Chapter 91: Come Back Home (3)
I arrived at Cherry Blossom's dorm in less than five minutes.
Beep beep beep.
As I opened the front door, a rough voice burst out.
"Are you really going to be like this?"
"Dad! I really don't want to go!"
A man in his 40s dressed in a navy suit and wearing a stern expression was grabbing Eun-Ah's wrist and pulling her. That man was Eun-Ah's father, Yoo Han-Seok.
The Cherry Blossom members were also sweating as they tried to stop Yoo Han-Seok from taking Eun-Ah away.
Woo Yeon-Hee was hanging onto Yoo Han-Seok's left wrist. "Sir! Please don't do this!"
"Why are you interfering when I'm taking my own daughter with me!?"
Yang Eun-Bi held onto Yoo Han-Seok's right wrist and retorted, "You do realize this is trespassing, right?"
"Hah, what a joke. Trespassing? I’m just visiting my daughter!"
Finally, Sae-Ri opened her mouth wide and tried to bite Yoo Han-Seok's forearm. "Let go of Eun-Ah unnie! I'll bite if you don't!"
It was complete chaos.
I rushed in without taking off my shoes. "What are you doing right now!?"
Yoo Han-Seok started to look a bit wary when he saw a young man appear. "And who are you?”
"I'm Jung Yoon-Ho, the talent agent of Cherry Blossom."
Regardless of the circumstances, he was still Eun-Ah's father. I bowed politely and offered him my business card.
However, Yoo Han-Seok glanced at me and snorted, as if I wasn’t worth his time. He didn’t even bother accepting my business card.
'Well, I’m not surprised since I did hear that he considers those who are not doctors or lawyers lesser beings.’
Having interacted with people like him in my past life, I was well aware of his weaknesses.
Yoo Han-Seok ignored me and pulled Eun-Ah's arm again. "Let's go! You've been in this worthless job long enough! You can’t even make any money out of it!"
Eun-Ah, who usually spoke softly, expressed her emotions vehemently. "Dad! I’m really going to be successful this time. Please give me one more chance!"
But her words fell flat on Yoo Han-Seok’s ears.
"Shut up. What's so great about succeeding as an idol group anyway? You know Kim Yong-Seok, the CEO of KY Law Firm, right? He's the most successful among my friends!"
"What does that have to do with me?"
"Such a wealthy family offered a marriage proposal! Are you really going to miss this great opportunity?"
"I don’t want to get married!"
Yoo Han-Seok dismissed Eun-Ah's desperate plea. "You don't have a choice! Remember what I’ve always told you? A single choice can determine the success or failure of your life. I told you to build your qualifications and not to get caught up in this nonsense. Look at you right now! You are just pathetic!"
‘He is calling this industry nonsense?'
Despite the rising status of the entertainment industry, there were still many people like Yoo Han-Seok who used such terms.
I couldn't stand it anymore. I walked over, slightly twisted Yoo Han-Seok's wrist, and pressed on the pressure point.
"Ahh!"
Feeling intense pain, Yoo Han-Seok stepped back and let go of Eun-Ah's arm. I quickly separated Eun-Ah and Yoo Han-Seok.
"Eun-Ah, are you okay?"
"Yes, but..."
Eun-Ah's pale wrist had turned red from her father's tight grip.
'Tsk. It's going to leave a bruise.'
Seeing the red marks on Eun-Ah's arm, I felt a surge of anger rising within me.
‘How could a father try to force his 20-year-old daughter into an arranged marriage as if it were a simple transaction?’
It was hard to believe this was happening in 21st-century South Korea.
I took a deep breath and tried my best to calm my emotions as I had to deal with Yoo Han-Seok. After Eun-Ah was freed from her father’s grip, Woo Yeon-Hee hugged her tightly and comforted her. Yang Eun-Bi wiped Eun-Ah's tears and patted her shoulders while the youngest Sae-Ri stood with arms outstretched, casting a fierce glare at Yoo Han-Seok, as if declaring her determination not to let him take Eun-Ah.
“Sob.”
Eun-Ah’s eyes were brimming with tears but I couldn’t tell if it was because of the pain or her father's disruptive visit.
