Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All-Chapter 578: Their Plan (3)

At the SBC main building hallway, I had just confirmed directly with CP Ahn Byung-Tae himself that he had no intention of casting Yang Ji-Seon.

Immediately, Yang Ji-Seon flared up and began cornering So Ji-Min. "Ms. So!"

"Hold on, Ji-Seon! I can explain everything!"

Yang Ji-Seon's face turned bright red. "Save it! I already bragged to my mom and my friends! What am I supposed to do now? This is so embarrassing!"

Flustered, So Ji-Min tried to calm her down in a hurry. "Ji-Seon, the network is just trying to lowball your pay. Trust me, just wait a little. I'll go over there myself today and get it locked in!"

She was clearly trying to buy time and somehow persuade Ahn Byung-Tae.

'Trying to slip out of this, huh? Not on my watch.'

I immediately stepped in and countered So Ji-Min's claim. "Stop stalling with lies and apologize now while you still can. That's the only way we can find a solution."

So Ji-Min snapped her head toward me. "I said I'd go talk to the CP myself!"

"How?"

"That... that's..."

So Ji-Min couldn't give a straight answer.

Then Yang Ji-Seon looked at me with her fists clenched. "Mr. Jung, could you help me instead? With your skills, I know you could persuade Mr. Ahn."

However, I firmly cut her off. "You should give it up. Mr. Ahn is notoriously stubborn. Once he makes up his mind, that's it."

Even before the regression, Ahn Byung-Tae was not someone you could reason with. And this show was a flop with a final viewership ratings of just 12%. It would go down as one of Guk Bong-Soon's low points, and I couldn't let our agency's actors be involved.

Yang Ji-Seon's face clouded with panic. "Then what do I do now? Huh?"

"It's not too late. You need to apply for another project immediately."

Not wasting a second, Yang Ji-Seon asked, "What project?"

"The lead female role in River's Edge, the same show I offered to Mr. Jo Min-Sung, is still open. The appearance fee is about 25 million won per episode."

I went on to explain the benefits of taking the lead in River's Edge. The character had several scenes where she drank beer refreshingly, which would be a great chance to land a beverage ad. And acting alongside Jo Min-Sung, one of the top stars of our time, was a massive opportunity.

Though Yang Ji-Seon currently stood at the boundary between singer and variety star, appearing in a drama with Jo Min-Sung could solidify her image as a serious actress.

I continued, "Besides, the 40 million won offer you were given for The Nine Lives wasn't even real, so forget about that. Compared to the 30 million won you got for Haze, this is just a 5 million won loss per episode—but you'd gain far more in return."

Offering an alternative when they need one and making it detailed was the mark of a capable talent agent.

Realizing she could gain both money and recognition, Yang Ji-Seon firmed up her resolve. "Then, Mr. Jung... will you help me from now on?"

Yang Ji-Seon declared she wanted to change talent agents.

So Ji-Min, who was now losing one of her managed actors right before her eyes, looked utterly stunned. "Ji-Seon! What are you doing right now?"

Yang Ji-Seon turned to her. "I'm going to be managed by Mr. Jung from now on."

So Ji-Min snapped, eyes blazing. "Yang Ji-Seon! Do you even know what you're saying right now?"

"Of course I know. And Ms. So... I've been patient because of our past, but honestly, I can't trust you anymore."

"Ji-Seon... H-How can you do this to me? Huh?"

"I should be asking you that. Why did you treat me like this?"

"What?"

"You wouldn't let me do Haze even though I wanted to! And then you told me The Nine Lives was a sure thing, but now I'm not even in it!"

"Come on, things like that happen when you're working..."

"No. I know this time it's not just a mistake. I get that there's faction drama among talent agents, but that's no excuse for blocking an actor's path. Seriously, why should I be a pawn in your little game?"

All the advice I had given to Yang Ji-Seon over the past few days was finally paying off. Though I wasn't her assigned agent, I had been sincere and helpful from the start. And those words had reached her one way or another.

That's why she no longer trusted So Ji-Min. And instead, she turned to me.

After putting So Ji-Min in her place, Yang Ji-Seon took a deep breath. Then, to avoid any misunderstanding, she stated clearly, "Mr. Jung, starting today, please take over managing me under Actor Division 4. Do I need to follow any procedures?"

