Chapter 1053: Step Up (3)

As soon as Park Moon-Soo, LZ Inc.'s director of Public Relations, heard what had happened at the audition through our phone call, his voice turned icy.

-Chief Jung. Is Chief Go there?

"Yes. He's standing right beside me. And you're on speaker."

The next moment, Park Moon-Soo's furious voice blasted through the phone.

-Chief Go! Couldn't you find anything better to do than take a vacation day just to make a scene? With everything going on with your wife, you should've been keeping your head down!

Hearing his superior's angry voice, Go Tae-Moon turned deathly pale.

"Mr. Park! You've misunderstood! Unlike what Chief Jung told you, this was a completely justified protest!"

-Justified? Since when is casting anyone's decision except the director's? Apologize immediately and get back to the office!

"Apologize?"

-That's right. Apologize!

Go Tae-Moon trembled all over before forcing himself to answer. "I'm sorry, but I can't do that, Mr. Park. I truly don't believe I've done anything wrong."

-Is that so?

"Yes."

-Then there's no helping it. I was going to tell you when you got back to the office, but I'll tell you now. Starting tomorrow, you're reporting to our Wando branch.

Go Tae-Moon stuttered in disbelief. "W-What are you talking about? Why would I be transferred to Wando?"

-You seriously don't know?

"No... I don't."

-You idiot. The male lead in that movie is Haru, isn't he? And who is Haru? He's the model who increased sales of our LZ Living Health shampoo by 10%! And you decided to cause a disturbance at the audition for his next project? If today's stunt makes Chief Jung and Haru refuse to renew their contract with us, who's going to take responsibility for that?

Park Moon-Soo was absolutely right. The HARU_1DAY shampoo Haru promoted had become such a massive hit that it had been selected as one of the top ten bestselling products among teenagers during the first half of the year.

And now one of his department chiefs had caused a spectacle at the audition for Haru's next project. The mere possibility that they might lose Haru's endorsement was enough to drive Park Moon-Soo into a rage.

-So you'll take responsibility for this and report to the Wando branch. You can spend your time inspecting the quality of the seaweed being used in our new seaweed-extract cosmetics. And you'll stay there until headquarters decides to call you back!

Realizing he was about to be shipped off to Wando, Go Tae-Moon cried out desperately, "Mr. Park! Have you forgotten who's backing me? Executive Director Choi Jong-Pil won't let something this unfair stand!"

Executive Director Choi Jong-Pil of LZ Living Health was Park Moon-Soo's superior and the man who had helped Go Tae-Moon climb to his current position.

However, Park Moon-Soo let out a mocking snort.

-I was wondering when you'd bring that up. Listen. Forget everything else. Do you really think Mr. Choi can do anything when it comes to Chief Jung?

"...I'm sorry?"

-Listen, you fool. Our president has already tried twice to give Chief Jung a Good Samaritan Award, and both times Chief Jung turned it down. The president's still trying to figure out how to give it to him anyway. If today's incident gets out, do you really think Mr. Choi will be able to protect you? Not a chance. He wouldn't send you to Wando. He'd probably ship you off to Africa.

"T-That's..."

The moment his last hope disappeared, Go Tae-Moon's legs gave out beneath him and he collapsed onto the floor.

Having thoroughly knocked Go Tae-Moon out, Park Moon-Soo spoke through the speakerphone once more.

-And Chief Jung. Are you still there?

I answered, "Yes, Mr. Park."

-I know you're angry, but let it end here. There's no need to blow this up and give the reporters exactly what they want, right?

After dealing with Go Tae-Moon this thoroughly, I was willing to meet him halfway.

"Of course. That's why I called you, Mr. Park. I wanted this resolved internally."

-Thanks. And let's get together sometime soon. Our president is still insisting that he wants to give you that Good Samaritan Award.

"No. Please give the award to someone more deserving."

-Ugh... You should just accept it. Fine, then how about this? The Teen Mask commercial that Go Min-Yung was supposed to do... why don't we give it to Han Bo-Bae, the girl who passed today's audition?

'He's offering LZ Living Health's hit Teen Mask commercial to Han Bo-Bae?'

"But Bo-Bae isn't at the level to handle a campaign that big yet."

-That was true yesterday. But now she's the lead actress in a film connected to you, Chief Jung. She's obviously a rising star with a bright future. We can always release the commercial after the movie premieres.

After thinking it over, I realized there was no reason to refuse if the commercial wouldn't air until several months later, after the film's release. Opportunities were meant to be seized when they came.

