‘What’s this?’
A glint flashed in Angela’s eyes.
Hyunsoo’s ability to draw in an instant was no ordinary skill.
Beep—
Unconsciously, she immediately picked up her camera and started recording a video.
‘I have to film this.’
Although she would definitely ask for permission later, she felt this was something she absolutely had to capture.
-Mom, Mom. Do you know what happened to me today?
Ever since she was young, Angela would run to her mom and share her day’s events.
-So, I was waiting for the school bus, and suddenly, a fish fell right in front of me from the sky. From a clear sky without a single cloud!
There were truly many amazing and fun things in the world.
-I was so surprised that I kept watching the fish closely. It was flopping around with so much energy… then suddenly, an eagle? A hawk? swooped down and snatched it away. It must have dropped it while hunting and heading home. Isn’t that fascinating? Isn’t it?
Whenever she experienced something like that, she always wanted to share it with someone.
Seeing the other person’s reaction made her even more excited, and she liked the feeling of forming a connection.
-Yeah, our daughter saw something really interesting. Now, go wash your hands. Let’s eat.
-Tch. That’s boring.
However, since she had seen it with her own eyes and the other person only heard about it, she often felt deflated.
‘Ah, it would have been better if we had seen it together.’
From that moment, Angela started carrying a camera around.
Collecting scenes that were too precious to keep to herself became her hobby.
It was only natural that Metube suited her well.
‘Now I have a reason to film anything.’
As time passed, SNS became a part of life, and as her channel grew, people actually wanted to appear on it first.
She liked that she could capture various people’s appearances and stories.
The only downside was that many of the participants became conscious of the camera, resulting in artificial scenes.
‘That’s why I like Hyunsoo.’
She had met countless people, but Hyunsoo was the first of his kind.
He was very curious.
Like a newborn baby, he wanted to try out everything.
Strangely indifferent to money or fame…
…and whatever he did, he did well.
There was no middle ground with him.
There were only things he hadn’t tried and things he was good at.
Having observed him for just a month, the term “versatile” seemed to be made for Hyunsoo.
‘Who would’ve thought he could draw well too.’
Even as she watched with her own eyes, it was hard to believe.
Hyunsoo filled the drawing effortlessly.
The result was astonishing.
‘It’s clean. It’s so intuitive that you can easily imagine what kind of video he wants to make.’
She could read the flow.
Even someone like her who didn’t use storyboards could easily understand the kind of video Hyunsoo was envisioning.
‘What kind of life does this guy live?’
Because of her job, Angela had developed a discerning eye in various fields.
Hyunsoo’s drawing was undoubtedly the work of a seasoned artist.
Even if one had a clear image in mind, without dexterity, one would have to go through multiple revisions.
But Hyunsoo’s strokes were confident, and he didn’t use an eraser.
‘According to his mother, he only sleeps 4 hours a day. What does he do with the rest of his time…?’
“It’s done.”
Just then, Hyunsoo’s hand stopped. He handed over the sketchbook with a satisfied look on his face.
“Can you take a look? Feel free to point out any shortcomings. I humbly accept the teachings of a 2-million-subscriber Metuber.”
“Hehe, you talk well.”
This was Hyunsoo’s greatest strength.
He was always confident but never boastful.
No matter the situation, he had a strong desire to learn.
‘Shall I take this apart then?’
With a solemn face, Angela scrutinized the storyboard from start to finish.
After all, video planning was her specialty.
She was young, but the six years she had dedicated to it were not trivial, and she had developed a solid philosophy during that time.
‘It has to be easily understandable by anyone, it has to be engaging, and it has to highlight its points.’
That’s why she spent the most time on video editing.
No matter how talented Hyunsoo was, from a professional standpoint, there had to be flaws.
‘What?’
…No, there should be flaws.
Angela squinted her eyes and analyzed each storyboard scene again.
The five sheets Hyunsoo had drawn in an instant.
She scrutinized them for twice the time it took him to draw.
“What are you?”
Eventually, Angela surrendered with slumped shoulders.