"Just inform my superior of your intention and I'll handle the rest. Since you also have singing activities, Actor Division 4 and Singer Division 2 will jointly manage you."

"Got it. Please take care of that."

"Then I'll call right now."

"Yes, please call Mr. Kim. I'll get approval directly."

Leaving the speechless So Ji-Min behind, I called Kim Jang-Bi.

-Chief Jung? What's going on?

"Miss Yang Ji-Seon has something she wants to say. That's why I called."

-What's Chief So doing, and why are you calling in her place?

At that, Yang Ji-Seon asked for the phone. When I handed it to her, she spoke without hesitation.

"Mr. Kim, it's me, Ji-Seon. Starting today, I'd like to be managed by Actor Division 4 and Singer Division 2."

Kim Jang-Bi responded with a flustered voice.

-W-What are you talking about?

"I just can't trust Ms. So anymore. Please transfer me."

Yang Ji-Seon launched into a direct account of what had just happened.

In a hurry, Kim Jang-Bi tried to offer a compromise.

-O-Okay... How about this? Let Chief Jung manage you just for today, and we'll talk again tomorrow when you come in?

"That won't change my mind."

-I get it. I get it. But once you've cooled down, let's at least talk at the office tomorrow. Ji-Seon, you know how much I've looked out for you.

Clearly, he was hoping to persuade her once she calmed down. But I was confident I wouldn't lose her.

I nodded. "Let's do that, Miss Ji-Seon."

With a sigh, Yang Ji-Seon replied to Kim Jang-Bi,

"Fine. But for today's remaining schedule, I'll be with Mr. Jung. Okay?"

-Okay, got it.

Yang Ji-Seon ended the call.

As I took the phone back and let out a short breath, I said to her, "Alright. First, let's head to the MBS' Boy of Heaven shoot. On the way, I'll treat you to an iced lemon sherbet ade[1] at Awesome Place so you can cool down. Oh, and we've got to pick up some cookies for the PD and writer. It's a favorite of theirs."

I deliberately mentioned the name of the drink Yang Ji-Seon liked when stressed, and the cookies the Boy of Heaven PD and writer liked.

At that, Yang Ji-Seon's face lit up. "Wait, how do you know all that?"

"As a talent agent, you never know who you'll be working with, or when. You might have to step in on the field at a moment's notice. So I try to remember at least the basics about our celebrities and their schedules."

Then, as if making sure So Ji-Min could hear, Yang Ji-Seon said, "Wow. Now I understand why everyone wants to work with you, Mr. Jung."

"Thanks for the compliment. Shall we go?"

"Yes, Mr. Jung."

Because I had acted from the start solely for Yang Ji-Seon's future, I was able to win her over more easily than expected.

However, this was just the beginning. From this point forward, I planned to create distance between Gwanwoo Entertainment's talent agents and their actors, just like they tried to do with mine today.

Eventually, I would build a version of Hoop Entertainment without any of Gwanwoo Entertainment's core agents.

Leaving So Ji-Min grinding her teeth at me behind, I headed to the parking lot with Yang Ji-Seon.

***

After arriving at the SBC headquarters parking lot, I checked the planner first. But as expected, today's fortune still hadn't disappeared.

[Everyday V12.2]

[Date: January 20, 2021]

[Fortune of the Day: The big fish you've caught might slip away. Tighten the loosely woven net. Watch out for enemies from within.]

The big fish I had hooked weren't just one or two. In other words, this meant someone besides Jo Min-Sung might also be wavering.

I first told Yang Ji-Seon to get in the car, then opened the Actor Division 2 group chat. As expected, there were reports from other filming locations of hostile talent agents showing up.

[Actor Division 2 Group Chat]

...

[Team Lead Ju Yung-Hoon: Chief So Ji-Min caused a scene just now at the Court of Heaven shoot, trying to pull something but got caught by Chief Jung. What's it like at the other sets?]

[Chief Gu Seong-Cheol: I'm at Just By Chance, Kim Cheol-Soo! movie promotion in Yongsan with Mr. Sung Ho-Joon, and Chief Baek Sang-Beom is snooping around here too. Everyone stay sharp. Looks like the Gwanwoo Entertainment folks picked today to go after our actors.]

