Chapter 120: Definition of Family (2)
Miso's dad, Lee Sung-Han, had left a will in case something happened to him and his wife. The first clause of the will appointed Miso's maternal grandparents as her guardians. Having meticulous personalities, they had even prepared a second clause.
However, Yoo-Jin only learned about the existence of this will today.
"The second guardians designated in the will were those people we saw earlier?"
"Yes. My brother-in-law used to work at their factory. And up until then, my uncle...I mean, Mr. Jung Hak-Jae had treated him well or so I heard. Besides, Mr. Jung Hak-Jae is quite wealthy."
Yoo-Jin's uncle, Jung Hak-Jae, ran a small to medium-sized stationery manufacturing company called Hansol Stationery and was said to be fairly affluent.
'This is ridiculous. Miso's parents left such a will and yet they tried to send Miso to an orphanage?'
I felt a burning anger in my chest.
"So this wealthy family simply watched as their niece dropped out of college to juggle part-time jobs to raise a child? And now they have the audacity to show up with a will?"
"Yes. They said they were worried because of my scandal and that they would take care of Miso."
Miso, who was in my arms, shook her head hard and exclaimed, "I want to live with Mom!"
"Of course. I'm not going to send you anywhere. I want to live with you too, Miso."
When Yoo-Jin reached out her arms, Miso dove into her embrace.
"Mom, am I too heavy?"
"It's okay. You know how strong I am, right?”
Miso buried her face in Yoo-Jin's embrace and snuggled close to her. Despite being seven years old, Miso seemed just like a three-year-old in moments like these.
'Anyway, the existence of Miso's parents' will is completely unexpected. Predicting the outcome of a potential lawsuit is difficult...'
I composed myself and advised Yoo-Jin, "Yoo-Jin, don't let those people into the house under any circumstances, understood?"
"But what if they force their way in?"
"Don't worry. You have KkTalk messages from them from before, right? Send those to me."
"All of them?"
"Yes, all of them. We'll need them to apply for a restraining order."
Yoo-Jin hesitated for a moment but soon started backing up her chat history.
In the meantime, I briefed the team lead of the legal division on the situation.
-The situation seems quite serious judging from the evidence you sent me. Given the harassment, a restraining order should be feasible. But we'll have to discuss the will after further research. It is a bit complicated.
"Understood. Thank you for always being attentive."
-Hey, don't mention it. It's our job.
After the call, Yoo-Jin softly expressed her gratitude with a brightened expression. "Thanks, oppa."
"I'm your talent agent. It's only natural that I take care of you."
At that moment, the landlord returned from the market holding large black plastic bags in both hands.
"Miso, look what I bought for you! Mackerel, saury, and flounder...all your favorites. I'll grill them for you at the resort~."
Seeing the landlord with the fish in the plastic bags, Miso's eyes sparkled with anticipation and began to drool.
"Grandma is the best!"
"Haha. Oh, Assistant Manager Jung. You're here too. Don't worry, I've got ingredients for your favorite pork cutlet as well."
"Ah, you didn't have to."
"What do you mean? People should eat what they crave. Wait, what's this? Miso's eyes are red and her face looks swollen as if she's been crying. What happened?"
The landlord bristled upon noticing Yoo-Jin and Miso's tear-streaked faces. After I explained the situation, she was ready to confront Yoo-Jin's relatives immediately.
"They're not even human! They are worse than beasts! I'll show them..."
"Ma'am. Please hold back.”
"How can I hold back? Those so-called families, who never bothered to lift a finger to offer help when needed, are now attempting to take Miso away as if they have any right! They can take Miso over my dead body!"
The landlord was even more furious than I was.
That's when Yoo-Jin approached the landlord and held her hands firmly, saying, "Auntie, we won't let them take Miso away. I don't care what they say. I have my family with me right here."
Tears began to well up in the landlord's eyes. "Yoo-Jin..."
"Oops, it feels a bit embarrassing saying it out loud. Come on, let's hurry to the resort. Miso has been waiting all morning."
"R-right. Yes, we should go. Alright, let's go."
