[Everyday V13]

[Date: April 21, 2021]

-02:00 p.m.: [NEW. Haru]

The termination of contract with Haru. (Other: Transfer to HK Entertainment.)

'Haru is going to HK Entertainment?'

Even in the call just now, Haru had repeatedly insisted that he would never leave Hoop Entertainment.

Haru's mom Natalia was not someone who would go against Haru's wishes and push ahead with a contract at another company. Even Kim Chul-Soo, the director of Suwon Hyo Hospital and the man Haru's mom had remarried, was known for his rare integrity and was not the kind of person who would get involved in something improper.

'So why is Haru leaving Hoop Entertainment for HK Entertainment?'

I couldn't understand it at all. I had to go down to Suwon right away and see for myself.

"Haru. I'm heading out right now."

-What? Ah, hyung. Don't worry and take your time coming.

"No. I'm going now, so wait for me. I think I should see your mom too while I'm there."

-Okay. Oh, hyung. Mom says we should have lunch together. My stepdad will be coming too!

"Yeah, alright."

After hanging up, I spoke to Kang Gam-Chan. "Mr. Kang. I'll go to Suwon, check the situation first, and then contact you."

Kang Gam-Chan nodded. "Alright. And I know you'll handle it well, but even if Haru and his mother stay loyal to us, loyalty is something that has to go both ways. Even if Haru says he doesn't need a signing bonus, offer two billion won. That's only right."

In reality, most entertainment companies tried to lower the signing bonus by emphasizing the years they had spent together, all in the name of profit. However, Kang Gam-Chan's instructions were different. He always said that the more precious someone was, the less greedy you should be and the better you should treat them.

"Yes, sir. I'll keep that in mind."

In a world where what should be natural was no longer natural, I bowed my head in gratitude to Kang Gam-Chan, who was always a guiding principle in my life.

Kang Gam-Chan smiled faintly and gestured with his hand. "Alright. More importantly, hurry up and go. What if HK Entertainment shows up themselves and snatches Haru away?"

"M-Mr. Kang!"

"I'm joking, joking. Go on now. We need to prepare for other contract renewals as well."

"Yes, sir."

Because of Everyday's schedule entry, his joke didn't quite sound like a joke.

***

Haru's mom Natalia was living with her remarried husband Kim Chul-Soo at the VIP officetel in Yeongtong, Suwon, the Hue Officetel that I had arranged for them. Haru used to go down to Suwon every weekend, but now that his mom was newly married, he had decided to go only once a month and was staying in Seoul.

In any case, since the Hue Officetel was a place where entry was extremely restricted to anyone other than residents, I hadn't been worried that HK Entertainment, the company that had called, would actually show up.

However, the moment I arrived at the eleventh floor of Haru's place, I ran straight into Ha Ill-Kwon, the Vice President of HK Entertainment, standing in front of the door.

"Well, well! Look who it is. Isn't this Chief Jung?"

Ha Ill-Kwon, a deep scar running across his forehead, gave me a thin smile. The scar gave him a harsh impression, but his lobbying skills were unmatched. And his record of bringing in deals was considered the best in the industry. Every star he handled ended up making huge money, so there were always plenty of stars who wanted to work with him.

I had no idea how he had gotten past security and ended up here.

"How did you get in here?" I asked.

Ha Ill-Kwon grinned and held out his hand. "Let's greet each other first. Nice to see you. I started working at HK Entertainment this week."

Instead of taking Ha Ill-Kwon's hand, I asked again, "I asked how you got in here."

Ha Ill-Kwon awkwardly withdrew his hand. "Well, aren't you prickly. Didn't you hear? Singer Park In-Jung, who lives in the penthouse here, signed with our HK Entertainment. I came to see Park In-Jung and stopped by while I was at it. Satisfied?"

Security had been breached in the most absurd way. However, this was as far as he could go.

"Since it looks like you didn't get to meet anyone anyway, why don't you just head back?"

Ha Ill-Kwon snickered. "I'm a talent agent, you know. How could I leave like that? One call, one ring of the bell, and that's when it starts. You know that, right? I should at least see his face before I go. One step at a time, and eventually she'll end up in my hands."

