Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All

Chapter 172: On a Roll (2)

As soon as I heard Do Ran-Hee's question, I realized it was a mistake to cover her mouth. I could have just told her it was from Yoo-Jin, but covering her mouth only piqued her curiosity.

With her mouth covered by my hand, Do Ran-Hee began to struggle with her eyes wide open. "Mmmph! Uff! Uff!"

"I'll let you go...if you promise to be quiet, nod your head," I told her.

But Do Ran-Hee started to move her mouth instead of nodding. Her tongue peeked out and licked my palm.

"Hey! Don't lick!" I yelled.

When I was startled by the wet sensation and quickly pulled my hand away, Do Ran-Hee wiped her mouth with a mischievous grin.

"Your hand is salty!" Do Ran-Hee yelled.

'Do Ran-Hee, you're crazy.' I thought to myself.

I was wiping my hand with a wet wipe from the desk when Do Ran-Hee looked at me with a sly expression.

"Mr. Jung."

"What!?"

"Who is it?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Who gave you the gift? I mean, you really didn't have to overreact and cover my mouth. Be honest with me. Do you have a girlfriend? Do you have a picture of her?"

"Let's talk in the staff lounge. People are starting to come in."

"He he he. Don't worry, my lips are sealed."

'Why is she so happy?' I wondered.

I took the excited Do Ran-Hee to the staff lounge. In the empty staff lounge, I revealed that my suit was a gift from Yoo-Jin.

"Wow! It's not from a girlfriend but from Miss Yoo-Jin?" Do Ran-Hee exclaimed.

"Do I look like I have time to date? I got it from Yoo-Jin as a congratulatory gift for becoming a team lead."

Do Ran-Hee swallowed hard. "Wait, Mr. Jung. Don't tell me...it's not...you guys don't have that kind of relationship, do you?"

"No way! Whatever you're thinking, it's not that!" I quickly clarified.

"They say a strong denial is a confirmation. Maybe it's not you, but perhaps Miss Yoo-Jin is the one who likes you..." Do Ran-Hee said with a smirk.

"I said it's not like that!" I insisted.

"Fine, fine. I'll believe you for now."

"What do you mean for now?"

"To be honest, there are rumors around the company that you and Miss Yoo-Jin have a thing."

'A thing between Yoo-Jin and I? This is news to me.' I thought to myself.

"Wh-who's spreading those ridiculous rumors?" I asked.

The combination of female celebrities and male talent agents often sparked various imaginations, since talent agents spent 24 hours with celebrities to help them with everything.

It seemed like my age served to fan the flames of these rumors further since I was around the same age as Yoo-Jin.

"You're not suspecting me too, are you?" I asked Do Ran-Hee.

"I did until I joined Team Jung," Do Ran-Hee answered.

"And now?"

Do Ran-Hee looked at me with narrow eyes and then shook her head. "Honestly, you two seem too close which is suspicious. But I'll trust you. You're not someone who lies as far as I know."

"That's right. If I were dating, I'd say I was dating," I stated.

Do Ran-Hee pouted her lips, disappointed that the juicy scandalous info turned out to be false.

"Anyway, the rumor could turn nasty if they find out that it's a gift from Miss Yoo-Jin," Do Ran-Hee added.

Even though she joked around, Do Ran-Hee was concerned about Yoo-Jin and me since she was now a part of Team Jung.

"It's okay. As long as you keep quiet, no rumors will spread," I replied.

But I realized I needed to be cautious, recalling that one of the talent agents from Ace Entertainment had asked the same question during the Blue Sky get-together dinner.

Then suddenly, Do Ran-Hee licked her lips and started laughing. "Well, I mean...life is all about give and take, isn't it? Don't you think you should do me some favor if you want my lips sealed?"

Her words caught me by surprise. 'Huh? Didn't she just say she would keep secrets and give advice for the sake of Team Jung?'

Nonetheless, I asked her to state her request. "What do you want me to do then?"

Do Ran-Hee responded as if it was obvious what she meant. "Buy me Hanwoo."

"Do you always start making deals with Hanwoo? There are other things like pork ribs. Don't you like pork belly? You should eat a lot of lettuce and perilla leaves. Vegetables are good for your body!" I retorted.

"Nope. Hanwoo is the best for your body. I don't like anything else," Do Ran-Hee replied.

'Damn it, I'm screwed.' I cursed inwardly.

I was about to say 'I don’t have money, deal with it!', but just then I heard someone approaching the staff lounge and inadvertently exclaimed, "Deal!"

I didn't know why it was so hard for me to just say that the gift was from Yoo-Jin.

That's when Lee Yung-Jin walked into the staff lounge to get coffee and asked, "Deal? What's this 'deal'?"

