Round 292

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It was early morning, but it was already 9 a.m.  

For other celebrities, this would be the time to have finished all their preparations and be rushing to the next schedule.  

However, Seo Ye-eun, whose only schedule for the day was a single variety show shoot, leisurely headed to the salon.  

“Is it okay for me to follow you to a place like this?”  

I asked awkwardly, unintentionally witnessing Seo Ye-eun’s makeup session.  

Her manager simply nodded with a casual smile.  

“It’ll take a while. She’s quicker than other actors, but you’ll still need to wait about two hours.”  

“Oh… is that so?”  

Two hours? Really?  

The thought of waiting in this unfamiliar and awkward space for two whole hours made me break into a slight cold sweat.  

Unlike me, however, the kids were thrilled, wandering around and sneaking glances at everything.  

Fortunately, Seo Ye-eun’s team had informed the staff in advance, sparing us any potential complications.  

This salon was exclusively partnered with Iron Blood Entertainment.  

Most of the regular clientele were celebrities under Iron Blood, though occasionally actors from other agencies would visit.  

Today, however, all the appointments were with Iron Blood’s artists.  

“Hi, Ara! Want some snacks?”  

“Snacks are good!”  

Thankfully, some of the staff here recognized Ara and even took care to accommodate the kids.  

“Look here. See how this changes the eyes?”  

“Wow, that’s amazing! So pretty!”  

Meanwhile, Emily clung to Seo Ye-eun’s side as she received her makeup, her eyes sparkling in fascination.  

I worried she might be a distraction, but the staff reassured us that it was fine for her to watch up close.  

That left Cheong beside me.  

Clinging tightly to my side, Cheong seemed uneasy in this unfamiliar place.  

“Our little gentleman is sticking close to Dad, huh? How about coming over here and playing with me?”  

“…”  

Cheong burrowed even deeper into my embrace, shying away from the salon staff’s friendly invitation.  

As we waited for Seo Ye-eun’s makeup to finish, other clients began trickling in.  

Their aura alone marked them as fellow celebrities.  

“Hello, sorry for being a bit late. The traffic was awful.”  

Oh, I didn’t know their name, but their face was familiar.  

If I recognized them, they must be fairly famous. Were they with Iron Blood too?  

“Oh? Ye-eun’s here.”  

“Hello, sunbae-nim.”  

“Ah, hi there. Is today’s schedule a bit light?”  

“Yes, I’m filming Awakener’s Showdown later this afternoon.”  

“Wow, right, you’ve been appearing on that show lately! It’s the top variety show airing now, isn’t it? I’ve been watching it for fun sometimes too.”  

What a chatterbox.  

While I watched in a daze, the actor suddenly shifted their gaze toward us.  

“Oh my, who’s this? A new recruit?”  

“Oh, they’re here to observe my shoot. Do you happen to know Ara’s Daily Life on YouTube?”  

“Ara’s Daily Life? Sorry, not familiar with it.”  

“She’s a child I recently did an ad shoot with. This is her guardian. He came along with his nieces and the kids today.”  

“Hmm, really? Is that something the company assigns these days?”  

“I agreed to it because I enjoyed it. We grew close while filming the ad and YouTube videos together, and they’ve even helped me personally in some ways.”  

“I see.”  

After that, the unnamed actor lost interest in us, which was a relief.  

The last thing I wanted was to draw unnecessary attention.  

But my hopes for remaining unnoticed were short-lived. Someone unexpected soon entered the salon.  

“Oh! Director Kim is here!”  

“And he’s with Actor Gil Hyun?”  

“Seung-ho’s here too.”  

Five people entered.  

Two appeared to be actors, one was none other than Kim Tae-yang, and the remaining two seemed to be managers.  

Just their arrival made the previously quiet salon suddenly feel bustling and lively.  

Kim Gil-hyun is an actor under Iron Blood?!  

A legendary actor who starred in three ten-million-ticket-selling movies.  

A celebrity so famous that no Korean wouldn’t recognize him.  

Seeing him enter alongside Kim Tae-yang made me doubt my own eyes.  

Is our Director Kim Tae-yang that amazing?!  

“Director, welcome.”  

“We have guests here as well.”  

