151 - Upki Girl

< It's Real This Time! No Kidding! > The first thing that caught my eye was Seowon's stunning transformation as she walked ahead. In the dim lighting of the club, her features were accentuated with more pronounced makeup than usual, and her outfit, perfect for clubbing, was daring and bold. Her hairstyle was a natural wave, with ebony locks tinged with seaweed green subtly falling to cover one eye. She used to permanently stick to a brown hue, but for the upcoming Replay Girl shoot, she switched to a darker shade, which surprisingly suited her better and drove her fans wild. Lashes curled as dramatically as a Venus flytrap, golden eyeshadow with shimmer, bold red lips, and exotic-colored contact lenses. Deep pink lips. Strange. Could it be the difference between a skirt and pants? She usually wore comfy shorts, as long as men's boxers, at the dorm, but now the dress she's in is longer yet too embarrassingly captivating to gaze at head-on. Perhaps it's the tight fit that accentuates her figure so blatantly. When it comes to their figures, Up-key Girl has three members who each with a unique body type enthrall fans and male-dominated communities alike. Slender queen Yona, well-built Hong, and then there's Chulkyung-riya, who mesh the strengths of both into a body type that might be hit or miss for some—let’s skip the detailed description. All three are considerably taller than average, and their proportions are outstanding, making Seowon and the slim Eunbitt a little less conspicuous in full group shots. But when dolled up provocatively like this, Seowon definitely manages to showcase her unique charm, even if it's just a lower-tier version of Yona... Appearing a little awkward in her revealing club attire, Seowon approached, fiddling with the hem of her skirt. “Isn’t it too short?” “It’s longer than your favorite shorts at the dorm. The stage costume for ‘Hug Me’ was about this length.” “Is that so? Then why do I feel so uncomfortable? Yeonhong, are you okay?” “Don’t talk to me. I’m holding my breath here.” Hong, who nearly fasted for yesterday’s photo shoot, still seemed very conscious of the tight dress. Though reassured by the staff and me that she looked fine, she tightly sucked in her stomach, not entirely convinced. A sheer blouse that exposed her undergarments, an H-line mini skirt with a silver sheen, knit ankle boots, and black stockings torn strategically to amplify seductive decadence. —Click, click, click The photographers, testing their shutters, reflected approvingly on the compositions, checking their shots. “Looking good.” “Oh, very nice.” The shoot was split into Team A with Hong and Team B with Seowon. Hong started from a stage-viewing balcony on the second floor, while Seowon began at the entrance to the stairway leading underground. Seowon's editor offered an amusing yet thematic narrative. “Let’s imagine. It’s your first time at a club. You’ve done your homework, asking the internet and friends to dress the part, but beyond that, you’re a novice. You’re nervous. Oh? Do guys actually walk up and grind like that? And if they ask you out for drinks, what do you say? Oh? How much physical contact should you allow?” How she managed to express such thoughts solely through expressions and poses was impressive. Perhaps it was the editor's explanation that got through to her. Nonetheless, Seowon quickly adapted, striking the right poses. After all, she did have a knack for acting. The staff showered her with affectionate praise. “Wow, nearly all these are A-cuts. Nice, glance downward just a little, yes, great, excellent expression!” “She really looks like she’s at a club for the first time, doesn’t she?” In response to the staff holding the reflector, I answered that Seowon and Hong hadn't actually been to a club before. Surprised, they lightened the shoot’s atmosphere with jokes. M: How did you feel getting an offer to be a cover model for Maxim? Considering Up-key Girl isn’t a sexy concept group, it must’ve been daunting. Seowon: Don’t most women want to look sexy? We might not lean towards that concept, but all five of us have a bit of a fantasy about it. Hong: Honestly, I was shocked. I’d seen other spreads, and I thought that couldn’t happen in my world. I wanted to lose more weight first, but the manager director said this was my peak time, so I agreed. I’m glad I did. The interview proceeded intermittently between changing outfits or locations, starting with ordinary questions before ramping up in intensity. During the joint room scene after their individual shoots, Maxim finally threw out a provocative question. M: (Though I don’t quite believe it) I heard both of you haven’t been to a club yet. If you met your ideal type at a club for the first time, how far would you go with physical contact? Hong: I, I don’t know. I’ve never thought about that... Hm... But holding hands might be okay? Seowon: Just hands? A hug would be possible, right? I’ve hugged a guy on the first meeting before. Isn’t that impressive? M: …Did your agency suggest that response? Neither of you comes off that naïve. That wasn’t the answer we wanted... Hong: Sorry, I’m a newbie. Seowon: Me too. M: Among Up-key Girl members, who seems to have the most experience with guys? Hong: Yona. Without a doubt, it’s Yona. Seowon: True. That's no joke. Oh, the maknae also seems to have something extraordinary, but it’s like opening Pandora’s box, so I hold back from asking. She is still a minor, after all. M: Getting back to more mature topics. If your dream guy at the club proposed a one-night stand, would you be open to it? Hong: On second thought, if my ideal type took the lead, it might be possible. I couldn't make the first