Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All

“Yoo-Jin. Do you remember when I told you not to believe everything you see?"

Yoo-Jin flinched at my words. "Don't tell me that sunbae is also someone who can’t be trusted."

"Yes, she’s someone you absolutely shouldn’t trust. If we were to compile a list of everyone in this industry who's holding a grudge against Park Jin-Hee, it would fill a whole truck. You have no idea how well she backstabs people with that cute face."

Not only did Park Jin-Hee steal other actresses’ roles, but she also stole their men to shake up her competitors.

"And there must be over 20 people who have had their boyfriends stolen by Park Jin-Hee."

Yoo-Jin looked at the door through which Park Jin-Hee left with a look of disbelief.

"But she really doesn't look like someone who would do that..."

"I’m speaking the truth. Anyway, be extra careful around her."

"Seriously, there's not a single trustworthy person in this entertainment industry, is there?"

"That's why I told you before that this industry is like a battlefield. Now, let's get going."

But suddenly, Yoo-Jin stopped and gave me a sidelong glance.

"Wait. Does that mean I shouldn't trust you either, oppa?"

"I'm the only exception. Trust no one but me."

"That sounds like a line I've heard before... but I'll let it slide."

I felt a twinge in response to Yoo-Jin's gaze but kept my expression unchanged and nodded.

"If an actress can't trust their talent agent, who can they trust? Right?"

"Yeah, yeah."

"Oh? You don't trust me?"

"I do trust you."

"Are you giving a half-hearted response again?"

Yoo-Jin put her hands to her forehead and slightly bowed from her waist, reminiscent of a character in a historical drama. "I sincerely believe in you, oppa! Please believe in my sincerity!"

I couldn't help but laugh at her dramatic gesture.

‘I'll let it pass this time, seeing her earnest performance.’

***

As we headed to the audition room, I noticed a 30m by 30m audition stage set up with a camera for filming on one side. Staff members were positioned nearby to manage the scene.

"Miss Park Jin-Hee? Miss Jung Yoo-Jin?"

Park Jin-Hee and Yoo-Jin, who were sitting and waiting to be called, stood up and bowed their heads.

Jo Eung-Gu, the head of Blue Dragon, mumbled to himself with a satisfied look. "They both look better in person."

On the sides of Jo Eung-Gu sat Production Chief Cha Soo-Yeon, PD Kang Soo-Hoon, and Writer Kim Soll-Ip.

However, the last person sitting in the judges' seats was a real big shot—he was Jung Sam-Ryong, CP from SBC Broadcasting.

‘Why would someone of his rank be here at this event?’

In the past five years, Jung Sam-Ryong had achieved over 20% viewership ratings for three consecutive dramas, positioning him as the top producer coveted by scouts from cable networks.

He was a star CP acknowledged by everyone. But he turned down lucrative scouting offers to stay in public broadcasting with the intention of eyeing the next director position at SBC's drama department.

In other words, having Jung Sam-Ryong at the audition for a supporting role in an outsourced drama was like having the Minister of Education attend an elementary school entrance ceremony.

"The drama time slot was suddenly decided, so we had to rush the auditions. I hope Miss Park Jin-Hee and Miss Jung Yoo-Jin will understand," explained Cha Soo-Yeon.

Park Jin-Hee responded with a light smile and waved her hands.

However, the exchange of glances between Cha Soo-Yeon and Park Jin-Hee seemed suspicious. Looking at Cha Soo-Yeon and Jo Eung-Gu whispering to each other, I quickly noticed that they were pushing for Park Jin-Hee.

Kim Soll-Ip was mouthing 'I didn't know either' toward my direction.

‘It makes sense. She would have contacted me earlier if she had known this.’

I responded to her with a 'It's okay.' After all, it wasn't Kim Soll-Ip's fault that the production company changed their mind.

If the writer had a strong reputation like Lee Ji-Yeon, the production company wouldn't even consider replacing an actress that the writer had recommended. But such a situation was quite common for rookie writers.

Still, I had no intention of being brushed aside so easily.

"Now, the role of Kim Twilight was one that Ms. Kim put a lot of effort into. Both of you have memorized the script, right?"

Park Jin-Hee replied cheerfully to Cha Soo-Yeon’s question. "Yes, Ms. Cha!"

"Miss Jin-Hee, it’s very nice to see you full of energy."

