Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All

In Room No.1 of Apgujeong's VIP Club Butterfly, Team Lead Han Gwang-Hyun, Hoop Entertainment's rising star Kang Moo-Song, and Director Pyo Eun-Jong of KBC's drama department were thoroughly drunk.

Han Gwang-Hyun had fallen asleep leaning against the sofa, only to wake at the sound of Kang Moo-Song's voice.

"Hey. Are you sleeping? Hey! Gwang-Hyun!"

Han Gwang-Hyun painfully straightened himself up and shook his head. "N-No, hyung."

"You punk. Good. Mr. Pyo's glass is empty. Fill it up already."

"Okay."

'It feels like morning already...'

His plan to get Kang Moo-Song drunk from the afternoon onward so he would postpone the meeting with Pyo Eun-Jong had failed completely. The moment Kang Moo-Song got drunk, he immediately summoned Pyo Eun-Jong and then passed out on the sofa himself. In the end, Han Gwang-Hyun could not leave the club and had to entertain the newly arrived Pyo Eun-Jong instead.

Somewhere during all of that, he had secured a promise that Kang Moo-Song would receive the lead role in A Life Lived Twice, but for the last two hours he had repeatedly blacked out without even realizing it.

"Hey, what are you doing? I told you to pour him a drink already!"

At Kang Moo-Song's irritated shout, Han Gwang-Hyun snapped back to attention and hurriedly stood.

Then he bent at the waist toward Pyo Eun-Jong. "Mr. Pyo~ Please take good care of Moo-Song hyung-nim~"

His tongue was half twisted from alcohol, making his words slur badly, but Pyo Eun-Jong only laughed loudly as if he found it amusing. "Just trust me. This project's going to be a massive hit, so someone at Moo-Song's level basically already has the lead role secured. Oh, and I heard Writer Lee Ji-Yeon's audition got postponed?"

"Y-Yes, that's what happened."

"So Writer Nam was right. She said that even if Writer Lee Ji-Yeon writes a good script, if the child actors can't carry it, she'll tear the whole thing apart and rewrite it. Looks like that's exactly what happened. Hahaha."

"Is that so?"

"Oh, and you know HK is backing this project hard, right? If you're quick on your feet and know how to read the room, you should be able to land a few ad deals easily. You won't walk away empty-handed either, so make sure you stay on HK's good side. You get what I'm saying, right?"

Han Gwang-Hyun had never once accepted dirty money in his life. The moment he did, he knew it would eventually come back to grab him by the ankle. Still, he could not ruin the mood, so he pretended to accept the offer.

"Ah, thank you very much, sir."

"If you're thankful, then make me a proper drink! Urgh."

Han Gwang-Hyun staggered to his feet and began pouring soju and beer into a single glass. But after securing the promise of Kang Moo-Song's leading role, a strange sense of defiance toward Jung Yoon-Ho started rising inside him.

'Yeah. Is he really that special? What do I lack compared to Chief Jung?'

Even while Ju Ho-Sung glared at him, Han Gwang-Hyun had gathered his courage and personally gone to ask Jung Yoon-Ho to accept him. However, Jung Yoon-Ho responded by giving him a ridiculous condition for transferring divisions. He was told to take his child to LT Amusement Park and take a picture while holding asthma inhalers on Children's Day,

'Ah, come to think of it, I still didn't buy the inhalers. Damn it.'

A wave of guilt toward his son washed over him, but he quickly shook his head. He told himself he would buy his son an even better robot toy later.

'Yeah. I'll make it on my own without Chief Jung's help.'

Having made up his mind, Han Gwang-Hyun stirred the glass even harder.

"Whirlwiiind~"

The soju and beer swirled together inside the glass, forming a vortex of foam. Seeing the perfect whirlpool, Pyo Eun-Jong clapped like a seal.

And then, the door suddenly burst open and a cold gust of wind swept in from behind them.

Bang!

Wondering what was going on, Han Gwang-Hyun quickly turned his head. Standing at the doorway was Jung Yoon-Ho, his expression ice-cold.

"So you broke your promise," said Jung Yoon-Ho in a cold voice.

The moment Han Gwang-Hyun saw Jung Yoon-Ho, guilt hit him for no reason and his voice began to shake.

