Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All-Chapter 843: Bong Tae-Sik (1)

'Bong Tae-Sik.'

Currently twenty-eight, he was riding high in popularity after starring in the MBS drama The Infinite Job Hunt Era, which ended last week with a 25% viewership ratings. His clear emotional delivery and striking good looks had made him the talk of the town.

But originally, he hadn't been an actor. He had joined Hoop Entertainment as a talent agent just a month before me, and we had worked side by side. Even back then, I wondered why someone that good-looking wasn't pursuing a career in entertainment. Then one day, drunk off his ass, he confided in me.

He said he had graduated from a provincial college with a degree in theater, but never got good roles because of his sharp eyes and crooked nose. He had come to Seoul and gotten plastic surgery, and though he had given up on acting, being a talent agent was all he knew, so that's what he was doing.

However, it turned out that was all a lie. The real reason he was working as a talent agent was because he needed money to get by until the swelling from his surgery went down.

As soon as his face had settled, he started pawning off all his responsibilities on me every time we went on site, busying himself with networking and self-promotion around PDs and ADs. Each time Bong Tae-Sik ditched, the celebrities under his care ran into problems and I had to run around cleaning up after him.

At first, I chalked it up to inexperience since we were both new. Then, I overheard a phone call Bong Tae-Sik made to his girlfriend.

-Yeah, there's this sucker who joined the company a month after me. Thanks to him, I'm living easy. Heh. I've already gotten friendly with all the PDs and ADs from the big three. Just a little more lobbying and I'm in. So hey, wire me five million won. I need it for entertaining the PDs. Thanks. Love you~"

At that moment, I clenched my fists, seriously considering breaking his smug little nose. But I didn't. I wasn't going back to my old life. Instead, I walked up to him mid-call and told him never to talk to me again.

Pale as a ghost, Bong Tae-Sik stammered that it was all a misunderstanding and blamed it on his crazy, selfish girlfriend. Nevertheless, I didn't listen. I cut him off then and there.

Around that time, some folks at the company started saying Bong Tae-Sik was too good-looking to waste on talent agent work and suggested he switch to acting.

However, President Kang Gam-Chan shut it down immediately.

-Anyone who shirks their job and spends more time buttering up PDs is bound to cause trouble as an actor too. I'm not interested in building sandcastles on mud. Do your talent agent job properly first, and we'll talk.

Kang Gam-Chan had seen straight through Bong Tae-Sik's selfish nature. And just as expected, Bong Tae-Sik quit Hoop Entertainment, got scouted, and jumped ship to Ace Entertainment to debut as an actor three months later. He ditched the girlfriend who had supported him too, obviously.

'And now this snake is calling me a friend?'

It was laughable. I could see right through it. He knew I was the casting director for this film and was just trying to cozy up.

I shook off Bong Tae-Sik's wrist I had grabbed and said coldly, "Still shameless as ever, huh? You knew I was the casting director for this, didn't you?"

Bong Tae-Sik chuckled, shaking out his wrist. "Man, you still hung up on something from years ago? I already told you, I only said that stuff to match my girlfriend's mood. Sure, I was a bit flaky, but I really liked you, you know? Can't we let bygones be bygones?"

'Liked me? My ass.'

He would act friendly only when I was useful like when restaurant owners gave us freebies because I looked pitiful. And every time, he would devour the extra food faster than me, the actual orphan. Back then, I gave in, thinking he needed it more. However, it turned out he just didn't want to lose anything to me.

That was the kind of petty man Bong Tae-Sik was.

I clicked my tongue and said, "Cut the crap. I never thought of you as a friend. So what, you came here thinking I'd forget the past and give you a good score out of nostalgia? Get real."

At that, Bong Tae-Sik dropped the smile and changed his tone. "I'm assuming that as the casting director, you won't let personal feelings cloud your judgment."

Bong Tae-Sik's words were never meant to be taken at face value. In this case, what he really meant was: 'If you screw me over unfairly, I'll make sure the entire industry hears about it.'

As infuriating as it was, I couldn't just reject someone like Bong Tae-Sik without a cause. He had over 700,000 followers on Instargem and was especially close with female reporters in the entertainment press.

Fortunately, Deok-Bae had shown real confidence about this role today, so I wasn't too worried.

