Godsent Top Star [EN]: Chapter 10

010. Modeling (2)

November 10, 2021

“Excuse me?” Model? What model? Yeon-woo was so taken aback that he couldn’t even answer, but the man continued, unfazed. “I know I’m doing all the talking here, which is a bit awkward, but don’t misunderstand. I didn’t just say it without thinking.” It sounded like he did, though. “Are you sure it’s not, like, a real model thing? You’re not actually signed with an agency or anything?”

“…No, I’m not.”

“Even better. Debuting by working with me would be perfect. Seeing you here, it doesn’t seem like you’re completely opposed to the idea. You’re not against modeling, are you? Ah, it’s nothing grand. I’m just planning a personal photo exhibition, and having you and that bird you’re raising in the photos would be a perfect fit! Maybe it’s because it reminded me of Meong-i [Korean word for puppy] after a long time? I’m just bursting with inspiration!” All the long chatter beforehand must have been a setup for this. ‘What is this guy?’ Yeon-woo had only listened because that loyal dog was looking at him with sparkling eyes. ‘I’m already feeling pressured because of what Madam Kang said.’ A sudden modeling offer, out of the blue. “No, I don’t want to…”

Yeon-woo was about to refuse when a low, gentle voice interjected, “Oh? Yeon-woo, are you already friends with the writer?”

[Heo-eok. Yeon-woo-ya. Am I alive?] Dong-ja-ryeong clutched his chest and gasped. The cooing sound above his head intensified.

“Oh! Kwon Seong-hyeon! You’re still top class, Kwon Seong-hyeon!” The man who had been rambling on about the dog clapped his hands in admiration. Kwon Seong-hyeon, impeccably dressed, was suddenly there.

“Doesn’t it feel strange? It’s a bit awkward trying to be active again after so long.”

“Awkward? Not at all! You look great, absolutely fantastic! I heard you were sick, which is a shame, but maybe because of that, your jawline and everything is sharper, giving you an even more striking vibe. Perfect for an autumn man!”

He had heard that he was doing a magazine photoshoot, and his appearance was indeed stunning. Although it was still spring, these kinds of shoots had to be ahead of the season, so Kwon Seong-hyeon was wearing a dark trench coat. The color and atmosphere were definitely more suited to autumn, and he looked like a walking photoshoot just standing there.

“No need to worry about this project. If everyone in the world was like Seong-hyeon…”

“Teacher, where else would you find someone like Kwon Seong-hyeon? Get real,” the young photographer who had accompanied Kwon Seong-hyeon snapped at the director.

“Yeon-woo, were you acquainted with the writer beforehand?”

“No, this is the first time I’ve met him…”

“You seemed very close, though?”

“There’s no way.”

He didn’t have a hobby of being friendly with strangers. “It’s the first time I’ve seen Writer Park talk so much to someone he doesn’t know. He’s usually very shy. He barely said a few words to me at first.”

“Seong-hyeon, how long ago are you talking about? It’s embarrassing.” What? Shy? Noticing Yeon-woo’s gaze, Writer Park smiled awkwardly. “But Seong-hyeon, are you close to this person? Did you bring him?”

“Yes, we’re very close. He’s the one who saved me.”

“Oh, that’s great. Who is he? An aspiring model? Or an aspiring actor?”

“He’s still a regular person.”

“What? Really? Why?” Writer Park looked back at Yeon-woo, as if he couldn’t believe it. “I know, right?”

“Wow, everyone’s eyes must be blind? Lucky for me, though. By the way, what’s your name?”

“Kang Yeon-woo. Pretty name, right?”

“…?” Yeon-woo was a little dumbfounded. ‘Why are you saying my name so naturally?’

“It is pretty. I’m Park Dae-il. Just call me Writer Park. I don’t really like my name, it’s so old-fashioned.” Coming from someone who named their dog Meong-i, that wasn’t really something to say. Park Dae-il, or rather, Writer Park, held out his hand. After a brief handshake, he even handed over his business card.

