Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All-Chapter 802: LT Amusement Park (2)

-Please come in~

The entrance of LT Amusement Park lit up with dazzling lights, welcoming Cherry Blossom's fans. Fans entered in an orderly fashion and gathered straight in front of the temporary stage.

-Waaaah~!

When all eight thousand fans erupted in cheers, I could feel my skin prickle even from beneath the stage. The four Cherry Blossom members shouted their spirit chant and headed up.

-Hello, everyone~~!!

As Cherry Blossom greeted the crowd on stage, another deafening roar broke out.

-Waaaah~!

Just then, a banner dropped onto the stage.

Flutter.

[Welcome, BLOOMING, the official Cherry Blossom fan club!]

Woo Yeon-Hee stepped forward to formally announce once more that the fan club, long known as Cherry Blossom Family, had been renamed BLOOMING. Moments later, Cherry Blossom kicked off the celebratory stage with their mega-hit song 'Hurry Up!'

『Hurry~ Up!!』

Boom, boom, boom.

Every time they sang, fans jumped in place, shaking LT Amusement Park to its foundations. Their unified singing carried clearly all the way backstage. I stood there, feeling the fans' intense passion, preparing to go up with the other talent agents for the event just moments away.

"Yung-Jin. Ran-Hee. Sang-Bong... Ready?"

The planned event was for me and the other talent agents of Division Jung to go on stage dressed in Cherry Blossom members' personal color tracksuits and lip-sync the second verse of 'Hurry Up!'

It was a request from the Cherry Blossom members themselves, as they thought it would be something fun for the fans to remember. So here I was, dressed in Sae-Ri's blue tracksuit and wearing an LED headband.

Then Lee Yung-Jin, clad in red, grumbled. "Mr. Jung, why is our division going up on stage instead of the Singer Division 2? Even if we're the ones handling Cherry Blossom, their official division is still Singer 2. Let's drag those guys up there instead!"

Do Ran-Hee, in yellow, told him to give it up. "Oppa, you shouldn't have let Mr. Jung draw the sticks if you felt that way~ You were the most enthusiastic during practice, so why are you complaining now?"

A month ago, Chief Lee Dong-Min and I had settled the matter with a stick draw to see which division would take on the event. It was a fifty-fifty game, and though I was given first draw, the stick I picked was the shorter one.

Glancing at Lee Yung-Jin, I muttered quietly. "Yeah, we're already here... Might as well enjoy it. If you can't avoid it, enjoy it, right?"

Lee Yung-Jin shot me a glare. "You've got a damn unlucky hand..."

'Yeah, fair enough. I have nothing to say to that.'

Just then, Jung Sang-Bong, in Eun-Ah's white tracksuit, spoke flatly. "Act one is ending. Let's get ready to head up."

Do Ran-Hee gave him a thumbs-up. "Ooh~ Our Sang-Bong's so reliable!"

"Just empty your mind. This isn't even a big deal."

Olympic gold medalist Jung Sang-Bong carried himself with ease, as if eight thousand spectators were nothing.

"But Sang-Bong, if this video gets recorded, won't tens—no, hundreds of thousands of people end up watching it?"

Jung Sang-Bong tilted his head as he looked at me. "Mr. Jung, what's wrong?"

There was no reason to rattle anyone's nerves if even one of us was still in decent shape mentally.

I smiled as if it were nothing and replied casually. "It's just a relief you're so dependable, Sang-Bong."

By then, the interlude after the first verse was already ending.

"Well then, shall we go win some points with our fan club members?"

I switched on the LED headband on my head and strode confidently onto the stage for Cherry Blossom's fan club, BLOOMING, and for Cherry Blossom themselves.

I wished that their future would continue to bloom brightly.

***

Down below the stage in the front row reserved for Hoop Entertainment's celebrities, Jung Yoo-Jin stood cheering with her lightstick, alongside Miso and Ju Yung-In, supporting Cherry Blossom with bright smiles.

After such enthusiastic cheering, the first part of 'Hurry Up!' came to a close.

At that moment, Director Kang Ji-Yung, who was acting as MC, grabbed the mic and shouted, "Now, please enjoy a special surprise stage from the talent agents of Hoop Entertainment!"

As she spoke, Cherry Blossom members spread out to the sides like backup dancers.