The landlord wiped away her tears and headed to the first floor.
Meanwhile, I gathered the luggage Yoo-Jin and Miso had packed. But just before stepping out, Yoo-Jin confided in me.
"You're my family too, oppa."
It felt like my heart dropped. The word 'family' had never held any meaning for me until now. Hearing Yoo-Jin call me family made me freeze on the spot like a malfunctioning robot and all I could do was just watch Miso walk down the stairs.
"Kimchi~ kimchi~! Eat it and grow tall~."
"Tall!"
Today, the kimchi song felt especially warm and familiar like well-fermented homemade kimchi.
***
Team Lead Ju Ho-Sung of Hoop Entertainment was currently on the phone.
-Ugh, Yoo-Jin has always been stubborn since she was young and she's not much different now.
"Haha, Mr. Jung. She protected Miso even after all the turmoil she went through. Do you think she'd easily let go of Miso now? It was never going to be easy from the start," Ju Ho-Sung replied.
-So you'll handle the aftermath if I file a lawsuit and we take Miso, right?
"Of course. Everything will be resolved once Miso is readopted into your family register, Mr. Jung. Eventually, Jung Yoo-Jin will also move to the agency you are planning to establish. After all, it's only natural for the mother to follow her daughter. Don't you think so?"
-Hehe. Yes. I'll be setting up an agency or something soon, so don't forget to funnel 30% of the profits directly into my account.
"There's no question about it, sir. We'll even help with the establishment of the agency, so you just need to stamp your approval once it's set up."
-Make sure to keep that promise or you know what will happen.
"Sir, why be so skeptical, especially after already receiving the advance payment? You're the one who should keep your promise, Mr. Jung."
-Hmph. I don't know much about the entertainment industry anyway and will leave it all to you in the future, so don't worry. Let's end the call here.
Click.
Ju Ho-Sung's expression twisted as soon as the call ended. "What a fucking demanding pig."
Sensing Ju Ho-Sung's irritation, Kim Dong-Soo asked, "Did it not go well?"
"Well, there's been some progress," replied Ju Ho-Sung.
Ju Ho-Sung, who had contacted Jung Yoo-Jin's uncle just in case, cheered upon unexpectedly learning about the existence of a will.
Even though Miso was adopted as Jung Yoo-Jin's daughter, a will specifying guardians could potentially nullify the adoption. Moreover, Jung Hak-Jae was in a more advantageous position to be given guardian rights to Miso, considering he operated a stable company and appeared to be part of a happy couple.
"Tell them that we will assign them a competent lawyer. If we leave it to those scoundrels, they won't spend a dime on legal fees," Kim Dong-Soo ordered.
"A competent lawyer? Who are you talking about, sir?" asked Ju Ho-Sung.
"Jin So-Mi went out of her way to secure a former prosecutor from the Eastern District. You'll meet him soon, so be prepared. Pick out a few trainees in advance—he likes the younger ones," said Kim Dong-Soo.
"Haha. Will do."
As Ju Ho-Sung nodded, Kim Dong-Soo gave another instruction. "Also, Nalsae is being released next week. Go and bring him in."
"Nalsae? That paparazzo scum is getting out already?"
Ju Ho-Sung scowled, but Kim Dong-Soo burst out laughing.
"Lighten up. That guy will be one of ours from now on. Make sure he doesn't cause any trouble."
"But is he even useful? What else can he do apart from taking illicit photos?"
"He's been caught once but he's quick and sharp—perfect for gathering information."
After pondering for a moment, Ju Ho-Sung eventually nodded in agreement. "Fair enough. They do say putting the right person in the right place is key. And it seems there's no one better than you, Mr. Kim, at doing just that."
"Haha. Flattery will get you nowhere."
Then Kim Dong-Soo grimaced as he took a sip of his coffee.
"Jung Yoon-Ho did make excellent coffee. I wonder if I could get his recipe somehow. Oh, and we should continue our earlier conversation. Who did you say joined us from Actor Division 2?"
The first thing Ju Ho-Sung did upon assuming his new role was to try to win over the talent agents from Actor Division 2. As the saying goes, the brighter the light, the darker the shadow.