[Team Lead Jo Ji-Ah: I'm with Mr. Song Ji-Hwan at the Talk Show! Happy Saturday set, and Mr. Ju Ho-Sung just showed up. It felt fishy, so I've started recording everything.]

Team Lead Jo Ji-Ah, 35 years old, was originally part of Actor Division 1, but Gu Seong-Cheol had worked hard to scout her as she was a proven pro. Currently, she was managing S-class actor Song Ji-Hwan, whom I had transferred from Actor Division 3. And thanks to her meticulousness, Song Ji-Hwan was very satisfied.

Now even Ju Ho-Sung, who wasn't from Gwanwoo, was involved at her site.

"If Team Lead Ju Ho-Sung is there, then Chief Baek Sae-Gi must be too."

Sure enough, Oh Duk-Gu sent a message.

[Oh Duk-Gu: I'm at MBS main building filming The Omniscient Viewpoint. Mr. Park Eun-Sung is taping now, and Chief Baek Sae-Gi just showed up.]

'Baek Sae-Gi... so you think this is the weak point?'

Currently, I wasn't too worried about the other S-class actors like Sung Ho-Joon or Song Ji-Hwan.

Sung Ho-Joon lacked the ability to evaluate scripts and relied on me completely. Right now, he was on a winning streak thanks to Just By Chance, Kim Cheol-Soo!, which I had recommended.

And Song Ji-Hwan, a middle-aged actor known for royal roles, had received a flood of variety show offers since I cast him in Hwaranjeon.

Actors already doing well didn't easily waver, no matter who tried to sway them. The problem was when someone had reasons to feel dissatisfied.

Right now, that person was Park Eun-Sung. While other actors I had scouted were visibly on the rise, Park Eun-Sung had simply maintained his popularity. And after trimming back his lower-tier gigs, his total number of appearances had decreased.

Sure, I had raised his per-appearance fee so he could earn more while working less, but the drop in exposure made him feel like he was losing relevance.

However, that was something I had done for a reason due to a schedule entry in the planner.

[Everyday V12.2]

[Date: November 12, 2021]

-10:00 p.m. <Entertainment Everywhere> Actor Park Eun-Sung suspends all activities due to hypothyroidism.

Before the regression, Park Eun-Sung began suffering from fatigue and sluggishness around this time. But being a fitness fanatic and overly confident in his health, he didn't get a full checkup until late in the year. Only then did he find out that his symptoms were caused by hypothyroidism.

As a result, Park Eun-Sung had to undergo a long period of treatment and was forced to take a break from acting. Still, telling him too soon would have hurt his pride, so I quietly reduced his workload while waiting for the right moment even if he felt frustrated.

However, since the Gwanwoo agents were now targeting him, I had to get him to do a health screening immediately and fend off Baek Sae-Gi's temptations.

Just then, an idea came to me for how to handle this. Without delay, I sent a message to Oh Duk-Gu.

[Chief Jung Yoon-Ho: Mr. Oh, I'm heading to MBS right now with Miss Yang Ji-Seon. Please keep an eye on Park Eun-Sung. He's at high risk of being swayed. Chief Baek Sae-Gi is unpredictable, so stay alert.]

[Team Lead Oh Duk-Gu: Got it. I'll take care of it.]

After finishing my Kk Talk messages, I got into the van and headed for MBS.

***

The Omniscient Viewpoint was a show that observed the relationships between actors and their talent agents. Today's guests were Park Eun-Sung and Park Yoo-Hee from Ace Entertainment.

Two hours into filming, PD Bang Sang-Jin called for a break. "Cut! Let's take a short break. Must be the caffeine crash...I can't seem to focus."

At that moment, Park Eun-Sung let out a deep sigh and leaned back in his chair. "Sigh~ Starting so early in the morning is rough."

Then Park Yoo-Hee, a healthy-looking actress also active as a fitness model and now 32 years old, casually spoke to him. "Eh~? You? Struggling? Park Eun-Sung is famous for his stamina!"

