Director Lim So-jung of Chanel Korea.
She had grown accustomed to browsing entertainment news during her free time—it was now part of her daily routine.
This habit stemmed from a request made seven years ago by the headquarters in France.
The request was to track the whereabouts of Kim Siyeon, a girl once dubbed the “Assassin Girl” and the protagonist of the “7-Year-Old Girl Kidnapping Escape Case.”
For reasons unknown, the legendary designer Karl Lagerfeld had personally requested it.
Given that the same instructions were repeated annually, it was not an assignment that could be taken lightly.
However, that girl had disappeared without a trace seven years ago.
Rumor had it she no longer wanted to be in the spotlight.
With nothing concrete to uncover, all So-jung could do was report on her visible activities.
“She seems to be living as a regular person. Why on earth is Karl so obsessed with her?”
Karl Lagerfeld’s attention toward Siyeon had not waned.
He had even postponed retirement, continuing to add to his legendary legacy.
As the world’s top luxury brand, Chanel took immense care in managing its value.
It did not grant sponsorships to just anyone.
The number of stores in each country was meticulously managed, with prices and quantities strictly limited to maintain exclusivity.
Despite these restrictions, people chased after Chanel, revered it even.
Such was the value inherent in the name Chanel.
“…Huh?”
One day, while browsing online, So-jung came across an unexpected piece of news.
It was the making-of footage for a drama that had garnered considerable attention.
As a fan of writer Kang Eung-sook’s dramas, So-jung happened to watch it.
And there, acting in the drama, was the very girl So-jung had been desperately searching for.
“Found her…”
After seven years, she had finally been found.
Her name was still Kim Siyeon.
Her face remained as beautiful and poised as it had been back then.
Perhaps even more elegant now, her posture resembled that of a swan, perfectly upright.
She exuded a grace that could rival any Chanel fashion show model.
If Chanel’s clothing adorned that body, there would be no one more fitting for the brand.
The moment she saw the grown-up Siyeon, So-jung understood why Karl had been so fixated on her.
So-jung immediately sent the footage to the headquarters.
A few days later, the response arrived.
“…What?”
The instructions were to provide Siyeon with an exclusive sponsorship of Chanel’s clothing collection.
“Even when other dramas and actors requested sponsorships, they were denied… Unbelievable.”
This marked the first time in Chanel’s history that a Korean actor had received such a sponsorship.
Even globally, such cases were exceedingly rare.
“Just who… is this girl?”
“Sponsorship?”
“Yes. On the condition that you wear it exclusively. Chanel is a luxury brand that absolutely never sponsors anyone—”
The main director, Kang Shin-yul, launched into an enthusiastic explanation about the Chanel sponsorship.
He was so animated that So-jung had to step aside to avoid his flying spit.
I had heard of Chanel before.
Although I didn’t know much, it seemed to be quite famous.
Its designs felt familiar, resembling clothes I had seen often in my past life.
When infiltrating socialite parties in disguise, I had worn similar outfits frequently.
Honestly, such clothes were commonplace in my past life. Were they really worth the hype?
“Anyway, that’s how it is. Since you don’t have an agency, I received the sponsorship directly. Other actors might get jealous. Siyeon, this is huge. Truly huge!”
Thanks to the sponsorship, the production budget seemed to have increased significantly.
An excited Kang Shin-yul began to heap praise on me.
“I knew from the audition that you were extraordinary. Siyeon, you’re a treasure! A real gem!”
His rambling showed no signs of ending, so I politely ignored him and headed to the set.
The other actors didn’t seem to have heard about the sponsorship yet, as there were no particular reactions.
“Hello.”
“Oh, Siyeon, you’re here? Take it easy on me today, okay?”
The female lead, Park Siha, greeted me playfully.
But it didn’t seem like she was entirely joking.
After all, she made more mistakes than I did.
Especially during scenes with me, she always seemed to slip up.
It wasn’t just Park Siha.
When I delivered my lines with too much intensity, some actors occasionally stumbled over theirs.
Although I could perform flawlessly, sometimes I deliberately toned it down for the sake of an early wrap.
“Looking forward to working with you.”
After greeting the rest of the cast, I changed into my costume.
My outfit consisted of the school uniform skirt I usually wore, paired with a Chanel tweed jacket and a handbag.
“Not bad.”
I inspected my outfit in the mirror, turning this way and that.
The design wasn’t bad.
It was simple, but well—
With my flawless figure, it was passable.
Wearing clothes like this reminded me of my posture in my past life.
Back then, I had flawlessly portrayed an aristocratic lady to assassinate the Duke of Pigs.
—“We’re rolling!”
It was my turn, so I stepped into the frame.
But as I emerged from the dressing room, with each step I took, the surrounding noise seemed to quieten.
I couldn’t quite grasp the cause of the situation myself.
Everyone was staring at me with a dazed expression.
“Wow…”
“Isn’t that Chanel? Could it be… a sponsorship?”
“But why only Siyeon?”
“The phrase ‘like a swan’… This must be when it’s used.”