“…You’re not secretly doing Metube, are you? Or aspiring to be a film director? The direction is unbelievable!”
There were indeed some transitions that caught her eye.
But something felt off, so she repeatedly visualized them.
She specifically imagined how the video would feel.
‘He’s a monster.’
Although unfamiliar techniques, they were sophisticated and conveyed the purpose well.
She even thought she should take notes and apply them herself.
‘I wonder if he’d give me this storyboard if I asked for it.’
Hiding her greed, Angela said.
“Do you really need my help? You could start your own channel and upload this.”
“Of course, I need your help. I have a lot of ideas because I’m interested in videos, but… actual filming is completely different, right?”
Angela’s head perked up again.
“Right, right. You do know something, huh? Even when I start shooting with a perfect plan, it often doesn’t turn out as well as I thought. Preparation is important, but real-time adjustments are often necessary on set.”
“I figured. That’s why I’d feel really reassured and happy if I could produce this with a capable Metuber like you.”
He wasn’t just saying that.
Hyunsoo had planned ideas before but had no means to execute them himself. He lacked the equipment and needed to relearn the skills.
‘And now there’s only 2 weeks left?’
With only 15 days to complete production, promotion, and sales, launching on Angela’s established channel was the most efficient option.
Angela seemed very pleased that she was needed, regardless of the reason.
“In that case, I’ll adjust my busy schedule. Let’s make something great together.”
Angela tried to hide her joy. Hyunsoo felt like patting her head as if she were a cute younger sister, but instead, he shook her hand.
“Looking forward to it.”
“Trust this auntie. I’ll do my best since you’re my best friend’s son.”
“Hahaha.”
Hyunsoo and Angela spent the entire morning brainstorming and coordinating specific schedules.
‘He’s not an amateur.’
When she usually gathered with kids her age for such meetings, progress was often very slow.
-Oh, whatever. It’ll work out somehow.
-Let’s just shoot first. Editing will fix it.
They would end up having meaningless chats and then go out to eat.
But Hyunsoo smoothly led the meeting and never missed important points.
“It’s a tight schedule, but let’s aim to finish filming within a week and upload it in 10 days. To meet the deadline, we’ll need to plan daily… let’s start by matching our available times.”
He was the type to detail a to-do list and allocate time accordingly.
Angela was impressed by his unexpectedly meticulous nature.
“Oh, but…”
While fiddling with the storyboard, she suddenly asked with a puzzled expression.
“Your mother is the designer here, right? The roles of the model and photographer seem important. Do you already have someone in mind, or should I help with the casting? I have a lot of connections from doing Metube.”
“Well, I was actually going to talk to you about that…”
At that moment.
“Hyun~. Where can I do the laundry?”
A woman descended the stairs, asking in a cute voice. She had just showered and was drying her long hair with only a towel wrapped around her.
“…!”
Angela was startled to see her.
Being a Metuber, she couldn’t help but objectively observe people’s appearances.
‘That’s too unfair.’
The mysterious woman was stunningly beautiful. Should she be described as having a puppy face? She looked very innocent and young, with a particularly big and beautiful smile.
‘It doesn’t match such a figure!’
What was with that baby face and such a voluptuous body! The overwhelming volume made Angela unconsciously straighten her posture.
“Oh? Hyun has a friend over? Are you a school junior?”
“…”
From Adriana’s perspective, it was understandable. Angela was shorter and seemed younger.
With a pouty face, Angela replied.
“We’re in the same grade. Though I was born first.”
“Wow, I’m jealous. You look so baby-faced. Did I have skin as good as yours at your age? I didn’t expect Hyun to have such a pretty friend!”
A few compliments and Angela’s wariness melted away like snow.
“Reeeally? Unnie (Sis), your skin is amazing too. You’re a model, right? You must be. If someone like you isn’t a model, who would be?”
“Hehe, I’m not a professional model… just did some online ads and events occasionally.”
“Ah, I knew it. I have a good eye. If you set your mind to it, you’d dominate the fashion world… Want me to introduce you? I know some people from when I did content.”
“Oh? That sounds great! I’m interested too. I’ve received offers, but there are so many scammers in this industry. Many just want to exploit you based on looks.”
