Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All - Chapter 250: Drama Wars (5)

Seeing So Yi-Yung’s phone number on the screen, I began to have all sorts of thoughts.

‘Why is she calling me? This rubs me the wrong way.‘

I had experience handling So Yi-Yung’s relationship issues in my past life.

Men usually ended the sponsorship with female celebrities when they got tired of the relationship, but So Yi-Yung was an exception.

Being the number one actress men wanted to date, she set the sponsorship period herself and ended it if she didn’t feel like continuing it.

Every time that happened, I had to deal with sponsors barging in suddenly. I had to beg for forgiveness from third-generation chaebols demanding to know where she was. Some even brought their company’s security team with them which almost led to a fistfight.

So Yi-Yung wasn’t someone I wanted to deal with because of these memories, but I was curious why she called.

“This is Jung Yoon-Ho.”

As I answered, a voice full of charm came through.

-Oh my! Mr. Jung. Hello. This is So Yi-Yung. You know me, right?

“Yes, hello.”

-Did you by chance watch my drama today? It’s my first time acting in a drama so I made a few mistakes, but I worked really hard~.

I decided to cut straight to the chase.

“I’m sorry, but I’m a bit busy right now. Can you get to the point?”

-You’re a bit impatient, aren’t you, Mr. Jung? Alright then. I actually called because I want to switch companies.

Her reply was so absurd that I didn’t know how to respond.

I had no intention of accepting her if she came to Hoop Entertainment. Moreover, I did not believe she would come.

However, a minimal check was necessary because if it were true, it would be a bothersome matter.

I immediately checked through the planner to see if she was telling the truth.

[Everyday V10.1]

[Date: November 11, 2020]

– 07:00 p.m. Regular meeting of Actor Division 3. (Report: Main role in You Are My Destiny, confirmed So Yi-Yung from TNT Entertainment.)

There was no mention of her leaving TNT Entertainment. In other words, So Yi-Yung was lying to me right now.

Fully convinced the reason she called wasn’t because she wanted to change companies, I drew a clear line.

“Don’t talk nonsense if you have no intention of coming.”

At that moment, her voice became more nasal.

-Aren’t I tempting?

Even I would have felt my heart race at her enchanting voice if I didn’t know her true nature. But now, her voice was nothing more than just noise to me.

“No. Not at all.”

-What? What did you say?

“I’m not tempted at all, so please look for someone else. And I have another schedule now, so I’m hanging up.”

-W-wait a moment…

Click.

After hanging up, I immediately blocked So Yi-Yung’s number.

I knew her purpose the moment I heard her nasal voice. She was always involved with chaebols or top stars, but this time she was trying to seduce me.

I briefly wondered, ‘Why me when I don’t even have much money?’

However, I didn’t want to try to find out more.

More urgent than her ridiculous antics was Yoo-Jin, who was probably having a tteokbokki party at home.

‘Every piece of fried food adds an extra kilometer to your run, Jung Yoo-Jin!’ I thought.

As the thought of Yoo-Jin dipping fried food in tteokbokki sauce filled my mind, I grew increasingly anxious.

Because of that reason, I quickly started the car and headed home.

***

“What the hell is with this guy?” So Yi-Yung cursed as she stared at the phone in a daze.

She had no intention of changing companies, but she didn’t expect to be turned down either. No matter which entertainment company in Korea she called, they would come running to her with good offers.

“Wait a minute. Did he reject me? Just now? A mere team lead rejected me?” So Yi-Yung continued in her belated angry realization.

She was already upset over the lower viewership ratings of her drama against the competitor, but she never imagined being treated as if she were worthless.

“This is ridiculous. Is he out of his mind?”

Seeing So Yi-Yung’s face turn red out of anger, Han Se-Hwa frowned and asked, “Miss Yi-Yung, did it not go well?”

“Well, it doesn’t always work out on the first try, does it!?”

So Yi-Yung shouted in a frustrated voice, but she didn’t know what to do because it was the first time she had been rejected like this.

‘Why did this have to happen in front of Han Se-Hwa of all times? What a fucking disgrace,‘ So Yi-Yung thought to herself.

Each time So Yi-Yung showed a slight interest in a man, they would fall in love with her as a woman and a celebrity because she was simply that desirable to anyone. However, Jung Yoon-Ho seemed to think otherwise.

Han Se-Hwa subtly provoked So Yi-Yung.

“Miss Yi-Yung, try a bit harder. If the viewership ratings continue like this… things will be difficult for both of us.”

So Yi-Yung glared at Han Se-Hwa.

“Please watch what you say. It’s not my fault the viewership ratings are low! If you want to blame someone, talk to the writer!”

At that moment, the office door opened and Hong Jang-Mi barged in yelling, “You crazy bitch. So you think it’s solely my fault the viewership ratings are low? You think I don’t know you were half-hearted in your acting in episodes 1 and 2?”

Han Se-Hwa and So Yi-Yung quickly shut their mouths and greeted Hong Jang-Mi.

