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Translator: penny
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Ep 2. Mural
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"Would you like something to drink?"
"Pardon? Oh, sure. Do you have coffee?"
At Lee Si-yeon's words coming from the pavilion, Woohyun began preparing the coffee. Two packets of instant black coffee into a drink cup, the same amount of sugar, two dashes of vanilla essence. And then the 'kick' of this coffee—a pinch of salt.
The key here was that it had to be pure, finely ground salt, not flavored salt. That subtle salty note from the salt maximized the coffee's flavor and the sweetness of the sugar.
Mix those together with the same amount of hot water, stir well with a mini whisk from Daiso until it turns creamy, then add pre-chilled ice and milk, and finally drizzle chocolate syrup on top.
Cafe latte (chocolate drizzle edition) complete.
"Here you go. Your coffee."
Woohyun emerged from the house carrying the finished cafe latte and handed it to Lee Si-yeon, who was sitting on the edge of the pavilion, looking around the place.
She took a sip and her face lit up in surprise.
"Wow, this coffee is really good!"
It wasn't flattery to get permission for the shoot—this was genuine. Woohyun's cafe latte was that delicious.
Even better than drinks from most franchise cafes.
"Really? Glad you like it. I learned it from a pretty famous barista."
"Were you a barista?"
"Nah, picked it up while part-timing. I make it often because it's so good."
"I see. But it looks like you haven't been here long?"
Lee Si-yeon asked cautiously as she sipped the cafe latte and glanced around. It wasn't that the place was messy; she had just noticed unpacked boxes here and there and spots that looked freshly repaired.
"Yeah, about two weeks now?"
"From Seoul?"
"Yep."
Lee Si-yeon thought it was pretty unusual at Woohyun's response.
He couldn't be more than mid-twenties at most. For someone that age to move to a rural spot like this—near an unused road, no less.
'And he's pretty good-looking, too.'
Was he sick or something?
Maybe he came to the countryside for some rest and recovery.
"You mentioned filming. Could I get some details on how it'll work?"
"Pardon?"
"My house is right on the road, and with the festival, there'll be more traffic than usual. Just worried about any accidents."
"Oh, no need to worry about that. Here, check out the storyboard."
Lee Si-yeon pulled the storyboard from the studio that produced and managed the YouTube channel commissioning the ad. She showed him the hastily added pages.
"As you can see, we'll do selfies with the mural as the backdrop. At the end, maybe pretend to sing a song for about a minute? Not the full song—just lip-syncing like in a music video. That's the concept."
"So, around 30 minutes total?"
"Yes, probably."
30 minutes of filming for that amount of money.
'These are great terms.'
Even if it was an unpopular band, Woohyun's five years as a singer let him recognize it: the amount Lee Si-yeon quoted was exceptionally high.
'Places offering terms this good are usually one of two things.'
Scammers.
Or people who genuinely care about the industry.
Of course, most were scammers. But very rarely—extremely rarely—there were companies that loved the arts and treated artists exceptionally well.
'I looked it up earlier, and Artria isn't a scam company.'
While brewing the coffee, Woohyun had checked out Artria. A relatively new company, only four years old, but in that time, they'd successfully planned festivals and events for artists without issue.
The artists who'd worked with them gave rave reviews, too.
'Not like we're signing a contract or anything.'
All he had to do was let them film against the mural backdrop and permit using the footage and photos for promotion.
"Got it. Sure, go ahead."
Woohyun nodded, watching Lee Si-yeon savor the coffee he'd made as he organized his thoughts. At his positive reply, she flashed a warm smile.
"Thank you."
Eh, what could go wrong?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Woohyun didn't use Instagram or any SNS, so he had no idea. But right now, on SNS—Instagram specifically—the mural he'd painted was gaining massive popularity.
The mural village itself wasn't hugely popular anymore, so it wasn't flipping Instagram upside down or anything.
But in categories like 'sensual travel spots,' it was pretty hot right now.
[Top 5 Must-See Spots at Namhae Summer Arts Festival!]
[Namhae's Hottest Spot Right Now]
Travel accounts especially were featuring Woohyun's mural. One video even hit 8 million views.
This is real mural artNothing like those mass-produced ones these daysWow, I wanna go here so badYou guys have to check this out! I went and it's even prettier in person. Perfect for life-changing picsComments praising Woohyun's mural poured in every time. There were other videos too—not 8 million, but 590k and 320k views.
[Young Artist Painting a Mural in Namhae.]
[Behind-the-Scenes of the Instagram-Sensational Mural]
Reels of Woohyun at work: climbing a ladder, focused on painting. His face wasn't visible due to backlighting or angles, but the intense concentration made it look incredibly atmospheric.Wow, like a genius artistHow does he make it look so effortless?Feels like something out of a movieBet he's super handsome...Without showing his face, the vibe sparked imaginations: 'genius handsome artist' and the like. "We can definitely use this." Artria's PR staff, gauging the SNS buzz, decided to leverage it. Not by exploiting Woohyun directly, though.
