Producer with no Regrets - Chapter 318



Only Noblemtl

Episode 318

The male agent raised his voice even louder towards Mia.

“Now that Fashion Week is coming up, are you all messed up? If you go behind the scenes like that, the designers will dress you up nicely!”

“I will lose another 1cm in a week.”

Mia scratched her head roughly in annoyance. She kept checking her watch, as if she was concerned about the promise she had made with Jang Ha-yang.

“Yeah, you should lose weight! Your body is different from when you auditioned! That’s why I told you to starve yourself! If you show that to the staff of the brand you passed, they’ll immediately find you a different body!”

Seongpil was surprised there again.

I was deeply culturally shocked by the way people used the word ‘body’ to refer to people without hesitation.

That title, which completely excluded personality, was no different from calling a piece of meat hanging in a butcher’s shop ‘one pound.’

“They say that even just 1cm can be reduced quickly. So please stop sending me now.”

“Haa, you… … .”

The agent, who was about to continue insulting others, noticed the gazes he felt nearby.

He looked at Seongpil, suddenly brightened his face, and nodded.

Even though he was an agent who managed models, he couldn’t help but recognize Seongpil, the benefactor of Webex.

“I told you I had an appointment. Look, you came to pick me up.”

“What, what? Director Park, what’s the promise… .”

“Yes. Then can we go now? Haruki, let’s go.”

Haruki, a male model who was sitting one seat away from Mia, got up and followed Mia.

As soon as Mia stood in front of Seongpil, she erased all of her irritated attitude from before and started acting cute.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for making you come here in person. What should I do?”

“Oh, no.”

Seongpil still hasn’t recovered from the verbal abuse his male agent poured out on him.

But Mia didn’t seem to care.

“This is Haruki. He used to be a model.”

“hello!”

Haruki asked Seongpil to shake his hand.

Shaking hands with him, Sungpil found it amusing that he found him very feminine.

It was because of the subtle nasal sound in his voice and the curves in each movement.

“You’re 15 minutes late. Can you extend the class by 15 minutes, Haruki-kun?”

“Oh, I’m busy too.”

“Don’t say something like that when you’re getting paid 20,000 yen for one day’s lecture.”

“Booo, don’t waste people’s time for small change.”

“If you have any complaints, take them to Webex. Oh, I’m sorry, Director Park. Let’s go quickly!”

The three of them took the elevator together and headed to the practice room where Jang Ha-yang was.

On the way, Seongpil couldn’t hold it in any longer and asked Mia a question.

“What he said earlier, wasn’t it a bit harsh? Are you okay?”

“Ah, well, it’s not bad. It happens often.”

“Does this happen often?!”

When Seongpil was startled, Mia quickly figured out that he was a complete novice in this industry.

But it seemed that the usual persuasion would not be enough to defend Webex’s model agency department.

So I decided to tell him a little bit about my situation. Since he is my friend Jang Ha-yang’s producer, I thought this much was okay.

“There’s a saying here: ‘If you don’t shoot Vogue before you turn 23, you’ll never do it again.’ I’m 22 now.”

Mia’s words were that her agent was a little harsh in his words because he was worried about her.

“Vogue, do you know?”

“Yes. I’ve heard of it.”

I heard it from Lee Yui.

It was said to be a magazine that was regarded as a bible by people in the fashion industry around the world.

It is said that Lee Yu-i’s house also has hundreds of copies of Italian, British, American, French, and Japanese editions of Vogue.

“I’m an old man now, so the company is desperately trying to help me out.”

“Hey, are you old?”

“Mia-chan is pitiful.”

Haruki threw firewood into the house that seemed to be on fire.

He sighed lightly.

“When I was in my early 20s, I thought the world was going to end. Young people kept coming at me, but my body was getting older and older. Haa, it was really hard to hold out. Compared to that, Mia-chan is amazing. She doesn’t seem to feel pressure.”

“Why wouldn’t I? I also want to appear in Western Vogue, Dazed, and ID and live my life to the fullest. I also want to go to dozens of famous brand fashion shows during every fashion week.”

“This year is your last chance.”

“You are dying.”

Seongpil couldn’t keep up with the two models’ stories.

Aside from not understanding their feelings, I also didn’t know that age was that important to models.

