Chapter 109

The shocking content of catching a dorado was featured in *Star Fisher*.

However, because they boiled the expensive dorado into a spicy fish soup, it sparked significant attention.

==

Post: Is this dorado footage faked?

Wasn’t there a fishing variety show before?

I heard that a hidden diver in the water would “help” catch the fish, right?

Is this one similar?

==

Such claims occasionally surfaced.

Still, those suspicions were easily countered unexpectedly.

– What do you mean by ‘faked broadcast’?

└ Huh?

└ ? What’s that?

└ Oh.

– Seriously, how could they possibly fake catching a dorado?

– Watching it, the fish looked alive; if they had faked it, they should admit it honestly. ;

– Lol, really.

It happened that the caught dorado was alive, making fabrication virtually impossible.

Honestly, any viewer familiar with the show wouldn’t think someone could fabricate catching a dorado of such enormous size.

Visually, it seemed like a species that could swallow a human in one bite.

Meanwhile, in ordinary online communities, discussions went back and forth about this.

[The rod-wielding Joo Soo-yeon vs. Cha Sooah]

In Joo Soo-yeon fan communities, such debates went on more earnestly.

– Honestly, I think Joo Soo-yeon holding a fishing rod would be stronger.

– Axes and knives have shorter range.

– Cha Sooah is too fast; she’d overwhelm before you know it.

– Haven’t you seen Sooah swinging the rod? If she’s hit, it’s probably fatal.

– Eventually, if both are injured in a fight, Hong Jeong-hee would win.

Although this was a women celebrity fan community, ‘vs.’ posts dominated, though not all discussions were confrontational.

– Seoyeon is pretty.

– She really lights up when appearing on variety shows.

– Yeah, her unfiltered self is refreshing.

– And she’s kindhearted.

– Frankly, does she really look too kind?

As usual, the Soo-yeon fan community saw a steady increase in numbers. At first, it included viewers who regularly watched the drama *The Moon That Hid the Sun*.

As people searching for actors after seeing *Close Your Eyes* joined, and with the hits *The Chaser* and *Dream Future*, her fandom grew rapidly.

Finally, with her appearance on *Star Fisher*, fans of all ages began to join. The result? Registered member numbers reached as high as five thousand.

And Soo-yeon’s influence didn’t stop within her fan communities; it also made an impact in unexpected places.

“President, our fishing rod sales have doubled recently?”

“….What?”

Indeed, Yuseong Company, a renowned domestic fishing rod manufacturer, was experiencing an unexpected boom.

Even in a market dominated by Japanese brands, such sales growth was quite unusual.

“Why?”

“Recently, a scene in *Star Fisher* showed a female actor catching a dorado…”

“Actress catching dorado? Wasn’t it faked?”

“That’s what some say, but she actually astonished everyone by reeling it in.”

The director showed a short clip to verify this. Not only did she catch the beast—it went airborne.

“Isn’t this CG?”

“….That’s what some suspect, but she used our fishing rod during the catch.”

Yuseong Company had long sponsored *Star Fisher* with rods.

The model displayed was relatively expensive, nearly indestructible under normal circumstances.

“Notice how the rod held up against the dorado until the end. Even searching on YouTube reveals videos where, at around 7 minutes in, other rods snap almost clean in half.”

“Hm… If ours was the one used, it didn’t break, so…”

“Yep. Honestly, even top American and Japanese products probably wouldn’t have lasted either. Anyway, it drew a lot of attention.”

Given the rarity of fishing-related variety shows, this unforeseen success of the sponsorship was remarkable.

“…Do we currently have an advertising model?”

“Of course.”

“By the way, what about hiring actress Joo Soo-yeon?”

The director paused briefly.

Joo Soo-yeon, an actress who’d lately become a constant discussion point. If they were to onboard her, it was now or never.

“…Should we reach out?”

With that, Yuseong’s president, Kang Dae-sik, nodded in agreement.

But he felt a pang of regret.

‘If only I’d reached out a bit earlier.’

Until recently, Joo Soo-yeon’s fees were comparable to a newcomer’s.

But now?

They’d likely more than doubled, given her current wave of popularity. Despite potential hype, she was undeniably a trending actress.

Thus, Soo-yeon became one of the hottest topics in CF circles.

“Sales have gone up again.”

Indeed, one brand had seized the opportunity early.

“Director, your insight really surprises me.”

“You know, a myth of luxury brands—this doesn’t happen just by luck.”

“In chaotic times, heroes emerge, they say….”

Eclat Étoile, the company that appointed Joo Soo-yeon as their ad model at the lowest possible valuation, saw her skyrocketing fame pay off in dividends.

“Well, I realized early. This all began back when I watched *The Moon That Hid the Sun* 10 years ago.”

With everyone praising and covering his face with gratitude upon his arrival at work each day, Manager Baek Min-chan enjoyed every minute of it. Recent sales numbers, which had bottomed out earlier, now were soaring.

It even seemed possible the peak sales figures might be surpassed.

“Though, there is some ambiguity we must address.”

But, as always, there’s someone around to complicate things. Strategy Director, Jung Tae-soo, was such an individual.

“Umm… ambiguity?”

“Director, we are a luxury cosmetic brand, aren’t we?”

“Yes.”

“Admittedly, our skincare products are selling well, but among those, the top seller is….”

“Straight-up?”

“Sunscreen.”

“…”

Sunscreen. While it’s technically a cosmetic product…

“Our actress frequently runs around energetically on variety shows, drawing lots of attention.”

