Last time, he took my number out of the blue, and this time he offered me a modeling job. He was a kid who had a talent for surprising people every time he met them.
"Model?"
"I would like you to be my portfolio's main model. Is that not possible?" Jin Soo-ah asked, shaking the whale from side to side.
'If it's a portfolio… it would probably be photos.' Han Do-jae looked down at Jin Soo-ah's camera and became lost in thought.
"Can't you? Are you very busy?"
"This is a photography project I'm working on with the head of the video arts department. I thought I might be able to use it later."
It could become a close network in the future, and being a portfolio model wasn't difficult. Han Do-jae had already filmed many commercials. Jin Soo-ah probably suggested it just because of his looks, but she probably doesn't know that she has hired the best career model in this school. 'I can't say it, though.'
"How much time do you need?"
"One day will do. How is it? Is it okay?" Jin Soo-ah's eyes sparkled brightly. He was very proactive.
Han Do-jae, who had been thinking about his upcoming practice schedule in his head for a moment, trailed off his words. "I guess that's a decent amount of time…."
At that time, I was still contemplating whether to do it or not. A thought flashed through my mind. 'Video art and… the camera.' Han Do-jae decided to make a deal.
"Okay, I will."
"Wow! Really? This is exciting!" Jin Soo-ah was so excited by the unexpected and refreshing answer that she jumped up and down.
"Instead, I'd like to ask you one thing."
"What is it? Tell me everything. I will grant any request you make, no matter what." Jin Soo-ah, who had already achieved her goal, spoke confidently as if she had nothing to fear.
"…It's not that big of a request." Han Do-jae briefly explained to Jin Soo-ah about Choi Ah-hyun's fear of cameras. Jin Soo-ah nodded, saying she understood.
"Okay. Camera phobia? I've never actually seen it, but I think it might come in handy later on when I work."
"Thank you. I think you just need to install one camera. I'll text you the schedule."
"I get it!"
In this way, the deal between Han Do-jae and Jin Soo-ah was completed.
The deal with Jin Soo-ah was successful, but on the other hand, there were concerns. Camera phobia. It's probably not a problem that can be easily overcome. 'That's why it led to dropping out.' There was something I just remembered. He has a striking appearance and is not bad at all, but the reason his presence is faint in our memories is because of that. Before returning, Choi Ah-hyun had dropped out of Sky High School after finishing her first year. Since he didn't debut and we haven't heard any news about him since, I think he probably just stopped acting. Before her return, Han Do-jae didn't know the reason for her dropping out. But this time, since I already knew something, I felt really uneasy. I thought it might be because of camera phobia.
'I wonder if I can get that kid to overcome it by the day of the group project presentation.' No, maybe it should have been done before that. It would be best to overcome it beforehand, and to be in a stable state after overcoming it at the time of the assignment. 'That would take a lot of time. It would probably take up a lot of my time, too.' Perhaps if time is spent on overcoming Choi Ah-hyun's camera phobia, Han Do-jae's personal practice time will also decrease. However, this time, Han Do-jae decided to invest boldly. Anyway, if Choi Ah-hyun stands out in the pantomime, it will be difficult for the other three to perform well. 'And Choi Ah-hyun's role is important in this pantomime.' The reason Han Do-jae decided on Kongjwi and Patjwi in the first place was because of Choi Ah-hyun and Yoon Se-ri. But what if Choi Ah-hyun wavers? It was clear that the entire pantomime would be shaken. 'I guess I'll have to take action before that.'
I was walking while organizing my thoughts.
"Limit?" At that moment, Choi Ah-hyun's voice was heard.
'Choi Ah-hyun is not a nobleman either.' Han Do-jae turned his head towards the direction where the voice came from.
"Oh. Did you have a good dinner?"
"Yeah. How was your dinner today?"
"Dinner. Always great."
"So, that's why Do-jae never goes out?" Choi Ah-hyun, smiling faintly, asked if it was that delicious. Han Do-jae thought this was his chance and quickly brought up the subject.
"What are you doing this weekend?"
"Weekend…? Why?" When asked about her schedule, Choi Ah-hyun looked up with eyes filled with anticipation.
"If you have time, I was wondering if you could practice with me."
"The two of us?" Choi Ah-hyun looked quite surprised. It was group project practice, and she was surprised when he suggested they do it with just the two of them.
"That is…." There weren't just two people involved. If I wanted to tell Jin Soo-ah that we would be together tomorrow, I had to bring up her camera phobia now.
"Shall we sit down for a moment?" Choi Ah-hyun tilted her head slightly and sat down on a nearby bench. Sitting next to him, Han Do-jae and Choi Ah-hyun continued their conversation, side by side.
"At that time, when I was trying to take pictures with the camera." Because it could be a sensitive issue, Han Do-jae brought it up cautiously. Then Choi Ah-hyun quietly looked back at Han Do-jae.
"Yeah. Did you notice?" Choi Ah-hyun spoke more casually than expected.
I was worried that he might try to hide it and avoid the truth, but he confessed more easily than I thought, so I was flustered but decided to consider it a blessing.
"I'm sorry. I caused trouble because of me."
"To be exact, it hasn't started yet." There was still time and opportunity to practice, so it was not yet time to hear any apologies. Choi Ah-hyun was slightly taken aback by Han Do-jae's honest words but then calmed down again. Han Do-jae glanced at Choi Ah-hyun and asked her as if he was trying to gently probe.
"Do you plan on overcoming it?" No matter what you think, your own will is the most important.
"Yeah. I'll try to make sure I don't negatively affect you guys."
