Return of the Genius Photographer

After finishing the movie poster shoot, I finally managed to get some proper sleep.

I woke up feeling refreshed as the sunlight naturally streamed through the windows.

‘It’s been a while since I fell asleep this early.’

I had been so focused on the poster shoot over the past few weeks.

Showing my photos to others was an incredibly fulfilling experience as a photographer, but it also came with a lot of pressure.

On top of that, the movie poster request was a rare opportunity for my work to be showcased to the public. Naturally, I agonized over creating the best possible poster.

Considering my tendency to never take a photo lightly, combined with the big talk I had given Director Kim Yong-deok during our first meeting, I had been pretty tense all along.

Not to mention, I understood the importance of this project, just as Photographer Jung Woong had emphasized.

Now that the work was done, the exhaustion had hit me hard yesterday.

‘Summer break is almost over already.’

Stretching as I got out of bed, I habitually checked the calendar. Time had flown, and it was already nearing the end of August, signaling that the break was coming to a close. I picked up the calendar and counted the remaining days.

‘Well, between the Australia trip and the movie poster shoot, it’s no wonder the time flew by.’

I hadn’t done as many shoots as I initially planned during the break, but the quality of the work I had completed had definitely improved.

Assisting with the shoot in Australia and working on the movie poster were opportunities I wouldn’t have had if it weren’t for the break.

These two big projects made my vacation quite productive. I gained a lot, and personally, they were really enjoyable assignments. But thinking about the impending start of school was slightly worrying.

‘I’m already wondering how I’ll manage my schedule once school starts again…’

Working under Photographer Jung Woong, I was gradually realizing that my range of activity was expanding. My projects were becoming more diverse, and as a result, my earnings were noticeably increasing.

When I thought back to the days when I couldn’t even afford a camera and had to save up little by little, the speed of progress felt incredible. Along with that, the tasks I had to handle were much more substantial compared to the times I shot for shopping malls.

These changes were what I had been waiting for, and they were proof that my name was starting to get out there.

It was undoubtedly a good thing, but on the flip side, I felt like my life was drifting further from normalcy.

I was already far removed from the typical life of a high school student, but if things got busier, I wondered how much more my daily routine would change.

Maybe in my past life, it wouldn’t have mattered. But in this life, I had promised myself to value a normal, everyday life.

‘No, I’ll think about that later. For now, I need to focus on what I can do with the remaining break.’

Shaking off my worries, I reminded myself that dwelling on these thoughts wouldn’t be helpful unless I had nothing to do.

It was something I’d have to think about eventually, but it wasn’t an immediate problem.

I shifted my attention to what I needed to do next.

‘Should I work on some personal projects now that I’ve finished a big assignment? Or maybe I should ask Photographer Jung Woong for more work.’

I still had a few days left before school started, so I didn’t want to waste the rest of my break. I packed up my things and got ready to head to the studio.

Whether I decided to work on personal projects or ask for more assignments from Photographer Jung Woong, I would need to be at the studio either way.

“I’m heading out!”

As I stepped out of the house, ready to go to the studio, I was met with an unexpected sight.

“Heading out now? You’re taking your time today.”

“Dad?”

I blinked in surprise. By now, my father should have already left for work, but there he was, standing in front of the van with the hood up, doing something.

“Are you not going to work today, Dad?”

“I’m about to leave. The van’s been acting up again.”

With a familiar smile, he closed the hood of the van, and I quickly understood the situation.

Dad’s Starex was old and prone to frequent minor breakdowns. It seemed to have gotten worse recently, and he appeared quite concerned about it.

“Is it serious?”

“No, it’s fine now.”

Despite my concern, he casually started the engine, and the van roared to life with its usual rattling noise.

“I’m running late, so I need to get going. Be careful, Woojin.”

“Yes, Dad. Drive safely.”

Waving from the window, my father drove off, and I stood there, watching until his van disappeared from sight.

‘Worrying…’

That was just how my dad was.

Once he got attached to something, he never replaced it easily.

Whether it was clothes, a phone, or a car, he’d rather give me extra pocket money than spend anything on himself.

Because of that, there was always this faint scent of old things around him.

When I was younger, I used to feel embarrassed about it, but…

Why does it make my heart ache so much now?

Watching him struggle to keep that old van going, I found it hard to take a step forward.

‘Wait, isn’t Dad’s birthday coming up soon?’

Just then, the image of the calendar I’d glanced at earlier flashed in my mind. His birthday was next month.

‘That’s perfect. I’ll get him a present this year.’

Thanks to my recent projects, I had saved up quite a bit of money, and I had been wondering what to do with it.

What better way to spend it than on my parents?

Although it was still early, I decided to start preparing for his birthday gift now.

‘I’ll buy him a new car.’

Not just any gift—a big one.

*****

When I arrived at the studio, I went straight to see Photographer Jung Woong.

As I entered the workspace, he greeted me warmly.