*No People Survival* and *Star Fisher*.

Both shows female entertainers generally hesitate to participate in.

Why?

Primarily because they risk being labeled troublesome and damaging their image. Then, there’s the relentless blazing sun they must endure for extended periods.

Tanned and roughened skin, along with the physically demanding shoots, are common risks for actresses, so they generally avoid these shows.

Yet, despite appearing in both programs, Soo-yeon’s skin remained radiant—no blemishes or tan marks in sight.

With this, rumors on the internet like “Eclat Étoile’s sunscreen is reputedly excellent” spread rapidly.

“Are we becoming known as just a sunscreen brand?”

“…”

Of course, selling well isn’t a bad thing.

Indeed, the company atmosphere was great, with all praising Director Baek Min-chan. But, as a high-end cosmetic brand, image is important.

“Sure, there are positives. Many customers who start with the sunscreen will try other products.”

“So, instead of focusing only on sunscreen, should we make one more ad that highlights our other products?”

“We’re set to launch a new premium line soon, right?”

The exact launch date was a month away.

“Yes. Maybe, this time, we could invest more and shoot something more impactful.”

“Hmm…”

Internally, there was discussion about using a second ad model for the new premium collection.

Would a more sophisticated actress improve the brand image?

Reason being age.

Currently, Soo-yeon mainly targets teenagers and early twenty-somethings, given her youthful appeal. That’s why the current ads focus on such age groups.

But this new premium line aimed at a broader, slightly older demographic.

So, there was talk of adding an adult actress… but…

“Alright, I’ll bring this up with the president.”

“Thank you!”

Team Manager Jung Tae-soo bowed in thanks. Honestly, he initially found Soo-yeon a questionable choice.

Back then, her recognition was vague, and he wondered how impactful an actress so young could really be. Though her naturally beautiful face reassured otherwise.

“But, I guess the director was right.”

Despite some lightness, Director Baek Min-chan had keen eyes. The sales numbers spoke volumes.

And with her performances in *The Chaser* and *Dream Future*, Soo-yeon gained rapid recognition.

Her fun and lively image through variety shows helped.

“Maintaining a sophisticated image is something our product can convey.”

Managing an actress’s image—certainly something an ad agency must consider.

With Soo-yeon, it would surely work out. Jung Tae-soo, now, was confident of it.

***

Meanwhile, at the height of buzz in the ad world, *Star Fisher* had a belated after-gathering following their recent big episode.

Though usually held immediately after filming, the dorado excitement had overshadowed it before.

“Thanks to Soo-yeon, I finally tried spicy soup with dorado.”

“…I didn’t know they were so pricey.”

Soo-yeon replied softly.

It was genuine.

Had she known it might be one of the few catches of the year…

During her routine ego-search after filming, Soo-yeon learned this via her wiki entry.

Under Joo Soo-yeon’s controversies tab?

“Dorado spicy soup controversy.”

“Surely, the first incident couldn’t be…”

Even if true, was the dorado incident really too much?

What to call it?

Slightly too dumb?

Soo-yeon was somewhat particular about her public image. Even at the convenience store yesterday, a part-timer had asked, “Why spicy soup with dorado?”

That’s how impactful it was.

“Anyway, for such a big fish, boiling it into a stew isn’t out of the question.”

“True, true.”

During the casual conversation between Lee Sang-soo and Director Jung Seung-hyun, Soo-yeon wore a slightly awkward smile.

In contrast, Liam from Thunder Dust, another participant, looked somewhat dejected.

His contributions had been completely overshadowed by Soo-yeon’s stellar performance.

Some even doubted if he participated at all.

While eating the grilled fish served slowly, Liam noticed someone looking his way.

Indeed, Soo-yeon had caught his eye, narrowing hers slightly.

‘Didn’t I see him somewhere before?’

At the time of filming, he came fully made-up, making it hard to place him, but without heavy makeup now, Soo-yeon remembered something familiar.

‘Not necessarily a positive encounter…’

Most likely, it was about scandal. Nothing major, just a brief article that ended with the breakup of Thunder Dust.

“…Anyway.”

At that moment, Lee Sang-soo spoke to Soo-yeon.

“Yes?”

“I watched your film this weekend.”

“Which one?”

“It’s *The Chaser*. I don’t usually enjoy thrillers myself.”

Sang-soo absentmindedly reached for a glass of soju but hesitated. It dawned on him—there was no alcohol at this gathering today, as Soo-yeon was underage.

“Honestly speaking, it’s hard to believe those two characters are the same person from that movie’s perspective.”

Sang-soo said this with a light chuckle. The Cha Sooah of *The Chaser* was a character engulfed in darkness.

However, the Soo-yeon seen on the variety show was like sunlight.

The following *Dream Future* wasn’t to his taste, but it still had a certain draw.

An actor. For Lee Sang-soo, who no longer believed he could act, it was a glowing word. Soo-yeon was an actor who suited that term better than anyone.

“Maybe, given the opportunity, I’d like to act together someday… but don’t take this too seriously.”

Upon hearing this, Soo-yeon reflected on actor Lee Sang-soo. The one who’d experienced a great downfall in Hollywood.

More accurately, someone whose dignity as an actor was thoroughly trampled, losing his path as an actor.

“By my knowledge, five years from now, Lee Sang-soo would fully retire.”

His presence would disappear from broadcasts after the last episode of *Star Fisher*.

Yet…

“Senior.”

Soo-yeon addressed the man idly fidgeting with an empty glass. Personally, she didn’t want to see him retire at all.

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