The shoot took far longer than expected.
Starting at 4 PM, it dragged on past midnight before finally wrapping up.
While some of the delays could be attributed to Hye-mi, the bigger reason was the main photographer’s insistence on reshoots.
When the manager of Season 2 contestant Goo Se-hee requested a change of photographer, the main photographer only then realized his mistake.
Photographer Kim Taesu asked for the contestants’ understanding and proceeded with the reshoots—this time, with great enthusiasm.
In the end, Han Seon-ho’s prediction came true.
Both photographers became fiercely competitive, pouring all their effort into their work.
Regardless, Goo Se-hee and her partner entrusted their shoot to photographer Park Taeseok.
As a result, the second photographer took charge of two teams, while the main photographer covered three.
The rumors that Park Taeseok was the superior photographer and that Kim Taesu had only built his name through connections were exaggerated.
It was true that Park Taeseok was making waves in the industry, but Kim Taesu was also a top-tier photographer in Korea.
Thanks to this, the final results left everyone satisfied.
Now, all that remained was the voting.
The voting process was simple.
Excluding the two photographers, the 15 studio staff members each cast four votes, making a total of 60 votes.
“The results of the vote will determine the priority order for performances in the live finals.”
The contestants listened to the assistant director’s explanation as they waited for the results.
A moment later, the voting was complete.
Cha Hye-mi and Jung Su-rim’s eyes widened as they saw the results.
They had considered themselves lucky just to avoid last place.
While the two contestants were still in shock, Han Seon-ho was smiling.
As expected…
This wasn’t going to be easy.
1st place: Goo Se-hee, Ryu Chanyeol (Photo by Park Taeseok) – 12 votes
1st place: Kang Mireu, Shin Wooyoung (Photo by Kim Taesu) – 12 votes
3rd place: Cha Hye-mi, Jung Su-rim (Photo by Park Taeseok) – 10 votes
.
.
The main photographer and the second photographer tied for first place.
And Cha Hye-mi and Jung Su-rim secured third.
It was the best possible outcome for the studio.
It gave the main photographer a sense of satisfaction while boosting the second photographer’s confidence.
Moreover, by pushing Cha Hye-mi and Jung Su-rim to third place, it also instilled a sense of urgency in the main photographer.
Even if they worked together, it was clear that they weren’t just playing along with a predetermined script.
With this, Han Seon-ho confirmed his suspicions.
The true leader of Bay Studio wasn’t the main photographer or the second photographer—it was Team Leader Joo Mi-yeon.
“Manager oppa! We got third place!”
Jung Su-rim, her face red with excitement, held out her hand to Seon-ho.
“Ah…”
“What are you doing? High five!”
Without thinking, Seon-ho raised his hand.
Smack!
Su-rim bounced on her feet, unable to contain her excitement.
Seon-ho’s gaze shifted to Hye-mi.
The usually cold expression on her face had softened.
Between the emotions flooding through her, he could see her hand twitching hesitantly.
At last, Seon-ho smiled sincerely.
So what if it was first place or third place?
His first artist was this happy.
Seon-ho reached out toward Hye-mi’s trembling hand.
“Hye-mi.”
And finally, something warm settled atop his large palm.
A sleek black Carnival van sped through the silent dawn.
It was the same car as yesterday, traveling the same road.
Even the time was similar, and the people inside remained unchanged.
But the atmosphere was entirely different.
Where yesterday’s silence had been tinged with wariness, today’s held curiosity.
The one to break the silence was Han Seon-ho, who had been quietly gripping the steering wheel.
“Hye-mi.”
“Yes?”
“This is a question you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, so feel free to be honest.”
“Okay.”
“Do you dislike certain outfits?”
If Hye-mi’s dislike of revealing clothing stemmed from trauma, this was a reckless question to ask.
But Seon-ho hadn’t sensed fear or terror from her—just a vague discomfort.
That’s why he was asking carefully.
“I know this is a sensitive topic. But if I can pinpoint exactly what makes you uncomfortable, I can explain it properly to the production team.”
“I understand what you mean.”
Hye-mi took a moment to gather her thoughts before speaking.
“It’s not that I have an issue with certain outfits. It’s because of a friend.”
“A friend?”
“Yes. Her name is Lee Jihyun. We went to the same elementary, middle, and high school, and even attended the same practical music academy. We were really close. She debuted as the main vocalist of a girl group two years ago.”
“Hmm.”
“But the group’s concept was… not great. Jihyun was underage, so her outfits weren’t too extreme, but the overall group concept was still problematic.”
“That must have been upsetting.”
Hye-mi nodded and continued.
“She got a lot of nasty comments online. Things so bad I can’t even repeat them…”
The harsh words directed at her close friend had hurt Hye-mi as well.
“Because of that, her singing ability started being dismissed too. No one cared how well Jihyun could sing.”
That’s how Hye-mi developed a rigid mindset—if she became a singer, she would never wear outfits like that.
Her determination to be judged solely on her singing was a form of self-defense.
