Éclat Étoile.

This brand, famous for its women’s cosmetics, was often thought to be a French company, but it was, in fact, a Korean brand with its headquarters based locally.

The company had been pushing a luxury strategy... but things were starting to falter.

“We’re nearing the end of our contract with Song Heebin, so we need to find a new advertising model soon,” one member of Éclat Étoile's brand business strategy team said, clearly frustrated.

The brand strategy team had been under considerable stress lately, with the sales of their cosmetics plummeting due to the aggressive rise of new brands.

In reality, they were losing ground in the competitive market. The actress Song Heebin, who had been their advertising model for the past five years, was now leaving as her contract was ending.

‘It’s obvious that she’s been approached by another cosmetics brand.’

Song Heebin’s popularity had soared recently due to her role in a Monday-Tuesday drama, so naturally, she would want to move on to a brand that offered more money and a higher brand value.

“Ugh,” groaned Jeong Taesoo, the team leader of the business strategy department. It was becoming painfully clear that they were falling behind other brands.

“Should we also hire a celebrity with enough recognition to boost our brand’s visibility?”

“But our budget…”

“There’s no point in hiring a low-profile celebrity if they don’t bring in any results.”

“Yes, but if we hire a well-known celebrity and don’t see the expected results, it’ll be hard to recover from the loss.”

The issue wasn’t just the cost of hiring a celebrity. The real problem was the potential loss if the chosen celebrity didn’t perform as expected and sales didn’t meet their goals.

Their situation was already precarious. With Song Heebin out of the picture, they had less than a month to find a new advertising model.

“She seemed like she was going to renew the contract… I swear, celebrities…”

Jeong Taesoo shouted in frustration, but there was nothing more they could do. They hadn’t been able to offer her a better deal.

“Excuse me, Team Leader,” said Deputy Park hesitantly.

“What is it, Deputy Park?”

“How about this person?”

Deputy Park displayed an image on his tablet—a still from Past Memories, showing a woman who had garnered considerable attention: the rising star Ju Seoyeon.

She had recently gained fame as the grown-up Princess Yeonhwa. There was also some buzz about her appearance on a cable show.

“Her face is definitely good, but isn’t Ju Seoyeon not that well-known for an ad?”

“That’s true, but don’t you think she’s on the rise?”

“So you’re saying we should bet on her future potential?”

“Yes, exactly.”

Watching Deputy Park nod enthusiastically, Jeong Taesoo sighed. It seemed like a gamble on a vague future.

“Deputy Park, Princess Yeonhwa was a long time ago. Ju Seoyeon hasn’t had any significant appearances since then. Plus, you know her latest film is a thriller, right?”

“Yes, that’s true.”

“A female lead in a thriller… She’s probably a supporting role at best. What’s her next project? When will she raise her profile? She’s an actress who disappeared for ten years and only made a small comeback on stage. Who’s going to watch an ad with her? Theatergoers?”

“…”

Deputy Park returned to his seat, looking dejected. While Jeong Taesoo felt a bit guilty for being so harsh, he knew it was necessary.

Advertising is all about image and recognition. While it was true that Ju Seoyeon had an exceptional appearance, that wasn’t enough to guarantee the success of an ad campaign.

Sure, a pretty face could be enhanced with editing to look radiant and beautiful, but you couldn’t manufacture recognition.

What mattered was how luxurious the product seemed and how well it appealed to women.

‘But I still need to submit a report.’

He had shortlisted a few candidates. But for the final selection, they needed someone the higher-ups would approve of.

‘Two idols, two actresses…’

All of them had decent name value. As Jeong Taesoo was about to finalize his report with five candidates, he reconsidered.

‘Well, fine. I’ll add Ju Seoyeon.’

It wouldn’t hurt to include her as a wildcard. After all, she did have some recent buzz. He didn’t put much thought into it, seeing it as merely filling a spot.

A week later…

“Are you suggesting Ju Seoyeon?”

It was a question from the director of Éclat Étoile, who had come down to the business strategy department. The director, a large man with a pleased expression, spoke enthusiastically.

“Wow, Team Leader Jeong, you’ve got an eye for talent. Let’s go with Ju Seoyeon for the next ad campaign.”

“What? Uh, really?”

Jeong Taesoo was about to ask why when the director began a lengthy monologue.

“Yeonhwa Princess! Ten years ago, when I was going through a tough time, that drama really helped me pull through. Did I ever tell you? It was exactly ten years ago, during the summer…”

The director’s story continued for over an hour. Little did Jeong Taesoo know that Baek Minchan, the director of Éclat Étoile, was a huge fan of the drama Sunshine and Moonlight, which had featured Ju Seoyeon.

“But sir, isn’t her recognition a bit too low…?”

Taesoo cautiously asked.

“Ah, recognition! You know, it’s not always about using the hottest actor at the moment. Sometimes, you have to buy low and sell high, so to speak. You lock them in when they’re still affordable!”

“What?”

Was he really talking about “buying low” in this context?

“Anyway, I know it’s a bit of a risk, but you know I’ve got a good instinct for this. I saw that child actor ten years ago and knew they would make it big. And what a dazzling return she’s made! I’m sure her name will be huge within a year.”

While Taesoo could think of at least ten reasons why this might not work, including the fact that Ju Seoyeon was still a high school student, he knew better than to argue.

When Baek Minchan felt strongly about something, it usually meant his “success instinct” was kicking in. This was the same man who, ten years ago, had built the company up from a single tiny office with the CEO.

“…Alright.”

