Return of the Genius Photographer

As soon as Woojin entered the studio, Jinsoo and Youngsoo were equally taken aback.

‘Who is that?’

‘Why isn’t the door locked?’

Everyone who had worked with photographer Jung Woong knew how much he despised being interrupted during a shoot. Ensuring his concentration remained unbroken was the top priority for his assistants.

To this end, they always locked the door after determining the necessary crew before the shoot began.

Usually, it was Minsoo who locked the door, but today, someone unexpected had barged in.

Adding to the confusion was that neither Jinsoo nor Youngsoo recognized Woojin’s face, meaning they had no clue he was the famed disciple of Jung Woong.

“Hey, you can’t be in here. If you have something to say, do it after the shoot,” Youngsoo tried to discreetly usher Woojin out in a hushed voice before things escalated.

“Oh! Isn’t it you?”

To everyone’s surprise, it was Jung Woong who greeted Woojin with enthusiasm.

“I was thinking of calling you. You came at the right time. How’s your preparation going?”

“I’ve been busy with another shoot, so I just started yesterday.”

“Hah, there’s not much time left, is there? Let me know if you run into trouble.”

“Don’t worry, there’s plenty of time.”

Jinsoo was stunned as Jung Woong engaged in a friendly conversation with this stranger.

It was surprising enough to see Jung Woong so comfortable, as if he were with a close friend. But what was even more unprecedented was his lack of anger over the interruption to his shoot.

‘That must be the famous disciple.’

Jinsoo quickly pieced together the situation. Only someone as close to Jung Woong as Professor Lee Kang-sik could get that kind of reaction. And since Jinsoo had never seen this person before, it was safe to assume he was the much-talked-about disciple.

But a nagging question remained:

‘How did Woojin know to find this specific studio?’

Today’s shoot location was on a different floor, a last-minute change that even some of the staff didn’t know about. Only the assistants had been informed.

‘Wait a minute…’

Jinsoo recalled the previous day, when Minsoo had grumbled about wanting to mess with Jung Woong’s disciple. That disgruntled look on his face… Could this be his doing?

Turning his head towards the door, Jinsoo spotted Minsoo peeking inside with a panicked expression, confirming his suspicions.

*

‘What’s going on here?’

Minsoo, who had anticipated Jung Woong’s outrage, was now witnessing the exact opposite.

Instead of an outburst, Jung Woong seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself, a smile lingering on his face.

‘This… this isn’t how it was supposed to go…’

Among the assistants, Minsoo might have the least experience, but he’d been working under Jung Woong for two years—long enough to pick up on unspoken cues.

Just by overhearing the conversation between Jung Woong and Woojin, it was clear how much the photographer liked Woojin.

Minsoo, on the other hand, remembered all the struggles he had gone through to gain Jung Woong’s approval.

After first starting as a shooting assistant, it had taken him months just to step inside Jung Woong’s studio and be trusted enough to help with the shoots.

But this guy in front of him had entered the space so effortlessly, without any struggle or hesitation.

It was then that Minsoo finally realized that he and Woojin had never been standing on the same starting line to begin with.

He also realized how arrogant he had been to think he could look down on Woojin just because he was the “new guy” in the studio.

The sense of deflation was enough to make his earlier attempts to give Woojin a hard time seem childish.

And then, there was the envy.

That was the feeling Minsoo was grappling with now.

But Minsoo’s surprises weren’t over yet.

“How did you find this place? You wouldn’t know this studio unless someone told you. And I usually don’t allow outsiders during my shoots.”

Jung Woong’s eyes lit up with curiosity as he posed the question. Woojin naturally glanced towards the door, where Minsoo stood.

Following Woojin’s gaze, Jung Woong’s eyes locked onto Minsoo.

At that moment, Minsoo felt his entire body freeze. It was as if he were a mouse caught in the stare of a snake.

‘It’s over.’

His mind raced, but he knew there was no escaping the consequences now. He had expected Jung Woong to throw Woojin out in a rage, not to engage in cheerful conversation. Now, if Woojin pointed him out, there was no doubt Jung Woong’s wrath would come crashing down on him.

In the worst-case scenario, this could be the end of his time at the studio. He recalled how Jinsoo had warned him against such antics, saying it could backfire. Why hadn’t he listened?

Just as Minsoo prepared for the inevitable scolding, lowering his head in resignation,

“Actually, Park Minsoo helped me. I asked him to show me where you were shooting.”

Huh?

Minsoo couldn’t believe his ears. Instead of the rebuke or accusation he had been bracing for, what he heard was the exact opposite— it sounded like someone was defending him.

“I didn’t realize you were in the middle of a shoot. I’m sorry.”

Woojin even bowed his head in apology to Jung Woong.

‘Wait… did he just help me?’

Minsoo was taken aback by this unexpected turn of events.

Why on earth would he help him?

His mind filled with question marks, but with Jung Woong standing right there, Minsoo was too afraid to contradict Woojin. All he could do was nod his head in agreement.

“Hmm… is that so?” Jung Woong stroked his chin, eyeing both Woojin and Minsoo for a moment. He seemed doubtful but soon let it go, shifting his gaze away from Minsoo.

When Minsoo finally dared to lift his head, the first thing he saw was Woojin giving him a calm smile.

*****

‘He must be pretty confused right now.’

I chuckled quietly as I watched Minsoo struggle to mask his bewilderment. His mind must have been racing, trying to figure out why I had defended him. He probably never expected me to do so and was now scrambling to find a reason.

But the truth was simple.

‘He should have realized by now that I’m not someone he can mess with.’

From the moment Minsoo barged into my studio, it was obvious that he was trying to assert some kind of dominance. Honestly, his attempt was so blatant that it caught me off guard. Though I didn’t expect him to approach me this quickly, I knew it would happen sooner or later.

There were countless ways to become a photographer.

Some, like me, built their careers through freelance work and gradually accumulated experience.

Others attended university or studied abroad, gaining formal education before entering the field.

Some debuted by winning photography contests.

And then, there were those who learned the trade by working in a studio, gradually gaining hands-on experience. Though this method could take a long time, it could also be a lucky break if one got to work under a renowned photographer.

For this reason, many aspiring photographers dreamed of securing a spot in a studio.

But the hardest part of learning in a studio was dealing with territorial behavior.

Those who worked together in the studio saw each other as competitors, fighting for limited opportunities.

It was not rare for newcomers to face hazing or power plays from senior members.

In some places, they even established a hierarchy, running things like a military unit.

Of course, this varied from studio to studio.

One could liken these studios to closed-off societies. The more isolated they were, the more frequently behaviors that might seem extreme to outsiders occurred.

I had experienced it firsthand.

In my past life, to gain experience and save money for my trip to the U.S., I had briefly worked as a studio assistant. It was a small studio, so small that I couldn’t even remember the photographer’s name, but adapting to that environment was no easy task.

Still, that experience taught me to recognize the telltale signs of power struggles and hazing. So when Minsoo brought me to Jung Woong’s location, I had a good idea of what he was up to. His plan might have worked if not for Jung Woong’s unexpectedly pleasant reaction, but even without that, I knew how to navigate the situation.

Sure, I could have confronted Minsoo and made his life difficult for daring to challenge me. But considering we’d be working together more in the future, I decided to let it slide for now. Besides, I needed information about Jung Woong, and the people working closely with him could be valuable sources.

By defending Minsoo today, I planted a seed—a debt that he would feel inclined to repay. It was an opportunity I knew would make things much easier for me later on.