Yoo Han-Seok clutched his throbbing arm and threatened me. "What are you, a gangster? I'm taking my own daughter and who do you think you are to stop me?"
I forcefully suppressed my rising anger. "Sir, Eun-Ah has signed an exclusive contract with Hoop Entertainment. As you would see in the contract terms, you can't just take her away like this, even as her father."
"I will just cancel that damn contract then! Hey, Yoo Eun-Ah. Come here!"
I blocked Yoo Han-Seok as he tried to walk past me. "You can't do this, sir!"
Yoo Han-Seok shouted loudly, "I can’t do what? I'll just pay the penalty fee for canceling the contract!"
"Do you even know how much the penalty fee is?"
"It can’t be that bad. How much is it? Maybe about 100 million won? No? 200 million won? I highly doubt..."
I glared at him straight in the eye and responded, "As of today, it's 4.173 billion won."
Yoo Han-Seok was dumbfounded and his eyes widened in disbelief. "What? You little bastard. There’s no way in hell that is..."
"The total cost of training Cherry Blossom and funding their activities up till today is approximately 1.379 billion won. And the compensation for unilateral contract termination is typically three times that amount. So, yes, the number I gave you is indeed correct."
My professional tone made Yoo Han-Seok frown. Individuals like Yoo Han-Seok were only afraid of two things: power wielded by those of higher status and money.
I started to use one of those—money—to confront him.
'You chose the wrong person to mess with, sir.'
Yoo Han-Seok continued to yell incredulously in disbelief, but his vigor had noticeably diminished. "You, you young scoundrel. How dare you try to scam me like this?”
"If you don’t trust me, feel free to take the contract back and consult a lawyer about the penalty clause. It's written in very specific terms, so there won't be any confusion."
Shell-shocked, Yoo Han-Seok blinked rapidly. He seemed reluctant to admit defeat but had no immediate way to verify my claims.
I didn't give him a chance to breathe and pressed him further. "You mentioned that CEO of KY LAW Firm Kim Yong-Seok is your friend, right? You could ask him for advice. Or should I contact him for you and tell him that if he wants to take his future daughter-in-law away, he should pay the penalty fee?"
Individuals like Yoo Han-Seok were remarkably vulnerable in the presence of those of higher status, even if the person happened to be a friend or a prospective family member. And my guess was spot on.
Yoo Han-Seok's voice was trembling. "You...how dare you! I won't let you off if you call him!"
He was afraid the marriage proposal would fall apart if this commotion became known to them. After all, Yoo Han-Seok was a 'paper tiger,' projecting toughness within his own family while being preoccupied with maintaining a certain image in front of others.
Anyway, this was game over for Yoo Han-Seok.
I looked at Yoo Han-Seok and spoke firmly, "Sir, we have no intention of spreading rumors as long as the contract remains intact. But I warn you..."
I paused and stepped closer to Yoo Han-Seok who then stepped back in reflex.
"If you come here late at night like this again, I will sue you for trespassing, property damage, and assault, including tonight's incident."
"What? Did you just say trespassing? Property damage? How dare you speak such nonsense!"
"I thought you were smart since you're a doctor, but you seem to not know anything about the law."
I started to list potential charges while looking at Yoo Han-Seok.
“Eun-Ah is not the only person living here. This is a shared space for three other people. You entered a space leased by the company without permission, used violence, and caused fear by coming late at night. You also damaged a cherry blossom tree pot treasured by the Cherry Blossom members. Therefore, the mental distress is immeasurable.”
After my relentless probing, Yoo Han-Seok appeared to have lost his resolve. The legal landscape can be intricate, with numerous issues that may surface under scrutiny. Moreover, there were security cameras outside and near the entrance of Cherry Blossom's dorm.
Thanks to the cameras, everything Yoo Han-Seok did in the living room would have been recorded already.
"So please contact me about this issue rather than visiting here from now on."
Yoo Han-Seok snatched my business card. "Damn it. You’re a mere talent agent..."
‘A mere talent agent, he says. Well, he’s not incorrect.’
But I felt no shame in my profession. Being able to elevate someone and provide protection made me proud rather than embarrassed about my job.