‘I thought models weren’t much affected by age because there were famous models in their late 20s or 30s on Korean entertainment shows.’

It didn’t seem like that at all.

Jang Ha-yang’s lecture started 20 minutes later than scheduled. According to the estimate, the lecture will last about 2 to 3 hours.

“Please take good care of me, Hayang!”

“Yes, I will study hard.”

Jang Ha-yang and Haruki greeted each other as they faced each other. I thought they would shake hands, but Seong-pil was startled.

Haruki suddenly hugged Jang Ha-yang.

Jang Ha-yang, who was suddenly hugged, just blinked as if she didn’t know what was going on.

“What, what are you doing!”

When Seongpil got up from his chair in a fit of rage, Haruki was startled and fell away from Jang Ha-yang.

“Uh, yeah?”

“Why are you suddenly hugging Hayang!”

“I, I was just saying hello… … What… … ?”

Haruki glanced at Mia, not knowing what was going on. Mia answered him.

“What if you greet an idol with a hug? It’s a sensitive subject. Haruki-kun was wrong.”

“Is that so? I’m sorry… … .”

Haruki greeted Jang Ha-yang and Seong Pil in turns.

At the sight of her bending down so excessively, Sungpil’s anger that had reached the top of his head disappeared.

Because Haruki didn’t seem to have any dark intentions. He seemed to have no hesitation toward the greeting of hugging, which is common among Asians.

“… … Please be careful when touching.”

“Yes, yes. I’m sorry. Thank you for forgiving me. I’m sorry, Hayang.”

“no…….”

Seongpil somehow felt like he had done something wrong. He returned to his seat against the wall with an uneasy feeling.

“Haruki, you worked overseas for a long time in your 20s. At that time, you adapted a lot to that culture, and also… … .”

Mia swallowed her last words.

“I apologize too. I’m sorry. I should have told Haruki-kun in advance.”

“No, when you say culture… … .”

“She has real talent. She’s been invited to luxury brand shows every fashion week.”

Now I make a living by giving lectures for about 10,000 yen per hour.

Seongpil thought that was a lot of money, but Mia didn’t seem to think so.

“first!”

Haruki clapped his hands.

“Should I change into high heels?”

“yes.”

As soon as Jang Ha-yang changed into high heels, Haruki’s atmosphere completely changed.

As he kicked the ground once, his posture straightened. It was as if the place he was standing was a runway, a flawless and refined appearance.

“First, let me tell you something. Don’t be discouraged. Let me tell you something interesting. Less than 20% of people who want to become models become them. They are all chosen to be models. More than 80% of people start out because a casting manager tells them to do it.”

Some people even appear on the fashion show just 10 days after being selected.

“I’ve taught many people like that. They all followed my guidance and showed decent performances. At least they reached a level where they could be called models. Ha-yang will be the same. First!”

Haruki lifted one shoulder and stretched the other hip out.

“Do you want to follow me?”

Jang Ha-yang took the same pose.

“How do you feel?”

“Uh… … My shoulders just went up and my butt dropped, that’s all.”

“That’s it. What I’m going to teach you today is the feeling that these two parts are connected. You need to know that feeling of two completely different parts connected in your body. That feeling is your body weight, and clearly realizing that is the basis of walking.”

Haruki demonstrated walking.

Walking is such a common movement for humans. Even babies can do it without being taught, so walking is a movement that is engrained in human instinct.

That is why no one perceives that they are ‘walking’.

“A model has to develop the act of ‘walking’ into an art. Look.”

And Haruki’s subsequent walk was elegant and splendid even to a complete stranger.

Just walk.

That’s all, but it was incredibly cool.

“Then let’s follow along. Remember, the feeling of your shoulders and hips being connected by weight.”

Jang Ha-yang followed Haruki and showed off her walking skills.

It wasn’t something he would say to himself, but it was a little funny to Seongpil as well.

“White! Did you just look in the mirror?”

“Oh, no.”

“My right hand is frozen like a cowboy about to draw his pistol, my neck is stiff, and my hips are swaying strangely from side to side. I have to shift my center of gravity with every step! Here, again!”

Haruki’s lectures were worth more than 10,000 yen per hour.

Without explaining useless technical terms, Haruki extracted only the key points and passed on his know-how to Jang Ha-yang.

“Ahem, ahem, good, good.”

