Chapter 70

“Waa….”

Since Hong Seohyun arrived at Studio Yun, she had been experiencing cultural shock at every moment.

The singer of ‘Love,’ the debut song she had chosen, often shoots music videos that feel like making films, favoring that aesthetic.

Within the amateurish studio, she leverages her acting background to deliver performances that match the song’s concept.

In short, the singer frequently creates A-grade music videos that pretend to be B-grade.

So, she thought, wouldn’t the model photography be quite similar to what she’d seen in those music videos?

“Much different…”

Now she clearly understood.

The scenes in her head didn’t even remotely resemble reality.

The studio for B-grade-in-pretense A-grade music videos and model photo shoots felt completely different from the start.

No, the Studio Yun where Hong Seohyun now stood wasn’t similar to any studio in this world.

It was, quite literally, the difference between heaven and earth.

“Professionals must get annoyed by TV dramas, huh?”

Or, wasn’t that right?

“Are the buttons not fastened straight?”

“Eh, isn’t it better to leave two of them open? It looks cool and refreshing.”

“One.”

“Tch….”

How many models in this world would even engage in a conversation about button styling with a photographer and an office lady look like this?

Furthermore, how many daughters would have a conversation with their mother about revealing some skin or the excessive charm of appearance?

Such an experience could never be properly reenacted in a drama.

“If this were made into a drama, it’d be overdone and hated, and the ratings would plummet to the basement, right?”

Even industry insiders would find it hard to believe this.

And while Hong Seohyun was having these thoughts…

“Mom, look at this. If I just slightly adjust this, it feels like a thin can could slide in there, you know?”

“So?”

“Huh…?”

“You’re suggesting we should leave the buttons open, stick a coffee can in there, and then go ahead with the shoot?”

“Ah, no, it’s just that I find this chest compressing sensation curious…”

Hayoon carelessly let slip an untamed comment and quickly found herself being reprimanded by Yusoohee.

In truth, Hayoon was usually busy drawing illustrations when alone, pondering about how her body could look its best only during cosplay or shoots.

That was why her sincere exclamations came out so effortlessly…

“One button undone, glasses on, looking off into the distance. You get it, right?”

“Affirmative!”

This talk, the type of banter usually shared only among adolescent girls, was not going to sound pleasant to Yusoohee’s ears.

In the end, she once again scolded Hayoon, who quickly complied and got back to the shoot without any resistance.

“Is this angle fine?”

“Yeah, it’s perfect. Oh, and somehow your gaze has improved. You’re not hypnotizing random people outside, are you?”

“Ah, don’t be silly.”

Hayoon, dressed in a women’s business suit, skillfully adjusted her gaze while exchanging casual banter with Yusoohee.

She leaned against the desks used in office spaces, mimicking the posture of an imaginary new employee sitting along a diagonal line. Meanwhile, Yusoohee was zooming her lens in on Hayoon’s expression from where she stood. The result felt like the perspective of a new office worker being reprimanded by Scarlet, the fiery red-haired office lady.

“Is this the vibe?”

Photographs don’t capture voices.

They merely capture fleeting moments, so exchanging words in between shots like this isn’t unusual.

“How about this?”

It wasn’t as if Hayoon had ever been nagged by Yusoohee.

Standing boldly in front of the camera, Hayoon struck an audacious pose and offered a mischievous smile that seemed to materialize the crass phrase “Catch me if you can.”

“Such an obvious ‘girlfriend picture’ angle…”

Even Hong Seohyun, who was standing nearby, noticed it.

The setup of workplace romances.

Hayoon was in love with her girlfriend, Scarlet, sitting across the diagonal in the office. It evoked the image of Scarlet scolding her, though at home, it was a completely different story; she’d likely be the one submitting to her during intimate evenings.

“Honestly… it’s somewhat… affecting…”

Women’s sexual desires reportedly peak years after secondary sexual characteristics develop.

And ironically, Hong Seohyun felt something stirring watching Hayoon cosplay as her own character in a business suit.

“I wish something like that could happen to me.”