As Jung Yoon-Ho's reputation rose, so did the number of those envious of him.
***
The ski resort was brimming with activities. However, Yoo-Jin couldn't cover up like she did back in winter as it was spring now. As such, Yoo-Jin had no choice but to stay in the room while I took Miso outside.
But surprisingly, many people recognized Miso. Though momentarily startled by the crowd wanting to take photos, Miso soon started striking cute poses for the cameras. She seemed like a natural celebrity in front of the cameras.
After an unexpected 20-minute photo session, I had no choice but to take Miso back to the room. Upon returning to the room, I looked for activities where we wouldn't be disturbed by the crowd. Yoo-Jin headed to the sauna with the landlord while I took Miso to a horse-riding course.
The initially disheartened Miso immediately lit up at the sight of a pony no taller than her waist. The rest of the day was filled with feeding, grooming, and taking photos with the pony.
Eventually, Miso even whined and asked to buy one though she gave up after hearing the cost was 15 million won excluding the substantial monthly maintenance fees. But she didn't forget to promise another visit and even named the pony 'Spotty.'
After a fun day, we returned from the ski resort to Yoo-Jin's home. As I parked the car, soft snoring sounds came from the back seat.
"Snore~ phew~"
It was Miso who was in deep sleep. The landlord woke up first and carried the sleeping Miso inside after expressing her gratitude for a fun day.
"Oppa, thank you for today."
"Don't mention it. It's my job."
"No way. I've heard other talent agents keep their vacations separate from work, unlike you."
"Hmm. But I enjoy spending time with Miso. Plus, I'd be alone at home anyway."
When I responded, Yoo-Jin hesitated before speaking up. "So, I was wondering..."
"What is it? Just say it."
"Is there such a thing as a personal talent agent?"
Becoming a personal talent agent meant exclusively managing Yoo-Jin. That would prevent me from caring for Lee Tae-Poong, who had auditions coming up, as well as the remaining members of Faithful that I had yet to meet.
While pondering how to respond without hurting Yoo-Jin's feelings, she continued, "Oh, don't get me wrong. I know you're also looking after Cherry Blossom and Mr. Lee Tae-Poong. I just happened to hear that registering as a personal talent agent could also enable profit sharing."
'Ah, was that her concern?'
"With everything that's happened and what you've done for me, I've been thinking about what I could do for you. So would it be okay to give you 10% of my earnings?"
"10%?"
My surprise seemed to have been misunderstood.
"I'm sorry. I know that's too little. But I have to save up for Miso's future..."
Yoo-Jin began to list her plans for Miso, including buying an apartment, funding her education through graduate school, and preparing for her wedding. She outlined a life plan for Miso that would secure her until she was 40.
But even 10% of Yoo-Jin's earnings was more than substantial. With Yoo-Jin set to receive over 350 million won soon, she was likely to earn over a billion won before the end of the year, given her current trajectory.
And this was just the beginning.
Yoo-Jin was on her way to becoming not only Korea's top actress but she would eventually also be coveted by Hollywood's major Big 5 with immense popularity in Asia.
Her future potential earnings would be astronomical. But more than the money, I was touched by her thoughtful gesture itself.
"It's okay. Our company doesn't allow profit sharing until one becomes a team lead. But the company provides good bonuses, so there's no need for you to worry about it."
After hearing my explanation, Yoo-Jin began to mumble to herself. "So, profit sharing is possible once you become a team lead?”
"W-well, yes, but..."
Yoo-Jin repeated the word 'team lead' several times and smiled brightly. "Oppa, then you just need to become a team lead quickly, right?"
"Uh. Yes, I suppose."
Her conclusion seemed a bit odd. But more importantly, there was something else I wanted to ask her.
"But Yoo-Jin."
"Yes?"
"It's great that you're planning for Miso's future, but what about your own life? Do you have a plan for your life? Instead of giving me money, you should be saving more for yourself."
I expected her to say she had plans, of course. However, Yoo-Jin unexpectedly fell silent as if she had never made plans for herself.
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