Chapter 121: Lee Tae-Poong's Audition (1)
"You mean you... haven't thought about your future at all?"
Yoo-Jin's eyes darted around the room as she fidgeted with her fingers. Seemingly out of words, Yoo-Jin gave an awkward smile.
"W-well, I've been so focused on raising Miso well that I haven't really thought about myself...to be honest, I was just living day by day before I met you. All I thought of was 'what should I eat tonight?' or 'what should I cook for tomorrow?' and such."
I couldn't believe it. Even though she had become a mother at a young age, to have no life plans at 24 seemed absurd.
"B-but I've had a goal since meeting you—to succeed as an actress. Something like acting diligently every day and giving my all! I-I do have at least these goals!"
At this age, any other female celebrity in her position would have been sneaking around the agency's watchful eye and plotting ways to contact a man they were interested in. But having become a mother at a young age, Yoo-Jin had grown accustomed to suppressing her own feelings for Miso's sake.
While Miso's happiness was important, I felt compelled to help Yoo-Jin discover her own life as well. As a talent agent, I couldn't simply resign young Yoo-Jin to a life solely defined by motherhood.
But it was pointless to ask her to come up with a plan right away. I planned to help Yoo-Jin one step at a time to find her own life by being there for her.
I forced a smile in my best attempt to hide my true emotions.
"Alright. Let's talk about this some other time. Go inside and rest—you have a shoot tomorrow."
"Okay, oppa. Be careful on your way home and drive safely."
As Yoo-Jin got out of the car, she didn't enter her house immediately but waved as she saw me off.
Yoo-Jin's figure in the rearview mirror didn't disappear even until I drove the car out of the alleyway.
***
After the press conference by actress Choi Ji-Yung, SBC released the full original footage of Speak Up! which revealed the manipulation that had occurred. They then found and disciplined the PD who leaked the footage, removed the on-site staff involved in the broadcast, and completely removed Choi Jong-Hyuk's scenes in Blue Sky from episode 13 onwards.
Blue Sky no longer had any major concerns. The viewership ratings for Blue Sky had briefly dipped to 15.2% in episode 13 following the scandal involving Yoo-Jin, but soon climbed back up to 18.7% in episode 14.
This placed Blue Sky significantly ahead of Moonlight Starpour, which had a viewership rating of 12.2%, by a 6.5% margin. The consequences of Kim Sung-Woon stepping out of Moonlight Starpour were now clear.
Upon returning to work after my vacation, I was met with applause and praise from the talent agents in Actor Division 2.
"Hey, Star Jung~. You really pulled off a big one this time."
"I heard you crushed TK Entertainment real good, huh? At this rate, you might get promoted to team lead within the year!"
I bowed my head in response to their words, aware that such attention could breed envy and jealousy.
"The table was set by others. All I did was just enjoy the meal on the table."
"Kid, don't be so modest. What does that make us when you say that? Are we like newborns who can't even eat by ourselves when the table is set? Wah, wah?"
Laughter erupted in Actor Division 2, thanks to a sunbae imitating a baby sucking on a bottle.
That's when Ju Yung-Hoon came over and whispered to me. "Be careful, Assistant Manager Jung. There are many people eyeing you these days."
"I'm sorry?"
"Shh!"
Ju Yung-Hoon lowered his voice and informed me that there were quite a few people who were displeased with me lately. But I had already somewhat expected this because Ju Ho-Sung was frequently seen around Actor Division 2, fueling that envy even more.
"Do you know who Mr. Ju often meets these days?"
"You know he meets with Team Lead Park. But lately, he's been gathering the assistant managers as well.”
I knew Park In-Ki was meeting with Ju Ho-Sung. But now, even those under him were mingling with Ju Ho-Sung.
The repercussions of my rapid promotion were starting to show. However, I couldn't just sit around and watch—especially since we were already short on talent agents. Losing more to Actor Division 3 would be a significant blow to us.
It seemed I would need to arrange a meeting soon.
"Thank you for letting me know, sir."
At that moment, Gu Seong-Cheol lifted his finger and called me from the entrance.
