Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All-Chapter 768: Her Decision (2)

[Everyday V13]

[Date: March 27, 2021]

-10:00 p.m. [NEW. Jung Yoo-Jin]

<Entertainment Everywhere> "Is Jung Yoo-Jin's New Movie a Plagiarized Work?"

[Entertainment All TImes] "Jung Yoo-Jin's First Film Production Falls Through."

[Industry Daily] "A Blow to Hoop Entertainment's Rising Star as IPO Faces Unexpected Crisis."

(Emergency Meeting: More than 80% overlap confirmed between Director Go Gi-Dong's script and the original script.)

'Plagiarism?'

Although it was a warning from Everyday, every headline was hard to believe.

Before the regression, Director Go Gi-Dong had repeatedly stated in interviews that he personally wrote the script for She Was Beautiful. He had never once been caught up in a plagiarism scandal after that.

I had pushed the project forward believing it was clean, yet it hid a landmine like this.

Just then, Go Gi-Dong, having received the tablet with the script, asked with a buoyant voice which part needed revision. "Scene 8? What's wrong with it?"

We were originally going to talk about the script, but I couldn't critique a plagiarized script. I didn't know what had gone wrong, but first, I had to get out of there.

"Oh, it's nothing," I said.

"Huh? It's fine, really. Go ahead and say it. What is it?"

"No, I mean, it's just... it feels like a huge discourtesy to nitpick your script when we've only just met."

"Hahaha, don't be so nervous. Chief Jung, don't worry. I've got open ears, I swear."

"That's exactly why I shouldn't speak up just yet. I'll think it through a bit more before saying anything."

Go Gi-Dong tilted his head, then closed the tablet. "Well then. Since you're here, how about an early dinner? There's a Chinese place on the second floor that's amazing."

He wanted to feed us before we even signed a contract, and it just had to be one of Yoo-Jin's favorite foods. Yoo-Jin's lips twitched upward. She looked like she was about to say yes any second, so I stepped in first.

"I'm sorry, but we already have dinner plans with our company president later, so I don't think we can join you. I've already caused enough trouble today, but I promise to make it up to you."

Go Gi-Dong shrugged as if unbothered, but he couldn't hide his discomfort. "Tsk. Alright, nothing to be done then. Gotta go with the schedule of the top star."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Go."

"Don't be. But next time, let's definitely grab a meal together, okay? That place really is something else."

"Absolutely. Next time, dinner's on me."

"Hahaha. I like that. Can we go from dinner to late night?"

"I can go until the next morning!"

"Oh~ there's the spirit. Deal!"

Yoo-Jin looked puzzled upon seeing me try to pull away when I usually made deals happen no matter what. But knowing I never acted without reason, she stayed quiet and let me take the lead.

I finally let out a sigh of relief and changed the subject. "By the way, Mr. Go. The direction in Unyielding Taekwondo Boy was incredibly clever. Where do you get ideas like that?"

"Oh, that one, you see..."

When I brought up his past work, Go Gi-Dong smiled and started sharing stories. We chatted pleasantly for a while and agreed to meet again soon.

***

We went down to the basement parking lot of the R Building near Gangnam Station.

As soon as we got in the car, Yoo-Jin pouted in the passenger seat. "You know how much I love Peking duck!"

"I'll buy you a big Peking duck dinner tonight, so cheer up."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Two ducks."

Yoo-Jin's face instantly lit up. "Then I'm good."

I couldn't believe she had changed expressions so fast over just a promise of Peking duck.

Worried, I gave Yoo-Jin a warning. "Don't just go along with anyone just because they offer you food."

"Pfft. Do I look like a kid? You think I'd follow someone just for a good meal?"

"You almost did back there."

Yoo-Jin gave me a sideways glance, then asked with a confused look. "But why were you so eager to leave earlier?"

"I don't think the director actually wrote that script himself."

The mischief vanished from Yoo-Jin's face. "What? How do you know that?"

Using what I saw in Everyday, I spun a plausible explanation. "Film directors read scripts over and over until they have them memorized. Especially if they wrote it themselves, it's all mapped out in their head. But he couldn't recall the beginning of his own work. That's not right."

Yoo-Jin made an impressed face and looked at me with admiration. "So... is it plagiarism then?"