"It's a rather extravagant peace offering, but I won't turn it down."

The moment she heard that, Go Min-Yung, the commercial's original model, sprang to her feet and grabbed her father's arm. "Dad, did you hear that? Do something!"

Go Tae-Moon said, "My head's already pounding, so be quiet for a minute."

"How can I be quiet? They're about to give my favorite commercial to Bo-Bae!"

"I said be quiet!"

Go Tae-Moon barked before speaking into the phone again.

"Mr. Park, I'll accept whatever disciplinary action you decide. I'll apologize as well. But please don't take Min-Yung's commercial away from her. She's only seventeen."

Park Moon-Soo let out a disbelieving snort through the speaker.

-You fool. Isn't Bo-Bae seventeen too? If your own daughter is precious to you, then you should know someone else's daughter is just as precious.

"What are you talking about?"

-The company has already finished its internal investigation into your family. It turns out your daughter has been bullying her friend Bo-Bae at school, just like her mother, Ahn Yoo-Ra, did.

This time, both father and daughter froze. Neither of them had imagined the company had investigated Go Min-Yung's school life.

-So stop arguing, apologize, and head to Wando. Otherwise, I'll report this directly to the president. And if that happens, I doubt you'll be sent to Wando. You'll probably be told to hand in your resignation instead. Think carefully.

In the end, looking utterly defeated, Go Tae-Moon answered, "...I'll report to the Wando branch starting tomorrow."

Go Min-Yung stared at him in shock. "Dad... then what about me? What am I supposed to do?"

"You'll come with me."

"No! I won't!" Go Min-Yung screamed.

Go Tae-Moon, however, didn't even try to calm his daughter. Instead, he lowered his head before the Happy & Happy production team.

"I'm... sorry for causing such a disturbance."

At Go Tae-Moon's apology, Jung Na-Mi and the LT Entertainment executives nodded. "We'll accept your apology. Now please leave."

"I will."

Go Tae-Moon immediately dragged the struggling Go Min-Yung out of the audition hall.

Bang.

Han Bo-Bae, who had been nothing more than Go Min-Yung's friend in supporting roles, had won the lead role in a movie in a single stroke and even landed a major commercial. Meanwhile, Go Min-Yung, who had always been the main lead, not only lost the role but also lost the commercial.

Just like that, their lives turned completely around, sending them down paths entirely different from before.

The princess became the maid, and the maid became the princess.

***

Once the audition ended, Moon Soo-Jung and her husband, Han Tae-Gil, hurried over and repeatedly bowed to me.

Han Tae-Gil gripped my hand tightly as tears streamed down his face. "Mr. Jung, thank you. Thank you so much."

For the past ten years, he had believed that his wife and daughter had simply been fortunate enough to receive help from kind friends. Only after this incident did he learn the truth that his wife and daughter had actually been treated like servants by a wealthy family.

I had heard he had been consumed with guilt ever since. So hoping to ease the burden he had carried for so many years, I firmly squeezed his hand and said, "I'll make sure no one ever bullies your wife or daughter again. Please don't worry anymore. You can finally live in peace now, sir."

Moon Soo-Jung and Han Bo-Bae stood beside him, gently comforting him as well.

"That's right, honey."

"Yeah, Dad. From now on, only good things are going to happen. So why are you crying?"

Han Tae-Gil nodded. "Yeah. That's the way."

As Han Tae-Gil wiped away his tears, Moon Soo-Jung wrapped her arms around him.

Then Han Bo-Bae looked at me with sparkling eyes. "Mr. Jung, you're the benefactor of our family. I'll really do my best!"

As a talent agent, moments like these were the happiest. There were only a handful of opportunities in life to truly change someone's future, and I could create those moments with my own hands. That was why I loved this job. I loved it so much that I had chosen to do it again, even after returning to the past.

I said, "Just keep working as hard as you are now, and stay kind. That's all the thanks I need."

"Yes! I'll remember that."

"Good. I'm proud of you, Bo-Bae."

Han Bo-Bae smiled brightly before holding out her hand to Haru. "Haru, I look forward to working with you."

Haru shook her hand. "Congratulations on getting the role. Oh, and dinner's on me. Let's go."

"What are you talking about? I should be treating the teacher who practiced with me for days. How about tteokbokki, fried snacks, and sundae? I've saved up a lot of allowance."

Haru smiled. "Really? Then you can pay this time. I'll get the next one."