[Namhae Summer Arts Festival Guide]
[Hottest Festival Spots Buzzing on Communities]
[Namhae Summer Arts Festival: The New Mural Village]
[Namhae Island, Praised by Baek Sang-yeon]
They just posted a few pieces mentioning you could see a genius artist's mural at the festival. And that was enough.Was already planning to go for Ha Seong-yoon, now I definitely willWorth checking out. Went last year, got great reviewsNo night market rip-offs, good sights, perfect if you're out of summer plans?Gonna peep High New and check it outFrom last year's attendees to fans of Artria's big-ticket guests—the ultra-luxury idol group High New and massively popular ex-idol solo singer Ha Seong-yoon—the interest poured in. Just as it was quietly buzzing on specific SNS and communities... [Let's Visit Namhae's Artistic Festival.] A mega-subscriber travel YouTuber dropped a collab video with Artria. Videos from this insanely popular creator always hit at least a million views, and this one climbed fast.Didn't know we had such an artistic festival hereTired of the same old festivals, this looks worth itFinally a festival without rip-off food pricesNice perk with pension tickets for festival useNot just any festival—you could experience art firsthand. Building on last year's lessons, the popup stores got rave reviews. Especially one part.32:04 This mural is seriously pretty and cool33:21 lol legend, faces alone it'd be a comedy skit but pretty bg turns it into youth drama35:32 Baek Sang-yeon's pic is stunningBaek Sang-yeon, who'd visited for a shoot, made a special appearance introducing Woohyun's mural. Already gorgeous, but with his angles and edits, it looked like fine art.
─You have to see this mural if you come. I stake my name on it.
─Yes, definitely snap pics here. It's a must-visit.
With Baek Sang-yeon personally endorsing it, Woohyun's mural blew up again. And the result? "This the place?" "Yeah, right?" "Wow, it's really pretty." "No wonder Baek Sang-yeon recommended it." "But isn't it crazy crowded?" Way more people than before. Crowds started flocking to Woohyun's house.◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
There's a massive cafe near the beach, a short walk from my house. A huge, flashy, beautiful three-story building—you'd wonder why something like this exists out here.
All glass walls so every seat has a sea view. During the day, it sparkles so bright it's dazzling.
And right now, I'm sitting there sipping coffee.
"Hmm, not bad at all."
The owner's serious about coffee—the beans taste surprisingly good. I glance around. Festival season, but the cafe's empty.
It's so big and well-located—why no people?
Makes sense off-season, but during festival? Coffee's good, place is clean.
Still weekdays?
Eh, suits me fine—nice and relaxed.
"Hey, oppa. Hi."
Lost in thought, enjoying my coffee leisurely, when a familiar voice calls out. I turn to see Jo A-young, this village's NPC-like figure.
"Hi."
"You can speak casually, y'know."
"Formal's more comfortable."
I reply to Jo A-young, still in her school uniform. She sits across from me, nibbling a cookie, and says,
"I swung by your place before coming here—tons of people."
"Yeah, tell me about it."
I sigh in response.
Did the YouTube views explode more than I thought? Or did the company seed it virally? Foot traffic's multiplied at least several times.
"Hiding out here 'cause of the crowd?"
"Nah, not that."
Lots of people, sure, but not so noisy I can't stay home. Kinda loud in the yard, disruptive maybe?
"Just taking a break."
Chilling leisurely at the cafe.
Something I couldn't dream of in my busy days. Now that I'm unemployed, I wanna savor this leisure. That's why this empty cafe.
"Great spot to relax. Business is slow, though."
"Yeah. Weird how it doesn't do well."
"Cafe street's just up ahead. Better views, prettier."
"Hmm, gotcha."
I nod absently to the uninteresting chat.
Then my phone rings.
Who?
[Lee Si-yeon Rep]
Phone hadn't rung in ages. Checking it, I see Lee Si-yeon's contact from our contract chat.
Why's the rep calling suddenly?
Maybe things went better than expected—offering a bonus?
"Yes, Rep?"
-Hi, Artist Woohyun. Doing well?
"Yeah, all good here. What's up?"
-Ah, well... Someone really wants to meet you.
"Me?"
I blink at Lee Si-yeon's words.
Who'd wanna see me?
Fan maybe? Nah, ridiculous.
I take a sip, entertaining the silly thought, when a bombshell drops over the line.
-Yes, Kim Jin-gyu, Visual Director at Ksee Enter. Know him?
Ksee Enter.
Korea's top entertainment company.
Their visual director wants to meet me.