Chapter 35: Imminent

“Hello, I am Staff Kim Suhyeok, and I will be guiding you students today.”

Kim Noeul, Na Yuna, and I quietly listened to the staff’s explanation from the back.
Not only Hankook High students but also students from other schools were present.

‘Today is also the field trip day for other schools.’

“Look, Hankook High is over there too.”

Kim Noeul muttered with an uneasy expression.
Where she pointed, students wearing Hankook High uniforms were gathered together.

Haneul High’s Counseling Club and Disciplinary Department had clashed with Hankook High before, making the relationship awkward.

Sure enough, I could feel the Hankook High students looking our way too.

“First off, you all chose this place for your field trip because you’re interested in modeling, correct? We’ll start by explaining our company’s model contracting process.”

The staff guided us near a meeting room.
Through the meeting room window, I saw a man and a woman conversing near a vending machine.

Just by their appearances, I could tell they were models belonging to SC.

The man looked to be at least in his mid-180s cm tall, and his shoulder width was extraordinary.

The female model boasted a golden ratio similar to Je Galyeonhwa, whom I had seen before.

“Huh? I saw that person in a magazine.”

“That’s the person who advertised on Instagram. They look amazing in real life.”

Judging by the students’ reactions, they seemed to be famous models.
The man and woman smiled and bowed their heads to the students.

The staff went inside the meeting room and began the explanation.

“There are models who work individually, but quite a few belong to management or agencies to enjoy various promotional benefits. The two you just saw belong to the latter category.”

The staff picked up a profile placed on the desk.

“This is the contract. Once this and other supplementary procedures are completed, you become an SC model. After that, meetings begin, and these meetings are an important measure for evaluating a model’s talent and effort.”

While he explained diligently, I was looking for a certain person.

‘I think I met them around this time.’

A student model belonging to SC who proclaims herself Je Galyeonhwa’s rival.
She’s probably TS’d into a girl here.

“Who are you looking for so intently?”

Kim Noeul, who was watching me look around strangely, asked.

“Je Galyeonhwa. Or Je Galhwarin. Since Hankook High students are here too.”

“…Just asking, you’re not thinking of charging at them as soon as you find them, right?”

In Kim Noeul’s mind, I was probably similar to a fighting dog.
It couldn’t be helped since I actively responded to incidents.

“What do you take me for.”

“If you find them, tell me. I’ll charge in first.”

Suddenly, Kim Noeul also spoke like a fighting dog.
It was absurd.

“Why you?”

“Je Galhwarin messed with you. Actually, I’ve been waiting for a chance for a while.”

A voice as cold as frost flowed from Kim Noeul’s lips.

‘Actually, it was closer to me messing with Je Galhwarin.’

She retreated after getting slapped several times by me.
But I didn’t bother correcting Kim Noeul’s misunderstanding.

I turned my head and looked at Na Yuna standing behind us.

She was listening to the staff’s explanation with a blank expression.
She hadn’t joined our conversation since earlier and exuded a gloomy aura.

‘Was CEO Lim Juhee’s words that shocking?’

Na Yuna’s gloomy expression didn’t lift even after the staff’s explanation concluded.

Taking Na Yuna with us, we sat in the office lounge and drank beverages.
Kim Noeul, seeming to notice Na Yuna’s mood, asked cautiously.

“Sunbae, are you sick somewhere?”

“…No, I’m okay.”

“Your expression looks uncomfortable.”

To change the mood, I decided to highlight Na Yuna’s strengths.

“Actually, before you arrived, she was being scouted by the CEO here.”

“What? Really?”

Kim Noeul’s eyes widened as she looked at Na Yuna.
Na Yuna blushed and waved her hands dismissively.

“I-It was a coincidence! I have no idea what she saw in me to talk to me! And in the end, she saw my real self and just left….”

“What do you mean, real self?”

Na Yuna clammed up at Kim Noeul’s question.
She just fidgeted with the innocent canned drink and lowered her head deeply.

“Yuna-sunbae. Take this.”

I handed her the business card I had received.
Na Yuna’s mouth fell slightly open upon seeing CEO Lim Juhee’s business card.

“Wh-Where did you get this?”