I answered calmly, "Go ahead. Show us what you've got. I'll judge fairly."

"Oh wow. Thank you, Mr. Casting Director."

His grin returned, oozing with smug confidence.

'Let's see just how far that confidence of yours takes you, Bong Tae-Sik.'

I turned my head away as the elevator doors closed.

The elevator, which I now shared with someone I had once briefly considered a friend, slowly began to rise toward the second floor.

***

When the elevator reached the second floor, Bong Tae-Sik and Chief Yang Sung-Taek stepped out first without a word and made their way to the audition queue. About thirty actors were seated with their talent agents at the entrance, flipping through their scripts.

Just then, Team Lead Yeon So-Hee rushed over to me, flustered. "You're so late!"

"Sorry. I had some unexpected things to handle." Since I had to join the judges' panel, I handed Deok-Bae over to her. "Anyway, Ms. Yeon, please take good care of Deok-Bae."

"Of course. Don't worry."

At that moment, Deok-Bae closed his script and declared firmly, "Hyung. I'm going to pass today. No matter what."

Deok-Bae's eyes were burning with focus, probably because he had just seen Yang Sung-Taek arrive with Bong Tae-Sik. After all, Yang Sung-Taek had once conspired with Deok-Bae's former classmate, Han Sun-Myung, to ruin his career with a fake school bullying accusation.

However, personal feelings were poison during an audition. They disrupted focus and immersion in the role.

So I smiled and offered Deok-Bae a word of advice. "Deok-Bae, just focus on your acting today. Don't think about anything else."

A talent agent's job was to clear the road so their talent can run full speed. Dealing with scum like Yang Sung-Taek was my job.

Deok-Bae nodded resolutely. "Got it, hyung. I'll keep my head in the audition."

"Good. Just act your heart out. That's the best revenge, got it?"

"Yes, hyung."

"Great. Let's go!"

With a nod, Deok-Bae collected himself and headed toward the waiting line with Yeon So-Hee.

Feeling proud of how much Deok-Bae had grown as an actor, I turned and walked into the audition room.

***

At the long judges' table inside the audition hall sat Yoo-Jin, President Shin Jong-Ki, Managing Director Lee Eun-Joo, Writer Wang Mi-In, and Director Yeo Ik-Hwan—all waiting for me. On either side of the table, two cameras had been set up to capture footage for the behind-the-scenes reel.

After a few greetings with the staff, I approached the judges' table and bowed to the panel, who were reviewing materials on their tablets.

"My apologies for the delay."

Lee Eun-Joo teased with a smile. "You always manage to stir up drama the moment we look away. My heart was pounding just reading the news."

Shin Jong-Ki nodded in agreement. "Well, you cleaned up that mess fast, so I'm not complaining. And barely any articles mentioned Baek Hong-Gyun's name in relation to our film. That's what matters. Good work, Chief Jung."

While the morning auditions were ongoing, the two had kept tabs on the news about Baek Hong-Gyun.

"This was all possible thanks to you trusting me enough to exclude Baek Hong-Gyun."

"If I can't trust our casting director, who else could I trust? Of course I trust you! Hahaha."

I smiled and nodded in return. Then I took my seat, powered on the tablet in front of me, and got ready to start scoring the auditions.

That's when Yoo-Jin leaned over and whispered in my ear.

-Oppa, how's Jeon Tae-Mi sunbae-nim doing?

-She's okay. She got pretty shaken up but she wasn't hurt.

-That's a relief. Should we go visit her after this?

-There's no need. I'm heading down to Gyeongju as soon as the auditions end. Just give her a call on the way.

-Okay, I will.

Yoo-Jin had met Jeon Tae-Mi a few times and clearly felt concerned.

Just then, Lee Eun-Joo turned to the staff at the entrance and gave the signal. "All right, we're starting now. Call in number one."

"Yes, ma'am."

And with that, the auditions to cast the role of Baek Ill-Seung, talent agent to Han Bit-Na, began before we could talk any further.

***

The film She Was Beautiful begins with Han Bit-Na[1], the leader of the rookie girl group Angel Wings, returning from a solo stage performance—only to be severely injured in a car accident. Because of that accident, Han Bit-Na retires from the entertainment world.