Then Sae-Ri shouted into the mic, "Please come out~ Talent Agent Blossom!!"

And with that, four talent agents in tracksuits rushed onto the stage. Jung Yoon-Ho, Do Ran-Hee, Lee Yung-Jin, and Jung Sang-Bong stood at center stage. The four were collectively being called "Talent Agent Blossom."

Just then, Woo Yeon-Hee's voice came through the headset. "For the second verse, our talent agents will be taking center stage. Please enjoy the show~"

At her cue, the talent agents turned on their sparkling LED headbands and took their starting formation for part two.

At the center of Talent Agent Blossom stood Jung Yoon-Ho. It was common for fans to dislike when talent agents joined performances like this, but Hoop Entertainment's talent agents were known for treating fans more dearly than any other company.

That was why, when the talent agents began the second verse of 'Hurry Up!,' BLOOMING responded with cheerful laughter and enthusiastic chants.

"Milky prince Jung Yoon-Ho!"

"Golden boy Jung Sang-Bong!"

"Rani-Rani Do Ran-Hee!"

"You got this Lee Yung-Jin!"

Spurred on by the chants, the talent agents danced even harder.

When center Jung Yoon-Ho stretched out his arms in dance, the others followed in sync—or at least tried to.

Tap, tap, tap.

Unfortunately, none of the moves were in sync. Their formation overlapped awkwardly, and their jumps were completely off. They were supposed to jump together, but their timing and height were all over the place, painfully obvious to anyone watching. Still, their expressions were sharp and focused like they were pulling off a perfectly synchronized routine.

Watching them, Jung Yoo-Jin felt a wave of emotion rise in her chest. They probably hadn't even had time to sleep properly, yet they put together a stage like this for their artists. That alone was a miracle.

At that moment, Jung Yoo-Jin raised her right hand high and began cheering loudly with her lightstick. "WE! LOVE! YOU! JUNG! YOON! HO!"

Miso joined in right away. "Love you, Jung Yoon-Ho! Dance machine, Jung Yoon-Ho!"

With both of them shouting, Ju Yung-In couldn't help but add her voice too. "We love you, Jung Yoon-Ho!"

Their chants energized the BLOOMING crowd, who erupted with even louder cheers to support Talent Agent Blossom's performance. Maybe it was that energy, but Jung Yoon-Ho and the other talent agents began dancing even more enthusiastically.

And so, on that stage, a fantastically chaotic—but deeply heartwarming—performance between Cherry Blossom and their four talent agents unfolded, turning today's celebration into a sea of laughter.

***

After the stage ended, we stepped down.

And right away, I was dragged into the haunted house by Yoo-Jin, Miso, and Ju Yung-In before I could think of escaping.

-Kyaaaaah!

-Uwooooo~!

-Heeheehee~

Ghosts popped out one after another as we made our way through the dark, winding maze, nearly stopping my heart. I barely managed to hold back my scream and made it to where the exit sign came into view. The word [EXIT] glowed above us.

I thought it was finally over.

Clunk.

That's when a hidden wall creaked open, and a female ghost appeared.

"Heeheeheehee!"

Her face was pale white, the skin torn. She had sharp fangs, bloodshot eyes, and long hair draping down as she stretched both arms toward us.

"Kyaaaaah! Aaaah!"

"Waaaaaah!"

"Mooooommmmyyyyy!"

I needed to bolt, but I couldn't.

Clamp!

Yoo-Jin clung to my left arm, Ju Yung-In to my right, and Miso wrapped both arms around my waist. Because of that, the scream that was about to burst out of me just faded away.

"H-hey, guys. We need to go. We're five meters from the exit."

The three of them kept their eyes shut, waving their hands around blindly.

"Is the ghost gone?"

The ghost actress standing in front of me gave a sly smile. Her red lipstick, painted up to her cheeks, made it look like her mouth was slit open. I shivered.

Then suddenly, a mischievous idea struck me. I couldn't be the only one enjoying this view.

"Yeah, she's gone."

At that moment, Yoo-Jin, Miso, and Ju Yung-In all opened their eyes at once.

"Kyaaaaaaaaaah!"

With another shriek, Yoo-Jin and Ju Yung-In bolted out, holding hands. Miso, meanwhile, threw herself into my arms and screamed again.

