Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All

At Jung Yoo-Jin's house in Cheonho-dong, she served tea for the guests gathered around the living room table after putting Miso to bed.

Once Jung Yoo-Jin sat down, Lee Yeon-Sil smiled and asked, "Yoo-Jin, Yoon-Ho oppa makes things really difficult, doesn't he?"

Lee Yeon-Sil was well aware of Jung Yoo-Jin's situation as they had shared many conversations over the phone.

Jung Yoo-Jin smiled. "I'm okay, Yeon-Sil unnie."

Sister Michaela chimed in and agreed with Lee Yeon-Sil. "Yoon-Ho can be a bit clueless about these things. Please be patient with him, Yoo-Jin."

Jung Yoo-Jin blushed, knowing exactly what they were talking about. "It seems like Yoon-Ho oppa doesn't even think about dating while working as a talent agent…"

Lee Yeon-Sil and Sister Michaela nodded in agreement.

"Oppa can be so old-fashioned when it comes to things like this. Right, Mom?"

"He's always been like that since he was little. He always drew the lines so clearly that it drove people crazy!"

Jung Yoo-Jin sighed softly. She understood how dedicated Jung Yoon-Ho was to his work as a talent agent, which made it hard for her to express her feelings easily.

However, after Jung Yoon-Ho returned from the China trip, where he went alone with Ju Yung-In, Jung Yoo-Jin's worries started to grow.

It was all because of a text message she received from Ju Yung-In the day before Jung Yoon-Ho returned.

-Yoo-Jin, I can never give up on Yoon-Ho oppa.

There was no context, but Jung Yoo-Jin sensed that something had happened between Ju Yung-In and Jung Yoon-Ho in China.

Though Jung Yoo-Jin tried to act as if everything was fine, it was far from easy.

Seeing the concern on Jung Yoo-Jin's face, Lee Yeon-Sil reassured her. "Don't worry, Yoo-Jin. Yoon-Ho oppa isn't the type to be kind to someone he doesn't care about."

Sister Michaela also nodded in agreement. "Exactly. I was so surprised when I saw how Yoon-Ho treated you, Yoo-Jin. He's completely changed."

Hearing that Jung Yoon-Ho had changed because of her brought a soft smile to Jung Yoo-Jin's lips.

However, she couldn't help but feel a little envious that only Lee Yeon-Sil and Sister Michaela knew about Jung Yoon-Ho's past.

Jung Yoo-Jin cautiously asked, "What was Yoon-Ho oppa like when he was younger?"

Then, Lee Yeon-Sil and Sister Michaela began to share everything they knew about Jung Yoon-Ho all night.

***

The next morning after breakfast, I drove my mom and Lee Yeon-Sil to the courthouse.

Curious about what they had talked about with Yoo-Jin last night, I asked them.

However, the two simply smiled with dark circles under their eyes from talking all night.

Then, my mom asked out of the blue, "By the way, my son."

"Yes?"

"Have you thought about getting married?"

"Huh? Why are we talking about my marriage now? I'm only 27!" I replied hastily as I was caught off-guard by her question.

Mom glanced over at Lee Yeon-Sil. "Eun-Gi is 27 and he already has a child."

Lee Yeon-Sil grinned and flashed a peace sign.

My mom turned back to me with an expectant look in her eyes.

However, I couldn't answer easily. Even though my life seemed peaceful on the surface, there were plenty of people targeting me.

"I have a lot to take care of first. When that's done... then... I'll think about it," I muttered.

"Alright. Then can we aim for before you turn 30?"

"Well..."

Just as I was trying to dodge the question, my mom suddenly hunched over and clutched her stomach.

"My stomach has been acting up again lately. I want to at least see my son get married before I suffer more~"

Lee Yeon-Sil giggled.

It was obvious that my mom was exaggerating, but I couldn't just ignore her.

I let out a sigh and then replied, "Okay, okay. Fine. But please promise me that you won't get ill."

My mom smiled brightly as she straightened up. "Son, I believe in you. You know that, right?"