The staff eagerly rushed out to greet him.  

Strangely, though, they seemed to pay more attention to Kim Tae-yang than the others.  

But why only Kim Tae-yang?  

Even with the legendary Kim Gil-hyun present, they seemed to ignore him entirely.  

No matter how much authority a company director holds, wasn’t this a bit excessive?  

“Kyu-seong, it’s been a while.”  

Kim Tae-yang casually waved at me with his signature relaxed demeanor.  

As I stood up to return the greeting, his eyes shifted downward.  

“Is this the new child?”  

“Yes. His name is Cheong.”  

“You’re not even married, and you already have two kids. Congratulations.”  

“…Are you teasing me?”  

“Yes, I am.”  

Kim Tae-yang nodded with a sly smile, clearly amused.  

The staff, observing this interaction, appeared startled.  

“Are you close to Director Kim Tae-yang?”  

“It’s my first time seeing him act so casual with anyone.”  

“No wonder he asked us to treat these guests well. How incredible must they be for the director to behave this way?”  

Murmurs filled the room.  

Even Kim Gil-hyun, who I thought was the most impressive person here, exchanged whispers with another actor nearby.  

Was just a few words between us really that significant?  

“Oh! Is that Director Kim Tae-yang? Greetings!”  

“Ara, hello.”  

“I am currently on a field trip! Why is Director Kim Tae-yang here?”  

It’s because of Director Kim Tae-yang that we’re on this field trip, Ara.  

After a brief chat between Ara and Kim Tae-yang, the actors standing behind him stepped forward, making their presence known.  

Only then did Kim Tae-yang, realizing he had forgotten, awkwardly introduce them.  

“Oh, I forgot to introduce them. This is Actor Kim Gil-hyun, and this is Actor Kim Ho-seop.”  

“Hello, I’m Actor Kim Gil-hyun.”  

“I’m Kim Ho-seop.”  

In response to their greetings, I hurriedly introduced myself.  

“I’m Lee Kyu-seong, an awakened individual from the Ara Hongryeon Guild. Nice to meet you.”  

“Wait, Lee Kyu-seong?”  

At that, Actor Kim Ho-seop tilted his head as if recognizing me.  

“Are you the one recently supplying agricultural products to various places…?”  

“Yes, that’s me. How did you know?”  

“Oh, I have a cousin who’s an awakened member of the Ara Hongryeon Guild. He talks about you sometimes—someone who grows incredible produce.”  

A cousin?  

Who could it be? Someone I know?  

Upon asking for the name, it turned out to be someone from Team 3.  

We weren’t close, but I did recognize the name.  

“Ah, so Kim Kang-woo is your cousin.”  

“It’s fascinating to meet someone I’ve only heard about in person. My cousin speaks so highly of you, especially about how amazing your produce is…”  

As Kim Ho-seop spoke, Kim Tae-yang, who had been listening, suddenly lit up with excitement.  

His expression sparkled in an overly enthusiastic way, making me uncomfortable.  

Trying to ignore it, I hesitated but decided to show some appreciation for the help I received today.  

Reaching into my bag and fiddling with it, I began to pull out a portion of my food.  

Kim Tae-yang clapped his hands in delight.  

“As expected! Kyu-seong, I didn’t expect it, but I was secretly hoping for it!”  

What does that even mean…?  

I pulled out some bokkeum (a type of stir-fried snack) and other simple items to share.  

Just then, Seo Ye-eun, who had been in the middle of her makeup, called out urgently.  

“Me too! I want some too!”  

“Of course, I’ll make sure you get some.”  

I brought out bread and salad, intending to make sandwiches to share.  

With the addition of beef jerky, it would likely taste like a ham sandwich.  

“Layer by layer.”  

Ara helped by stacking the ingredients beside me, using her tiny hands to press down the vegetables firmly.  

Cheong, watching from the side, stared at the oversized sandwich with an uneasy expression.  

“Ahhh!”  

“Oh? Is this for me? Thank you.”  

Ara’s colossal sandwich was awarded to Kim Tae-yang.  

Kim Tae-yang pressed the sandwich as flat as possible and opened his mouth wide.  

Though it was a bit inconvenient to eat, the flavor was guaranteed to impress.  