'Somehow. It's a problem I can't solve alone….' 'It seems that I misunderstood what Han Do-jae said.'
I didn't intend to pressure you to do a good job merely without causing any harm.
"How are you going to overcome that on your own?"
"I've already studied a few methods. I'm going to try them out."
As expected, Choi Ah-hyun was really sharp. And he was sincere. 'I never thought he'd be studying camera phobia.' I don't know when you first learned about your phobia, but it must not have been easy. It certainly seemed like there was a will to try. Even Han Do-jae didn't know everything about this phobia. 'But at least from my own experience, I was certain that it was a problem that would be difficult to overcome on my own. Before I returned, I knew it because I'd seen people around me go through similar things.' Not only camera phobia, but trauma itself was a difficult problem to overcome.
"I have an idea."
"Huh?"
To make sure that Choi Ah-hyun wouldn't panic, Han Do-jae slowly explained to her everything, from the fact that he had recruited Jin Soo-ah to the method he had in mind. Choi Ah-hyun's eyes widened at the suggestion that he would help her overcome her phobia.
"Huh? You're really going to help me?"
"If one could do it alone, they probably wouldn't have reached this point. And camera phobia isn't something you can take lightly. I'm not sure what stage you're at, but as time goes by, there are times when you can recall trauma just by looking at a circle…." I told Choi Ah-hyun everything I knew about camera phobia. Choi Ah-hyun listened with a serious expression, as if she didn't know the details.
"Of course, you'll need to make time to practice on your own. So, let's try it together first, and then it's not too late to practice on your own later." Rather, if you do it alone, there is a high chance that you will be late. I don't know at what stage it will be overcome, and there isn't that much time left until the presentation. It might have been better to figure out the situation together.
"…How can I accept all that…." Choi Ah-hyun looked quite surprised.
"Don't be too stressed. It's the first day, so take it easy." Choi Ah-hyun, who had listened to everything Han Do-jae had said so far, nodded.
"Thank you. I'll try my best not to cause any harm."
"Yeah. If you do well, our team balance won't be ruined."
"Huh."
I felt a little sad as I watched Choi Ah-hyun just nodding her head. This was especially true because her efforts felt like they were primarily to avoid causing harm to others. 'I guess he doesn't want to be a nuisance.' Han Do-jae could understand Choi Ah-hyun's feelings. Because that's how it was when I first debuted. Rather than going to a filming location where I knew nothing and performing my own role, I would put in more effort not to upset the other actors. However, there was something I wanted Choi Ah-hyun to know.
"You want to act, right?" At Han Do-jae's additional words, Choi Ah-hyun raised her head that had been bowed. And he nodded slowly and slightly. At that nod, Han Do-jae smiled faintly and said, "That's fine." Trying to avoid causing harm should not be the top priority. Because, above all, your own desire is the most important thing. If you truly know what you want, it can go a long way in helping you overcome anxiety.
"Then see you at school tomorrow."
"…Uh, huh." Choi Ah-hyun stared at the back of Han Do-jae, who had made her reflect on what she had forgotten.
I went into the dorm and started thinking about what kind of practice I would have with Choi Ah-hyun tomorrow. I was busy searching for various things, recalling my experiences on the set before returning: what items were needed, what advice would be good, etc. 'I wonder if there's anything I can practice on my own.' I was working hard to organize it into one note.
Click.
After finishing eating out, I heard Woo Ji-ho coming back. Woo Ji-ho came in, patting his belly, which was as big as Namsan.
"Are you here?"
"Ah, I'm full." Woo Ji-ho was holding his full belly and had a very satisfied expression on his face.
"How was the taste of dinner eaten alone? Did you miss your brother?"
'You must be feeling really good because you're full.'
"I didn't eat alone, but dinner was delicious."
"Huh? Who did you eat with?"
"With Yoon Se-ri."
"The two of you?"
"Uh-huh."
"I felt bad for you because you might have eaten all by yourself, so I brought this for you." Woo Ji-ho, who nodded, handed pomegranate juice to Han Do-jae.
'Is this deja vu?' Looking down at the pack on his palm once again, Han Do-jae was speechless for a moment.
"…You've drunk a lot of healthy juice today."
"What? Who gave you this health juice?"
"Ah. That time, Jin Soo-ah."
"Video art? The guy who got the number?"
"Uh-huh." Woo Ji-ho opened his eyes half-heartedly, looked at Han Do-jae, and then lay back down on the bed. Han Do-jae turned his gaze again and was organizing the content to be practiced with Choi Ah-hyun. As I was busy organizing things, the clicking of keys on my laptop filled the room.
Knock, knock.
Then, Han Do-jae felt someone watching him from behind, so he stopped and looked back.
"Why?"
"What on earth are you working so hard for at this time of night?"
"Oh, this." Choi Ah-hyun's camera phobia. Woo Ji-ho didn't seem to have noticed, and it seemed best not to say anything yet. In some ways, you could say it was someone else's weakness, but it wasn't something for other people to talk about. Since Han Do-jae and Yoon Se-ri had noticed this from experience, it was not surprising that Woo Ji-ho didn't know. "I met Ah-hyun by chance at the dormitory entrance, and we talked about homework. I'm just sorting that out."
Woo Ji-ho raised his upper body halfway with an expression that seemed to say, "Amazing." 'What he's saying now is... doesn't that mean he met three women in one day? And only the prettiest ones from each department.'
"Hey, hey. Are you already cashing in on your looks?"
"What did I…"
"Go for it." After saying that, Woo Ji-ho lay down again.
'What kind of strange misunderstanding is that kid having again?' Han Do-jae continued what he was doing without paying any attention.