Park Jin-Hee promptly stood up and bowed to the panel of judges. "Thank you."

Her ability to find the right timing for smiling and bowing was impeccable. Having debuted as a child actress and survived 17 years in this industry, she was undoubtedly a veteran.

"Shall we start the audition then? How about we start with Miss Jin-Hee first?"

Yoo-Jin nodded and responded. "Of course. Please go ahead, sunbae-nim."

Park Jin-Hee stepped onto the audition stage without hesitation.

"Okay. Shall we start with scene 12?"

The audition began with Kang Soo-Hoon’s cue.

***

In scene 12 of Blue Sky, Kim Twilight, having returned from school, immediately threw off her school uniform and changed into her part-time worker uniform at Sky Pork Ribs.

As this was the first scene where Kim Twilight's character was introduced to the viewers, it was crucial to capture the lively spirit of a high school girl.

『I'm home~!』

Park Jin-Hee started her performance with a loud voice, striding across the stage and pretending to open the doors of the restaurant. The faces of the judges lit up at her vibrant expression and actions. Her acting skills, honed since her days as a child actress, were impressive, and her enunciation was also commendable.

Park Jin-Hee's next act flowed naturally as she entered through the door.

The more I watched, the more impressive her performance became. Like many child actresses, Park Jin-Hee had gone through a long slump after becoming an adult. But now, there was no awkwardness in her energetic portrayal of a waitress cleaning the tables, with rolled-up sleeves, after diners had finished eating.

‘Wait. I’m sure she had never worked a part-time job since she was always busy as a child actress.’

As I shifted my gaze with a bad hunch, I noticed Cha Soo-Yeon sticking close to Jung Sam-Ryong in the judges' area, hyping up Park Jin-Hee's excellent performance.

At that moment, a thought crossed my mind.

'The audition scene was leaked.'

That was the only explanation for this situation.

‘So everything’s been decided already…this isn’t right.’

As Park Jin-Hee's performance continued, the reactions from the judges' panel grew more enthusiastic.

"She's good, isn't she?"

"Yes, you can really see the acting skills honed from her child actress days."

"Does she actually have experience as a part-time worker? Her acting is so natural."

"Wasn't she born filthy rich?"

Since I was not too far away from the panel of judges, I could hear them talk even though they spoke in low voices.

When scene 12 was about to end, Kang Soo-Hoon stopped Park Jin-Hee’s performance with a very satisfied expression.

"Good job. Why don’t we take a short break."

Park Jin-Hee, having concluded her impressive act, returned to her seat.

Now, it was our turn.

The judges returned from their short break and took their seats again.

"Now let's see Miss Jung Yoo-Jin's performance."

Following Cha Soo-Yeon's instructions, Yoo-Jin stood up and bowed deeply to the judges.

"Hello, I'm rookie actress Jung Yoo-Jin."

The head of Blue Dragon burst into laughter upon observing her 90-degree bow reminiscent of an idol.

Jung Sam-Ryong, who was seated next to him, also wore a pleased expression and asked, "Miss Yoo-Jin, I've been enjoying the drama you're currently in. When does it end?"

"On the 14th, Mr. Jung."

"MBS really struck gold. They got an extension of two episodes, huh? I wonder why Ms. Lee Ji-Yeon was so generous this time."

Jung Sam-Ryong looked at Kim Soll-Ip beside him and asked. "Ms. Kim, what was the viewership rating for episode 23 of The Morning Takes Off?"

"It was 23.8%."

Jung Sam-Ryong seemed impressed.

"Wow. Ms. Lee is truly talented. But I’m sure that Ms. Kim can achieve that record too, right?"

Despite the subtle pressure disguised as praise, Kim Soll-Ip responded with a smile. "There's nothing I can't do if I receive your strong support, Mr. Jung."

"Ha ha ha! You want me to pump in the ads, don't you?"

Jung Sam-Ryong laughed heartily as he read Kim Soll-Ip’s intention right away.

After all, Kim Soll-Ip had been following Lee Ji-Yeon around the broadcasting station for five years. Although she was just debuting as a writer, she wasn't naive about the workings of the broadcasting world.

"Alright, then. Let's aim for record-breaking viewership ratings."

The highest-ranking person on the panel of judges wasn't Jo Eung-Gu but Jung Sam-Ryong who had the authority over program time slots at the broadcasting station.

