Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All-Chapter 824: She Was Beautiful Audition (4)

All the judges had been satisfied with Han Soo-Bin, so I thought things would go smoothly. Yet Cha In-Hye's schedule entry to block Yoo-Jin's path remained unchanged.

'Is it because the final decision hasn't been made, so the schedule entry hasn't been removed yet?'

At that moment, Shin Jong-Ki, who had just finished the audition, set down his tablet and said, "Let's see. According to the scores, Han Soo-Bin seems to be in first place... Everyone, are we okay with giving her the role of Lee So-Mi?"

Among the judges, Director Yeo Ik-Hwan was the first to nod. "Yes, sir. I heard she's a rookie, but she's solid across the board. Her understanding of the character, her acting, singing, dancing... Personally, I think she's a perfect fit for Lee So-Mi."

Shin Jong-Ki looked around at the judges with a pleased smile. "What does everyone else think?"

Writer Wang Mi-In, Managing Director Lee Eun-Joo, and even Yoo-Jin, who was attending as an observer, all nodded.

"I agree."

"Her grasp of the character is on a completely different level compared to the others. More importantly, she's capable of matching Miss Yoo-Jin's performance."

With everyone in agreement, Shin Jong-Ki gave a satisfied nod. "Alright. Then let's fix Han Soo-Bin for the role of Lee So-Mi."

At last, the role of Lee So-Mi in Angel Wings had officially gone to Han Soo-Bin. I checked Everyday again. However, the schedule still hadn't disappeared.

'Why not? Why isn't it gone?'

Just as that question crossed my mind, a scene from the film She Was Beautiful flashed through my head.

'No way... it couldn't be, could it?'

In the movie, the protagonist Han Bit-Na gets into a car accident due to a scheme orchestrated by her rival, Lee So-Mi.

'What if something like that were to happen in real life?'

If it did, the role would naturally pass to the runner-up, Cha In-Hye.

At that moment, Lee Eun-Joo picked up her phone and said, "Mr. Shin. Should I call Han Soo-Bin's agency and inform them?"

"Yes. No need to leave anyone hanging in suspense. Tell them to come prepared to sign the contract tomorrow. And after the call, let's go grab dinner."

"You're treating, right?"

"Of course. I'll invite everyone to my favorite place. It's a samgyeopsal kimchi stew joint and it's fantastic."

"Oh~ The Original Grandma's Clay Pot Kimchi Stew in Apgujeong? That place is great. Got it. I'll make the call and book a table."

Salivating, Lee Eun-Joo quickly dialed Han Soo-Bin's agency.

"Hello? This is Managing Director Lee Eun-Joo from LT Entertainment. I'm calling regarding the audition results." Just then, Lee Eun-Joo's face began to twist in confusion as she listened. "Excuse me? What do you mean by that all of a sudden?"

The judges, who had been casually packing up, looked over with puzzled expressions.

Lee Eun-Joo shot up from her seat, shouting urgently into her phone. "Wait, hold on! Sir! Sir!"

Click.

The call was cut off.

Lee Eun-Joo stared blankly at her phone.

Shin Jong-Ki tilted his head. "Director. What's wrong?"

Lee Eun-Joo turned to Shin Jong-Ki with a stunned expression. "Han Soo-Bin... apparently, she's decided to take another role."

'So they pressured the agency to pull Han Soo-Bin for another project?'

I had worried they might try to cause an accident, but this was a surprisingly creative tactic. Still, they likely hadn't finalized the contract yet, not with this timeline. That meant we could still turn this around if we moved fast.

Hearing Lee Eun-Joo's words, Shin Jong-Ki looked dumbfounded. "What, she confirmed another role just hours after the audition? What kind of project is it?"

"They won't even tell us what the project is."

At that moment, Shin Jong-Ki's face flushed red with rage. Choosing another project before the audition results were officially announced was a blatant, unforgivable breach of etiquette. And to do this to a major company like LT Entertainment was no different than declaring they had no intention of ever working with LT again.

Sure enough, Shin Jong-Ki raised his voice, brimming with fury. "Forget it. So what if we don't have her? It's not like we can't make a movie without that girl!"

He fumed, face tense with frustration—until his eyes met mine. Since I was the one who had recommended the actress, he made an effort to rein in his anger. Moments like this showed just how much Shin Jong-Ki respected me. Still, that didn't mean he would hold back completely. After all, he had his pride, too.

"Chief Jung. I was trying to hold back because she was your pick, but this is too much. Clearly they don't want to work with us either, so let's just go with our second choice, Cha In-Hye."

As if pulled by fate itself, Cha In-Hye looked poised to be cast as Lee So-Mi.