As the walking became more or less complete, Haruki started another lecture.

Jang Ha-yang would walk straight towards a wall and bump into it without stopping, or he would put his weight on his butt and push against the wall.

“Remember the purpose of the lesson. How does the body carry weight? How does that weight connect the parts of the body? You need to realize that.”

Haruki’s class went on for longer than the promised three hours.

Not only Jang Ha-yang, a student, but even Haruki, an instructor, had his clothes soaked with sweat.

“Haruki, time is up.”

“Aha, already? Excuse me, but could you give me a little more time? Of course, if Hayang has more time. I don’t need to take more money!”

Haruki looked at Jang Ha-yang with satisfaction.

“It’s rewarding to teach. You said you’re going to the opening ceremony of ‘Fukuyo Hidaka’, right? Then you have to aim for the best! What do you think?”

What does it mean to say something?

Seongpil gratefully accepted Haruki’s offer.

Jang Ha-yang was already exhausted, but he had no intention of giving up on this class.

‘Best of the opening events.’

The Girls’ League doesn’t care about Caius anymore. That’s only half true.

Whereas before he was an obvious enemy that Caius had to defeat, now he was a rival that seemed to have some chance of winning.

Jang Ha-yang glanced at Seong-pil.

‘I will shine more.’

It will shine even brighter and blind Seongpil’s eyes. He won’t even dare to look at the harsh places.

He will forever fill his eyes with his own light.

“Okay, final check!”

6 hours of lecture time have passed.

Now, there were even crowds of people outside the practice room watching. Among them were members of Girls’ League who had returned after finishing their schedules.

“Ahem, good, oh so good!”

Jang Ha-yang walked.

It was a gait with an edge that was incomparable to before.

The bridge that stood out curiously was like Moses’ staff that parted the sea.

The arms were not dangling from the body, but emitted light with a clear will.

Every time she clicked her high heels, the light from the sound reflected back and forth, illuminating the practice room.

“This is a real final check! I think it’s a real test!”

Haruki suddenly approached Seongpil and grabbed his wrist. Before Seongpil could even start to push him away in panic, Haruki stood him in the center of the practice room.

“Hayang! Fashion is seduction. Clothes that don’t seduce have no value! And a model is someone who elevates the value of fashion to its peak! Come on, come closer to me like you’re seducing me!”

Haruki stepped back and Seongpil stood there blankly.

Jang Ha-yang looked surprised by the sudden turn of events, but soon raised the corners of her mouth and put into practice what she had learned.

The moment Jang Ha-yang took her first step, Seong-pil felt pressure as if a car was approaching.

I felt like I could die if I kept standing here. That was the level of pressure.

‘Aura.’

A wave of such momentum that it was impossible for Seongpil to even stand still with his wits about him.

‘Can you change this much with just a few hours of study?’

Is this what a model’s walk was like?

People outside the practice room also expressed their admiration for Jang Ha-yang’s clearly changed spirit.

“White sister, you’re sexy!”

“Ah, those are the steps that kill a man.”

“Ara-chan, you otaku!”

Again.

Jang Ha-yang stopped walking right in front of Seong-pil. Then, she slightly tilted her upper body and got closer to Seong-pil.

“Temptation, you have been tempted… … .”

“No no no no no!”

Before Jang Ha-yang could even recite her killer line, Haruki jumped.

“White! What kind of tank is that?”

“……yes?”

“I told you to seduce me, I didn’t tell you to hit me! You shouldn’t do that!”

“Oh, did I do something wrong with the walking… …?”

“Yes! If you’re so combative, even the man who has already come over will back down! Director Park has already taken a step back!”

It was true.

Seongpil couldn’t stand the pressure and took a small step back.

“… … Could you be a little more specific? I’ll fix it.”

“It’s more a matter of feeling than movement. Just relax a little. Lions wait for hours before they hunt. Again!”

Jang Ha-yang’s confidence had slightly disappeared, and she walked towards Seong-pil with less momentum than before.

“It’s better than before. But it’s still not enough. Instead of making the man retreat, make him harden like he’s seen Medusa. It’s okay if it’s a little slow. It’s easy to decide on a line for image training. Let’s say, ‘Would you like to buy me a drink?’”

“… … ?”

“It’s soft and seductive.”

Jang Ha-yang repeated the final inspection ten times.

