Become a Star

Episode one of Life Depicted ended with a really shameless cliffhanger that made people look forward to the continuation with a burning sense of curiosity.

But what annoyed people most was how cleverly Woo-Jin’s answer was edited out of episode two and glossed over completely.

“Why isn’t he telling us?!”

“He obviously answered the question. Though the broadcasting company isn’t showing it to us yet.”

Chae Woo-Jin’s fans were upset as their burning curiosity was left unresolved even after watching episode two.

However, since the bar exam had yet to fully finish, it could’ve been that the broadcasting company was being careful about airing that scene. Woo-Jin’s answer was a variable that could cause different reactions depending on whether he had passed the exam or not.

Thus, the fans believed that they would finally hear the answer alongside the announcement of the exam results and were barely holding back their fury. But whatever Chae Woo-Jin’s answer was, his fans were ready to respect his decision and accept the consequences.

“Our Woo-Jin had the interview for the exam a few days ago. I wonder how it went.”

“They say the results will be announced next Friday. So be patient for a bit longer.”

Whether if it was out of consideration or because they were wary of Woo-Jin’s background, the media refrained from reporting his bar exam interview. They only briefly mentioned it before moving on, so the general public had nowhere to get the information.

Moreover, the production crew of Life Depicted had avoided filming on that day and scheduled the recording sessions around it, so the show also contained no information about the interview.

“I thought the show would be boring, but it’s quite enjoyable to watch. The viewing rates have been increasing as well. It’ll probably reach 10% next week.”

“I know, right? I was only planning to watch Woo-Jin’s parts and not the other two, but I couldn’t stop myself from watching it all. Yoon Seong-Hwan is so charismatic and has years of experience, so I can’t help but get invested in his scenes. Also, if you forget about her diligence, watching Park Mi-Hyun is like I’m watching myself. She’s so relatable.”

Although the show wasn’t incredibly engaging, it was interesting to see the cast members live as ordinary people instead of superstars and observe their uneventful yet intense daily lives.

No matter how old they were or how famous they were in their respective fields, these people constantly strived for greatness and moved forward. But rather than seeming painful or difficult, they were lively and enjoyed it. It made the viewers feel motivated and want to do something as well.

“Oh right! Did you hear how Lee Yeon from Blue Fit got in a car accident two days ago?”

“Seriously? I’m amazed by how much things have changed for them. In the past, the entire country would’ve been shocked by the news, but now, I was totally in the dark until you told me.”

Just last year, there was a news flash about how Blue Fit’s van had gotten in a small accident and had made contact with another vehicle. But now, it was surprising how it had taken two days for them to hear about the car accident.

“Apparently, he was drinking until late in the night and crashed his car into someone’s house in a residential area the next morning. They were trying to hide the incident as much as possible, but it got out today. It’s true that Blue Fit is way past their prime nowadays, but it looks like TM couldn’t look after them because of how chaotic things are for them.”

Even if Blue Fit’s popularity had waned, news about celebrities getting in accidents always garnered attention. Their manager had done their utmost to stop the news from spreading, but because TM was a mess these days, it wasn’t enough to prevent information from leaking.

“TM really is hopeless! Our Woo-Jin caught some of his online trolls recently, and it turned out to be a TM employee. They say the company made an entire team just to ruin his reputation online!”

“Kim Seok-Hyung, that bastard is finished now. Apparently, the board of directors will be convened soon. The largest shareholder changed recently, and they want to dismiss the CEO. There are also rumors that they reached an agreement with Chae Woo-Jin’s advertisers and sold them a lot of stocks.

“Seriously? Take that, CEO Kim.”

“He doesn’t deserve to be called TM’s CEO! I was Lee Hyung-Jin’s fan, but because of that bastard….”

This fan was forced to hide the fact that they were Lee Hyung-Jin’s fan for the past year, and the frustration had piled up so much that it still fueled their anger today.

Many people resented Lee Hyung-Jin and blamed him for his wrongdoings while being unable to throw away their love for his songs. But these people were in complete shock these days because of the recent news that had hit the front pages.

It had all started in a case that had no relation to Lee Hyung-Jin. However, while investigating a prosecutor involved in a corruption case with a corporation, they had discovered Lee Hyung-Jin’s name.

During the investigation, it was revealed that the prosecutor's nephew was the main culprit behind a classmate’s bullying, and the victim had committed suicide. The prosecutor then used his influence to cover up the incident.

However, this incident turned out to be the same one where Lee Hyung-Jin was said to be the perpetrator. The general public had been deceived by a made-up narrative by the corrupt prosecutor and a corrupt journalist.

