"Alright, that's the wrap!"
As the last shutter clicked, Seheon finally lowered his camera and let out a satisfied breath.
The studio erupted into applaud afterward. The styling team and crew exchanged pleased nods, while the executives behind the monitor whispered amongst themselves, thoroughly impressed.
'Finally…'
Minjae exhaled, rolling his shoulders slightly to loosen up. He had stayed focused throughout the entire shoot, but now that it was over, he could finally relax.
"You did great today," Yewon praised on the side. She was cheerful and was praising Minjae with a warm smile.
Seheon also nodded in agreement. He stretched his arms and shoulders. His body felt quite stiff because of the long hours of standing and crouching. In total, they spent almost half a day for this shoot.
"I've worked with plenty of people, but you? You made my job easy, Minjae-ssi. It's hard to believe this is one of your first major campaigns."
"Thank you. I just did my best." Minjae was happy to receive such compliments.
It was his first photoshoot as a brand endorser, so he was really determined to give it his all.
"Well done, Minjae," A woman's voice suddenly sounded near them.
There, they saw CEO Yoona approaching them. Her arms were crossed and there was a satisfied look on her face.
I had my doubts when we cast you for this campaign, but you proved me wrong. Lux & Co. made the right choice."
Minjae met her gaze, sensing the weight of her words. He knew that in an industry as competitive as this, earning a CEO's approval was no small feat.
Yewon gave Minjae a smile before turning her attention to Seheon and the rest of the staff working around.
"Alright, let's wrap things up. The campaign will be released in 2 weeks, so we'll be in touch for promotional shoots and interviews."
With that, the crew began cleaning up, and Minjae was guided back to the dressing room to change into his original clothes. Once he was done, said by to everyone before he grabbed his bag and stepped out, where he spotted a familiar face waiting near the entrance.
"Donghyun hyung," Minjae called, smiling slightly at the sight of his manager.
Donghyun, who was dressed casually like an old uncle greeted Minjae with a smile.
"Minjae-ssi, how'd it go?"
"It was good," Minjae replied honestly. "Better than I expected."
"Good?" Donghyun raised an eyebrow, amused. "I just talked to one of the staff who left early, and they said you killed it. Apparently, even the CEO was impressed."
Minjae chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.
"I guess it went really well then."
Donghyun laughed and patted Minjae's shoulder.
"That's what I like to hear. Anyway, let's grab dinner. You've been working all day—you need to eat. We'll also discuss something"
Minjae nodded, grateful for the thought. The two of them left the studio together, stepping out into the cool evening air.
As they drove toward a nearby restaurant, silence surrounded them.
Minjae stared out of the window, looking at the city lights.
[Ding! You have successfully finished the photoshoot, Host! Promotional activities are what's left.]
[Current rating: A]
[Please continue your performance!]
[For your good performance today, the system rewards you a bonus reward.]
[You Have successfully been rewarded 3,000 EXP in <Acting>]
'A bonus reward?'
The EXP that he got may be small but he appreciated it. After the numerous notifications, he checked his stats.
- - - - -
Name: Nam Minjae
Age: 22
Acting: Expert (1/3) [7,000 EXP /50,000 EXP ]
Screenwriting: Beginner (1/3)
Directing: Beginner (1/3)
Singing: Beginner (1/3)
- - - - -
There was still a long way to go to level up.
As they arrived at a small and cozy restaurant, Minjae stepped out of the car, taking in the delicious smell of grilled meat in the air. His stomach grumbled. He had barely eaten the whole day.
It wasn't because he wasn't fed, but more of he was too busy to eat a lot.
"You must be starving. This place is great. Let's go in." Donghyun chuckled as he started walking before Minjae.
Inside, the restaurant had a warm and comfortable feel. There were wooden tables, soft lighting. There was a variety of food in the many so it was perfect for the hungry Minjae.
Aside from that, the place wasn't too crowded.
A waiter who was just at the door led them to a table by the window before handing them the menus.
"What do you feel like eating?" Donghyun asked Minjae as he scanned the menu that he was holding.
Minjae looked over the options.
"Maybe galbi and doenjang jjigae. I need something filling." Minjae uttered. His mouth instantly watered.
Galbi was a Korean dish made of marinated beef. The meat was usually soaked in a marinade before it wass grilled to perfection. On the other hand, doenjang jjigae is a soybean paste stew, packed with tofu, vegetables, and meat.
The two dishes were a staple in Korean meals and were usually very filling too.
"Good choice," Donghyun nodded. "I'll get the same, plus seafood pancake and some rice wine. You can drink a little, right?"
"Yeah, just a glass, I guess." Minjae smiled. It seemed like he needs to step up his drinking game once again.
The waiter took their order and left. Then, Donghyun leaned back and looked at Minjae with a proud expression.
"You did great today. I wasn't there for the whole shoot, but I heard everyone was impressed."
"I just did my best." Minjae gave a small smile.
"Keep this up, and bigger projects will come your way." Donghyun said with a grin before hee reached into his bag and pulled out an envelope, sliding it across the table.
"Here's your pay from the company. Honestly, you should open a bank account. Don't you have one?"
A smile immediately crossed Minjae's face as he saw the thick envelope on the table. It seemed like he earned a lot last month.
"I don't have one, hyung. But maybe I should open one." Minjae answered as a sense of achievement washed over him.