“Writer, time is ticking. Hurry up and start the shoot! You may not be, but we’re dying trying to please the client!” The assistant photographer interjected, and both Kwon Seong-hyeon and Writer Park looked regretful.

“Ah, I haven’t even fully won him over yet…” Writer Park clicked his tongue in disappointment. Regardless, the shoot soon began.

***

‘How fascinating.’ Watching a photoshoot for the first time was incredibly fascinating. The way Writer Park, who was usually a chatterbox, seemed to be possessed by something the moment he picked up the camera was one thing.

[Goodness. I’m so glad I came to watch. I’m so glad I’m alive! To see our actor working with my own two eyes! Seeing Actor-nim [term of respect] really opens my eyes! It’s like I’m being enlightened!]

The way Kwon Seong-hyeon’s aura changed in an instant was also a source of amazement. But there was something even more amazing.

-Name: Park Dae-il (34/Male)

-Occupation: Photographer

-Disposition: Neutral Good

-Skills: Photography [A], Videography [A], Keen Eye [A+]

-Affection: Medium-High

-Current Physical Condition: Frail

-Current Emotional State: Eager, Excited

***Some items cannot be accessed at this time.

***Detailed information about this person is hidden.

***Lifespan can currently be harvested from this person (15 days)

***Additional harvestable stat: Frame Composition [A]

The status window that appeared above Writer Park. He was a famous photographer, and he had more than three skills. But what caught Yeon-woo’s eye was something else.

‘Additional harvestable stat?!’ The status window appeared the moment he shook hands with Writer Park. There, Yeon-woo discovered a strange phrase he had never seen before: ‘Additional harvestable stat.’ It was the notification that had appeared when he first acquired lifespan from Han Su-han.

[Additional harvested stat: None]

He had definitely felt it then. He didn’t know what the additional harvestable stat was, but it was definitely a sign of something big. And now.

‘It’s appearing now?’ It was a jackpot, but he didn’t know how big of a jackpot it was. The opportunity to find out had arrived. He was curious. So curious!

At first, he was fully intending to refuse, but the moment he saw that phrase, his mind changed. The request for 15 days of lifespan was nothing to him. He was a famous photographer, and his stats were all A-rank or higher, and there was even an additional A-rank stat.

‘This is completely… a friendly offer to take!’ It was a bit of a problematic field, though.

‘I have no choice.’ He had a reason to accept Writer Park’s request.

***

As Kwon Seong-hyeon had said, the shoot didn’t last long. Writer Park was the type to finish work quickly, and the shoot, which had been flowing smoothly, ended in just a few hours.

“Great work, everyone!”

“Great work!” Shouts were heard from all directions. At the same time, a cheerful notification rang in Yeon-woo’s ear.

-Ding!

[You have successfully harvested lifespan.]

[Harvested lifespan: 14 days]

The harvest was completed as soon as the shoot ended.

“Yeon-woo, did you wait long?”

“No, not really. It ended faster than I thought?” The stylist, who was exchanging greetings, smiled and said, “He is the one and only Actor Kwon Seong-hyeon, after all.”

“He’s so perfect that there’s no need to fix anything, so the process goes smoothly. Kwon Seong-hyeon doesn’t need any post-production work, so you can basically consider this the end. Each cut is a work of art, so there’s no need to painstakingly pick out the best ones.”

The staff who had worked with him also chimed in. “You guys sound like you’re sad that it ended so quickly?” Writer Park interjected, scolding them. But the staff didn’t flinch, and nodded as if it were obvious.

“How can you say something so obvious? It’s Kwon Seong-hyeon. I could keep watching him not just for half a day, but for 365 days!”

“That’s right. It’s his first comeback in a while, and the work ended too quickly…” They trailed off, sounding regretful. They were all subtly blushing and stealing glances at Kwon Seong-hyeon. Kwon Seong-hyeon, the center of the conversation, was wearing a faint smile. He even looked a little embarrassed.

