Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All-Chapter 516: Concert (1)

A long line stretching for hundreds of meters still formed in front of the merchandise booth. This was because limited-edition light sticks, T-shirts, and hoodies were being sold exclusively at the concert venue.

Suddenly, a scream erupted from the middle of the line. It was the sound of a high school girl in a white long padded coat being pushed by a tough-looking man in his thirties wearing a gray down jacket.

The man, fuming, glared down at the girl who had fallen to the ground. "What the fuck. Hey! Who said I cut in line?"

The girl looked upset as she protested. "Mister, you just pushed your way in a moment ago!"

"You little brat, don't go accusing innocent people! Damn it!"

It was obvious he had cut in line, but no one actively intervened since most of the people in the queue were young students or female fans.

When I instantly called for security through my radio, the security staff stationed on the outskirts responded to the call and started moving.

I put down what I was doing at the booth and turned to Lee Yung-Jin. "Yung-Jin, keep an eye on that guy. He's a reseller."

"A reseller? So he wasn't just a fan cutting in line?"

"Just look at his expression. It's different compared to the other fans."

People who waited in line for an hour at a concert venue just to buy merchandise were usually devoted fans, and they were easy to spot. As soon as they heard that even some of the merchandise was sold out, they shifted anxiously and stamped their feet in frustration.

Resellers, on the other hand, look visibly annoyed. Since there was a limit on the number of items each person could purchase, resellers knew their potential profit was shrinking. Even though Ticket King had been blocked, individual resellers were still making their way into the venue.

"Yung-Jin, let's go."

I headed toward the man in his thirties with Lee Yung-Jin.

***

The security staff tried to calm down the raging man midway through the merchandise booth line, but he wouldn't stop causing a scene.

He screamed, "Hey! Call your supervisor!"

"If you keep this up, we're calling the police!"

While the security team struggled, I checked on the high school girl, who was rubbing her ankle. "Are you okay?"

She looked up at me in surprise. "Oh? Mr. Jung? I'm fine..."

"That's a relief. Can you stand?"

"Yes."

I reached out and helped her to her feet. "Then take my hand and get up."

She winced slightly as if she had twisted her ankle.

"Yung-Jin, keep an eye on her for a moment. She might need treatment."

"Yes, Mr. Jung."

Leaving the girl in Yung-Jin's care, I approached the man, who was still surrounded by security staff. He was still fuming.

"That's enough," I said.

The man turned his gaze toward me. Seeing that I looked young, he became aggressive. "Fuck. And who the hell are you? You think I can just calm down like this?"

I gestured toward the surrounding students. "Let's settle down first. There are a lot of young students here."

Nevertheless, the man scoffed and refused to back down. "Bullshit. Is this how Hoop Entertainment handles things? You look like you're from the agency. Go get your boss right now!"

"I'm the one in charge here."

"You've got to be kidding me. How can some young punk be in charge?"

I had responded politely enough on behalf of the agency. Now, it was time to return the favor. I pointed to the white, baseball-sized security camera mounted above the recording booth.

"That has recorded everything from the moment you lined up to what just happened. Let's check the footage together. Oh, and if you really didn't cut in line just like you said, I'll personally buy all the merchandise for you."

To prepare for situations like this, I had made sure to install cameras near the booth.

The man hesitated and stammered for the first time. Afterall, most places like this only had security guards, not security cameras. "Wh-why is that even here?"

"Because there are always people who insist they didn't cut in line."

The man glanced around before raising his voice. "This is... isn't this a violation of privacy?"

"The cameras were installed through proper legal procedures. And since the footage hasn't been released publicly, there's no need to worry. It'll only be shown to the police."

Realizing he had no way out, the man abruptly turned and left the line. "Forget it! I don't need to check anything! Fuck. I don't even want the damn merch!"

The man stomped off into the distance, still fuming. He might think that was the end of it, but that was far from true.

I lifted my radio. "Keep track of the man in the gray down jacket who just left the merchandise line."

A security guard trailing him responded.

-Understood.

"And the main control room, save the footage of him cutting in line and pushing the student. We might need to call the police later."

Lee Dong-Min from the control room replied.

-Got it.

"External security team, keep an eye on the suspect to see if he attempts to resell tickets. He might try to make transactions in security camera blind spots, so one of you should remove your uniform and be ready to gather evidence. Once you catch him, contact the police."

-Yes, understood.

