Chapter 1489: Contributing (4) |
“Again,” said Choi Yeon-Ha.
“…!” Im Yeo-Jin’s face grew slightly paler. “U-unnie, I think it came out beautifully, though?”
“Again.”
“…!”
Im Yeo-Jin grew tearful while staring at Choi Yeon-Ha’s reflection in the mirror.
What else am I supposed to do to your face?!
That mirror was reflecting the face of a goddess, after all! Even without make-up, Choi Yeon-Ha was beautiful. However, even someone like her still needed make-up when exposed to the camera lens. Was it because she wanted to look even more beautiful?
Of course not. No, it was because of the special environment of the film shoots. Whether it was filming an ad, a TV show, or a movie, or even performing on stage, actors and idols would always get exposed to the harsh glares of the spotlights. When those powerful bulbs cast rays of bright light on a person’s face, their complexion would get a figurative glow-up, making them look even more attractive, but there was also a downside: one’s facial contours would get blurry and undefined.
It was the make-up’s job to bring those contours to life.
“Can you see it?”
Im Yeo-Jin blinked her eyes. “Sorry?”
“Right here,” said Choi Yeon-Ha while pointing to a spot below her right eye. “Can you see all the subtle wrinkles here?”
Unnie, I don’t think you understand what wrinkles mean, so… Most people would call that smooth-as-silk skin. Did you learn Korean in an African school or something?
Choi Yeon-Ha unhappily yelled. “Look at how coarse it is! It’s making me look old, okay?!”
“U-unnie, I… I think it looks perfectly fine, though?”
Even if it was not fine, Im Yeo-Jin shouldn’t be blamed here. After all, taking care of wrinkles wasn’t the purview of a make-up artist like herself! No, that problem should be handled by South Korea’s excellent, world-renowned skin care specialists and cosmetic surgeons!
Did she really want to cover up the “medical issue” with some make-up? What kind of tyranny was this?!
“Unnie, you don’t look older at all, you know? No one will look at you and think you’re already thirty.”
“Say what?”
“…!”
Oops!
“What I’m trying to say is that you have a baby face, unnie! Yes, a baby face! No one has a baby face quite like yours, you know?”
Im Yeo-Jin hurriedly “retouched” what she said as cold sweat trickled down her forehead. Unfortunately for her, Choi Yeon-Ha’s response remained frosty.
“A baby face, my foot! When some people literally haven’t aged at all!”
“Sorry?”
Choi Yeon-Ha scowled subtly. What the heck! Did those people gulp down the elixir of immortality or something?
One of the impressions she got while visiting the Martial Assembly was that everyone she ran into didn’t look their age!
Did she mean Kang Jin-Ho? No. She could understand his situation, since he really was a young man on the outside. Regardless of how wrinkly the soul sitting in his head was, the body was at least that of a mid-twenties young man. Since that was the case, him looking young made perfect sense.
But Lee Hyeon-Su looked young enough to be around the same age as Choi Yeon-Ha, even though he was much older than her! And that was the story for everyone else, too. For instance, Wiggins.
That man looked like he was in his early fifties… No, honestly speaking, he could have passed off as someone in early forties without that hairdo and his beard/mustache combo. So, imagine how shocked Choi Yeon-Ha was upon learning of his true age!
Do they mix preservatives with every food they eat? Is that it?
Choi Yeon-Ha was fairly confident about her baby face. People always complimented her for it, after all. However, that didn’t change the fact that she was a mere mortal who would get older with every passing day. It was impossible for her to cheat time like those people.
I better ask them to teach me their secret!
Getting plastic surgery might help with stopping the advance of time for a little while, but she was not a fan of that idea. However, it wasn’t because of some vain excuses like her rejection of artificial beauty or the confidence she had in her natural looks.
Who cared about such things if she could become even prettier?
No, the real reason was that Choi Yeon-Ha was far too scared by the idea of scalpels touching her face.
I mean, I’m too scared of needles and can’t even stand getting injections, so…
Besides, slowing down one’s aging was not the same as making one’s face look younger even as one’s body continued to age. While telling herself to interrogate Kang Jin-Ho to find out the secret behind everyone’s youthful appearance, Choi Yeon-Ha glared sharply at her reflection.
“So… You think it’s not possible to do more. Is that what you’re saying?”
“Yes, unnie. I think it’s just your imagination…”
While thinking that even a plane wouldn’t have produced a human skin that smooth, Im Yeo-Jin cautiously studied Choi Yeon-Ha’s mood.
Even though the general consensus was that Choi Yeon-Ha’s personality had suddenly changed for the better, people didn’t transform that easily. Especially when it came to one’s true nature; Im Yeo-Jin had never heard of that happening in reality. In short, this so-called improved Choi Yeon-Ha could explode in a fit of rage over some dumb reason at any given moment and throw the entire film set into chaos.
For now, all she could do was stare at Choi Yeon-Ha’s reflection as more cold sweat trickled down her face.
