I'm an Unknown Actress, But Everyone Knows Me

Yeoreum comfortably shielded herself from the sunlight with a handheld fan and a parasol. The photographer, who couldn’t take his eyes off her as she drank water, checked the memory and thought,

‘So that saying really was true.’

From beyond the frame, Han Yeoreum kept speaking.

I’m here. Look at me.

‘This isn’t just a matter of whether a photo turns out well or not.’

Her presence was different. Instinctively, she made you want to capture every single moment of her.

‘This can’t be used as a cover shot, but....’

Regretfully looking at the last photo taken with a tight zoom on her face, the photographer quickly skimmed through the memory. At this point, it was already a matter of choosing which ones to designate as B-cuts.

“Shall we move on to the next outfit?”

“Okay. We’re done with the cover—let’s move on to the inner pages.”

Talent had a sharp edge at its tip. No matter how much you tried to hide it, it inevitably stuck out like an awl and stabbed people.

It would reveal its presence no matter what.

A pictorial shoot wasn’t just about capturing a pretty or handsome face. You had to snatch the angle of movement and make the viewer feel a certain current through a single photograph.

‘And among all that, what matters in the end is the surroundings.’

The gaze couldn’t be drawn only to the face. After all, the ultimate purpose of a pictorial was to promote the product.

The clothes being worn, the shoes on the feet, the accessories being worn, and even the space the subject stood in.

The photograph had to speak to the person looking at it.

Click—! Click—! Click—!

The second outfit was a white sleeveless top, denim pants, and a loose-fitting checkered shirt.

Yeoreum held a mango ice cream in her hand. And in seconds, she shifted the focal point of the pictorial. When she lifted the ice cream, the ring on her finger caught the eye. When she spun around with a smile, the fluttering hem of her shirt came into view.

Then she playfully adjusted the angle of her head again and looked into the lens. The moment her face entered the frame, it made you curious about what makeup products had been used.

Poses could be handled through directing, but no matter how skilled a photographer was, there was one domain they couldn’t touch.

‘Her gaze is different.’

A gaze belonged entirely to the subject. People often said someone could speak with their eyes. There were those who conveyed their intent to others without saying a word.

‘...She’s good.’

Han Yeoreum was exactly that kind of subject. You couldn’t take your eyes off her because you never knew how she’d change next, and that was why she made you unable to stop pressing the shutter.

Only now did the photographer understand his friend’s feelings a hundred times over.

* * *

“Yeoreum, are you feeling okay? How’s your condition?”

“It’s amazing.”

A magazine cover girl wasn’t enough—an overseas pictorial shoot, too? She was so excited that she hadn’t even been able to sleep properly. Throughout the shoot, she kept thinking of the fans who had written her letters—Meiling, Yiting, Supen, Li Hua.

‘Everyone... needs to have the Han Yeoreum cover version of Ruel in their rooms....’

Not a single B-cut was acceptable. And also for the sake of the people who, like clocking in for attendance, faithfully wrote thirteen posts again today in Han Yeoreum’s fan café ‘Summer Days.’

[Yeoreum Updates / When does the Taiwan Ruel reservation start? T_T]

I already want to buy it so I’m waiting.. hehe

It’s my first time buying an overseas magazine so I’m super nervous!

– It’ll be released on Interpark, but maybe after like 2 weeks? 3 weeks?

After it’s published, it comes out. If you want to buy it earlier, use a purchasing service~

ㄴ Omg thank you so much! I loved last Halloween’s Ruel with you too, actress!

Post capture saved successfully.

Phone gallery folder organized: [My Stories]–[Summer Days]–[Updates].

Through my phone screen, I quietly stared at the nickname ‘SweetWatermelon♡,’ who had decided to use an overseas purchasing service.

Visits: 27, Posts: 11, Comments: 45.

You’re really a wonderful person....

“Yeoreum—lower your eyes a bit. I need to adjust the line.”

Doing touch-up makeup, Dok Gogyeol neatly fixed the tail of Yeoreum’s eyebrow that had smudged slightly with sweat. A pro really was a pro. It felt almost bare-faced, but clearly that one crucial difference was there.

“I really look exactly like a first love, right? Like it brings back memories of getting scolded together in the hallway.”

“Yeah. That’s why, in this vlog, you need to repeatedly say how much you respect Director Dok Gogyeol for putting so much effort into transparent makeup. Got it, sweetheart? Don’t forget it, like you did in your award acceptance speech.”

“...It’s been a year and you still remember that....”

“I’m planning to take that memory to my grave.”