I briefly considered calling the police, but someone like him might twist it around and strike back instead. Ha Ill-Kwon's younger sister was the head of a third-rate tabloid called Star Date, so there was always the chance of some bizarre headline popping up.

As I was thinking about how to get rid of him, Ha Ill-Kwon shrugged. "Look at your eyes going wild. What is it? Thinking of calling the cops? Wake up. Did I break in? Did I stalk anyone? I rang the bell once and waited in front of the door. That's it."

Listening to him, I knew reporting him wasn't the right answer. Just then, my phone vibrated.

Buzz~

[Caller ID: Haru]

Ha Ill-Kwon tilted his head.

"Aren't you going to answer?"

Without taking my eyes off him, I picked up the call.

-Hyung. Someone from HK Entertainment came to the house again. What do we do? I think he's still in front of the door.

"I'm in front of it too. Can't you see me on the intercom screen?"

-Oh. Hyung? I see you now. Hyung, Mom wants to talk to you. One second.

"Okay."

Haru handed the phone to Natalia.

-Mr. Jung, should we call the police?

"I'll come in with him."

-What? You're coming in together?

"He won't leave right away anyway. Since Haru is a minor, you're the one who has the authority over his contract. So meet him directly and hear what terms he's offering."

If it was Ha Ill-Kwon, even if I took Haru out of here, he wouldn't leave. And since Haru was a minor, the authority over his contract didn't lie with him but with his mother. If I stepped aside, Ha Ill-Kwon would have an even easier time targeting Haru's mother. In that case, it might be easier to deal with him after hearing exactly what he was offering.

-Now that you put it that way, you're right. Alright. I'll open the door, so come in together.

"Yes, ma'am."

After hanging up, I looked at Ha Ill-Kwon. "Shall we go in together?"

Ha Ill-Kwon arrowed his eyes and looked at me with suspicion. "What are you plotting?"

"Plotting? You were so confident just a moment ago. Now that I'm inviting you in, are you scared?"

The corner of Ha Ill-Kwon's mouth curled up. "Scared? Hardly. It's a meal laid out for me. Just don't regret it later."

"Regret? Not at all. Shall we?"

Click.

The sound of the door lock disengaging echoed. I grabbed the handle, opened the door, and stepped inside. Haru and his mother Natalia stood there with anxious expressions.

I gave them a faint smile. It meant they didn't have to worry.

***

In the living room of the officetel, Natalia set down some tea and sat beside me.

I nodded toward her and said, "Ma'am, let's hear their terms first. Listening doesn't mean we're signing anything."

Natalia nodded, then spoke to Ha Ill-Kwon. "You offered a signing bonus of five billion won and we turned it down, so why did you come in person?"

Ha Ill-Kwon spoke. "If I gave up after being rejected just once, I'd have to quit this line of work. That's why I came to see you myself and persuade you. Since you opened the door, hear me out at least once."

Then Haru, sitting to my left, cut in firmly. "No matter how much you offer, I'm not going to HK Entertainment. After everything Yoon-Ho hyung has done for me, you want me to betray him?"

When Haru came out strong, Natalia tried to soothe him. "Haru."

"Mom. I told you I'm staying with Mr. Jung."

"Yes, I know. But Mr. Jung is telling us to at least hear the terms."

Haru shot me a sideways glance, then answered with a sulky, dissatisfied tone. "Fine."

Natalia smiled softly and spoke to Ha Ill-Kwon again. "Go ahead."

Ha Ill-Kwon started to speak, then stopped when he noticed me. After tapping at his tablet screen a few times, he held it out toward Natalia.

"I've been in the entertainment industry for over ten years, and I can say this outright. These are the best terms you'll ever see."

At that moment, Natalia slid the tablet toward me with a gentle smile, not even looking at the screen once.

"Mr. Jung, please take a look."

In an instant, Ha Ill-Kwon jolted and spread his hand to cover the tablet screen. "No, ma'am! Why would you show that to Chief Jung? It's not customary to let someone from another company look over a contract!"