"Yeah, well, that's in the past. Wait until you hit your 40s. These days, even getting out of bed in the morning is a chore."

"Oh~ so that's why Team Lead Oh keeps bringing you herbal supplements, huh?"

"Exactly. Team Lead Oh really looks after me. Thanks to him, things have been a lot easier."

Then Park Yoo-Hee flashed a smile and said, "You used to be super busy when you were at Blue Entertainment. Did you cut down your schedule because you're too tired these days?"

At that, Park Eun-Sung's brow furrowed sharply. Working less but earning more should have been a good thing. But in the entertainment industry, screen time and popularity went hand in hand, A hoobae's comment about reduced appearances sounded like she was implying he was past his prime.

"Hey. I'm still going strong, okay? I'm making even more money now!"

"Ah~ I didn't mean anything. But you never know what'll happen in the future. If a show gets restructured, you could be off the air just like that..."

"Park Yoo-Hee, how about worrying about yourself instead of me?"

"Oppa, I was just being nice! Why are you getting so worked up? Fine, I won't say anything else."

"Ugh, seriously!"

Annoyed, Park Eun-Sung stormed off toward the restroom.

At that, Park Yoo-Hee then gave a signal to Baek Sae-Gi, who was standing near the set. Just as he had asked, she had successfully provoked Park Eun-Sung's temper.

Baek Sae-Gi nodded in acknowledgment and discreetly followed Park Eun-Sung to the restroom while avoiding Oh Duk-Gu's eyes.

While Park Eun-Sung was cooling off by washing his hands, Baek Sae-Gi casually approached him. "Mr. Eun-Sung, Yoo-Hee asked me to apologize on her behalf."

"Huh? Chief Baek... Sigh. It's fine. I lost my temper too. Please tell her I'm sorry as well."

Baek Sae-Gi nodded and consoled Park Eun-Sung. "I totally understand how you feel. What actor would be happy about losing shows? That punk Yoon-Ho...he leaves you stressed like this and runs off to Division 4 alone. He's got no sense of loyalty, seriously."

Suddenly, the smile on Park Eun-Sung's face froze. "Hold on. Why are you bringing up Chief Jung?"

Sure, Park Eun-Sung was frustrated about his reduced appearances, but he still held deep gratitude toward Jung Yoon-Ho, who had rescued him back when he was at Blue Entertainment. Hearing someone talk trash about him made Park Eun-Sung uncomfortable.

Still, his doubts lingered. All the actors around Jung Yoon-Ho were rising stars, while he remained stagnant.

And then, despite the tension, Baek Sae-Gi pressed on. "Sigh~ Let me be blunt, Mr. Eun-Sung. Come to my Actor Division 3. Right now, the only S-class actor we've got is Cha Tae-Hoon, so we can focus entirely on you. We'll double your current broadcast appearances. What do you say? Time to prove Park Eun-Sung's still got it. Huh?"

The mention of full support made Park Eun-Sung waver. But trying to push it aside, he dried his hands with a towel and replied, "I'm good. I've got a conscience, you know! I'll talk to Chief Jung myself, so you can go."

Sensing he might get swayed if he stayed longer, Park Eun-Sung quickly left the restroom. He tried to erase the thoughts from his mind, but they wouldn't go away. In showbiz, popularity was a mirage. Once it was gone, it rarely came back.

Just then, as he exited the restroom, Park Eun-Sung heard a voice call out to him. "Mr. Park Eun-Sung!"

When he turned around, he saw Jung Yoon-Ho standing beside Oh Duk-Gu with a smile.

"Huh...? Chief Jung? What are you doing here...?"

"Oh, I'm temporarily in charge of Miss Yang Ji-Seon today, so I came by."

"Yang Ji-Seon?"

"Yes, she's filming at the set next door. I stopped by while she's busy to check in on you."

"Ah... I see..."

He felt a little guilty facing Jung Yoon-Ho after nearly being swayed by Baek Sae-Gi.

Then Jung Yoon-Ho added, "Oh, and since I'm here, there's something I need to tell you."

And with that, Jung Yoon-Ho began making an offer—one so impactful that it instantly blew Baek Sae-Gi's proposal out of the water.

1. Lemonade ☜

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