"Yes..."

Both my mom and Lee Yeon-Sil seemed satisfied with my answer.

They still wouldn't tell me what they talked about with Yoo-Jin last night and I wasn't sure how the topic of my marriage came up at all.

At that moment, Lee Yeon-Sil asked cautiously, "Do you think Mr. Choi will show up today? Anyone can sit in the public gallery right?"

"No, he won't. He promised Mom he wouldn't come."

Choi Eun-Tae had originally planned to secretly observe the trial from the public gallery.

However, he called me last night to say he wouldn't attend the trial as he wanted to appear in front of his son with dignity only after taking down Park Sang-Gon.

Nonetheless, there was another reason why Choi Eun-Tae couldn't come: he had received information that someone sent by Choi Man-Sik would be present in the courtroom today.

The fact that Choi Eun-Tae had found his biological son was a closely guarded secret and known only to a few insiders.

Choi Man-Sik wasn't aware of this yet and would immediately find out the truth if Choi Eun-Tae were to appear in court.

After telling my mom what Choi Eun-Tae had told me last night, she smiled gently. "When the time comes, I'll have to step in and convince Eun-Gi."

"Don't worry, oppa. I'll help Mom bring them together," Lee Yeon-Sil assured me.

Lee Yeon-Sil had always hoped that everyone from the orphanage, including herself, would one day reunite with their lost families.

Just like that, we agreed to set things right in Kang Eun-Gi's twisted fate.

After all, there could be no greater gift for Kang Eun-Gi, who was seeking redemption and a fresh start.

***

"I sentence the defendant, Kang Eun-Gi, to one year in prison!"

The judge, dressed in a black robe, struck the gavel against the wooden block.

Bang, bang, bang.

As expected there was no suspended sentence for a former gangster let alone a leader of a violent organization even though he had turned himself in.

At that moment, my mom and Lee Yeon-Sil, who had been clutching their rosaries and praying beside me, swayed and leaned against me.

However, Kang Eun-Gi accepted the verdict calmly. He then glanced at me with his eyes full of a silent request. 'Yoon-Ho, take care of Yeon-Sil and Mom.'

'Don't worry.'

'And look after your niece, too.'

'You take care of yourself, Eun-Gi.'

In that brief moment when our eyes met, we exchanged an unspoken understanding without needing words.

For a fleeting second afterward, Kang Eun-Gi's gaze swept the gallery. It was clear that he was disappointed Choi Eun-Tae wasn't there.

After Kang Eun-Gi was led out of the courtroom, I helped my mom up."Mom, let's go."

"Shall we?"

My mom forced herself to stand with my support and pretended to be okay.

I couldn't help but notice that more gray hairs seemed to have appeared at her temples. A feeling of guilt rose in my throat, but I swallowed it down.

I decided to lift my mom and Lee Yeon-Sil's spirits. "Mom, how about we go for some Hanwoo today? It's my treat."

My mom gave a faint smile and replied, "If it's my son treating, anything's fine... but I'm actually craving budae jjigae today."

Budae jjigae was one of Kang Eun-Gi's favorite dishes, and it was clear she wanted to eat it while thinking of him.

"Sure, I know a good place. Let's go there."

Lee Yeon-Sil tried to smile as well. "Oppa, let's add cheese to the budae jjigae[1] and get extra noodles!"

Lee Soo-Chan who had been quietly standing nearby also added, "Hyung-nim. I'd like ham and dumplings added please."

"Okay, we'll order a big combo with everything."

Trying to lift our spirits, we headed to the famous Heungbu Budae Jjigae in Seoul, waiting for the day when Kang Eun-Gi would atone for his sins and return to us.

***

In VIP Room 1 of Fukuoka Japanese Restaurant in Apgujeong, Choi Man-Sik sat with Lee Sang-Pil, Park Hyung-Moon, and Bang Sang-Yung.

The large table was filled with aged sashimi and tempura dishes, but no one touched the food. Instead, they were just drinking with tense looks on their faces.