Though he was still doubtful, Taesoo knew when to follow orders. After all, he was just an employee, and if the higher-ups decided something, it was his job to comply.

Another two weeks passed, and at Éclat Étoile’s office…

“Hello, I’m Ju Seoyeon, a rookie actress from Nova Entertainment.”

Thanks to Director Baek’s strong insistence, Ju Seoyeon had come for the meeting.

***

‘A cosmetics commercial.’

Seoyeon pondered this seriously. Cosmetics were still somewhat foreign to her.

It wasn’t that she didn’t wear makeup—her invincible TS skin naturally maintained a flawless complexion without much care, and she could endure harsh sunlight without sunscreen.

She was beautiful even without makeup, but her mother, Sua, wouldn’t let her go without at least some effort.

“At least do the basics, my dear.”

“…”

And so, Seoyeon had learned to apply some BB cream, a bit of lipstick, and minimal eyeliner. She wasn’t particularly skilled, but she managed.

Moreover, even if Seoyeon didn’t do much on her own, professional makeup artists often took care of her look when she needed it. Makeup was something any actress had to get used to.

‘But an ad…’

A cosmetics commercial was almost a symbol of femininity. For a female celebrity, securing such an ad was a matter of pride.

Even Lee Jiyeon had done a BB cream commercial, and Seoyeon remembered how much she had bragged about it…

“Oh my, Seoyeon! A cosmetics ad? Éclat Étoile? That’s the brand I use! See, I told you I have good taste!”

Indeed, Sua used products from that brand. Though they were expensive, she often praised the lipstick for its vibrant color. Of course, this was still somewhat distant from Seoyeon’s world.

So, Seoyeon had no choice but to accept the cosmetics commercial. After all, it was a good opportunity.

“Hello, I’m Ju Seoyeon, a rookie actress from Nova Entertainment.”

And so, Seoyeon found herself at the Éclat Étoile office. The company lived up to its reputation as a luxury brand—everything looked sparkling and grand.

‘This company seems pretty prestigious.’

Seoyeon was somewhat bewildered. Why would a company like this choose her? Even her manager, Park Eunha, seemed nervous.

“I’m Jeong Taesoo, the brand strategy team leader. And this is…”

“I’m Baek Minchan, the director of Éclat Étoile.”

Even the director had come to the meeting. Was this normal?

Seoyeon had some experience with corporate life in her past life. Higher-ups usually didn’t bother with meetings like this.

Even having a team leader present was unusual. Or maybe this was just how things worked with celebrity contracts?

“Ahem, I’m just here to observe, so don’t worry too much about me.”

Director Baek said this, but Seoyeon couldn’t help but wonder why he was there.

“Well, as you may already know, Éclat Étoile would like to offer you a one-year exclusive contract as our advertising model.”

“One year?”

“Yes, and there’s potential for renewal and additional contract extensions afterward. Of course, the terms will improve accordingly.”

The first contract had to be handled with care since it would set the standard. While there was room to increase the pay later, it couldn’t be reduced.

Seoyeon didn’t have any particular expectations. Given her level of recognition, she was sure the contract amount wouldn’t be high. But then…

“A one-year exclusive model fee of 400 million won.”

Four hundred million won… Wait, what?

“Four hundred million won?”

Four hundred million was a number Seoyeon had only seen in video game currencies. She had filmed dramas and signed movie contracts before, even receiving 200 million won for a B-list movie.

But 400 million won was double that, and considering the difficulty of the shoot, it was a staggering amount.

‘Honestly, I’d have done it for half of that.’

Taesoo felt the sting of this amount. Seoyeon was the type of actress who would have been content with half that amount.

But Director Baek, sitting beside him with an intense gaze, had insisted. She had to be paid as if she were at least a B-list actress, to prevent her from jumping to another brand when the contract ended.

It was probably because of what happened with Song Heebin, but it still felt excessive.

“…What do you think of the terms?”

After carefully reading through the contract, Seoyeon nodded. There didn’t seem to be any concerning clauses. Manager Park Eunha also nodded in agreement.

The terms were surprisingly favorable for Seoyeon. It was almost suspicious how good they were.

“I’ll do it.”

For 400 million won, she had to. Who cared about the details of cosmetics?

“When would the shoot begin…?”

“I’ll coordinate the schedule and let you know, so you can arrange the dates accordingly.”

With that, everything was set in motion. While the final contract review and signing would take place later, the deal was essentially sealed.

“But, I heard your upcoming movie is a thriller. What role are you playing?”

“Ah, well… it’s confidential.”

“Oh, I see. That’s too bad. As you know, the type of role you play can greatly influence the image of the ad.”

Seoyeon awkwardly smiled at Team Leader Taesoo’s comment, knowing she couldn’t reveal any details due to the movie contract.

‘Come to think of it, isn’t this a problem?’

She was playing the role of a murderer. While Seoyeon didn’t think much of it, this could severely impact her image. The better she performed, the worse it could get.

‘…Hmm.’

This could be a big problem.

Four hundred million won.

Seoyeon stared at the contract. She could almost see those 400 million won flying away.

There were famous cases of actors who had been dropped from ad campaigns due to the negative impact of playing a murderer. And this was a cosmetics ad. If the movie became a hit, she was sure to be dropped.

‘I need to find a way to improve my image.’

Seoyeon felt a sense of urgency. She needed to find a role that would balance out the dark image of her character, Cha Seoa, before that 400 million won slipped through her fingers.

And as luck would have it, there were two projects that could help her do just that.

The only issue was that both projects were connected to people with whom Seoyeon had a history.