"Assistant Manager Jung, come to the director's office for a moment."
"Yes, sir."
After exchanging goodbyes with Ju Yung-Hoon, I headed to the director's office.
Upon entering, I saw Kang Ji-Yung buried in paperwork looking up to the sound of the door opening.
"Did you have a good rest?"
"Yes. I had a good break thanks to you, Ms. Kang."
"Thanks to me? You were just using your regular vacation time."
Kang Ji-Yung stretched and let out a sigh. Then she smiled as she explained why she had called me in.
"I called you two because I thought you should know. Dad's surgery went well."
"Really?"
Gu Seong-Cheol was also one of those who knew that Kang Gam-Chan was undergoing surgery. He seemed more relieved than anyone.
"Yes, but his return might be more delayed than expected. The surgery itself went smoothly, but they found the tumor was a bit larger than anticipated once they opened him up. They said he'll need plenty of rest."
But at least that was a relief. I had been worried sick about what we'd do if something went wrong and he couldn't return.
"That's very fortunate. Thank you for letting us know."
"No, I'm the one who should be thankful. Assistant Manager Jung, you saved my father. He never listened to me when I told him to get a physical examination...I don't understand why he wouldn't listen to anyone but you."
Indeed, that was something I was curious about too.
'I'll have to ask him why he only listens to me when we meet next time.'
"And I looked into the custody issue regarding Miso, but it seems quite complicated."
Kang Ji-Yung furrowed her brows as she mentioned she had also received a report on the matter.
"But isn't the adoption already finalized? Does the will pose that much of a problem?"
"It's hard to ignore the effectiveness of a will left by biological parents. We could potentially contest why they only decided to bring up the will now, but it won't be easy since their names were mentioned as guardians."
It seemed like we might have to take this to court.
"Then could the company possibly offer some assistance?"
Kang Ji-Yung looked apologetic. "That's a bit difficult because the company's internal regulations have changed. The regulations prevent us from offering help to anyone who isn't a signed artist."
Kang Ji-Yung let out a sigh and explained that Lee Gi-Cheol had changed the company's internal regulations. Previously, the families of the celebrities could also receive legal assistance. However, that was no longer possible.
In truth, it was out of Kang Gam-Chan's kindness that the company extended these services to families of celebrities. However, this wasn't the norm in the industry.
"But Team Lead Kwak said he would find a good lawyer for her."
Hearing Kang Ji-Yung's promise to help Yoo-Jin and Miso to the best of her abilities, an idea flashed in my mind. It would certainly cost a lot of time and money if it were just about getting a lawyer to fight against Yoo-Jin's uncle.
'But what if Miso became a celebrity under Hoop Entertainment?'
We could then officially receive help from the legal division.
I asked the concerned-looking Kang Ji-Yung, "Ms. Kang, is it possible to bring Miso onboard our company?"
"As a celebrity?"
"Yes. Then there wouldn't be any issues with supporting her, right?"
Kang Ji-Yung's face brightened at the suggestion. After all, Miso had been receiving numerous CF offers already. But we had to carefully decline most of them since she wasn't a celebrity. Without those restrictions, the company could be a significant support.
"I'll try to persuade Yoo-Jin. But if we do end up signing Miso, please leave all her scheduling to me."
Kang Ji-Yung nodded enthusiastically. "I'll handle the rest if you can persuade Miss Yoo-Jin. And you can manage all her schedule as well."
"Thank you."
"No need to thank me. Miso is incredibly popular right now. If anything, I should be thanking you."
As I was about to stand up, Kang Ji-Yung added, "Oh, right. Isn't Mr. Lee Tae-Poong's audition in two days?"
"It is.”
"Is everything going well? It won't be easy competing with Mr. Cha Tae-Hoon from Actor Division 3, especially with his camera phobia symptoms..."
I replied to Kang Ji-Yung confidently, "Don't worry about that part. That's no longer a concern."
When I saw him a week ago, the symptoms caused by his dyslexia had almost disappeared.
***
[Everyday V10]
[Date: May 15th, 2020]
- 3:00 PM Beyond the Boundary audition site.