Lee Sang-Pil downed another shot of warmed sake and asked coldly, "Director Bang. Now that Mr. Kim Heung-Bok has stepped down, the support we used to get is going to stop. Do we have a backup plan?"

Bang Sang-Yung tilted his head. "Someone else from the Suhyaejong line will take that seat anyway, so what's the worry?"

Although Bang Sang-Yung wasn't from Suhyaejong, he knew better than anyone that half of Korea's cultural industry was controlled by people from that school.

"It's not that simple. The government is determined to appoint someone outside of Suhyaejong these days."

At that moment, Choi Man-Sik raised his hand to silence the conversation. "Let's focus on company matters instead."

Choi Man-Sik turned to Bang Sang-Yung and spoke in a low voice. "What's your plan for handling Team Lead Jung after you loosened the reins on him with Director Gong's incident? He'll try to pull all the promising actors into his team now."

As a reward for handling the case involving Gong Hak-Beom, Jung Yoon-Ho gained the freedom to recruit talents at will within Hoop Entertainment. Rumors of people from the Suhyaejong line defecting were already circulating.

Feeling the cold stares of the group, Bang Sang-Yung shrank slightly. "...Don't worry. I have a plan."

"Whatever your plan is, you'd better move quickly," Choi Man-Sik warned him.

Just then, Choi Man-Sik's phone rang. "Yes, it's me. What's the update?"

-Mr. Choi didn't show up and neither did anyone from Daeheung.

It was news that neither Choi Eun-Tae nor anyone from Daeheung Savings Bank had attended Kang Eun-Gi's trial.

'So the old man still doesn't know that Kang Eun-Gi is his blood, huh...' Choi Man-Sik thought.

Choi Man-Sik recently managed to get someone to smuggle out Kang Eun-Gi's toothbrush from the detention center. He used it to do a DNA paternity test on Kang Eun-Gi and Choi Eun-Tae and received results that Kang Eun-Gi was indeed Choi Eun-Tae's biological son.

However, it seemed that Choi Eun-Tae was still unaware of that.

Choi Man-Sik had his doubts for a moment but then shook his head. 'If that old man knew, he wouldn't just sit back. He'd do whatever it took to clear Eun-Gi's name be it through dismissal of charges or bail.'

After the failed assassination attempt, making another move on Kang Eun-Gi was no easy task—especially now that Choi Man-Sik's future father-in-law, Assemblyman Park Sang-Gon, was under suspicion for receiving slush funds.

For now, Choi Man-Sik could only take some comfort in the fact that Choi Eun-Tae still didn't know who his son was. After all, even Choi Man-Sik had to be cautious with the ongoing investigation.

"Is something wrong, Mr. Choi? Is there any bad news?"

"No, it's a personal matter. Continue your conversation."

The priority now was dealing with the problems at Hoop Entertainment. If they left things as they were, the company could end up in Jung Yoon-Ho's hands.

Just then, the sliding door opened and Team Lead Ju Ho-Sung from Actor Division 3 rushed in. "Mr. Bang! Jo Min-Sung from Actor Division 1 has gone to meet with Jung Yoon-Ho."

"What? Jo Min-Sung did?"

Jo Min-Sung was one of Hoop Entertainment's top stars personally managed by Bang Sang-Yung since his days as a talent agent.

"For what reason?"

"I'm not sure, but he ditched Actor Division 1's Chief Choi and went to meet Jung Yoon-Ho alone."

At that moment, Choi Man-Sik shot Bang Sang-Yung a terrifying glare. "So Jung Yoon-Ho made the first move. How do you plan to stop this?"

Gulp.

Bang Sang-Yung swallowed hard before shooting up from his seat. "I'll handle Min-Sung personally!"

Bang Sang-Yung's desperate shout echoed through the VIP room.

"Okay. Then what are you waiting for? Why aren't you running there right now?" questioned Choi Man-Sik

"Yes, sir!"

The distance from the Japanese restaurant to Hoop Entertainment was a one-minute sprint.