“Oh my~ unnie, you’re here!” Han Se-Hwa said with a bright face.

However, Hong Jang-Mi snapped. “Se-Hwa, you seem quite happy not having to give me incentives, huh?”

Han Se-Hwa had agreed to give a bonus of 100 million won per episode if they won the viewership ratings competition.

Hong Jang-Mi was full of dissatisfaction as she couldn’t get any extra bonus anymore.

Seeing her frown, Han Se-Hwa exaggeratedly let out a long sigh.

“Unnie, do you really think money is the issue right now? Do I look like I care about saving that much petty cash?”

“Petty cash? Look at you Se-Hwa. Getting a big investment from a Chinese partner has made you haughty, huh?”

“Don’t be sarcastic. Why are you here? Didn’t you say you were revising the script?”

Hong Jang-Mi glanced around. “It’s perfect timing since Yi-Yung is here too.”

So Yi-Yung tilted her head. “Why me?”

“Why do you think so? Let’s aim for a big hit with episode 3,” Hong Jang-Mi replied.

Han Se-Hwa also tilted her head. “Unnie, by any chance…”

Hong Jang-Mi interrupted her with an answer. “You know the scene in episode 3 where the main leads meet and drink wine at the pension, right? We’ll reshoot it in the jacuzzi at the pension. I’ve already discussed it with PD Choi.”

So Yi-Yung was flustered at the word ‘jacuzzi’ and asked, “No way. Are you telling me to show skin already?”

Hong Jang-Mi sneered. “We should’ve put it in episode 1, not episode 3. I didn’t expect you to lose in viewer ratings to child actors, Yi-Yung.”

So Yi-Yung gritted her teeth because the fact that she lost to child actors was humiliating.

However, she had to admit her defeat and face the reality. The results were already out, and So Yi-Yung had lost not only to Jung Yoo-Jin but also to Miso.

“What? You don’t want to do it? Do you want to see the viewership ratings gap widen even further?” Hong Jang-Mi retorted.

So Yi-Yung gritted her teeth and responded firmly, “I’ll choose a bikini with maximum exposure. Will that be okay?”

“Avoid anything too vulgar. Too much service can be a minus point. You know that, right?”

“Yes, I know!”

The three gathered in the president’s office were once again uniting to win against In the Name of God.

***

[In the Name of God Wins the Viewership Ratings War! Viewership Ratings Gap Widens from Episode 1!]

[Winner of Wednesday and Thursday Dramas: In the Name of God. The victory came faster than expected.]

[Jung Yoo-Jin’s First Action Scene! Surprising Martial Arts Skills!]

[Short-haired Ju Yung-In. Captivating viewers with fearless acting!]

[Action Isn’t Just About Hitting! Even Taking Hits is Action! Ju Yung-In’s Striking Action Scenes Captivating Viewers!]

[So Yi-Yung’s One-Woman Show in Festival of Money]

[A Drama Filled with Intense Flavors: Festival of Money. Fun and Excitement Abound!]

The winner of the drama viewership ratings war for the first week was In the Name of God.

The public was impressed by Miso’s acting, astonished by the presence of Manshin Wol-Ah, and cheered for Yoo-Jin’s transformation.

Though only two episodes had been aired so far, the end of this journey was already anticipated.

Now, I was making my way up after being summoned by Kang Ji-Yung who stated that a visitor had come to see me.

When I opened the door and entered, a neatly dressed middle-aged woman was sitting opposite Kang Ji-Yung.

“Hello, Mr. Jung.”

The 59-year-old Moon Yung-Mi, had started with a sock shop in Daegu and built a company with a revenue of 200 billion won. She was currently co-heading LM Clothing with her husband, Lee Jong-Min.

“Ms. Moon! You must be busy, what brings you here?” I asked.

“Well, you’re the one who’s said to be busy day and night, Mr. Jung.”

Moon Yung-Mi explained that she had come to talk about a luxury brand advertisement.

“My daughter in the US is coming to Korea to launch a luxury brand here.”

At that moment, I suddenly recalled what had happened in my past life.

LM Clothing had launched the luxury brand L.M.L under the direction of General Manager Lee Yung-Ah, a top graduate of Parkinson School.

Moon Yung-Mi’s daughter, Lee Yung-Ah, made L.M.L a brand with annual sales of 50 billion won in just two years.

Moon Yung-Mi was now suggesting they wanted to use Yoo-Jin as the first global model for L.M.L.

It was a sudden proposal but not a bad one.

“I bet Yoo-Jin will be very pleased,” I said with a smile.

Moon Yung-Mi smiled broadly at my response before speaking. “But first, let me ask you something. I heard you turned down Channy’s offer yesterday, didn’t you? Is that correct?”

When Moon Yung-Mi said she heard it from Kang Ji-Yung, I answered honestly, “Yes, it is.”

“May I ask why you made that choice?”

“I couldn’t break the contract with LM.”