A ticket exchanged at the venue was required to purchase merchandise. The man likely planned to buy goods, then scalp the ticket he used and leave. Because I had seen this happen many times before my regression, my instructions were firm.

Lee Yung-Jin, who had been watching everything, finally nodded. "You were right... This really is a battlefield..."

"This is just the beginning. Don't let your guard down."

There would be no time to rest until the concert ended. I patted Lee Yung-Jin's shoulder and turned to address the customers in line.

"Apologies for the disturbance. There are still items left, so please enjoy the rest of your time here."

The fans clapped and cheered.

"Mr. Jung, that was amazing!"

"Whoa~ security camera! When did you install that?"

"Mr. Jung, can we take a photo with you later? I want to keep it forever."

Some playfully complained about the limited stock.

"Handsome talent agent oppa~ Please prepare more merch next time! I'll buy everything!"

"Yeah, it sold out way too fast."

I smiled at the disappointed fans. "Next time, we'll take pre-orders and have them available for pickup at the venue."

The fans nodded in agreement.

After bowing in thanks, I turned to the high school girl who had been pushed earlier. "You seem to have twisted your ankle. Let's head to the main booth for treatment."

She shook her head. "I... I'm fine."

"We're not fine with that. Please get treated first. We'll take care of buying your merchandise for you."

The girl, fixated on purchasing her merch, finally gave a small nod. "Okay."

Then I gave instructions to Lee Yung-Jin. "Yung-Jin. Get a merchandise order form, show it to Ran-Hee, and pick up the items at the booth before coming to the main station."

A merchandise order form allowed customers in line to mark their desired items in advance. When they reached the front, staff would collect the forms and hand out the available merchandise.

Lee Yung-Jin took the girl's order form and headed toward the booth.

Meanwhile, I escorted the student to the main station where she could receive first aid.

***

Inside the main booth's emergency treatment corner, Kim Soo-Myung, who was on-site as part of the event's medical team, examined the high school girl's condition.

Kim Soo-Myung said, "You've slightly sprained your ankle. I'll apply some ice and tape it. Avoid strenuous activity for a while, alright?"

Jo Hyun-Jung, a second-year high school student, let out a sigh of relief as if she was worried she might not be able to watch the concert. "Thank you."

She turned to me as well.

"Thank you, Mr. Jung."

I shook my head. "I should be the one thanking you. You bravely stood up to someone cutting in line."

"Oh, not at all..."

While Kim Soo-Myung continued treating her, I asked, "By the way, who are you here to see today?"

"Uh... I'm here for Ha-Na unnie."

Jo Hyun-Jung said that watching Kang Ha-Na's MeTube broadcasts every night was the highlight of her day.

I suggested, "Then we should do something special. Would you like to meet Ha-Na after your treatment?"

Jo Hyun-Jung's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Of course. You came all the way here, and you had to deal with all this instead of having a good time. That wouldn't be fair."

She had spent time and money to attend this concert. Yet instead of enjoying the experience, she got hurt while calling out a line-cutter and ended up with a dirty coat. If left as is, today might become a bad memory. I couldn't let a single fan walk away feeling that way.

Hearing my suggestion, Jo Hyun-Jung beamed. "Thank you, Mr. Jung!"

She smiled so brightly that she seemed to forget about her ankle pain. Seeing reactions like this always made being a talent agent feel worthwhile.

A short while later, my radio crackled with an update just as Jo Hyun-Jung's treatment was wrapping up.

-The man in his thirties was caught scalping tickets. We're handing him over to the police.

As expected, he was a reseller. I held up my radio slightly. "Thanks to you, Miss Hyun-Jung, we've prevented more victims."

Jo Hyun-Jung lowered her head with a shy expression. "I... I didn't really do anything..."

"You could press charges for him pushing you earlier. Would you like to file a report?"

"No, it's okay."

"Understood."

It was a bit disappointing, but I couldn't force the issue since she didn't want to. Instead, I planned to blacklist the reseller from all future Hoop Entertainment events.

Just then, Lee Yung-Jin, carrying four large merchandise bags, arrived.

I said, "Yung-Jin, take these and go with Miss Hyun-Jung to Ha-Na's waiting room. Let them take a picture and say hello."

"Pardon?"

"And put the cost of all that merchandise under my tab."

The startled Jo Hyun-Jung protested. "Oh, no! That's over two hundred thousand won..."

