Chapter 112
“It looks good. Do you like it?”
“Uh…”
Noh Bi-hyuk couldn’t take his eyes off the screen.
I asked, “Shall we watch it again?” and he nodded eagerly.
I moved the mouse to replay the video.
“Just like the director said, we look like twins. The dance moves are similar.”
“Right…”
He was completely out of it.
It was funny seeing Noh Bi-hyuk so speechless, so I secretly recorded the video. I planned to show it to him later.
The monitor played a video of Noh Bi-hyuk and me dancing to a song.
‘The movements are definitely different.’
The camera movements were distinctly different from those in movies or dramas.
The scenes, edited to match the beat, became even more dynamic.
When Team Leader Choi had said we could look forward to it, I didn’t take it seriously, but it turned out to be true.
“There are comments asking who you are.”
“Wow…”
The video with Noh Bi-hyuk and me had significantly fewer views compared to the official version.
I was worried he might be upset about it, but seeing his face, I realized I didn’t need to worry.
After staring blankly at the comments for a long time, Noh Bi-hyuk suddenly turned his head.
“Why are you so calm? It’s your first commercial too.”
“That’s true.”
“Right. The official version is more important than the one I’m in. Sorry, I was too focused on myself.”
“I can watch it after you leave. Don’t worry.”
Despite my consideration, he said it was fine and played the official version. He was instantly impressed.
“The quality is insane.”
“Right?”
The special video with Noh Bi-hyuk was good, but the official version was incomparable.
Thick typography popped up between cuts of me dancing.
English words representing the brand identity appeared and disappeared along my dance moves.
‘It’s really stylish.’
The commercial perfectly embodied the keywords from the proposal.
Freshness, coolness, vibrancy, and youth.
My hair, outfit, and the location changed constantly to match the four different shoe colors.
“It turned out great. Amazing.”
“The director is known in the advertising world.”
“It’s not just the director; you look great too! Look here and here.”
Noh Bi-hyuk excitedly took the mouse from me.
The scenes he pointed out were the ones where I had particularly focused on my expressions. He had a keen eye.
“When I tried them on, I thought the design was really pretty. I should buy a pair.”
“You don’t need to. Yours are coming tomorrow.”
“What?”
“Team Leader Choi asked for your size, so I told him. He’s sending them with mine.”
Noh Bi-hyuk scratched his head.
“Should I accept them? Shouldn’t I politely refuse?”
“They’re giving us the sneakers instead of a fee. Don’t refuse and take them.”
Despite my casual tone, he still seemed unsure.
However, the next day, he was thrilled when he saw the sneakers.
“These are awesome! Look at the vibrant colors. They turned out great!”
“Right.”
“Which color do you like best? Wow, I like them all. They’re all pretty!”
Noh Bi-hyuk, hugging all the sneakers, asked with an excited face.
Color?
“They all look the same.”
“What are you talking about? They’re all different.”
“…Yeah. I made a mistake.”
Seeing his serious face, I apologized and picked one randomly.
For the first time, he seemed intimidating.
But really, they all looked the same.
According to Team Leader Choi, they were ‘new releases suited for the transition from summer to fall.’
Refreshing ocean blue, mysterious sky blue, bittersweet baby blue, and deep classic blue. So…
‘They’re all just blue.’
I felt a bit aggrieved, but I couldn’t say more seeing his face.
“I’ll wear these to school tomorrow. What about you?”
“I don’t know. You?”
I responded nonchalantly to Noh Bi-hyuk while examining the sneakers.
The material was odd. Too thick for summer, too thin for winter.
‘They’re really just for one season.’
Economically, they weren’t very efficient sneakers.
But that night, seeing Mist running towards me in those sneakers, I thought they weren’t so bad after all.
Ocean blue suited Mist the best.
* * *
“Yeon-jae, I saw the commercial yesterday! Did you take dance lessons?”
“You dance so well. Are you attending a dance academy?”
“I was really shocked watching TV! You could be an idol!”
The chaos started as soon as I arrived at school.
They didn’t talk to me this much even during ‘Goodbye, My Summer.’
Before I could respond, Baek Seo-jin drove the crowd away with her rabbit-like face, then sat next to me.
“Next time, don’t just smile. Tell them to go away. They don’t usually talk to you, but they come to you only at times like this. It’s annoying.”
Why was she so angry?
Puzzled, I just smiled and replied.
“They’ll stop eventually, so why bother?”
“Ugh! It’s worrisome. You’re too nice. You can’t even say harsh things.”
What did she think of me?
“Seo-jin, thanks for worrying, but… I’m not that nice.”
“Only nice people say that.”
Baek Seo-jin shook her head.
I didn’t respond because it wasn’t worth it.
Continuing the conversation seemed pointless since she didn’t trust me.
“Are the shoes you’re wearing today from the commercial?”
“Yeah.”
“What color are they? I want to buy a pair too.”
“Ocean blue. There are other colors too, so check them out.”
Baek Seo-jin immediately pulled out her phone to look them up.
Enjoying the quiet, I turned my attention to my textbook. Silence was indeed golden.
