[You know well what kind of person Director Cha Hyun of HJ Gallery is. She’s kinder and more mannerly than anyone, but unforgiving of mistakes.]

So do well.

Our ‘Persona’s’ one-year sales and reputation depend on you.

Recalling Ji Soo’s earnest plea, Yeo Eun passed through the main entrance of HJ Gallery.

Her arms were full of portfolios given by Ji Soo.

Six thick portfolios with luxurious hardcover bindings.

Though her arms felt like they might fall off from the weight, Yeo Eun approached the information desk with a bright smile, showing no sign of strain.

“I’m here to see Director Cha Hyun.”

The desk employee smiled prettily and asked.

“Do you have an appointment?”

“Yes, I’m scheduled for 3 PM. Please tell her an employee from the image training center ‘Persona’ is here.”

“Ah.”

The employee’s eyes widened in surprise, then she gave a friendly smile.

“If you’re from Persona, we’ve already been informed.”

Then, lowering her voice slightly, she whispered something rather embarrassing.

“You’re so pretty, I thought you were a model here for today’s company photoshoot.”

Yeo Eun’s smile stiffened awkwardly at her words.

Being called pretty was not a compliment to her.

Her pretty face had never been helpful in her life.

Rather, it had only been a hindrance. Or an obstacle.

Especially on a day like today, with an important contract ahead, being called pretty felt like a curse.

She couldn’t shake off the ominous feeling from the employee’s innocent remark.

As she hung the visitor’s badge around Yeo Eun’s neck, the employee pointed to the escalator on the left.

“The director is one floor down, in Studio B on the right. There’s a small room around the corner from the studio, you can wait there.”

“Thank you.”

Trying to push away the uneasy thoughts, Yeo Eun headed in the direction the employee had indicated.

* * *

She hadn’t applied heavy makeup.

Just a light touch-up on her skin and some rose-colored lipstick for color.

To give a neat impression, she wore no accessories, instead putting on glasses to cover her so-called pretty face.

A white shirt blouse with elegant ruffles, navy slacks, low-heeled pumps, and her long hair tied back neatly.

Yeo Eun, who had tried to look sophisticated and tidy without standing out, took a deep breath as she stepped off the escalator.

“Let’s do well, Seo Yeo Eun.”

She had to do well.

The future of Persona rested on her shoulders.

And that’s not all.

If the contract is successful, she’ll immediately receive a large bonus.

Then at least her mother’s surgery costs…

She won’t have to worry about them.

This job is important not just for Persona, but for her personally as well.

This job.

That is, a new request from Cha Hyun, director of HJ Gallery, a major client and investor of Persona.

[I have a nephew. A really troublesome nephew.]

That was the first thing Cha Hyun said when she visited Persona.

[My father intends to use that boy preciously, but as he is now, it’s problematic. So make him into something. An ‘it boy’ loved by the whole nation.]

Then Cha Hyun designated Yeo Eun as the trainer.

[Seo Yeo Eun would be good. Our nephew is quite picky about faces. So do well. If it works out, I’ll give you a hefty incentive.]

Cha Hyun’s nephew.

Could it be Cha In Woo, the eldest grandson of Hanju Group Chairman Cha Ji Seop, and son of Vice Chairman Cha Kang?

The CEO of Hanju Trading.

He’s the only grandson currently working in Hanju.

For that reason, Yeo Eun had spent the past week researching about Cha In Woo, CEO of Hanju Trading.

She said he was a ‘troublesome’ nephew, but the Cha In Woo in the media didn’t seem to fit that description.

Not only did he have a neat appearance and tall stature, but his gentlemanly attitude and soft smile were also excellent.

A person with enough potential to become a beloved ‘it boy’ of the nation with just a little polishing.

For that reason, Yeo Eun had checked the difficulty level of this project as ‘quite easy’.

Of course, that’s assuming she would be accepted as the trainer.

“Still, I can’t let my guard down. First, I need to impress CEO Cha In Woo…”

With such thoughts, she had just passed the studio and was turning the corner towards the promised room.

“Ah!”

Yeo Eun’s body staggered momentarily as her shoulder bumped into something.

As her center of balance was disturbed, the portfolios in her hands spilled onto the floor.

She knew it from the moment she was called pretty. That today would be an unlucky day.

What a mess this is, right before an important contract. All sorts of thoughts ran through her mind in that brief moment.

Hoping desperately that no one had seen this unsightly scene, she squeezed her eyes shut.

But she didn’t fall as she had feared.

Because her hand, flailing in the air, instinctively grasped onto something tightly.

At the same time, a cool hand gripped her arm.

‘A person?’

As Yeo Eun lifted her eyelids, she held her breath for a moment.

Her image was reflected in pitch-black eyes, as if engraved.

“You should be more careful.”

The eyes she met belonged to a man whose eyes were like the night, or perhaps the universe…

But they were completely devoid of warmth, making her chest feel chilly.

The man’s eyes glanced down slightly.

“And please let go of this too.”

Only then did she realize she was clutching the man’s shirt collar.

“I’m sorry.”

Startled, Yeo Eun regained her balance and quickly let go.

The man’s face was cold as he touched his wrinkled shirt collar with displeasure.

He seemed to click his tongue softly, tsk.

