Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All-Chapter 779: The Price of Arrogance (2)

To meet the top-ranked Team 1 members based on video views, I headed to Practice Room 1 on the first floor. Yet even before entering, I heard the sharp voice of Choreographer Jung Ye-Jung, who was part of Park Seon-Nyeo's team.

-Go Eun-Seo! Are you going to practice again or not?

-Ms. Jung! That was already the tenth time. Why do you keep making me repeat the same thing?

-Because you're not doing it right!

-I'm not doing it right? Seriously, maybe it's your eyes that are the problem.

Go Eun-Seo was lashing out arrogantly at Jung Ye-Jung.

Team leader Han So-Won stepped in to scold her.

-Eun-Seo, cut it out. We're doing group choreography, but you're always off-beat. Ms. Jung is right.

Go Eun-Seo pouted and snapped back.

-Hey. Han So-Won. I'm talking to Ms. Jung, not you. Why are you butting in? I didn't mess up. Maybe it's you guys who are getting it wrong.

'Yep. That's the Eun-Seo I know.'

The past week, Go Eun-Seo had behaved herself after I had thoroughly disciplined her. Her ever-reliable parents had no power here in the audition program, and no one from Hoop Entertainment was entertaining her tantrums either. But the moment she was in a room without a scary adult, she went right back to asserting herself.

Without hesitation, I opened the door and walked into the room. "Go Eun-Seo. What do you think you're doing right now?"

The moment she saw me, Go Eun-Seo clamped her mouth shut. After all, I was the one who had docked her ten points last time, and no one here made her more nervous.

"Oh, nothing. Hello, Mr. Jung..."

'Greeting me as soon as she saw me? This is new.'

As soon as Go Eun-Seo bowed, Team 1's leader Han So-Won, along with Yang Bing-Bing and Kudo Minatsu, quickly followed suit.

"Hello, Mr. Jung! How are you?"

Cracking down just for the sake of authority wasn't my style. However, if I didn't hold them to a strict standard, they would make foolish mistakes like not realizing how they appeared on camera. And if they acted this way after debuting, they would become easy prey for reporters. A label like 'the rude idol' could kill their careers on the spot. That was the reason talent agents often managed trainees more strictly than the military before debut. It was for their own future.

So I looked at the girls with a firm expression and started giving instructions. "Things were fine just a moment ago, but now they're not. First, Go Eun-Seo. Why are you arguing with Ms. Jung?"

Go Eun-Seo hesitated. "I wasn't arguing... I just didn't understand what she was saying, so I got a little loud."

"Didn't understand what?"

"Well, I thought I danced it the same way but she kept making me do it again. I've already done it ten times."

Jung Ye-Jung quickly jumped in. "Um, Mr. Jung... actually—"

Since Team 1 would soon become official company artists under Hoop Entertainment and she herself wasn't part of the company, Jung Ye-Jung was clearly flustered and watching my reaction closely. I figured I needed to clarify the position of choreographers from the start.

I cut Jung Ye-Jung off gently and said, "I have full confidence in your skill and trust your instructions are fair and necessary."

The three choreographers Park Seon-Nyeo brought in were all incredibly talented. Even before the regression, they worked with Park Seon-Nyeo's personal team, touring internationally and choreographing for top-tier stars.

"And I consider you part of my team. The only reason I left you under Mrs. Park Seon-Nyeo's team is because I believe that's better for your future. But if you ever wish, I'll gladly bring you into Hoop Entertainment. So please, keep teaching boldly and without hesitation."

Relief and renewed determination crossed Jung Ye-Jung's face. "Understood, Mr. Jung. I won't show such weakness again."

Now that I had reaffirmed the choreographers' authority, it was time to correct Go Eun-Seo. "Go Eun-Seo. You're complaining about ten repetitions? You haven't even done enough to whine. Ling Ling and Seo Hee-Joo, who were picked for I.O.A ahead of you, do the same choreography more than a hundred times a day."

At that moment, the flustered Go Eun-Seo let something slip. "Th-they probably have to practice that much because they don't have talent."

Go Eun-Seo must have never seen Ling Ling or Seo Hee-Joo perform properly, because she just assumed the company was hiding them for a reason.

That's when Team Lead Baek Hee-Yung, standing beside me, snapped with a chilling tone. "Hey, rookie! Where do you get off acting cocky? Just because your PR video got some views this week, you think you're something now?"