In addition, it was revealed that TM’s CEO, Kim Seok-Hyung, had lent them a hand and manipulated the public’s opinion. Thus, the false accusations and rumors surrounding the latter had finally been cleared.

To be more precise, CEO Kim had purposely framed Lee Hyung-Jin and spread the rumors first to spur the public.

“At least we now know the truth.”

“Exactly! I was still a bit doubtful after Chae Woo-Jin’s press conference. So if that prosecutor wasn’t being investigated, Lee Hyung-Jin would’ve still been framed, and people would’ve been insulting him even now.”

“He’s a monster! I really hope TM’s CEO changes this time around. Should I pray to the heavens and make an offering?”

“It’s highly likely that he’ll go to jail before losing his position as CEO. The maximum penalty for spreading false information is up to seven years in prison.”

This fan of Chae Woo-Jin’s was furious and frustrated when they learned that the maximum sentence was only seven years, even though that monster had ruined someone else’s life.

“Though some of his other victims are also preparing to file a lawsuit against him these days, it might be longer.”

Chae Woo-Jin and Lee Hyung-Jin weren’t Kim Seok-Hyung’s only victims. There were many cases where celebrities left TM, only to have nasty rumors start spreading about them until they were forced to retire after their reputation had taken a nosedive. And these ex-stars were now preparing to file lawsuits against CEO Kim. It was difficult to gather evidence now since a lot of time had passed since those incidents, but a broken bowl was bound to leak water eventually.

Although these two friends were fans of different celebrities, their hearts were united as one now that they had a common enemy. As they talked about other various topics, they finally reached their destination.

“Oh, it’s the store our Woo-Jin frequents!”

Although the shop had gotten famous for having Woo-Jin as a regular, the coffee they brewed was actually delicious, so they had other regulars who frequently came as well. These two were such regulars as well.

However, there was a stall on the store’s outdoor terrace today, one they had never seen before. The first thing that caught their attention was a person wearing a cute teddy bear costume.

“Huh? I recognize that bear from somewhere….”

“It’s that mascot that got famous with its emojis, I think.”

“Look! It even has the flower on its ear.”

The round and cute bear had a rose attached to its ear. The worker wearing that mascot was pointing at the stall and gesturing with dance-like movements. What then caught their eyes were the natural soap bars at the stand and the man selling them.

“Huh? Isn’t that guy Chae Woo-Jin’s friend?”

The face of Chae Woo-Jin’s good friend—who was often seen with the actor at university in Life Depicted—had naturally gotten familiar to Woo-Jin’s fans.

In fact, Jung Hyun-Min’s face was now recognizable to anyone who watched the show, even if they weren’t Woo-Jin’s fans.

“Excuse me, are you Chae Woo-Jin’s friend who has been appearing on that one show?”

“It’s true that Chae Woo-Jin is my friend.”

Hyun-Min answered his potential customer’s question with a business smile.

“Are you working part-time here?”

“It’s not quite a part-time job but more like a separate business. These are excellent homemade soap bars. Would you like to have a look?”

Hyun-Min held out and showed the products one after another. A sticker on the wrappings detailed the ingredients and efficacy of each soap, which helped customers select the ones they wanted.

“How could I use something so pretty?!”

The soaps were shaped like macarons, cupcakes, or various other forms like traditional Japanese sweets. The two friends closely inspected each soap bar one by one when they turned to Hyun-Min and asked.

“By the way, are you here alone today?”

Chae Woo-Jin was always by Hyun-Min’s side on the show; it now felt natural to see the two together at all times.

“No, I’m with my lackey bear today, and I’m its master who reaps all the rewards[1].”

Hyun-Min spoke as he directed his gaze to the bear acting all cutesy next to him and chuckled. The bear was doing its best to solicit people and gather their attention towards the stall without being embarrassed by the curious gazes.

The bear costume and mask looked to be of high quality even from afar. Most cheaply made costumes just looked dirty and disfigured, but this one was different. The person inside the bear suit was slightly intimidating because of their tall height, but the bear mask itself was incredibly adorable, and the person’s every action was cutesy and precocious.

“So cute~!”

It appeared that the person inside the suit had gotten more motivated by the customers’ reaction, and the bear was moving in an even more adorable manner.

Hyun-Min’s face twisted in disgust when he saw the bear’s actions, but he immediately returned to his business smile and clapped his hands.

“Now, now, this is a rare opportunity. Those who buy our soaps will get the chance to take a picture with that son of a bi— I mean, son of a bear… Ah, teddy bear! A picture with that teddy bear.”

Hyun-Min spoke boastfully. Although taking a picture with a mere part-timer in a bear suit was no big deal, the customers paid no mind to the discrepancy of the situation.