However, the agency capitalizes on the tragedy to raise the profile of the remaining four members, eventually turning Angel Wings into Korea's top girl group. Meanwhile, Han Bit-Na hides away at home, suffering from the aftereffects of the accident, and becomes an anonymous singer who performs request songs for donations online.

One day, her former talent agent Baek Ill-Seung, the man who first scouted her, shows up at her door. He reveals that the accident was orchestrated by Lee So-Mi and convinces Han Bit-Na to return to the industry. She changes her name to Lee Byeol-Bit[Byeol-Bit (별빛) means 'starlight' in Korean[/ref] and begins a meteoric comeback.

So while Baek Ill-Seung is technically a supporting role, he plays a pivotal part in the plot almost as central as the lead. And since the script was strong and Yoo-Jin was playing the lead, a lot of talented actors had applied for the role.

However, there was none quite like Bong Tae-Sik. It wasn't just because of his acting skills, but because he had actually worked as a talent agent before. He could bring an unmatched depth to Baek Ill-Seung's emotional arc and the nuance of the job. Even so, I cleared all that from my mind and focused on judging fairly.

After two hours, we had gone through 29 of the 31 candidates. They had already cleared the video audition, so most of the actors here today were scoring in the low 80s.

Then came number 30—Bong Tae-Sik.

Click.

The door opened and Bong Tae-Sik entered with his talent agent, Yang Sung-Taek.

"Good afternoon. I'm number 30, Bong Tae-Sik."

The room stirred slightly at the sight of the lead actor from last week's hit drama The Infinite Job Hunt Era.

"Mr. Tae-Sik, I heard your drama's doing well lately. You must be busy. Congratulations," Lee Eun-Joo greeted warmly.

"Thank you. And congrats to you too, Ms. Lee, on your recent promotion."

"Oh, come on. You already sent flowers last time. There's no need for more congratulations."

True to his roots as a former talent agent, Bong Tae-Sik was known for sending gifts on birthdays and promotions to key industry figures. Apparently, he had timed one for Lee Eun-Joo as well.

Shin Jong-Ki seemed pleased too, smiling at the fact that such a popular actor had applied. "When I heard Mr. Bong Tae-Sik was auditioning, I was honestly thrilled."

Bong Tae-Sik flashed a grin. "The script was just too good to resist."

"Was it now? Writer Wang's going to love hearing that."

Wang Mi-In, seated among the judges, gave a bashful smile. "He even came by the MBS writers' room the other day to tell me multiple times how much he loved the script."

Wang Mi-In was also currently the head writer of Talk Show! Entertainment World at MBS. So when Bong Tae-Sik had run into her at the network, he had apparently laid on the flattery thick.

'He's already greased the wheels.'

Just then, Yoo-Jin leaned in and whispered.

-Oppa. It looks like Tae-Sik oppa already buttered up Ms. Wang.

Of course Yoo-Jin knew what kind of person Bong Tae-Sik really was.

When Bong Tae-Sik was once temporarily looking after Yoo-Jin in my place, he had left her alone in the car for two whole hours while he handled his own errands.

-He's exactly the kind of guy who'd do that.

-Oppa, should I just tell Ms. Wang what kind of person he really is?

-No. On the way up in the elevator, he basically threatened to go public if he got rejected for personal reasons. Don't worry. Deok-Bae's here too. We'll judge fairly.

There were very few people who knew Bong Tae-Sik's true face. And to the broader industry, he had a solid reputation for being polite to all the staff. For this reason, I couldn't afford to drop him just because I disliked him. All I could do was hope Deok-Bae outperformed him.

Yoo-Jin scowled but gave a reluctant nod.

-Fine.

Once the small talk wrapped up, Yeo Ik-Hwan called out to Yoo-Jin. "Miss Yoo-Jin, we'll need you to run lines with Mr. Tae-Sik. Are you good with that?"

"Yes, of course."

Yoo-Jin picked up her tablet, preparing to do the scene with him. Bong Tae-Sik nodded in response, signaling that he was ready as well.

Then Yeo Ik-Hwan gave the cue. "Scene 44, please. It's the one where Baek Ill-Seung tries to convince Han Bit-Na to return. Let's go."