Caught off guard, Go Eun-Seo panicked and shouted back. "W-what did I even do!"

Back in my Top Entertainment days before the regression, I used to call Go Eun-Seo the "Porcupine." The reason behind it was that she always bristled the moment she was criticized. And right now, just like back then, she was doing it again. The only difference was that now, she was clearly watching my reaction.

Either way, I had to correct Go Eun-Seo.

First, I calmed Baek Hee-Yung down. "Ms. Baek, please calm down."

"Phew... I'm sorry."

Then I pointed up to the ceiling of the practice room. "Go Eun-Seo. Didn't I tell you every camera here records your every move? What do you think will happen if this footage airs, huh?"

Go Eun-Seo's face turned bright red.

"And you said Ling Ling and Hee-Joo have no talent? I'm honestly speechless. Actually, no—I think it's best if you see for yourself."

I opened the video of Ling Ling and Seo Hee-Joo's morning practice session on my tablet and cast it to the large LCD screen in the room.

[LOADING...]

The screen showed the file was being transmitted.

"This is footage of Ling Ling and Hee-Joo practicing this morning from 5 a.m. to now, 10 a.m. You're complaining about ten times? They've already done this first verse choreography sixty times. Watch closely."

-I'M YOUR IDOL.

As the intro began, Cherry Blossom's guide vocals came through. At the same time, the screen showed Ling Ling and Seo Hee-Joo performing the 'IDOLS' routine. Their bodies were drenched in sweat, yet they beamed with radiant smiles, their hands moving powerfully through the air. Despite the exhaustion, their movements were so synchronized it was like watching reflections in a mirror.

Lines of motion came from raw talent, but the precision—those crisp, clean moves—came from the sheer number of repetitions. In short, Ling Ling and Seo Hee-Joo's effort and skill were already leagues above anyone in this room. It was so much so that I didn't even need to explain.

Everyone in the practice room stared at the screen, jaws hanging open.

***

-Huff, huff... Hee-Joo unnie, how many times did I mess up?

-Phew... Twelve?

-Huff, huff... I know about six of those, but where were the other six?

-First line when you sing, the turn, the hop, left toe wasn't pointed enough...

-Got it. Then let's go again.

-Okay... Shall we start right away?

Without resting, Ling Ling and Seo Hee-Joo jumped straight into the 61st run of the routine. Unlike Go Eun-Seo, neither of them complained about being tired or overwhelmed. They just showed relentless drive, pushing toward perfection with terrifying determination.

Click.

I pressed the button and ended the video. Having just witnessed Ling Ling and Seo Hee-Joo's performance, Go Eun-Seo and the other girls looked completely rattled.

"You saw that, right?"

Go Eun-Seo mumbled softly. "...Yes."

"Didn't I tell you to always answer clearly? Go Eun-Seo. Did you see it?"

"Y-yes! I saw it!"

"Good. Look, I get it. You saw your video views and got a little full of yourself. It's basically like ranking first in a popularity vote. That'll give anyone a confidence boost. But right now, you're not even at the level of Ling Ling or Hee-Joo who aren't even pros yet. Do you understand?"

Go Eun-Seo clenched her jaw and nodded. "Yes, sir..."

"And show some respect when you talk to your seniors. So-Won isn't your friend, is she?"

Go Eun-Seo pouted as she mumbled a reply. "I'm sorry..."

I turned to Yang Bing-Bing and Kudo Minatsu next. They had also been acting arrogant, making them no different from Go Eun-Seo.

"Bing-Bing, Minatsu. The same goes for you. Your cocky attitude? It's all on camera. What do you think'll happen if that airs? I guarantee you'll hit number one on tomorrow's most disliked list and go straight into freefall. So don't let that ego puff you up again!"

Only then did the girls gulp hard and bow deeply. "W-we're sorry."

I then turned to Han So-Won to address her leadership. "So-Won. Sometimes a team leader has to be firm. And if things go beyond what you can handle, talk to Mr. Lee Dong-Min or Mrs. Ahn Ye-Eum. You need to think seriously about what you can manage and what you can't."

"Yes, Mr. Jung."

I addressed each girl's issue directly one by one, making sure the message sank in. Once they all nodded, I took a deep breath and continued. "And that's it for the excuses. I gave you some leeway these first two weeks so you could adjust, but clearly, that was a mistake. Since you're all so confident, from now on I'll treat you exactly the way professionals are treated."

