Chapter 54

Selfie Lecture

"That's not the angle!"

Bakha shouted more sharply than ever. Ji-on flinched at the loud voice, then stretched out his arm again to show his face with the phone camera.

The quaint garden was covered in snow.

Whether it was because of the white snow or the appropriate sunlight, Bakha cheered that the photos came out brighter than usual. She said it was a day the sky had chosen for taking selfies.

"How can you not be more desperate? Even I, a natural handsome guy, put in effort, so how can this be okay? Ji-on hyung!"

"It's fine."

"No! It's not fine! Fans don't just want selfies to see our faces! They want to admire our beauty! Don't just make one expression~."

Bakha, who was highly excited, passionately argued. Ji-on, unaware, took a step back and stumbled.

What does a selfie mean to Bakha….

Despite Bakha's passionate coaching, Ji-on's selfie skills did not improve. In the end, they agreed that Bakha would take the photos instead.

Cheonguk hyung was a hidden selfie master. He said his skills naturally improved because he often took selfies with friends. But it seemed more due to his sense.

Olan was a hardworking selfie expert, according to Bakha's testimony. He improved the quality of selfies through thorough analysis and practice.

I could understand why the other members called Olan a hard worker. He was the type who put effort into even the smallest things.

Ji-on didn't take good photos and couldn't adapt, and Seohun hyung just took photos regardless of whether the focus was off or the angle was strange. The results were naturally bizarre.

"Seohun hyung… At least we should be able to recognize your face. Just know that you're a person."

"I tried my best."

No matter how he twisted his arm, the results were disastrous. Half were ghostly photos, and the other half were photos where parts of the body were cut off.

"Yeah. Seohun hyung tried. You did well. I won't ask for more…."

Seeing no signs of improvement in the selfies, Bakha learned to give up.

And I….

"I didn't expect this from Iwon hyung. I'm disappointed."

The photos I took were simply bland. They were closer to ID photos. Is this really something to be disappointed about?

I just didn't have the chance to take selfies because no one ever asked me to.

"Admit it. Iwon hyung, even without desperation, you can survive in this harsh media world…."

Hearing this from Bakha, a selfie supermaster whose every feature was perfect, made me feel guilty.

Bakha, who takes selfies with a devout heart despite his perfect looks, and I….

"Sorry. I was too arrogant. Can you teach me again step by step?"

When I asked for guidance, Bakha's face lit up. His eyes sparkled, and his skin seemed to glow.

Though his makeup was subtle, almost as if he hadn't done any, I couldn't rub my eyes, but it was a clear change.

"Indeed, Iwon hyung is different. How much do you like this proactive attitude? Even if you're lacking at first, seeing you grow gradually will make the fans so moved, won't it?"

Would they really be that moved? I had doubts, but I agreed under the pressure of Bakha's enthusiasm.

If more people recognize us and are happy, it's worth a try.

"Actually, if you have a good foundation, you can get above-average results from any angle. Look at actor Naohyuk. He's a typical selfie novice, but he still looks good. Still, there's a clear difference between a well-taken and a poorly taken photo."

The feeling of facial features can be completely different depending on the angle. The aura in the photo changes with light, lighting, and proportions.

"If a truly amazing photo is uploaded, fans will want to save it and admire it for a long time. Listen carefully."

Bakha slowly explained the secrets of taking good selfies. He said that when taking a selfie, it's best to have the camera angle from above to below. This makes the eyes look bigger and emphasizes the height of the nose and the sharp jawline.

You need to move slightly to find the best angle, with the standard being whether your strengths are well displayed.

"Where do you think your charm points are?"

"I don't know…."

If you want to show off a high nose, a slightly tilted angle that highlights the nose line is better than a front view. You need to go through the process of finding the suitable angle.

The world of selfies is deep.

"I need to start a separate course. One lecture isn't enough."

Bakha, shaking his head, complained about the lack of time. He then offered to take photos like selfies for this time.

Throughout the photo session, Bakha subtly showed his irritation.

"That's because you lack desperation. If you take a life shot no matter how you take it, what can you do? Phew! You have no flaws! As a Theo visual member, I feel a sense of crisis!"

A sense of crisis….

I couldn't believe these words came from Bakha, who had infinite pride in his appearance.

Even if it's a compliment, there's a limit to how much you can accept. Such exaggerated expressions were rather burdensome.

On the other hand, I was curious about how well Bakha must take photos to say such things.

"Is it that good?"

"I'm a selfie supermaster! What do you expect from a selfie genius who puts in effort? Hmph!"

He said he received most of the clothes, shoes, and accessories he modeled for while working as a fitting model at a shopping mall. So, he didn't need to buy clothes while doing part-time modeling.

In exchange, he took a lot of selfies to make the products he wore look good. After two years of this, his selfie skills couldn't help but improve.

"Want to see?"

