Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All

Miso's acting captivated everyone's attention perfectly at the audition hall.

Everyone followed Miso's eyes as she acted by staring into space and looking at ghosts. When Miso sang, everyone naturally perked up their ears to listen to her song.

Miso became young Cheongmyung and drew everyone at the audition hall into her world.

My heart began to race like mad. After all, Miso, who was just seven years old, was pulling off a performance not even adults could easily manage.

I couldn't help but shrug my shoulders proudly upon watching Miso's performance.

'This child is my actress!' I smiled as I thought to myself.

I wanted to boast, but I cleared my throat to bring everyone back to their senses when Miso's performance went over three minutes.

The judges were not evaluating but were lost in Miso's performance.

"Ahem!"

At that moment, Lee Ji-Yeon was the first to snap out of it.

The startled Lee Ji-Yeon poked Kim Sung-Woon in the side. "PD Kim! What are you doing? How long are you going to watch? Miso might collapse if she acts any longer."

"Oh. Sorry. Cut, cut! Miso, that's good!" Kim Sung-Woon exclaimed.

With Kim Sung-Woon's cut, Miso snapped out of her acting.

Miso let out a soft sigh and stood up. "Thank you! I am Jung Miso who played the role of young Cheongmyung!"

Miso greeted the judges in a cheerful voice with beads of perspiration on her forehead.

At the same time, Kim Sung-Woon began to clap his hands loudly.

Clap, clap, clap!

The staff followed suit, whistling and showering praises one after another.

"Wow, she's just like her mother!"

"Miso is the best of all the child actors today! No, she's the best of all the child actors I've ever seen!"

Miso twisted her body shyly. "Hehe. I just did what Mom taught me."

Miso's comment sparked laughter once again.

But after the greetings, Miso turned abruptly and trudged toward Jin Gong-Ju who had apparently challenged her.

'Miso, what's going on?' I wondered.

Startled by Miso's performance, Jin Gong-Ju clenched her hands tightly.

At that moment, all eyes were focused on the two little girls.

Miso stood in front of Jin Gong-Ju. Then she extended her hand with a smile. "I look forward to working with you, Gong-Ju!"

Miso offered a handshake with a winner's smile.

'She's too kind for her own good...' I remarked inwardly.

Taken aback, Jin Gong-Ju instinctively grasped Miso's hand without realizing it. After realizing what she did, she blurted out, "I will never lose to you!"

Miso smiled sweetly at Jin Gong-Ju who made a sudden declaration of rivalry. "Good! Me neither!"

Laughter erupted from everyone once again.

"Ha ha ha. Maybe we should pass Gong-Ju as well?"

"True. After all, there was no one quite like Gong-Ju besides Miso."

"If the two friends debut, it'll make for great articles."

At that moment, my tension eased without realizing it and I laughed.

'I mean, they are still kids. And Gong-Ju's fate has changed too.'

Though I couldn't predict how Miso and Jin Gong-Ju's fates would intertwine in the future, I decided to just keep watch for now.

After all, Miso had already taken her revenge through her exemplary acting performance.

And according to the planner, the current Jin Gong-Ju was a completely different person from the one I knew in my past life.

After shaking hands with Jin Gong-Ju, Miso ran into Yoo-Jin's arms.

Yoo-Jin dusted off the dirt on Miso's skirt and stroked her cheek. "Miso, you acted so well. But you didn't have to go full out. Why did you go so hard?"

"You gotta give it all you've got when you're acting!" Miso replied proudly.

But suddenly, Miso began to look sad.

"But Mom, my clothes got dirty. What should I do?"

"Is that what you're worried about?"

"Yes. Seri unnie's grandmother gave me this...and I've ruined it."

Yoo-Jin smiled. "It's okay to get dirty during acting. We can just wash it, so don't worry. I'll have it cleaned and it'll be brand new in no time."

Miso's smile returned and she gave Yoo-Jin a tight hug.

'But did Yoo-Jin just say ruining something while acting was acceptable?' I thought to myself.

The fact that both mother and daughter had such acting spirits was slightly frightening.

***

The staff began to clear the site after the child actor audition ended to make way for the audition for the female lead candidates, which would take place soon.

But at that moment, Kim Sung-Woon caught up with me.

"Assistant Manager Jung. If Miso is available, I'd like to have her in our MBS' new show in August called Lady Chestnut. Do you think that would be possible?"

I checked the scheduler while avoiding an immediate answer. "Well, I'm not sure about August..."

"Oh, come on. You always do this. How busy can a child actor be? Don't be like that. How about 300 thousand won per episode?"

Miso would be paid a basic fee of 100 thousand won per episode for In the Name of God. But given such an impressive performance by Miso, I had to show negotiation skills as her talent agent.

An actor's fee reflected their value. So when an opportunity arose, it was crucial to raise the fee because the fee agreed here often applied to other networks too.

"Come on, you need to consider Miso's popularity. She's a MeTube star, you know? This project might be a friendship appearance, but it'll be problematic if you do this again next time," I replied.

