Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All-Chapter 853: Choice (1)

"If you're pushing the schedule up to the end of May, we absolutely need to switch the air dates from Wednesday-Thursday to Monday-Tuesday," I said.

President Han Yoo-Sik tilted his head. "Huh? Change the air dates? Why's that?"

"If we stick with the Wednesday-Thursday slot, we'll be going head-to-head with MBS' Hwaranjeon."

When scheduling a drama, the most crucial factor was whether it has strong competition. If a drama airing on the same days was already drawing high viewership ratings, a new show was bound to suffer no matter how well-made.

Right now, Hwaranjeon was dominating the Wednesday-Thursday slot with a whopping 37% viewership ratings. And with only 24 out of its 50 episodes aired, Hwaranjeon wouldn't end until late June or even July. If Haze moved up to the end of May as a Wednesday-Thursday drama, it would end up clashing with Hwaranjeon for a full month and take a hit.

That was when Han Yoo-Sik finally caught on. "Ah, geez. What was I thinking? I totally overlooked that. But here's the problem—I'd love to move it to Monday-Tuesday, but KBC 1TV already has a solid lineup in that slot. I can't bump it."

"Then ask them to shift it to KBC 2TV instead. And if that doesn't work, make it clear that we can't move up the air date."

KBC had two channels: KBC 1TV and 2TV. But if neither could accommodate the change, it was better not to push the schedule up at all.

Just then, Han Yoo-Sik let out a chuckle. "You'd make a great programmer at a network, Chief Jung. Still, this is a little embarrassing for me as someone who used to be an executive at KBC."

"Oh, come on. You knew all this. You were just pretending not to."

"No, really. I was always on the receiving end of these schedule pitches, never the one making them. I wouldn't have realized it if you hadn't pointed it out. Keep calling me out like that when I miss something, okay?"

After stepping down as an executive at KBC, Han Yoo-Sik became the president of a drama production company. He had gone from a position of power to being at the mercy of others. Despite me being much younger than him, he was the kind of adult who listened and didn't let pride get in the way.

Han Yoo-Sik acknowledged his mistake and even turned to Production Chief Hyun Jong-Yeon and PD Oh Sang-Do, asking them to speak up freely.

"If you two have any ideas, don't hold back. That's how we avoid mistakes."

After a moment's hesitation, Hyun Jong-Yeon spoke up. "Then how about requesting a bit more in production budget?"

"How much more?"

"About 10%? Since it's KBC pushing the schedule forward, we should get at least that much."

"Alright. What about you, PD Oh?"

Oh Sang-Do, who had left his network job to join the production company under Han Yoo-Sik, chimed in confidently.

"Since they're the ones requesting the change, we're the ones in the driver's seat. How about asking for a 10% bump in the marketing budget too?"

Han Yoo-Sik burst out laughing. "You guys are really going for it. Alright then, maybe it's time I acted like a real president for once."

Clearing his throat, Han Yoo-Sik grabbed his phone. He immediately placed a speakerphone call to Oh Han-Guk, the president of KBC.

"Hi, Mr. Oh~"

-Come on, sunbae-nim. You don't have to be so formal. Just talk to me like you always do.

Just then, Han Yoo-Sik opened the call with something completely unexpected.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think we can push up the schedule after all."

The response caught us all off guard. It was the exact opposite of what we had discussed. I, Hyun Jong-Yeon, and Oh Sang-Do all blinked in confusion.

-Sunbae-nim... No, Mr. Han. What are you saying? You're a new company. Wouldn't securing an early slot help you breathe a little financially?

"I do appreciate your concern for our company, Mr. Han. But Mirinae's finances are solid. You know we have Daheung Savings Bank managing all our accounting."

-Still, isn't it better to move it up?

"Speed is nice, but making it right matters more. I think we should stick to the original schedule."

-Ahem. Well, that's true, but still...

"Alright then. We'll go with the June-to-July schedule as planned. Let's wrap this up here since I've got a long night shoot ahead."

'Didn't we just wrap the shoot a moment ago?'

Now that he was on a roll, Han Yoo-Sik smoothly tossed in a fictitious all-night shoot to end the call.

At that moment, Oh Han-Guk suddenly called out in a panic.

-W-Wait! Sunbae! You win. Just tell me what you want. I'll agree to anything, so please, just say it. Okay?