That was when Choi Yeon-Ha finally said something.
“Oh, well. I guess it can’t be helped.”
All tension flooded out of Im Yeo-Jin just then.
“Good work. Thanks.”
Choi Yeon-Ha got up and lightly patted Im Yeo-Jin’s shoulder.
“N-no, not at all! I’m actually feeling really happy about your make-up looking so good today!”
“Really? Thanks. Are you going home now, though?”
“No, I’ll be staying to touch up your make-up during filming.”
“Ah, that’s right. Got it. Later.”
Choi Yeon-Ha smiled brightly at Im Ye-Jin, then left the make-up container to head to the filming location. The sun’s rays immediately welcomed her into the outside world.
“Whew…”
She could see the clean, smartly decorated interior of the cafe, and all the filming crew members crowding inside it. Since the ad was for the newly launching cafe franchise, they all decided to film inside one of the stores.
She faltered and panicked slightly after realizing her heart was madly pounding away. That shouldn’t have come as a surprise, since she always felt tense every time she stepped into the filming location.
An actor, no matter how seasoned, should never be too comfortable or complacent about the filming process. As a matter of fact, she believed someone who didn’t get tense in front of a camera didn’t deserve to work as an actor.
Indeed, she firmly believed one should always view themselves as a rookie and give their 110% during every performance. That was her professional mindset, her belief as an actor.
But what she felt right now was something else. It was a slightly different type of tension from what she usually dealt with.
While suppressing this feeling, she entered the cafe.
“Oooh! Miss Choi, you look incredible today!”
“You look so beautiful, Miss Choi!”
Choi Yeon-Ha smiled gently at everyone complimenting her. “Thank you. Thank you.”
It didn’t matter even if they weren’t being genuine and just wanted to make her feel good. Because being complimented always felt great, after all!
After quickly sucking in a deep breath, Choi Yeon-Ha turned around and headed to one of the tables, her gaze eventually locking on the man sitting on a chair near it.
“…Ah.”
She reflexively gasped out.
The man before her eyes only wore a white shirt and a pair of black slacks. Quite literally, it was as basic as a man’s attire could get, yet that was more than enough in this case.
The man, Kang Jin-Ho, had make-up on, while his hair had been tidied up considerably. And on top of that, he had his toned body, too. All in all, his appearance taught her why certain things would never go out of style.
Wowsers. It’s like getting hit by a straight ball flying at 170 kilometers per hour!
The pitcher didn’t even need to throw trick balls, fool around with the pitching speed, or change the grip on the ball itself. Nope, the left-handed fireballer from Hell simply pitched that ball straight down the middle! But it was far too fast and vicious for anyone to even get anywhere near it.[1]
That was the impression Kang Jin-Ho gave off right now.
Choi Yeon-Ha just stood there and dazedly blinked her eyes.
M-maybe I should’ve asked Yeo-Jin to apply a super-thick layer of foundation?
She had a feeling that she was blushing furiously right now. The thicker layer of foundation might be able to hide that, but would that be enough to hide her reddened ears, too? Definitely not!
She hurriedly grabbed a nearby crew member and asked, “C-can you get me a bottle of cold water, please?”
“Yes, Miss Choi. Right away.”
“Thank you.”
She thought gulping down cold water should help her regain her wits.
“Kuh-hmm! Hmm!”
She fake-coughed loudly, then cautiously sat on the opposite side of Kang Jin-Ho. He looked directly into her eyes and smiled awkwardly.
“You’re here, Miss Yeon-Ha.”
“O-of course I’m here. What, you want me to go?”
“I’m… sorry?”
“N-no, it’s nothing.”
What the heck am I even saying! Choi Yeon-Ha urgently fanned herself as panic threatened to take over her senses. I must have lost my mind! Seriously! I should have gotten more or less used to him by now, but this…!
They said clothes would give you wings, didn’t they? Or was that make-up? Maybe a better hair style?
Whatever! Who cares!
Kang Jin-Ho was not in his usual faded and baggy tracksuit, and even his trademark bedraggled hair was nowhere to be found. Since she had seen him like this a few times already, Choi Yeon-Ha believed she had gotten used to it by now, but it seemed she still needed to work on her resistance somewhat.
To hide her blushing face, Choi Yeon-Ha sneakily turned her head and stared outside the cafe.
Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head. “Are you not feeling well?”
She blinked her eyes. “Sorry? Why do you ask?”
“Your complexion. It’s red.”
When will you stop being a dense idiot?! How can anyone be so dense ever since our first meeting as if his life depends on his denseness?!
A loud groan threatened to leak out of Choi Yeon-Ha’s mouth, but…
Gee whiz! I get all that, so why do you have to be so good-looking on top of that, too!
“Y-you look great today, Mister Jin-Ho.”
“You think so? I’m still not quite used to it.”
While saying that, Kang Jin-Ho undid the top button of his shirt as if it was too stuffy for him.