"It's not certain yet, but I pulled us out so I could look into it more closely."

A film script typically reached the director through four channels. The most common was when the director wrote it themselves. Second, they might hire a writer to craft the script for them. Third, they bought a completed script from a professional screenwriter. All three were legitimate means of acquiring rights, and thus didn't pose a plagiarism risk.

However, the last method was a serious problem. That was when a director took a script submitted to a screenwriting contest and used it without permission. It was outright theft, yet it happened more often than anyone expected.

And right now, I suspected this fourth scenario—that Go Gi-Dong found a script submitted somewhere, liked it, and decided to use it as his own.

This meant my job now was to figure out who the original writer was. If it was a simple mistake, we could resolve it with the original writer and proceed with filming. Yet if it wasn't, we would have to shut the whole production down.

"For now, I think I need to stop by the company and review the script again. You should head home first. I'll drop you off."

Yoo-Jin shook her head. "Nope. Whether it's the company or home, I'm sticking with you today. So let's go together."

She pulled her hat down tight and buckled her seatbelt, making it clear she wasn't getting out.

'Yoo-Jin... you're not doing this just to make sure you get that Peking duck, are you?'

When I glanced at Yoo-Jin with suspicion, she gave me a sweet smile. "Let's finish work fast and go eat dinner. Peking duck!"

'Yup. Of course it's the duck.'

"Alright, let's go."

I buckled my own seatbelt and drove toward Hoop Entertainment.

***

As soon as Go Gi-Dong parted ways with Jung Yoon-Ho, he headed straight to TK Entertainment. Now that the rising star Jung Yoo-Jin had approached him personally, Park Eun-Bin was no longer needed.

The moment he sat down in the meeting room, he bluntly informed Director Cheon Yi-Sang and Park Eun-Bin of the change.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Cheon. LT Entertainment suddenly asked me to change the lead. I wanted to work with Eun-Bin, but you know how it is—whoever pays the bills calls the shots, right? And Eun-Bin, don't take it too hard. I'll find you a better opportunity next time, alright?" Go Gi-Dong casually dropped LT Entertainment's name to push Park Eun-Bin out.

However, Park Eun-Bin didn't back down so easily. "Mr. Go! What are you talking about? Just yesterday, you said LT Entertainment gave you a verbal promise they'd invest!"

Having just returned to the entertainment scene, Park Eun-Bin had been thrilled about landing the lead role. Realizing that dream had just slipped away, her body began to tremble.

Go Gi-Dong shrugged. "Come on. You think I wanted this? What can I do if the investors already picked someone else?"

"Who's the other actor?"

"It's hard to say..."

"Tell me who it is! If you don't, I'll go public and tell every reporter you broke the contract!"

"Sigh~ You want to get blacklisted by investors and never get cast again? Huh? And the contract clearly says roles can change during the investment review stage."

Park Eun-Bin stood there fuming, glaring silently at Go Gi-Dong.

Just then, Cheon Yi-Sang stepped in to calm her down. "Eun-Bin. Take a breath and step outside for a bit. I'll handle this."

"But Mr. Cheon!"

"Your voice is echoing. Keep it down."

Cheon Yi-Sang kept his tone even, but inside, he was seething. After receiving harsh criticism for her wooden acting in drama The Morning Takes Off, where she starred alongside rookie actress Jung Yoo-Jin, the agency had shifted Park Eun-Bin toward film projects. Films allowed more editing flexibility than dramas, which made it easier for a skilled director to cover for an actor's weaknesses.

Besides, Reborn Idol, the script Go Gi-Dong brought, was about an idol who hit rock bottom after debut and then rose to become a top singer. Park Eun-Bin's situation was similar enough to let her naturally immerse herself in the role. On top of that, the script had plenty of singing and dancing which made it more forgiving of weak acting.

"Eun-Bin. I promise I'll get you the lead in this film. So don't worry and wait outside for now!"

Still fuming, Park Eun-Bin stormed out of the meeting room.

Bang.

The moment the door closed, Cheon Yi-Sang's expression turned ice cold. "Director Go, are you really going to crush my reputation like this?"

Go Gi-Dong flinched. "W-Well, what choice do I have? The investors already picked a lead. You know how often casting changes during funding talks."

"Still, think about it again."

