I got too comfortable. Anyway, can I get your phone number? They’ll probably start looking for you soon.”
“Do you know him?”
One of the staff members, who had left me waiting in a corner of the spacious studio while selecting a few outfits, asked me this.
“No, we just met once while working before.”
“That’s a relief. Let’s hope it stays that way. I enjoy watching your streams. Costume team! Show them where to change and help them match the concept!”
“Yes!”
“Wow… This seems pretty impressive.”
“Not at all. Normally, Manager… I mean, Ms. Seol-hwa, handles everything, but since she’s not here, the studio feels a bit disorganized. You should probably finish the shoot quickly and head back today.”
As I followed instructions from someone who looked like a new hire, I realized two things: my viewers tended to be older than I thought, and Ms. Seol-hwa was someone remarkable.
“Hello! I heard about you from Senior Seol-hwa! I’m Park A-ram! N…nice to meet you!”
The person who stood out the most from the beginning—a diligent newbie running around enthusiastically but accomplishing little—struck me as endearing.
“So, the concept is ‘The Night in the City’! The outfit is a basic pair of jeans with a clean white T-shirt, topped with a coat designed by Senior Seol-hwa herself! At first, it may seem like a mismatch, but I loved it! You usually don’t exude a cold or older-sister-like vibe, so I think trying this on will really change your atmosphere!”
A-ram rattled off his thoughts as if he were a home shopping network salesperson.
I took the clothes and stepped into a small fitting room.