Episode 27: Model? Actress?
Woo Zia’s head is spinning.
It’s literally another world.
The touch of the assistant director, styling her hair, feels inexplicably different from a neighborhood salon.
And that’s not all.
To her immediate left, someone’s practically a corpse, napping with a neck cushion while getting pampered.
Across from them, a group chattering away.
Zia knows their names—six girls from Hylliy.
‘Hylliy!’
Not a household name, but anyone with a passing interest in K-pop would recognize them.
Sitting among such figures feels surreal.
But the shock doesn’t end there.
“Hello~”
“Hey, unnie!”
As Hylliy’s members greet the newcomer, Zia’s gaze follows the mirror—and she freezes.
“Eunwoo, Sena, hi. Sora’s sleeping again, huh?”
“You’ve been busy, right? Judging and preparing a label?”
“Yeah, don’t worry about the label.”
“Oh, you’re here? Ahjeong-ssi, this way, please.”
AZ—Lee Ahjeong.
A dazzling star in both music and acting, the ultimate aspiration for countless women in Korea.
Her presence is so overwhelming that freezing is a mild reaction.
But Zia’s ordeal isn’t over.
“Head stylist, can I sit here today?”
Instead of heading to the inner seats, Lee Ahjeong points to the chair next to Zia.
‘Why right next to me? There are so many empty seats!’
Zia, glancing at the vacant chairs, swallows her panic.
And—
‘Please, go inside. Not next to me, please!’
She silently screams, desperate to avoid being squid-ified.
But her wish goes unanswered.
“Sure. Soyeon, grab my kit.”
The head stylist, a middle-aged woman, nods cheerfully, directing another staff to fetch her tools.
Now flanked by a current girl group on the left and a world-class singer-actress on the right, Zia’s dizzy enough to faint.
Ironically, the one calming her is the very source of her chaos—Lee Ahjeong.
“Hi, first time here?”
“Oh! Yes! Hello. Uh, sorry.”
“It’s fine.”
Zia instinctively bows at the global star’s greeting, then apologizes to the assistant director for stopping her work.
The assistant director smiles, finding it cute, and resumes styling as soft laughter spreads around.
Thankfully, it’s not mocking.
“You’re alone, so probably not an idol. Model? Actress?”
“Uh… no, I’m just…”
“This guest is a regular person,”
The assistant director chimes in, hands busy.
Lee Ahjeong covers her mouth, visibly shocked.
“For real? That face is a regular person? Wow, I thought at least a YouTuber.”
“Right? I’d say it’s a waste to hide that face. But yeah, totally a regular person. First passport photos, they said, for a profile shoot. Oh, MyWay doesn’t have actors or models, right?”
“Nope. Even when I act, I use a separate team. There’s talk about that, though… With that look, maybe they should start an acting division?”
Lee Ahjeong’s words spark another round of laughter.
It could sound like teasing, but to Zia, it doesn’t feel mean.
‘Why does it feel… genuine?’
Having grown up in a facility without parents, Zia’s sensitive to people’s intentions.
She can tell sarcasm from sincerity, and this conversation feels real—especially Lee Ahjeong’s words, crystal clear.
The chatter continues as Zia processes.
“But isn’t this place pricey for a regular person?”
“Oh, Ahjeong-ssi, our regular course isn’t that expensive.”
“Can I say this? Guest, mind if I brag about your boyfriend a bit?”
“Huh? Uh…”
Lee Ahjeong’s innocent question, the head stylist’s playful tone, and the assistant director’s baffling request overwhelm Zia, leaving her unable to respond properly.
Taking her hesitation as a yes, the assistant director boasts like it’s her own story.
“This lady’s boyfriend booked the celeb course for her first profile shoot—paid in full, cash!”
“No way, really?”
“Wow!”
At the assistant director’s words, Lee Ahjeong and Hylliy’s members let out envious gasps.
“His request was, ‘Make her so stunning she could crash her ex’s wedding.’”
“That’s my job, not yours, assistant director!”
“I thought so too, but her face is so gorgeous, I figured I could handle it. Gotta take a shot at something like this!”
Zia’s face burns red as the sudden girl talk erupts, leaving her dazed.
The assistant director, embarrassed, adds with a sheepish smile,
“Oops, was I too much? Your boyfriend’s so cool, I got jealous. Sorry.”
“No… it’s okay…”
Zia’s voice is barely a whisper. Meanwhile, Hylliy’s members let out small sighs.