I took the phone he confidently offered. The other members, curious, gathered around. Bakha was usually very confident, but this level of arrogance was rare except for his appearance.

"Wow. What is this?"

Olan, who had entered business mode due to the manager, momentarily forgot he was being filmed and barely suppressed a slip of the tongue.

"It wasn't just talk. Iwon really came out well."

Seohun hyung genuinely admired the beautiful photo.

"Iwon is naturally a mood beauty, but wow. No kidding. Maybe it's because it was taken with a snowy background, but he looks like an ice prince?"

The mention of 'prince' again made me roll my eyes. Even though I said I didn't like it, they kept saying it. Green hyung was subtly mischievous at times like this.

"It's the same person, but… ah, when is Bakha's selfie lecture?"

Ji-on, who had seen the life shot with his own eyes, seemed to realize the need for a selfie lecture. Bakha's attitude became arrogant with the shower of admiration.

"Ha ha ha!"

His chin and neck angles were subtly larger. It seemed he unconsciously lifted his chin.

His inability to hide his emotions was rather cute. His photo-taking skills were also acknowledged by others.

"Should I make a lecture plan~?"

Bakha hummed a tune while following the manager into the cafe. Despite the good weather, it was cold after the snow, so I quickly followed.

Inside, everyone's noses and cheeks were red from the cold.

Holding a warm mocha latte in both hands, my hands felt like they were melting. I must have been cold, as I hadn't paid attention to my hands while taking photos.

Olan, Ji-on, and Seohun hyung sipped their drinks. Green hyung and Bakha were sitting close together, looking at their phones.

"What are you two doing?"

"If you take a selfie, you should upload it."

It was about taking and uploading immediately. I had no interest in SNS, so I didn't know how to upload.

"I'll choose a photo, edit it, and upload it. Since there's a selfie, I'll write a short text."

Bakha was in charge of selfies, and Green hyung was in charge of short texts or hashtags. As the leader, Green hyung also checked the SNS.

Like us, the company trusted Green hyung completely. They seemed to see him as a guardian to prevent unexpected slip-ups or accidents.

"What should I write?"

No one had a good idea, so they all pondered. Then Ji-on snapped his fingers. Everyone's attention was drawn to the sound.

"How about 'Theo's selfie master vs. selfie novice'?"

Bakha's eyes widened.

* * *

Kim Miso had always been a natural face enthusiast, loving good-looking people since childhood. She was always interested in celebrities.

In a world full of handsome faces, just looking from a distance made her happy. She was easily captivated by good looks, even as a high school student.

A year after entering the arts high school, Kim Miso discovered a face that hit her right in her preferences. A junior, who was a year younger, became the talk of the school as soon as he entered. It was all because of his beauty.

There were many students who tried to get close, circling around him, trying to befriend him.

Kim Miso watched the situation from a distance, not joining the crowd. She admired the beauty of handsome and beautiful people purely, but didn't necessarily want to get close to them.

Some art pieces are more beautiful from a distance.

After a few months, the students who had been clinging to him gave up, unable to bear his indifferent attitude.

It was disappointing when he only bowed his head in response to greetings, without any words.

Kim Miso thought it was for the best. With the surroundings quiet, she could observe his beautiful face, elegant posture, and mysterious aura more closely.

Since they were in different majors and grades, they could only occasionally meet in practice rooms or hallways. But these brief encounters were like a restorative that could get her through the week.

She could be happy for months. She was also glad that the junior's mood seemed brighter.

"But an idol…."

The news that the junior was an idol trainee and preparing for debut spread later.

She was surprised, though less so than when he first spoke in her class, looking for Nam Cheonguk.

There was a reason why she saw him less often. It seemed he was busy with training and had neglected his violin practice.

"If he's an idol, I can observe his face to my heart's content! And I can hear his voice too."

Celebrities on screen don't get annoyed or angry no matter how much you stare.

Moreover, she could see him in various beautiful outfits and with perfect makeup.

Kim Miso was delighted.

If she could endure the preparation period, she could praise the face of the merman prince, no, the merman, in high-definition that showed every pore.

However, the time of patience was hard to bear. Without her source of joy, school became uninteresting.

Her innate aesthetic sense, which had been honed since birth, became even more picky after seeing a face that hit her preferences. She was no longer satisfied with faces that were commonly considered handsome.

A friend, unable to bear seeing Kim Miso wandering around the school listlessly, offered her a ticket.

"It's an invitation to a debut group evaluation stage organized by the agency he's in. Male trainees will be there, so he'll probably be there too?"

Overwhelmed with emotion, she couldn't speak and unknowingly shed tears. Her friend, alarmed by her reaction, tried to take the ticket back.

Seizing the moment, she lunged at her friend.

"You're my savior! Let's be friends for life! Best friends forever!"

Her friend rolled her eyes. Seeing this, she felt an urge to get even closer, confirming that they were at least best friends.