“Maybe I absorbed it too much. Over time, it turned into a strong disklike without me even realizing it. And when I found out Jihyun was taking antidepressants and sleeping pills, it only got worse. Honestly, my father didn’t influence me much in this regard.”
“I see. Is Jihyun doing okay now?”
“She studied hard and got into college. She gave up on being a singer, but she looks happy now.”
“That’s a relief. You should meet her often.”
Seon-ho’s warm smile eased Hye-mi’s heart.
“Of course. Whenever I go back home, we spend the whole day together. Well, except last time—she had an accident.”
“An accident?”
“Yeah, a car accident. It was bad enough on its own, but it was a hit-and-run. I was so pissed.”
“She’s okay now, right?”
“Yeah. She’s fine now.”
Hye-mi felt a sense of comfort as she shared various thoughts and stories, revealing her true feelings.
It was something she had never spoken about before, fearing it might cause trouble for her friend who had returned to a normal life.
No, in truth, no one had ever really asked.
The broadcasting staff had simply assumed her dislike for revealing outfits was due to her father being a soldier, and she hadn’t bothered to correct them.
“But… I don’t think I can keep going like this. Just today, if it weren’t for Manager Oh… I mean, you, things would’ve gotten way more complicated.”
“Hm…”
“I feel determined, but I don’t know what to do.”
Hearing her concerns, Seon-ho shrugged.
“Isn’t this something you don’t need to worry about? It feels like the answer is already there.”
“The answer?”
“Yes. You just need to show everyone that Cha Hye-mi is an amazing singer. Then, no matter what you wear, people will judge you based on your voice.”
“That’s easier said than done.”
“Why? I think it’s easier than you think.”
Hye-mi stared at Seon-ho for a moment before suddenly asking,
“I was honest with you, so can you answer my question honestly too?”
“Of course.”
“You know about what happened between me and MOK, right?”
“For the most part.”
“Then why did you help me? The president probably wouldn’t like it.”
Hye-mi tensed up after asking.
She wasn’t sure what kind of answer she wanted, but she knew she didn’t want to hear that it was out of pity or sympathy.
Seon-ho smiled and spoke.
“Didn’t I already answer that yesterday?”
“Yesterday?”
“Yes. I think it was around here when I said it.”
“…Oh.”
‘I thought to myself as I watched you sing— I hope you succeed. I think you can.’
‘I hope things go well. For both of us.’
‘We’re a team now.’
“For a reason as simple as that?”
“Simple? After hearing you sing, I thought I was lucky that my first artist was someone like you.”
“That’s…”
Hye-mi was at a loss for words.
For the first time since stepping into the harsh world of show business, she was being trusted.
The trust and confidence she had felt on set earlier now felt even more solid.
“I-I take back my question. I already got the answer yesterday.”
Saying that, she glanced at Seon-ho.
“Can I ask something else?”
Seon-ho burst into laughter at her expression.
“You can ask anything.”
“Well… Are you really, really a manager?”
“Really, really?”
“I mean, are you really a manager? To be honest, I thought you had some other reason for taking this job.”
Hye-mi added her own speculation.
That he might be a rookie actor playing a manager, or someone trying to debut through a reality show about managers.
Hearing this, Han Seon-ho laughed again.
“I’m really a manager. This is what I’ve always wanted to do.”
“Why? Why a manager of all things?”
“Well… I grew up in an orphanage from the age of seven. It was part of a Chinese network, run by Chinese gangsters. I can say it easily now, but back then, I really wanted to die.”
Hye-mi was taken aback by the story coming from Seon-ho’s mouth.
It was something she could never have imagined from his image or demeanor.
“There were two things that kept me going— music and a kid who wanted to be a singer. We made a promise back then. If that kid became a singer, I’d become their producer.”
“Did they debut?”
“No. They passed away before I did.”
“…Oh.”
“And… I was responsible for that death.”
Hye-mi was at a loss for words, unsure how to respond.
Seon-ho continued.
“I wandered for a long time because of it. But one day, I realized— I lived thanks to that kid, but they died because of me. If I kept going like this, it would be like erasing both of our lives.”
The car stopped at a red light.
For the first time, Seon-ho turned to face Hye-mi directly.
“That’s why I became a manager. I can’t fulfill our dream together anymore, but I still want to make the dream we shared come true.”
Listening to him, Hye-mi reflected on herself.
With looks like his, he probably never had to worry about things like this.
What’s the big deal? It’s not like you walk around in those outfits all the time.
A judgment she made on her own.
You’re part of MOK too. That means you’re one of the people who wants me to fail.
Exactly. Acting like you’re so pure… What a joke.
A baseless misunderstanding.
Are you just toying with me out of pity? Or are you just trying to show off your taste?
If you’re going to act like this, you shouldn’t have become a singer in the first place.
And constant attacks.
Ever since she entered the entertainment industry, she had endured these things to the point of exhaustion.
And now, she realized she had projected them all onto Han Seon-ho.
But it was different.
She had built walls and sharpened her defenses out of sheer exhaustion.
Yet, Han Seon-ho had simply… stepped closer to her.
“…Underwear.”
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