“I want a boyfriend like that…”
“Me too…”
“Sena, Eunwoo, Levi—Hylliy’s dating ban’s still got a long way, huh?”
“Unnie, no fact attacks!”
“And I’m more desperate than you. It’s been almost four years since I felt that sweet vibe. Ugh, I want a boyfriend like that.”
The playful jabs spread to Lee Ahjeong’s sighs.
‘He stood unfazed before all those amazing people, but he’s a nervous wreck in front of me. Why should I be jealous of them?’
A memory of her own words flashes through Zia’s mind.
The man desired by these heavenly stars only has eyes for her.
‘Is this right?’
Confidence surges within Woo Zia, filling her core.
The flush on her face fades, and her hunched shoulders slowly straighten.
As if seizing the moment—
“Let’s do a shampoo and continue. This way, please.”
The assistant director lightly pats Zia’s shoulder, leading her away.
At the same time, the head stylist’s hands pause.
“So, who is she?”
“Who?”
The head stylist smirks at Lee Ahjeong’s feigned ignorance.
“You think I don’t know you’ve got no schedule today? You’re not one to chat up new faces. You came for her, didn’t you?”
“Huh?”
“Unnie?”
“Who’s that?”
Hylliy’s Eunwoo, Sena, and Levi are the ones surprised.
Lee Ahjeong tries to play it off, but the head stylist’s knowing look forces her to surrender.
“Tch. Your instincts are top-tier, head stylist.”
“Of course. This isn’t some market salon. The assistant director and I took you in because of what you do. So, who’s she?”
“Just a regular person, like you said.”
The head stylist’s brow furrows briefly at Lee Ahjeong’s reply.
“But the kind of regular person who inspires a singer to make insane music. I was just curious what she’s like.”
“Her boyfriend?”
When no answer follows her follow-up, the head stylist tilts her head.
The moment Lee Ahjeong heard from Seo Yoonje that this couple was headed here, her body moved on its own—a secret she can’t share yet.
‘Though the other party seems to have caught on.’
In a shop that strictly separates men and women, what could she do anyway?
She’s not here to cause trouble—just curious.
“She’s definitely a good match… but a bit low on confidence. Hmm. Why’s she so intriguing?”
At the head stylist’s further tilt, Lee Ahjeong grins.
“There’s something about her. I can’t say now, but later. You guys keep this quiet. This can’t leak.”
No need to worry about the staff’s loose lips.
Working so close to the entertainment industry, they know the cost of gossip.
At their senior’s plea, the young Hylliy members mime zipping their lips.
“Yawn… Secret? What’s that? Tell Sora too.”
Sora, startled awake by the word “secret,” looks around, sparking another round of laughter.
Lee Ahjeong joins in, dusting off her seat and standing.
***
I saw Lee Ahjeong leave.
No styling change, no makeup.
‘That’s the issue here.’
This shop strictly separates boy and girl groups to prevent sparks.
That rule means I can’t go where Zia is either.
‘She’s already gone, so there’s no point anyway…’
Lee Ahjeong’s intentions aren’t hard to guess.
AZ and Polaris have collaborated plenty.
I know her personality well enough.
‘That talk with Sally-noona hit hard, didn’t it?’
The driving force behind my ‘Pink Shoes’ performance—Zia.
Pure curiosity about her, probably.
I know there’s no need to worry.
Aside from Lee Ahjeong being practically my accomplice in this plan, AZ isn’t the type to stir trouble.
How she timed her appearance so perfectly is obvious with Seo Yoonje involved.
My only concern is that, despite time passing since my regression, Zia’s mental state hasn’t fully recovered to her old self.
‘Can she handle AZ’s playfulness?’
Part of why Zia’s still fragile is me constantly showering her with affection, breaking her in my own way.
Call me hypocritical, but there’s a difference between me breaking her and someone else doing it.
But my worries about AZ can’t linger.
“Sorry for the wait. Your companion’s coming out soon.”
The assistant director who styled Zia greets me personally.
“We did our best, as requested, to make her look like she could crash an ex’s wedding.”
Her joke-laden greeting leaves me speechless.
“Your reaction says we nailed it. Enjoy your time.”
As she bows and turns, my eyes are already locked on the presence approaching.
Lee Ahjeong? Long gone from my mind.
“Uh… how do I look? Not weird, right?”
Her timid demeanor clashes with a beauty no woman could rival.
Zia’s elegance and cuteness combined are enough to rob me of words.
“…”
All I can manage is a faint nod.