Scene 44 was a major turning point where the protagonist begins her path to revenge. I pulled up the script on my tablet to refresh the details.

[Scene 44]

Baek Ill-Seung visits Han Bit-Na, who had been holed up in her parents' home, living as a faceless donation-based singer.

Through the door of her room, Baek Ill-Seung reveals the truth that the accident was orchestrated by her teammate, Lee So-Mi.

Baek Ill-Seung pleads with her to return to the industry.

Despite no reply from Han Bit-Na, he desperately continues, until she finally gives him an answer.

Yeo Ik-Hwan gave the cue. "Alright, Mr. Tae-Sik. Ready... Action!"

At that moment, Bong Tae-Sik suddenly dropped to his knees.

Thud.

The wooden floor echoed from the impact as he slammed down. Then Bong Tae-Sik clenched his jaw and shouted.

『Han Bit-Na! You're going to keep living like this? If it weren't for the accident So-Mi caused, the one who should be at the top with Angel Wings is you! So come back!』

Bong Tae-Sik's voice hit with so much force it practically stung my skin. He yelled about coming back to take revenge, asking if it didn't piss her off to see Angel Wings thriving after selling her pain for sympathy. He was swearing he would help her get revenge.

Bong Tae-Sik shouted toward the unresponsive Yoo-Jin, pouring all his frustration into it. Then he started clawing at his chest.

Riiip.

Buttons popped off his dress shirt, clattering onto the floor.

That's when the judges began whispering among themselves.

-He's really good, huh?

-Great expression, great emotion. It's no wonder he's doing so well.

-Looks like he prepared thoroughly, too.

-Totally.

Compared to the earlier candidates, he captured the desperate mindset of a talent agent better than anyone. Even I had to admit I was a little surprised. Bong Tae-Sik was not the type to prepare this thoroughly. And yet, here he was—deep in character, even going beyond the script.

'Deok-Bae's got a real fight on his hands.'

Even though the scene called for a more restrained approach, Bong Tae-Sik's intense, desperate delivery gave his performance a powerful edge over the previous candidates.

Then Yoo-Jin gripped her tablet tighter and replied with quiet emotion.

『Ill-Seung oppa... I always had a hunch it was So-Mi. And do you think I never... wanted to go back? Of course I do. But I can't. I can't go back...』

Yoo-Jin's sorrowful voice and delicate expressions matched the tone of the scene perfectly. Then, just as the emotions were settling in, Bong Tae-Sik abruptly stood up.

The judges exchanged confused glances as he began walking toward Yoo-Jin. This wasn't in the script. All the script described was that Baek Ill-Seung stands behind a door and speaks through it to Han Bit-Na.

Wondering what Bong Tae-Sik was about to do, the judges fully focused on him.

At that moment, Bong Tae-Sik stopped right in front of Yoo-Jin and slammed his hands down on the table.

Bang!

Everything on the table scattered and the judges flinched in surprise. At the same time, Bong Tae-Sik launched into an unscripted outburst.

『Han Bit-Na, just trust me! I've already figured everything out. All you need to do is follow my lead! I'll wipe those Angel Wings bitches off the face of the earth!』

Baek Ill-Seung roared the lines just inches from Yoo-Jin's face. I clenched my fists under the table.

'You bastard.'

It was obvious why he was doing this. He was trying to rattle Yoo-Jin and get under her skin with an intense ad-lib so he could shine by comparison.

Back when he briefly worked as her talent agent, Yoo-Jin had been timid and unsure. He probably assumed she hadn't changed. It was a predictable tactic. But unfortunately, it was also an effective one.

I turned, ready to step in if Yoo-Jin faltered. However, Yoo-Jin didn't even blink. Though Bong Tae-Sik hovered inches from her, Yoo-Jin calmly turned her gaze elsewhere as if a door truly stood between them. She acted exactly as written.

I was floored by Yoo-Jin's composure and detail. Then, Yoo-Jin began her lines, slow and steady.

At that moment, Yoo-Jin's performance began to crush Bong Tae-Sik's. Her energy was overwhelming as if she was telling him "Watch me now. I'm not the same girl you used to know."

1. Bit-Na (빛나) means 'to shine' in Korean ☜