One customer who had bought the smallest and cheapest macaron soap bar stood next to the teddy bear and asked their friend to take a picture. The photos weren’t too bad. In fact, since they were in front of a nice-looking coffee shop with a cute bear, the picture came out very well.

Standing behind the short customer, the tall bear spread its legs apart to lower itself and raised its arms to form a heart above his head.

The friend then also decided to buy a soap bar and asked the bear to do a specific pose. They asked it to stand as if it were running and then positioned themselves behind the bear as if they were chasing after it.

“Catch the bear~!”

Passers-by soon started gathering around the stall in front of the coffee shop because of the interesting scene.

Hyun-Min became more excited, and his voice grew louder as he promoted his soaps. He explained the advantages of handmade soaps along with the ingredients that were used. People consulted him about their skin conditions, and he recommended the products that suited them best.

In the meantime, the bear took plenty of pictures with the customers who had bought soaps, listening to all their whimsical requests. Since it performed all the actions the customers asked for, the spectators couldn’t help but get more excited as they watched it.

“By the way, are you filming this for something?”

One customer belatedly noticed the camera nearby and asked Hyun-Min.

“Yes, we’re filming a show about one man’s lonely struggles in life,” he answered.

“Oh, are you also going to star in TV shows from now on?”

The customer asked Hyun-Min as they recognized him thanks to Chae Woo-Jin’s Life Depicted show.

Hyun-Min swept his hair to one side with his hand.

“Well, I get asked that often. But as someone who dreams of becoming the Korean Warren Buffett, it won’t happen.”

“Then what are you doing here?” the customer asked innocently.

“You’re right. What am I doing here?”

Hyun-Min muttered depressingly before recommending a good soap for skin pore care and skin-lightening effect made with Korean chestnut shells.

“Then when will this air on TV and on what channel?”

“It’ll air in a few weeks. But you don’t have to pay much attention to it since it’s a boring show with low viewing rates.”

At Hyun-Min’s words, the teddy bear lightly hit him on the head a couple of times.

Hyun-Min then turned his back on the bear and patted his shoulders, telling it to massage him instead of punching him. The bear sighed and shrugged in defeat before massaging Hyun-Min’s shoulders desolately.

Fortunately, they were able to sell out all their soaps, thanks to Hyun-Min’s eloquence and the bear’s lively actions. Furthermore, the stall was in front of a popular coffee shop, and there was a good flow of people on the street, which significantly helped their sales.

***

Once they sold out, Hyun-Min and the crew were able to take a break inside the coffee shop’s break room while packing up their belongings, courtesy of the manager’s thoughtfulness.

“C’mon, how much is today’s sales~?”

Woo-Jin took off the bear mask and slumped down on a chair next to Hyun-Min, who was meticulously counting their profits as soon as he took a seat.

“I thought I’d be fine since it’s November already, but it’s so freaking hot in this costume,” Woo-Jin said in exhaustion.

Sweat dripped down Woo-Jin’s face while his hair was stuck to his forehead. He then took off the rest of the costume. All the hot air trapped inside escaped, and Woo-Jin shuddered as he felt the cold on his skin.

Although he was busily counting their gains, Hyun-Min threw a large towel at Woo-Jin out of concern that he’d catch a cold. Woo-Jin wiped his face with the soft towel and asked again with emphasis.

“How much is it?”

“Excluding the raw material costs and the cost of using the shop’s terrace, we get 26 thousand won each,” Hyun-Min replied.

“Damn it!”

Woo-Jin’s hands spontaneously trembled when he heard that their reward for working for almost four hours was a mere 26 thousand won. He had spent too much energy at the beginning, and by the end, he was exhausted and sat on the terrace stairs while interacting with the customers.

And when Hyun-Min announced that they were sold out, Woo-Jin immediately collapsed to the floor, which gave the spectators a big laugh. But hearing the reward for all that effort, Woo-Jin lost all drive.

The two of them had been selling soap today because of an assignment at university. The professor of their major had given them an assignment where each student had to invest 100 thousand won and profit as much as possible, whether through stocks or by running a business.

It didn’t matter whether they did it individually or as a group project, but reporting their procedures and finances was mandatory. In the end, they’d be given grades based on who had made the most profit.

The professor advised the students not to be too pressured about the money since making a loss was still a great life experience and good study material. But the students’ scores were relative to the others’ results, and they’d be awarded grades based on who had profited the most.

So, in the end, it was impossible for them to not be stressed. The students now cared about money above everything else.

1. Comes from the idiom ‘The bear does all the work, and the master/owner reaps all the money,’ which talks about one person doing everything but the other taking all the credit. Here, Hyun-Min is making a pun since the other guy is in a bear costume. lmao. ☜