"Th-then I'll generously offer 500 thousand won per episode. How about that?" Kim Sung-Woon responded with a bigger offer.

"Well~"

The more I joked, the more desperate Kim Sung-Woon became.

"Alright then. How much do you want?" Kim Sung-Woon asked.

"1 million won per episode. What do you think?" I asked.

"1 million won per episode is a bit steep..." Kim Sung-Woon replied.

His stingy attitude immediately prompted me to bluff.

"Oh, right. Speaking of which, SBC's Chief Producer Mr. Jung Sam-Ryong mentioned he wanted to see Miso..."

The moment I mentioned taking her to the farewell party for Blue Sky that would be in three days, Kim Sung-Woon hastily grabbed my arm.

"Hey, why would you take her there? Stop! You win! Okay, you said 1 million won per episode for Miso, right? Deal! There's no backing out!"

"Understood. Let's agree on that, Mr. Kim."

"But promise me that there'll be no overlapping schedules."

"You know I have that much professional integrity. And I have no plans to overlap Miso's schedule until she is an adult."

I decided to limit Miso's drama appearance to one at a time with the exception of variety shows.

Managing Miso to keep her interested in acting was my responsibility as her talent agent.

***

After turning down Lee Ji-Yeon's suggestion to stay and watch the main actress auditions, we left the Blue Dragon audition hall.

With her confidence boosted by the positive feedback, Miso started singing in a lispy voice while holding Yoo-Jin's and my hands.

"Daddy bear is chubby~ Mommy bear is skinny~ Baby bear is so cute!"

"Why is my baby Miso lisping?" I pinched Miso's cheek.

Miso pleaded with her big, pleading eyes. "Hehe. Jung-Hoo sings it like this. But Uncle Yoon-Ho, can we go see Jung-Hoo again?"

I smiled and replied, "We'll go together when we visit Sae-Ri's hometown again later."

"Yay! Uncle Yoon-Ho is the best!"

Miso waved her arms and expressed her joy once more through song.

When we reached the parking lot, most of the cars that had brought child actors had already left.

But there was one left.

Jin So-Mi's Merciless Bends was still there.

Click.

Seeing us arrive, the driver's door opened and Jin So-Mi stepped out.

Yoo-Jin clung to my side with a wary tone. "Oppa. That woman is..."

"Yoo-Jin. Take Miso and go inside the van first."

"Alright."

Yoo-Jin took Miso and headed toward the van.

Jin So-Mi watched them go and smirked. "You three get along so well. Do you think you're their husband and father or something?"

I hardened my expression. "You better watch your words."

"Oops, did I say something wrong? But lighten up. I came to make a good offer." Jin So-Mi spoke with a smirk still on her face.

Jin So-Mi scanned me from top to bottom and then made an unexpected proposal.

"What do you think about partnering with me?"

"Partnering with you?" I asked.

Jin So-Mi smiled and replied, "I've realized there's no reason to fight. Our first meeting wasn't great, but we're all adults here. If there's a mutually beneficial path, we should take it."

This was why Jin So-Mi was difficult to deal with. She was willing to make deals even with those she detested as long as it involved money.

"Let me get straight to the point. I can introduce you to someone who would pay well for your skills. I can help you get promoted," said Jin So-Mi as her tone turned serious.

"Are you suggesting a job change?"

"No. Just switch sides within Hoop Entertainment."

"You mean to Kim Dong-Soo's side?"

"Yes. Then you won't have to worry about your salary anymore."

Jin So-Mi was offering me a chance to make much more money than I was at the moment. However, I knew there was always a catch to her offers.

"Did Chief Kim Dong-Soo ask you to do this?" I clarified.

"Ah, what’s the use if I tell you in advance? You'd naturally find out if you joined us. So, What do you say? Are you interested?" Jin So-Mi asked.

I wanted to know who made the offer, but I had no intention to press further if she wasn't going to tell me.

"I'm not interested. And I'll take care of my own affairs, so you better take care of yours, Ms. Jin Chu-Ja."

As when we first met at the kindergarten, calling her real name made Jin So-Mi’s face turn as hard as a stone.

"Hey, I've always wondered, where did you learn my real name?" Jin So-Mi asked in curiosity.

Jin So-Mi glared at me with furrows deep in her brow. But I couldn’t and wouldn’t tell her.

"Who knows? Oh, by the way, aren't you busy these days being a legal broker and studying at law school? And isn’t Director Kim Dong-Soo currently your sponsor?"

Jin So-Mi's pupils trembled visibly. "H-how do you know that?"

This time, her reaction was quite strong.

"I'm warning you, Ms. Jin So-Mi. I know more about you than anyone else, so don't even think about messing with us," I said in a low tone.

Ever since I traveled back in time, I never made the first move unless provoked because thanks to the planner, I knew better than anyone that a person's fate could change. But when someone threatened my life directly, there was no reason for me to hold back.

"Try to be a dignified mother in front of Gong-Ju. You shouldn't do anything shameful as a parent, should you?" I retorted.

After my sharp rebuke, I turned and walked away.

