Chapter 970: Choose the Right Side
"What kind of bullshit is that? We've already finished discussing the lead role going to actor Kang Moo-Song!"
Chief Ju Ho-Sung, who had been about to leave the meeting room, stopped in his tracks and raised his voice.
However, I answered without even blinking. "From what I heard, that role has already been finalized for actor Lee Jong-Dae."
The reason I could say that so confidently was simple—the schedule entry still remained in Everyday.
[Everyday V13]
[Date: May 6, 2021]
-03:00 p.m.: Final confirmation of actor Lee Jong-Dae as the lead of A Life Lived Twice.
Lee Jong-Dae, now thirty-nine years old, was an actor Writer Nam Jong-Ok had discovered and raised since her rookie days. Through her projects, he had become known for playing wealthy family's youngest sons or chief-of-staff type roles.
Standing at 187 centimeters tall with sharp features and an attractive deep voice, he was one of the biggest stars among housewives, the main audience of daily dramas. Using that popularity, he had advanced into films, but unfortunately the movie currently in production was about to collapse, so he was returning through this project instead.
And more importantly, Lee Jong-Dae was currently signed under HK Entertainment. Which meant there was no way HK, the drama's main sponsor, would hand the lead role to an actor from rival company Hoop Entertainment.
Unaware of that fact, Ju Ho-Sung flared up and shouted. "Lee Jong-Dae already passed the lead audition for Space War 2121, so what nonsense are you talking about?!"
"That project already collapsed a while ago. What are you talking about?"
Ju Ho-Sung blinked as if hearing this for the first time.
At that moment, actress Choi Yi-Jung, who had declared she would stay in Actor Division 3 because she trusted Ju Ho-Sung, turned toward him and demanded answers. "Chief Ju! What's this supposed to mean? Don't tell me... you lied to me?"
Just moments earlier, Ju Ho-Sung had loudly declared that the male lead role in A Life Lived Twice belonged to Kang Moo-Song. If that turned out to be false, then every promise regarding lower-ranked roles would become impossible to trust as well.
Flustered, Ju Ho-Sung raised his voice defensively. "Why would I lie?! You all saw the Kk Talk message Director Pyo sent earlier!"
"Then what about what Chief Jung said?!"
Seeing the actors appear to trust my words more than his own, Ju Ho-Sung glared at me with resentment-filled eyes. "Chief Jung. What's wrong with you? Where did you hear such ridiculous nonsense that you're coming here trying to stir people up?"
I shrugged. "What do you mean stirring people up? I'm only stating facts. You should blame your own lack of information instead of blaming me."
To be honest, I was absolutely stirring people up. I brought this up specifically to ruin the relationship between Ju Ho-Sung and the actors. And the more chaotic Actor Division 3 became, the more tightly united Hoop Entertainment itself would become instead.
At that moment, President Kang Gam-Chan stepped forward to settle things. "Chief Ju. Stop arguing and verify it first. Verify it."
Ju Ho-Sung hesitated briefly, then pulled out his phone with an expression that said he could no longer back down. "Yes, sir! I'll check right now."
The moment he made the call, Director Pyo Eun-Jong's voice came through the speakerphone.
-Oh, Chief Ju.
"Sir, I called because there's something I'd like to ask you."
-Yeah? What is it?
Ju Ho-Sung glared at me before speaking into the phone. "I heard rumors that another actor might be cast as the male lead of A Life Lived Twice."
At that moment, Pyo Eun-Jong suddenly began stammering.
-Ahem! W-Where did you hear that?
As Pyo Eun-Jong tried to dance around the issue, Ju Ho-Sung urgently asked, "Sir... could that person possibly be... Lee Jong-Dae?"
-...Who told you that?!
The moment he realized my words were true, Ju Ho-Sung's expression twisted violently. "What about your promise to cast our actor Kang Moo-Song? Were you lying to us?"
As Ju Ho-Sung's voice grew harsher, Pyo Eun-Jong hurriedly tried to explain himself.
-Ah, well, here's what happened. The movie Jong-Dae was supposed to star in suddenly collapsed, so Writer Nam Jong-Ok and HK Entertainment started changing their minds. Still, don't worry too much. I'll try persuading them properly. So Chief Ju, hurry over here and let's talk it out together.
The faces of the Actor Division 3 actors, including Choi Yi-Jung, instantly darkened.
At that moment, pressured from all sides, Ju Ho-Sung unconsciously snapped back with a harsh tone. "Fuck! What kind of backstabbing bullshit is this?! This morning you told me everything was settled and not to worry about anything!"
'Oof.'
I barely even had to do anything, and he blew himself up on his own. As expected, a layer of ice crept into Pyo Eun-Jong's voice.
-Fuck?