There was no better cure for arrogance than subjecting them to pro-level training. Han So-Won wasn't arrogant, but she had been lacking in practice due to her poor stamina. I decided she would train alongside the others today regardless.

"Ms. Jung, please raise the training intensity to match what Ling Ling and Hee-Joo are doing."

Jung Ye-Jung looked concerned. "But the skill gap's too big... Are you sure? They have a live broadcast later."

"They'll be facing that kind of pressure soon enough. And don't worry about Mrs. Park Seon-Nyeo. I'll speak with her myself. Just push. Them. Hard."

"Understood. Then I'll go all in, too."

"Good."

At that moment, Jung Ye-Jung's eyes sharpened as she gathered the girls. "Everyone, take your stage positions. From now on, it's non-stop. No breaks until broadcast."

The girls turned toward me, panicked. I met their anxious stares calmly and muttered under my breath.

'Welcome to the professional world, girls.'

Their faces were going pale.

***

"Again! Eun-Seo, your step is half a beat late! One, two, three! Don't finish the move lazily. Extend with power! Bing-Bing, faster turns! Minatsu! Your eyes are glazed over! Fix that expression!"

Jung Ye-Jung's precise directions came relentlessly. After five consecutive rounds of nonstop choreography, sweat poured down the girls' foreheads like rain. By the sixth run, they could barely keep their bodies upright.

"M-Ms. Jung... w-water, please..."

"You're tired already? Cherry Blossom girls can go twenty times without a break!"

Sure enough, humbleness was sinking into their bones after one round of pro-level training. And they were beginning to realize what it meant to be from the Land of Courteous People.

"One more round, then you get a three-minute break. Enough whining. Get up!"

Even with a live broadcast tonight, Jung Ye-Jung showed no signs of going easy and the girls didn't know how to handle it. With every drop of sweat, their arrogance was melting away.

As Lesson One wrapped up successfully, Baek Hee-Yung whispered to me. "They're starting to shape up."

"Well, they've got the talent."

"But... you're not going to keep grinding them before the live show, are you?"

"No, it's time they rested."

Their group routine had improved and their attitudes had as well. Finally, they were following Jung Ye-Jung's instructions without complaint.

This was training, not punishment. So I wrote a message on my tablet, then held it up so only Jung Ye-Jung could see it.

[We're leaving now. Once we're out, wrap up practice for the day. Tell them you'll cover for them.]

Now that I had played the bad guy, Jung Ye-Jung needed to become the one on their side. Jung Ye-Jung nodded after reading the note.

With that, I gave her the final word and stepped out with Baek Hee-Yung.

***

Clack.

As the door closed behind us, Baek Hee-Yung let out a long sigh. "Sigh... Mr. Jung. If Eun-Seo ends up ranking first after all that, won't everything you just taught her go to waste?"

"Do you really think she's going to take first today, Ms. Jung?"

"Of course! Her PR video's got the most views."

I shook my head. "Just wait until the first vote results tonight. Getting into Team 1 won't be that easy for her."

"Even with over half a million views? And she still might not make Team 1?"

"Take a look at this."

I pointed to the dislike count and comments under Go Eun-Seo's PR video on my tablet.

1. Go Eun-Seo PR Video

(Views: 557,238 / Likes: 23,623 / Dislikes: 10,382)

(Comments)

-Go Eun-Seo is pretty and talented... but she just doesn't feel likable.

-Are you kidding? Who else is on her level?

-She's been aiming to be a celebrity since forever. She used to be a famous influencer in school.

-Even back in school, she had this vibe like she thought she was better than everyone. She barely talked to others.

-Still, isn't she the prettiest? I'm just here for the visuals.

-Was she a bully?

-Nah, she took care of herself to debut. She didn't hang with bullies. She was just kinda unpleasant.

...

There weren't many comments criticizing Go Eun-Seo's looks or skills. Everyone agreed she was pretty and talented. But being an aspiring idol sometimes meant showing playful energy and doing intentionally cheesy, over-the-top cute things for the fans. Go Eun-Seo hated that.

As a result, even her PR video gave off the impression that she was looking down on the audience. Unlike the others, her dislike count had passed ten thousand.

Baek Hee-Yung's eyes widened. "Ah... You're right."

"This vote's not going to be a walk in the park for Eun-Seo."