Thanks to Han Yoo-Sik's brinkmanship, we got a quicker surrender than expected. Holding off on hanging up, he eased into a more casual tone, leaving room for negotiation.

"Ahem. Well, I could consider moving the schedule up... if a few conditions are met..."

-Go ahead. I said I'll agree to everything, didn't I?

Han Yoo-Sik started listing the terms we had discussed.

"First, change the airing days. Didn't Queen Jeong-Hee get crushed going up against Hwaranjeon? That one was a well-made historical drama, and look what happened. A new drama like ours doesn't stand a chance."

Currently, Queen Jeong-Hee airing in the same time slot had dropped to a 16% viewership ratings under the pressure of Hwaranjeon.

-That's why I said we'll move it to a different time slot.

"And what good is just a different slot? By the next morning, the entertainment news will be all about Hwaranjeon. So if 1TV won't work, just put us on 2TV. And while we're at it, why not go for a weekend slot?"

-Weekend...?

Weekend dramas on KBC 2TV shared the coveted golden time with daily soaps. I had originally suggested a Monday-Tuesday slot, but Han Yoo-Sik was now aiming for the absolute prime time. He wasn't one to pull punches once he had the momentum.

-But sunbae, that's a bit much...

"Oh, and increase the production budget by 20%, give us 2% more in overseas revenue, and boost the promo budget by 20% too. All twos—makes it easy to remember. Two-two-two."

-Sunbae! No, hyung-nim!

"Hyung-nim or not, just do that and we'll knock this drama out of the park. You saw what one photo did to the entertainment news earlier, right? Whoops, I'm getting another call. The reporters are going wild."

Han Yoo-Sik motioned to us.

Quick to catch on, I raised my voice dramatically. "Oh, yes, Mr. Choi! You want an exclusive interview? We've already scheduled three, so that's tough. And how can we offer an exclusive for something this big?"

Beside me, Oh Sang-Do jumped in with a fake cough. "Come on, Mr. Ahn. Even if you promise front-page coverage tomorrow, we can't just spill details about a drama that hasn't even aired. What's that? You don't mind?"

Hyun Jong-Yeon took it even further. "What? A one-hour MeTube special on our drama? Before it's even broadcast? That's overkill. What? It's not overkill?"

As we stirred the pot, Oh Han-Guk finally caved.

-Alright! Fine! Weekend slot it is! Production budget up 20%! Extra 2% on overseas profits! All approved! But—!

"But?"

-You must bring the two lead actors, Mr. Park Sang-Gyu, and Miso for promotions. No deal otherwise.

That much was a given. Han Yoo-Sik responded cheerfully.

"Deal! But for the details, our legal team will be in touch. Don't try to backtrack since we've got this all recorded."

A deep sigh echoed from the other end of the line.

-You've really become a pro, sunbae-nim. The man KBC once called a scholar has turned into a master negotiator.

"Had to, to survive. And I've got a lot of mouths to feed now."

-True enough. Got it. Send over the contract.

"Thanks."

-No, I'm the one who should thank you, sunbae. And...

"Yes?"

-I'm not saying this as the president of KBC, but as someone who really respects you. Just this once, let me say this. It won't be easy, but keep doing what you did today. Be shrewd, play hardball. That Chief Jung you've got? He's really good at this, so don't let his age fool you. Get his help. You've always been a great person, but you never knew how to look out for yourself. You know that, right?

Hearing my name over the speakerphone, I nearly yelped in surprise. Han Yoo-Sik looked at me with a proud smile and replied.

"I've been learning a lot lately. Thanks to that guy, I've managed to keep this production company afloat, and there's nothing shameful about taking advice from someone like him."

I waved my hands in denial. Sure, I helped. But rebuilding the company this fast was all Han Yoo-Sik.

When Han Yoo-Sik just shook his head and continued the call, Oh Han-Guk let out a relieved sigh.

-That's good to hear. Anyway, let's talk again soon.

"Sounds good."

After hanging up, Han Yoo-Sik turned to us with a wide grin.

"How was that? I nailed it, right?"

I gave him a big thumbs-up. "Yes, sir. You were perfect."

Hyun Jong-Yeon and Oh Sang-Do chimed in enthusiastically.

"The best!"