"N-No, that's not—"
-Hey, Chief Ju. You little bastard. Things like this happen when people work together, and you say fuck? Hey. Are you insane? Huh? You're saying fuck to a broadcasting station director?
Realizing he had made a fatal slip of the tongue, Ju Ho-Sung hurriedly began to apologize. "I'm sorry. I got too emotional and misspoke."
-Forget it, asshole. I was even thinking of helping you out with another project if things didn't work out, which is why I told you to come over, but don't ever show your face in front of me again. Got it?
Click.
Pyo Eun-Jong hung up.
After being abandoned not only by Lee Ji-Yeon but now by Pyo Eun-Jong as well, Ju Ho-Sung shouted desperately, "Sir! Sir!"
Ju Ho-Sung tried calling again, but there was no way the other side would answer. For Pyo Eun-Jong, this was the perfect excuse to cut away a troublesome burden.
At that moment, Choi Yi-Jung, who had been celebrating over securing a role in A Life Lived Twice, shouted furiously. "Chief Ju, are you crazy? Then what happens to my role now?!"
Panicked, Ju Ho-Sung bowed his head. "I'll personally go apologize and fix this."
Right then, Yang Tae-Gyu, who had been quietly reading the room until now, cautiously looked my way and asked, "Chief Jung... ahem. You said I just needed to cut down on drinking, right?"
Just moments ago, Yang Tae-Gyu had refused my offer even when I said I would accept him into Actor Division 4 if he simply stopped drinking. But now that Ju Ho-Sung had fallen out of favor with both Lee Ji-Yeon and Pyo Eun-Jong, he was clearly trying to come back to Actor Division 4.
Then Park Soo-Hyung urgently chimed in as well. "Mr. Jung! I won't ever hit my talent agent again, not even as a joke!"
Park Soo-Hyung, whom I had told not to throw punches at his talent agents, instantly changed his attitude.
And finally, even Choi Yi-Jung spoke to me with a stiff expression. "Chief Jung. I also... won't edit my social media anymore when you tell me not to, and I won't make my talent agent wait for me in the mornings either. I'll even give my password so they can come in. I'll do everything you asked, so please take me back."
'Give me a break. You were the one who said you hated even my perfectly reasonable requests and chose to return to Actor Division 3. And now that things turned unfavorable, you're changing your tune? No way. Go back.'
I snorted before answering the three of them. "No. I don't think we're a good fit after all, so I think it's best for everyone if you continue working with Chief Ju."
The instant I rejected them outright, Choi Yi-Jung looked visibly flustered. She must have gotten carried away after becoming a little popular recently, but compared to Yoo-Jin, she was still a nobody.
'Who did she think she was choosing?'
When she realized I showed absolutely no lingering attachment toward her, Choi Yi-Jung urgently turned toward Kang Gam-Chan. "Mr. Kang, are you really just going to stand there and watch this happen?"
"What exactly do you expect me to do? You're the ones who rejected Chief Jung's offer."
"We said it was a mistake!"
"Then think of this as the price of that mistake."
And then, with everything no longer going her way, Choi Yi-Jung tried making a desperate threat. "If you keep sitting back like this, then I don't even know what I might do when my next contract renewal comes around."
Choi Yi-Jung's contract renewal still had about a year left. It was around the time discussions about renewal would slowly begin, but to think she would use that as leverage to threaten Kang Gam-Chan was ridiculous.
Just as I was about to say something in disbelief, Kang Gam-Chan answered with anger in his voice. "Should I just terminate that contract for you right now?"
Faced with a move several times stronger than her own threat, Choi Yi-Jung's eyes widened. "M-Mr. Kang..."
"If Chief Jung had made unreasonable demands of you, I would've stepped in and mediated without you even asking. But weren't you the ones who rejected him because you didn't want to follow simple common sense? And now you want me to mediate? On what grounds?"
"That's..."
"I was already planning to pick a day and say something to these stars who keep making unreasonable demands anyway, so this works out perfectly. I'll release those contracts immediately, so go ahead and find some other company willing to tolerate your rotten behavior!"
Kang Gam-Chan's booming voice echoed through the meeting room.
Choi Yi-Jung hurriedly looked toward Ju Ho-Sung. "Chief Ju..."
However, Ju Ho-Sung could not even lift his head. Unfortunately, the only person in this company capable of calming down an enraged Kang Gam-Chan was me. Yang Tae-Gyu and Park Soo-Hyung also kept their mouths tightly shut and lowered their gazes.
Only then did Choi Yi-Jung realize she had no one left on her side, and she finally bowed her head and began apologizing. "I'm... sorry, Mr. Kang. I was... foolish."
Watching the situation carefully, Yang Tae-Gyu and Park Soo-Hyung hurriedly apologized too, even though nobody had asked them to. "W-We were already reflecting on ourselves and planning to fix our bad habits."