Normally, I would have stepped back. However, with Everyday's warning in mind, I had no choice but to calm Shin Jong-Ki down.

"I'm just as angry that they didn't even bother to contact us before choosing something else. But... sir, don't you think something's off?"

Shin Jong-Ki tilted his head. "Hm? What do you mean?"

"No matter how small Grassroots Entertainment is, they're not unaware of LT's stature. And yet they went ahead and took another role without even a phone call?"

Shin Jong-Ki paused to think, then slowly nodded upon realizing I had a point. "Hm... now that you mention it, it is a bit strange. Even when we've left other actors in standby for backup roles, they've never just ghosted us like this."

When Shin Jong-Ki's anger cooled slightly, I seized the opportunity. "I'm not insisting that we absolutely must bring in Han Soo-Bin. But could you wait until I go there myself and find out exactly what's going on? Something just doesn't sit right."

Shin Jong-Ki was quiet for a moment, then let out a sigh. "Sigh... if it were anyone else, maybe not. But coming from you, Chief Jung, I'll go along with it. Your reasoning makes sense. But I can't wait long. You know that, right?"

"I'll go right now and meet with them. I'll get back to you as soon as possible."

As I stood up, Shin Jong-Ki added, "Alright. And hey... if you need to, feel free to drop LT Entertainment's name a little. Right now, you're the casting director for She Was Beautiful, after all."

He was lending me that authority just in case my hunch proved correct, making it easier to handle things on the spot. I appreciated that about him. He always found ways to support me.

"Thank you for trusting me."

Shin Jong-Ki gave a small chuckle. "Anyway, check it out and let me know. But if it turns out they really ditched us for no good reason..."

I looked him straight in the eye. "Then I'll be the first to give them an earful."

"Alright. Go take care of it."

"Yes, sir."

I bowed my head in gratitude for his unwavering trust, then rose to leave.

That's when Yoo-Jin stood up as well. "Oppa, I'm coming with you."

"No, you stay here and have dinner with Mrs. Lee. I'll ask Sang-Bong to come pick you up."

However, Yoo-Jin ignored me and stepped closer. "You never know. Maybe I'll be helpful."

It was true that Yoo-Jin had helped a lot during the casting earlier. Maybe that success had boosted her confidence, because she had no intention of backing down. And honestly, having Yoo-Jin there might make talking to Han Soo-Bin easier.

"Alright then, come with me."

"Yay~"

I gave my thanks and said goodbye to Shin Jong-Ki and the staff, then headed straight to Yongsan, where Grassroots Entertainment was located.

I had to erase the ominous schedule entry that Everyday had warned me about and find out who was really behind this incident.

***

The small building housing Grassroots Entertainment came into view, just 50 meters ahead.

I said to Yoo-Jin, who was sitting in the passenger seat, "There's no parking over there, so I'll have to stop in front of the convenience store. Pull your hat down and disguise yourself."

"Yes, sir~"

Yoo-Jin pulled on a mask, a cap, sunglasses, and even wrapped a scarf around her neck.

Then she said with confidence, "Oppa, don't you think I'd be great in a spy movie?"

I let out a small laugh. With that tiny face, silky hair, and fair skin, she looked like a celebrity no matter what.

'A spy movie? Yeah, right.'

I didn't respond and parked in front of the store.

Screech.

Once the car came to a halt, Yoo-Jin waved her hand right in front of my nose. "Huh? What's this? Why aren't you answering? Oppa. Hello~ Can you hear me?"

"Nope. Not hearing a thing. I'll go ask the store owner for a quick favor."

Grumbling about my silence, Yoo-Jin followed me out of the car. "Wait, I'm coming too."

Ding.

We stepped into the store. I planned to buy something before asking the store owner for a bit of leeway. Just then, I saw someone in the corner, slouched over as they poured hot water into a cup noodle. The figure looked strangely familiar.

'Han Soo-Bin?'

But for someone who had supposedly landed another role, she looked incredibly downcast.

Yoo-Jin tapped me on the shoulder. "Oppa? What's with Soo-Bin?"

"I'm not sure. Let's find out."

This was more urgent than parking, so we pretended to shop while moving closer to Han Soo-Bin.

Han Soo-Bin let out a deep sigh as she waited for the water to settle in her cup. "Sigh~"

I took the seat next to her and called her name. "Soo-Bin."

Han Soo-Bin looked up at me, startled. "Huh? Mr. Jung? What are you doing here...?"

At that moment, Yoo-Jin peeked out from beside me and lowered her sunglasses. "Hey~ I'm here too, Soo-Bin."

"Huh?"

