Finally, Yoo-Jin's first acting role in The Morning Takes Off had concluded. The final episode achieved a viewership rating of 25.9%, causing a stir at MBS broadcasting station.
Even Kim Myung-Hak, a famous CP, personally called Hoop Entertainment. Gu Seong-Cheol was flustered by the rare call from such an influential figure, and even Kang Ji-Yung sent her personal congratulations.
Thanks to the publicity division's hard work, the entertainment section of Nave was filled with articles about Yoo-Jin.
[Jung Yoo-Jin. The Discovery of a New Star!]
[From Cheonho-dong's Burger Maiden to Entertainment's Rising Star.]
[What's Next for Burger Maiden Jung Yoo-Jin?]
[Jung Yoo-Jin Ranked 21st in the World's Most Beautiful Women!]
The last article seemed to be a sensationalized one based on a blogger's personal ranking of beautiful women in the world, with Yoo-Jin coming in 21st on the list.
'Okay, this is a bit of an exaggeration.'
Nonetheless, all the articles portrayed Yoo-Jin in a positive light, each garnering hundreds of comments.
(Comments)
-That was amazing. Yoo-Jin unnie's acting was phenomenal. Such a commanding presence!
-I'm really looking forward to the year-end award ceremony.
-Clearly, she's a strong contender for the Best New Actress award this year.
-She's captivating. Completely drawn to her.
Yoo-Jin's Instargem followers were also rapidly increasing.
"Oppa, what are you doing?"
"Oh, I'm just checking out your articles."
We were currently at Marine Boy Agency's Studio in Apgujeong, waiting for a shoot for a CF. As I searched up the articles while waiting for the staff to pick us up, Yoo-Jin asked as she was unable to contain her curiosity.
"Are there any negative comments about me?"
"Not at all. Everyone is praising you and saying how much they enjoyed the drama."
Yoo-Jin said she was okay with everything else, but she was genuinely shaken by the idea of reading comments. I filtered out and read only the positive ones to her—after all, managing an actress' mental well-being was part of the talent agent's job.
I omitted the comment saying that Yoo-Jin has a dough face, which seemed to have been written by Park Eun-Bin.
Hearing the positive feedback, a bright smile bloomed on Yoo-Jin's face. "That's a relief. I'll have to work even harder next time!"
Yoo-Jin's joy from hearing the comments made her seem like a true celebrity.
'Yes, this is how one slowly becomes a celebrity.'
"Anyway, let's aim to nail the CF in one go today."
"Okay."
A little while later, a staff member from the set hurried over to our vehicle. The staff led us into the studio where we saw the CF director sitting in front of several monitoring screens.
However, the director was someone I recognized.
'What? This person directed this ad? This is a big deal indeed.'
The future genius of advertising, Park Bull-Chool, was directing today's ad.
With disheveled hair and a pair of round glasses with no lenses, Park Bull-Chool approached Yoo-Jin. "Nice to meet you. I'm Park Bull-Chool and I'm in charge of today's set."
"Hello, Mr. Park."
Park Bull-Chool couldn't hide his delight upon seeing Yoo-Jin. "Haha. It's an honor to be called a director by you, Miss Yoo-Jin. I'm just a humble ad maker. Nothing more than that."
"Not at all, Mr. Park. I'm really looking forward to working with you today," Yoo-Jin said with a beaming smile as she mentioned how she loved the ad concept, giving a double thumbs-up.
However, that was a blatant lie. Yoo-Jin was horrified by the ad concept when I showed it to her yesterday.
-What?! Are you asking me to film the ad while wearing an animal costume?
-Didn't you say you've taken on mascot jobs before?
-Yes, but this is different! I mean, a bear costume is one thing, but a snake? I've never even worn a chicken costume!
-Hey, you've worn half of them already. That's good enough. Chickens and snakes are animals too, so it's all the same. Think of this as an opportunity to gain experience. And remember, it's like a part-time job. The ad pays well, right? Do you think earning 50 million won is easy?
-Well, that's true, but...
-Just focus on the money.
The promise of money, or rather the heartfelt appeal, eventually made Yoo-Jin agree reluctantly. The power of capitalism certainly triumphed over everything. However, what truly made Yoo-Jin let go of her reservations was Miso. To provide for young Miso, Yoo-Jin needed all the financial support she could get.
But when Miso started clapping her hands in excitement during practice for the ad saying it was fun, Yoo-Jin's attitude changed completely.
-Oppa, I'll give my all to this bear performance! I will make it a heartfelt one!
I wasn't exactly sure what giving her all to the bear performance meant, but that's how our conversation ended yesterday.
And now, it was time to witness that heartfelt bear performance.