Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All

Unlike the first time we met in Cheonho-dong, Jin So-Mi and Jin Gong-Ju who got out of the car were now draped in designer brands from head to toe.

They had proud and sassy expressions on their faces.

That was the true Jin So-Mi I knew.

I wondered to myself, 'What happened to them in the meantime?'

But I actually felt relieved when I saw Jin So-Mi behaving like the person I knew from my past life. Though she was finicky, it was better to know what to expect from her.

Click-clack.

Jin So-Mi brushed past us in her heels. Pointing at me with her finger as if to send a warning we'll meet again later, she quickly disappeared with her daughter toward the audition hall.

"Oppa, why did that lady scan you from head to toe with such a nasty expression? Do you know her?" Yoo-Jin asked with a displeased look.

Before I could answer, Miso spoke up first. "That lady is Gong-Ju's mom! She's a bad lady!"

"Huh? Who did you say she is?" Yoo-Jin asked.

"She is Gong-Ju and that lady is Gong-Ju's mom. Gong-Ju is from my kindergarten and she..."

I covered Miso's mouth and quickly picked her up in my arms. "Uh-oh. Miso, we are running late. We better hurry."

Miso stopped talking and looked at me. "Uncle Yoon-Ho, are we late?"

"Yes, we're late. So let's hurry inside."

"Okay!"

Fortunately, Miso didn't say anything more and pointed toward the audition hall. "Let's go!"

But I couldn't move, because Yoo-Jin was holding onto my arm with a grin.

"Oppa, you have to finish the story before we go."

Under Yoo-Jin's insistence to tell her everything and not leave anything out, Miso ended up having to tell the story of her fight at kindergarten.

"Well..."

I deliberately left parts out of the story. But Miso, cradled in my arms, started to chatter away, revealing details about everything.

"Gong-Ju pushed me! And she said that you work at a bar!" Miso exclaimed.

I was reminded just how good Miso's memory was.

After a moment, Yoo-Jin spoke with a smile. "So, to summarize, that little girl with the pink ribbon rallied her friends to bully Miso, right? And her mom was behind all that?"

Yoo-Jin's eyes curved into crescents, but they were filled with anger.

"W-well, the thing is..." I stuttered.

Yoo-Jin didn't wait for my answer but spoke directly to Miso instead. "Miso. You can do well in the audition today, right?"

"Yes!"

"Better than that girl Gong-Ju?"

"Of course!"

Yoo-Jin appeared confident, even though she hadn't seen Gong-Ju's acting before.

"Good. Let's show those two today. Got it?"

Miso clenched her fists tightly. "Okay! Mom, just trust me, I got this!"

Miso's cheeks were slightly flushed and glowing healthily.

***

On one side of the audition hall, the judges' panel was set up with Kim Sung-Woon at the center, accompanied by Lee Ji-Yeon, Kim Myung-Hak, and Cha Soo-Yeon from Blue Dragon.

Kim Sung-Woon looked around and said, "Everyone's here, so let's begin."

At the signal from Kim Sung-Woon, child actors numbered one to three started to perform together.

『Guys, do you want to play house?』

『Sure! But let's not play with Cheongmyung. She always says weird stuff!』

『You know what? My mom said that Cheongmyung is possessed by a ghost.』

This was Scene 5 from In the Name of God. The children called up in sequence acted out the scene where neighborhood kids were shunning the young Cheongmyung who had the ability to see ghosts.

The auditions were conducted in groups of three, and it was surprisingly enjoyable to watch the acting skills displayed by each child.

However, Lee Ji-Yeon had a piercing gaze. "That's enough. You may all leave now."

The evaluations did not exceed three minutes, which prompted the children's mothers to step forward with complaints.

"Ms. Lee, could you please give Hyung-Seok another chance? He can do much better but he was just nervous..."

"My baby Miho is really good at crying scenes. Do you want to see? Miho, cry!"

"Move aside! Dong-Sik has a black belt in taekwondo. Dong-Sik, show them a kick! That's right, well done!"

One child was crying while another was performing a spin kick. It was total chaos. More time was spent trying to prevent the mothers from intervening in their children's auditions.

"Ma'am! Please calm your child down!"

"The judges have seen enough, so please. You can all leave. There's no need to show us any more!"