"Do you think I can judge it myself? It's better to have Mr. Jung review it."

Natalia didn't even glance at the screen. Just from Haru's attitude and Natalia's attitude alone, there was no sign they were going to leave me.

Then Ha Ill-Kwon complained. "No matter what, I'm sorry, but this isn't a document we can show to another company's talent agent."

Natalia gave a short laugh. "Alright. Then just leave. And if you come back again, I'll contact reporters from MBS, KBC, and SBC and do an interview while bawling my eyes out. I'll tell them HK Entertainment is pressuring me to betray Hoop Entertainment."

Maybe he hadn't expected her to threaten him with a mother's tears as a weapon, because Ha Ill-Kwon threw both hands up.

"Ah, fine." As if he had no choice, Ha Ill-Kwon pulled his hand away from the tablet and spoke. "Look carefully. Don't come back later and say something different."

I nodded. "Okay."

Holding the tablet, I immediately checked the terms HK Entertainment had put forward.

[HK Entertainment Exclusive Contract]

-Contracting party: Haru

-Contract term: 5 years

-Signing bonus: 6 billion won

-HK Entertainment will cover the full penalty fee for terminating Haru's contract with Hoop Entertainment

-Settlement split:

1. Haru (85%): Company (15%)

...

Compared to the five billion won signing bonus I had heard about in advance, it had gone up by one billion to six billion, and the split had also been raised slightly from 80% to 85%. It was a staggering offer that not only Hoop Entertainment but any ordinary entertainment company could never propose. Because if they got it wrong, they could end up taking nothing but losses.

However, when I read the contract closely, I found a cleverly hidden trap in the clause related to overseas revenue.

-Article 10. Overseas revenue settlement amount:

1. Settle only after deducting all associated costs.

2. Settlement split:

[Company (85%): Haru (15%)]

'Well, would you look at that?'

HK had established its entertainment company under the banner of aggressively pushing into overseas markets, something smaller agencies wouldn't even dare to attempt. But saying they would deduct all associated costs first essentially meant they intended to swallow up almost all the profits generated overseas.

This was unbelievable. I immediately spoke to Haru's mother. "The signing bonus is high, but the detailed clauses are a mess."

Ha Ill-Kwon flared up and protested. "Hey! Chief Jung, what are you talking about? Six billion won signing bonus and an 85 percent settlement rate! Where else are you going to get terms this good besides us?"

I pushed the tablet forward. "What about the overseas settlement clause?"

"What?"

"If you deduct all associated costs on top of that split, there'll be almost nothing left during overseas promotions."

"Hah. Chief Jung! Do you think overseas expansion is that easy? Without massive investment from a conglomerate like HK Inc., it's impossible! Of course HK should take a bigger cut."

Up until now, I hadn't sent my stars, including Yoo-Jin, overseas. They were already enjoying top-tier popularity in Korea, and in a few years Korean content would naturally spread abroad through online streaming platforms anyway. That was why I hadn't pushed for overseas expansion.

However, Ha Ill-Kwon clearly misunderstood, thinking I simply wasn't capable of sending them abroad.

"Did you say overseas expansion?" I scoffed.

"Yeah."

"Just a moment."

I immediately put my phone on speaker and made a call.

"Huh? Who are you calling right now?"

I didn't answer and waited for the other side to pick up. After a few rings, the call connected.

-Oh, Yoon-Ho. What's up?

It was Wang Long, who was preparing the sixth-week broadcast at the set of Project I.O.A today.

"Wang Long, if Haru shoots a mukbang program in China, how much would Shanghai New Media Inc. offer as an upfront signing bonus?"

Wang Long's voice brightened.

-Why? Is Haru entering the Chinese market too?

"I'm just asking. I want to check the terms first."

-If it's Haru, I'll wire ten billion won upfront. But we get exclusive rights in Greater China, including Taiwan and Hong Kong, okay? And if you bring your other stars along, I'll wire more separately. Hey, since we're on the topic, please push for overseas expansion already. We're friends, aren't we?

At that moment, Sasuke, who was preparing the broadcast alongside him, chimed in.