“Wow, Yeon-jae, did you see this?”
―Not even two minutes had passed.
Before I could ask what it was, Baek Seo-jin shoved her phone in my face.
“Remember the person you saved? They donated in your name.”
“…What?”
What was she talking about?
I quickly took her phone and read the article.
It was about a high school principal who donated 10 million won to a child care facility, and my name was mentioned.
―This donation is special for a particular reason. Could you tell us why?
I wanted to express my gratitude to Actor Lee Yeon-jae. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be here. I might still be stuck on that mountain. I desperately wanted to show my appreciation, but the actor declined several times. So, I decided to donate instead. This donation will be the start of my continuous support for child care facilities.
‘So, he’s a high school principal.’
The person smiling brightly in the photo looked much better than when I saw him on the mountain.
That was good, but did he really need to donate in my name?
I hid my mixed feelings and returned the phone to Baek Seo-jin.
“Some people called it a publicity stunt, but seeing the interview from the other side makes me feel relieved.”
“There weren’t many comments like that anyway.”
“But it’s still annoying. Ugh! You’re too nice. Try to be a bit more like Noh Bi-hyuk.”
“Calm down, Seo-jin.”
I soothed the fuming Baek Seo-jin.
Poor Noh Bi-hyuk got criticized without being present.
After confirming the disappearance of the controversy regarding the child care center, I hadn’t checked people’s reactions.
Now that I had some time, I decided to take a look.
* * *
ProfessorPlease @daehagwonsaeng
Lee Yeon-jae smiling and dancing is so refreshing, it’s like I’ve had all the fruit for the year. Thanks.
Yeon-jaeDay @yeonjae_day
Yeon-jae’s dance is insane ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ He acts well, looks good, speaks well, even walks well, and now he dances? This can’t be real. Am I obsessed with a 2D character?
Gonyang @kdae_555
Review of the new Look sneakers. They’re worth the price. I have wide feet, but they fit well. The label gives them a unique feel. I bought two colors just in case, but I plan to buy the others too. And thinking of Lee Yeon-jae’s face when I wear them makes me happy.
└Purchased~!
└Bought it immediately because of the last line… Great promotion…ㅎ
[Title: I’m seriously curious, why is Lee Yeon-jae so good at dancing…?]
Was he originally a trainee? Then switched to acting?
―I’m a Biyeon and our café is in chaosㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Oh! Our Bambi filmed a commercial → Huh, Bambi dances → ?????? Everyone’s like thisㅋㅋㅋ
└What’s a Biyeon?
└Lee Yeon-jae’s fan name.
―I was also shocked watching TV;; For the first time, I searched for a commercial. He dances really well.
―Sadie choreographed the dance. There’s a demo video on Sadie’s channel.
└No wonder the quality is top-notch. Sadie did it. This must have cost a lot;;; └You can smell the money just from the video.
[Title: When does Lee Yeon-jae rest?]
Is it just me, or is he always in entertainment news this year?
―ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋAgreed. He works hard, but everything he does goes viral. Everything he touches turns to gold.
└He’s a born entertainer. How did he live as an ordinary person?
└For real, everyone at my school talks about Lee Yeon-jae.
―The commercial is super addictive. No lie, I watch it five times a day.
└Check out the special video on the Look channel! He filmed it with a WB Entertainment trainee, and that guy’s visuals are no joke tooㅋㅋ
└How do you know he’s a trainee?
└It’s already famous among the sasaengs hanging out in front of WB Entertainment.
* * *
Lee Yeon-jae’s fan club president was happy.
Stuck in a packed subway on the way home, listening to the commercial music on repeat, her mood was bright. Why?
‘Finally, I found him.’
She had finally found her favorite celebrity.
She liked Yeon-jae since he appeared as an extra in a yellow hat and even created a fan café, but she wasn’t certain.
However, seeing Yeon-jae’s bright smile and dancing, she couldn’t deny it anymore.
The god of fan culture, pitying her wandering, had finally granted her a true idol.
‘From now on, it’s only Yeon-jae. Nothing else matters.’
No more wandering.
Feeling peaceful, she pulled out her phone.
Though it was hard to move her hands in the crowded subway, the power of love was strong.
‘My baby is good at everything…’
She watched the commercial she had replayed countless times the night before.
The brand had uploaded multiple versions over a week, from 15-second TV spots to full versions and concept-specific one-takes.
She was ecstatic about the constant flow of videos.
The one she was watching now was her favorite among the four concepts.
‘Keep your eyes on me!’
Yeon-jae, humming a beat-filled pop song, was simply beautiful.
His usually calm hair was wavy, bouncing as he danced.
She couldn’t resist capturing the scene again, despite having done so dozens of times.
As she endured the tough commute, a message from a fellow fan popped up.
‘Link?’
No explanation, just a link.
Normally, she’d suspect phishing, but she knew this was a warning from her friend.
Preparing herself, she clicked the link and immediately covered her mouth.
Otherwise, she might scream in public.
[Notice] Lee Yeon-jae X Look – Fan Signing Event Application Announcement