Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All

Ju Yung-In was in a luxurious van, constantly checking her phone despite her restless night.

"Everyone is talking about Jung Yoo-Jin... this website too..." she muttered.

Almost dazed, Ju Yung-In muttered Jung Yoo-Jin's name. She was genuinely overwhelmed by a sense of defeat she had never experienced before.

During Blue Sky, she knew she hadn't given her best. So even though Jung Yoo-Jin's name overshadowed hers, it didn't truly feel like a loss.

However, it was different this time. She believed she had given an outstanding performance with her best effort.

Yet the articles only praised Jung Yoo-Jin's performance as the supporting role, Manshin Wol-Ah.

Moreover, the words that irritated her the most were 'Genius Actress Jung Yoo-Jin.'

Ju Yung-In had once received similar praise. However, the atmosphere around the evaluations of Jung Yoo-Jin was entirely different from when Ju Yung-In received them.

Industry seniors, producers, and even staff members on set were all praising Jung Yoo-Jin and this made it harder for Ju Yung-In to control her emotions each time she read the articles. It was the first time since her debut that she felt such inferiority.

When Ju Yung-In began to scratch her head out of frustration, Chief Ahn Yung-Hee who was sitting next to her and also on her phone, took her phone away. "Stop looking at your phone."

"Hey! What are you doing? You're so annoying! Give it back!" yelled Ju Yung-In in a sharp voice.

However, having seen and been through it all, Ahn Yung-Hee was not easily intimidated. "Why? Are you jealous? Is Jung Yoo-Jin's success making you angry?"

Ju Yung-In glared at Ahn Yung-Hee. "Do you even need to ask?"

Ahn Yung-Hee shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, honestly, Jung Yoo-Jin is amazing. She's like the best of the best, right?"

Ahn Yung-Hee's brazen attitude angered Ju Yung-In. "What are you doing right now? Are you trying to make me mad on purpose?"

Despite Ju Yung-In's outburst, Ahn Yung-Hee remained unfazed. "Listen to me, I haven't finished talking yet. I don't think you're any less competent than her."

Ju Yung-In glared at Ahn Yung-Hee. "Are you joking? Everywhere they're talking about Jung Yoo-Jin!"

Ahn Yung-Hee scoffed. "Maybe you don't remember, but you were once like that too. Remember? 'Genius Actress Ju Yung-In!' The monstrous rookie who appeared like a comet. The media was all over you just two years ago."

"Yes, but it's not the same now."

Ahn Yung-Hee nodded. "That's true, but I still think you have room to grow. You just need to unleash that potential and you can easily take that title back from Jung Yoo-Jin in no time."

"Don't talk nonsense. I really gave my all in this project!"

Ahn Yung-Hee snorted. "Hmm, really? Did you focus solely on acting? No other thoughts at all?"

"Well, that's... that's not exactly..."

Ju Yung-In was at a loss for words. Even now, part of her believed Jung Yoo-Jin's success was because of Jung Yoon-Ho and she wanted to take him from her.

Ahn Yung-Hee patted the silent Ju Yung-In. "Yes, Jung Yoo-Jin is a genius—but so are you. The difference between you two is simple. She thinks only about acting while you have too many other thoughts."

Hearing this from a veteran talent agent with 12 years of experience, Ju Yung-In fell into deep thought and eventually nodded in agreement.

However, her heart didn't align with her thoughts. As her resolve to outdo Jung Yoo-Jin through better acting grew, so did her desire to win over Jung Yoon-Ho.

She didn't want to give up on either desire. As such, Ju Yung-In concluded that she would work twice as hard to have both. Her eyes set in determination gleamed differently than usual.

Unaware of Ju Yung-In's inner resolve, Ahn Yung-Hee smiled at her stern expression and said, "And now, you have to admit that you're the one following Jung Yoo-Jin. Only then can you truly surpass her."

Ju Yung-In silently nodded, having no choice but to acknowledge the truth of those words.

***

After meeting with Kim Sung-Woon, I headed toward Yoo-Jin's waiting area.

I could see Hong Hyun-Joo, the second daughter of HK Textiles, talking to Cha Soo-Yeon about sponsorship. Perhaps due to HK Textiles' backing, she possessed the confidence of a lead actress.

Having had an unpleasant first encounter with Hyun-Joo, I chose to avoid her and took a different path.

While Yoo-Jin was acting, I organized the waiting area and sent a KkTalk message to Kang Ji-Yung.

Tonight, I had to meet the president of MBS regarding the writer issue of Empress Myeongseong 2021.

[Team Lead Jung Yoon-Ho: Please look into Lee Ji-Ae, Sung Yoo-Yeon, and Yoo Ji-Hye among the graduate students who worked under Writer Oh Sang-Jong.]