The ghost actress flinched and covered her ears. I quickly bowed my head, cradling Miso in my arms.

"I'm sorry. You've been working hard."

The ghost actress smiled. "I'm actually a fan of Miso. Please tell her I'm sorry for scaring her."

"I will."

I bowed again and hurried out of the haunted house with Miso in my arms.

Flap.

Pushing past the blackout curtain, the sudden flood of indoor lighting made me squint. Yoo-Jin and Ju Yung-In, who had run out ahead, were standing hand in hand, glaring at me.

"Oppa! That was so mean!"

"Oppa! You said she was gone! How could you?!"

Their indignant faces made me chuckle. Yoo-Jin, who claimed none of this scared her, was visibly shaking. Ju Yung-In's eyes were brimming with tears.

"But are you two gonna keep holding hands like that? People are taking pictures, you know," I teased.

The moment camera flashes went off around us, Yoo-Jin and Ju Yung-In flinched and let go of each other.

And Miso, still in my arms, finally managed to open her eyes. "Are we outside?"

"Yes, Miso. Were you scared?"

"Yes! Especially that last ghost! She looked like she'd really eat people!" Miso waved her hands wildly, trying to express just how scary it was.

'Yeah. Honestly, I was scared too, Miso.'

Then Yoo-Jin crouched down and looked up at Miso in my arms. "Miso~ Are you okay?"

Miso gave her mom a sassy look. "Mommy! Why did you leave me and run away?"

Yoo-Jin flinched and glanced around nervously. "N-No, it wasn't like that. Auntie Yung-In just yanked me away. I got dragged, really. You saw it, right? Auntie Yung-In was holding my hand tight."

Ju Yung-In gave Yoo-Jin an incredulous look. "Jung Yoo-Jin. Why are you throwing me under the bus? You were the one pulling my hand too."

As soon as Miso heard Ju Yung-In, her cheeks puffed out and she turned her head away with a sharp snap. She was clearly pouting to show she was upset her mom had run off alone.

"Hmph! Hmph! Hmph!"

In truth, if it had been a real emergency, Yoo-Jin would've run into a fire for Miso without a second thought. Yet this was an amusement park and I was holding Miso. That was the only reason things turned out this way.

At that moment, Miso grabbed my hand and started tugging. "Uncle Yoon-Ho! Let's ditch Mom and go get soft serve! Hurry, hurry!"

Miso's slightly puffed cheeks were adorable.

"Alright then. Let's skip the runaway mom and auntie, and go get some soft serve just for us."

"Yay!"

After shooting her mom one last glare, Miso tugged my hand again. Behind us, Yoo-Jin and Ju Yung-In hurried to follow, shouting,

"Miso, I'm sorry~~ Let's go together~~"

"Me too! Wait for me!"

As Yoo-Jin and Ju Yung-In chased behind us, Miso tightened her grip and pulled my hand a bit faster. When I glanced at her, Miso was stifling a giggle. She wasn't actually mad, but she was pretending to be.

Of course, neither Yoo-Jin nor Miso could truly be upset with each other.

Still, for some reason, I really did feel like the father of three daughters today.

***

The staff manning the soft serve machines were busily at work, churning out ice cream nonstop.

Zing~

As the machines kept spinning out cones for the fans, the crowd was overjoyed.

"Wow! This is all free?"

"I'm getting seconds!"

"I want every flavor!"

Normally at these venue rentals, food was restricted. But today, we made all the food completely free. After all, Cherry Blossom's success wouldn't have happened without their fan club BLOOMING.

Standing in line for soft serve with Miso, I smiled warmly and spoke to the fans waiting ahead. "Late-night lunchboxes will be out soon, so save some room~ They're really delicious, too."

Recognizing my voice, the fans turned and lit up.

"Oh? It's Mr. Jung!"

"Miso and Jung Yoo-Jin are here too!"

The fans called out our names and cheered.

"Mr. Jung! Today's been amazing."

"Seriously the best."

"I don't think I've ever had this much fun without worrying about money."

Seeing how happy everyone was filled me with a deep sense of pride. However, that pride was very short-lived.

"Oh, and if a Cherry Blossom member ever drops out, you can totally fill in! Please keep coming on stage!"

"Sell the LED headbands as merch! They were so cute!"

"Put the outfit you wore up for auction! I'll buy it! Two thousand won!"

