Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All-Chapter 719: Star Talent Agent (2)

The Saturday night 11 p.m. broadcast of The Omniscient Viewpoint was usually a two-part, one-hour show. But tonight, it was given a special three-part format. They had allocated a full hour just for Deok-Bae and me in parts two and three.

[PD Park Eun-Chan: Don't worry. We worked it out with the PD of Late-Night Talk airing after us.]

It was an unexpected gift.

[Chief Jung Yoon-Ho: Thank you.]

[PD Park Eun-Chan: Don't mention it. We help each other out. If we hit over 10% tonight, I'll buy you a drink. There's a new spot near the station that does killer kimchi stew and rolled omelets.]

It was true that MBS stood to benefit from Deok-Bae's recent popularity, so the arrangement was mutual. Still, this kind of exception was unusual.

Just then, the screen showed Deok-Bae's villa in Amsa-dong. The camera cut to me entering through the front door in a pinstripe suit.

Yoo-Jin said, "Oppa. You look especially sharp in that suit."

It was the Ormani suit Yoo-Jin bought me last week. She knew exactly what it was and still said it.

"Yeah, I think so too."

Only then did Yoo-Jin grin and nod. Whether in life or on a variety show, reactions were everything.

I finished messaging Park Eun-Chan on Kk Talk and turned my attention to the big screen in the VIP lounge at H2 Hotel. Styled by Assistant Manager Yang So-Ri and Chae Sang-Woo, I looked more like a celebrity as I moved around Deok-Bae's home.

'I'm looking pretty stylish.'

Seeing myself on screen was a bit embarrassing, but it was true—I looked like a different person under professional hands.

***

The Omniscient Viewpoint focused on the daily lives of celebrities and their talent agents, with commentary from studio MCs.

As soon as I went upstairs, I crouched down and fed Deok-Bae's cheese tabby cat[1]—Love, and white Pomeranian—Happy.

I handled them skillfully, and Yoo-Jin watched with a warm smile. "Yoon-Ho oppa, you look kind of handsome today. You seem really sweet too~"

I gave a dry laugh and answered. "What's the point of a talent agent being popular? It's Deok-Bae who needs the attention."

"Why not both? You're the hotshot talent agent. Once this airs, you'll probably get ad offers too."

Yoo-Jin hadn't stopped complimenting me for a while now. I turned my head from the screen, suspicious. On the table between our chairs was a tub of caramel popcorn I hadn't noticed before. That's when I saw her hand slowly reach for the popcorn with her eyes still fixed ahead.

'A no-look snack attempt?'

Yoo-Jin was buttering me up just to sneak some popcorn.

'How dare you!'

Before her fingers touched the popcorn, I swiftly swapped it with a mini cucumber from the left table. Yoo-Jin grabbed it, then turned quickly in surprise when she realized what she was holding. Our eyes met.

Looking sheepish, Yoo-Jin gave a bashful grin. "I-I was reaching for a mini cucumber."

"Yeah. Of course. I figured as much. You've got a shoot tomorrow morning. There's no way our lead actress would touch caramel popcorn, right?"

"Th-that's what I said!"

Yoo-Jin took a bite of a mini cucumber while staring longingly at the caramel popcorn I had moved out of reach.

Crunch.

It sounded like she was biting through my bones, or maybe I was just imagining it. Meanwhile, the TV showed me waking Deok-Bae.

-Deok-Bae, it's time to get up~

Click.

The door opened, and Deok-Bae came out holding Han-Ul's hand. Both of them wore matching pajamas I had gifted them. Han-Ul, still half-asleep, rubbed his eyes.

-Still tired?

-I stayed up late going over the script, so I didn't sleep much.

-Uncle Yoon-Ho! You're here!

-Yeah. Wash up and come to the table, you two. It's time to eat.

Deok-Bae nodded and led Han-Ul to the bathroom. The camera followed them inside, showing Deok-Bae pulling out the step stool and helping Han-Ul onto it. He turned on the faucet and began washing Han-Ul's face with one hand.

-Close your eyes, Han-Ul.

-Okay, hyung.

Han-Ul had just started first grade, but Deok-Bae treated him like a toddler. And Han-Ul didn't seem to mind one bit. The truth was, Han-Ul was an independent kid who could even cook for himself. Yet he understood that his brother, who felt guilty about leaving for shoots, wanted to make it up to him in small ways like this. So he let him.

After washing Han-Ul's face, Deok-Bae dried it with a towel, then finally washed his own. When they came out of the bathroom, he continued fussing over Han-Ul at the dining table. Deok-Bae handed him utensils, mixed his bibimbap[2] for him, and only started eating after he took his first bite.

That scene drew cheers from our whole team watching in the VIP lounge.

"Deok-Bae's so sweet!"

"Right? I kind of wish I were his little sibling too."

Flustered, Deok-Bae waved them off. "N-no, it's just because Han-Ul's still young. That's all."

Deok-Bae might have looked manly in Hwaranjeon, but The Omniscient Viewpoint showed an entirely different side of him.

