I'm an Unknown Actress, But Everyone Knows Me

“After summer passes, the autumn we’ve been waiting for.”

It was N Company’s signature slogan for this season. The moment he heard Han Yeoreum’s voice, the visual director muttered without realizing it,

“If we were signing anyway, we should’ve gone for three years, not just a one-year short-term deal....”

Standing in front of the camera, looking straight into the lens, Han Yeoreum drew the eye for reasons he couldn’t quite explain. He had a feeling that for the time being, every product N Company sold would have the name “Pi Chaewon” attached to it.

「A Second Look (C)」

Whether offline or online, what a star needs is the public’s gaze! Not just in person, but even your photos and videos—no, even the sound of your voice—make people stop one more time and focus.

* * *

‘How many outfits has it been now?’

I wasn’t wearing and shooting every single new product myself. For each category, only the main two or so were shot on me; the rest would be uploaded as standard model cuts or product-only cutouts. Even so, there were this many.

“Yeoreum! Look here and wink!”

“Oh, nice—! Cute—! So good—! Let’s do a little giggle laugh—!”

“That’s it, that’s it! Give your body a little spin—let the skirt flare out!”

I’d thought it would be similar to the ALAB shoot, but I was wrong. Every time the outfit changed, the hairstyle had to change too, and since wrinkles in the clothes were unacceptable, Coordinator Hwang ran in to fix everything after every single shot.

“Yeoreum, are you tired?”

“Yeah, if you’re tired, it’s okay to say you want to rest a bit.”

“Tired? Not at all.... You unnis and the staff here are working way harder.”

At my answer, I could feel the atmosphere on set soften. And it was true. I wasn’t tired at all.

‘Using the item was the right call.’

[Let’s Burn Your Stamina♨️ Americano]

▶︎Detailed Description: Consecutive waiting, packed schedules, lack of sleep! All of this leads to a drop in condition. In moments like this, how about using an item that makes you feel like you slept soundly—even if you don’t sleep at all for 48 hours?

1,500p

When I added the points I’d earned from breaking ten million views not long ago, it came to exactly 1,500 points.

So I was down to 0p, but in exchange, I’d gained stamina that wouldn’t wear out for a while.

‘I used it just in case since it was my first pictorial shoot, but it really was the right time to use it.’

Waking up before dawn, finishing hair and makeup, then standing in front of the camera for hours—if I’d been low on stamina, it would’ve been a disaster.

I changed my hairstyle again to match the outfit. Every time thin pins were slid into my hair, every time my makeup was touched up with a lip brush, my heart thumped harder.

‘This is really something you only ever see on TV!’

No matter how much we shot, I didn’t feel tired at all. I loved how everyone on set was looking only at me.

After every cut, my manager and coordinator immediately came over to me.

‘Han Yeoreum really became a celebrity. She really did.’

“Yeoreum, you okay?”

“Drink some water. Water.”

The water ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) bottle with a straw in Choi Seonhye’s hand, and the handheld fan in Hwang Jihye’s, eased any hint of fatigue.

‘On the set, I was always alone.’

Having people take care of me felt even more reassuring than I’d expected. Honestly, it wasn’t even that physically hard compared to working logistics part-time—yet they treated me this well.

‘So this is... the taste of being a celebrity...?’

I could feel the other staff paying extra attention to me as well.

I sat next to the photographer, focusing intently on the monitor. The screen was filled with my photos.

‘They definitely came out better than the last ALAB shoot.’

Among them, the full-body shots with the sneakers stood out the most. The photographer seemed to think the same and began directing my poses.

“Yeoreum, that move is good—could you do it once more with the next outfit? Stretch your foot forward like that.”

“Yes. Got it!”

“Okay. Let’s mark this one separately—and since this is the last set, let’s finish strong!”

At the photographer’s short clap, the staff all responded together. The final outfit was a comfortable tracksuit.

“Alright, lightly roll up the wrists—ah, yes, just like that—!”

As I changed poses following the photographer’s direction, the sound of the shutter sped up.

How many people would I see on the street wearing these clothes in the future? These sneakers? That bag? There would come a day when I’d hear the name Han Yeoreum out on the street, too.

As I imagined it, a smile naturally spread wider and wider across my face.

“Great expression—! Keep smiling like that. Okay!”

Later on, would my ad video end up playing on the sides of buildings, too? Just thinking about it made me happy.

Following the photographer’s gesture telling me to smile more, I beamed brightly.

“Perfect! Nice! That’s really a wrap! Great work, everyone—!”