"Five thousand won!"

"I'll give ten thousand!"

'Yeah. As long as the fans had fun, that's enough. But if they're going to compliment me, could they not laugh while doing it?'

I answered the excited fans as nonchalantly as I could. "I'll think about the merch. And no matter which of the four members drops out, Talent Agent Blossom will be ready to take the stage in their place!"

The fans burst out laughing, barely able to hold it in.

A little later, our turn in line came up.

"Miso, do you want strawberry? Milk? Chocolate? Or milk-choco mix?" I asked.

"Milk-choco mix!" Yoo-Jin shouted from behind.

"Strawberry for me!" Ju Yung-In called out her order too.

"Chocolate!"

The staff member taking the orders turned to me. "And for you, Mr. Jung?"

Just as I was about to answer, all three of them turned to look at me. I wanted strawberry, but for some reason, it didn't feel right to say that.

"Milk, of course. That's the only real ice cream flavor!"

At that, all three of them looked slightly disappointed. I didn't know why, but I was glad none of us had picked the same flavor.

After getting our cones, we headed to a nearby bench. Yoo-Jin and Miso, already back to normal, swapped flavors like nothing had happened. While they did that, I pulled out my phone and scrolled through the social media and news articles.

[Cherry Blossom's mega fan event underway at LT Amusement Park]

-Cherry Blossom rents out LT Amusement Park overnight for 8,000 fans.

Family fans light up with joy at this generous event!

(Comments)

-I'm here right now, and even the food's free!

-Rides are free, food's free, they're even handing out late-night bento boxes.

-So glad I became a Cherry Blossom fan.

-Agreed. I'm BLOOMING until I die!

-I wanna go too. Can't we join BLOOMING at the venue?

-Ugh, renting out a park overnight? I'm jealous. My idol would never do something like this...

...

Every article about the LT Amusement Park event was blowing up with comments. Reporters had already entered the venue, so each piece captured the atmosphere on-site with vivid detail.

Then I spotted one that stood out. It was from Weekly Star's infamous reporter, Jang Moon-Ki.

[Cherry Blossom's threat? Meet the shock-and-awe group: Talent Agent Blossom! (Weekly Star Jang Moon-Ki)

-A new co-ed group, Talent Agent Blossom, threatens to take Cherry Blossom's place.

-Formed around star talent agent Jung Yoon-Ho as center, the team includes both male and female talent agents...

(Comments)

-LOL I saw Chief Jung Yoon-Ho dancing live. LOLLLLL

-No comment.

-Agreed. It was shocking and horrifying.

-They were trying hard, but their arms and legs weren't in sync.

-None of the four were in sync at all!

-They proudly declared a legendary synchronized dance performance, but the result was a total mess. LOL

-Shamelessness? Easily a national record.

...

I shot up from my seat and looked around.

'A so-called reporter, instead of reporting the truth, spreading this kind of malicious, crowd-baiting fake news?! I had danced my heart out!'

This was unforgivable. I would track down Jang Moon-Ki and make him pay for that article.

Just then, I heard a voice.

"Oh~ Chief Jung. There you are!"

Shin In-Joon, the president of LT Amusement Park, was approaching with a group in tow. He reached me quickly and greeted me with a smile.

"Chief Jung. Thanks to you, our LT Park articles are trending like crazy!" 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"You're too kind."

"Oh, and this is my cousin, President Shin Woo-Jin. He's a direct family from LT Inc...."

I smiled. "Of course. It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Shin."

Shin Woo-Jin, the second son of LT Inc.'s founder Chairman Shin Heon-Jae, was the man who would spark a succession battle with his siblings and ultimately emerged as the next chairman of LT Inc. in the future. Now sixty-two, he examined me with sharp, charismatic eyes.

He studied me silently for a moment before finally speaking. "You're the guy who's been hanging around with Jong-Ki lately?"

Perhaps because of the age gap and his royal family background, he immediately spoke down to me. Then again, even before my regression, he was known for his arrogance.

"Yes, sir."

At that moment, Shin Woo-Jin made a completely unexpected offer with a smug smile. "Come work for me. I'll pay you more than you can possibly imagine. How about it?"

The future chairman of LT Inc. was offering me a betrayal deal. And at the same time, one thought rose sharply in my mind.

'Can you even afford me?'