Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All

[Everyday V12]

[Date: November 25, 2020]

-10:00 p.m.: [New. Jung Yoo-Jin] Weekly Star Article Countermeasure Meeting. (Meeting Agenda: Refusal to request changes to malicious article titles. Discussion on whether to proceed with legal action.)

An interview was scheduled at 2 p.m. today, with Reporter Jang Moon-Ki from Weekly Star. Though Jang Moon-Ki was known for exaggerations and gossip columns, he wasn't someone reckless enough to destroy his reputation.

Furthermore, the information I had shared with him until now had brought him close to a promotion to team lead. Although I didn't particularly like him, we had worked well together so far.

'What could have caused this mishap?' I wondered.

Unable to understand the situation, I immediately called Jang Moon-Ki. After a few rings, he answered in an unexpectedly cheerful tone.

-Hey, Team Lead Jung! Good to hear from you.

"Mr. Jang, you're aware of today's interview, right?"

I tried to gauge Jang Moon-Ki's intentions, but he seemed genuinely unaware of any potential issue.

'Should I postpone the interview?'

Canceling today would mean rescheduling for another time, but that wouldn't be possible until after the end of the year. Once the child actors left Hwaranjeon in two days, Yoo-Jin's tight filming schedule wouldn't allow her to visit Seoul anytime soon. Severing ties with Weekly Star wasn't an option either.

That left me with only one choice: face whatever it was head-on.

"Mr. Jang. Just so you know, I'll take Yoo-Jin and leave immediately if anything goes wrong during today's interview."

-Come on, why would I do anything stupid? I know you too well to mess with you, Team Lead Jung!

"Alright. See you then."

-Sure. Just be here by 1:50 p.m. in the meeting room on the seventh floor.

After hanging up, I noticed Yoo-Jin watching me with concern while holding Lucky and Mimi's babies in her arms. "Oppa, what is it? Is something wrong?"

Though something was brewing, I couldn't pinpoint what. "Not really. Just remember, no matter how friendly Jang Moon-Ki seems, never let your guard down with entertainment reporters. Got it?"

Yoo-Jin lifted Baekseolgi and Injeolmi, making them answer for her in their little voices.

"Woof!"

"Meow~"

"Yes, Mr. Talent Agent!"

I smiled. "Good. I'll head to the office first and then go straight to Weekly Star."

"Okay, see you later!"

Just then, Jung In-Ji appeared and poured food into bowls before calling Lucky and Mimi.

"Lucky, Mimi! Time to eat. Leave the little ones with Yoo-Jin."

At that moment, Lucky and Mimi got up as if they understood.

"Woof woof!"

"Meow~"

The litters tried to follow their mothers, but Yoo-Jin blocked them with her legs. "Happy, Love, Seolgi, Jeolmi. You guys are staying with me for lunch!"

The puppies whined and chirped, making various sounds. Yoo-Jin held onto Happy and Love, but Baekseolgi wriggled out and slipped under her leg while Injeolmi climbed over with her tiny claws.

"Meow!"

Yoo-Jin holding Happy and Baekseolgi in both hands shouted in frustration. "Oppa, can you grab Seolgi and Jeolmi for me?"

"Got it."

I grabbed Baekseolgi and Injeolmi and fed the two of them with baby bottles. Only after they were fed did I finally eat the toast Jung In-Ji had prepared and headed to the office.

***

As soon as I arrived at work, we held a meeting for the publicity campaign related to tomorrow's College Scholastic Ability Test.

The usual slogans for celebrity Instargem posts were brought up: "Good luck! May all your guesses be correct!"

They were clichéd but effective.

At that moment, Do Ran-Hee raised her hand enthusiastically. "Mr. Jung! How about this: 'If you fail here, your life is over! Go in with a do-or-die attitude!'"

As always, Do Ran-Hee never failed to disappoint me.

"What do you think they are, some kind of warriors? Do you think it's the Three Kingdoms era? Do you want our celebrities' Instargem comment sections to be ruined by hate comments?" I replied in jest.

When I clenched my fist, Do Ran-Hee quickly hid behind Eun Ji-Yoo and muttered in protest, "I mean, it's to encourage them to give their all at the exam."

I glared at her playfully. "Encourage them to fail? Most of them probably already feel like jumping into a river and you're pushing them further."

At that moment, Jung Sang-Bong chimed in. "How about this: 'You can do it. You can do it. You can do it.' What do you think, Mr. Jung?"

"That's not exactly a traditional CSAT cheer, but... why repeat it three times?"

Jung Sang-Bong scratched his head. "That was the mantra I repeated to myself before I won my gold medal. It was to remind myself that I'd done my best and to keep my courage."

For a moment, everyone looked at Jung Sang-Bong in silence.

"Yeah, I remember that. You were losing with one minute left when you won that gold medal, right?"

"I actually think that's a great idea."

Everyone voiced their agreement.

"Okay, let's go with that! Assistant Manager Kim, post it on Team Jung's Instargem and add 'Good luck on CSAT!' at the start."