[Director Kang Ji-Yung: Are those three the victims?]

[Team Lead Jung Yoon-Ho: Yes. They're preparing to file a lawsuit, so it would help if you bring Mr. Kwak along.]

Pressed for time, I mentioned the names of the people I remembered from before the regression.

When Kang Ji-Yung asked how I knew those names, I used Lee Soo-Chan's detective agency as an excuse.

At that moment, a shadow fell over my head as I was messaging Kang Ji-Yung.

When I looked up, I saw a familiar face. She was a classic beauty with a slender face and exceptionally fair skin, and long hair. It was Hong Hyun-Joo, who had just arrived at the set.

"What? You are…? You're not a PD... but a talent agent?" Hong Hyun-Joo remarked with disdain.

Realizing my identity, she trembled with anger.

"How have you been?" I replied calmly, causing Hong Hyun-Joo to seethe with anger.

"How have I been? After you lied to me about being a PD, is that all you have to say?"

"When did I ever say I was a PD? You misunderstood on your own."

I jokingly mentioned how I had even given her an Aligatorade because she looked sick.

At that moment, Hong Hyun-Joo started trembling and pointing at me.

Just as I was about to give her a piece of my mind for her rude behavior, I heard a familiar voice.

"Hey! You there! Why are you raising your voice when the sunbaes are reading their scripts?"

Hong Hyun-Joo turned angrily. "What?"

There stood Ju Yung-In, glaring with fierce eyes.

"Ju Yung-In...?" Hong Hyun-Joo stuttered.

Looking incredulous, Ju Yung-In walked over. She got so close that their noses almost touched and spoke. "What? Ju. Yung. In? Am I your friend?"

When Ju Yung-In spat her words right in Hong Hyun-Joo's face, the latter began to tremble in anger. Despite being the daughter of a chaebol family, Hong Hyun-Joo had to bow her head to the lead actress to continue her acting career. The entertainment industry was known for its strict hierarchy, after all.

"I'm sorry, sunbae-nim. I got too agitated and misspoke," Hong Hyun-Joo muttered as she reluctantly bowed her head.

Ju Yung-In barely acknowledged the apology and added, "That's beside the point. Yoon-Ho oppa is not in a position to be scolded by you. He's not even your company's talent agent."

Ju Yung-In's expression looked like she was ready to devour Hong Hyun-Joo, who appeared confused. After all, Ju Yung-In was defending a talent agent from another company. Nevertheless, Hong Hyun-Joo had to respond to her sunbae.

"W-well, this asshole... I mean oppa… pretended to be someone else and deceived me at a club. I came to confront him and got upset..."

Seeing Hong Hyun-Joo's distress, her talent agent Team Lead Jeon Hee-Sang stepped in. "Miss Yung-In, Hyun-Joo is upset because she feels wronged. Could you give us a moment please? We'll compensate you later..."

Ju Yung-In glared at Jeon Hee-Sang. "And who are you to talk about compensation?"

Jeon Hee-Sang scratched his head awkwardly. "I didn't want to mention this, but Miss Hyun-Joo here is the daughter of HK Textiles. Although I'm with TNT Entertainment, I'm actually dispatched from HK Textiles..."

As Jeon Hee-Sang continued speaking, Hong Hyun-Joo regained her confidence.

HK Textiles, a subsidiary of HK Clothing, was a notable mid-sized company supplying textiles to HK Clothing and having its own outdoor brand.

However, Ju Yung-In didn't even blink. "So what? Do you expect me to apologize or something? What's so special about HK Textiles anyway?"

Feeling offended, Hong Hyun-Joo grumbled, "No, not exactly… But don't you think your words are a bit harsh?"

Ju Yung-In scoffed. "You've never heard really harsh words, have you? Want to hear some right now?"

Hong Hyun-Joo glared at Ju Yung-In in silence and stomped her foot slightly out of frustration. With nothing left to say, she shot a look at her talent agent. "Mr. Jeon! It's about time for my shoot, right?"

"Uh, yes. Yes. We should get going."

Pretending to be in a hurry for her shoot, Hong Hyun-Joo turned abruptly and left.

Watching the retreating Hong Hyun-Joo, Ju Yung-In scoffed. "She's only a small actress but she acts like a lead."

Ju Yung-In made a dumbfounded expression and then turned her attention back to me. "Oppa, are you okay?"

The way she spoke was as if she had just rescued me from a gangster.

I pondered for a moment on how to respond, but decided to thank her out of courtesy. "Ah, yes. Thanks to you, I'm fine."

Ju Yung-In's pride seemed to inflate slightly.