“Thank you for thinking so highly of me. Thank you for your hard work today.” Kwon Seong-hyeon left his greetings with an attitude that even felt somewhat businesslike. The staff surrounding him blushed at that alone and waved their hands as if they were sorry.

‘He’s more composed than I thought?’ That was unexpected. If it had been the Kwon Seong-hyeon he had seen so far, he would have been wagging his tail and rejoicing here.

“Yeon-woo, please wait a moment. I’ll go tidy up my clothes, hair, and makeup. It won’t take long, I’ll be right back.”

“Yes, I understand.” Kwon Seong-hyeon strode away with his long legs, and the people around him showed curiosity.

“Come to think of it, you came with Kwon Seong-hyeon, right? I was already curious about the bird on your head. You must be very close to Kwon Seong-hyeon. Are you debuting this time? Or are you a rookie?”

“I saw the director offering you a modeling gig earlier, so are you a model?”

Writer Park stepped in to mediate. “You guys go finish up. Don’t set your sights on someone I’ve already claimed!”

“Hey, if Teacher claims them, we’ll be working with them anyway, right?”

“That’s true, but I haven’t properly won him over yet, so you guys should go. You’ll ruin everything!”

“Oh, Teacher. Share the good stuff with us. But since he’s an acquaintance of Seong-hyeon, I guess they’re similar types.”

“Yeah, they’re both gentle and mannerly, but they draw a clear line, just like Seong-hyeon.”

Yeon-woo, who was listening, was puzzled. Draw a line? That Kwon Seong-hyeon? Come to think of it, his attitude earlier was strange. He had thought that he didn’t have any wariness, but he suddenly remembered that he hadn’t reacted much when the staff were making a fuss.

“You guys go quickly! Quickly! Shoo, shoo!” Writer Park waved his hands as if chasing away animals, and the staff scattered in a flurry.

“That was chaotic, wasn’t it? They’re not bad people. They usually don’t bat an eye even when they see most people, but they must have been excited to see a gem after a long time. And they were excited because of Seong-hyeon. It’s not in a bad way, so don’t misunderstand.”

“I don’t.” ‘Most of them were favorable, anyway.’ Yeon-woo was more sensitive to the gazes of others than most people. He was especially good at discerning the temperature in those gazes. He didn’t even need to look at the status window for that. He had a natural sense for it, and he had honed his skills over the years.

“But Yeon-woo. Really, won’t you work with me? Huh?” Writer Park suddenly brought it up. “It’s not difficult at all, you just have to live with that pigeon as usual. I’ll take care of the photos, and there’s no particularly rigid concept, so it won’t be difficult. So please, just work with me once…”

“I will.”

“It would be great if you would… Huh? You will?”

Writer Park seemed to have thought that Yeon-woo would reject him like a knife again, and he asked back, dazed. “Really?”

“Yes.”

“You’re not lying, are you?”

“No, I’m not.”

“Re, really? You’ll shoot with me? Heok. Heo-eok. I need to catch my breath for a second…!” A red tinge began to appear on Writer Park’s pale face. ‘Why is he blushing over just a photoshoot?’

‘Is it really okay to accept this…?’ Yeon-woo was just thinking that when Kwon Seong-hyeon suddenly appeared without a sound.

“You two have really gotten close. When did you get so close? Aren’t you getting too close when I’m not around?”

“Ah, Seong-hyeon! Listen to this! Yeon-woo said he’ll be my model!”

“Ah, I see…” Kwon Seong-hyeon stared at Yeon-woo silently. “I guess Yeon-woo shines in the eyes of others too. It’s a little disappointing.”

“Shine? What shine?”

“Can’t you see it, Writer? A golden light is shimmering like heat haze.”

“Seong-hyeon has become a lot more fun lately. There’s no way I can see something like that.”

“I wonder.”

Kwon Seong-hyeon, wearing an inscrutable smile, asked, “It’s the first time I’ve seen you go to such lengths. Do you like Yeon-woo that much?