"Understood, Mr. Jung."

It was 1:30 p.m. by the time the meeting ended. Just as I was rushing to Weekly Star, my phone suddenly rang.

[Caller ID: Jung Yoo-Jin]

Yoo-Jin had gone to Weekly Star earlier with Lee Yung-Jin. Considering this morning's schedule predicted malicious articles, I answered her call urgently. "Hey, Yoo-Jin. What's up?"

-Oppa, am I doing an interview with So Yi-Yung sunbae today…?

"What? No. You're the only one scheduled for an interview."

-But So Yi-Yung sunbae is here in the meeting room, saying she's doing the interview with me. Yung-Jin oppa went to find out what's going on.

I wasn't sure what was happening, but I reassured Yoo-Jin. "I'll be right there."

-Okay. Oh, and oppa, the interview isn't with Mr. Jang Moon-Ki. It's being handled by the new team lead.

"A new team lead? Who?"

"Um... her name is Yoo Chae-Hwa? Or was it Yoo Chae-Min?"

"Yoo Chae-Min?"

"Do you know her?"

'Of course I do.'

Yoo Chae-Min was infamous. Her father was a senior reporter from Light Daily News, and she was nicknamed a gold digger in the industry. She had inherited the beauty of her mother, a former Miss Korea, and used it to extract exclusive stories that earned her that nickname.

The problem was her biased articles. While she wasn't strictly discriminatory between men and women, she often wrote scathing articles about actresses. I later learned it was due to her own frustration about failing to become an actress herself.

'Now I understand why there's a sudden change in the schedule.'

It wasn't Jang Moon-Ki but Yoo Chae-Min leading the interview, and that's where the trouble lay.

"Yoo-Jin, Reporter Yoo Chae-Min is a master at targeting actresses. Try to delay the interview as much as you can."

-Got it. I'll hide in the bathroom and stall for time. Hurry up!

"Wow, Jung Yoo-Jin. Not bad!"

-I've picked up some tricks over time~

"I'm hanging up for now. I'll call you back soon."

-Okay~

Yoo-Jin had gotten a lot craftier over time from spending lots of time with me. Moreover, her voice sounded noticeably brighter after our call.

As soon as I ended the call, I left the meeting room and headed to the underground parking lot while dialing Jang Moon-Ki to get more details.

***

I learned more specifics about the situation through my call with Jang Moon-Ki.

Jang Moon-Ki had scored several exclusive stories related to Team Jung and was at the top of the promotion list. However, his chances of advancement disappeared when Yoo Chae-Min backed by her father took over as team lead.

To make matters worse, Yoo Chae-Min had suddenly brought in So Yi-Yung and scheduled a joint interview. She argued it would be more provocative to put the actresses of MBS' Hwaranjeon and KBC's Queen Jeong-Hee against each other.

The editor-in-chief even sided with Yoo Chae-Min, leaving Jang Moon-Ki sidelined.

After hearing the full story, I pressed the accelerator harder. Moments later, I arrived at Weekly Star's underground parking lot.

Jang Moon-Ki rushed over to greet me. "Team Lead Jung! You're here."

"Has the interview started?"

"Not yet. At least it didn't when I came down."

"Got it. Let's go up right away."

Jang Moon-Ki and I headed to the seventh floor together in the elevator. In the hallway outside the meeting room, the talent agents of the actresses being interviewed were waiting. After brief greetings, I turned my attention to the meeting room.

I could see the meeting room's interior through the clear glass. Yoo-Jin sat at the long conference table with So Yi-Yung seated on one side. Opposite them sat Yoo Chae-Min, accompanied by Reporter Oh Yung-Hee.

'It's already begun.'

At thirty-two years old, Yoo Chae-Min had shoulder-length brown hair and wore a stylish outfit as she crossed her legs. While she lacked charisma and talent, her visuals rivaled those of actresses.

Perhaps because of this, Yoo Chae-Min harbored a deep inferiority complex toward the actresses.

At that moment, Lee Yung-Jin noticed me and quickly approached. "Mr. Jung. I tried to stop it, but Yoo-Jin insisted on proceeding."

"It's fine. You did well. Avoiding unnecessary conflict is better. When did the interview start?"

"Just now."

To be honest, I wanted to pull Yoo-Jin out of the interview immediately. However, abruptly ending the session would only invite harsher criticism. Headlines would claim Yoo-Jin fled out of fear of So Yi-Yung or that Hwaranjeon was losing ground to Queen Jeong-Hee.

I knew articles full of sensational exaggerations would be inevitable if I left with Yoo-Jin now. For now, I decided to observe and wait for the right moment to intervene.

'I'll wait for their mistake and overturn everything in one move.'

I whispered cautiously to Lee Yung-Jin. "Yung-Jin, see if you can find out what the editor-in-chief is up to."

"The editor-in-chief? Why?"

"There must be a reason they allowed this nonsense."