"Okay. And let's bring Chorong and Nurungji too. We can buy them some dog treats on the way."

Even in the middle of all this, Han Bo-Bae was still thinking about the dogs.

Unfortunately, that plan never had a chance to happen. Jung Na-Mi declared that everyone would be going to a staff dinner instead.

Jung Na-Mi said with a smile, "You two, that's enough. You can do that when you're practicing together. Today, I'm treating everyone to celebrate our leads being chosen."

In truth, the happiest person there was probably Jung Na-Mi. She had been worried sick about whether she'd ever find an actress capable of convincingly portraying a visually impaired heroine. And in the end, she had.

"Yes, Ms. Jung!"

Just as everyone cheered in excitement, Managing Director Lee Eun-Joo spoke up. "Then you all go ahead first. Chief Jung, Mr. Shin, and I need to discuss something before we join you."

The rest of the group hurried off to prepare for the dinner Jung Na-Mi was hosting. Meanwhile, Shin Jong-Ki, Lee Eun-Joo, and I headed separately to the president's office.

We had something to discuss regarding the distribution of Missing – The Lost Ones, which had recently been released.

***

"I wanted to meet because there's been quite a bit of pressure to release our film in CK Cinema as well."

Missing – The Lost Ones, which had opened the previous Thursday, had now surpassed one million moviegoers. It was breaking records day after day, but because it wasn't showing in CK Cinema theaters, its audience growth had been slightly slower than expected. Instead, LT Entertainment had kept it on LT Cinema screens longer to guarantee ticket sales.

Now, however, pressure had started mounting.

"Who's bold enough to pressure you, Mr. Shin?" I asked.

"The new chairman of the Korean Film Council. He's fairly close with President Son."

The Korean Film Council was a government agency that wielded considerable influence over the film industry. Of course, LT Entertainment wasn't an ordinary distributor either. As part of one of the nation's top ten conglomerates, it could ignore the chairman's request if it truly wanted to. The problem was that the political fallout afterward would be substantial.

"I take it President Son didn't want to come kneel before you himself, so he asked the chairman to speak on his behalf."

Shin Jong-Ki nodded. "That's right."

"So what are you going to do?"

"What choice do I have? CK Cinema owns nearly half the theaters in the country, so we'll have to distribute it there. No matter how angry I am, I can't sabotage a film with even greater potential just to protect my pride."

Shin Jong-Ki was willing to set aside his own pride for the sake of the actors' earnings and the director's career. If that was the case, then I would protect his pride for him.

"Sir, when are you planning to supply the film to CK Cinema?"

"If we're going to do it anyway, we might as well do it as soon as possible. I'm thinking of starting the day after tomorrow."

"Then can you hold out just until this weekend? If you can, I'll make sure President Son Hyung-Tae comes here personally and begs for it."

Shin Jong-Ki looked at me skeptically. "...Is that really possible?"

"Yes. It is."

Shin Jong-Ki turned to Lee Eun-Joo. "What do you think, Managing Director Lee?"

"Honestly, President Son's side was the one that refused to take the film this time. If we supply it now, it'll look like we're the ones backing down. So I'm all for this."

"If we do that, the Film Council will probably pressure you, not me. Since you're the one handling distribution, you'll be taking the heat. Are you okay with that?"

"If it means making President Son get down on his knees, I'll gladly take it."

"Hmm... All right."

Shin Jong-Ki looked me straight in the eye and nodded. "Just get results. If you do, I'll make sure you're rewarded."

***

The following morning, articles about yesterday's audition filled the entertainment pages.

[Han Bo-Bae Cast in a Breakthrough Lead Role in Happy & Happy!]

[Han Bo-Bae: Can She Step Out of Go Min-Yung's Shadow and Make a Name for Herself?]

...

The media was flooded with articles expressing both excitement and concern over Han Bo-Bae's casting. After all, she had spent years being known only as Go Min-Yung's friend.

However, I wasn't worried in the slightest. Once the movie was released, every bit of that skepticism would turn into applause.

Later, to solve the distribution issue for Missing – The Lost Ones, I spoke to Yoo-Jin and Miso, who were seated across the breakfast table. "You two, please clear some time starting today."

After placing a sheet of roasted seaweed brushed with sesame oil and sprinkled with salt onto Miso's rice, Yoo-Jin looked at me. "Are we doing theater greetings?"

"Yeah. I think we'll have to visit as many theaters as we can."

"Why?"

