Chapter 135: Retirement

“Photoshoot? Swimsuit?”

Sua unknowingly repeated the words.

Having one’s face in a photoshoot.

Isn’t that considered a certificate for a celebrity to announce, ‘I’ve made it’?

That was why Sua’s heart was currently brimming with excitement.

[ VOGUE KOREA ]

Vogue Korea.

It was the photoshoot proposal currently on the desk, and simultaneously, a brand famous enough for even Sua to know.

Sua asked.

“Is the shoot with this brand?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

At the same time, Yi-seo shrugged her shoulders.

“I expected photoshoot offers, but the conditions were so good it was surprising. It means the public’s interest in Sua is that intense. In the face of overwhelming buzz, everyone becomes a subordinate.”

Sua nodded her head.

Indeed, photoshoots don’t just call pretty faces and good figures.

She had seen chefs being called for shoots when cooking shows hit it big.

Yi-seo was right.

Sua’s buzz was incredible.

Enough for a top-tier photoshoot company to seek Sua out.

“And even a swimsuit photoshoot….”

Sua muttered quietly.

“Sua, you yourself know why it’s swimsuits, right?”

“Because I got rained on at the end?”

“That’s right. You were soaking wet, and the reaction was tremendous, wasn’t it? If just getting rained on gets that much reaction, what would happen if you were properly drenched in a controlled environment? They judged it would cause an uproar. I agree.”

“Is that so?”

“It’s hard to even list all the industries currently being influenced by Special Task Force 808. Sales of PPL beverages have risen, and beauty salons are putting up ads for hair bleaching.”

Sua nodded her head.

Sua-nod.

But it wasn’t a casual reaction.

She was genuinely proud.

“It’s the same for the swimwear industry. The weather is gradually getting hotter, and they’ve judged that having Sua wear their products would lead to tremendous sales. So, August is the Lee Sua Swimwear Special.”

“…A photoshoot featuring me as a special.”

“It’s not some third-rate magazine; Vogue, no less, has chosen Sua as the star. How does it feel? It’s not something a rookie usually experiences.”

Sua remained silent.

It was because words didn’t come to her.

It felt strange.

Afterward, Kim Yi-seo explained the detailed contents of the contract and the benefits Sua would gain, but it didn’t really sink in.

A little later, she realized.

The emotion she was feeling now was close to being deeply moved.

‘…Photos? Photos, you say?’

Come to think of it, Sua had always been excluded from photos.

• ─Sua-ssi! It’s a group photo, so your expression should be….
• ─Sua-ssi stands out too much in this one.
• ─Let’s just take Sua-ssi’s photo separately.

These were things from when she was working at a regular job.

Sua was always left out of group photos.

It was because, on top of not being good at her job, her impression was bad.

But now it was different.

A top-tier photoshoot company wanted Sua.

Her photo had somehow become something to be welcomed.

It was something made possible by the profession of an actor and Sua’s efforts, and so the feeling of being moved was even greater.

Sua nodded her head.

“That’s a good thing.”

“It’s not just a good thing. It’s truly an enormous thing. Though Sua herself doesn’t seem very impressed.”

‘How could that be? I’m feeling a wave of emotion.’

Sua-moved! Sua-touched!

“Anyway, each swimsuit you’ll wear that day is essentially a different advertisement. Sua gets to try on lots of pretty clothes, become the star of a photoshoot, and even earn money, so to speak.”

It certainly seemed rare to find a job with this level of satisfaction.

Getting paid to dress up pretty?

It’s a scam!

But soon, a question mark popped into her head.

“Do we not know yet what kind of things I’ll be wearing?”

At that, the CEO smiled brightly, as if she had read Sua’s mind.

“No need to worry. I took a peek at the samples, and there was nothing that struck me as vulgar.”

“That’s a relief.”

Vulgarity and alluring temptation are separated by a thin line, but the reactions they elicit would be worlds apart.

Thanks to learning the ‘art of being foxy,’ Sua was now capable of such thoughts.

Sua-fox! Sua-clever!

Kim Yi-seo 괜히 looked at Sua’s chest and cleared her throat.

“Actually, the photoshoot team said they’d be very careful. Even an ordinary swimsuit, if Sua wears it… How should I put it… It might inadvertently look more suggestive? Or vulgar?”

Sua took it in stride.

The fact that her body was quite remarkable.

The Sua Association had told her so often that she had realized it a bit more than before.

“How long will the shoot take?”

“We’ll wrap it up quickly in a single day. Instead, if the reaction is overwhelmingly good, they’ll request a formal contract.”