I patted her back lightly and reassured her. Her ankle needed treatment, and her long coat needed cleaning.

Lee Yung-Jin picked up the merchandise bags with a smile and led Jo Hyun-Jung away.

Before stepping out, Jo Hyun-Jung bowed once more. "Thank you, Mr. Jung! Thank you so much!"

"Enjoy the concert!"

As Jo Hyun-Jung disappeared, Kim Soo-Myung packed up his medical tools and spoke. "You know, Mr. Jung, you really seem like a veteran."

"I'm sorry?"

"You're only in your second year, yet you handle things like someone who's been through everything. You remind me of my department chief back when I was an intern."

"Haha. Is that so?"

Kim Soo-Myung chuckled. "Yeah. Sometimes I wonder if this is your second life or something."

I forced a laugh, trying to hide my reaction. "Hahaha... That's ridiculous."

Kim Soo-Myung waved it off as a joke. "Just kidding, just kidding. But honestly, that girl's a Kang Ha-Na fan... but she might end up becoming a Jung Yoon-Ho fan instead."

I shook my head and dismissed the idea. Then, thirty minutes later, a post appeared on Instargem that left me speechless.

***

[Jo Hyun-Jung @HANA_ONE]

Absolutely amazing!

Mr. Jung Yoon-Ho let me take a picture with Ha-Na unnie because I got hurt while reporting a line-cutter!

(Attached: Photo with Ha-Na unnie in the waiting room)

Thank you, Mr. Jung Yoon-Ho!

#CherryBlossomKangHa-NaConcert #StoppingLineCutters #TeamLeadJungYoonHo #HandsomeTalentAgent #MoreHandsomeThanCelebrities #StartingTodayImAJungYoonHoFan

(Comments)

yesorno: Handsome talent agent oppa shut down that guy in the padded coat with just a few words. Total charisma. Thought I was watching a movie.

onda90: That guy is incredibly good looking.

PODONG: The way he handled everything was flawless. The reseller guy couldn't say a word once the security camera footage was shown.

dada1000: Agreed. By the way, when is Mr. Jung debuting as a celebrity?

Lee Yung-Jin, who had just returned after escorting Jo Hyun-Jung to Kang Ha-Na's waiting room, chuckled while scrolling through Instargem. "Maybe you should just debut as a celebrity at this point."

"..."

Do Ran-Hee joined in to tease me. "Mr. Jung, I'll be your talent agent~"

I looked at the two and spoke firmly. "Not happening for either of you!"

While they kept laughing, the clock hit 5:30 p.m.

"Alright, focus up. The music show is about to start."

As we prepared for the concert, MBS's Show! Music Center had already begun broadcasting. Tonight's episode would determine whether Cherry Blossom could secure their 10th consecutive week at number one. They had previously achieved this only once with 'Hurry Up!' and now they were on the verge of breaking their own record.

However, there was a problem.

Do Ran-Hee asked with a worried expression, "Mr. Jung, the broadcast score weighting has increased a lot recently. Do you think the girls can still win?"

Originally, the highest percentage of a music show's ranking came from digital streaming and song downloads. However, as Cherry Blossom continued to dominate the charts, major broadcasters faced pressure from entertainment agencies and dramatically increased the points awarded for TV appearances.

Two weeks ago, MBS's Show! Music Center had changed its scoring system to 30% of album sales, 30% of broadcast appearances, 20% of streaming, and 20% of real-time voting. This meant TV appearances had become crucial.

For this reason, Cherry Blossom had barely managed to stay in first place for the past three weeks.

This week, they had not appeared on any broadcasts due to their concert preparations which gave them a TV score of zero.

As expected, an urgent radio call came from Sung Ji-Yeon.

-Mr. Jung, the staff at MBS's Show! Music Center just got in touch. They're saying winning first place today might be tough.

"Yeah? How big is the gap?"

-According to what some staff overheard, LaLaLa Band is leading by 500 votes, Im Ga-Joo is in second place with 300 votes ahead of us, and we're currently in third.

At this point, real-time voting was the only way to turn things around.

"We can still pull off a comeback."

-How? The people who vote live each week are usually the same group.

"Don't worry. I've already prepared for this."

Even amidst the busy concert preparations, I had made sure Cherry Blossom would secure their 10th consecutive win.

I was about to reveal the first step of the plan.

"First, we need to..."