“Everyone, please take one of these. Even if you’re full, one bite will change your mind.”  

“We were actually getting hungry. Thank you; we’ll eat well.”  

Wow, Kim Gil-hyun accepted the sandwich I handed over! I wanted to brag about this to my family.  

I shared sandwiches with the actors, managers, and even the salon staff.  

Soon, exclamations and cheers began echoing from all directions.  

“What is this?!”  

“Can a sandwich really taste this good? This is unbelievable!”  

“What is it? How does it taste? I want to try too!”  

Even those who couldn’t use their hands due to work were fed a bite by someone else, their widened eyes making me feel proud.  

‘Heh, it’s impossible for this not to taste good.’  

I joined in and ate one of the sandwiches too.  

Emily and the kids happily enjoyed the sandwiches they had helped make.  

“Nom.”  

Crunch.  

The aroma of fresh vegetables filled my senses.  

The crisp texture and refreshing flavors were perfectly balanced, delivering a fragrant and tangy burst of taste.  

Then came the subtle nutty flavor of the bread.  

Softened by the vegetable juices, the bread felt like a delicacy.  

Crunch, crunch.  

The more I chewed, the richer the flavors became, a delightful mix of sweetness and nuttiness.  

The oily and savory flavor of the beef jerky sandwiched inside was the perfect finishing touch.  

Gulp.  

“Oh, I already finished it.”  

I had made two sandwiches, yet they were gone in no time.  

It was such a delicious dish that vanished in an instant, and yet it didn’t seem like something that would make you gain weight.  

What a perfect, dreamlike food that everyone would desire.  

“This is delicious! Is there more?!”  

Seo Ye-eun, who had been getting her makeup done, suddenly abandoned everything and came over to me, chattering.  

I made her another sandwich and said, “Finish this and then get back to your makeup. Your lipstick must have worn off by now.”  

“It’s fine, I haven’t done my lipstick yet.”  

Smiling brightly, Seo Ye-eun accepted the sandwich and walked off.  

Soon, others turned their desperate gazes toward me as well.  

Hmm, looks like I’ll have to make more.  

After finishing at the salon, we headed to our next destination.  

We were on our way to the filming location of the variety show Awakener’s Showdown.  

The site was in a more rural area, likely requiring a large space because it involved awakened individuals.  

“Nom, nom.”  

Even during the trip, Ara was happily munching on cookies made by the reproduction team.  

Of course, I shared with the rest of the group as well.  

“But, Director.”  

“Yes?”  

“Aren’t you busy?”  

“Hmm, I sense some impure intent in that question. Am I making you uncomfortable?”  

“No, I’m genuinely just curious.”  

Kim Tae-yang was also in the vehicle with us.  

It was hard not to wonder why our very busy director had decided to personally accompany us to the filming location.  

“I had some free time.”  

“You had free time?”  

“I sense more impure intent in that tone.”  

“No, I just meant you’re usually so busy.”  

“I made time because I care. After all, Kyu-seong, you’re our VVVIP.”  

“Come on, I’m not that important…”  

“Did you know that the items you provide are supplied to Iron Blood as functional health foods? They’re making a significant impact. Of course, we process them to conceal that they’re from you.”  

“Oh, I see.”  

“Beyond that, our Iron Blood Guild is prepared to do whatever it takes to support you once you’re released from your contract. If you wish, I could call the company president right now to—”  

“No! Please, no! That would make me extremely uncomfortable!”  

It didn’t sound like a joke.  

If he made that call, the president would undoubtedly show up.  

“No need to worry. Actually, I’m here today because I’m participating in the shoot too.”  

“What?”  

“Yes, I’m appearing in today’s filming. It wasn’t planned, but when I said I’d come along, the broadcast producer begged me to appear, even if only briefly.”  

“So, you’re not coming just for the shoot but decided to tag along with us and film while you’re here?”  

“Well, does it matter? What’s important is the result.”  

Seo Ye-eun, who had been listening, chuckled but quickly tried to straighten her expression.  

“Am I filming too?”  

“Oh, Ara, do you want to join? If you want, you can.”  

“Can decisions like that be made so casually?”  

The field trip was starting to feel increasingly unpredictable.  

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