Han Soo-Bin stood up in surprise. She moved too fast and nearly lost her balance. I quickly reached out and supported her back before she could fall.

Thud.

"Careful."

"Ah, thank you, Mr. Jung. And..."

Yoo-Jin brought a finger to her lips. "Shh!"

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's fine. There's no need to apologize. But why are you here, eating cup noodles alone and looking so gloomy?"

Han Soo-Bin hesitated. Her expression told me something was definitely going on. Thanks to Yoo-Jin breaking the ice, it was easier to get to the point.

"Soo-Bin. Tell me what's going on. We were trying to cast you, but then we got a call saying you'd been assigned to another project. But I just couldn't let it go, so I came to find you."

After a brief pause, Han Soo-Bin finally sighed and spoke. "The truth is... Mr. Song just announced out of nowhere that my next role would be in another project."

"Out of nowhere? What project?"

"He didn't even say. That's why I came down here so upset. The noodles... I bought it because I was hungry."

'So they're pushing her into another role, ignoring the casting decision from LT?'

That meant someone powerful was backing this move. Yet judging by how she hadn't even been told the project name, there was no way Han Soo-Bin knew who was behind it.

Right then and there, I made up my mind to get Han Soo-Bin out of Grassroots Entertainment and give her the role of Lee So-Mi. It wasn't just to erase that ominous schedule on Everyday, but also to keep someone with her talent from being trapped in a place like this.

"Soo-Bin. You've got about two months left on your contract, right?"

"Huh? Yes. I'm supposed to renew it this week."

"Did you say you'd renew?"

"No, not yet. They told me I'd be doing something else instead of She Was Beautiful, so I was upset and didn't respond. Honestly, I want to move to another agency."

Lucky for me, I had just confirmed her intention not to renew.

"I see. Then if I help with your transfer, would you be willing to take the role of Lee So-Mi?"

Han Soo-Bin's face lit up instantly. "Really?"

"Yeah."

Yoo-Jin gripped Han Soo-Bin's hand tightly and added, "I'll help too. And if you get suspicious, you can even record things."

"No, it's okay. That won't be necessary. Then... I'll be in your care."

She answered quickly, maybe because she had built up a lot of resentment toward Grassroots Entertainment.

"Alright then, let's stop by your agency for a bit. We'll sort out the transfer and casting issues and then let's grab some good food together. We haven't eaten dinner either."

Yoo-Jin chimed in. "Yeah! Soo-Bin, I'll treat, so let's ditch the noodles."

Han Soo-Bin glanced at her now-ready cup noodles with a look of regret. "Then... what should I do with these?"

Just then, the door opened and five young elementary school kids rushed in.

Ding.

"Mister! Do you have chocolate milk?"

"Yup, we've got it."

The kids turned toward the milk fridge.

'Perfect. We could give it to them.'

I waved at the kids. "Hey, kids~ Want this cup noodle? No one's touched it. And I'll buy you all some fish cakes too..."

That's when they suddenly pointed at me.

"Oh! It's the ramen ajusshi!"

"The real ramen ajusshi!"

'Excuse me? Ramen ajusshi? I'm twenty-eight years old! Sure, I was nearly forty before the regression, but still. And they say if you get offended by being called ajusshi, that makes you a real ajusshi...'

Before I could react, Yoo-Jin got more worked up than me. "Hey! You shouldn't call my oppa 'ajusshi'! Say 'hyung,' okay?"

"Huh? That sounds like Jung Yoo-Jin noona!"

"Is it really Yoo-Jin noona? Her voice is exactly the same!"

Even with the scarf, Yoo-Jin had been found out.

Yoo-Jin tried to soften her voice. "No~ I'm not~"

"Wow! It's Jung Yoo-Jin!"

"Ugh!"

'See, Yoo-Jin? Spy films aren't your thing.'

The kids came running toward us like a swarm of zombies, eyes sparkling. At this rate, we would never get out of here.

So I made a deal. "Okay, okay. Split this cooked ramen among yourselves. Then each of you grab one cup of noodles, one chocolate milk, one snack, and one fish cake each, and get to the register in thirty seconds. Go!"

The kids hesitated for a second, then shouted in unison, "Go!"

They scattered in all directions, then reappeared thirty seconds later with their arms full, lining up at the counter.

Taking advantage of the chaos, I handed over my card and business card to the clerk and said, "Sir, I've parked just out front. If there's a problem, please give me a call."

"Don't worry about a thing. Hahaha."

I paid and left the convenience store.

The kids shouted after me, "Ramen ajusshi rocks!"

Yoo-Jin whipped her head around and yelled, "Kids! Call him 'hyung'! He gets mad!"

