Homepage Master (홈마)
A shorthand for “home master,” referring to someone who takes high-quality photos and videos of a celebrity and posts them on their personal website.
This was the job of Lee Jae-seon, who was currently seated at his computer.
He’d majored in photography. What started merely from fan love eventually grew into something more.
Before he knew it, not only was he posting photos, but he was also selling goods, hosting exhibits, and managing a Twitter account with an impressive 210,000 followers. He had become a powerful “home master.”
Once he realized there was real profit in this market, he decided to take the plunge and make it his career. Throwing himself into it like a madman, he eventually found himself earning more than a department head at a major corporation.
“Hmm.”
Now, Lee Jae-seon was propping his chin up, deep in thought.
“The pictures are great…”
His monitor displayed the photos and videos he’d taken of Jung Arin at the recent festival.
“But do I post them or not…?”
Ever since cementing his position as a full-time home master, he’d stopped acting solely on fan love and started operating based on business considerations. He mostly photographed idols from agencies that had quietly reached out to him with enticing offers. Otherwise, he only covered idols with fandoms big enough to guarantee external demand—photos, videos, goods, etc.
Despite that…
The footage he had of Jung Arin kept catching his eye.
“It’s not like I’ve signed any sort of deal with her agency…”
He grumbled under his breath, jabbing the space bar repeatedly.
“Nor is there any guarantee of a strong fandom that’ll make money…”
Suddenly, he recalled how he’d first become a home master.
ROA.
She was the female solo singer who sparked his entry into the home master scene. He’d initially devoted a fan site to her out of pure admiration, running around to shoot pictures for uploads. He’d spent time, money, and youth driven only by passion.
Now I’m supposed to be more realistic…
During that period of intense “fandom,” ROA abruptly announced her retirement from the music scene without giving a clear reason. Afterward, Lee Jae-seon refused to pick up a camera unless there was a contract in place or guaranteed profit.
But at the same time, his attachment to fandom culture was why he’d made it his profession in the first place.
“Ah, screw it. Whatever…”
Finally—
Click!
A small on-screen pop-up chimed cheerfully, and a smile spread across his face.
“Guess I’ll do some unpaid fan work for once…”
Seeing the notification “Your upload is complete,” he murmured quietly to himself,
“Hope it goes well…”
Then he turned off the monitor with a firm press and got up from his seat.
“Dammit!”
Executive Director Park slammed his desk as he glared at his smartphone, making the nameplate on the edge wobble precariously.
[ Whoa, I was at Sky Music Concert that day, and it suddenly poured like crazy. I nearly left, but I’d already waited so long that I stuck around… Then Jung Arin just tore up the stage with her vocals; I’m telling you, she’s “God-rin.” Anyone who hears her live has to admit she’s amazing. ]
↳ I’m glad I waited too—my ears were in heaven.
↳ Something about her makes me tear up just watching…
↳ Her real voice is honestly so sweet!
↳ Her face and her voice match perfectly.
↳ Agreed! Feels like my blood sugar’s shooting up.
↳ Someone call 119, because I just got hit real hard by her charms.
↳ She’s pure, no doubt about it.
↳ Look how she kept that ethereal beauty even in the rain ㅜㅜ
If things had gone according to Park’s plan, Jung Arin was supposed to fade into oblivion after one measly TV appearance. Yet her popularity soared by the day.
[ My friend works at Sky Music Concert, and apparently as soon as it started raining, N*** and F***** freaked out about getting hurt and didn’t care at all about the fans who’d been waiting. They just took off. Meanwhile, Jung Arin insisted on performing no matter what and ended up going first. ]
↳ Even though the rain made it hard for her to open her eyes, she still made eye contact with the crowd. Personality on par with her looks.
↳ Came here for my own faves, but now I’m leaving as her fan.
↳ Compared to those who left without a word because of rain, Jung Arin is basically an angel.
↳ Exactly, fans waited in the rain, and those other groups just ditched them—betrayal, I say.
↳ Bet some artists feel guilty reading this, lol
No matter how far he scrolled, the forum was filled with praise for Jung Arin.
“Damn it!”
He tossed his smartphone onto the desk in frustration, then rested his throbbing head in his hand.
Ding—!
Suddenly, a messenger alert popped up, containing a file with all of Jung Arin’s upcoming schedules. It must have been sent by one of his subordinates half an hour earlier.
“Huh, look at this big star.”
From music shows to variety programs, talk shows, radio, festivals, and university gigs—her schedule was packed with barely any downtime.
Click, click…
The more Executive Director Park scrolled through her schedule, the darker his expression grew. He couldn’t stand imagining Director Choi gloating over this.
“Phew…”
He exhaled and loosened his tie, trying to calm himself. In this industry, plenty of idols who burned bright for a moment vanished without a trace, especially newcomers who had the misfortune of becoming his target. Sure, she’d defied him this time, but he just had to bide his time and crush her when another opportunity arose.