The staff were sweating as they repeatedly escorted the child actors and their guardians out of the waiting room. One of the mothers even screamed threats to sue, accusing the judges of having already decided on the cast and just using her child as stand-ins.

But the judges continued their swift scoring and covered their ears from the noise as there were auditions being held for other roles in the afternoon.

Finally, it was Jin Gong-Ju's turn.

"Hello! I'm contestant number 48, Jin Gong-Ju!"

As Jin Gong-Ju introduced herself with a clear and resonant voice, a hint of energy appeared on the weary faces of the judges.

"You've got a nice strong voice. You'll be acting with numbers 49 and 50. Got it?"

"Yes!"

Jin Gong-Ju waited for the other actors to come forward, but the other two contestants didn't show up.

A staff member then went to the waiting room hallway and soon made an 'X' with their hands to indicate something was wrong.

"What is it?"

"The children... they went home."

"What?"

"They said they felt sick and started throwing up, then insisted on going home. There was nothing I could do about it. They wouldn't listen to me trying to stop them."

Kim Sung-Woon clasped his forehead. "Oh, this is giving me a headache."

Such incidents were common during child auditions. As the waiting time extended, one-third of the kids left out of boredom and another third left due to nervousness.

As a result, Jin Gong-Ju ended up performing alone.

"Your name is Gong-Ju, is it? I'll give you Scene 17. Can you do it by yourself?"

Jin Gong-Ju nodded confidently at a kind directive from Kim Sung-Woon.

"Yes, sir!"

"Alright. You can start whenever you're ready."

In my past life, Jin Gong-Ju had entered the entertainment industry at age 14. But thanks to meeting Miso, it seemed like she would start her career in the entertainment industry much earlier.

Watching Jin Gong-Ju prepare seriously for the audition, I checked my planner.

At that moment, I noticed that the entry detailing Jin Gong-Ju's debut as a member of VIVA4 had disappeared.

[Everyday V10]

[Date: December 25, 2027]

-06:00 p.m. <Schedule Deleted>

(Deleted Schedule: VIVA4. MBS Music Broadcast Debut.)

I was startled and hastily checked all the activities scheduled for VIVA4. However, there was not a single schedule related to VIVA4 left in the planner.

'Has the clash with Miso changed Gong-Ju’s fate entirely?' I wondered.

From what I've experienced so far, the process of fate being shaped was similar to knitting a scarf from yarn—small choices accumulated to create significant outcomes.

However, fates involving many individuals were usually hard to alter. I tried introducing some variables, but they only affected the process and not the outcome, just as a scarf doesn't cease to be a scarf just because it drops a stitch.

However, this time was different.

The minor altercation between Miso and Jin Gong-Ju unexpectedly resulted in a significant shift in Gong-Ju's fate.

Realizing another way in which fate could be altered, I suspected that Miso and Gong-Ju would clash frequently in the future. After all, it was only natural to be concerned about someone who has completely changed one's life.

'I need to keep a close watch on her.'

Because of this unexpected realization, I began to focus intently on Jin Gong-Ju as she started her audition. She might become an obstacle in Miso’s path.

With no other child actors present, Jin Gong-Ju began to perform the roles intended for three by herself. She performed calmly despite the numerous cameras and watchful eyes of the staff.

This sparked interest among the judges.

"She's quite good, don't you think?"

"Indeed. She has a unique voice and good articulation. I bet she won’t just end as a child actor."

"She’s not even trembling in front of the camera. She seems to have a lot of resolve."

Thanks to her unexpectedly good performance, the judges continuously offered positive feedback.

After her performance, Jin Gong-Ju stood up briskly and bowed. "Thank you. I am contestant number 48, Jin Gong-Ju!"

"Well done, Miss Gong-Ju."

The judges smiled warmly as Jin Gong-Ju was almost the only child actor today who had shown a proper performance.

Kim Sung-Woon closed the scoring sheet and spoke to Jin Gong-Ju. "You will be notified by phone call regarding the results. We’ll contact you soon, so wait for the good news."

At that moment, Jin Gong-Ju suddenly raised her right hand.

"Mr. PD! Can I stay and watch Miso's performance?"

"You want to see Miso act?"