The editor-in-chief had overridden Jang Moon-Ki's interview and sided with Yoo Chae-Min. This meant they were likely complicit in today's malicious article plans.

"I'll subtly probe around and see what I can find."

"Thanks."

Meanwhile, Yoo-Jin's interview continued inside the room.

***

Inside the meeting room, Yoo Chae-Min looked at Yoo-Jin and asked.

-Miss Yoo-Jin. I'd like to ask, how does it feel to take on your first lead role? Any pressure or the like?

-There's always pressure. I want to show viewers my best...

-Come on, Miss Yoo-Jin. That answer is so clichéd. It's boring.

-I'm sorry?

-That kind of answer won't give you a good article…Hmm. Let me step up the game and ask a bolder question. You competed against Miss So Yi-Yung in your last project, and you ended up competing with her once again. It was your victory last time, but what do you think this time? Are you confident?

For a moment, Yoo-Jin and So Yi-Yung both wore a flustered expression. Although answering Yoo Chae-Min's question wasn't difficult, it could easily end up being used in a malicious article and ruin their image.

Yoo-Jin's expression briefly froze at the remark but quickly softened when she noticed me signaling through the glass.

'Stay calm.'

Yoo-Jin nodded slightly and took a couple of deep breaths before smiling. Then she responded with a composed demeanor.

-Viewership ratings are just numbers. I don't think acting is about winning or losing. Regardless of the viewership ratings, there's much I can learn from So Yi-Yung sunbae's performance.

Yoo-Jin's calm and modest answer made Yoo Chae-Min's expression twist in frustration.

-Come on! Who's going to read such a dull interview? Don't you know netizens care about which drama wins in the viewership ratings?

Yoo Chae-Min continued to provoke Yoo-Jin, but she maintained her composure.

'Good job, Jung Yoo-Jin.'

When her attempts to rattle Yoo-Jin failed, Yoo Chae-Min shifted her attention to So Yi-Yung.

-Miss Yoo-Jin's answers are so uninspiring. Let me ask you, Miss Yi-Yung. How do you feel about this rematch?

So Yi-Yung glanced at Yoo-Jin for a moment before speaking.

-How do I feel about facing Miss Yoo-Jin again? Excited. To be honest, I'd love to get my revenge this time.

-Revenge?

-Oh, oops, slip of the tongue. You'll smooth that out for me, right?

-Of course~! Miss Yi-Yung, I didn't know you were so bold. I love it!

Yoo Chae-Min gave her a thumbs-up, and So Yi-Yung matched her enthusiasm.

-Then unnie, can I count on you to highlight my part today?

-Absolutely. I'll boost you as much as I can.

Their camaraderie was nauseating as the interview went on.

At that moment, Lee Yung-Jin returned with an alarmed expression. "Mr. Jung."

"What is it?"

"The editor-in-chief is meeting with President Yoo Kang-Seok from TNT Entertainment."

"What? President Yoo Kang-Seok?"

"Yes. I don't know what they're discussing, but they looked thrilled in the editor-in-chief's office."

That's when the true culprit of today's mess became clear. TNT's Yoo Kang-Seok orchestrated this to sabotage Yoo-Jin's image and revive So Yi-Yung's career.

'Yoo Kang-Seok, so you're the mastermind.'

It was obvious that Team Lead Yoo Chae-Min and Editor-in-Chief Choi Min-Jun had been bribed.

'So that's what's going on, huh?'

As soon as I realized what was going on in detail, various countermeasures crossed my mind. However, the best among all was to shake things up with Weekly Star.

At that moment, Yoo Chae-Min posed another leading question to Yoo-Jin.

-Miss Yoo-Jin, do you have anyone you'd consider a rival?

Caught off guard while listening to So Yi-Yung's interview, Yoo-Jin hesitated before answering.

-I don't usually think about rivals. But, well, there is one person who comes to mind.

Yoo Chae-Min's lips curled into a smile as she began jotting notes. It was her habit to write down clickbait headlines as soon as inspiration struck.

-And who might that be?

-It's Yung-In. She's currently filming a movie in China.

At that moment, Yoo Chae-Min's smirk widened as she twisted Yoo-Jin's words.

-So to sum up, no one but Miss Ju Yung-In is a threat to you? Does that mean Miss Yi-Yung here isn't even a candidate as a rival?

'That's it.'

There was no reason to hold back anymore. Since I have decided to shake things up, now was the perfect opportunity.

I immediately turned to Jang Moon-Ki and raised my voice. "Mr. Jang, I didn't agree to this circus of an interview. I'm going to shut this down, so please inform the editor-in-chief."

"Huh? Team Lead Jung! W-wait a minute."

Before the startled Jang Moon-Ki could stop me, I shrugged off his hand and strode into the meeting room.

I was fully prepared to blow the whole thing up.

Ristretto's Thoughts

Huh? I don't get it. Why doesn't Yoo Chae-Min just live her own happy life if she's pretty as an actress and rich (considering that her father is a powerful figure in the industry.) I wouldn't be complaining LOL

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