“Right… A big shot like me can’t get all worked up over every little thing…”
He took out a cigarette from the pack on his desk and lit it. Inhaling deeply, he let the smoke drift from his lips, feeling his annoyance subside.
Short-lived hype, that’s all, he told himself.
Concluding that fretting over some fledgling rookie was a waste of time and that golfing would be more productive, he began scrolling through his phone’s contacts.
But even at that moment, the reality was moving in a direction quite different from Park’s “easy” predictions.
[ Hidden gem of Sky Music Concert in a downpour—Jung Arin’s “Adolescence” ]
A video of Jung Arin’s performance posted on a well-known video platform soon surpassed 5 million views in no time.
Hyunseung had spent the morning in his usual spot—his studio—before heading to the company cafeteria.
“Ugh, it’s so hot…”
He ordered a cold ade and sprawled on a table. It was early summer, and the heat had just begun.
“Min Hyunseung?”
It wasn’t the voice of the cafe staff but that of a middle-aged man looming over him.
“Hmm?”
Hyunseung glanced up to see an older gentleman in a suit.
“If you’re free, please come with me.”
“And you are?”
“I’m the driver for CEO Jeon Nam-il.”
Hyunseung let out a small “Ah,” remembering the text he got before leaving his studio.
[ Let’s meet in a bit. I’ll send someone to get you. ]
He hadn’t expected it to happen so quickly. He’d heard that with Jung Arin’s rising popularity, his songs were selling briskly. Rumor had it a famous “home master” had shot her performance and posted it on Twitter, which then spread across countless accounts and communities, pushing her debut stage video higher in online algorithms.
Life sure is unpredictable.
It seemed likely the CEO was summoning him about Jung Arin’s success.
“Sure, let’s go.”
Hyunseung followed the driver at a leisurely pace.
Tap, tap—
They exited through the main door, and Hyunseung saw a stately Rolls-Royce sedan waiting.
I used to have one of those in my previous life collection, he thought, a brief flash of nostalgia.
“Mr. Hyunseung, please get in.”
As the driver held the door, Hyunseung slid into the backseat as if it were his own car.
“Hello, Mr. CEO.”
He greeted Jeon Nam-il, who was seated inside.
“You have some free time, right?”
“Yes, of course.”
The CEO studied Hyunseung, who was leaning casually against the window, showing no trace of nerves at being in such close proximity to him.
“You’re quite an interesting fellow.”
He continued, wearing a faint but pleased smile.
“You didn’t just revive Seo Jini, who was on the brink of failing to renew her contract, but now you’ve even managed to transform a nearly expulsion-bound trainee into a star….”
“I got lucky.”
“Luck, you say…”
He murmured softly, then said,
“That explanation alone might not be convincing.”
Hyunseung fell silent. True, much of it could be attributed to his own skill, but plenty of unexpected luck had factored in. From Executive Director Park’s interference leading them to cross paths with Lee Du-seok, to the heavy rain at Sky Music Concert, to Jung Arin pushing herself to perform anyway… Above all, a famous home master capturing her on video and that footage going viral—none of it had been planned or foreseen.
The CEO took over when Hyunseung didn’t respond,
“To be honest, I thought it was asking too much of even you this time. But you’ve managed to show such impressive results. You’re modestly calling it all luck, but in this business, luck is part of one’s skill, wouldn’t you agree?”
Luck is skill…
“Yeah, I suppose.”
He somewhat agreed. In the entertainment world, having outstanding ability didn’t guarantee success; many talented individuals vanished without a sound. Indeed, luck was also a form of skill.
With a faint smile, Hyunseung asked in a calm tone,
“So, why did you want to see me?”
“It’s still before lunch, right?”
“Yes.”
“I thought we could get a meal together.”
Hyunseung didn’t seem at all surprised, merely nodding casually.
“Sure.”
Observing him, the CEO arched a brow. He wasn’t annoyed—rather, he was intrigued. After all, he’d spent over a decade as the head of a major management company. Usually, when he invited someone to lunch, they’d be overwhelmed with gratitude or make a fuss about how honored they were. But this young composer acted completely unfazed.
Meanwhile, the CEO wasn’t the only one eyeing Hyunseung curiously. The driver up front kept peeking at him in the rearview mirror.
Never seen him before… He looks pretty young.
As the CEO’s personal driver—someone old enough to be his father—he knew little about the company’s inner happenings or the entertainment scene. Naturally, he had no idea who Hyunseung was or why he was causing such a stir at LS. But from experience, he could guess that Hyunseung must be impressive if the CEO had brought him along so personally.
He’d watched Jeon Nam-il serve as CEO from LS Entertainment’s inception, and he knew the man rarely ate with anyone but his closest circle.
He must be a big star…
Catching another glimpse in the mirror, the driver speculated,
Is he a singer?
But then he noted Hyunseung’s looks,
Wait, with that face, maybe he’s an actor.
As the traffic light changed, the Rolls-Royce eased forward, gliding smoothly down the road as if it were skimming across ice.
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