The mood was so upbeat that I decided to check the show's viewer message board. Just like Division Jung's reaction, the board was blowing up.

[The Omniscient Viewpoint Viewer Board]

-Wow, Deok-Bae is seriously sweet.

-I kinda sensed it when he appeared with Han-Ul last week, but this is on another level.

-Deok-Bae oppa, will you take me in too? (29F)

-Is it okay if I call you hyung...? (27M)

-I need my brother to watch this episode.

-This has to be scripted, right? There's no way siblings are this close!

-If my sister were even half as kind as Deok-Bae hyung, I'd call her noo-nim without complaint.

-Don't fall for it, folks. It's all for TV. (sniff I'm just jealous. Dammit.)

Thanks to how caring Deok-Bae was with Han-Ul, the comment count was skyrocketing.

'Looks like Deok-Bae's popularity is soaring today.'

Even after the regression, where I had seen all kinds of content, the sincerity Deok-Bae was showing now was something one couldn't fake.

After all, genuine emotion had a way of making people smile.

***

The broadcast continued for thirty uninterrupted minutes without a dull moment.

After breakfast, scenes showed Deok-Bae doing light workouts and stretching at home, followed by him giving Han-Ul a few pointers before school, then cutting straight to him practicing lines from Hwaranjeon. The flow was so engaging it made the trailer look tame, and the half hour passed before we even noticed.

Then, right at midnight, the screen suddenly changed. Han-Ul appeared, sitting alone against a crimson backdrop, preparing for an interview. He wore a T-shirt that read 'Deok-Bae's Little Brother.'

"Huh?"

"When did Han-Ul film this?"

Both Deok-Bae and I blinked in surprise. Neither of us had any clue when Han-Ul had shot the scene.

Yoo-Jin tilted her head, puzzled. "You didn't know either?"

"Not at all."

The crew must have filmed it secretly during a house visit. Then, The Omniscient Viewpoint's main writer, Lee Soll-Ah, began the interview off-screen.

-Can you introduce yourself for us?

Han-Ul folded his hands and bowed slightly.

-I'm Choi Han-Ul, younger brother of Choi Deok-Bae.

With bright eyes and a beaming expression, Han-Ul looked straight at the camera with no sign of camera shyness but only pure, cheerful energy. Perhaps that was the reason Lee Soll-Ah's voice came out sounding especially warm.

-Han-Ul, can you tell us something great about your brother?

-Yes!

Han-Ul smiled bashfully and opened his mouth to speak. Just then, the screen went black, replaced by white text.

[Part 3 will begin in 60 seconds.]

[The Omniscient Viewpoint Part 3 will run for 30 minutes.]

[Late-Night Talk will be paused for tonight.]

Everyone in the VIP lounge cried out in confusion.

"Huh?"

"Wait, what?"

"Can they even do that?"

They had bumped an entire show just to repackage this one with added ads. However, no one expected a sudden 'back in 60 seconds' cliffhanger here. Sure enough, the viewer board was on fire.

[The Omniscient Viewpoint Viewer Board]

-What is this? Are they picking a fight now?

-Wow. Seriously? They ended it like that??

-Guys... can a variety show really get rescheduled on the fly like this?

-Sometimes, yeah. Especially late-night ones. But damn, I didn't expect them to pull the whole 'see you in 60 seconds' thing. Let's hunt the PD down!

The board was blazing with rage.

"This is chaos. Hahaha."

Just then, a Kk Talk message popped up from Park Eun-Chan.

[PD Park Eun-Chan: We just broke 10% viewership ratings! I could skip dinner and still be full. Wahahaha.]

Park Eun-Chan was thrilled, even if people were cursing his name. After all, this was the first time The Omniscient Viewpoint had broken 10% since its peak in popularity. And honestly, with what happened tonight, it felt like he had earned dragon-tier longevity.

From now on, I figured we ought to call him Dragon Park.

***

After the 60-second TV ad break, the broadcast resumed with Han-Ul suddenly stretching out all ten fingers.

-My brother is...

With the brightest smile he could muster, Han-Ul began praising Deok-Bae with pure joy. At that moment, a caption from the production team scrolled up.

[Due to the sheer amount of praise, we'll substitute with CG.]

[My brother always hugs me to wake me up in the morning. At night, he reads me stories before bed, and sometimes he even carries me on his back until I fall asleep. He gives me piggyback rides too, and when he does, I feel like the tallest person in the world. Also...]

As Han-Ul gushed about Deok-Bae, he folded his fingers down one by one. But there were so many praises that his fingers kept popping back up.

Viewers reacted instantly.

[The Omniscient Viewpoint Viewer Board]

-LOL. Total big brother stan.

-Deok-Bae and Han-Ul are just alike. All they care about is each other.

-Guys, is this really how brothers act when there's a big age gap?

-Some families are like that. My siblings are ten years apart too. It's not common though.

-This is more like a dad and son duo.

-Han-Ul folding his fingers is the cutest thing.