"Mr. Han, wow! You really deliver when it counts. Why didn't you always do this?"

With wit and last-minute pressure, Han Yoo-Sik had shaken Oh Han-Guk down for far better terms than we had ever dared ask for.

'People really can change.'

Watching Han Yoo-Sik, I was reminded of that truth once again.

Then phones started ringing again all around us.

"Alright, everyone take your calls. Just say the broadcast is coming soon, but don't mention the schedule yet."

"Yes, sir!"

Suddenly, everyone started answering calls they had previously silenced.

"Hey, Mr. Choi. Sorry about that."

"No, Mr. Park, I wasn't ignoring you. I just had the phone on silent during shooting. What? What shocked everyone so much? Oh, I can't tell you that."

While the others handled their calls from reporters, mine came in too.

[Womans President Jang Ji-Hye]

It had been a while since I heard from Jang Ji-Hye, the president of Womans, now the undisputed top magazine in Korea.

I answered warmly. "Hello, Mrs. Jang."

-Chief Jung, I'll get right to it. How about putting Miso on the May issue cover? Solo.

"Pardon me?"

Since its founding, Womans had never featured a child actor alone on the cover. Their target audience was women in their twenties and thirties. But now, Jang Ji-Hye was proposing that Miso become the first solo child cover model in the magazine's history.

"Are you serious?"

-Yes. This is a big move for me too. So what do you say? Can we get a solo interview with Miso as well?

"Absolutely. No problem at all!"

-Great. Then swing by the office in Seoul after your shoot wraps up.

"Sounds perfect!"

I responded excitedly, then Jang Ji-Hye continued.

-But here's the thing. If we're putting Miso on the cover alone, we need some extra content... That video clip from today's social media post. Can you send me the full video?

She wanted the full footage of the viral photo everyone had been talking about.

"You didn't offer the solo cover just to get a sneak peek at that footage, did you?"

-W-What? Of course not! Not at all!

The way she stumbled made it obvious she had thought about it. However, my answer was always the same in situations like this.

"You'll have to watch the broadcast!"

***

The next day, we wrapped filming in the morning and left the island after 4 p.m., taking only Miso with us. Park Sang-Gyu, Ju Yung-In, and Sung Gyu-Hwan stayed behind for scenes that still had to be shot today.

From the port, I drove the car we had parked at Mijo Harbor and headed for the Hwaranjeon set in Gyeongju. It was on the way back to Seoul anyway, and I needed to make an appearance at the Hwaranjeon shoot site.

"La la la~ Sweet potato, sweet potato~ So good you could die before the third bite~"

Miso, thrilled at the thought of seeing her mom, was singing excitedly. It helped that we had a box of sweet potatoes from the elders of Hodo Village in the trunk.

Then Jung Sang-Bong, who was in the driver's seat, spoke up. "Oh, right, Mr. Jung. No Hwaranjeon episode tonight because of the election, right?"

"Yeah. They're airing a double episode tomorrow instead."

Because of the election coverage, Episode 25 of Hwaranjeon was postponed and would air as part of a two-episode special the following day.

"So who do you think will win the Seoul mayoral race?"

"Who knows?"

After that campaign song gig, I hadn't followed politics much. I decided to check now.

[Seoul Mayoral By-election: Ruling Party's Chae Chi-Dong 43%, Opposition's Park Deok-Ryul 42%—Neck and Neck.]

[Opposition Leads in Daejeon and Busan Mayoral Races.]

[Assemblyman Park Sang-Gon: Holding Seoul Alone Is Half the Battle.]

[Ruling Party's Lead Shrinks to 1% After Being Up by 10%. Could Seoul Flip Too?]

Just a month ago, the ruling party's Seoul candidate was ahead by ten points. Now the opposition was only a point behind.

'Still losing, though.'

Personally, I hoped ruling party leader Park Sang-Gon would take a hit. However, that was just my own grudge against him. As a talent agent, I couldn't take sides.

"Sang-Bong. It doesn't matter to me, but regardless of which party wins, talent agents need to keep their mouths shut. Even mentioning politics could bring our celebrities trouble."

"Understood."

I had no choice but to get tangled up with politicians. I didn't want Jung Sang-Bong to go through the same. Then I remembered something he had said before about politicians pestering him after his gold medal win.

"Sang-Bong. Didn't you say lawmakers came after you when you won that gold medal?"