So by the end, her breathing was quite ragged.

Although tired, her spirits were sharper than ever.

The last walk. She was so nervous that she thought she had never been this focused on a stage before.

But her walking was incredibly smooth.

Jang Ha-yang, who reached Seong-pil, asked in a voice mixed with breath and groaning.

“Would you like to buy me… a drink…?”

About 3 seconds of silence.

Haruki clapped his hands and stomped his feet.

“Euna finale menabilosa (What a brilliant finish)!”

Those outside the practice room also congratulated Jang Ha-yang with whistles, applause, and cheers.

“Okay, answer!”

Seongpil responded immediately to Haruki’s request.

“How many glasses.”

“Director Park, Daitan (bold talk)!”

“It’s not you, it’s Hayang who’s bold.”

The cheering grew louder.

* * *

By the time we finished practicing, it was already night.

Jang Ha-yang was sitting on a chair in the break room, rubbing her sore legs. Beneath her, Seong-pil was putting a band-aid on Jang Ha-yang’s foot.

“I can do it… … .”

“I do it because I want to.”

Although she had already washed her feet, Jang Ha-yang was embarrassed to let Seong-pil wash them.

Seongpil carefully examined her feet, looking for any rough spots.

Jang Ha-yang had difficulty taking even a single step after practicing for hours. With each step, her shoes scraped against her Achilles tendon, digging deeper into the wound.

“Was it really hard? You walked for hours wearing high heels.”

“It wasn’t difficult.”

“You don’t have to pretend to be strong.”

“It’s true.”

Jang Ha-yang’s tone was filled with joy.

“It’s me, sir.”

“huh?”

“I think I’ve discovered my talent for the first time.”

Haruki has praised Jang Ha-yang several times for his quick learning ability.

It wasn’t a paid lecturer just talking nonsense to get the next lecture.

Haruki really highly regarded Jang Ha-yang’s potential and abilities.

“It’s your first time. Hayang is an idol… … .”

Seongpil’s hand, which was sticking the bandage, stopped.

Although it was very small, I could hear Jang Ha-yang’s sobbing.

When I raised my head, I saw her frowning and holding back tears.

“Anyway, I was slower than others, but I did this well. It went well. It wasn’t because other people praised me, but because I felt I did well.”

This was my first experience like this.

Finally, I realized that I had something in common with others.

I was so happy I couldn’t stand it.

“I kept thinking that I was stupid and useless… … .”

“Hayang-ah.”

“I know. I’m great as an idol. I know this better than anyone else because the CEO acknowledges me. But I wanted to have something to brag about.”

Before Girls’ League debuted, Rika once tried to comfort Jang Ha-yang, who was trying to challenge herself with rap, by saying, “You’re pretty, aren’t you!”

At that time, Jang Ha-yang reacted coldly, which was not typical of her, saying that all pretty people are the same.

“It’s my pride and joy.”

I am glad that Sungpil acknowledged Jang Ha-yang as an idol. However, as an idol, there were too many people who received recognition besides Jang Ha-yang.

Girls’ League members.

Caius.

Darkest.

There are so many idols that Seongpil acknowledges.

Jang Ha-yang’s pride was something that she thought was common. It was something that the members all had, so it was something she couldn’t brag about.

“I kept looking for something that I could be better at than others, something that would give me confidence.”

And this time I found it.

Walking is a skill that has almost nothing to do with idols.

Jang Ha-yang was happy about that.

“Director.”

Jang Ha-yang sniffled and asked.

“Did I do well? Did I shine? More than others today?”

Seongpil slowly lowered his head and finished putting the bandage on her ankle.

“Ha-yang always shined.”

“… … .”

That meant that today was no different from any other day. It was recognition, but it was recognition at the same level as before.

When the corners of Jang Ha-yang’s eyes were starting to droop.

“But today it was sunny.”

“……yes?”

“I like you even if you were the moon, the stars, or even the streetlights of Dal-dong. Whenever I see you, I’ll run to you like a moth. But today… … .”

Shined like the sun.

A star that is warmer, more brilliant, and more majestic than any light created by humans.

“At least today, I couldn’t think of anyone to compare her to. She was the best.”

A look of disappointment flashed across Jang Ha-yang’s face, then a look of emotion appeared.