“Yeah, yeah. You look so kind, Unnie. You have to be careful. The world is a tough place. I’ll introduce you to someone trustworthy.”
“As expected, you really understand because you’ve been through it. It’s hard to talk about this with others…”
Before they knew it, they forgot Hyunsoo was there and kept talking for a long time.
Later on, they even shared their worries without hesitation.
“Ah! Unnie, can we take a picture together? I want to post it on Instagram.”
“Sure, let’s do that. Tag me. I’ll share it on my story.”
“Great!”
They took a selfie, hugging and pressing their faces together.
Though it was just one photo, they went through dozens of shots applying various filters and uploaded it with pretty fonts.
[Met a soulmate today @adrianna_love #modelforce]
Adriana saw it and stuck out her tongue.
“Oh, you have a knack for this? The posting looks clean.”
“I do a lot of social media, hehe. Ah, just a moment. I want to brag to my best friend.”
[Metuber.Angela: Emergency. We have a mountain to climb together. (Attached is the post with Adriana)]
[@jessie_goldstein: Isn’t that Hyunsoo’s house? Walking around in just a towel?? At this hour???]
[Metuber.Angela: Well, it’s not like that. You know what I mean?]
[@jessie_goldstein: Yeah, right. As if that blockhead would do anything. She looks like a fashion school student? What’s her personality like?]
[Metuber.Angela: Total fox. She could charm many men with her eye smiles. Honestly, my heart was a bit stolen too. Sorry. You were my only one before.]
[@jessie_goldstein: Get a grip. You’re with her right now, right? Let’s talk more later.]
Angela immediately linked arms with Adriana and apologized.
“Did I take too long? Sorry, I got carried away bragging about having a super pretty Unnie as a friend.”
“Take your time… Actually, I also talk about everything with my roommates, so I understand.”
“Oh, really? You won’t talk bad about me later, right?”
“No way. I’m too soft-hearted to badmouth anyone.”
After much deliberation, Adriana adjusted her schedule to stay in California for a week to prepare for the competition together.
Although they had daily video calls, as the deadline approached, she suggested a live-in arrangement.
-There are limits to what I can support remotely, and meeting once a week is too short. Knowing how hard Mom is working, I can’t just think about myself.
She diligently played her supporting role. When needed, she would meticulously research and send materials overnight, and she would promptly provide feedback on designs.
She also actively sought opinions from experts she met through FIT or her modeling work, providing substantial help, which her mom appreciated.
“You’ve been a perfect assistant designer.”
“No… this is all I can do at my level.”
Adriana blushed at Hyunsoo’s genuine praise.
“I’m not just saying this. Without you, it would have been too burdensome for Mom to proceed with this project. I’m really grateful.”
“Then I’m glad…”
“Honestly, you’re the most important person on our team. Please do your best with the handbag modeling too.”
Suddenly, Adriana’s face turned somber. Although she had accepted the role of showcasing the handbag, she seemed a bit overwhelmed now.
Cautiously, she spoke.
“But, I’m really an amateur. Is it okay? When you said you’d upload the video on Metube, I didn’t think much of it, but this is a major channel. I’m a bit scared. Am I really the right person? How about asking a professional model instead? I know many.”
Hyunsoo shook his head firmly.
“No. It has to be you. Don’t pretend to be weak. Just show your usual self. That’s more than enough.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. If you’re not satisfied with the result, we won’t use it. Let’s start with a camera test since Angela is here too. Can you stand with this bag?”
“Okay! Don’t be too disappointed?”
“……”
Meanwhile, Angela quietly adjusted the camera angle and waited.
‘Will she be okay?’
Honestly, Angela was skeptical.
Adriana’s appearance was flawless. But the attitude and posture unique to models required thorough training to express.
Having worked with various models, Angela knew how challenging and demanding the profession was.
Seeing Adriana’s lack of confidence, she worried whether Adriana could effectively showcase the handbag.
“……!”
But as soon as Adriana wore the bag and turned to the camera,
Angela fell in love with her.
