Chapter 213: New Beginning (1)
"You're honest and I admire that about you," said Lee Ji-Yeon as she looked at me.
Lee Ji-Yeon had such a strong and formidable image that everyone hesitated to speak to her. After all, not getting straight to the point only led to her scolding.
But she explained that she liked how honest and bold I was toward her from the first meeting.
Lee Ji-Yeon took a glance at Kim Soll-Ip and spoke. "Soll-Ip, you also remember when we first met Yoon-Ho. Right?"
Kim Soll-Ip nodded while picking up a spring roll with chopsticks. "Of course I do. I thought you were going to chew up a junior talent agent alive that day—like this."
A crispy spring roll crunched loudly as it broke apart in Kim Soll-Ip's mouth.
At that moment, Lee Ji-Yeon made an incredulous face and said, "Shut up~! Do you think of me as some kind of a witch that chews up innocent people?"
The irritated Lee Ji-Yeon complained and continued to speak."I was impressed that a young talent agent and a rookie actress could be so confident. But guess what? I realized over time that both turned out to be extraordinary."
Lee Ji-Yeon reminisced about the first day I had traveled back in time. "Staying true to your initial intentions, willing to do anything for good acting, and being honest—I like seeing that."
I put down my chopsticks and bowed to Lee Ji-Yeon. "Thank you for seeing us in such a positive light."
At that moment, Yoo-Jin and Miso also bowed and thanked her in unison. "Thank you, Ms. Lee!"
Lee Ji-Yeon smiled warmly. "Thank me for what? I'm only saying this because you all work hard. Come on, lift your head. Someone might think I hate you, Yoon-Ho."
Urged by Lee Ji-Yeon, I lifted my head. Then I cautiously glanced around and asked again. "So, what do you say about my request?"
Lee Ji-Yeon smirked. "See? Look at you. Always impressive, aren't you? Fine. I'll cast them!"
After clicking her tongue, Lee Ji-Yeon nodded and agreed to include the two actors in her project.
"Thank you so much!" I exclaimed.
"But you know the deal, right? You'll be in big trouble if you embarrass me," warned Lee Ji-Yeon.
"I wouldn’t have asked if they weren’t good actors," I replied.
"Good. I might be a bit harsh sometimes in the future when I'm stressed. But I hope everyone here doesn’t ever change. Everyone else finds it hard to talk to me," Lee Ji-Yeon lamented.
Lee Ji-Yeon spoke of the loneliness she often felt while writing scripts. Seeing her being in an unusually emotional state today, I nodded.
At that moment, Miso got up and went over to Lee Ji-Yeon sitting on the opposite side to do something totally unexpected.
Lee Ji-Yeon looked puzzled as Miso approached her. "Miso, what is it?"
That's when Miso hugged Lee Ji-Yeon tightly. Everyone froze in surprise. But the undeterred Miso hugged Lee Ji-Yeon even tighter.
"You shouldn’t be lonely!" Miso exclaimed.
Lee Ji-Yeon's expression instantly changed, not knowing what to do.
"Oh my! What are you doing?" Lee Ji-Yeon responded with a shocked look.
Miso simply responded, "I’ll come to hang out often! And you should come to see me at our place too!"
Taken aback by Miso's sudden action, Yoo-Jin tried to pull her away with a flustered expression. But I held Yoo-Jin's arm and asked her to wait a moment upon seeing Lee Ji-Yeon beginning to tremble slightly.
Then Lee Ji-Yeon started to smile brightly with a never-seen-before expression.
"Miso, you are truly a lovely child," said Lee Ji-Yeon.
"You are too, Mrs. Lee!" Miso exclaimed with a smile in return.
Lee Ji-Yeon warmly embraced Miso in return.
Looking at Lee Ji-Yeon wearing an expression as if she owned the world seemed strangely unfamiliar as it was a face I had never seen before in my past life.
Lee Ji-Yeon was known for her sharp demeanor, direct speech, and obsession with work. And while she often acted and spoke on her whims, she was as gentle as the warm sun in springtime to Miso.
After the long hug, Lee Ji-Yeon sat Miso on her lap and began to feed her like a mother bird feeding her chick.
Just like that, we stayed at Lee Ji-Yeon's house for a while, spending time discussing In the Name of God.
But before leaving her house, Lee Ji-Yeon handed me another gift.
***
"Really...? It worked?" Bang Sang-Yung remarked in a surprised tone.
At the team lead-level meeting of Hoop Entertainment, Chief Bang Sang-Yung of Actor Division 1 looked perplexed upon hearing my announcement that I had successfully included both Yang Chi-Sung and Park Ye-Eun in In the Name of God.