"Got it, Yoo-Jin noona! Ramen hyung rocks!"

Yoo-Jin looked smug as she turned to me.

'Wow, thanks, Jung Yoo-Jin.'

I waved back at the kids and walked with Yoo-Jin and Han Soo-Bin toward the building right in front of us—Grassroots Entertainment.

***

After leaving the convenience store, Yoo-Jin and I entered Grassroots Entertainment with Han Soo-Bin. Since it was a small company, there was no lobby. We went straight into the office and opened the door.

A young female staffer, probably in her early twenties, shot up from her seat. "Oh. Mr. Jung, what brings you here?"

"I'd like to speak with Mr. Song. Is he in?"

"Yes, he's in his office. Just a moment."

The staffer quickly scurried over and knocked on the small president's office door.

-Yes? What is it? 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"Mr. Jung from Hoop Entertainment is here."

There was a brief pause before Song Jin-Man's voice came through.

-Let him in.

The entire office was only about 20 pyeong, yet they still went through the formalities.

"Go ahead, sir."

We nodded and entered with Han Soo-Bin in tow.

Inside, Song Jin-Man was talking with Hong Sung-Soo, one of the two actors affiliated with Grassroots Entertainment. When Song Jin-Man split from his previous company, he had brought Hong Sung-Soo with him. Now, Hong Sung-Soo starred as the lead in Acting Class, a KBC drama, and was riding high in popularity as an A-class actor.

In reality, Grassroots Entertainment functioned more like Hong Sung-Soo's personal management company. Han Soo-Bin was merely there in name. The issue was, Hong Sung-Soo was an extremely self-centered actor, hypersensitive when it came to his own gains.

And in that moment, I immediately saw how to get Song Jin-Man to talk—by using Hong Sung-Soo.

First, I addressed Song Jin-Man calmly, hoping to resolve things amicably. "Mr. Song. I was told Soo-Bin turned down casting because she'd received another offer. So who exactly stole her away?"

Song Jin-Man furrowed his brow. "Chief Jung. The casting is done, so let it go. And I can't tell you even if I wanted to."

As expected, this wouldn't go smoothly. In that case, I had no choice.

I nodded. "If you won't say, you might not like the consequences. Are you okay with that?"

"What's this? Are you here to threaten me? If so, get out!"

"A threat...? If that's how you see it, then I guess I'll have to show you something close enough."

I turned to Hong Sung-Soo.

"Mr. Hong. You're preparing for your next project with LT Entertainment, right?"

Hong Sung-Soo answered, "Yeah, why?"

"Well, that's not happening anymore."

Hong Sung-Soo flared up. "What? Who the hell says so?"

"Who else? The president of LT Entertainment, of course."

The flustered Hong Sung-Soo blinked in shock. "W-Why would Mr. Shin block my next role?"

"Because Mr. Song Jin-Man here seriously overstepped today at the audition. I came to mediate, but he's basically slammed the door in our face. So Mr. Shin said if this doesn't get resolved, he'll treat Grassroots like weeds and yank them out," Mixing in just enough bluff, I delivered the line.

Hong Sung-Soo turned to Song Jin-Man and exploded. "You son of a bitch! Jin-Man, what the hell did you do?!"

"N-No! It's not like that! There was just a small misunderstanding. Don't worry, it's nothing major!"

"Nothing major?! People are saying LT's already outpacing CK these days, and you went and pissed off the president?! You trying to cut me out just to push Soo-Bin?! Are you fucking kidding me?!"

As Hong Sung-Soo raged, Song Jin-Man grew visibly panicked. "S-Sung-Soo, even if it's not LT, there's still CK. So don't worry, I'll—"

Smack!

Hong Sung-Soo grabbed Song Jin-Man by the collar. "You bastard. What the hell did you do? Spit it out!"

Despite their friendship, there was a clear power dynamic between them.

Song Jin-Man choked, then began confessing. "T-The truth is... an order came down to exclude Soo-Bin from the project. In return, they promised you a commercial deal..."

"You damn idiot! How could you accept that kind of deal and go against LT?!" Still fuming, Hong Sung-Soo demanded the name behind it all. "Forget it. Just tell me who made you do this. Who the hell gave that order, huh?"

Song Jin-Man hesitated, still clutched by the collar.

"What? You're not talking? Jin-Man, do you want to never see me again?!"

'Just as I predicted.'

Impulsive and self-serving, Hong Sung-Soo cornered Song Jin-Man until he had no choice. In the end, unable to bear the pressure, Song Jin-Man began to spill the truth behind today's incident.

"T-The one behind this is..."

And the moment I heard the name come out of Song Jin-Man's mouth, I knew a new war had just begun.