Chapter 12: That Won’t Work
The woman, with a stature reminiscent of a model, and shiny, straight hair that reached down to her waist caught my eyes. This beautiful woman was carrying a Hermos bag worth tens of millions of won and was dressed in a black Channy tweed belted dress. She walked slowly toward us, seemingly oblivious to the people waiting for her inside the elevator.
Ju Yung-In walked into the elevator with a haughty expression and frowned for a moment when she saw me.
“Sixth floor.”
Kang Myung-Gil ordered me to press the floor button.
“Yes, sir.”
After pressing the button, I stepped aside and averted my gaze. She was the woman who left me while I was facing death. However, I had no choice but to endure her presence.
As of now, everything related to her and Kim Dong-Soo was a part of the future known only to me.
When the elevator doors closed, Kang Myung-Gil acted as if he had done me a great favor.
“Yoon-Ho, you punk. I’ll let it slide this time, but you better take care of Yung-In first next time. Do you know how much the company lost because Yung-In’s schedule got messed up?”
Kang Myung-Gil’s gaze was fixed on Ju Yung-In while speaking to me.
‘Was he trying to inform her that I was the talent agent who didn’t go to pick her up in Namyangju?’
Then Ju Yung-In started to scrutinize me slowly from head to toe. And when our eyes met, she turned her head away in a cold demeanor.
Even though she was my wife in my previous life, I had to admit she wasn’t a very likable person.
At that moment, Ju Yung-In turned her head toward Kang Myung-Gil and started to take her anger out on him.
“Mr. Kang. Why is the discipline in our company so terrible these days? A regular staff member is ignoring instructions from the chief and doesn’t even respond to a team lead’s advice.”
Kang Myung-Gil’s expression was distorted upon hearing Ju Yung-In’s gentle voice.
“T-that’s because this bastard doesn’t understand hierarchies.”
“Oh, is that so? But you must be very kind-hearted considering that you are letting it slide like this.”
Upon hearing Ju Yung-In’s sarcastic remark, Kang Myung-Gil turned to me angrily.
“Hey, Jung Yoon-Ho. Why aren’t you responding to me? Did you not hear what I said about prioritizing Yung-In next time? Do I look like a joke to you?”
A smile that only I could recognize flickered across Ju Yung-In’s face as she looked at Kang Myung-Gil.
‘Ju Yung-In is the same as always.’
I must have been out of my mind to marry such a woman in my past life.
‘How did I accept someone who manipulates others and vents her frustrations on them as my wife? Hold on, wait a minute.’
Come to think of it, she was the one who proposed to me—and that was right after I became the executive director at Top Entertainment. Now that I think about it, perhaps the most important thing about a man to Ju Yung-In was his usefulness to her.
‘Well, that’s probably the reason she left me upon learning that I was dying.’
At that moment, Kang Myung-Gil’s voice echoed through the elevator again.
“Hey! Are you not going to answer me!?”
I felt a bit sorry for Kang Myung-Gil blustering out of anger. After all, he was only a puppet under Ju Yung-In’s control.
If I hadn’t gone through the five stages of grief when faced with death and traveled back into the past, and if I didn’t know what kind of person Ju Yung-In was, I might have been helplessly caught up in this situation.
‘I would probably be apologizing at least a hundred times if that had been the case.’
I contemplated how to respond, but soon decided to just avoid the situation.
‘It takes two hands to clap—and I don’t want to be part of this situation.’
“Sir, I’ll be more careful next time.”
“Look at this punk. Trying to brush it off again! Answer properly!”
I spoke in a calm tone, but Kang Myung-Gil was out of his mind.
‘What the heck does he want me to do, exactly? Does he want a heartfelt apology? Should I split my chest open and show him my sincere heart?’
I tried my best to hold back my emotions, but I began to feel the anger slowly rising within me.
Fortunately, I heard the sound of the elevator stopping on the fourth floor at that moment.
Ding!
-Fourth floor~.
The elevator announced our arrival on the fourth floor. I took thirteen deep breaths to calm myself down, then spoke to Ju Yung-In with a stoic expression.
“It seems like there has been a misunderstanding, Miss Ju. I couldn’t pick you up due to an urgent matter that came up, not because I intended to leave you stranded. Now please excuse me, I have a meeting to attend.”
I bowed slightly before stepping out of the elevator. However, Kang Myung-Gil reached his hand out to me, cursing.
“How dare a damn first year newbie turn his back toward me and get off the elevator before I am done talking?”
At that moment, I turned and grabbed his hand instinctively.
My nickname used to be ‘Lightning’ when I was a child, because of my quick reflexes and sharp eyes. I even considered becoming a professional boxer at one point. However, I had never laid hands on anyone after becoming an office worker—until yesterday, that is.
Irritated by Ju Yung-In, I almost threw a punch at Kang Myung-Gil’s face.
“W-what do you think you’re doing right now!?”
Kang Myung-Gil was quite taken aback by my grip on his hand. Holding on to Kang Myung-Gil’s hand, which was turning increasingly red, I warned Ju Yung-In.
