Chapter 25: 25

“Is there anything you’d like to learn?” asked Kang Ho-Soo.

“Anything I’d like to learn?”

Woo-Jin, who was writing down his answers on the questionnaire, lifted his head and looked at Kang Ho-Soo.

“Yes, such as musical instruments, foreign languages, etc. Normally, you need to take classes on history and general knowledge, but I don’t think that’s necessary in your case. Also, you have some time since your acting classes are put on hold until after your movie gets released - we will decide after looking at it.”

While Woo-Jin was supposed to be trained by his agency on how to conduct himself during interviews, as well as social etiquette, he did not have to take any classes on general knowledge and academic subjects. It was also uncertain whether it was necessary for Woo-Jin, who had been highly praised by the two directors, to take acting classes so they were temporarily held off.

However, if the agency’s artists were specifically interested in learning other things, they were more than welcome to use the budget allocated for them.

“If I can learn an instrument, I would like to learn the violin.”

Woo-Jin was now proficient at playing the piano, but he had not gotten an opportunity to learn the violin. He was confident that if he were to practice playing the violin as much as he did with the piano, he could be proficient at it too. Now that this opportunity had finally presented itself, Woo-Jin’s voice was full of anticipation.

“String instruments are somewhat…”

“I can’t learn it?” asked Woo-Jin.

“Well, you might get calluses on your hand. Furthermore, violins tend to leave some marks on your jaw,” replied Kang Ho-soo.

“That’s true.”

“You can take those lessons when you get the chance to learn it later on. Since you’re still a rookie, you have to show your face a lot and you can’t afford to have any flaws or blemishes on your face. The public is not forgiving when it comes to things like that,” explained Kang Ho-soo.

In contrast with his intentions, Kang Ho-Soo’s smile looked cruel. Regardless of whether he understood what Kang Ho-Soo meant or not, Woo-Jin simply swallowed his saliva and nodded. On the other hand, when Kang Ho-Soo asked him if there was anything else he would like to learn apart from instruments, his gleaming eyes were extremely fierce.

“What about Chinese?” asked Woo-Jin.

“Chinese? It’s a good choice. If you are thinking about expanding into the Chinese-speaking market, of course, it’ll be good for you to learn it. You’re going to start learning from the basics, right?”

“No. I can understand, speak, write, and read Chinese, but…because I’m self-taught, it’s not entirely perfect or natural, especially when it comes to pronunciation,” replied Woo-Jin.

In one of his past lives, Woo-Jin had been born in China and had lived there in the olden days, so his pronunciation was very different from the Chinese that people spoke in the present era. He knew several Chinese dialects, including Mandarin and Cantonese, etc., but he had to correct his pronunciation to match the modern version of those dialects.

“I understand. I will look for a teacher who is a native speaker, but I have to say that it’s amazing how you were able to learn Chinese on your own,” remarked Kang Ho-Soo.

“I’m fortunate enough to be good at picking up languages, so I’m able to speak some foreign languages.”

Woo-Jin, who had unintentionally developed more skill sets via recalling his past lives, felt embarrassed by his self-praise and scratched his cheek awkwardly.

“Smart men are rather popular these days. However, don’t reveal how talented and capable you are in the beginning – I think it’s better to reveal your skills to the public one by one, pretending you only found out about them by chance. People won’t like it if you’re a showoff and your public image would suffer as a result, but that doesn’t mean you have to pretend to be terrible at what you do.”

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Woo-Jin tried to deflect the praise, saying that because he was mostly self-taught, he hadn’t mastered it perfectly, and he wasn’t very good at it. Kang Ho-Soo was rather relieved by his humility. He had been worried that Woo-Jin would have a temper since he was a student at a prestigious college and a rookie whom the CEO thought highly of. However, his worries were unfounded and he had a very good impression of Chae Woo-Jin.

However, seeing Woo-Jin continuously write his answer to the question, ‘What languages do you speak?’, Kang Ho-Soo shook his head, as if he was tired of it. He did not know that Woo-Jin did not even use half of them.

“How old are you?” Park Si-Yeon asked.

“I’m 23.”

“You’re only 23, so why do you give off an old person vibe?”

Park Si-Yeon, the stylist that DS’ fashion director had made an appointment with, scratched her chin, feeling confused the entire time. Woo-Jin wore jeans and a white short-sleeved T-Shirt to go to Park Si-Yeon’s boutique with his manager. Even though it was just an ordinary style, his physique was great enough that he was a stylish actor who could become a model.

When it came to his appearance, he was also more good-looking and beautiful compared to anybody she had seen recently. However, the thing was that Woo-Jin gave off the vibes of a war veteran instead of the fresh vibes that a young man in his early 20s should give off.

“He was discharged from the military earlier this year, and he’s the eldest son in the family, so I think that’s why he has a unique sense of maturity.” As if he understood what Park Si-Yeon meant, Kang Ho-Soo answered on Woo-Jin’s behalf. Similarly, when he had first met Woo-Jin, Kang Ho-Soo had also paused for a good second or two because he had also felt that Woo-Jin was very mature for his age.

