Two days later.
Sua was bustling about from the early morning.
—
First, there was a group chat call from Deer-Go Eun-bi. Sua furrowed her brows as she wondered why the calls kept coming in.
[Caller: Go Eun-bi]
▷ Hey, unban me
▷ I haven’t banned you
▷ Hey! Hey!
‘Oh, right.’
Sua soon understood. She immediately lifted the ban.
Sua then waited for the van in front of the doll department store. Of course, Sua hadn’t chosen this meeting spot.
‘Was it because during the mock shoot, the van came here?’
In the past, Mystic, including Seo Yeon-joo, had come here to pick her up. Could that have influenced the implicit decision for Sua’s waiting spot?
It wasn’t an unpleasant arrangement for Sua. It was nice to be able to look at dolls while waiting. In fact, her eyes were currently fixated on the display.
‘Wow, I have to get that. Definitely later…’
The previous rabbit dolls were gone, replaced entirely by new releases. While maintaining a stoic expression outwardly, inwardly, her eyes sparkled with excitement, and she was drooling.
“Who is that woman?”
“…She’s pretty.”
“Is she a celebrity?”
The surrounding pedestrians glanced and whispered about Sua, but she was completely unaware, too engrossed in the display.
Then, it happened.
A little child, holding a mother’s hand after coming out from the store, stopped and stared blankly up at Sua, pointing a finger.
“That one. I want that one too.”
“Huh? That’s a person. You shouldn’t point like that.”
The mother tapped the child’s back gently to chide them, but Sua didn’t feel particularly annoyed. After all, it was kind of flattering to be mistaken for a doll. Feeling secretly pleased, she waved at the child.
“It looks like a wolf. A wolf doll.”
Sua’s hand paused mid-wave.
Her expression stiffened without her realizing, and soon the child scampered back into the mother’s arms, quickly fleeing the scene.
Sua felt wronged. “I’m an Arctic fox, an Arctic fox! I’m so far from being a wolf…”
At that moment, a van stopped in front of Sua.
“Sua.”
The door opened, revealing Kim I-seo, who was much smaller than the seat.
She looked just the same as always. Her two large hairpins were in place, as were her calm and sophisticated outfits.
The manager waved her small hand.
“Did you wait long? Let’s go.”
After Sua got in, the van began to move smoothly. Kim I-seo suddenly glanced at Sua’s face.
‘Is it because the main shoot is nearing? She seems much more serious than before. Well, it’s about time to start managing her mindset.’
Deep down, Sua was just shocked about being compared to a wolf.
These days, Sua was deeply into Arctic foxes. After hearing them mentioned by writer Lee Geum-sook, she looked them up and found them incredibly cute. That made her happy. Like, this is me? That kind of reaction.
Of course, Kim I-seo, unaware of such thoughts, only thought about how things would get busier. After all, she now had to take care of not only Kim Sun-il and Seo Yeon-joo but also Lee Sua.
Kim I-seo broke the silence first.
“I noticed earlier that there were quite a few gazes glancing at you, Sua. Even before your debut, it’s already like this. After the drama airs, we definitely need to change your waiting spot.”
“Arctic fox.”
“Hmm?”
“Do you think I look like an Arctic fox?”
Kim I-seo was a bit surprised by the unexpected question, but she understood the gist behind Sua’s tone.
“Well, yes. Because you do resemble one.”
But secretly, what came to Kim I-seo’s mind was a wolf.
A wolf that doesn’t just jump in with a cute skip and catch its prey, but one that bites into its target’s neck. A fierce wolf that achieves its goal at all costs.
“Anyway, did you remember that the main shoot starts in five days? Both writer Lee Geum-sook and the entire production team are looking forward to Sua’s acting.”
“I know the main shoot starts in five days.”
“Everyone is so busy. Oh, and the shooting order has changed a bit. It seems they’re going to shoot Sua’s scenes first.”
“My scenes first? Do they have to?”
“That’s the judgment. They think the actors watching you will be more alert and thus work harder.”