“I met her by chance before and received it. She told me to contact her if I was interested.”

“Casting….”

Kim Noeul crossed her arms with an uncomfortable expression.

“If you’re uncomfortable, sit up straight.”

When I snapped at her, Kim Noeul cleared her throat.

“I’m not uncomfortable. Just muttering to myself.”

“Anyway, the CEO showed interest in Yuna-sunbae too, so try contacting her later.”

“B-But….”

Na Yuna, though flustered, wrapped the business card with both hands as if cherishing it.
Seeing that action, I was certain she would contact her in the near future.

“It’s a good opportunity, it would be a waste to miss it.”

Kim Noeul also encouraged Na Yuna.
Now that it came to this, I also became curious about Kim Noeul.

“Kim Noeul, have you ever thought about modeling?”

“Not at all. It’s not a career path I’ve considered.”

Kim Noeul covered her mouth and yawned.
Truthfully, since she came to SC following us, today’s field trip must be boring for her.

“What a waste…. Noeul, I feel like you would have been scouted a lot….”

Kim Noeul shook her head at Na Yuna’s words.

“Because I’m not interested.”

Kim Noeul didn’t say she hadn’t been scouted.
In fact, in the original work, she had received several love calls from the entertainment industry.

“Wow~. Looks like everyone here is a talented gem. Talking about casting too.”

An unfamiliar voice came from behind us.
When I turned around, a girl with a face I hadn’t seen before was looking down at us.

“…Who are you?”

“I’m Jeong Soyeon. You’ve heard of me, right?”

When Kim Noeul asked warily, the girl answered as if she had been waiting.
She told us her name and waited for our reaction.

“……”

“……”

However, as Kim Noeul and I just stared silently, her eyes trembled, perhaps flustered.

“I-I said Jeong Soyeon? That Je Galyeonhwa’s rival!”

Only after hearing the name Je Galyeonhwa did Kim Noeul show recognition.

“Are you an SC model?”

“Yeah…. To think you only recognize me after hearing her name….”

Jeong Soyeon looked dejected.
I too only recognized her now.

In the webtoon, there was a male model who ‘self-proclaimed’ himself Je Galyeonhwa’s rival.
That male character was now gender-swapped and standing before me.

Jeong Soyeon, a 3rd-year female student attending Yushin High.
For reference, Seong Nari, the chief of Veritas, also attends Yushin High.

“You guys are 2nd years, right? So I dropped the formalities.”

“Among the underage models belonging to SC, the top two are Je Galyeonhwa and the person right in front of us!”

Suddenly, Na Yuna spoke up.

“She’s the best output from Hakdo East District’s Yushin High and the model who has conquered all the CFs for nearby restaurants!”

As Na Yuna listed Jeong Soyeon’s career achievements, Jeong Soyeon looked moved and patted Na Yuna’s head.

“You’re my fan! You have good eyes!”

“Sunbae, you know a lot.”

Kim Noeul chuckled awkwardly and muttered.
Na Yuna, realizing she had gotten too excited, took a deep breath.

“A-Actually, I looked up SC-related content…. Since it’s the field trip today….”

Na Yuna made an excuse, but she couldn’t hide the fact that she was interested in this field.

“But um… Yuna? Your name tag says Yuna, right?”

Jeong Soyeon asked, looking at Na Yuna’s uniform.

“Yes. I’m Na Yuna.”

“Yuna, I heard you were scouted by the CEO too? Does that mean we’ll be colleagues now?”

“Ah, that’s….”

Na Yuna trailed off, at a loss for words.
Jeong Soyeon blinked at her lukewarm reaction.

“Why? Don’t tell me you’re going to refuse? To focus on academics?”

“N-No, that’s not it. At the end, the CEO was disappointed in me….”

“……”

Things are proceeding well.

In the original work, Na Yuna could work as a model partly thanks to CEO Lim Juhee’s help, but also because she had a supportive model colleague by her side.

That model colleague is Jeong Soyeon, right in front of us.

“Hey kids, can I borrow this friend for a moment?”

“Borrow?”

At Kim Noeul’s question, Jeong Soyeon took Na Yuna’s hand and helped her stand up.
Na Yuna stood up awkwardly.