“A button’s come off.”

Yeo Eun’s shoulders instinctively hunched at his icy voice, which sounded like he was talking to himself.

“I’m sorry. I’ll…”

Even at a glance, it was clearly a very expensive shirt.

Should she offer to fix it, or to buy him a new one?

As she hesitated and reached out her hand, the man briefly swatted it away.

“It’s fine.”

Then, after scanning Yeo Eun with his black eyes as if licking her, the man frowned in displeasure and walked away.

Even his retreating figure was incredibly arrogant.

A heavy cedarwood scent lingered where he had stood.

Finally taking a breath, Yeo Eun stared for a long time at where the man had disappeared.

* * *

She waited in the office next to the studio for about 40 minutes.

40 minutes ago, the woman who had brought her coffee opened the door and relayed Cha Hyun’s message.

“She says to come into the studio.”

Taking a deep breath, Yeo Eun picked up the portfolios again and responded to Cha Hyun’s call.

Studio B.

Beyond the white wooden door, a photo shoot was in full swing.

This must be the company photo shoot they mentioned was happening at the gallery.

The camera flash emitted white light continuously in the studio covered entirely in white.

Yeo Eun, who had been carefully stepping in, stopped after a few steps.

Her gaze was captivated by the subject that the camera was capturing so fervently with its non-stop shutter sounds.

“That man is…”

It’s that man from earlier.

The man who bumped shoulders with her and caught her when she was about to fall.

The man with deep, dark eyes that held a noble light like black sapphires despite containing deep darkness.

“He was a model?”

It seems he was a model.

The man, who had unbuttoned his shirt giving off a somewhat languid feeling, moved his body according to the camera director’s signals.

Lowering his gaze, meeting eyes with the camera.

Just that, but the man was dominating the studio with just his eyes alone. It felt as if his mysterious black eyes were dyeing this white studio completely black.

Yeo Eun found herself unknowingly captivated by the strange pressure the man exuded.

“He’s handsome, isn’t he?”

Startled by the sudden presence beside her as she stared at the man as if entranced, Yeo Eun turned to look. Cha Hyun had approached her side at some point.

With her black eyes sparkling brightly as she waited for her answer, Cha Hyun didn’t seem at all like someone in her late 50s.

A woman of strong individuality who had even made her bleached white short-cut hair her trademark.

VIP of ‘Persona’ who meticulously manages and improves her own image.

Yeo Eun bowed her head respectfully to such a Cha Hyun.

“I’m sorry, Director.”

It was an apology for being distracted elsewhere when she should have looked for Cha Hyun first upon entering the studio.

“The model was so impressive that I couldn’t help but keep staring.”

“Is he just impressive?”

Cha Hyun smiled broadly with a cheerful expression.

“He has the best face.”

It wasn’t wrong.

The man’s face, which looked slightly different depending on the lighting and angle, was flawless from any perspective.

It couldn’t be anything but the best face, as Cha Hyun had said.

“Yes, it seems to be the best face.”

Perhaps pleased with her agreement, satisfaction overflowed on Cha Hyun’s face.

“As expected of Seo Yeo Eun. You have a good eye.”

This is why I like you, Seo Yeo Eun.

Cha Hyun, who had complimented her with a satisfied voice, led her somewhere.

“Come here. I’ll introduce you to my nephew.”

Suddenly, her spine stiffened with tension.

Cha In Woo, Cha Hyun’s nephew who held the lifeline of Persona and herself.

She needs his approval on the contract to satisfy Cha Hyun, Persona’s VIP and investor.

She must satisfy Cha Hyun for Persona to have a future, and Persona must survive for her to live.

Swallowing dry saliva, Yeo Eun found herself standing in front of the man she had watched endlessly for the past week, led by Cha Hyun’s hand.

“CEO Cha In Woo?”

At Cha Hyun’s call, Cha In Woo, who had been watching the photo shoot, turned his head towards them.

Cha In Woo had a face with much more commercial value than his media appearances, as if the screen couldn’t capture his real-life visuals.

“Say hello. I told you, right? This is Seo Yeo Eun from the image training center ‘Persona’.”

A gentle smile rose softly on Cha In Woo’s face.

“Nice to meet you, Seo Yeo Eun. I’m Cha In Woo. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

His voice is quite soft too. It’s a bit slow, but that can be polished.

She had worried that he might be very different from his media image since he was said to be difficult, but it was an unnecessary concern.

It seems Cha In Woo will be a client of ‘very easy’ difficulty, not just ‘quite easy’.

His manners were excellent too.

He even had the sense to take the heavy portfolios from her and place them in a suitable spot.

“Bringing such heavy things all the way here, you’ve got perseverance too.”

His following words seemed to break even the misfortune of a ‘pretty face’.

“I like her, Aunt. What do you think?”

With the person himself saying he likes her, the contract was as good as sealed.

Yeo Eun curled her lips neatly and bowed her head slightly.

“Thank you.”

Cha Hyun looked satisfied too.

She could vividly picture Ji Soo’s joyful face and her mother’s tearful relief.

Just as she was silently sighing in relief…

“What does it matter if you like her? Do Ha has to like her.”

Cha Hyun raised her hand high towards someone behind Yeo Eun.

“Over here!”