"Oh... well... I've changed my mind. I'm sorry."

"So you're saying you won't be coming to Actor Division 4?"

Han Gwang-Hyun lowered the whirlwind cocktail he was holding in both hands onto the table.

Thunk.

Gathering his courage, Han Gwang-Hyun answered, "Yes. I'll just stay in Actor Division 3."

Right then, Kang Moo-Song shouted from behind him as if backing him up. "Hey, Jung Yoon-Ho. Gwang-Hyun isn't going to your Division 4, so get that straight. And I'm going to star in Writer Nam Jong-Ok's project now, so stay out of our business!"

Pyo Eun-Jong, sitting nearby, cleared his throat and chimed in. "Well, things turned out this way, Chief Jung. Since you're here, why not have a drink with us?"

"I'm fine." Jung Yoon-Ho gave Pyo Eun-Jong a slight bow of greeting before glaring at Han Gwang-Hyun. "Where's your phone?"

"Well..."

At that moment, Kang Moo-Song pulled out the phone from behind him and waved it around. "I've got Gwang-Hyun's phone right here."

"So that's why you couldn't answer my calls."

Jung Yoon-Ho frowned deeply, strode forward, and snatched the phone right out of Kang Moo-Song's hand.

Snatch!

"Huh? You little bastard, what the hell are you doing right now?"

Facing the flustered Kang Moo-Song, Jung Yoon-Ho raised his voice. "I know talent agents help actors with their work, but how can you drag a father with a family into this on Children's Day of all days and force him to drink like this?"

"Jung Yoon-Ho. Hey, you... you're not going to regret this later? You don't care if I refuse to renew my contract this year, huh?"

"It's actually more convenient for us if people who treat their talent agents like this leave. And more importantly..." Jung Yoon-Ho stared straight at him. "Our company won't collapse just because you're gone!"

"What? How dare you... how dare you..."

Kang Moo-Song trembled with rage, but Jung Yoon-Ho did not even blink. He shoved Han Gwang-Hyun's phone back into his hand.

Han Gwang-Hyun cried out in shock. "Mr. Jung! How can you do this? If Moo-Song hyung-nim leaves, what am I supposed to do?"

At that moment, Jung Yoon-Ho looked at Han Gwang-Hyun as if he were pathetic. "So if Kang Moo-Song disappears, it's a disaster, but if your family disappears, that's not a problem?"

"What?"

"I told you. I said no matter whether an actor called you or someone from the broadcasting station called you, you were supposed to go to the amusement park with your son!"

"I can do that next time..."

"Do you think there's going to be a next time in your life?"

"What do you mean by—"

"Come with me. I think we're already too late, but there should at least be a chief mourner on his way."

"W-What... chief mourner? What chief mourner?"

Jung Yoon-Ho grabbed Han Gwang-Hyun by the arm and dragged him outside. Staggering drunkenly, Han Gwang-Hyun followed after him. He was far too drunk to resist Jung Yoon-Ho's strength.

Behind them, Kang Moo-Song shouted furiously, "Hey! If you two walk out that door, it's over! Over!"

Without even looking back, Jung Yoon-Ho waved a hand. "Bye-bye."

Han Gwang-Hyun was once again astonished by Jung Yoon-Ho's nerve. Even with tens of billions of won potentially slipping away, the man did not blink an eye. Still, the words he had just heard kept echoing in his ears.

'Chief mourner? What the hell is this guy talking about?'

Even after I clearly told him there needed to be a chief mourner, Han Gwang-Hyun, unable to overcome the alcohol, fell asleep the moment he sat in the car, even snoring loudly. I barely suppressed the rage climbing to the top of my head as I drove toward Gangnam Seven Stars Hospital.

Screech.

After parking in the lot, I sent a Kk Talk message saying we had arrived. Then I immediately shouted at Han Gwang-Hyun, "Wake up!"

Han Gwang-Hyun flailed both hands and jolted upright. "Uuuaaah! Whirlwind driiiinks~~"

"This man still thinks he's at a drinking party? What whirlwind?"

Even after hearing my scolding, Han Gwang-Hyun still seemed unable to understand the situation and looked around blankly.