Do Ran-Hee grinned sheepishly. Had I known it was Lee Yung-Jin who walked in, I wouldn’t have needed to shout 'deal'.

But at that moment, I thought of a way to get back at Do Ran-Hee.

"Oh, I told her I'm taking her to Cherry Blossom's performance today and she was happy about it. That's why I said 'deal'."

Lee Yung-Jin nodded. "Ah, is that so?"

Do Ran-Hee's eyes widened. "Me?"

"Yes, you." I said while staring at Do Ran-Hee.

Do Ran-Hee shook her head and took a few steps back. "But today I have to plan content for Miss Ha-Na’s MeTube."

"You can do that after we return. Ran-Hee, you also need to get promoted to assistant manager before the year's out, right?" I asked in jest.

Do Ran-Hee answered, "Mr. Jung. I prefer to take a thin and long approach."

"That’s different from my goal. I prefer a bold and long approach. So let's work hard together, shall we?" I smirked.

"M-Mr. Jung? Is this perhaps some kind of revenge...?"

"Of course not! Not at all!"

I smiled slyly at Do Ran-Hee and nudged her forward.

'You have to do that much work if you want Hanwoo. Right, Do Ran-Hee?' I remarked inwardly.

As Do Ran-Hee was pushed out of the staff lounge, she pleaded with Lee Yung-Jin for help.

However, Lee Yung-Jin just laughed while making coffee. "Have fun. Let’s get promoted to assistant manager together."

"Ugh, be quiet! I'll get promoted first and then I'll boss everyone around!" Do Ran-Hee cried out.

I looked at her and thought, 'Why is she complaining when I'm helping her to get promoted?'

I dragged the protesting Do Ran-Hee toward the parking lot for Cherry Blossom's schedule.

***

[Cherry Blossom Achieves Nine Consecutive Weeks at Number One with 'Hurry Up!']

As Cherry Blossom hit nine consecutive weeks at number one, articles started pouring in like crazy. It was because they had matched the unbroken record for consecutive number ones since 2010.

After chatting with the delighted fan club executives, I immediately attended a meeting. Today's meeting was unusual as not only the talent agents but also all four members of Cherry Blossom were present because it was regarding the conclusion of the recent album's promotions next week.

"Now that Yoon-Ho is here, let's talk about wrapping up this album's activity," Lee Dong-Min started.

At that moment, Sae-Ri raised her hand excitedly. "Mr. Lee."

"What is it, Sae-Ri?"

"We've worked so hard to get here. Can't we continue for just three more weeks? Please, just a bit longer~. Please?"

Sae-Ri tried to wink charmingly but ended up blinking awkwardly.

Yang Eun-Bi was usually quick to challenge Sae-Ri, but she agreed this time. "I agree with Sae-Ri this time. Moments like these don't come often."

Perhaps it was because they had finally tasted success after so much hardship, the other two members also showed their dissent.

However, Lee Dong-Min replied with a troubled expression. "I understand your feelings, but let's just end it this week. A ten-week streak at number one sounds good enough, doesn't it? We’ll stop after hitting that record."

Sae-Ri stood up abruptly. "Why can’t we continue? We can do this. Look!"

Sae-Ri began to perform the key point dance of 'Hurry Up!', claiming she still had the energy to dance.

But contrary to her words, her thin arms shook weakly. Amid promotions, events, and rehearsals, Cherry Blossom had been working non-stop for over two months and catching naps in the car. Despite efforts to manage their stamina, they were reaching their limits. The fatigue was beyond mere accumulation and they were all on the verge of collapse.

Seeing Sae-Ri smile through the muscle pain made my heart ache. Lee Dong-Min also turned his gaze toward me as if he couldn't bear to see the members in the eyes anymore.

After all, the suggestion to halt activities came from me.

"Team Lead Jung, you take it from here. I really can't do this anymore."

"Understood, sir."

Suddenly, all the members of Cherry Blossom turned their gazes to me, each sending signals pleading for support.

Sae-Ri, still wavering like a deflated balloon, kept sending double winks. It was clear I had to handle Sae-Ri first.

"Next week? No way. Looking at you wavering like a deflated balloon, it seems tough even to perform this week. Shall we just end activities today?" I asked.

Sae-Ri quickly sat down after my comment. "No, no!"

"I understand you all want to keep pushing. But in your current state, even a minor bruise could lead to muscle tears or ligament stretching. That could ruin not just a few weeks but the whole year. Don't you know that?" I continued.

I started explaining how many actors and singers had been rushed to emergency rooms due to accumulated fatigue and had to take long breaks from their activities.

Woo Yeon-Hee listened intently to my speech and eventually nodded with a look of realization dawning on her face. "I hadn't thought that far. I'm sorry for being stubborn."

