The set was decked out in colorful toys.

The only difference from normal toys was that they were comically oversized, like something a giant might use.

But just that alone was enough to make it a dopamine paradise for any five-year-old.

While getting her makeup done, Guru couldn’t stop gasping with delight as a train big enough to carry a child started chugging along.

“Owaaah!”

“Guru, look at unnie. Let’s make a squishy face. Squish!”

“Squiiish!”

When Guru shut her lips tight and struck a serious pose, the staff around her burst into laughter, absolutely smitten by her cuteness.

Today’s concept for Guru was a wind-up angel doll.

Once her makeup was done, they attached a toy wind-up key and a pair of little wings to her back. ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ Gasps of admiration broke out all around.

“She’s unbearably cute, seriously.”

“Guru, look over here at the mister. Cheeeese—”

“Cheeeze!”

“Ah, she’s just so pretty.”

“She looks even better in person.”

As the staff doted on Guru and snapped photos, a man with flashy dyed hair approached with a bright smile.

“Guru! You’re so pretty and cute today. I’m Jake Kim, the photographer who’ll be taking your pictures.”

People quickly cleared the way around Guru as Jake greeted her.

“......!”

According to Woojoo, he was currently one of the most influential rising photographers.

“Hewwooo! I’m Hanguwu fwom Yustitia Pweschoow Chicky Cwass!”

Guru bowed all the way at the waist, and Jake smiled broadly, reaching out his hand.

'A handshake! So gwown-uppy!'

With a resolute expression, Guru grabbed his hand with both of hers and shook it up and down enthusiastically.

Jake laughed out loud and straightened up.

Spreading his arms like a stage actor, he declared to the staff:

“Today feels like a really good day!”

His words made the staff laugh along.

He meant he was pleased with his subject—a promising sign that today’s shoot would go smoothly.

Following Jake’s guidance, Guru headed straight up onto the set.

“Guru, feel free to play around here.”

Creak, creak—Guru stepped onto the set and immediately climbed onto the train she’d been eyeing.

“So cute! You’re doing great!”

Thanks to Jake’s praise, her nervousness melted away.

Guru began to play with the toys more naturally.

“She’s not bad for a newbie, huh?”

“Right? I was worried since it’s a kid shoot, but she’s not even crying. Super chill.”

“And most importantly, the kid’s just beautiful.”

“Totally.”

“Yeah, yeah. That’s the key thing.”

Laughter bubbled up from all sides.

Thanks to the cute, sociable little girl, the atmosphere on set was lively and bright.

Click!

Click!

As the shoot continued, Guru was hugging a giant teddy bear when—

A group of people in suits suddenly poured into the studio. Behind them were two very familiar faces.

On Suhyeong. Nam Jiwon. The two Chairmen had arrived.

“Hm?”

Jake, in the middle of shooting, turned around when a staff member whispered to him.

The staff grew visibly tense at the unexpected visit from advertisers, while Jake raked his hand through his hair with a look of discontent.

“Uhh—what’s the writer doing all of a sudden?”

“Ah, the writer... oh no. He hates when clients show up. Says they meddle too much...”

“Aigo... how did this happen...?”

“They’re not gonna start nitpicking everything, are they?”

While the staff nervously fretted, Jake’s sour expression didn’t ease up.

Seeing the photographer’s stiff face, Guru blinked and tilted her head anxiously.

She, too, had noticed the sudden shift in atmosphere among the staff and Jake.

As Guru’s expression grew uneasy, Jake clicked his tongue in frustration.

'Idiot. What kind of pro makes a face like that in front of a first-time child model?'

Shit. If she starts crying, we’re screwed.

If she cried, they’d have to redo the makeup, and it’d take ages to settle her down again.

'Maybe we should take a break?'

Playing with her a bit might ease her nerves and bring back the smiles.

Jake was about to lower his camera—

But then Guru, who had been quietly scanning the room with her big eyes, turned and looked straight into the lens.

“......!”

Jake raised his camera again.

And just like that, a smile spread across Guru’s face, as if sunlight was gently blooming there.

Click!

Jake smiled too.

It was like she knew he was having a tough time and decided to reassure him with that grown-up little smile.

He let out a soft chuckle.

'Honestly, who’s the real pro here...?'

Jake waved his hand.

“Great! Let’s keep going like this!”

Just that one smile from Guru flipped the mood completely. The entire set melted into warmth again.