“Hmm…”
Sua’s heart began pounding.
‘What is this? It’s incredibly stressful.’
What now awaited Sua was the actual filming. Each of her performances there would be exposed directly to the public.
Sua had many tasks ahead. Managing her image throughout filming was essential, and she also had to act well.
Kim I-seo nodded quietly.
“I trust you, Sua. Please take good care of your condition so you can show a good appearance during the main shoot. And let me know immediately if anything comes up.”
“I’ll think about it.”
Sua stopped herself from saying “I’m fine” and quickly changed it to “I’ll think about it.” Had she grown a bit cunning lately? No, smarter. Like a fox. She felt puffed up inside.
“Today, Sua will have just one schedule.”
What was it? Sua perked her ears up.
“Profile photo shoot. We’re going to create Sua’s profile.”
“Profile?”
It wasn’t because she didn’t know the word. It was like a photo spread, where you frame one picture to hang, right? Only, Sua had no such experience, so she was quite nervous.
How many photos had been captured of her life?
Had she ever taken pictures with family or friends? Not really. The graduation or ID photos were the only ones.
“Profile photo shoots are tough. Choosing a single photo to represent yourself is a difficult task. It took a whole day for Seon-Il and about two days for Yeon-Joo.”
“Hmm…”
“Sua needs to take two.”
“Two?”
Sua tilted her head slightly.
“You see, we’re planning to completely disguise Sua as a male actor, a marketing gamble that could truly be a huge success if it works. It’s like launching a rocket into the sky.”
Sua instantly understood the meaning.
Even though Sua had never done a profile photo shoot…
Nonetheless, she resolved herself and said,
“I’m confident.”
If it’s something that must be done, then it can be done.
— — — — —
A few hours later, at the profile photo shoot studio.
The work done on Sua was less about styling and more akin to a full character transformation. It was the process of overlaying the body of a male named Kim Yu-han onto Sua’s frame.
‘Boring.’
Sitting in a chair for long was unimaginably tedious.
Her buttocks ached, and her shoulders stiffened. Without her phone to keep her occupied, Sua had to rely on her imagination.
Mostly, rabbit-related fantasies. Various rabbit worlds where Sua was active…
Such thoughts occupied her for quite some time.
“Voila!”
One of the stylists exclaimed. Meeting Sua’s eyes through the mirror, they smiled kindly and said,
“It’s finished! Do you want to check out the feel? The writer and producer PD stressed how important this work is, so we put our souls into it.”
Come to think of it, the talk was all about Sua’s transformation into Kim Yu-han while they were applying makeup. The entire production team of “Special Mobile Unit 808” had apparently put all their bets on this.
And so, Sua snapped out of her thoughts.
Looking into the mirror, she felt…
“…!”
Her neck tingled with shock.
‘…What is this? Is this me?’
Because the person in the mirror looked a lot like Kim Yu-han.
White wig, a nose enhanced with shading on the skin tone, and the stylist had draped a curtain-like fabric over Sua’s curvaceous body at that moment.
Hiding the naturally feminine curves of the female body made it even more like Kim Yu-han.
The stylist gave a satisfied smile.
“The writer and producer will have no choice but to be satisfied with this, capturing both cuteness and good looks. It’s the best of both worlds.”
“Two rabbits, great.”
“Excuse me?”
— ♪♪
A call came just then.
It was none other than Seo Yeon-joo.
Actually, Yeon-joo had shown interest from quite a while ago via messages. When she heard that Sua was taking profile photos, her curiosity was aroused. But the call now was an outright video call.
‘…Is this what it’d be like if I had a real older sister?’
Sua hesitated a bit before answering the call.
— Mother of mine, let me see your face, Sua. I couldn’t hold my curiosity about you taking profile photos…
As soon as Sua showed her face,
— …..
Yeon-joo couldn’t continue her sentence.
— ….
Silence followed, still and motionless as if the screen was frozen.
Even when Sua waved her hand slightly,
— ….
There was no response.