"Ugh, I don't know. Whatever. Let's just do a different project next time, okay?"

At that moment, Cheon Yi-Sang narrowed his eyes and spoke sharply. "I wasn't going to bring this up... but hey, Director Go. I know who wrote that script you brought in. Want me to blow this wide open?"

The smug expression vanished from Go Gi-Dong's face. "W-What do you mean, the writer?"

"Come on, Director Go. I tried to turn a blind eye out of respect, but now you've gone too far. You can't steal a script and act like nothing happened."

"H-How did you find out?"

"After our last plagiarism scare with Petite More's songs, we've gotten thorough about this stuff. You think I'd miss it? The moment you said your script was under review, we looked into it hard. And you? You pulled a really cheap trick."

"D-Director Cheon..."

"I know everything, so don't even think about denying it unless you want me to blow the whole thing up."

Go Gi-Dong's face went pale. If the truth got out, his career would be over.

"Director Cheon, let me explain..."

"Stop. I'm not interested in long excuses. Just put Eun-Bin back in the lead role like she was. Do that and I won't say a word. And seriously, it's not like LT is the only investor in Korea, right? Let's take it to CK."

"Y-You mean it?"

"Yeah. And we'll 'buy' the rights to that script. That works for everyone, doesn't it?"

The message was clear—TK Entertainment would acquire the script and keep the director on a tight leash. However, Go Gi-Dong had no choice when they already knew everything.

"...Fine."

"Good. Smart choice. But who exactly were you planning to replace Eun-Bin with? Besides So Yi-Yung or Ju Yung-In, there's no one else who could land an investment as the sole female lead."

Go Gi-Dong hesitated, then spoke. "Jung Yoo-Jin."

A crease formed between Cheon Yi-Sang's brows. "Jung Yoo-Jin's doing a movie?"

"Yeah."

At that, Cheon Yi-Sang slowly rose from his seat. "You get up too, Director Go."

Go Gi-Dong stood up awkwardly and asked, "What are you planning to do?"

"I just think they need a little talking to."

Cheon Yi-Sang stormed out of the meeting room.

Waiting just outside was Park Eun-Bin with her eyes blazing. "I'm coming too!"

Cheon Yi-Sang gave a nod. When Park Eun-Bin was this upset, there was no way of stopping her..

"Let's go."

***

Every year in Korea, dozens of big and small screenwriting contests were held. Countless aspiring writers poured their hearts into those contests, betting everything on a single script. As a result, those scripts inevitably began to circulate with slight modifications.

So the moment I got back to the company, I combed through the top entries from the past ten years of film script competitions. Nevertheless, I couldn't find any with a similar title.

Lee Yung-Jin and Yoo-Jin, helping me dig through the mountain of scripts, rubbed their eyes.

"Mr. Jung, there's nothing here."

"Same on my end."

If even the two of them couldn't find anything, that meant this was serious.

'If this keeps up, it's going to be hard to track down... what other angle...'

Then, a thought struck me. Go Gi-Dong was currently teaching as a guest lecturer in MBS Broadcasting Academy's screenwriting course. The MBS Academy trained writers for dramas, variety, and documentaries. They also had a curriculum for film scripts and Go Gi-Dong taught that class, guiding students on how to write scripts and hosting mock contests. There was a real possibility he had swiped one of those student scripts.

At the same time, a name popped into my head.

'Writer Wang Mi-In.'

Wang Mi-In had become the head writer of Talk Show! Entertainment World thanks to me, and she was a graduate of the MBS Broadcasting Academy.

I wasted no time sending her a message.

[Chief Jung Yoon-Ho: Ms. Wang. If you've seen this script at the MBS Broadcasting Academy before, please get in touch. (Attachment: Reborn Idol)]

Because Talk Show! Entertainment World had pulled in a massive 15.5% viewership ratings this week, she was likely swamped writing next week's script. Sure enough, the 'unread' next to my message hadn't disappeared, suggesting she hadn't even read it yet.

I figured we might as well eat first.

"Alright, let's eat for now. You're both hungry, right?"

Yoo-Jin tilted her head. "I'm hungry, sure... but didn't you say we had to figure out if the script was plagiarized before seeing the director again?"

"Humans can't be efficient when we don't eat. And if we can't find anything by tonight, we can go ask LT Entertainment directly."