After finishing the on-site shoot of Blue Sky with Yoo-Jin, I headed to Choi Sung-Moon Film located in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, according to the time noted in my planner where Lee Tae-Poong and Lee Dae-Ho were waiting.
Choi Sung-Moon Film had received support from the local government in the form of a vast plain spanning 300,000 pyeong[1]. This allowed them to construct sets and produce almost any movie in-house, making it a major production company.
Screech.
Upon arriving at the parking lot, I was met with a scene resembling a bustling marketplace. Actors, talent agents, and stylists gathered for the audition, creating a huge sea of people.
Jung Sang-Bong, who was seated next to me, started to name the actors one by one.
"Jang Sung-Hoon, Park In-Cheol, and Choi Yang-Seop... It's like an awards ceremony here. Mr. Jung, please don't tell me all these people are here for the lead role audition?"
"I wouldn't be surprised. It's a work by the renowned PD Choi Sung-Moon, after all."
Choi Sung-Moon was a blockbuster director who had produced three hit films in a row and was one of the few masters that even haughty actors sought to impress.
With top-tier actors and pan-Asian superstars mingling, Jung Sang-Bong grew anxious. "Wouldn't it be tough for Mr. Tae-Poong then?"
"It won't be easy. But make sure you don't show any signs of nerves in front of Tae-Poong. A talent agent must show faith in their actor."
"I'm sorry. I'll keep that in mind."
Slap!
Jung Sang-Bong smacked his own cheek to psych himself up while muttering under his breath that Lee Tae-Poong would definitely land the lead role.
The actors Jung Sang-Bong mentioned earlier were formidable. But ultimately, Cha Tae-Hoon would be chosen. The number of moviegoers for the film starring Cha Tae-Hoon was noted in my planner.
[Everyday V10]
[Date: December 31st, 2020]
-10:00 PM (Report) Beyond the Boundary box office count at 12:00 PM: 8,175,234 viewers.
This was the tally after two months since its premiere in early November. If Lee Tae-Poong were to become the lead, this report in my planner would disappear.
"Alright. Let's go see our actor, Sang-Bong."
"Yes, Mr. Jung."
We received visitor badges in the lobby of the main building and headed to the audition room. The hallway leading to the audition room had glass walls on the left, offering a full view of the vast set outside.
'Wow. This is incredible.'
I could see bomb craters, scorched mountains, and burnt trees. The set, resembling the center of Seoul, was filled with cars brought from a junkyard. As promised, the preliminary filming preparations were meticulously made which turned every corner into a part of the movie set.
"Wow, this place is truly amazing," said Jung Sang-Bong.
Looking at the set, I was determined to secure the lead role for Lee Tae-Poong to fulfill his dream.
Soon after, we arrived at the waiting room next to the audition room.
[Beyond the Boundary]
[Male Lead Audition Waiting Room]
We cautiously opened the door to avoid disturbing the actors preparing for their auditions. Inside the room were about fifty actors, twice as many as those we saw in the parking lot.
Beyond the Boundary was an action-romance about Choi Sung-Ha, the top black agent within South Korea's National Intelligence Service, who rescues the family of a North Korean nuclear physicist, Dan Myung-Han, and brings them to Seoul.
The film featured gritty hand-to-hand combat and intense shootouts in Dandong, Beijing, and the heart of Seoul with a romantic plot with Dan Myung-Han's daughter, Dan Sa-Rang. The lead actor needed to be able to handle both the action and the romantic aspects of the film. For this reason, the actors were seen pumping their muscles with push-ups.
"Where's Tae-Poong?"
I scanned the room and searched for Lee Tae-Poong.
The towering figure of Lee Dae-Ho, standing at the far end of the waiting room, caught my eye first. But I was left speechless when I saw Lee Tae-Poong sitting right next to him.
"What, what's that?"
"M-Mr. Jung...why does Mr. Lee Tae-Poong look like that?"
Lee Tae-Poong was in a surprisingly different state compared to when I saw him a week before.
1. 1 pyeong is approximately 3.31 square meters ☜
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