Kim Yi-seo took a sip of water from her mug.

“Alright. Sua, now for the most important thing.”

It was simultaneous with her subtly observing Sua’s reaction.

“…The photoshoot, Sua agrees to it, right?”

“Of course.”

‘Is there any reason to refuse?’

But with just Sua’s short answer, Kim Yi-seo looked as if she had overcome a major crisis.

Even letting out a sigh of relief.

“Haaaah, finally, our Mystic Entertainment will have a sexy photoshoot. Yeon-ju gets frequent offers too, but they’re all about youthfulness or the freshness of summer….”

“…It does suit her well, though.”

‘Though she herself doesn’t seem to want that.’

Sua quietly swallowed her anpoken words.

Instead, she asked something else.

“Should I just prepare my facial expressions?”

“Even that might not be necessary. People will go crazy even if you just roughly throw Sua into the water. Still, I’ll let you know when the specific situations are decided.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

Kim Yi-seo smiled faintly at Sua’s words.

“Then, we’ll proceed with the photoshoot like this, and for a while, there will be schedules related to Special Task Force 808. Especially regarding the ending, there will be meetings.”

Sua nodded her head.

‘That’s right. They said the ending would change depending on its success.’

Although they had already filmed all sorts of scenarios, what to use as the ending would be decided through meetings.

Sua thought.

It was truly a method befitting writer Lee Geum-sook.

Kim Yi-seo continued.

“Right now, all sorts of inquiries and offers are flooding into Mystic, but I plan to cut most of them. Taking everything that comes our way now is amateurish. We need to make them a little bit antsy.”

“Make them antsy, you say?”

“It’s like a blind date.”

Kim Yi-seo quietly continued.

“Even if it seems like the other person is almost won over, you shouldn’t just stick your lips out. To completely reel them in as ours, we need to act selectively.”

“I need a more direct explanation.”

She was serious.

‘I don’t understand what you mean with analogies! Sua-dumb!’

“We’re going to keep all information about Sua tightly under wraps.”

Kim Yi-seo’s lips curved upwards.

“They’ll want to know Sua, but no information will be released, and they’ll go crazy, you know? They’ll be burning with anticipation.”

***

Afterward, the situation unfolded as Mystic intended.

The internet is still hot with talk about Sua, but no new information is being released.

In other words, everyone was in a position where they had to play only with the tidbits they already had.

Therefore.

[ ‘Special Task Force 808’ Lee Sua, who rose to fame as Kim Yuhan, is actually shutting down her SNS even as the tide comes in? ]

[ No news from Lee Sua…. Her agency also remains silent. ]

The number of people curious about Sua’s current status grew steadily.

But no one could find an answer.

Because Mystic hadn’t released any information.

The difference in method was stark compared to other entertainment companies that would row their oars when the water came in.

Just as the CEO had compared the public opinion war to a blind date, Mystic truly maintained the attitude of a selective woman.

Even if an opportunity came, they wouldn’t reveal their desire and would quietly bide their time.

Actually, Sua had been curious.

Is this process really necessary?

But it didn’t take long.

Soon, Sua was able to understand Kim Yi-seo’s intentions.

[ Lee Sua depression controversy…. ‘Cause is digesting too many roles in a short period,’ fans’ concerns grow. ]

[ Lee Sua retirement rumors? Is this rising star already disappearing? ]

[ Amidst numerous rumors…. ‘Lee Sua fan cafe members surpass 300,000’. A flood of support. Retirement is not an option! ]

“…?”

Sua was greatly surprised at this point.

‘Are you crazy? Why would I retire!’

Footless words travel a thousand li (leagues).

There was no exaggeration in the expression.

Unverified rumors circled the entire country in an instant.

However, among them, no one spoke ill of Sua.

It was all worry and anticipation.

Soon, the surprise turned into admiration for Yi-seo.

‘My goodness, you calculated even this.’

Whatever Sua did next, it was certain that as soon as information was released, it would receive tremendous attention.

Sua would be able to proceed with her next schedule with immense anticipation.

‘It would have been terrible without the CEO.’

If she had joined a strange entertainment company, wouldn’t she have suffered from indiscriminately handling any schedule?

Just the thought of it was unpleasant.

Just then, a text message arrived from the CEO.

[ Sender: Kim Yi-seo ]
▷ It’s progressing smoothly.

This was also a moment when Sua felt proud of herself.

She had done really well choosing Mystic.

Sua-excited!

[ Sender: Kim Yi-seo ]
▷ Let’s move on to the next task right away.