move, though... Seowon: Thinking about it, if he's my ideal type, I'd probably make the first move. I could do it right now. Calm down, you crazies. With the table props and atmosphere really set up to mimic a club room, the kids were responding as if they’d had a drink or two. Not only that, but their poses became bolder and their expressions more natural compared to the beginning. The invigorated photographers spontaneously adjusted the concept as they snapped away. “Seowon, imagine your ideal guy is across from you. Can you get on the table and strike a seductive pose?” Without hesitation, Seowon kicked off her shoes, stepping onto the sofa and directed her voice towards me. “Manager, sit over there.” “What?” “I can’t capture the feeling just staring at an empty couch.” “I’m not cut out for this cringy stuff...” “Alright, Manager, take that seat. Ayeun, could you tidy up the table a bit? Don’t go overboard, make it look naturally scattered.” “Yes.” Under the team editor's insistence, I finally took a seat opposite Seowon, being her pretend partner. For her final concept outfit, Seowon wore an off-the-shoulder blouse exposing her shoulders and collarbone, paired with a plaid skirt and gray over-the-knee socks. “Now, the person in front of you isn’t the manager but your dream guy. Get into the mood and approach slowly.” Seowon climbed onto the table, knees resting as her hands supported her in a feline pose towards me. She squinted slightly, drawing closer while playfully flicking her tongue. “Seowon, your expression feels a bit too acted. Try to be more natural... no tongue, just with the eyes.” Following the team lead's directions, Seowon naturally adjusted her expression, and the detailed posture corrections kept coming. “Good, hold it there. Now, maintain that facial expression and stand on your toes to curve your foot slightly. No, not the leg but the foot. Uh... Ayeun, could you help with the pose?” While editor Ayeun adjusted her posture, Seowon and I faced each other, frozen in our positions. The sensation was strange. Perhaps due to her makeup and hairstyle, Seowon didn’t look quite like herself. The light brown lenses made her appear like a different person entirely. This felt awkward... My eyes involuntarily wanted to lower to her chest, which was embarrassing. Unable to hold back the cringeworthy vibe, I eventually shifted my gaze. Seowon snapped at me sternly, “Where are you looking? You need to look at me. We're acting, remember.” —Click, click, click, click The sound of the photographers' frenetic shutter presses was accompanied by satisfied exclamations. “Ah, that line was perfect!” “Nice, nice. I felt the thrill, I was thrilled just watching.” The artistic spirit of the team leader guiding the concept and poses burned even brighter. “Right, now Yeonhong, join on the table! You both see this amazing guy and try to out-entice each other. Clear Hong's side of the table quickly!” That night, I had a third dream. It’s not that I have inappropriate thoughts about the kids. It’s just that odd incidents happen only in dreams. And when I wake up and see their faces, I feel undeserved guilt. Maxim featuring covers with Hong and Seowon released a week later, and once the announcement hit the official SNS, pre-orders soared to three times that of the previous month. All thanks to the power of the soldiers. —CheeseKimbap: It's real! This time it's real! —aadfsa: Going back to base with Maxim... —JustARabbit: For any soldier, it's Up-key Girl! Up-key Girl means Maxim! —Ashirabiya: Salute! Finally, I understand why fellow comrades keep mentioning Maxim! —Acorn1403: The Maxim of conquering communism! —st.Lyu: Hahaha, I never thought I'd buy a Maxim. There was no way we'd miss this buzz. Humming away, our PR team immediately drafted a press release and distributed it to online media, ultimately catapulting ‘Up-key Girl Maxim’ to rank first in real-time searches. Of course, the Up-key Girl fan café, having been burned by a previous Maxim incident, reacted with skeptical cries of “Are you really going to fall for it again?” But when Maxim released two shoot photos defiantly, there was a swift shift alluding to Udyr’s level of turnaround, spiking pre-order numbers even more. The editing team expected this issue to reach the highest sales since Aijazaki Shino’s. *** Replay Girl’s first impression vote concluded the following day. Without surprise, the top spot went to Up-key Girl, garnering 133,739 votes. This was a staggering 80,000 more than the runner-up, Eye Contact, with over 130,000 votes easily surpassing the production team's initial target of 40,000. It was evidently the result of the “Military Up-key Picture Exercise,” not only boosting the overall voting rates but earning us immense gratitude from the producers. Thus, Up-key Girl proceeded to snag 30 points, firmly holding the overall first-place position. Meanwhile, preparations for the sports event with the Korea National Sports University students steadily progressed, thanks to Yona’s father’s connections. And the day before the sports event recording, I arranged to meet CP Jin Sang-yoon for a meal at a Japanese restaurant near the broadcasting station. Jin Sang-yoon, expecting me to resort to bribery or fawning flattery, immediately assumed an upper hand, feigning indignation about my tardy visit. Initially, I humored him, gently catering to his whims, softening the approach. But soon, I took the unexpected sharp jab. “I heard from somewhere that some companies are banding together to keep our team in check.” “What? Who’s spreading such nonsense?” “CEO Kim Seokwon said so.” < It's Real! This Time, It's Real! (No content alteration, just a few added lines) > End