"President Son Hyung-Tae from CK has even gotten the Korean Film Council involved to pressure us. This is a good opportunity to throw our support behind Mr. Shin."

If people saw Yoo-Jin and Miso at LT Cinema, it would naturally draw even more public attention.

Yoo-Jin clenched her fist and nodded. "If it's for something like that, then of course we'll go. Mr. Shin has done so much for Miso. Ah... but Saturday might be difficult. It's the first group gathering for the first-grade parents' association."

Now that Yoo-Jin was the president of the first-grade parents' association at Cheonho Best Elementary School, she had promised to treat everyone after receiving the award.

"I was only going to ask you through Friday anyway."

"Thank you."

Just then, Miso raised her spoon over her head. "Uncle Yoon-Ho, can I help out in front of the theater again?"

The previous Sunday, Miso had worn the adorable angel-wing hat provided by LT Cinema along with the staff uniform and helped elderly patrons and others who needed assistance with ticket kiosks. She wanted to do it again.

I added. "I'll have to ask Ms. Lee, but I'm sure it'll be fine."

"Yay! I need to pack my outfit!"

Miso excitedly began shoveling food into her mouth.

After telling her to slow down, Yoo-Jin turned back to me. "But oppa, the other members of Devoted are going too, right?"

"Everyone's schedules are packed. How could they?"

"No matter how busy they are, they won't turn down a favor from you. Hang on."

Brimming with confidence, Yoo-Jin posted a message in the group chat.

[Devoted (Jung Yoon-Ho's Fan Club)]

[Lovely?Yoo-Jin: We're making the rounds at every LT Cinema showing of Missing – The Lost Ones from today through the weekend. FYI, this is a request from Yoon-Ho oppa.]

It was nothing more than a simple message saying it was my request. However, everyone answered immediately.

Ping.

Ping.

[Lee Tae-Poong: Hyung, I'm free anytime.]

[Sae-Ri: Yoon-Ho oppa! Me too!]

[Yang Eun-Bi: Oppa, if you ever need something like this, just ask.]

[Eun-Ah: Should I head over?]

[Woo Yeon-Hee: I'll bring the kids, so just buy us a meal.]

[Kang Ha-Na: I'll go get ready.]

[Park Sang-Gyu: If I can be of any help, I'll be there.]

[Deok-Bae: Hyung, when I take Han-Ul to school, I'll head out with you.]

It warmed my heart that not a single member of Devoted turned me down.

***

Three days passed. During that time, the artists from Hoop Entertainment diligently made the rounds at LT Cinema theaters. Meanwhile, Miso had become LT Cinema's adorable little mascot, receiving enthusiastic cheers at every theater across Seoul.

Soon, the results I had been hoping for began to appear. By Thursday evening, the top posts across various online communities were filled with sightings of Devoted members.

[(BEST) If you go to LT Cinema, you'll run into top stars all the time.]

[(BEST) Jung Yoo-Jin and Jung Miso make their 50th theater greeting for Missing – The Lost Ones. Mom is giving it her all for Miso.]

[If you go to LT Cinema, Miso personally prints your ticket while wearing the staff uniform. Everyone lines up just to get their ticket from her. (Photo proof)]

[Proof that I turned into a squid standing next to Lee Tae-Poong. (LT Cinema Gangdong)]

[I got to take a picture linking arms with Haru. I hit the jackpot today! (LT Cinema Gangnam)]

...

As the Devoted members tirelessly visited theaters and Miso helped guests print their tickets in her uniform, LT Cinema recorded sold-out screenings day after day. Meanwhile, CK Entertainment was showing the Hollywood superhero blockbuster Seven Stars 2, yet it couldn't even fill half its seats.

Just as Missing – The Lost Ones continued steadily adding to its audience numbers, I got a call from Shin Jong-Ki.

Buzz.

[Caller ID: President Shin Jong-Ki, LT Entertainment]

I answered immediately. "Yes, Mr. Shin."

-Chief Jung. I'm on my way to the office right now! Just like you predicted, President Son came to see me in person.

"Did he?"

Then his tone changed.

-There's just one thing... It looks like this isn't going to play out quite the way we expected.

"Why? Is something wrong?"

-That bastard Son Hyung-Tae didn't come alone. He brought the chairman of the Korean Film Council with him."

Of course, there was no way he would come by himself. Fortunately, I had anticipated that as well.

"There's no need to worry. I prepared something in advance for exactly this situation."

'President Son Hyung-Tae. Today, I'm going to make you get down on your knees for real.'