I reassured Yoo-Jin, knowing we still had one last option.

Just then, Lee Yung-Jin asked me, "Mr. Jung, what are we having for dinner?"

"Peking duck."

"Really? Why?"

"It just turned out that way."

"Then can I invite Ran-Hee too?"

'That's my Yung-Jin. Always looking out for his girlfriend.'

Right then, my phone rang.

Buzz~

"Hold on. Give me a moment."

[Caller ID: TK Entertainment's Director Cheon Yi-Sang]

It looked like Go Gi-Dong had notified TK Entertainment about the lead actor change sooner than I expected.

I picked up the call. "Yes, Mr. Cheon."

-Chief Jung. Come down to Café M in front of your office.

"What's this about?"

-Don't play dumb. I know everything!

Click.

Cheon Yi-Sang shouted and hung up. I thought about pretending I didn't know what was going on, but knowing him, he would probably cause a scene. I stood up to go meet him.

"Yung-Jin, Yoo-Jin. I'm going to meet someone real quick. Wait here for me."

That's when Yoo-Jin grabbed my arm. "I'm coming with you!"

It looked like there was no shaking Yoo-Jin off today.

***

As we stepped into the partitioned VIP room at Café M in front of the company, Go Gi-Dong sat pale as a ghost, Cheon Yi-Sang wore a cold smile, and Park Eun-Bin glared at us with burning eyes.

"Busy as you must be, what brings you all the way out here?" I asked.

Cheon Yi-Sang snapped. "You tried to snatch a role our Eun-Bin had already claimed?"

When I looked toward Go Gi-Dong, he quickly averted his gaze. The fact that he couldn't even meet my eyes made it clear that he looked like a man caught with something to hide.

I turned back to Cheon Yi-Sang and defended myself. "TK Entertainment didn't even make a proper investment. How can you say it's Ms. Park Eun-Bin's role? If you wanted to secure it, you should've put money down."

Before the regression, TK Entertainment had directly invested in She Was Beautiful. Yet after the Petite More song plagiarism scandal, they had taken a hit of over ten billion won and their finances had been unstable since, leaving them unable to invest in this film.

Cheon Yi-Sang must have remembered that, because he trembled as he spoke. "So you're saying you won't back down, huh?"

"Let's just say it's under internal review."

"Hah, this bastard."

That's when the fuming Park Eun-Bin finally exploded. "Jung Yoo-Jin, how dare you covet a role your sunbae has already picked?"

Yoo-Jin responded politely with an apologetic tone. "I'm truly sorry we chose the same project, sunbae-nim. But the script really spoke to me. And since it's still under investment review, nothing's finalized yet. Just going for it isn't wrong, is it?"

"So you're not going to give it up?"

"No. I don't think it's time to give up just yet."

Park Eun-Bin raised her voice. "Back off. I said back off!"

But the more aggressive Park Eun-Bin became, the more Yoo-Jin responded with that soulless smile you give difficult customers. "I heard a role isn't confirmed until the contract's signed, right?"

"Hey! Jung Yoo-Jin!! I told you to give up!!"

Enraged, Park Eun-Bin gripped the glass of water on the table. I saw it coming and reached out to stop her.

But just then, Yoo-Jin's voice rang out, filled with charisma. "Park sunbae. Just try splashing that and every tabloid in the country will be plastered with your name tonight. Are you ready for that?"

Unable to throw the glass upon facing that icy cold stare, Park Eun-Bin froze. Her body trembled. After all, Jung Yoo-Jin was no longer the clueless rookie she had met two years ago during The Morning Takes Off.

"Y-You think you can talk to a sunbae like that...?"

Park Eun-Bin was stuck, unable to advance or retreat.

That's when Cheon Yi-Sang quickly stepped in and tried to calm her down. "Eun-Bin. That's enough."

Park Eun-Bin hesitated for a long moment, then finally set the glass down.

The bitterness of defeat born from the gap between her and Jung Yoo-Jin was clearly written across her face.

"Damn it!"

Just then, a message came in.

Buzz.

[MBS Writer Wang Mi-In: Wait. How did you get that script, Mr. Jung?!]

Wang Mi-In knew exactly who the true author of this script was.

'Well now... this just got interesting.'