-Makes me think of my own sibling. Mine would probably use both hands to list reasons why they wanna kill me.

Interest in both Deok-Bae and Han-Ul was exploding. By the time Han-Ul finished counting off a full twenty things, he was out of breath. Lee Soll-Ah asked again.

-Han-Ul, were you always this good at talking? It's hard to believe you're only in first grade.

Han-Ul gave a bashful grin.

-N-no, not really. It's just... there's so much to brag about...

As Han-Ul smiled with those twinkling eyes, Yoo-Jin clutched her chest and cried out from the VIP lounge. "Oppa, that just melted my heart."

Everyone else nodded in agreement. Even I couldn't help smiling.

That's when Choi Dae-Gi cautiously asked, "Mr. Jung, has Han-Ul ever thought about getting into this industry?"

"Nope."

"Why not? He's good-looking and adorable. He'd make a perfect celebrity."

"Han-Ul wants to be a doctor."

Smart and driven, Han-Ul was studying to help elderly residents of the shantytowns. He already aced every test at school, and he even tutored Miso on the side. Most families might push for showbiz first, but Deok-Bae only ever wished for Han-Ul to grow up healthy.

Just as the interview was wrapping up, Han-Ul added.

-Oh, right. Can I say something about Uncle Yoon-Ho too...?

-The talent agent?

-Yes! I want to tell you how I met Uncle Yoon-Ho with Deok-Bae hyung. And how he saved my life.

-That really happened? Then please, tell us.

And so, Han-Ul began recounting the story of the day we first met—when he had been trembling in the freezing shantytown from his own point of view.

Instantly, the viewer board blew up again.

***

I had never gone around bragging about the day I rescued Han-Ul. I had only ever vaguely mentioned that I had helped out some kids, because I didn't want to stir up painful memories for Deok-Bae or Han-Ul.

But on the broadcast, Han-Ul shared everything from how I appeared when he was on the verge of passing out in a freezing room waiting for his brother, how he still remembered the warmth of my body that day, to how he wouldn't be here now if it hadn't been for me.

-If Uncle Yoon-Ho hadn't come that day, I wouldn't be here. And my brother wouldn't be on TV today, being loved by so many people.

-Wow, really? Then it sounds like he is you and Mr. Deok-Bae's savior!

-Yes. And, um, Ms. Writer? There's one more thing I really want to do... Can I?

When Han-Ul asked with those big sparkling eyes, Lee Soll-Ah answered immediately.

- You can do anything you want.

Han-Ul stood up and raised his arms to make a heart over his head.

- Uncle Yoon-Ho, thank you always. I love you~

On national television, Han-Ul poured out his gratitude without holding back. My heart thudded in my chest. At the time, I had only thought about saving Han-Ul and Deok-Bae—nothing more.

'I'm the one who's grateful, Han-Ul. Thank you for surviving and growing up so well.'

I had never imagined that helping someone after regression could feel this fulfilling.

Yoo-Jin, watching beside me, clapped through teary eyes. "Oppa, you should've told me about that. You did something amazing."

Clap, clap.

Following Yoo-Jin's lead, everyone in the VIP lounge began applauding.

Even Deok-Bae looked at me and spoke with heartfelt sincerity. "Really, I don't know what would've happened to us without you. Back then, we had no money. All I could've done was hold Han-Ul close and try to warm him up..."

Feeling embarrassed, I waved it off. "That's all in the past now. It's nothing."

As we spoke, the screen changed to a scene of Deok-Bae and me at the salon before heading to the Hwaranjeon set. Even while getting his hair styled, Deok-Bae didn't take his eyes off the script.

And with that, the 1-hour-and-30-minute episode came to an end, the credits rolling with a 'See you next week' banner.

Today's episode felt like a drama. It was a blend of Deok-Bae's genuine warmth, his bond with Han-Ul, and the chemistry between me and Deok-Bae. The viewer board was ablaze, but what truly mattered was the viewership data.

I waited eagerly for Park Eun-Chan's message.

Then I felt a vibration.

Ding!

[PD Park Eun-Chan: The peak minute viewership rating was 15.1%! It's a total hit!]

Just last week, the show hadn't even cracked 5%. Now, it had tripled. The emergency extension to 90 minutes had been a massive success.

Holding up my phone, I called out to everyone in the VIP lounge.

"Peak viewership rating hit 15.1 %!"

Cheers erupted around me.

"Woohoo! Congrats, Deok-Bae!"

"Congrats, oppa~~!"

I reached for my phone to send a thank-you message to Park Eun-Chan.

At that moment, my phone buzzed like it might explode.

Ding, ding, ding!

Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!

Advertisers were flooding in. However, most of the proposals came with one condition.

'They wanted me to be in the ads too?'

1. cheese cat” (치즈냥 / 치즈태비) is especially common in Korean online communities, pet cafés, and social media. It’s kind of a local slang term—Korean cat lovers use “cheese” as shorthand for orange tabbies because the color reminds them of processed cheese slices ☜

2. Bibimbap ☜