Sua’s impression of Yeon-joo was someone who constantly chatters. Being this quiet made her a little anxious.
Could Yeon-joo possibly find it terrible?
“…Is it strange?”
However,
— Hmm. It’s me who’s strange.
Such was Yeon-joo’s reply.
She even covered her eyes with her hand and said,
— Sua. Don’t look at me with that disguise. I might fall for it.
“Excuse me?”
— I seriously might fall for you.
.
.
.
.
.
.
A few hours later. Midnight.
The shoot, which seemed so smooth initially,
Sua ended up facing an unexpected problem she hadn’t anticipated.
She gazed at herself in the mirror.
“Mmm…”
Now, it was time to take a profile photo as the woman Lee Sua. Thus, Sua, who was subjected to various kinds of beautifying, felt the pain in her buttocks and neck and shoulders.
There were many things rolling around on the floor — hangers, tools, empty cosmetic containers, just to name a few. It was impossible to count how many times the styling had been changed, and clothes switched.
The hours had passed, it was already midnight.
Sua began to feel pain in her buttocks, neck, and shoulders.
“Out of all the styles, Miss Sua, which one do you prefer?”
“Um…”
Sua hesitated, unsure.
Ponytail, twin tails, apple head, pony buns… There had been many attempts, but choosing just one was incredibly difficult. It was hard to rank each one better or worse than the others.
Sua’s own judgment was simply that it was fun to see these new sides of herself. That process felt wondrous and fresh, but nothing more.
Still, the stylists struggling to distinguish which was best were just as challenged. Everyone’s heads seemed ready to explode with difficulty.
The head of the profile photo team scratched the back of their head and thought.
‘Is this what it means to have ten faces? This is the first time this has ever happened to me…’
She briefly gathered her employees and quietly asked,
“What do you guys think is the best?”
“Too hard to choose.”
“…Right? Usually, the actors have a really clear preference, but this is the first time I’ve seen someone like this. No matter what we do, it fits too well, so it’s incredibly hard to choose just one picture.”
Just then,
“Excuse me.”
“Oh, yes. Miss Sua.”
Responding to Sua’s call, the director immediately approached.
“Is it just one photo left?”
“Yes, the profile can only hang one picture, which is very important.”
The director seriously continued the explanation.
“When the public first learns of Miss Sua, this will be the first thing to greet them. It essentially sets the first impression, and in this industry, nothing is more important than the first impression.”
By now, Su-a also understood the importance of this.
“Let’s try the next styling. If you have any particular preferences among the styles, please let me know. How about this time we go for an idol makeup look?”
The stylists immediately surrounded Sua.
“Miss Sua, we’re not doing this because we’re paid.”
“Yes, it’s not just about the money. If it were just for the money, we would have finished hastily.”
“Isn’t that right?”
“Miss Sua, your face just gives us this urge. No matter what we try, it kind of works, so we can’t help but tinker and try to find the best.”
Few more hours passed.
How many different styles they had attempted?
All sorts of brushes tapped her face countless times, outfits changed innumerable times and makeup had to be thoroughly wiped off with each process. It was so much that they even took a break to give her skin a mask at one point. It was truly exhausting.
Actually, Sua didn’t think much about profile photos.
She thought any photo that portrayed her prettily could work as a profile picture. Anyhow, it seemed like having a good image hanging anywhere would be advantageous.
However,
“….”
Now things were different.
Strangely, Sua began to worry increasingly.
“Miss Sua, how about this style?”
“Um….”
She recognized that she had potential for such a look, and every style was suitable, but when asked about the favorite, she couldn’t answer decisively. Something kept nagging at her conscience.
‘The act of expressing myself in just one photo.’
What was the right way to capture it?
Would it be fine just to be pretty?
Would I really have no regrets?
That’s when the shoot manager said in a tired voice.
“We’ve tried almost everything. Trying any more would be a stretch, I think. It’s tough, but now we must choose. How about the proposal number 3 we did earlier? That seemed decent, right?”