At last, the photographer lowered the camera he’d been focused on. I was just about to stand up from the chair and clap along—

“Happy birth-day to you—!”

“...Huh?”

From the space where the outfits were stored, Choi Seonhye appeared holding a cake with candles. Hwang the coordinator, who had come up close without me noticing, placed a party hat on my head.

“To our beloved Yeoreum—!”

Not just the staff, but even the photographer and the visual director were clapping together.

“Now blow out the candles!”

“You have to make a wish! A wish!”

Dazed, I blew—on the candles. A small popper went off beside me. Colorful paper fluttered through the air.

“How did you know... it was my birthday?”

“What kind of manager doesn’t know their artist’s profile!”

“You thought we’d just let it pass?”

Manager Choi and Coordinator Hwang laughed teasingly. The visual director handed me a large box and a bouquet of flowers.

“This is both a bribe and a birthday present. The other products will be quick-delivered to your home. Just open this one here.”

Seeing staff all around holding up their phones, it was obvious they planned to use even this for marketing. Still, I didn’t mind.

‘How long has it been since I spent a birthday like this?’

Back when I dropped out of school and endured doing odd jobs at a theater troupe, for the first year or two, I still met my mom and Taeyang occasionally. It was embarrassing, but living alone in Seoul was hard to endure.

But as time went on, the nameless, unknown life dragged on longer and longer.

‘So.... back then, I didn’t have a choice.’

So I ended up abandoning my mom and Taeyang—almost as if I’d thrown them away.

Because I wanted to come back after succeeding. Because I didn’t want them to see me looking miserable. Because I couldn’t ask the two of them for support when I couldn’t even take care of myself.

‘That’s why... I only sent messages once or twice a year, at most.’

For a few years, I spent birthdays modestly with people from the theater troupe. But even that only lasted once or twice. Whenever my birthday came around, it made me face reality, so eventually I spent those nights doing logistics part-time work instead.

Thinking about that past life made my nose sting for no reason.

“Hurry and open it. Hurry!”

Urged by the visual director, I took a deep breath and moved the hands holding the box. Helium balloons floated up from inside.

“Wow...!”

[The Summer We’ve Been Waiting For]

The phrase was a modified version of N Company’s campaign slogan—the one I’d just spoken earlier. Inside the box were the sneakers known as the Pi Chaewon sneakers, packed in different colors.

Click—! Click—! Click—!

Shutter sounds rang out from everywhere. It felt like genuine congratulations. The words written on the balloons stood out vividly.

* * *

“Hey. Your noona’s home.”

With the sound of the door lock keypad, the door opened carelessly. Holding boxes piled high in both arms, I staggered into the apartment.

“What’s that?”

“These are sneakers. Wear them. Your foot’s still 275, right? If they don’t fit, just tense your toes and squeeze in.”

What I handed him was the black version of the model famous as the Pi Chaewon sneakers.

“What, did you get a model discount?”

“How do you know I’m the model? It’s not even posted anywhere yet.”

“Noona, just look at yourself right now.”

“So pretty. So cute.”

“...Stop talking nonsense.”

Come to think of it, I’d received the clothes I was wearing straight from the shoot—head to toe, all N Company products.

“You left at dawn, came back carrying boxes with the N logo, all your clothes are new—anyone who doesn’t figure it out would be stupid.”

“As expected. You’re smart, you little punk. Truly the future of our family.”

“What are you talking about.... Let’s eat.”

Han Taeyang went into the kitchen and set the table. That brat—he made seaweed soup again because it was my birthday.

Thinking about it, even when I barely contacted them, he’d leave a thermos of seaweed soup in front of my door on my birthday and leave.

Guilt washed over me anew. I’d practically abandoned my brother and my mom.

“Isn’t there any for Mom?”

“...There is.”

“Noona, you didn’t contact Mom today either, did you.”

I couldn’t. Even now, after regressing, just seeing Mom’s number in my contacts made me want to run away again.

“Mom’s worried. She said she won’t ask why you’ve been like this for months—just call her, okay?”

“I will....”

“When. Do it now, in front of me.”

“Why are you ordering your noona around like that. You’re just a high schooler.”

As I aged, my mom aged too. And I’d erased her from my life for a while. Because I wanted to become an actress. Because I wanted to achieve my dream.

Even now, having returned to being twenty, the guilt I’d buried was still there.

“I’ll call.”

“Ah! Don’t!”

Before I could stop him, Han Taeyang picked up the phone. After only a few rings, my mom’s face appeared on the screen.

[Yeoreum!]

Seeing my mom’s smiling face, I froze for a moment. Because... it had been years since I’d last seen her face.