I added, "But what now? It looks like it'll be hard for you to work with HK in the future."

"It's fine. We never accepted HK Clothing's offers anyway. Their clothes are ugly."

Ahn Yung-Hee sighed at this ridiculous excuse. From the moment HK Textiles was mentioned, she must have realized the situation was becoming complicated. However, with her years of experience as a talent agent, she wasn't easily shaken by an actress' sudden actions.

"But why were you looking for me?" I asked.

Ju Yung-In glanced around and answered, "Oh, I wasn't looking for you, oppa. I actually came to see Yoo-Jin. After such an incredible performance, I have to congratulate her. And take some photos for Instargem as well."

Ju Yung-In hadn't been at the scene yesterday and regretted watching the event that shook the world from home.

"Just wait a bit. She'll be done with the shoot soon."

Honestly, I expected her to be sulking from being overshadowed by Manshin Wol-Ah. However, she seemed more composed than I had anticipated.

'Well… given that Ahn Yung-Hee is a veteran talent agent with 12 years of experience, it makes sense,' I silently noted.

After all, Ahn Yung-Hee was a master of managing the mental state of celebrities.

Ahn Yung-Hee smiled with her eyes and introduced herself. "Hello, I'm Ahn Yung-Hee. I look forward to working with you."

"Oh, hello, Mrs. Ahn. Sorry for the late introduction."

While I exchanged brief pleasantries with Ahn Yung-Hee, Yoo-Jin finished her shoot and returned.

Seeing Ahn Yung-Hee, Yoo-Jin used honorifics. "Sunbae-nim, what brings you here?"

Ju Yung-In smiled and brought up the previous day. "How did you manage to deceive everyone so perfectly?"

Ju Yung-In continuously praised Yoo-Jin with a wide smile to the point where even I was taken aback.

After their conversation, Ju Yung-In casually linked arms with Yoo-Jin and took photos.

However, she revealed a bit of her true feelings just before returning to her spot. "Your acting... it's something I can't even dream of right now..."

"What?" Yoo-Jin responded with surprise.

Ju Yung-In turned and left abruptly after saying what she wanted.

Yoo-Jin looked bewildered. "What's with her?"

I scratched my head and replied, "Maybe she's having a heatstroke?"

Knowing Ju Yung-In's proud nature, it was surprising that she acknowledged Yoo-Jin. She seemed sincere judging by her tone, but her determined eyes still bothered me.

'She hasn't completely given up yet,' I thought.

Regardless of how Ahn Yung-Hee managed Ju Yung-In's mentality, she wasn't showing any signs of being defeated.

Nonetheless, I wasn't too bothered as I knew that with the role of Manshin Wol-Ah, Yoo-Jin's career was set to soar even higher.

I said to the still-dazed Yoo-Jin, "Alright, Yoo-Jin. It's time to get ready for the interview."

Yoo-Jin snapped out of her thoughts and nodded with a bright smile. "Yes, sir~!"

***

Reporters at the scene flocked toward me, causing a commotion.

I spoke firmly, "Please quiet down or we won't do the interview."

Choi Han-Sun from Star Daily shouted back, "Come on, let's just get the interview over with!"

Others also joined in and criticized me loudly

Despite the reporters' grumbling, I insisted on setting conditions for the interview. I warned them that any inappropriate questions would result in a permanent ban from future interviews with our team.

However, I assured them that I would be happy to accommodate anyone who sent their interview questions in advance.

Reluctantly, the reporters cleared their throats and nodded in agreement.

After calming the reporters down, I finally called Yoo-Jin over.

Yoo-Jin stepped forward with a pleasant smile and the interview began promptly.

"Miss Yoo-Jin, what made you decide to take on the role of Manshin Wol-Ah?"

"Well, when I first read the script…"

As Yoo-Jin's interview proceeded, I carefully observed the reporters.

The first reporter to finish their interview quickly sent in their article. As articles about Manshin Wol-Ah started appearing online in real-time, the trending searches began to shift rapidly.

[Live search keywords]

1. Jung Yoo-Jin

2. Manshin Wol-Ah

3. Dual role

4. In the Name of God....

…

It was another moment of confirmation of Yoo-Jin's skyrocketing popularity.

Just then, an absurd message arrived unexpectedly.

[Sender: 010-97XX-8888]

-This is the Promotion Department of Daeheung Savings Bank. We are interested in having Miss Jung Yoo-Jin as our advertisement model. We promise the best treatment.

Ristretto's Thoughts

Ristretto: Am I the only one starting to like Ju Yung-In? She doesn't seem like a bad person at all.

Maggy: Yesssss I'm still rooting for a redemption arc for herrrrrr

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