Chapter 45: A Day of Filming: Laughter, Fashion, and Secrets

“It’s better to shoot in the living room. The space is wide, so it’s easier to move around.

The large windows let in plenty of natural light.

Adding some lighting will make the video look bright and lively.

The concept for this lookbook content is ‘boyfriend.’ Since my fashion knowledge is limited, I need to attract the viewers’ attention in another way.

If we’re shooting it in a skit format, the sound must be clear.

That’s why I brought and set up a microphone.

I went into the dressing room and brought out two stand hangers.

I divided them into tops and bottoms and hung the clothes from the shopping bags.

Is the setup done now? I sat on the sofa and started drafting the script.

Click!

The bathroom door opened, and a white hand reached out to grab the clothes on the floor.

Is the shower over? I wish they’d come out quickly and help.

If I’d been in a relationship, I’d be able to write the lines easily.

But I can’t think of any sweet remarks.

Maybe brainstorming with Dajang will help come up with good ideas.

“Don’t you have other clothes?”

“No. That’s why we went shopping at the department store in the first place.”

Dajang came out of the bathroom.

As soon as I saw her, I turned my head, embarrassed.

Her chest stood out under the white t-shirt.

It’s so provocative! At least the material is thick enough to cover her a bit.

I figured as much—she must’ve tossed all her underwear into the washing machine.

This is bad.

We need to communicate during the shoot, but I don’t know where to look.

“Want to borrow the jumper I was wearing?”

“Please.”

Dajang put on the jumper I handed her, solving the issue of the protruding pair for now.

Thank goodness. Now we can start working seriously.

“I’m thinking of doing the lookbook content in a skit format. Can you help me write the script?”

“Let me take care of something first.”

Dajang grabbed her handbag and rushed into her room.

What’s with her? Is she embarrassed about the awkward situation earlier? She should just let it go.

Maybe I should’ve handed her the jumper from the start. I regret it a bit.

“So, what’s the concept of the skit?”

“Oh, uh, it’s the boyfriend concept…”

After about 10 minutes, Dajang came out of her room.

She had put on makeup.

Finally, I got to see her complete face without the cap.

Her long straight hair fell forward, with braids on either side.

The rebellious and sultry vibe of her appearance was striking.

Maybe because she’s still young, her cheeks were a bit chubby, which added a touch of cuteness.

Why are all the women I know so beautiful? It’s inexplicable but something to be grateful for.

“Hey, Dajang! Don’t just stay cooped up inside. Go out, get some fresh air, and meet people. How else will you find a boyfriend? You don’t know a thing about dating.”

“Wow, look who’s talking. That’s exactly what I should say to you!”

“But I’m at least a little better than you, right? You have to admit that.”

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

Forget her sultry vibe—it’s nonexistent.

Dajang is just a typical homebody.

Her beauty had raised my expectations slightly, but there’s no one as clueless as her.

She’s absolutely no help.

Every line she suggests for the script is ridiculous.

It’s hard to tell if it’s a romantic conversation or an argument between lifelong enemies.

In the end, I managed to come up with decent ideas by recalling scenes from dramas I watched when I was younger.

“I’ll write the script. You focus on gathering fashion tips and styling. That’ll be faster.”

“Sounds good. That works better for me too.”

This isn’t going anywhere. Let’s divide the tasks.

Finally, the time-wasting ended, and we started making progress.

“By the way, is sitting like that really comfortable for you?”

“Yes, it’s super comfy. I always sit like this at home.”

Sitting next to Dajang, one thing kept bothering me. She was wearing loose shorts and sitting cross-legged.

I kept catching myself glancing downward.

Ugh, it’s driving me crazy.

She probably isn’t wearing underwear either.

As expected, her lower half was the bigger issue.

Should I just take a quick three-second glance? Maybe while she’s focused on the YouCube videos she’s watching.

No, I shouldn’t. If she catches me looking, it’ll be a mess.

Focus on the work. Let’s finish shooting quickly and grab something to eat.

I haven’t eaten all day, and I’m starving.

Dajang must be hungry too, so I need to hurry.

If I lean forward slightly and turn my head, I can sneak a good look.

The temptation was relentless, but I resisted with all my might.

“Hmm, now that I think about it, this position is a bit uncomfortable.”

Was I too obvious? Did she sense my wandering gaze?

Dajang quickly lowered her legs off the sofa and pressed her shorts over her lap with her hand.

This is embarrassing.

She probably got the wrong idea.

If I’d known this would happen, I should’ve just looked.

I feel like I made the wrong choice in every way.

“Is this all the clothes?”

“Yes, that’s everything.”

“Let me try styling them. My fashion knowledge is just from the internet, so it might be a bit amateurish.”

“No worries. I trust you, Dajang.”

Dajang stood up and walked over to the stand hangers.

She picked out clothes, matching them to find combinations.

She seemed skilled at applying knowledge to practice. Before long, she separated them into five sets.

“Hello! This is Shin Yuseong. Today’s video is a lookbook, and the theme is the ‘boyfriend concept.’ I’ve prepared lots of sweet lines, so enjoy watching!”

It took us an hour to finally complete the script. We immediately began filming.

After finishing my opening line, I lay on the living room floor.

Ding! The phone rang. I picked it up and answered the call.