“Proposal number 3…”
“Miss Sua, if you’re confused, trusting my judgment wouldn’t be the worst idea. I’ve done only this job for more than 10 years.”
Sua didn’t answer.
She introspected.
Looking back, since gaining her special talent, her life had changed radically. She performed various roles and reaped benefits through different social expressions and attitudes.
Perhaps that would continue in the future as well.
Sua aimed for greater success and would proceed without resting. But for that very reason, something that troubled her in her heart became even more prominent.
She now felt she knew what that obstacle was.
It was a tiny wish.
One photo.
Just one.
Wouldn’t it be nice to leave a trace of my real self?
This was a small wish.
“Excuse me.”
She didn’t deliberate for long.
With the main shooting of “Special Mobile Unit 808” approaching, Sua decided to take her first step in her acting life by finding courage.
“May I style my image myself?”
“Excuse me? Yourself?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm…?”
The team leader’s face was filled with bewilderment.
“By yourself…?”
Among all the various forms of “star bullying” that she had experienced, this request was something she had never received. It was incomprehensible. Other actors usually went berserk asking for even more embellishments.
The team leader kindly advised,
“Miss Sua, as said previously, a profile photo is the first impression. And there’s nothing more important than first impressions in the entertainment industry. However, doing it yourself would make it rather clumsy, no?”
The surrounding stylists had similar expressions.
Yet,
It made Sua’s determination even stronger, precisely because of that.
“Exactly because of that.”
“…”
Sua said stubbornly.
“Just one. I want to preserve my true self just as I am.”
“…!”
Since starting her acting career, she had been fully committed to portraying her character roles and in real life played the role of an inaccessible newcomer. In short, she had never captured her true image as “Sua”.
That’s why she wanted to do this now.
Because if not now, maybe, forever, she would have to live hiding her true face as “Sua.”
It would be nice to leave at least one.
As a reminder that she was “Sua” at any time.
And as a way to recollect her own beginning.
The team leader looked almost teary.
“Miss Sua, I’m just so reluctant. It’s too precious….”
“I beg you.”
Sua trembled but didn’t regret her choice.
Eventually, the team leader nodded. After all, striving to make Sua look as glamorous as possible was their wish. If the individual herself had a clear direction, what could they do?
“Miss Sua, are we really doing it this way?”
“Yes.”
Her bare face sans makeup, her hair let down in its natural white hue. Sua stood in front of the camera like that.
Disheveled. Untamed.
Without much forced expression.
“… Is this really okay?”
The team leader worried.
Sua was clearly a gem without a shadow of a doubt. Sharpening and polishing her was obviously the right course of action a hundred times over. But this felt like capturing her just as she lay on the ground, unpolished.
The team leader whispered to the woman holding the camera nearby.
“Isn’t this still not good? Should we redo it?”
“No no, team leader, just let it go.”
Unexpectedly, the employees gathered around the camera shook their heads.
The team leader was slightly surprised. What was exactly being seen on the camera screen that caused such a reaction? Usually, they would immediately raise a fuss if something unfavorable was captured.
Meanwhile, the employee with the camera remained focussed.
The subject—Sua Lee.
“… There’s an unusual allure here…”
Taking a photo is about trapping a moment within the confines of a rectangle.
And at the moment, what Sua was emitting wasn’t perfection but incompleteness.
Her hair was untrimmed, her face free from any kind of overlay, but precisely because of that, she was intriguing.
Because looking at this unfinished state makes anyone want to touch, to complete it.
Because such a completion inspires the desire within you.
Because there’s a certainty that it’ll become perfect if completed.
And so, they all get drawn in—almost forcibly.
“Team leader! This is good! It’s really good!”
Click—!
Finally, the camera let out its first shutter sound.
“…”
The members of the profile photo shoot team looked at each other silently.
They simultaneously nodded, the implication was clear.
Just one picture.
It wasn’t perfect, but it was special.
It seemed graspable, but slightly distant.
[Filename_Sua_profile.JPG]
It was undoubtedly a picture that would captivate everyone.