Kang Gam-Chan glared at them. "Really? Then make sure you keep that promise. I was already planning to say something because entertainers these days don't seem to appreciate their talent agents, but I guess I won't need to say that to you two, right?"
"Of course not!"
"Good. Then get out."
"Yes, sir."
The actors who had walked in arrogantly now shrank back and retreated while nervously reading the room. But just as they were about to leave the meeting room, I deliberately spoke loudly enough for them to hear as I addressed Oh Jin-Hwan and Yoo Seo-Hye, the two who had chosen me over Ju Ho-Sung.
"Mr. Jin-Hwan and Ms. Seo-Hye, why don't you look into whether there are any good roles available in Land of Happiness? I'll discuss it with the writer and help you get the roles you want as much as possible."
Sensing the atmosphere had turned dangerous, Oh Jin-Hwan had kept his mouth tightly shut but now blinked in surprise and asked, "Doesn't Mrs. Lee Ji-Yeon always hold auditions for every role?"
"No. Not every role goes through auditions. Especially this time, because there isn't much time left, she entrusted me with casting for several roles."
I stared directly at Ju Ho-Sung as I spoke as if telling him to recognize the difference in class between us. The talent agent who had been handed casting authority by Lee Ji-Yeon—that was me.
"Thank you, Chief Jung!"
"Thank you so much, Chief Jung!"
Bright smiles spread across Oh Jin-Hwan and Yoo Seo-Hye's faces. Meanwhile, the expressions of Ju Ho-Sung, Choi Yi-Jung, Yang Tae-Gyu, and Park Soo-Hyung looked like they had just eaten shit.
This was exactly why people needed to choose the right side carefully.
***
Since so much had happened over the last few days, I headed home for a bit. Fatigue had piled up, and tonight Cherry Blossom and Seo Yeon-Woo's comeback song launch was scheduled, meaning things would become overwhelmingly busy again soon. So before that happened, I needed at least a short nap.
After returning home and changing into comfortable clothes, I headed downstairs to the first floor. Right then, a company-wide Kk Talk message from Kang Gam-Chan arrived for all the talent agents.
Holding the doorknob, I reflexively checked the message.
[President's Notice]
-From this moment forward, talent agents are not to silently endure verbal abuse, physical violence, or refusal to comply with schedules from entertainers. Report such incidents immediately.
-In addition, when entertainers make unreasonable demands, talent agents should honestly state that they cannot comply. If the entertainer refuses to accept that, report it directly to a chief or to the president.
-Talent agents must always remember that they are partners to entertainers, not slaves.
-While talent agents should do their best to care for entertainers during difficult times, they must remember that this does not mean being treated as emotional punching bags or less than human.
-And lastly, the President's Office would like to express its gratitude to all talent agents who quietly endure difficult work every day.
-We are always fully aware that Hoop Entertainment's growth exists because of your hard work.
(Additional Notice)
-As of this moment, all employees' salaries will be increased by 10% across the board.
-In addition, this salary increase will have absolutely no effect on next year's salary negotiations.
[President Kang Gam-Chan.]
The moment the Kk Talk message appeared, the group chat filled with talent agents exploded.
[Hoop Entertainment Talent Agents Group Chat.]
-Assistant Manager Do Ran-Hee: Mr. Kang, I love you!!
-Assistant Manager Lee Yung-Jin: Under heaven, there's only one true president, Kang Gam-Chan!
...
In truth, most companies prioritized pleasing entertainers no matter what kind of abuse their talent agents suffered. But using today's incident as a turning point, Kang Gam-Chan had finally pushed forward with something he had long been determined to do.
It was one of every talent agent's dreams to not be treated like slaves by entertainers.
Even with praise flooding in from all sides, Kang Gam-Chan left only a single Kk Talk message.
-Good work today.
I could not help smiling at how perfectly that fit him.
"Yes, sir. Yes."
Right then, messages started pouring into the Integrated Division 4 group chat.
[Integrated Division 4 Group Chat]
-Lee Yung-Jin: Breaking news. Rumor says Chief Ju Ho-Sung is getting grabbed by the collar by actor Kang Moo-Song right now.
-Do Ran-Hee: Actress Choi Yi-Jung joined the fight too, so Actor Division 3 is apparently complete chaos right now!
...
The aftermath of Ju Ho-Sung cursing out Pyo Eun-Jong had become far bigger than expected.
That was when I heard a sharp but cheerful voice. "Yoon-Ho. Why are you in such a good mood?"
I looked up and saw Lee Ji-Yeon. However, the sight of her sitting in the living room was completely different from usual. The woman who normally wore nothing but luxury-brand tracksuits even at home was now wearing colorful floral pants and thick-rimmed glasses. And she had her laptop sitting on the small table used as a dining table.