“Miss Ju Yung-In. If you need anything, please speak to the senior talent agents in Division 3, where there are many competent staff. I am simply someone who belongs to Division 2.
The moment I finished speaking, I lightly flicked Kang Myung-Gil’s hand away. He lost his balance, staggered, and went back into the elevator.
I watched the elevator door close and turned my body toward the meeting room. But at that moment, the closing elevator door opened again.
Soon, I heard Kang Myung-Gil’s furious voice.
“Why, you fucking bastard! Hey! Stay right there! Stop! I said stop right there!”
‘Oh my goodness. Can he get any more annoying?’
Just when I thought I might have to teach him a lesson, my savior appeared.
Chief Gu Seong-Cheol walked out of the meeting room at the end of the hallway and shouted as he scratched his head.
“What’s with all the noise so early in the morning!?”
Upon hearing Gu Seong Cheol’s shout, Kang Myung-Gil and Ju Yung In’s expressions were distorted.
“Oh, no. It’s nothing, sir.”
“Hm, is that so? Then you should really get going. Didn’t you say you’re busy today with the KBC special event?”
Kang Myung-Gil and Ju Yung-In turned around with awkward expressions.
‘But what’s up with those salty glances?’
No matter how upset those two were, I belonged to Division 2, not their division. As long as Hoop Entertainment didn’t fail, there was no reason for me to heed their words. With a petulant air, the two turned around and walked back into the elevator.
Then, Gu Seong-Cheol smiled at me.
“Wow, Star Jung. You’ve become quite popular, haven’t you?”
“It seems so. They were being so bossy this morning that I thought I was part of Division 3 for a moment.”
Gu Seong-Cheol chuckled upon hearing my sarcastic tone.
“Let’s start the meeting. Everyone is waiting for your coffee.”
“I’m sorry?”
“It’s the rule to make coffee for the division members if you’re late, remember? You’re one minute late.”
Because of Ju Yung-In, I was a minute late and had to make coffee first thing in the morning.
“Ah…I see. I’ll get to it right away.”
I definitely had to get back at Ju Yung-In for this.
***
“Wow. This coffee tastes amazing.”
“Have you ever considered becoming a barista?”
“Hey, quit your job as a talent agent and open a cafe with me!”
Team Lead Oh Duk-Gu, Ju Yung-Hoon, and Park In-Ki from Division 2 were sipping the coffee I handed out at the long table in the meeting room and smiling.
Perhaps it was because the lower-ranked staff had gone out on schedules, I was the only junior staff there. Although I felt a bit out of place, I gradually got used to the atmosphere of the meeting as it progressed.
Following the reports by Ju Yung-Hoon and Park In-Ki, Oh Duk Gu continued his report.
“...So, in addition to episodes 23 and 24, we’ve also received additional screen time for episode 22, which is scheduled for filming today.”
“Huh? The revised scripts are for three episodes in total? Didn’t you say only episodes 23 and 24 were revised?”
“That was the case, but we received additional revisions for episode 22 as well this morning.”
Writer Lee Ji-Yeon had eventually revised even the script of episode 22 so that Yoo-Jin could star in the drama all the way till its last episode. Hence, because of all these script revisions, Yoo-JIn got up early to practice her acting this morning.
“Oh wow. It seems like Ms. Lee Ji-Yeon really likes Yoo-Jin.”
“Yes, sir. Thanks to Yoon-Ho’s hard work on set, it seems like Ms. Lee Ji-Yeon has taken a liking to Yoo-Jin.”
Gu Seong Cheol smiled and opened his mouth.
“That’s right. I heard that Yoon-Ho has been doing great lately. So? How is it? How does it feel to be in charge of someone for the first time?”
“It feels good. I’ve been managing fine, sir.”
“Keep up the good work. If you continue to do well, you might be exclusively assigned to Yoo-Jin.”
Usually for the second year newbies, they had to attend to other celebrities' schedules when their main assigned celebrity’s schedule was over. However, exclusively managing Yoo-Jin also meant that I would have more time to assist the members of Faithful whom I would meet in the future. Of course, this was contingent on my continued success.
“Thank you, sir.”
“Don’t mention it. But which actress lost the most screen time with Yoo-Jin receiving more lines?”
“It’s Park Eun-Bin.”
“Park Eun-Bin from Petite More? That brat?”
Park Eun-Bin, who lost screen time to Jung Yoo-Jin, was the leader of Petite More, a top-tier girl group in their fifth year since debut. She was currently fully backed by the second biggest agency in the industry, TK Entertainment, and started her acting career this year.
However, she was a textbook example of what a terrible actress was. With a deep sigh, Gu Seong-Cheol warned Oh Duk-Gu.
“Team Lead Oh, be careful not to clash with that brat on set. Pay special attention to those from TK Entertainment. Okay?”
“Yes, sir. Well understood. Don’t worry.”