In the end, Yoo Han-Seok finally stormed out after I warned him that I would call the police if he didn’t leave within 30 seconds. However, he did not leave without threatening Eun-Ah that he wouldn't let her be if she didn't come home immediately.
***
Just like that, the storm had passed.
Woo Yeon-Hee and Yang Eun-Bi hurriedly tidied up the messy living room. Meanwhile, I checked the injury on Eun-Ah's arm. it didn't seem like she was hurt anywhere else apart from the area her father had grabbed.
Eun-Ah just stared blankly at me without any sign of discomfort even as I held her arm.
"Oh, I’m sorry."
“...”
She remained silent, still not taking her eyes off me even after I let go of her arm.
"You might get a bruise, so we should get you an ice pack. And let's go to the hospital together when Mr. Han arrives."
"Okay..."
Eun-Ah nodded while still staring intently at me.
"Just a moment. I'll go get an ice pack."
I went to the fridge to start making a temporary ice pack. I filled a plastic bag with ice, wrapped it in a handkerchief, and placed it on the area where Eun-Ah's arm had been grabbed.
Eun-Ah flinched and squinted her eyes.
"Does it hurt a lot?"
"A little but... but it's okay."
"Don't worry too much. It doesn't look like any bones are broken, but we'll still get you a proper check."
Eun-Ah's face turned red and Sae-Ri, who had just finished cleaning up, burst out in admiration. "Yoon-Ho oppa, you were amazing! It was so cool when you grabbed his hand tightly like grippp! And he was like ahhhhh and ran away screaming!
‘Calm down, Sae-Ri. I can hardly understand what you're saying.’
But looking at Woo Yeon-Hee and Yang Eun-Bi nodding, they seemed to understand Sae-Ri’s excitement. It was as if living together as a family made them telepathic.
"Your father can't forcefully take you away unless our company terminates the contract which will never happen. So don't worry too much, Eun-Ah."
"Okay..."
"I promise you that as your talent agent. Even if Mr. Kang orders you to leave, I will stop it no matter what. Okay?"
Dealing with celebrities' families was often the hardest part of a talent agent’s job. When it was time to renegotiate contracts, dealing with their families' unreasonable demands was a common occurrence. These families expected to receive gifts during the holidays and it almost became a custom for talent agents to pander to them, similar to how army generals and their family were treated like aristocrats.
But I had no intention of indulging in such practices. If a celebrity expected special treatment for their family, I'd rather not work with them.
At that moment, tears welled up in Eun-Ah’s big eyes. Tears started to flow down her pale cheeks drop by drop.
"Sob sob."
As Eun-Ah burst into tears, the dorm slowly turned into a sea of tears with the rest of Cherry Blossom members crying as well.
Woo Yeon-Hee, who was comforting Eun-Ah, began sobbing. "It's okay, Eun-Ah. We're here for you. Sob."
Yang Eun-Bi, insisting there was no reason to cry, also cried. "Sob sob. Why are you crying? Sob. There's no reason to cry."
"Waaah!"
And Sae-Ri just cried out loud at the top of her lungs.
I wanted to console them, but I didn't know who to start with. After receiving my report, Lee Dong-Min was on his way from the company, Han Myung-Ho from Gimpo, and Lee Ju-Yung from Ilsan. But right now, I was the only one there who could console them.
Having finally stopped crying after a while, Eun-Ah looked at me and lowered her head.
"Oppa... thank you so much."
"There's no need to thank me. It's just part of my job as a talent agent."
Everyone seemed to have calmed down as they wiped away their tears and started to attend to their tasks.
Woo Yeon-Hee came from the kitchen with a cup of warm milk for me. "I never dreamed that you could make Eun-Ah's dad back down with just words. You were like a lawyer."
‘Well, that's a bit much.’
Sae-Ri also kept giving me both thumbs up. "You were amazing, Yoon-Ho oppa. You’re the best!"
To be honest, I felt a bit embarrassed at this point. Their direct expressions of appreciation were somewhat overwhelming.
I cleared my throat and began to explain what was going to happen next. "Everyone, please pay attention."
This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