"Where is this...?"

"Can't you tell by looking? It's a hospital."

Han Gwang-Hyun frowned and looked ahead. The moment he saw the building in front of him, his eyes widened.

"This is a funeral hall."

I nodded. "Yes. I told you already. You needed to play the role of chief mourner."

Han Gwang-Hyun jerked his head toward me in shock. "W-Wait. Who died? I'm the chief mourner?"

"Yes."

"Who died?"

Without answering, I got out of the car. As if suddenly sensing something was wrong, Han Gwang-Hyun frantically searched inside his jacket.

"My phone! My phone! Where's my phone?!"

Even though I had taken it from Kang Moo-Song earlier, he did not even remember.

Clicking my tongue, I grabbed his fumbling arm and dragged him out of the car. "Follow me."

Han Gwang-Hyun shouted in panic, "My phone... no, w-who died? My father? My mother? Stop being so frustrating and tell me!"

I gave no reply and harshly pushed him forward. "I begged you, didn't I? I told you to go to the amusement park today! I told you to buy the inhalers too!"

Han Gwang-Hyun's face turned pale. "No way. N-No... that's not it, right?"

Only now was he beginning to realize who I had been talking about.

"Please tell me it's not true, Mr. Jung. Please?"

With a cold expression, I yanked him along by the arm. Still denying reality, Han Gwang-Hyun staggered after me.

"It can't be Tae-Joon... no way..."

The moment we entered the first-floor lobby, I pulled him to the right. At Seven Stars Hospital Funeral Hall, the funeral rooms were divided on either side of the information desk. Rooms 1 through 10 were on the left, while Special Rooms 1 through 3 were on the right.

As soon as we turned right into the hallway, information appeared on the LCD mounted to the wall, listing the deceased and the chief mourners.

[We Pray for the Deceased's Soul.]

[The Late Han Tae-Joon]

[Special Room 3]

[Chief Mourners: (Father) Han Gwang-Hyun, (Mother) Jin Hye-Yeon]

...

"Uh... uhhh..."

The moment he saw the screen, Han Gwang-Hyun trembled violently before collapsing to the floor.

"W-Why is my son's name there... why is it... there..."

I helped him back to his feet and urged him again in a cold voice. "Hurry. Everyone is waiting."

Special Room 3 was on the fourth floor, so I dragged the strengthless Han Gwang-Hyun into the elevator.

Ding.

We arrived on the fourth floor. The moment he stepped out of the elevator, Han Gwang-Hyun collapsed to the floor once again upon seeing the funeral wreaths lined the hallway in neat rows.

"No! No! This can't be real... not my Tae-Joon... not my boy..."

I practically dragged the panic-stricken Han Gwang-Hyun forward. Lee Yung-Jin was seated at the condolence desk near the entrance of the funeral room.

Seeing Han Gwang-Hyun, Lee Yung-Jin spoke in a cold voice. "You're very late."

Han Gwang-Hyun staggered again. After supporting him, I led him toward the mourning room. There was no portrait photo on the altar, but only flowers filling the space. And beneath that altar, Han Gwang-Hyun's wife, Jin Hye-Yeon, sat collapsed against the wall in black mourning clothes.

The moment Han Gwang-Hyun saw her, he spoke. "Hye-Yeon..."

Jin Hye-Yeon slowly turned her head. Murderous fury filled her eyes. "Why are you only coming now? Why are you only coming now?!"

"Hye-Yeon..."

"Don't call me that! You! Are you even a father? Huh? Are you really his father?!"

Jin Hye-Yeon was small in stature, yet the scream that burst from her mouth was powerful enough to echo through the entire hallway.

"Hye-Yeon..."

With tears streaming down her face, Jin Hye-Yeon shouted, "For the first time, Tae-Joon said he wanted to go to an amusement park, and you promised him! You promised you'd go! But what happened?! Do you even know how desperately he kept looking for his dad?! I told you to buy the inhaler! If we'd just had the inhaler, this never would've happened!"

Her torn, trembling voice overflowed with resentment.

Han Gwang-Hyun clutched at his chest, overcome with guilt as he tore at his own hair with the other hand. "No, Tae-Joon!!"