The natural pleasure that such a setup might bring.

Hong Seohyun found herself unconsciously imagining that she was also a part of such a setup.

The blend of this setup and Hayoon’s beautiful modeling evoked an irresistible longing for the life of the office lady they were portraying.

“Still, if I become a VTuber, it’s probably unlikely that I’ll get a job, isn’t it?”

Hong Seohyun could only lament that she wouldn’t be able to experience this for the next few years, as she was destined to live life as a VTuber.

“Ah, it turned out well!”

With that same energy, Hayoon took a few more shots before heading for the dressing room with a satisfied shout.

That concludes today’s shoot.

With a few more days of shooting, the debut commemorative photo book for Scarlet should be finished smooth sailing.

#

After switching back to casual wear from the office ensemble,

Hayoon accompanied Hong Seohyun, who had finished her observation, as she prepared to go home.

“Ughh, thanks for coming. I didn’t really get the chance to properly entertain you today.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it. Showing me around like this is already enough.”

“Showing around?”

“Watching a beautiful person pose in various outfits is entertaining enough.”

“Your words are…”

They continued their girl talk while walking through Hongdae.

The scorching heat of an August summer was still oppressive, but it wasn’t stifling to the point where even breathing felt like a stress.

At least, it wasn’t as humid and suffocating as tropical climates.

Maybe because the discomfort index was low, or merely because they were two women walking together, or perhaps due to some other reason.

Both Hayoon and Hong Seohyun were wearing short sleeves, and as they brushed shoulders occasionally, they continued walking without much fuss.

And then,

“Hot, sooo hot…”

As they approached the bus stop, Hong Seohyun snuggled a bit closer.

Despite the heat not being unbearable, or perhaps remembering how Chaerin had done on the first day of school, she leaned into Hayoon.

“Doesn’t this make it hotter?”

“Is that important now?”

“Umm…”

“It’s about sympathizing with your heat!”

“Ah, come on!”

Next thing you know, Hong Seohyun had slipped her hand into the hem of Hayoon’s thin t-shirt, gently prodding her slightly convex lower abdomen.

“Why do you always start with my stomach?”

“Because it’s fun. Touching other people’s bodies.”

“Huh?”

“Aren’t women more sensitive to tactile differences wherever you touch them? Men might not understand it, but we notice subtle differences, and it’s fascinating.”

Hayoon hadn’t had someone touch her lower abdomen in quite some time, thanks to Hong Seohyun.

It seemed as though Hong Seohyun was either getting really into playing around with Hayoon or just passing the time while waiting for the bus.

With an exasperated expression, Hayoon memorized the sensation coming from her lower abdomen.

She’d repay her in kind later.

#

Even though Hong Seohyun had come to the first day of the photo book shoot, she couldn’t come every day.

Which was obvious, really.

The initial excitement of the shoot would eventually wane as it became routine, and Hong Seohyun would inevitably find it monotonous.

And if the guest she’d invited ended up fiddling with her phone during the sessions, it would only create awkwardness for both her and the invitee.

So, after that, the rest of the shoot was carried out solely by Yusoohee and Hayoon…

“Good job, I’ll process these as fast as I can.”

“Thank you so much!”

“You’re only this affectionate during these moments.”

“Ehhh, don’t exaggerate.”

Periodically, Hayoon would revert to an affectionate daughter to soothe Yusoohee’s complex emotions.

“The hardcover version will probably come out by early October. Since the quantity is so small, if we entrust it to the same company where we last requested a cosplay book, we can probably pick it up together.”

“Huh, good thing we didn’t rush this hardcover order!”

“That’s right. Who was it again? I knew you’d end up like this eventually, so I decided to wait and see.”

No matter what, mother and daughter clicked perfectly during business discussions.

And just as the two were exchanging their future plans…

– Konnichiwa. This is “Scarlet.”

A red-haired and red-eyed illustrator who plans to debut as a VTuber in October.

Her first tweet on the Blue Bird platform was a casual greeting, written in Japanese, subtly hinting at her Korean-Japanese bilingual music teacher role-playing profile.

---