CNC 247

Special Side Story: Come Back To Its Original Owner Episode 1

A Friday, a few days before Christmas Eve.

An old hanok in Samcheong-dong.

Choi Hong-seo, wearing a teal durumagi of a calm and subtle hue and a gat adorned with a bead string, was in the middle of a pictorial shoot with a courtyard backed by a hundred-year-old pine tree.

He lifted his chin toward the winter sun. His eyes closed naturally against the strong sunlight, which contrasted with the air so chilly it felt like it would freeze his lungs.

“The expression is great right now! Shall we try holding the edge of the gat just like that?”

At the photographer’s request, Choi Hong-seo lightly pinched the gat with his fingertips.

Perhaps a breeze had blown, shaking the snow piled upon the roof tiles, as sparkling white grains scattered in the air like powdered sugar.

“Ah, we got an A-cut!”

At the sound of the satisfied photographer’s voice, Choi Hong-seo opened his eyes Read on Read BL Novelsvisit our sitewith a smile. This time, the editor, who had been watching, shouted loudly.

“We’ll just do a quick costume change and get right back to it!”

Choi Hong-seo’s personal stylist quickly approached, draping a padded jumper over his shoulders and pressing a hot pack into his hand.

“Oppa, you’re cold, right? I’m cold just looking at you; how do you manage not to show it?”

“I’m freezing on the inside.”

“Of course you are. It’s below freezing right now.”

The stylist fastened Choi Hong-seo’s jumper with a pitiful expression.

“Still, I’ve done summer clothes shoots at the end of February. Compared to that, this is… What about you? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine as long as I can stand in front of the heater for a bit.”

In the cold of minus 2 to 3 degrees Celsius, Choi Hong-seo chattered his teeth and stomped his feet. But even that was enjoyable. He was still so grateful—to the point where it felt unbelievable at times—that there were places that wanted him and that he could work without any worries.

“Mr. Hyeon-seo, we’ll only change the outer garment this time.”

The general manager, the lead stylist for today’s shoot, approached with an assistant carrying a new outfit.

This pictorial was for the February issue of a magazine, which included the Lunar New Year.

She was a hanbok designer specially selected by the editor for this hanbok-themed shoot.

Despite her relatively young age, she had a calm and serene aura that made her strangely likable. Even though it might have been inconvenient on set, she was wearing a hanbok herself. It was a hanbok with a unique silhouette—simplified for modern life, yet possessing a different charm from typical modern hanbok—and as expected, it was a design of her own.

Carefully removing the teal durumagi Choi Hong-seo was wearing and handing it to the assistant, she helped him into the new outer garment and tidied his appearance.

The new outer garment was an jade-colored padded coat made of quilted fabric.

“The atmosphere changed a lot just by changing the outer garment, General Manager.”

“Right? I prepared a more cheerful image for this one.”

“The hat is so pretty, too.”

Choi Hong-seo marveled, pointing to the hat in the general manager’s hand.

“This hat is called a nambawi.”

“A nambawi?”

“It’s a winter hat from the Joseon Dynasty.”

“Ah… it has fur lining and looks warm.”

“May I put it on you?”

“Of course.”

“The nambawi is very effective for keeping warm because it covers not only the head but also the neck and the upper part of the back.”

“It feels warm the moment it touches me.”

At Choi Hong-seo’s reaction, the general manager continued her explanation with a quiet smile.

“The fur decorating this hat is artificial, but in the past, the upper class would [Read [stolen content]stolen contentwm: stolen content -->on Read BL Novels]line silk outer fabrics with the fur of animals like rabbits or weasels.”

“Rabbits…”

Muttering her words, Choi Hong-seo stroked the smooth fur on the inside with his hand.

“You can also attach bolkki like this to keep the cheeks warm. The bolkki are detachable. It’s quite practical.”

The general manager tied the fabric hanging from both sides of the hat in a knot under Choi Hong-seo’s chin.

“Haha, it’s cute.”

“It’s cute, but the heat retention is also excellent. I often wear one in the winter myself.”

