I'm an Unknown Actress, But Everyone Knows Me

* * *

[Room Powder / Does anyone know the lipstick Han Yeoreum wore on EmBubu last week?]

Sorry for the crappy capture.. T_T I’ve never worn soft-toned lip colors before and always stuck to bold shades lolol but even when she just swiped it on roughly it looked so pretty... I want to stock up on the same one. The case looks unfamiliar too...

– It’s A-brand Kisses Liquid Matte. Not sure which number though, 315 or 778?

– I have 315 and I think that’s right. But take the studio lighting into account TT_TT

– She layered something right before that capture. It’s two colors layered so it’ll look different from the official swatch

ㄴAh, you’re right hehe Thank you T_T

It was the era when natural MLBB shades that resembled healthy complexion were sweeping the country. A toned-down coral lip was perfect for triggering consumers’ imitation psychology.

– It’s sold out right now TT_TT

Han Yeoreum had now become someone who could naturally cause a sell-out. After Pi Chaewon sneakers and Han Yeoreum hair ampoule, even luxury-brand cosmetics were selling out.

Luxury brands were cautious. They selected models and promotional partners with long-term perspective. Rising stars did not become ambassadors overnight.

This was the office of luxury brand A, a classic British heritage house. The PR team was in the middle of a meeting.

“Alright. Let’s proceed.”

Instead, they launched campaign collaborations. A kind of test run. They first held a small event, measured public response, and checked how much revenue this celebrity could bring in.

“Internal tracking results show an overwhelmingly high percentage of customers arriving through links from community posts. There were also many posts searching for the lip product Han Yeoreum [N O V E L I G H T] used on EmBubu, and most importantly, after Dok Gogyeol of Gogyeol posted the exact product name and shade number on SNS....”

The brand’s PR team moved into full analysis.

Han Yeoreum had become, in their eyes, a celebrity who brought in high-spending consumers. She had entered the list of figures to watch closely.

“We contacted JC, and they said she can’t attend the brand event as a guest. She has film shooting scheduled.”

“What about shifting direction toward beauty bloggers or Intubers?”

“This is the sales comparison after N-brand appointed Han Yeoreum as model. The impact is clearly visible.”

“There’s news that the creamy soda she advertised will soon enter the Taiwan market.”

Classic British luxury. Masters of the check pattern. Best known for trench coats. A-brand, backed by history—

“...We may need to go into pilot.”

They were falling behind.

Natural, effortless chic? C-brand.

Feminine and lovely? D-brand.

Irreplaceable rock-chic mood? Y-brand.

But if it was A-brand...

[20s Board / My mom says she’ll buy me a bag for college entrance, is this okay? T_T] 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

I don’t own a single luxury item but my mom said this one looks clean and pretty for a student... I do like check patterns usually!

– ? You’re paying this much for that?

– It literally looks like it came from Dongdaemun;

– It looks like someone remodeled their high school uniform into a bag please buy something else

That was the problem. The check pattern spread nationwide was too overpowering. Perhaps because of that, their recently launched cosmetic line had failed to stand out.

Looking for lip balm? D-brand.

Looking for tint? Y-brand.

Looking for lipstick? C-brand.

“Let’s go. Pilot campaign.”

Right now, when sell-outs were happening, they had to capture consumers. A-brand proposed a pictorial campaign to Han Yeoreum in order to test the buzz.

* * *

“Who am I even...?”

The true sell-out queen of this era, who caused products to sell out the moment she used them and even influenced the luxury industry—actor Han Yeoreum.

I stared at the mirror and took a deep, deliberate breath.

“This is something real celebrities do....”

A pilot campaign meant I could become the next ambassador.

‘I knew I became a hot topic after EmBubu, but I didn’t expect A-brand to contact me this fast.’

Alone in the office, I did thirty jumping jacks in place. As expected of a major company building, the soundproofing was excellent.

Still, there was something in the proposal that bothered me.

“I like the overall tone, but in the middle I have to use something else because of the acting....”

There was something commonly called “daily-life acting.” Showing habitual gestures you perform unconsciously in real life.

It made a character feel dimensional.

For example, after putting on shoes, lightly tapping the toe against the floor to settle the heel. Or pulling at the collar after dressing to smooth out wrinkles.

The daily-life acting for Influencer 1 was applying tint or lipstick and then pressing the lips together—um-pa um-pa—without checking a mirror.

‘After skincare treatment, there’s nothing to fix except the lips.’

But I couldn’t use A-brand’s product for the daily-life acting in 〈Faster Than the Law 2〉. The reason was simple.

“This is matte... It’s not something you can just swipe on blindly.”

If I used a clumpy, settling lip product as part of my casual gesture, it could break immersion in the character.

‘Is adjustment possible?’

If not, I might have to let this opportunity go. A-brand wanted the product used in 〈Faster Than the Law 2〉 as a condition along with the pictorial schedule.

Even if the product wasn’t shown explicitly, they wanted the same color tone from EmBubu to appear on screen.

“Cutie!”

Just as I was worrying, Manager Ma—JC ENM’s resident ghost of the new headquarters—personally opened the office door.

“Stay seated, stay seated. What do you think?”

“Well... there’s a scene where I have to use a different lip product because of the acting.”

“Uh-huh. Okay, okay.”

“...It’s another brand. Is it okay if I use it? Won’t that cause problems with the advertisement?”

Manager Ma burst out laughing at my worried expression.

“So naive.”

“...What?”

“Why do you think the proposal only mentions 〈Faster Than the Law 2〉? If conditions clash, they’ll say, ‘We understand, we’ll let it slide, just make sure the color tone shows well on screen, and instead...!’”

What would he say next? I waited.

“They’ll ask you to use it, even briefly, in 〈The Great Garland〉 as well.”

When dealing with advertisements or sponsorship, especially in-project PPL, there were many things to consider. 〈Faster Than the Law 2〉 had already completed script reading and was about to crank in.

And the first shoot would start with Han Yeoreum’s scene.

For PPL, early exposure was crucial. There was no time. Negotiating 〈The Great Garland〉 required more coordination, so they had to push it into 〈Faster Than the Law 2〉 first—even accommodating the other side.

But they also couldn’t forget the weight-class difference between a rookie and a luxury brand.

“So we say okay on this side. Anything else bothering you?”

“...No. As expected of Manager Ma. Best supporter. Five hundred million stars. I feel at ease.”

“JC wouldn’t run without me. And you wouldn’t either, cutie.”

He beckoned me.

“Come on. I’ll show you something.”

JC ENM had a dedicated styling storage room internally. Manager Ma tapped his card key and opened the door.

“What is all this?”

“What do you think.”

What he showed me was a procession of clothes. Garments covered in transparent covers lined up neatly. Classic mood pieces.

“These are for you.”

He pulled out the garment at the very front. It looked familiar.

“Is this from... a few years ago...?”

“Right. Eun Baekhap wore it in a film.”

Eun Baekhap had starred in a film set in 1970s Seoul during rapid urbanization. With styling that still didn’t look outdated years later, she had cemented her position from rising to top star.

“You’ll wear this. Altered to suit Yeon Huijae.”

I understood what Manager Ma was implying.

The Yeon Huijae I had brought into 〈The Great Garland〉 wasn’t just a simple role.

“If you become post-Eun Baekhap, the luxury brands that had been eyeing her as ambassador will start watching you.”