"Yes. Miso and I are friends from kindergarten, and I’d like to see her perform!"

"Oh. Is that so?"

That's when Miso sitting next to me puffed her cheeks, clearly annoyed. She seemed upset at being called Jin Gong-Ju's friend out of the blue.

Yoo-Jin sitting next to me asked incredulously with a dumbfounded look. "What is she doing right now?"

"It's probably her mom’s doing. Seeing how much her daughter has been practicing, it seems she might be trying to outdo Miso," I replied.

"But why?" Yoo-Jin asked.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Who knows? It could be simple bullying. Or maybe they want to claim that Miso got in by nepotism and can't act, then post it on mommy blogs."

Yoo-Jin wore a shocked expression after hearing the various possibilities. "Wow. The world of child actors is so harsh."

"That's why I told you that you can't trust anyone and you should never let your guard down in the entertainment industry," I reminded Yoo-Jin.

Meanwhile, Jin So-Mi, who was standing in the corner, began recording Miso's performance on her phone.

I furrowed my brows and thought to myself. 'She hadn't bothered to record her own daughter's acting but she's recording Miso's?'

She was clearly up to something.

But unaware of the tension between Miso and Gong-Ju, Kim Sung-Woon cheerfully spoke up. "So, Miso. Would you like to perform in front of your friend?"

At that moment, Miso, who was sitting next to Yoo-Jin, answered energetically and shouted, "Yes, Mr. PD!"

Yoo-Jin clenched her fists tightly. "Miso, I will cheer for you, so do your best. You've got this!"

"Okay, Mom!"

Encouraged by Yoo-Jin, Miso walked to the stage with fists tightly clenched and a charismatic stride, capturing the attention of everyone present.

Miso stood in front of the judges and bowed her head.

"Hello, I'm Jung Miso!"

The judges put down their scoring sheets and smiled warmly.

"We're so grateful you could join us today, Miso."

"Make sure to do well and not embarrass yourself in front of your friend."

Since the roles had already been determined, this was supposed to be merely a platform to gauge Miso's acting skills. However, Jin Gong-Ju's remarks turned it into an unexpected comparison of their performances which made it all the more nerve-wracking.

I poked Yoo-Jin in the ribs.

She looked at me sharply and hissed. "Why do you keep poking my ribs?"

"Are you really confident Miso will do well?" I asked.

"Don't worry. You'll see," Yoo-Jin replied confidently.

Yoo-Jin rubbed her side and assured me that Miso's acting abilities were not to be doubted. But I couldn't help feeling skeptical because Yoo-Jin always spoke highly of Miso.

I tensed up and focused intently on Miso.

"So, Miso. Which scene would you like to start with? Do you have a favorite scene?" Kim Sung-Woon asked.

"I like all the scenes!"

"All scenes?"

"Yes! I can do them all."

"Ha ha ha, well then. Why don't you start with any scene you'd like to do? Begin whenever you're ready."

"Okay!"

Miso clasped her hands to her chest and took a deep breath. Then, she suddenly sat down with a thud on the floor. Her colorful skirt fluttered and stirred up the dust which then clung to her outfit.

Slumped on the stage, Miso began tapping the floor.

Tap, tap.

As Miso tapped the floor with her palms, everyone's attention focused on her. At that moment, Miso began to sing.

『General~. Mother~. Where are you? Stop hiding in hide and seek and come out now.』

Miso’s clear voice gently filled the audition room. Though her voice was not loud, its purity made it resonate clearly with everyone.

I was so astonished that I couldn’t close my mouth. And I wasn't the only one; from the staff to the judges in the audition hall, everyone was captivated by Miso’s performance. There was not a hint of awkwardness in her utterly natural acting.

Then, Miso lifted her head and fixed her gaze on a point in the air.

『Why? Why can't I? Why can't I say I see you, General, Mother?』

Despite the bright lights that might hurt her eyes, Miso tilted her head without any discomfort.

『Okay, I understand. Shh! I'll be quiet. Hehe.』

Miso covered her mouth with her finger and smiled mischievously. Winking as if pretending not to see anything, everyone in the audition room let out a low exclamation of awe.

At that moment, it wasn’t Miso who was present on stage; it was a lively seven-year-old Cheongmyung, truly alive and breathing.

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