If Woo-jin was startled by Kang Ho-Soo’s appearances, then it could be said that Kang Ho-Soo had been a little intimidated by Woo-Jin’s vibes. He must have come to his own conclusion now because he explained his thoughts to others as if they were the correct answer.

“I’m not saying that it’s necessarily a bad thing. To be honest, Mr. Woo-Jin’s age is somewhat within the awkward range – he’s too old to take on a child’s role and too young to play a member of society. When I first heard your age, I thought that I had to purposely give you more of an ‘adult’ look, but it’s good that I don’t have to. Young people should dress like young people. What concept is the agency going for in Mr. Woo-Jin’s case?” asked Park Si-Yeon.

“They want him to give off the vibes of an intelligent dandy guy,” replied Kang Ho-Soo.

After discussing with the fashion director, they decided not to change his current look. It wasn’t like he was an idol; they didn’t need to create a fresh and bright image just because he was young.

As Park Si-Yeon had mentioned earlier, Woo-Jin was at the age where he was still at the crossroads between youth and adulthood. It could be a dark period for an actor. That’s why, unless he was only playing the role of a vivacious college student, Woo-Jin’s maturity was not necessarily a bad thing.

Just like how it was difficult for a child actor to transition into an adult actor, it wasn’t a matter of good or bad acting, but rather a matter of prejudice that came with certain images.

“However, he cannot look old.”

“You’re talking about an intelligent ‘young man’, right? A young man! A man who has entered adulthood, exuding an air of sexiness, who is no longer a boy or a teenager!”

Park Si-Yeon’s eyes gleamed as she spoke in an excited tone, probably because she had suddenly captured the perfect image for Woo-Jin.

“Can he be sexy?” asked Kang Ho-Soo.

“Don’t you know about the subtle sexiness of an intelligent man? That’s what I’m talking about! The austere sexiness of a refined gentleman. That’s the dream of every woman.”

Park Si-Yeon rebuked Kang Ho-Soo for not knowing anything and hummed to herself while she took a measuring tape before taking Woo-Jin’s measurements.

“Is your family well-to-do?” Park Si-Yeon asked Woo-Jin out of the blue as she was measuring his neck.

“No.”

“Middle-class?”

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“A little more on the lower middle side,” answered Woo-Jin.

Woo-Jin measured the standard of living using the family circumstances of his life back when he was little, as well as his friends’. Understandably, if he used that as a yardstick to calculate what middle class was, his current life was considered lower middle class.

“Is that so? You look like you come from a wealthy family. In that case, the clothes you wear daily might be an issue. You can wear sponsored clothes or clothes that your wardrobe stylist has prepared for official public appearances, but I’m afraid that you’ll have to wear your own clothes in your daily life. These days, the paparazzi follow celebrities all the time. I’ll recommend some brands, so even if you’re hard up right now, try to buy a few pieces and wear them.”

“You don’t have to worry about that, feel free to pick what you like. Here’s the corporate card,” Kang Ho-Soo said to Woo-Jin, as he held up the corporate card and smiled. Park Si-Yeon whistled in response.

“I’m guessing CEO Jang has high expectations for Mr. Woo-Jin, huh? Even though DS provides their artists with ample support, they don’t normally care about their daily lives.”

“Not that he’s never done that,” responded Kang Ho-Soo.

Park Si-Yeon nodded and said that she understood. She had worked with DS a lot and so, she was well-aware of the current situation with Woo-Jin. Her question was essentially the same as DS’ answer – the higher the expectations, the more understandable it was for them to take care of trivial matters. Looking back on similar cases, all of the people who were highly regarded by the CEO ended up becoming the top celebrities in DS.

“Indeed, there’s no way he would send any ordinary rookie my way.”

Who was Park Si-Yeon? She was someone who had personally taken care of, and was still taking care of, the fashion needs of the most famous celebrities in Korea. She was a famous celebrity herself as well. As such, not every DS artist would end up getting sent to her. However, Kang Ho-soo said that Chae Woo-Jin was even more special than the chosen ones.

“You’re going to Mr. Choi to get his hair done, right? I will contact him and discuss Mr. Woo-Jin’s concept in advance. However, Woo-Jin’s wardrobe stylist isn’t here today?”

“She is in China right now because one of the groups she’s in charge of is having a concert. The handover hasn’t been completed yet. She will be here the day after tomorrow.”

“By groups, you mean idols? If she’s styling for idols, will she be able to adequately take care of Woo-Jin’s styling needs?”

Singers and actors sought completely different styles and images. That was why Park Si-Yeon was frowning. She was not happy with the fact that a wardrobe stylist, who used to be in charge of idols, was going to be the one taking care of Woo-Jin.