The shutter clicks continued nonstop.

Click!

Click!

And Jake wasn’t the only one taking pictures.

On Suhyeong and Nam Jiwon, both in suits and flanked by assistants, were also busy snapping photos of Guru with their phones.

Then they started comparing photos and bickering over whose shots were better.

“I mean, come on. It’s obvious mine came out better.”

“That’s your problem, Chairman On. No aesthetic sense. Mine’s clearly better. Secretary Kim, compare these. Right?”

“Uh...? Me, sir?”

The staff, who had been so tense earlier, giggled at the flustered Secretary Kim.

It seemed the two weren’t here today as advertisers at all.

Today, the Chairmen were simply doting grandparents who couldn’t get enough of their beloved granddaughter.

And so, the lively atmosphere on set returned once more.

***

“All right, last one! Jump!”

At Jake’s cue, Guru bounced off a toy box.

“Eyyyeaaah!”

Click! Click! Click!

Amid the coos of “How cute~!”, the shutter kept snapping.

Jake finally set the camera down and bowed toward the Chairmen.

Suhyeong looked puzzled, but Nam Jiwon caught on and smiled warmly.

“Must’ve been easy working with our Guru. That picky guy’s even giving a bow.”

“Ahem.”

Suhyeong gave a small cough, trying to hide the pride blooming on his face.

Just like that, the shoot wrapped on a cheerful note, and they were about to review the photos—

“Wait, is that... Seo Woojoo?”

“It’s Woojoo.”

A murmur rippled through the staff.

Woojoo had appeared on set with his manager.

“Woojoo!”

“O-oh...!”

As Guru ran up to him in delight, Woojoo flinched and blushed red.

The manager who waved at Guru jabbed Woojoo in the ribs with his elbow.

“Guru’s really cute today, huh? So that’s why you wanted to come?”

“Stooop~!”

Woojoo swatted at his hyung and licked his lips nervously.

Then, glancing around, he spoke.

“Guru, you...”

“Yesh?”

“You look... really pretty today.”

It was a compliment steeped in embarrassment.

Guru, suddenly shy too, shook her head furiously and beamed.

“Fank yew. Woojoo too... umm, today Woojoo is, uh... vewy avant-garde.”

“Avant-garde?”

“It means youw ahead of youw time.”

She was parroting what Jurim had once said.

Woojoo pulled at the hem of his tattered shirt awkwardly.

“Ah, this. I might have to go back later.”

Because it was a zombie movie, Woojoo was in shredded clothes with fake injuries painted all over his body.

“Oh, Woojoo you hafta fiwm?”

Now that she thought about it, Woojoo had once looked really down because he couldn’t come to Guru’s shoot due to filming.

So she had promised to visit his set instead.

“Well... the shoot paused because a dungeon popped up on set.”

A dungeon had suddenly appeared in the area they rented for filming.

It wouldn’t have been a problem if it got cleared before shooting, but for some reason, the raid kept getting delayed—and the dungeon still hadn’t disappeared by shoot day.

“Dungeon?”

“Yeah. We asked the guild that owns it to clear it, but I guess they said it’s tough right now.”

“Gasp! Is it a stwong dungeon?”

“They said it’s like... AAA-Rank? Something like that.”

“Whoa...”

AAA was just below S-Rank. Depending on the situation, it could definitely be tricky.

“So now we’re in talks with the guild, but it’s taking time. They keep saying they’re not in a position to do it right now.”

“Ooh....”

Woojoo sighed, and Guru nodded gravely.

The manager listening in gave a bitter smile.

“Not in a position,” my ass... The real reason wasn’t the raid logistics—it was grown-up bullshit.

“Our Hunters are on break right now. So if you want us to clear it, we’ll have to bring in mercenaries, and that doesn’t come cheap. You do know what Hunters cost these days, right? So yeah, unless we get paid extra, we can’t help you. I’m sure you’re smart enough to understand.”

It was a classic shakedown tactic.

A way to extort people in urgent need of dungeon raids.

Especially in a high-stakes situation like a major film shoot, time equals money.

Extras, filming equipment, location rentals—it all added up. In the end, they’d have no choice but to pay whatever the guild demanded.

What was making negotiations drag out even longer this time... was the name value of the film.

Because it was the sequel to a box office hit, the guild wanted more than the usual rate.

'Fucking vultures.'