"Don't be sorry. Honestly, having achieved this much is already incredible. Let's prepare better next time and go longer. And don't worry, Seon-Woo has already picked out a great song for the next release." I encouraged them.

"Okay."

Accepting my reasoning, Woo Yeon-Hee began to comfort the members like a mother.

"Guys, remember just a few months ago we said we'd do anything just to hit number one once? Let’s not ruin our next opportunity by being too greedy now."

The members started to agree one by one.

"If that's what Yoon-Ho oppa thinks...sure."

However, the ever-dramatic Sae-Ri sulked a little. "Sigh. I still want to do more though."

"Sae-Ri, you overslept this morning because you were so tired. We almost missed the schedule." I reminded her.

"No, I was just listening to the sound of me growing taller. That's why I kept my eyes closed a bit longer." Sae-Ri retorted cheekily.

'The sound of growing taller? That sounds more like a dream.' I shook my head at the thought.

Sae-Ri could really spin tales despite not even growing 1 mm in height.

Lee Dong-Min cleared his throat to lighten the mood. "Alright, since that's settled, why don't we review our activities so far?"

"Sure."

Han Myung-Ho cleared his throat and began to recount Cherry Blossom's recent achievements.

"In the past two months..."

Han Myung-Ho mentioned Cherry Blossom's impressive accomplishments, including five commercial endorsements, 1.8 billion won in sales, and a total of 38 million views on their related MeTube content.

Moreover, he also mentioned that fan club websites were being launched in Japan and China.

"The song's catchiness has garnered an unexpectedly strong reaction from the Asian market. It might be good to consider targeting our next album for international release."

The members of Cherry Blossom’s faces lit up at Han Myung-Ho’s report.

"Really?"

"That's amazing!"

Their eyes widened and laughter burst forth.

"Yeon-Hee unnie! Let's aim for number one on the Billboard chart in Japan!"

Sae-Ri's comment prompted Yang Eun-Bi to interject. "Sae-Ri, Japan has its own chart system..."

"I know, I was joking. It’s the Oricon chart, right?"

Not just Yang Eun-Bi but the whole room erupted in cheers.

"Wow~ Sae-Ri, you're such a professional now."

"Sae-Ri, you’ve studied a lot, huh? You even know about the Oricon chart?"

The talent agents cheered and Sae-Ri responded with a proud smile, "Of course! I'm not the old Sae-Ri anymore, you know?"

Sae-Ri winked at me as she struck a confident pose.

'Good job.' I smiled at the comforting thought.

It felt rewarding to see that the current affairs quizzes I made her do on KkTalk were finally paying off. To me, this moment was more delightful than all the achievements Han Myung-Ho had listed.

'Keep up the good work, Sae-Ri.' I cheered silently.

Sae-Ri once again performed her exuberant victory dance with shaky arms, and the meeting room was filled with laughter.

***

'Stylist' was the term for the staff responsible for celebrities' outfits. And in the entertainment industry, it was a role often scrutinized by both reporters and fans.

Today, I planned to recruit the final piece of Team Jung—a stylist.

"Where are you going, Mr. Jung?"

"I'm going to recruit a stylist."

"Wow. Who is it?"

"A remarkable person."

The stylist I was planning to recruit today was Lee Mi-Ri.

She was once a promising candidate for the next editor-in-chief and future artistic director at Condé Nast, having previously worked as an editor at New York's Bogue.

Four years ago, her daughter was diagnosed with pediatric leukemia. Unable to afford the exorbitant medical bills in the U.S., she had no choice but to return to Korea. Unfortunately, that decision proved to be a mistake because she found that no one in Korea was willing to hire her after hastily admitting her daughter to the hospital and looking for a job.

The fashion magazine industry in Korea was declining, and existing editors were wary of a successful international candidate entering their space.

Ultimately, she couldn't find appropriate work and decided to focus on caring for her daughter. Meanwhile, her husband, also from the same industry, started working at the Dongdaemun clothing market to make ends meet.

Do Ran-Hee looked perplexed upon hearing this news. "Bogue and Condé Nast...I get that she's impressive, but... isn't a former fashion magazine editor a bit off?"

"Why's that?" I asked.

"Well, she hasn’t really worked in the field, has she?" Do Ran-Hee responded.

But that was a misunderstanding.

A year from now, Kim Dong-Soo will scout Lee Mi-Ri following the tragic loss of her daughter, who passed away due to her inability to afford surgery costs. Driven by her circumstances and becoming a workaholic, she would quickly become Korea’s top stylist.

Super stylist Lee Mi-Ri, also known as Only One, was exactly the person I intended to recruit for Team Jung.