After examining the makeup for a moment, Dok Gogyeol let out a small laugh.

“Seeing you like this makes me think of Yeondu.”

Shaking the brush to reapply powder, Dok Gogyeol spoke teasingly.

“I really did get dragged all the way to the countryside back then because I thought Yeoreum might go to a hair salon. Looking at you now, you’ve really grown.”

“When I go to Cannes and the Oscars later, you have to come on business trips with me too.”

At that, Dok Gogyeol burst out laughing.

“Yes. I’ll look forward to it, rookie actress Han Yeoreum, two years since debut.”

Before she could even say she meant it sincerely, her lips were blocked by a lip brush. Just then, someone’s voice reached her.

“Hello. I’m the Ruel editor in charge of this interview.”

This issue of Ruel wouldn’t just include the pictorial. Along with news of her Korean fan meeting, it would also carry an interview covering Han Yeoreum’s next project.

I clasped my hands and shook theirs. The interpreter naturally took a seat between us.

‘I’ve been waiting for this moment....’

I threw out every line I had prepared.

“Taiwan is a country I’ve really wanted to visit at least once. Even in Korea, I enjoy mango juice very much. So on my very first day here, I tried it right away. And wow. Oh my. How can something taste like this? From now on, I think Taiwan will become my second hometown. Just like missing the food from home, I think I’ll always miss the mango juice I drank in Taiwan.”

As the interpreter relayed my words, the editor’s expression softened with emotion. But it didn’t end there.

‘How an overseas celebrity becomes loved in another country. I’ve already done all my prep and review through K-interviews.’

All I had to do was say the magic phrases for being loved.

‘Tteokbokki, kimchi, and bibimbap are really delicious.’

I didn’t stop.

“So then I started wondering just how good mango bubble tea must be. Taiwan’s one-of-a-kind sweet mangoes combined with authentic bubbles.... So after quickly finishing my mango juice, I immediately drank mango bubble tea next. And wow. Oh my. How can something taste like this?”

“And what else?”

Hooked. The editor’s face melted completely.

“And when you think of Taiwan, beef noodle soup comes to mind. At breakfast today....”

After that, I nonstop chanted ‘I love Taiwan, my second hometown’ like a catchphrase. A few minutes later, the editor had become my fan.

“And Taiwan also has so many wonderful works. I love Taiwanese dramas and films as well.”

Before I knew it, I had forgotten the prepared script and turned into an overwhelmed otaku.

I was talking at length, all by myself, analyzing the differences and similarities between Taiwanese and Korean works.

‘It’s probably because I’ve never had anyone to have conversations like this with....’

But thankfully, the look directed at me wasn’t that of an ordinary person troubled by a brake-less otaku.

The editor’s gaze toward me had grown even sweeter.

Like Taiwan’s specialty apple mangoes—harvested when fully ripe, requiring no additional ripening, with small pits that let you enjoy even richer flesh.

“Are there any works you particularly like? I’m curious about your all-time favorite.”

Classic otaku trait.

Unable to pick just one favorite.

“ is considered a masterpiece even in Korea. It’s the movie that comes to mind first when people talk about Taiwanese sensibility.”

But wasn’t this a good thing? Showing how seriously good I was at my actual job.

To Taiwanese fans: this rising star Han Yeoreum didn’t become popular just because she happened to land one good project. She was always this sincere about acting. And she loved Taiwan.

“And received so much love as well. Among Korean fan culture, there’s even a trend of making posters for that movie using photos of their favorite celebrities.”

During breaks, all I thought about were fans and works. And loving Taiwan.

“And . I don’t usually watch romance genres, but strangely enough, Taiwanese works had nothing to throw away. The music, the emotions—everything.”

I really love Taiwan.

“And the recently released also has such a retro mood....”

I really, really love Taiwan.

“When you think of youth, isn’t it Taiwan? That distinctive static long take feels like it’s saying we let the most beautiful moments of our lives slip by without realizing it, so focusing on the inner flow....”

Alright. By this point, they must have noticed. I was playing the role of a 작품 오타쿠 actor who loved her job so much she was overflowing with emotion. After hearing all the interpretation, the editor nodded and summarized.

“There are an unusually large number of works related to first love.”

Good. That’s it.

“Do you have any thoughts of doing a romance for your next project?”

Yes!!! Exactly!!!

“Actually, my next project is a serious drama related to the Korean War. It’s called .”

Underline this. Very important.

“I’ll be playing Yeon Huijae, the first love of the protagonist Gi Taeseok.”