“She’s someone with a great sense of style, but frankly speaking, she is not a good match with the idols she was in charge of. She wanted to go for a modern look, but the parties involved did not like it, even though it was well-received by the fans.

“Oh, I know who she is! If she’s the stylist you’re talking about, she will be a good fit with Mr. Woo-Jin. As soon as she gets back, tell her to come here. For today, shall we check out the styles that match Mr. Woo-Jin one by one?

Woo-Jin looked at Park Si-Yeon, who was smiling broadly at him. He did not know anything up until then – what it was like to try on dozens of clothes before getting evaluated and then having his photographs taken.

“As the saying goes, ‘the face completes the fashion’. It’s not wrong, but it’s also not necessarily the truth. In my opinion, confidence completes the fashion! So straighten your back!” exclaimed Park Si-Yeon, on top of hitting him on the back and correcting his posture.

It was advisable for him not to put his hands in the pocket when wearing this top because of the details on the edge of the sleeves. That top focused on the waistline, so he had to know how to sit, showing his side profile, while allowing the shoes to be seen in a natural way, etc. Fashion was more difficult than academic subjects in school.

“You have a fair and clear complexion, so all the colors look good on you, which is a good thing. You probably usually wear dull colored clothes, but sometimes it’s nice to change things up a little with a striking color like this.”

“Is this the color of a yellow chick?” asked Woo-Jin.

“Umm, lemon yellow to be exact.”

When Woo-Jin looked at the bright yellow T-shirt, he was dumbstruck and said it was the color of a chick, but Park Si-Yeon corrected him. However, lemon yellow or other shades of yellow looked like the baby chick yellow to Woo-Jin.

“It’s really hard for most men to pull off this color, but it suits you very well – you look as bright as a forsythia that has just bloomed! If you wear this on an ordinary day in your daily life, you will stand out and draw attention to yourself.”

Unlike Park Si-Yeon, who was full of confidence, Woo-Jin questioned it in his head on the other hand and sighed. He doubted that he would even head out in this outfit.

“By the way, when is your official debut?” asked Park Si-Yeon.

“The first movie will be released in approximately three weeks,” answered Kang Ho-Soo on behalf of Woo-Jin, who was floundering with a soulless look in his eyes due to exhaustion.

“In that case, from now on, you have to go to places such as cafes and libraries when you have time.”

“I’m already planning to do that,” replied Woo-Jin.

“Tell me in advance where you’ll be going. I’ll coordinate with you accordingly.”

As a rookie whom no one knew about, Woo-Jin had to deliberately show himself in public places everywhere so that people would post comments and captions, saying ‘I’ve seen that person somewhere before, and somehow he caught my eye. He turned out to be a celebrity after all! He’s so good-looking, that’s why I took a photo. Could he be Chae Woo-Jin?’ later on.

After becoming famous, things that happened in the past would start to surface everywhere. The more attention he drew from people when he was just an ordinary person meant that he was more likely to become a hot topic of discussion and make it big.

Hence, before they released the movie, it was necessary for him to pretend to be an ordinary person in the midst of the general public, and get their attention. Of course, in the event that nobody paid any attention to him, and in turn failed to become a hot topic of discussion, the agency would have also taken photos and made preparations for that.

“Ah, by the way, what’s the title of the movie? When it starts screening, I’ll have to watch it.”

“Death Hill, a movie directed by Director Moon Seung-Kwon,” answered Kang Ho-soo once again, on behalf of Woo-Jin, who still lacked energy.

“Ah! I know that movie. I’ve been very interested in that movie since its early stage of production. Mr. Woo-Jin acted in it? What was your role?”

Upon hearing Park Si-Yeon’s question, Kang Ho-Soo paused for a moment and looked at Woo-Jin. That was because the movie was shot before Woo-Jin joined DS, and hence, Kang Ho-Soo had not heard anything about the role he played.

Noticing the awkward position his manager was currently in, Woo-Jin answered instead, despite being in a state of exhaustion.

“A horrible loan shark who bullies and sexually harasses the female lead. Ultimately, he gets beaten by his co-workers and stabbed to death. Ah! Did I just spoil it for you by saying he died? It’s a small supporting role though, so it’s not a big deal.”

“...”

Kang Ho-Soo and Park Si-Yeon were both at a loss for words for a moment upon hearing Woo-Jin’s answer. He was still half-dazed due to exhaustion. When their gazes met, they both opened their mouths at the same time.

“He has to have the image of an intelligent and decent person; an ascetic man.”

“More importantly, he needs an image that portrays him to be classy, sexy, and pure.”

They did not know what would be the end result of combining all these images together, but both of them were firmly on the same page. The outcome was that Woo-Jin had to try on dozens more clothes but that was not important now.

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The words that were stuck in their minds now were ‘terrible loan shark’, ‘sexual harassment’, and ‘tragic death’. As Woo-Jin was preparing to become a celebrity, step by step, the release date of Death Hill was approaching quickly.

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