I nodded. "Yes. Both the PD and the writer agreed. And not just two but four spots are available, so let me know if there are other actors you want to recommend."
It wasn’t just one plus one; it was two plus two.
"I would have been relieved if even one got in... but four? Ha ha ha. I don't know what to say," chuckled the pleased Bang Sang-Yung.
Not only had I managed to include the two actors Bang Sang-Yung asked for but I had also secured two extra spots from the famously stringent Lee Ji-Yeon.
From that moment, team leads from various divisions began to bribe me. Even if it was just a small role, it was in Lee Ji-Yeon's project. This was a great opportunity especially since MBS was pushing In the Name of God as the biggest anticipated drama of the year.
"Team Lead Jung, what do you think about Song Chi-Han from our division? His acting has really improved lately."
"You're joking, right? Honestly, Eung-Gi is a level above in acting! He'll make it big if he just gets the chance. It’s just that the opportunity hasn’t come yet."
"Oh, Team Lead Park. Stop speaking nonsense. What’s the use if only the acting is good? An actor needs to be without scandals..."
Names of actors I didn't even remember kept popping up non-stop.
In the entertainment industry, such opportunities were highly prized and every talent agent valued every chance. After all, even Yoo-Jin had secured her current position by succeeding in a minor role.
Even the team leads of Actor Division 3 started mentioning their actors which made Kim Dong-Soo’s face contort.
At that moment, Lee Gi-Cheol cleared his throat and organized the situation.
"Since Chief Bang got two spots, the remaining two will be taken by one from Actor Division 2 and one from Actor Division 3. Are there any complaints?"
I would have preferred to give both spots to Actor Division 2, but I knew I couldn't have everything my way in a company.
Kang Ji-Yung agreed as well. "That sounds fair to me."
Actor Divisions 2 and 3 each got one spot which finally quieted the disputes.
And once again, praise followed. Even Kang Myung-Gil who had been trying to undermine me began to subtly praise me.
"Wow. Team Lead Jung is really good at his job, huh?"
"Seriously. Two plus two? That's impressive."
"I heard he was capable, but I didn't expect him to persuade the formidable Writer Lee Ji-Yeon..."
After the meeting ended, Bang Sang-Yung looked at me and swallowed hard. But I received his gaze nonchalantly.
After all, having Bang Sang-Yung’s interest was not a bad thing.
***
The launch of Kang Ha-Na’s MeTube channel and the release of her music video were scheduled for July 18th, two weeks from now. The music video would also be released that day followed by a live-streamed broadcast.
The only difference was the debut date on music shows.
Kang Ha-Na was set to appear on music shows on September 12th, the same day the girls from Global Produce 47, who would debut as the girl group EVE*ONE, would appear. The plan was to have a direct confrontation between those who passed the audition and those who did not since releasing this narrative to the media would serve as its own marketing.
But that was for later. Right now, the production of the music video for the upcoming MeTube upload was more important than anything else.
At the meeting, I asked Do Ran-Hee, "Ran-Hee, how’s the music video shooting going?"
Do Ran-Hee immediately replied, "We finished the initial shoot at the Insadong cafe, and tomorrow we're heading to Buan for about three days which should wrap everything up."
"Nothing's been overlooked, right?"
"No. We've done everything you asked for."
Kang Ha-Na's first music video was modest even in my past life. Directed by Lee Seok-Hyung, it featured simple scenes of her singing against the backdrop of a sunrise in Insadong cafe and the vast reclaimed land in Buan.
It was shot in just those two locations because of budget constraints, but fans praised it for its emotional depth and showed positive reactions.
When I instructed them to shoot the music video in the same manner, everyone seemed uneasy about the idea.
Then Do Ran-Hee raised her hand. "May I say something?"
I nodded. "Go ahead."
"To be honest, I really think we should change the concept of the music video. I feel terribly sorry for Ha-Na."
I smiled and questioned Lee Seok-Hyung's capabilities. "Why is that? Does the director seem incompetent?"
"No, it's not that. But..." Do Ran-Hee said hesitantly.
"Then what is it?" I questioned.
After pushing her several times, Do Ran-Hee blurted out, "Alright. I'll be honest with you."
"Go on."
"I have absolutely no complaints about the director. He’s diligent and seems sensible. But isn’t 30 million won too low for a music video budget? Am I asking for an overseas location? Did I ask for a top star? No! If Ha-Na fails because of this, I'll be stuck to you and complain for a month, blaming it all on you! Huff, huff."
Do Ran-Hee spoke without catching her breath which turned her face bright red.
'She should take a breath before speaking,' I thought.
I smiled and proposed to Do Ran-Hee, "Okay. Then how about we make a bet? See if it works out or not?"