Han Gwang-Hyun dropped to his knees and crawled forward. There was nothing on the altar, yet he grabbed the funeral flowers with both hands and began wailing.

"Tae-Joon... Tae-Joon..."

After calling his son's name over and over for a long time, Han Gwang-Hyun suddenly sprang to his feet. His unfocused eyes stared blankly at the wall.

The instant I saw that, I grabbed his arm tightly. Because when Miso died, I had wanted to die along with her too.

"Do not hurt yourself," I said.

Just as expected, Han Gwang-Hyun violently struggled. "Let go! Let me go! What's the point of me living if Tae-Joon is gone?! Let go!!"

Han Gwang-Hyun screamed and thrashed around like a madman.

'That's why he should have just done as I told him.'

No matter how important work was, it was never more important than family. I had shown him such a simple solution, yet in the end he still chose to sit drinking with Kang Moo-Song.

Of course, he could make excuses. He could say someone else showed up and circumstances changed. But even that happened because his greed for success outweighed his family. He could have simply sent another talent agent in his place, yet he stayed because he personally wanted to produce the "results."

I said in a cold voice, "That's enough now. Stop."

"What do you mean enough?! Everything's over now! Tae-Joon!!"

The moment he screamed at the top of his lungs, I turned my head behind me and nodded.

Right then, the sound of a wheelchair rolling in echoed through the hall.

Creeeak.

And immediately after that came the voice of a five-year-old child. "Daddy..."

As if possessed, Han Gwang-Hyun instantly froze and looked around wildly. "Huh? That sounded like Tae-Joon's voice?"

"Daddy... why are you only here now?"

Han Gwang-Hyun whipped his head around. At the entrance of the funeral hall sat five-year-old Han Tae-Joon in a wheelchair being pushed by Do Ran-Hee, blinking his eyes.

As if bewitched, Han Gwang-Hyun turned to stare at me. "W-What... What is this...? A ghost...?"

At that moment, Han Tae-Joon spoke. "Daddy. I was really sick!"

Staggering unsteadily, Han Gwang-Hyun rushed toward his son.

Thud.

Dropping to his knees, Han Gwang-Hyun tightly embraced Han Tae-Joon. "Tae-Joon... you're really Tae-Joon, right?"

Han Tae-Joon nodded. "Yeah. It's me. Daddy's son Tae-Joon."

As Han Gwang-Hyun gradually regained his senses, he looked at his wife and me in confusion. "What is going on...?"

Right then, Jin Hye-Yeon wiped away her tears and screamed at the top of her lungs. "If it weren't for Mr. Jung today, Tae-Joon really would've died!"

"Died?"

"While we were on the way to the amusement park, he had an asthma attack! The inhaler broke, and I panicked too, so I almost got our son killed! But Mr. Jung already expected you wouldn't come and prepared everything in advance. He even bought extra inhalers! That's how we managed to save our son. So I... I asked Mr. Jung for a favor! I asked him to make sure you learned what happens when you live obsessed with work like this! I begged him to show you what almost could've happened!"

Thud.

Clutching his chest, Han Gwang-Hyun burst into tears. He finally realized that while this situation had been fake, it very easily could have become real.

"Guhhh..."

***

Two hours earlier at 9 a.m., to prevent the child from suffering an asthma attack out on the street, I had called Han Gwang-Hyun's wife, Jin Hye-Yeon. However, she had left the house earlier than expected. Because of her son's insistence, she planned to stop by a hospital before going to LT Amusement Park so she could get a prescription for an asthma inhaler.

However, the hospital they headed to was closed, so they ultimately had no choice but to continue toward LT Amusement Park. Fortunately, the staff from The Best Detective Agency whom I had asked for help were tailing her, so they managed to stop her car as she came out of the hospital alley.

And at that exact moment, Han Tae-Joon's asthma attack began. Because I had prepared asthma inhalers in advance, we were able to respond quickly to it. Afterward, we brought him back to the hospital and admitted him.

Then, after discussing it with Jin Hye-Yeon, we rented this funeral hall and staged an entire act using Lee Yung-Jin and several staff members. Though honestly, Jin Hye-Yeon's furious performance after nearly losing her child was far more intense than I had expected.