***

Jin So-Mi belatedly realized she was trembling. And soon, she was able to put a label on her current feeling.

It was anxiety.

Born into poverty, she gritted her teeth and studied hard to earn her tuition fees by serving drinks at night during her college years. Her only stroke of luck in life was that the room salon where she had accidentally gotten a job turned out to be a gathering place for the elite of the legal field. Using her beauty and eloquence, she enchanted the lawyers and prosecutors who frequented the place and became South Korea's top legal lobbyist.

Throughout those years, she had never known fear. But Jung Yoon-Ho was different.

'He knows not just my past but also my present. How is that possible?' Jin So-Mi wondered.

That was the moment Jin So-Mi raised her right hand and slapped her own cheek.

Slap!

The sound of a crisp slap echoed through the parking lot.

"Get a hold of yourself, Jin So-Mi. What are you thinking?" Jin So-Mi muttered under her breath.

Jin So-Mi picked herself up from her moment of weakness and shouted toward Jung Yoon-Ho's departing car.

"Hey! Who are you to order me around?"

A small surge of malice rose in Jin So-Mi's chest. Soon, Jin So-Mi quickly grabbed her phone and dialed someone.

"Yes, judge. It's So-Mi. About that child custody case investigator replacement that I mentioned before...Oh, you think it can be done? Ha ha. There really is no one like you, judge. I'll be bringing you to a nice place soon. Ha ha ha. Of course."

Jin So-Mi's laughter spread through the parking lot, disregarding Jung Yoon-Ho's warning.

***

Click.

The sound of a hard and brittle object splitting into two echoed. I split a small object about 7 cm in length in my left hand in half, pulling out a tiny black mass.

But at that moment, Miso spoke with an anxious expression. "Huh? You shouldn't remove anchovy guts like that..."

"It seemed right to me. No?" I responded.

Right now, Yoo-Jin, Miso, Haru, and I were all sitting in the living room at Landlord Jung In-Ji's house and removing anchovy guts because Yoo-Jin had to bring anchovies for broth to the Healthy Senior Center tomorrow, where she studied the movements of the elderly for her acting.

Miso neatly separated the guts from an anchovy body and proudly showed it to me.

"Uncle Yoon-Ho! This is how you do it!"

I asked Miso with an anchovy head in my hand. "Wow, you're really good at this. And speaking of good, Miso, you were acting really well earlier. When did you get so good?"

Miso once again removed anchovy guts and answered, "It just happened from practicing it with Mom."

'Just happened? Miso talks about it as if it's nothing.' I remarked to myself.

Haru looked at Miso with a seemingly envious expression while removing anchovy guts more cleanly than anyone else here.

'You have talent too, Haru.' I thought.

Haru would also be an actor who received recognition for his acting right from his debut. He was scheduled to appear on Master of Mukbang soon, but he still lacked confidence in himself.

Nonetheless, I had a plan to boost Haru's confidence. That's why I planned to bring him along with Yoo-Jin and me to the senior center tomorrow.

At that moment, Yoo-Jin, who had been quietly sorting the anchovy heads in silence until now, leaned in to whisper. "Oppa. What do we do about the family court investigator coming next week?"

Yoo-Jin was currently in a custody battle over Miso with her uncle, Jung Hak-Jae. Thus, she had received an official notice that a family court investigator would visit her home next week.

Tick.

As I removed another piece of anchovy guts following Miso's instructions, I grinned. "Don't worry. Everything is prepared."

The preparations for the lawsuit against Jung Hak-Jae were well in place. Kwak Moo-Hyuk was fully involved and I had made all the necessary arrangements.

Encouraged by my confident demeanor, Yoo-Jin smiled and responded, "I'm not concerned. If I can't trust you, who can I trust? I guess it's just needless worry."

"That's right. Just focus on the drama. The production announcement is coming up soon, and then it's filming right away."

After three days of auditions for the female lead role, In the Name of God would have its production announcement next week followed immediately by the start of filming.

To reassure the anxious Yoo-Jin, I brushed off the anchovy dust from my clothes and stood up.

"Shall I make you a special Jung coffee?" I offered.

Yoo-Jin, who particularly loved my coffee, brightened up in an instant. "Yes, please make it extra sweet."

"Okay!"

At that moment, Haru and Miso also suddenly raised their hands, one holding anchovy heads and the other anchovy guts.

"Uncle Yoon-Ho, me too!"

"Hyung, me too!"

"Okay~! Three cups of coffee coming right up!"

For Miso and Haru, I planned to make white coffee with a ratio of 10 parts milk to one part coffee.

But then Jung In-Ji brought another box of anchovies from the kitchen and gave me a sidelong glance before speaking.

"Team Lead Jung. You're not trying to escape the anchovy gutting, are you?"

She had hit the nail on the head, but I quickly shrugged it off with a shout. "Of course not! By the way, would you like a cup of coffee too?"

Jung In-Ji smiled broadly. "Sure!"

"Alright, four cups of coffee coming right up~."

I dashed into the kitchen without looking back, eager to escape the tedious task of removing anchovy guts.

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