Bang Sang-Yung immediately got up and ran toward Hoop Entertainment, determined to regain control.

***

The child actor auditions for Hwaranjeon were to begin tomorrow followed by auditions for supporting roles through the end of the month. Finally, Yoo-Jin's first lead role in Hwaranjeon was about to commence.

I was preparing to head to the broadcasting station when Han Woo-Ju and Oh Bok-Hee asked to meet to discuss casting matters.

Just then, I heard someone calling me.

"Team Lead Jung, do you have a moment?"

It was Jo Min-Sung, Hoop Entertainment's top star.

Actor Jo Min-Sung stood at 185 cm with handsome features and a charming smile. He was 36 years old and one of the biggest stars in Korea.

Jo Min-Sung generated more than half the revenue for Hoop Entertainment's Actor Division 1 and had ranked among the top three Korean male actors for six consecutive years.

Before his military service, he gained popularity in romantic comedies. However, after his discharge, he shifted to historical dramas and sharpened his acting skills.

Unlike the S-class actor Sung Ho-Joon I brought in, Jo Min-Sung also had an exceptional eye for choosing projects.

That was why he hadn't shown much interest in me until now. After all, he had generated 20 billion won in revenue on his own just this year alone.

Yet today, Jo Min-Sung sought me out and wanted to have a quiet conversation for some reason.

"This place isn't quite right. Shall we go to Mr. Gu's office?" I asked.

Since Gu Seong-Cheol happened to be nearby, I got permission to use his office.

Once we were alone in Gu Seong-Cheol's office, Jo Min-Sung looked at me intently. "We've passed each other often, but this is our first time officially meeting, isn't it?"

"I should have introduced myself earlier. I apologize."

Jo Min-Sung was incredibly busy, so this was the first time we'd properly greeted each other.

I asked, "So what brings you to me today?"

"I heard that Tae-Poong got the HY Auto commercial today."

"Ah… so it's about that."

Lee Tae-Poong had been receiving major commercial offers after Beyond the Boundary hit 10 million viewers.

For male actors, the most lucrative commercials were cars, phones, and apartments. Among them, HY Auto had approached him with an offer of 700 million won.

Although Lee Tae-Poong was suddenly receiving S-class treatment, there was a problem.

For the past five years, Jo Min-Sung had been the exclusive model for HY Auto. On top of that, he was set to renew his contract with them next week.

I glanced at my phone to check if the schedule had changed. However, everything was still as planned.

[Everyday V11]

[Date: October 27, 2020]

-7:00 p.m. Dinner at Sambuja Galbi. (Jo Min-Sung from Actor Division 1. HY Auto commercial. Annual 1.5 billion won, 5-year renewal celebration dinner)

'Of course,' I thought.

This meant that HY Auto's recently promoted Director Park Sang-Jong was trying to use Lee Tae-Poong as leverage to reduce Jo Min-Sung's endorsement fee.

In my past life, Park Sang-Jong had attempted something similar and used Cha Tae-Hoon from Actor Division 3 to lower the commercial fee—though it fell through when Vice President Lee Tae-Jun intervened.

After all, Lee Tae-Jun was a huge fan of Jo Min-Sung.

However, since Lee Tae-Jun was currently occupied with a factory expansion in the Czech Republic, he wasn't paying attention to the commercial renewal this time.

As such, Lee Tae-Poong couldn't possibly take this commercial.

However, this knowledge of the future was something only I possessed.

As I stood there thinking in silence, Jo Min-Sung stared at me and asked, "Um… are you going to accept the offer for that commercial?"

I was about to tell him that Lee Tae-Poong had no intention of taking the HY Auto commercial.

However, at that moment, a brilliant idea flashed through my mind—a way to pull Jo Min-Sung into my team.

1. Budae jjigae ☜

Ristretto's Thoughts

Yojj: This whole time, I thought Kang Eun-Gi had already been sentenced and was shanked while serving time… But it was while he was in jail??? Is he gonna survive prison??