Yoo-Jin's scene to perform was Scene 13. With Jung Sam-Ryong’s nod, Kang Soo-Hoon signaled the start of the audition.

This scene followed directly after Scene 12, which Park Jin-Hee had just performed. As the red REC light on the camera lit up, Yoo-Jin started sniffing without speaking her lines.

『Ah! As expected of beef—even its fragrance is a blessing!』

Yoo-Jin brought her hands together and recited the lines with a dreamy expression. She looked like a fervent devotee of some newly emerged Beef Religion.

Yoo-Jin continued to sniff as she went on to recite her lines.

Sniff, sniff.

She seemed determined to inhale the smell of the sizzling meat on the charcoal grill. She even fanned the air towards herself, inhaling the aroma of cooking meat.

Then came the highlight of the scene.

『Cough, cough, cough! Mom! Soda! I need a soda! I inhaled the smoke!』

Holding her throat and running around in panic, Yoo-Jin acted out the scene of being hit on the back by her mother.

『Mom. If you don't want to see your daughter suffocating, give me the soda fast! Ouch! Why are you hitting me!』

Yoo-Jin's eyes welled up with tears as she touched her back where she had been hit. With just that one tear, she captivated the panel of judges.

"Shall we have Myeongryun Satto Ribs for dinner tonight?"

"Yeah, I'm craving meat now after watching Miss Yoo-Jin's performance."

"Was Miss Jung Yoo-Jin's acting always this good? This doesn't seem like a performance by a rookie who just debuted."

"It looks like her previous performances weren't just luck."

Yoo-Jin's performance was on a different level compared to Park Jin-Hee's. Her coughing sprayed saliva everywhere, her eyes reddened with tears even without real smoke, and her salivating and gulping almost made the judges hungry.

The just-debuted Yoo-Jin seemed to have completely overshadowed Park Jin-Hee, even though the latter had 17 years of experience.

‘Well done, Jung Yoo-Jin!’

"Cut! Good job!"

Everyone on the panel wore complicated expressions at Kang Soo-Hoon's cut sign. Among them, Cha Soo-Yeon seemed the most unsettled.

'It seems like she's the one who benefited the most from the under-the-table negotiations.'

Similarly, Jo Eung-Gu, who most likely was involved in these shady negotiations, also looked like he was observing the situation.

It seemed like Kang Soo-Hoon was the only one who hadn't been involved with those negotiations.

However, such underhanded means only worked if there was a semblance of skill parity—in the face of such a talent gap, these unofficial under-the-table negotiations were ineffective.

Cha Soo-Yeon barely came to her senses and directed the continuation of the audition.

"Hmm. Both of you are really good. Let's continue to check out scenes 25 and 35, shall we?"

Jo Eung-Gu hastily agreed with Cha Soo-Yeon's suggestion as he tried to salvage the situation. "Y-yes. Let's see more scenes before making a decision."

Jung Sam-Ryong looked at them suspiciously but the two seemed too flustered to notice.

The audition continued with two more scenes. But the outcome was apparent.

The already mentally distraught Park Jin-Hee failed to close the gap with Yoo-Jin's crystal-clear performance, thanks to taking the Uhwang-Chungsimhwan.

Cha Soo-Yeon and Jo Eung-Gu became increasingly anxious. Then, as Park Jin-Hee and Yoo-Jin were about to start the fourth scene, everyone’s attention turned to Jung Sam-Ryong as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Hold on, Miss Jin-hee and Miss Yoo-Jin. Could both of you wait outside for a moment? Can the talent agents please take them out for some fresh air?"

"Of course, Mr. Jung."

Noticing Jung Sam-Ryong’s face barely containing his anger, I quickly got up and took Yoo-Jin out of the room.

***

Click.

With the talent agents and actors gone, Jung Sam-Ryong leaned back in his chair.

"Chief Cha, are you messing with me right now?"

His one sentence laden with irritation caused the staff to freeze on the spot.

"Mr. Jo, you think that I’m a dumbass, don't you? Is that it?"

"No, Mr. Jung, that's not it. Everything is a misunderstanding..."

"Misunderstanding? You think I don't know you're playing games?"

"Well, that's..."

"Look, Mr. Jo. Park Jin-Hee is from Ace Entertainment, isn’t she?"

"Yes."

"Mr. Jo and Chief Cha, both of you must have taken money from Ace Entertainment."

Their inability to respond when confronted with the truth was evident in their restless discomfort.