Do Ran-Hee flinched. "Ah, you always make me weak with this tactic...Star Jung the Fortune Teller. Seriously, playing games of intuition is not fair."
"What? Are you scared? Getting cold feet?" I taunted her.
The moment I taunted her, Do Ran-Hee got fired up. "Wow~ Really, Mr. Jung. You know how to trigger my competitive spirit. Fine! But if I win, we will remake the music video with a budget of at least 300 million won!"
"Are you crazy? 300 million won for a debut music video?" I exclaimed.
Do Ran-Hee challenged me. "You can back out if you're scared!"
I locked eyes with Do Ran-Hee and shouted. "Deal! I'll bring 300 million won for the music video even if it means I'll have to owe someone a debt. But what will you do for me if I win?"
At that moment, Do Ran-Hee grinned. "Anything you say."
"Wow. You've got some confidence, Ran-Hee. Okay. If I win, you double your current workload. Got it?"
That's when the color suddenly drained from Do Ran-Hee's face. "Mr. Jung! D-double my current load?"
"Yep. Then you'll be almost on par with Yung-Jin in terms of workload. And don’t forget, you were the one who suggested the bet," I said with a smirk.
Do Ran-Hee thumped her head. "W, what have I done!? I'll report to the union about this!"
"Our company doesn’t have a union," I said with a straight face.
"Then I'll create one myself," declared Do Ran-Hee.
"Okay. Good luck. If a union forms, I’ll join too. And you can be the chairperson there. You can chew me out then."
"Really?"
"Yes."
But whether there would even be time to create a union was uncertain.
Nonetheless, Do Ran-Hee appeared triumphantly perhaps because she thought she had secured funding for a second attempt at the music video.
At that moment, I felt like teasing her. "But Ran-Hee. Lately, you and Yung-Jin have been..."
Do Ran-Hee suddenly straightened up. "What? What about Yung-Jin oppa? We haven’t done anything! No way!"
'You look super awkward right now, Ran-Hee. Your facial muscles are moving on their own and you can’t seem to stay still,' I remarked inwardly.
It seemed like there was something going on between Do Ran-Hee and Lee Yung-Jin, but I decided to pretend I didn’t know anything.
Talent agents were usually too busy to even dream of dating. But it was good for them if they could make it work like this.
'Good luck, Ran-Hee.'
At that moment, Eun Ji-Yoo looked a bit worried and said, "Mr. Jung, have you seen the viewership ratings for Global Produce 47? They've been rising pretty steadily from the start."
"Wasn’t the latest episode rated at 2.8%?" I asked.
Eun Ji-Yoo nodded.
Since its premiere on June 19th, Global Produce 47 had aired three episodes so far.
The original PD Ahn Jun-Hee was replaced, but in his place came the capable main PD Choi Sang-Hyun. Thanks to that, the viewership ratings were higher than I remembered from my past life. Kang Ha-Na, along with Park Ye-Seul and Choi So-Yung, were currently graded A, generating significant buzz.
Given the social media reactions already surfacing, it seemed almost certain they would join the 11-member group EVE*ONE just like in my past life.
"Ms. Eun, have you informed Ha-Na about the direct confrontation with Park Ye-Seul and Choi So-Yung?"
Eun Ji-Yoo shook her head. "No, I haven't mentioned that yet."
"Good. There's no need to worry her in advance, so let's keep that confidential until the time comes."
Kang Ha-Na was unaware of her music show debut date aside from her MeTube streaming schedule. But hearing that Kang Ha-Na was feeling anxious, I suggested we go see her immediately.
"Let's go down to the recording studio and check the situation," I said.
"Yes, Mr. Jung."
After concluding the meeting about the music video, we headed to the basement recording studio to check on Kang Ha-Na's condition.
***
The basement second floor housed four recording studios. Because Studio 1 was the best maintained among them, Bang Seon-Woo and Jang Ye-Bin often spent the night and worked there.
But today, voices were coming from Studio 4, not Studio 1.
"Why are they practicing there?" I asked.
"I don't know. They were practicing in Studio 1 until yesterday..." replied the puzzled Do Ran-Hee.
Of the four studios, Studio 4 was the largest with its recording booth as big as the other three combined. However, it was a bit inferior in terms of facilities compared to the other rooms.
'Why did they move to Studio 4?' I wondered.
I couldn't understand why they had switched from their well-used studio.
Various thoughts went through my mind. 'Could it be that they were told to vacate by Singer Division 1?'
I urged Do Ran-Hee because if that was the case, I felt we needed to rectify the situation immediately. "Let's go and see. Hurry, Ran-Hee."
"Yes, Mr. Jung."
But at that moment, the sound of Kang Ha-Na singing in Studio 4 stopped me in my tracks as we approached.
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