The staff and cast members murmured to themselves.
I prepared for the shoot in confusion.
A situation so bewildering that even I found it hard to process.
“Si-Siyeon, is this… by any chance, a sponsorship?”
“Huh? Yes, the director said I should wear it exclusively.”
“Wha…!”
Jung Soo-jin covered her mouth in shock.
Jung Soo-jin, an idol-turned-actress, was playing the role of the youngest daughter of an entertainment company in the drama.
“Just you? Why?”
“I don’t know.”
Still looking dumbfounded, she eventually pulled herself together and returned to acting.
“Wow…”
“Even I have to admit, that’s…”
“Oh…”
Today, people’s admiration was particularly vocal.
All I did was throw on an ordinary jacket.
Surely, it couldn’t be because of the clothes.
The people of this world truly were strange.
“This episode doesn’t have a fitting cameo.”
“Soo-yi would’ve been perfect, though…”
The sitcom Breaking Through the Floor: Low Kick.
A comedic series about the everyday lives of a three-generation family living under one roof, blending humor, romance, thrills, and heartwarming moments.
It was a wildly popular series that had discovered numerous stars and garnered ratings rivaling top dramas.
Almost everyone in the nation knew about Breaking Through the Floor: Low Kick.
Director Kim Byung-soo was troubled as he prepared for the next episode.
“I need to decide by today, or we’ll have to scrap the episode.”
“Exactly. I mean, who just cancels last minute, knowing it’s for our sitcom?”
Since the show aired on weekdays, production had to move quickly.
Keeping up with the airing schedule meant working under constant pressure.
But now, with the cameo actor for the next episode canceling last minute, the production team was in crisis mode.
If they couldn’t find a replacement by today, they might have to rewrite the script.
“Seriously, is it this hard to find a young, pretty actress?”
“Well, it’s tough, especially finding someone as stunning as Soo-yi.”
The cameo didn’t need to be a powerhouse actor.
They just needed to be undeniably beautiful—so much so that anyone would be in awe of their looks.
A hint of a sly, foxy charm would be a bonus.
However, there wasn’t a single beautiful actress available on such short notice.
There were plenty of stunning actresses, but getting one to commit in just one day was the challenge.
“Should we just grab a pretty person off the street and cast them?”
“Ugh… Seriously, is that what it’s come to?”
“Or should we look among trainees or aspiring actors?”
“Start making calls for now.”
This kind of situation had happened before.
With the shooting schedule being so tight.
Sometimes, they just grabbed anyone and cast them as a cameo.
Surprisingly, those instances often led to the discovery of new talent.
Yoo Ina, who was an aspiring actress, and Lee Kwang-soon, who was a model, were among such cases.
“Hey, hey, hey. Wait! Stop the car!”
“Uh, what? Yes, sir?”
While riding in the car, busy making calls.
Director Kim Byung-soo suddenly ordered the driver to stop.
They were in front of another drama’s filming location.
“Those guys are from the SAS drama team, aren’t they?”
“Look over there! Don’t you think that person is perfect?”
“Wow… She’s really stunning, and she has an elegant vibe.”
“She must be a rookie; I’ve never seen her before. Should we go try our luck?”
“What? No matter what, that’s SAS, and we’re MAC…”
“Hey, when have we ever cared about pride? Also, it’s not MAC, it’s MAC-anyone. Do you realize how we’ve clawed our way up from cable to achieve this level of success?”
Breaking Through the Floor: Low Kick was not aired on a major network but on MAC, one of the big three cable broadcasters.
Kim Byung-soo was a man of grit who had managed to make a sitcom thrive amidst disregard for cable shows.
He had long since discarded things like pride.
He was willing to do anything to create a fun sitcom.
“Let’s just go and try. Get out.”
“What? Director, you can’t just storm into SAS like this!”
“Who said anything about storming in? We’ll wait. Besides, I noticed their director is my junior from college. Follow me!”
“Ugh… Fine.”
The assistant director sighed and followed Kim Byung-soo.
They pretended to be onlookers, waiting for the shooting break.
As soon as one scene ended, the actress with the breathtaking looks emerged, and Kim Byung-soo rushed toward her.
“Excuse me!”
“Director, no!”
The assistant director gasped in horror and tried to stop him.
But Kim Byung-soo had already entered the scene.
Apparently, the claim about the other director being a college junior was a lie.
Now that he thought about it, Kim Byung-soo didn’t even have a broadcasting-related degree.
He must’ve been out of his mind to make it this far as a non-major.
“Ugh… I can’t believe this. What kind of director does this?”
Kim Byung-soo barged in.
The staff at the scene rushed to restrain him.
The assistant director sighed deeply and closed his eyes.
It was obvious that Byung-soo would be dragged out soon.
“Would you consider making a cameo in a sitcom?”
“Who is this guy? Catch him!”
“We’ll pay you generously! Aaaah! Let go, you jerks! Is this how you treat your director?”
Byung-soo started causing a scene at someone else’s filming location.
“…?”
Siyeon, noticing him running toward her, simply stared in bewilderment.