“Hello, Photographer Jung Woong.”

“Oh, it’s you! Good to see you. How did the poster shoot go?”

“Yes, Director Kim Yong-deok was very pleased with it.”

“Is that so? Let me know, what kind of photos did you take this time?”

Curious about what had happened over the past few days, he asked a number of questions.

I explained the details of the poster shoot, and a smile appeared on his face, as if he found the story amusing.

“That’s good to hear. I knew you’d do well. But I assume that’s not the reason you came to see me today. What’s going on?”

After listening to my explanation calmly, he immediately asked about the purpose of my visit.

“Did you come to ask for another job?”

Guessing what might be on my mind, he opened the conversation. But I shook my head and quietly asked him instead.

“Actually, it’s something else. I’m thinking of buying a car, and I was wondering if you could help me with that.”

“A car? You mean an automobile?”

Surprised by the unexpected question, Photographer Jung Woong widened his eyes. I nodded and explained further.

“Yes, I want to give my father a car as a gift.”

I realized that as a high school student, buying a car wasn’t easy. Since I wanted to keep this a surprise for my father, I needed help from another adult.

“So, I was wondering if you knew someone who could assist with the car purchase process? I’ve already saved up the money.”

“I see…”

After hearing my explanation, he nodded in understanding and smiled as he answered cheerfully.

“If that’s the case, I know just the right person. I’ll introduce you right away.”

Thanks to him, I was able to get connected with the right person.

*****

“Jinsoo hyung?”

The person Photographer Jung Woong had in mind was Jinsoo hyung.

I was wondering how he could arrange the meeting so quickly—it turned out they were from the same studio…

Not long after my conversation with Photographer Jung Woong, Jinsoo hyung came to my workspace and got straight to the point.

“I’ve heard the gist from Photographer Jung Woong. You’re planning to give your father a car as a gift, right?”

“Yes. But why are you…”

“Photographer Jung Woong asked me to help you. Before I came to the studio, I was a car dealer.”

A car dealer? That explained why he was the perfect person for the job.

Since he wasn’t much of a talker, I couldn’t have imagined that part of his past. Still, it was fortunate that someone I knew well could help me.

“It’s been a while, but I still know a lot of people in the industry, so I’ll help you as much as I can. Have you decided on which car you want?”

“Yes, I’m thinking of getting the Grand Starex. My father needs a big car.”

“Really? The Grand Starex should cost around 25 million won. Do you have enough for the registration and taxes, too?”

“Yes, I should have enough.”

I had saved up a decent amount of money.

I had been setting aside what I earned from my various jobs, and I had continued working recently as well. Altogether, it should cover the cost of the car.

There was no need to be frugal about this. I planned to use all my savings if necessary to get him a really good car.

“You’re keeping this a secret from your father, right?”

“Yes.”

“But you should let your mother know. We need to consider the car ownership as well.”

Jinsoo hyung carefully explained the car estimates and the necessary steps for the contract. It was reassuring to have someone so knowledgeable guiding me through this process.

“Alright, that’s all for now. I’ll handle the rest. Do you have any other questions?”

“Will it take long for the car to be delivered? I’d like to show it to him as soon as possible.”

“It usually takes some time, but since the model you want came out this year, there might be canceled contracts, so the wait shouldn’t be too long.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t worry too much. I’ll try to speed things up as much as I can.”

With that, Jinsoo hyung got up, reassuring me that he’d handle everything. All I had to do now was prepare the money and wait.

‘Still, this is a pretty big expense,’ I thought as I pulled out my bankbook to check my balance after he left.

It wasn’t that I was worried about the money, but the thought of a large sum leaving my account made me want to replenish it.

It gave me a sudden boost of motivation to work.

‘I’ll focus on taking on new commissions rather than personal projects for the rest of the vacation.’

As I was mulling over my next steps—

Ring!

My phone rang unexpectedly.

‘VOTUS?’

It was a call from Yoon Jung-ah, the editor I worked with on a previous shoot.

—Hello! Woojin, you haven’t forgotten about me, right?

“Of course not. What’s going on?”

I thought we wouldn’t be in touch for a while after the photoshoot, so I was a bit puzzled.

When I asked, Editor Yoon quickly continued.

—I’m sorry, but we have an urgent interview shoot and need help. Do you have any time this week? We’d like to meet as soon as possible.

Her tone sounded anxious and uneasy, suggesting something had come up.

“I’m free. Let’s set up a meeting as soon as we can.”

—Thank goodness… Alright, I’ll get back to you shortly.

When I accepted, I could hear her sigh in relief over the phone. I wondered what had happened to make her so nervous.

‘Whatever it is, I have no reason to turn it down.’

For now, I decided to put my curiosity aside. I’d find out soon enough anyway.

I’d been pondering what to do with the rest of my vacation, and this worked out perfectly.

It looked like my last shoot before school started would be with VOTUS.