Moon Yung-Mi looked touched.

She added, “However, becoming a Channy model would have easily elevated Miss Yoo-Jin to stardom.”

I shook my head. “Even if it takes a bit longer, Yoo-Jin can rise on her own. Also, I didn’t want to do something against my principles and Yoo-Jin feels the same.”

At that moment, Moon Yung-Mi suddenly grabbed my hands.

I could feel a gentle tremor from her hands.

“Thank you for saying that, Mr Jung.”

“Not at all. Isn’t it only natural to uphold contracts?”

“It’s a world where most people don’t.”

Then Moon Yung-Mi made a new proposal with a serious look on her face.

“We will match all conditions offered by Channy for L.M.L’s advertisement. Additionally, we’ll give 1% of the sales over two years as an incentive. How about it?”

‘1% of the sales?’ I thought.

Considering that L.M.L had achieved 50 billion won in sales in my past life, 1% would mean an additional 500 million won every year.

I wanted to agree immediately, but a thought came to mind.

I looked at Moon Yung-Mi and said, “I’ll sign the contract right if you meet one condition.”

“Tell me.”

“We have a staff member who was an ace in the Vogue editorial team. So please allow us to choose the outfits for the shoot. I believe it will help LM Clothing’s sales as well.”

When a celebrity became a model for clothing brands, they usually couldn’t choose their own outfits. However, mentioning Lee Mi-Ri’s career piqued Moon Yung-Mi’s interest.

“Can I first meet her in person?” Moon Yung-Mi asked.

I immediately called Lee Mi-Ri and she quickly came up to the director’s office with a tablet and introduced herself.

Moon Yung-Mi smiled broadly and extended her hand. “It seems like Yung-Ah will need her help occasionally. Okay, let’s do it that way.”

After shaking hands with Moon Yung-Mi, I promptly informed Yoo-Jin of the news and Yoo-Jin gladly accepted LM Clothing’s offer.

Additionally, Moon Yung-Mi proposed using Miso as a children’s clothing model in the future.

Just by keeping my principles, I ended up receiving more than I expected in return.

***

Finally, it was July 31, 6:30 p.m., and the first episode of Haru’s new drama, Master of Mukbang, was about to air following Yoo-Jin’s drama.

There were still a lot of things to handle regarding In the Name of God, but I had to take care of Haru as well.

“Mr. Jung, what are we doing for dinner?”

Everyone seemed hungry since all we had today was a quick lunch.

“Let’s all go eat some korean barbeque after monitoring the viewership ratings.”

“Yay!”

Since Master of Mukbang was a 30-minute show, I suggested we head to Myeongnyun Satto Galbi after the monitoring.

However, we regretted that decision the moment the first episode of Master of Mukbang started after the ads.

“We should’ve just ordered some lunch boxes…”

The food in the first episode of Master of Mukbang was Baekban Jeongsik.[1]

The moment steam rose from the soybean paste stew Haru made, all the team members started to drool with regret.

Everyone’s stomach began to growl.

“Oh, this is driving me crazy.”

“Wow, that looks really delicious.”

The tofu and zucchini in the bubbling hot pot looked so tasty. Moreover, the rice with a piece of kelp in it was exceptionally glossy.

Saliva pooled in my mouth without realizing it.

As I contemplated whether to go eat right now, Haru started the mukbang scene.

From that scene on, we began to pull our hair out.

The slurping sound of him eating soybean paste stew, the munching sound of chewing rice, the sound of taking a big bite of soft rolled omelet, and every sound of eating food stimulated our imagination.

‘This is amazing ASMR,’ I remarked inwardly.

Thanks to the sound effects, we desperately craved warm rice with soybean paste stew and rolled omelet. Moreover, Haru’s genuinely happy expression while eating made it clear he was not just acting.

Seeing Haru’s happy face while eating delicious food made me certain his nickname would be Mysterious Charm again in this life.

All the members of Team Jung couldn’t take their eyes off the screen and suffered in agony until the drama ended.

The moment the drama ended, everyone stood up simultaneously.

“Mr. Jung, let’s go eat Baekban Jeongsik!”

“Deal!” I exclaimed.

Just as we forgot about tidying up and were about to dash to the restaurant, Yoo Hyun-Ji called.

“Wait! Let’s hear the viewership ratings first!” I quickly added.

I suppressed my excitement and answered the phone.

“Yes, Ms. Yoo.”

-Have you eaten?

“No, what about you, Ms. Yoo?”

-Not yet. But I thought I was going to die from hunger because of the drama.

Yoo Hyun-Ji said she almost died of hunger watching the first episode of Master of Mukbang.

“So, what were the viewership ratings?”

At that moment, Yoo Hyun-Ji replied with an excited voice.

1. Korean meal course that consists of rice, soup, main dish and side dishes ☜

Ristretto’s Thoughts

Ristretto: Okay. Well guess who else is having Baekban Jeongsik for dinner tonight

Maggy: I’m so hungryyyy TT TT