Only now did Baek Hee-Yung nod in agreement. "Come to think of it, character matters just as much as talent for idols. But are you really going to leave her alone? If she's heading toward a low rank, wouldn't it be a waste? I mean, she's got the visuals and the skill."

"I could fix her, sure... but she needs to fix herself now. Any more, and it's no longer management. It's interference."

Before the regression, it might have been different. Yet I now had both the power and skill to change someone like Go Eun-Seo. Even so, if I made the change for her, it would only be temporary. If she wanted to truly succeed as an idol, the change had to come from within. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"Anyway, let's forget about Eun-Seo for now. We've got others to check on. From the videos that were uploaded, it looks like they all need a little talking-to. And the low-ranked kids need a boost of confidence."

To reset the mindset of these trainees, who were already judging themselves by success or failure before anything had even started, I turned and headed straight to the next practice room.

***

As Jung Yoon-Ho stepped out, Jung Ye-Jung let out a breath. "That's it for today. I'll tell Mr. Jung you all gave it your best, so head back to the dorm, wash up, and get a short nap."

At Jung Ye-Jung's words, Go Eun-Seo clutched her trembling legs and bowed her head. "Yes... Ms. Jung."

"You did well, too, Eun-Seo. You made it through to the end."

Jung Ye-Jung, slightly surprised that Go Eun-Seo endured it all, walked out.

Clink.

The moment the door closed, Go Eun-Seo collapsed onto the floor. "Ugh!"

The brutal practice session she experienced for the first time of her life had her on the verge of throwing up everything she had eaten that morning.

Until now, everyone had always called Go Eun-Seo pretty and adored her. A little effort had always been enough to draw everyone's attention. She felt tense joining Project I.O.A without her parents' backing, but once her video hit number one in views, her confidence came rushing back.

However, all of that confidence crumbled today. Just one round of professional-level training had her completely shaken. And the footage Chief Jung Yoon-Ho had shown of Ling Ling and Seo Hee-Joo was nothing short of shocking.

"And they're... just trainees...?"

If even trainees are that good, she couldn't imagine just how incredible the actual pros must be.

"Sigh..."

A soft sigh slipped from Go Eun-Seo's lips. Only now did she begin to grasp how steep the path ahead truly was, and why Jung Yoon-Ho and the other talent agents had treated her like a child. Because that's all she was: an idol wannabe.

At that moment, Han So-Won, her legs trembling as well, approached with a drink in hand. "Eun-Seo, here. Some electrolytes."

Panting, Go Eun-Seo looked up at Han So-Won.

"Why're you looking at me like that?" Han So-Won asked.

"From now on... I'll call you So-Won unnie. I'm sorry for just using your name before."

Han So-Won blinked in surprise at the sudden change in Go Eun-Seo's tone. "O-oh... o-okay, sure."

"But So-Won unnie. Don't you hate me? Why do you always look out for me?"

Go Eun-Seo had always been used to being alone. Her parents had constantly told her she was different from the rest, and she had believed it. For this reason, she never let anyone get close.

But even after becoming team leader, Han So-Won had never stopped checking on her, even now when they were all exhausted and had just gotten chewed out together.

Han So-Won plopped down beside her and handed her the drink. "We're on the same team. And I'm the leader."

"That's it? Just because of that?"

Han So-Won chuckled. "Honestly... you just seemed really lonely."

Go Eun-Seo's face turned bright red. "Wha- lonely?! W-who said that?!"

"Everyone but you knows it."

Go Eun-Seo wanted to deny it, but she didn't have the strength to say otherwise. Instead, she puffed her cheeks and snatched the drink from Han So-Won's hand, her expression grumpy.

Nevertheless, the unbothered Han So-Won continued. "You're pretty. And you're talented. But if you keep this up, people are going to hate you. And our teamwork will fall apart too."

"..."

"So just for today, let's give it our all together. This might be the last day the four of us are a team."

Go Eun-Seo replied in her usual curt tone. "Even if I try hard, Mr. Jung still won't like me."

Han So-Won giggled and ruffled Go Eun-Seo's hair. "Our little Eun-Seo. You're still such a baby. You really don't understand Mr. Jung at all, huh?"

"What's there to understand? Mr. Jung's the scariest, most powerful person here!"

"That's true... but the Mr. Jung I know is..."

With a gentle smile, Han So-Won began to share the version of Jung Yoon-Ho she knew.