-Hyung. If Haru comes to Japan, I'll transfer five billion won as an advance right away. Just let us handle fan signings and events in addition to the broadcast. And if you oversee everything, we'll set a separate producing fee for you. Hyung! Please send him to us.

The two of them were practically begging, saying they would do anything if I sent Haru over.

"Okay. If we move forward, I'll keep those figures in mind. I'm a bit busy, so I'll hang up."

-Yoon-Ho. What is it? What are you busy with?

-Hy-hyung? Are we not signing a contract?

"I'll call later."

I hung up while listening to their flustered voices.

Ha Ill-Kwon asked urgently, "W-Who were those two?"

"One is the head of Shanghai New Media and the son of a high-ranking Communist Party official. The other is the second son of the chairman of Japan's AMOSE."

"What?"

I grinned and lightly waved my phone. "You said overseas expansion is difficult? Or is it just that you lack the capability?"

I looked at him as if to say, 'Overseas expansion? It's easy.'

Ha Ill-Kwon went blank. Securing a staggering 15 billion won in upfront payments the moment we expanded overseas was something he could never even dream of pulling off.

***

"I-I'll take my leave for today."

Thud.

The front door shut, and the sound of Ha Ill-Kwon hurrying away faded into the distance.

Haru looked at me with an excited expression. "Hyung. Am I going overseas?"

"If you want to, you can go anytime. But for now, I don't plan on sending you abroad. I want you to enjoy the things someone your age should be enjoying. Still, if you really want to, I'll arrange for you to go on a limited basis."

Haru glanced at his mom. Natalia smiled softly and stroked Haru's hair. "Haru. We already have more than enough money. So don't rush."

"Okay."

Haru nodded and looked at me. "Actually, I don't plan on going either. There's already seven billion won saved in my bank account."

"Really? Man, our boy is rich."

"It's all thanks to you, hyung."

Then Natalia spoke as well. "Yes. As long as you're looking after Haru, we don't need more money. There's no need to renew the contract either, so please don't worry."

I was deeply grateful for the trust the two of them showed me, but I followed Kang Gam-Chan's words.

"Even so, since a competitor has made a move like this, Hoop Entertainment must fulfill its duty as well. We've earned a lot thanks to Haru. So let's renew the contract. Five years, a signing bonus of two billion won. A 7 to 3 net profit split. And the same 7 to 3 split applies overseas."

At that moment, Haru and his mother both bowed their heads with moved expressions. "Thank you for always taking care of us."

"No, thank you for trusting me."

Loyalty had to be upheld by both sides. This was the moment Kang Gam-Chan's words became reality.

After wrapping things up like that, I checked Everyday. However, the schedule entry hadn't changed.

[Everyday V13]

[Date: April 21, 2021]

-02:00 p.m.: [NEW. Haru]

The termination of contract with Haru. (Other: Transfer to HK Entertainment.)

'Why... isn't it disappearing?'

***

While I was worrying over why the schedule entry hadn't vanished, Haru's stepfather, Kim Chul-Soo, came home for lunch.

As we ate Natalia's special homemade curry packed with large chunks of meat, potatoes, and vegetables, he spoke to me. "Mr. Jung, you should come visit more often. If I don't see you in ramen commercials, I might forget what you look like."

I smiled and said, "Come on. How could I drop by a newlywed couple's home that often?"

Kim Chul-Soo cleared his throat. "Haha. Well then, once Haru has a younger sibling, you can come more often..."

Smack.

Natalia, her face turning red, smacked Kim Chul-Soo on the back. "Seriously!"

Kim Chul-Soo twisted shyly but grinned anyway. "I-it doesn't hurt at all. Not one bit. Hahaha."

Haru giggled. "You're tearing up though."

"I-it's not tears. The curry's just spicy. And the kimchi is extra spicy today. Ahem."

I was smiling at the sight of their warm, happy family when Kim Chul-Soo's phone started ringing.

Buzz~

"Excuse me."

Kim Chul-Soo answered the call.

But the moment I heard the voice coming through the phone, I finally understood why Everyday's schedule entry hadn't disappeared.