Jung Sang-Bong let out a deep sigh. "Yeah. A bunch of aides from both parties came asking me to campaign for their side."

"What did you do?"

"I was too young to realize how powerful they were. I got annoyed and turned them down kind of harshly. And... Well, after that, the offers just stopped coming. I was scraping by doing temp gigs at gyms until I landed this job."

Now I finally understood why Jung Sang-Bong had ended up in this industry after becoming a gold medalist.

"You've had it rough."

"It's nothing. Just thinking about it made me ask. I'll lay low once the mayor's decided."

Jung Sang-Bong gave a bitter smile, saying he had asked because he wanted to avoid trouble. However, I reassured him that he didn't need to worry.

"Don't sweat it, Sang-Bong. As long as I'm around, no matter who becomes mayor, you won't get caught in the crossfire."

The worry on Jung Sang-Bong's face melted away. "Yes, sir!"

While we talked, we arrived at the Hwaranjeon set parking lot in Gyeongju.

Screech.

We got out of the car and immediately started greeting the on-site staff. Since Miso played Princess Yu-Hwa, she was the adored child actor on set and was welcomed warmly by everyone.

"Miso! It's been too long!"

"Wow, Miso. You were in the news again today, huh? You're a total star now!"

Surrounded by sudden praise and attention, Miso twisted shyly, unsure of what to do.

Then Yoo-Jin appeared, dressed as Princess Yu-Hwa, her makeup already done. "Miso!"

"Mommy!"

A little overwhelmed by all the attention, Miso ran over and threw herself into Yoo-Jin's arms. Miso ran into Yoo-Jin's arms like a pink cushion, wrapped in her voluminous hanbok.

"What's wrong, Miso?" Yoo-Jin asked.

PD Oh Bok-Hee giggled. "Guess we overdid the compliments. It looks like she got shy."

"Oh, really?"

Yoo-Jin gently pulled Miso back and looked her in the eye, speaking calmly. "You're an actress now too, right? So you should thank your fans properly."

"Fans?" Miso asked.

"Yep. All the staff here are your fans."

Miso paused to think, then nodded. "Okay." She turned right around, placed her hands over her belly button, and bowed her head deeply. "Thank you for being so nice to me."

Everyone burst into laughter again at Miso's polite belly-button bow.

"Hahaha. That's right."

"Good girl, Miso. We'll be cheering for you."

Then Oh Bok-Hee asked, curiosity lighting her face. "But Miso, what kind of acting did you do yesterday that shocked everyone so much?"

Miso hesitated for a moment and glanced at me. When I gave her a warm smile, she nodded and addressed everyone.

"It's a secret!"

Oh Bok-Hee laughed, caught off guard. "Miso's a real actress now, huh? Hahaha."

Miso's playful secrecy only spread more laughter across the set.

***

It had been a while since we had spent time chatting and hanging around the set. Before we knew it, it was time for dinner. After grabbing a late meal from the catering truck, it was already 7:59 p.m.

With a bit of downtime, everyone was sipping coffee and checking their phones. I had finished dinner too, enjoying a coffee with Yoo-Jin, Miso, and Jung Sang-Bong.

But the camera director sitting across from me had the broadcast open on his phone, and whether I liked it or not, I couldn't help hearing the election updates.

-The people's choice. The April 7 by-elections will conclude in one minute.

The projected vote share for the Seoul mayoral race is 43% for the ruling party, 42% for the opposition—a 1% lead for the ruling party.

Let's find out the exit poll results in just one minute...

As the announcer continued, the countdown to the exit polls began from ten.

-Ten, nine...

If Chae Chi-Dong from the ruling party, backed by Park Sang-Gon, won the Seoul mayoral seat, then Park Sang-Gon could likely remain as party leader. Losses in other districts had been expected, but Seoul was the main prize.

However, if the opposition's Park Deok-Ryul won Seoul as well, Park Sang-Gon would be forced to step down from his leadership role, taking full responsibility for the party's total defeat.

In other words, the identity of Seoul's next mayor could very well shape my own future.

-...Three, two, one!

As the countdown ended, I found myself clenching my fist without realizing it, silently praying.

'Please.'

Just then, the exit poll results started playing from the camera director's phone.

-According to the exit polls conducted by the three major networks...