I was startled by how drastically she had changed, but I answered with an indifferent expression. "Mrs. Lee... you're still here?"
"Where exactly would I go when my unnie's house is right here?"
At that moment, Jung In-Ji came out of the kitchen carrying snacks on a tray and answered for me instead. "Chief Jung, kick this girl out already. Even after getting medicine from the hospital, she says she's still worried and refuses to leave. She even stole my floral pants to wear."
Lee Ji-Yeon answered with a proud expression, "I'm not leaving until unnie says she's completely recovered, so give up."
"I told you I'm all better."
"Don't be ridiculous. The doctor said you need to take medicine for at least a year."
"So what, you're planning to stick around for an entire year?"
Lee Ji-Yeon lightly pushed up the glasses resting on the tip of her nose and replied, "Well, it's not impossible... but I should head back this weekend. I have work to do too."
Ever since meeting her older sister, Lee Ji-Yeon had been heavily revising the first draft of Land of Happiness. She said the first ten episodes for the auditions would not change much, but she planned to completely restructure everything afterward.
Because she was now combining the events Yoon Na-Ra experienced with the world seen through Yoon Kkot-Nim's perspective, the structure naturally had no choice but to change. And doing those revisions alone would be difficult, so she needed the help of her assistant writers.
Without realizing it, I let out a relieved sigh and answered, "Mrs. Lee, I'll drive you home when you leave."
Lee Ji-Yeon nodded. "I'd appreciate that. By the way, before I go back, take unnie out to see the cherry blossoms with me. You'll probably be busy on the weekend, so are you free Monday?"
"Yes. Monday works for me."
Jung In-Ji placed strawberries beside the laptop and spoke. "What cherry blossoms in early May? They're probably already gone without a trace."
Lee Ji-Yeon looked at her as if she were clueless. "Unnie, don't you even watch the news? Because of the unusual cold weather this year, the cherry blossoms only started blooming last week. They said Seoul should hit full bloom this weekend."
Just as Lee Ji-Yeon said, the strange cold snap had delayed the cherry blossom season by nearly an entire month. Because of that, Cherry Blossom's new song 'Cherry Blossom', which had originally been planned for an early April comeback during cherry blossom season, was also delayed by a full month. There was no point releasing a song called 'Cherry Blossom' when the flowers had not even bloomed yet.
As a result, Seo Yeon-Woo and 'Flower Rain' would now both be making their comeback on music broadcasts this week at the same time.
Jung In-Ji sank into thought, saying she had no idea. "You're right... Now that I think about it, it's been a really long time since I went to see cherry blossoms. I haven't gone once since my husband died."
No matter how busy things had been, I still felt guilty for not taking better care of her.
"I'm sorry, ma'am."
Jung In-Ji waved her hands dismissively at me. "What are you apologizing for? You're the one who suggested we go last year, and I was the one who refused."
"Still..."
Lee Ji-Yeon suddenly cut in. "Okay. Then let's all go together. Bring Miso too!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Just as our late cherry blossom outing for next week was decided, Lee Ji-Yeon suddenly remembered something. "Oh right, Yoon-Ho. Did you ask Yeon-Woo if he'd sing the original soundtrack for our project?"
Lee Ji-Yeon really loved Seo Yeon-Woo's voice, so she wanted him to sing the theme song for Land of Happiness.
"I asked Yeon-Woo, and he said it'd be an honor. He's making her comeback with 'Flower Rain' this time, but he said he'd gladly sing anything if it's for your project, Mrs. Lee."
"That's great. I already wanted Yeon-Woo to become even more successful, so I should really push hard for him with this opportunity."
While there was an opening in the conversation, I quietly tried to bring up Kang Ha-Na's mother's upbeat trot song 'Youth, Once Again!' as well. Even if it would not become the main theme song, dramas included countless original soundtracks after all.
"Um, Ms. Lee. Also..."
Just then, my phone suddenly vibrated.
Buzz.
Thinking Kang Gam-Chan had sent another announcement, I paused mid-sentence and checked my phone.
[Notification: A new schedule entry related to Seo Yeon-Woo has been registered for May 8, 2021.]
'A schedule related to Seo Yeon-Woo?'
The moment I checked what it was, I could not help but stare in shock.
[Everyday V13]
[Date: May 8, 2021]
-06:30 p.m. [NEW. Seo Yeon-Woo]
Booked for assault charges. All activities suspended indefinitely. (Additional: Woo Yeon-Hee present at the scene. Called in for witness questioning.)
'Seo Yeon-Woo, who's making his comeback on music broadcasts this week, is going to commit assault? None other than that gentle, unbelievably kind Seo Yeon-Woo?'