“Looking at her, I feel like it’s not someone else’s problem. There’s still quite some break time left, so I’ll bring her back before then.”

“Go ahead.”

As I gave permission, Jeong Soyeon placed her hand on Na Yuna’s shoulder and left the area.
Kim Noeul stared at the retreating backs of the two women and muttered.

“Is this really okay?”

“Looks like she’s just trying to encourage her. You also want Yuna-sunbae to become more assertive, right?”

“…That’s true.”

“And if Yuna-sunbae succeeds as a model, it benefits us too. We can keep Je Galyeonhwa in check.”

Ultimately, Na Yuna entering the modeling world is the best course of action in many ways.

Finishing my thoughts, I stood up from my seat.
Kim Noeul looked up at me standing.

“Where are you going?”

“Just need to take care of something.”

I asked a nearby SC staff member for the restroom location and headed towards it.
Already, several students were milling around near the restroom.

I went inside the restroom, finished my business, and washed my hands at the sink.

While washing diligently enough to make squeaking sounds, the murmuring outside the restroom grew louder.

“So why is a student from another school…!”

“…Don’t cause a disturbance.”

“Keep acting up…!”

The sounds overlapped, making it impossible to understand clearly.
Looking at the situation outside through the sink mirror, more and more people were gathering.

‘What on earth is going on now.’

I flicked the water off my hands and stepped out of the restroom.

As soon as I came out, the truth of the incident entered my view.

It was a scene of a female student with a ponytail, wearing a Haneul High uniform, grabbing the wrist of a female student in casual clothes.

The girl in the uniform was Han Doa.

‘She probably came along as a chaperone (means someone who came along to watch over or assist someone, possibly in a protective or supervisory role) assistant.’

Han Doa and the girl were arguing.

“So why is a disciplinary head from another school interfering!”

“Regardless of the school, smoking is prohibited in the restrooms of this building.”

“Who are you to control that!”

The surrounding students just filmed the scene with their phones; no one intervened.

Just as I was about to approach Han Doa, an SC staff member and another woman stepped into the situation.

“Everyone, please stop. Please be quiet inside the company premises.”

The staff member separated the two women with a dry voice.

The shouting girl held her wrist as if it was throbbing, while Han Doa obediently stepped back as the staff instructed.

“What exactly is the situation here?”

At the staff’s question, the girl rubbing her wrist spoke first.

“That woman suddenly grabbed my wrist and twisted it.”

“I warned you not to smoke first. Nevertheless, you ignored my warning.”

“What? Smoking? In the restroom?”

The staff frowned and glared at the girl.
The girl tried to argue with a flustered expression, but the woman who had come with the staff stepped in front of the staff.

“I’ll handle it here. Since she’s a student from my school.”

“Um…. If student Yeonhwa says so.”

At Je Galyeonhwa’s intervention, the staff scratched his head and left.
This was because Je Galyeonhwa’s position within SC was significant, as she was a model cherished by CEO Lim Juhee.

“What are you doing smoking inside the company. Be careful next time.”

“Yes, yep. Sorry, unni.”

“No need to be sorry. Everyone makes mistakes in life.”

Je Galyeonhwa sent the girl who had been smoking away.
Han Doa wore a dissatisfied expression but turned away without complaint.

However, Je Galyeonhwa spoke to Han Doa.

“Are you planning to just leave after committing violence against a student from our school?”

“…The one who ignored the warning was her. I enforced the rules.”

“This is a company. If anyone enforces rules, we do. Go ahead and report it if you want.”

Sighing, Han Doa turned back again and glared at Je Galyeonhwa.

“I only took the cigarette and put it out. But suddenly, she lunged at me. So I grabbed her wrist to subdue her. Is there any problem with that?”

“Really? To my eyes, it just looked like you were bullying a Hankook High student. Is there anyone who can prove that?”

Je Galyeonhwa kept picking at her words.

“And you’re Han Doa. It’s hard to believe a Hakdo student who knows your reputation would attack first.”

“……”

“I saw it.”

Watching the situation, I stood by Han Doa’s side.
Han Doa looked surprised upon discovering me.

“Maru-hubae?”

“I said I saw it. That girl tried to strike first. Doa-sunbae acted in self-defense.”