In any case, after moving busily since morning, Han Tae-Joon's schedule entry had already been deleted.

[EveryDay V13]

[Date: May 5, 2021]

-02:00 p.m.:

(Deleted Schedule Entry : Seven Stars Hospital Funeral Hall, Special Room 3. Death of Team Lead Han Gwang-Hyun's eldest son, Han Tae-Joon.)

While I checked the schedule entry, Han Gwang-Hyun wiped away his tears and looked at me. His eyes overflowed with unbearable regret.

Speaking in a low, heavy voice, I continued. "I'm sorry for staging something like this. But do you finally understand your disqualifying factor now? If you can't even take care of your own family, how could I ever entrust our precious actors to someone like you?"

The man who had worn such an arrogant expression when he first came to see me now simply nodded in agreement. "You're right. If I can't even take care of my sick son, what right did I have to act like I could take care of actors? And I... I'll resign. From now on, I'll find another job and spend the rest of my life apologizing to my son and wife..."

As her husband poured out his regrets, Jin Hye-Yeon turned her head away with tears in her eyes.

Right at that moment, Han Tae-Joon, still sitting in the wheelchair, looked at me and pleaded. "Mr. Jung! Please don't fire my daddy!"

"Tae-Joon, who taught you the word 'fire'?"

"Uncle Moo-Song did. He always says, 'Fire him, fire him.'"

'That bastard Kang Moo-Song.'

There was a limit to repaying kindness with betrayal. I couldn't believe he said he would fire Han Gwang-Hyun, the very man who revived his career. I had already planned to deal with him after today, but now I felt I needed to do it properly.

At that moment, Han Gwang-Hyun hurriedly tried to stop his son. "Tae-Joon. You shouldn't say things like that carelessly."

I stopped Han Gwang-Hyun and asked, "Then Tae-Joon, do you want your dad to keep being a talent agent?"

Han Tae-Joon nodded. "Yes! Daddy looks happiest when he's going to work!"

"Hm. Then what about when he comes home?"

"...When he comes home... he looks tired..."

At Han Tae-Joon's words, tears once again streamed down Han Gwang-Hyun's face. He wore the expression of a man deeply reflecting on the fact that he had spent all his time sleeping at home because he was always busy entertaining clients with drinking parties.

Seeing that scene, I felt like I would not have to worry so much about him in the future anymore, so I spoke to Han Tae-Joon. "Alright. Since today is Children's Day, I should grant your wish."

"Really?"

"Yeah. And Tae-Joon, on top of that, you'd like to see your dad more often too, right?"

Han Tae-Joon glanced repeatedly at his father before nodding. "Yes."

"Then should I grant that wish too?"

"Wow~ really?"

"Yeah. I told you already. Today's your day, Tae-Joon."

Thanking me, Han Tae-Joon drew a giant heart over his head. "Thank you!"

After patting Han Tae-Joon on the head, I looked at Han Gwang-Hyun and spoke. "Mr. Han, prepare to transfer to Actor Division 4."

"What? You're not firing me, but you're transferring me?"

"Yes. It seems your disqualifying factor has disappeared now. And I can't exactly refuse Tae-Joon's request."

Han Gwang-Hyun looked back and forth between his wife and Han Tae-Joon with a bewildered expression.

Jin Hye-Yeon nodded. "If it's with Mr. Jung, then it's okay. He's the person who saved Tae-Joon. I don't know what the disqualifying factor was, but we have to repay this kindness."

"...Alright." After answering like that, Han Gwang-Hyun looked at me. "Mr. Jung. You can tell me to do anything. I'll truly do my absolute best."

"Then here's your first instruction."

"Yes, sir."

"From now on, no more business is done through drinking parties."

Han Gwang-Hyun looked utterly baffled. "What? Reducing it is one thing, but if I stop doing business over drinks, then what am I supposed to do?"

In the future, the sales methods of Han Gwang-Hyun, the man who would one day be called the God of Sales, mostly revolved around entertaining people through drinking parties at clubs. Just like today, he would lobby powerful figures such as Pyo Eun-Jong.

However, that was not how real sales worked.

"Instead, I'll teach you what real sales actually are."