“Now? Okay, got it. I’ll be right there.”

I quickly got up and removed everything but my t-shirt and light shorts.

Standing in front of the hanger, I let out a deep sigh.

“Ah, I don’t have time. What should I wear? Alright, this should work.”

I picked out black cotton pants, a long-sleeved white T-shirt, and a black jacket to go with them.

It was a basic outfit, but if the body pulls it off, it can exude an incredible charm.

Standing in front of the full-length mirror, it looked pretty good on me.

Maybe it’s because I’m slim and have long legs; it gave off a sleek, stylish vibe.

They say clothes make the man, but the difference compared to the worn-out clothes I had in the goshiwon was night and day.

“Will this do?”

I slid my hands into my pants pockets and struck a pose.

Dajang grabbed a camera and circled around me, shooting from various angles.

Then, seemingly satisfied, they made an “okay” sign with their fingers.

Alright. Now, the final killing part was all that remained.

Pretending to run in a hurry, I stopped right in front of Dajang.

Facing the camera, I bent over, hands on my knees, feigning exhaustion.

“Were you waiting long? I came as fast as I could.”

I looked up with an apologetic expression, stepping closer with my arms outstretched.

Then I said, in a cutesy tone,

“Babe~ Sorry~! Were you cold waiting? I’ll hug you extra for being late!”

Ugh. Disgusting. What am I even saying? Life is tough.

Still, this should get a good reaction.

I’ve never done something so cringey before.

I endured the embarrassment while imagining exploding view counts.

Biting my lower lip, I moved on to prepare the next fashion style.

This time, it was a beige double coat over a semi-formal outfit.

It gave off a more intellectual and mature vibe.

It would’ve been perfect with a pair of rimless glasses, but alas, I didn’t have any.

“Yuseong is so cold~ Brr~ Warm me up, please!”

Now the concept was “waiting.” Reaching a hand toward the camera, I delivered another cringe-worthy line.

“Pfft!”

“Don’t mess up the take! I’m seriously focused here!”

“Ah, I’m sorry. I couldn’t help it…”

Dajang burst into laughter, clutching their stomach and trembling.

Is this funny? Is me trying my hardest to grow the YouCube channel funny?

Do they think I’m doing this just for myself?

If the views increase, Dajang gets a bigger incentive too.

We’re all in this together, but here they are, laughing at me.

Fine. Looks like they don’t understand my struggles since they’re only filming. Time for a warning they’ll feel.

“Dajang, if you mess up the take one more time, you’re doing aegyo next.”

“Why me?”

“Because we need to finish shooting quickly. Unless you really want to show off your aegyo to me, go ahead and laugh.”

“Got it… I won’t laugh again.”

Dajang nodded with a determined expression.

From then on, they pressed their lips tight and didn’t even show a hint of their teeth.

Such willpower. Every time I spat out a cringey line, their shoulders shook, but they held it in stubbornly.

The work progressed faster, which was nice, but part of me was disappointed.

I kinda wanted to see their aegyo.

“Good job. I’ll set the table now.”

“I’ll use the computer in the meantime.”

“Alright.”

After changing clothes five times, the lookbook content shoot finally ended.

When I checked the time, it was already 4 p.m.

Has it gotten this late already? Time flies when you’re busy.

I headed to the kitchen and made some ramen.

Pulling side dishes out of the fridge, I set them on the table.

It felt a bit lacking, though. I decided to fry an egg and grabbed some japchae and mini meat patties from the freezer.

Since it was a late meal, I might as well make it plentiful.

“Dajang! Time to eat!”

Dajang emerged from their room and sat down across from me.

Looking around at the table, they let out a small laugh.

“Look at all these side dishes. Is this a feast? The table might break under the weight.”

“My parents prepared a lot of side dishes for housewarming. You should’ve come then. We even had bulgogi and galbi.”

“Yeah, I should’ve shown up back then.”

Dajang picked up some ramen with chopsticks, blowing on it before slurping it up.

The way their cheeks moved as they chewed was adorable.

“How is it?”

“It’s just ramen.”

“No, mine is different. Savor it more carefully.”

“Alright. Wow! Did Yuseong really make this? It’s amazing!”

“That’s the most soulless reaction I’ve ever heard.”

We joked around while eating.

Even though we only met today, it already felt like we’d known each other for a long time. We were comfortable enough to tease each other. It wasn’t awkward at all.

Being with Dajang was enjoyable.

But funny enough, I didn’t even know their real name.

They seemed reluctant to share personal details, so I hadn’t pushed it.

Now, though, maybe I could ask.

“What’s your name, Dajang?”

“I’m not telling. Knowing my name will bring you trouble.”

“Sure, whatever you say.”

“You don’t believe me? I’m serious.”

In the end, they didn’t tell me.

Sure, I felt a little hurt, but I decided to let it go.

They’d been like this ever since we first exchanged messages.

There must be a reason they couldn’t say.

“When are you planning to head home? Let me know before you leave so I can call a taxi.”

I needed to start getting ready to send Dajang off.

Honestly, I had planned to shoot one more piece of content, but it was getting late.

With so many videos to edit, I figured it was better to send them home before dark.

Dajang, chewing on food, swallowed and tilted head at me.

“I was thinking of staying over tonight. Is that okay?”