Choi Yeon-Ha’s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. Heol? What’s he doing?!
Was he trying to seduce her or something? But that couldn’t be? Only he could be so blasé about his actions like this, because he had no clue how destructive his looks could be.
I mean, look around you! It’s like their eyes are about to transform into pink hearts!
The female crew members were staring openly at Kang Jin-Ho, unable to tear their gazes away from him. Of course, Choi Yeon-Ha fully sympathized with them.
Whether it was Choi Yeon-Ha or the crew members working for this ad shoot, they had seen their share of handsome men. Especially in the world of commercials where one’s acting talent didn’t matter and their appearance alone paid the bills!
So, yes, these female crew members should have had sky-high standards when it came to men. Even then, Kang Jin-Ho still half-entranced them with his appearance alone.
Choi Yeon-Ha tilted her head a little. Wasn’t this weird, though? As far as facial features were concerned, it wasn’t as if there were no other male actors or models as handsome as Kang Jin-Ho. In fact, she could objectively say quite a few of her fellow male actors could easily rival him, looks-wise.
However, for some inexplicable reason, she and other women couldn’t take their eyes off him.
Is this what they call the untamed hotness of a bad boy? That description kinda fits, no? In any case!
There was something about Kang Jin-Ho that felt unrefined. All the handsome men Choi Yeon-Ha ran into in this industry were like flowers grown in a nutrient-rich environment of a greenhouse, while Kang Jin-Ho was like a wildflower growing on a vast nameless plain. That indescribable charm, that magnetism, was what attracted people toward…
Oh, stop it, Choi Yeon-Ha! He’s just stupidly handsome, that’s all!
Choi Yeon-Ha shot a subtle yet still menacing glare at other women in the vicinity with eyes that said, Stop looking at him! He’s mine! The female crew members quickly understood what she wanted to say and obediently lowered their tails and looked elsewhere.
Who among them didn’t know that Choi Yeon-Ha had publicly announced her romantic status by now? And it went without saying that everyone here also knew Choi Yeon-Ha’s romantic partner was none other than Kang Jin-Ho.
Since they knew, they didn’t dare complain even if Choi Yeon-Ha saw fit to throw a tantrum in the open.
She shifted her attention back to Kang Jin-Ho. “Do you think you’ll be okay?”
“I… I’m not sure.”
Kang Jin-Ho tried to scratch his head like usual.
Choi Yeon-Ha urgently called out, “Your hand! Hand!”
“Oh… Mm.” Kang Jin-Ho ruefully licked his lips and lowered his hand after remembering that his hair had been neatly combed into a regent hairstyle. “It’s uncomfortable in these clothes. And my hairdo is just as unwieldy, too…”
“It’s the same story for everyone, so please endure it.”
“Still, I don’t think I’m cut out for things like this.”
“Mister Jin-Ho?”
“Yes?”
“People try to dress smartly like you just to look good to others, okay? You’ve had it easy until now, thanks to the face your parents gave you, so stop whining. Otherwise, you will get buried alive by insults from other men.”
“…Yes, ma’am.”
Kang Jin-Ho pouted a little.
My parents didn’t give me this face, though.
Kang Jin-Ho originally was not all that handsome. But the thing about cultivation was that the higher one’s cultivation realm, the more it tried to “balance” out one’s physical specs. He reached lofty cultivation realms at a relatively young physical age, which led to his facial features becoming extremely well balanced. That was all.
Of course, it wasn’t as if he could explain that in detail right now.
“Keuh~euh! You two look sooo good together!” The director approached the table while grinning obsequiously. “If you two are ready to go, I’d like to kick the proceedings off by giving you a few directions first. Do you mind, though?”
Choi Yeon-Ha coolly nodded. “Sounds good. Let’s do that.”
Kang Jin-Ho chimed in. “Oh, uh… Yes, let’s do it.”
“Aha…! So you two are ready! Then, do you mind if I briefly explain what acting entails, sir?”
The director was obviously being very obsequious right now, with all the hand-rubbing and head-bowing. Something like this happened fairly often in film shoots involving Choi Yeon-Ha, but the difference this time was that the director was being obsequious toward Kang Jin-Ho, not her!
The crew members whispered to each other.
“What’s gotten into our director? Isn’t he usually merciless toward newbies? Especially male actors? Is it because he’s Miss Choi’s boyfriend?”
“Eiii~, have you ever seen our director care about stuff like that?”
“No, I haven’t. And that’s why this is so weird.”
“Nah, nothing weird about it. That dude? I hear he’s the client this time.”
“Eh? Who’s the client?”
“That dude.”
Everyone crowding near the edge of the film set all stared at Kang Jin-Ho next.
“Uh?”
“Really?”
1. A fireballer is a pitcher in baseball who throws a very good fastball. In South Korea, the “left-handed fireballer from Hell” has become a bit of a baseball meme.
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