“I think it would look great on you, General Manager.”

“Well, I am a hanbok maker.”

Answering with a beaming smile, she finished tying the knot of the bolkki.

“But I’m not sure if it [stolen content]unauthorized [Read on Read BL Novels]copywm: stolen content -->suits me. I wonder if something like this suits a grown man…”

Choi Hong-seo was worried, but the general manager handed him a large hand mirror as if telling him to check for himself.

Taking the mirror, Choi Hong-seo stared quietly at his face wearing the nambawi with the bolkki tied under his chin.

He thought he would feel awkward and burst out laughing the moment he saw it, but strangely, it didn’t feel unfamiliar. It was different from feeling that it suited him. It was a sense of familiarity, as if he had seen himself looking like this once before…

Emotions surged, and he even felt a sense of longing.

He quietly stroked the outer fabric of the hat, which was decorated with red embroidery.

When did I ever wear something like this for a shoot?

“Do you like it, Mr. Hyeon-seo?”

“Ah… yes. I’m glad it’s better than I expected.”

“You really don’t know, Mr. Hyeon-seo.”

The general manager spoke jokingly.

“Pardon?”

“The unexpectedness of a grown man like you wearing a nambawi with bolkki is what makes it great. The fans will love it too.”

“I hope so.”

Before returning to the shoot, Choi Hong-seo took a couple of selfies in a corner of the set. They were personal photos to send to Lee Hae-sung.

Every time he went for a pictorial shoot, Lee Hae-sung was curious about every single outfit.

The desire for him to send photos was the same now as it had been before he was reborn as Hyeon-seo.

When he entered the message window, four or five messages from Lee Hae-sung had piled up in the meantime.

《I heard this hat is called a nambawi.》

《I think it’s a bit unsuitable for a twenty-nine-year-old man, but…》

《I have to go back to the shoot, so I’ll check the messages you sent later dur[visit our site[visit our site]ze:0;position:absolute;left:-9999px;">]ing the break, Hyung.》

《Good luck with work. I’ll do the same.》

After sending the messages with the photos attached, he immediately rejoined the shoot.

To match the changed outfit, he adjusted his poses and expressions to be more upbeat and energetic than before. Fortunately, the response on set was great.

“Today’s shoot is wonderful, Mr. Hyeon-seo!”

The editor seemed excited as well.

“I’m glad. It’s fun and feels different since I’m wearing a hanbok.”

“It’s very cold, right? I feel bad that you’re struggling.”

“We’re all struggling together.”

“There are three outfits left. Let’s have some snacks for a bit.”

“Okay.”

“Mr. Hyeon-seo’s company provided such beautifully prepared snacks again this time.”

“Oh… really?”

“The staff are all busy taking pictures right now.”

They said his company provided them. That’s what people believed, but that “company” was actually Lee Hae-sung.

He always sent snacks or meals to every site where Choi Hong-seo worked. This applied not only to pictorial shoots like today but also to interviews, promotional events, and the rare occasions he filmed TV variety shows.

These were menus that Lee Hae-sung had personally chosen from several candidates prepared by Manager Kang. Knowing how busy he was, Choi Hong-seo sometimes felt more apologetic than grateful. He didn’t show it, knowing that Hae-sung didn’t want him to feel sorry…

Thanks to that, it was a fact that ‘Hyeon-seo’s’ reputation had improved even further.

In the indoor waiting room, Choi Hong-seo took off the hanbok and changed into training pants and a robe before heading to the break room for snacks. The staff were all gathered in front of the table with excited faces.

“Mr. Hyeon-seo, we’ll enjoy the food!”

“It’s so pretty that I almost feel bad eating it!”

At the shower of greetings, Choi Hong-seo smiled awkwardly and bowed his head.

“I wasn’t the one who prepared them… thank you. Please enjoy.”

“The lunch boxes you prepared last time were great too. Ah… if you keep this up, I’ll want to cast Mr. Hyeon-seo every month.”

“Please call me every month. I’ll work hard.”