Seongpil continued speaking with a smile, adding confidence to her impression.

“Come to think of it, Hayang received a scout offer from Yoonsoo hyung.”

Sung Yoon-soo, who runs a modeling agency in Korea. He was the bridge that connected Sung-pil and Jang Ha-yang.

If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have met Jang Ha-yang.

“Maybe Brother Yoon-soo had the right insight. Maybe.”

It’s better to live as a model…

“Director, there is another reason why I was happy today.”

“huh?”

Jang Ha-yang was hiding her tears with the back of her hand. And as usual, she greeted him with a playful smile.

“Spending the night sweating with Director Park was much more enjoyable than I imagined.”

Seongpil burst out laughing without realizing it.

“Oh, really. I shouldn’t laugh at something like this… … .”

“Hahaha, did you have fun? If you did, please tell Ara to let go of her banter.”

“To be exact, we spent the whole day from noon to evening. I wasn’t the only one there. You were the only one sweating.”

And blood too.

Seongpil gently ran his thumb over the several bandages wrapped around Jang Ha-yang’s ankle.

Blood had already seeped out and stained the outside of the bandage red.

“Do I have to practice in high heels?”

“It’s exactly the same as our stage preparation.”

“……I know.”

“What if I bleed a little?”

Everything for the perfect show.

Jang Ha-yang gained faith through Haruki’s class today. It was a rare faith that was not gained from Sung-pil, but rather from deep within his heart.

‘I can win.’

It can shine brighter than Jinsoyu.

* * *

In the internal studio of the ‘Fukuyo Hidaka’ headquarters, preparations for filming were in full swing.

It was a place to take pre-photographs and analyze the performers’ images for the opening ceremony of the fashion show.

There were over twenty staff members in the spacious photo studio. Among them were Tatsuya Mahara, who was in charge of the first designer team, and Atomu Irie of the second designer team.

And following them, many designers from Fukuyo Hidaka also gathered.

“Are there two idols using this studio?”

“Was it Caius’s possession and the Girls’ League’s Hayang?”

The two designers talked in a corner so that their team leaders could not hear.

The reason I did it in a place where no one could hear was because it was a topic that would not be beneficial for others to hear.

“I don’t understand. No, I understand Caius. Soyou has decided to become the ‘Fukuyo Hidaka’ ambassador, so there’s also symbolism. But isn’t Hayang from the Girls’ League like that?”

“That’s right. Honestly, even if your goal is to advance into Korea, the level doesn’t match.”

Entrusting an idol from a small agency with the role of a luxury brand ambassador.

The mere mention of the term ‘small and medium-sized planning agency’ makes one feel musty. Even though they have track records, they are not models that luxury brands that prioritize image would choose.

Even if it’s an opening ceremony.

“Did you hear what Team Leader Mahara said at the meeting? That girl Hayang has an edge.”

“What the… … . You’re giving too much credit to a person who isn’t even a model. I question your judgment.”

“It’s not something you can call a breakaway.”

Designers should be as sparing as possible in such investigations, as the fashion world is largely influenced by rumors, the underbelly of reputation.

A word from a famous influencer can quickly spread throughout the industry, and models who give good reviews will receive more attention.

“If other clients hear Team Leader Mahara’s story and write in white, what if it’s bad?”

It is not uncommon for influencers to hire models as a word, because the fashion industry always has to be at the forefront of trends.

If you wait until it is verified, you will always fall behind. But if you actually try it and the results are not good, Mahara’s reputation will quickly fall.

The fashion world is dominated by the ‘information cascade’. There is so much information that many people follow the majority flow rather than their own opinions.

It is celebrities like Mahara who create that flow.

“No way. After all, they’re idols. Well, I guess they can appear in some decent commercials.”

“Because she is a classical beauty, whether you see her in a video or in a photo.”

She is classically beautiful.

That is, the eyes are big, the jawline is slim, the lips are attractive, the cheeks are rosy, and the nose bridge is high.

Beautiful, obvious, and boring.

“Everything is pretty.”

“Hello, this is Hayang from the Girls’ League. It’s nice to meet you. Please take care of me today.”

“It’s so unbelievably pretty… … ?”

When Jang Ha-yang’s real body appeared in the studio, the eyes of the designers who had been gossiping behind her back grew bigger than the lids of pots.