“Alright. Both of you, keep up the good work. Oh, and Yoon-Ho—make sure Yoo-Jin doesn’t get bullied by other actors on set.”
“Yes, sir.”
toward the end of the meeting, Gu Seong-Cheol said something utterly unexpected.
“Also, let’s increase Yoo-Jin’s acting lesson hours. If Ms. Lee Ji-Yeon is showing this much interest in Yoo-Jin, we should also be paying more attention to her acting.”
Actor Choi Hyun-Min, managed by Team Lead Ju Yung-Hoon of Division 2, was a veteran supporting actor and coach with twelve years of experience.
Unfortunately, everyone had been thinking that the improvement in Yoo-Jin’s acting was all thanks to Choi Hyun-Min. I had initially planned to suggest cutting down on Yoo-Jin’s acting lesson hours after a period of time, but I couldn’t wait any longer.
Even if it meant receiving criticism, I had to step up right now.
“Yoon-Ho. Starting tomorrow, come to the company for lessons when Yoo-Jin doesn’t have a schedule and…”
“That won’t work, sir.”
I interrupted Gu Seong-Cheol in a firm manner, causing all eyes in the meeting room to fixate on me.
Gu Seong-Cheol frowned and opened his mouth.
“What do you mean ‘that won’t work?’ Why not?”
“Yoo-Jin is better off practicing on her own than receiving lessons, sir.”
Oh Duk-Gu lightly tugged on the sleeve of my suit, signaling me not to cause an unnecessary scene.
“Hey, what’s wrong with you?”
I knew very well that even if Gu Seong-Cheol was usually amiable, he was unstoppable when angered. But I couldn’t let Yoo-JIn, who had just started to bloom, be crushed by an evil plan. Getting a trash coach like Choi Hyun-Min to give Yoo-Jin acting lessons at a crucial time like this was nothing short of destroying her career.
Sitting across from me, Ju Yung-Hoon, who was known for his gentle demeanor, also wore a stern expression.
“Did something happen to you this morning? What’s up with the sudden change?”
Under the stiff gaze of everyone in the meeting room, I began to argue that Yoo-Jin’s acting had surpassed the level where she needed lessons.
***
While I was on my way to pick up Yoo-Jin after the meeting, Oh Duk-Gu scolded me non-stop in the car.
“Are you…are you out of your mind?”
“No, sir. I’m in my right mind.”
“You are driving me nuts. Why have you suddenly changed like this?”
The atmosphere had turned tense earlier in the meeting when I insisted that Yoo-Jin no longer needed acting lessons. In response, Gu Seong-Cheol proposed an alternative solution.
He said taking the initiative and actively looking out for my assigned talent was a good attitude. However, he said he couldn’t accept my opinion without any tangible evidence to back it up considering the good reputation of Choi Hyun-Min. Therefore I was told to deliver performances that met expectations if I wanted to get Yoo-Jin out of her lessons.
At the very least, I had to ensure that the company heard about Yoo-Jin’s good acting on set.
He also warned that I would be removed from exclusively managing Yoo-Jin and reassigned elsewhere if they were ever to hear someone say her acting was bad. Gu Seong-Cheol was famous for keeping his word and walking the talk, so I knew his words were not empty threats.
I repeatedly urged Oh Duk-Gu, who was sitting in the passenger seat, to keep mum about this.
“Mr. Oh. Please don’t say anything about this to Yoo-Jin. If she finds out, she might be unnecessarily worried and it might affect her acting.”
Oh Duk-Gu let out a deep sigh and shook his head.
“Sigh. I just don’t get it. I don’t know what you see in Yoo-Jin…after all, how well can a newbie who just started acting really do? Ugh! Whatever. Do as you wish!”
“You’ll understand what I mean when you see Yoo-Jin on set yourself.”
“Fine, fine, It’s your career on the line, so who am I to stop you?”
Although he spoke gruffly, his expression was filled with concern. After all, this sunbae was a good person.
***
“Scene 269 of Episode 22. Ready~ Action!”
Upon arriving at the set, I heard PD Park’s voice through the loudspeaker. The staff continued to film according to the cue sheet which was based on the revised script for Episode 22.
However, an unexpected problem arose—even though the filming for Episode 22 had started, the viewership ratings for Episode 22 of the Morning Takes Off that was to be broadcast on the 24th remained unchanged in my planner.
[Everyday V10]
[Date: December 24th, 2019]
-10:00 PM <The Morning Takes Off> Episode 22 Monitoring. Viewership Rating: 19.5%
Thanks to Ms. Lee Ji-Yeon’s fondness for Yoo-Jin, she had revised the scripts for not only Episodes 23 and 24, but also Episode 22. As a result, the amount of Yoo-Jin’s screen time had increased significantly. However, the viewership ratings showed no change, not even by 0.1%.
The fact that the schedule in the planner was still the same meant the future remained the same. I couldn’t understand how this was happening, especially given the high-stakes situation where I had confidently staked my career in front of Gu Seong-Cheol.
‘Why is the viewership rating still the same!?’
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