Team Leader 2, Dongmin Lee.
We had a complicated history.
At first, he looked down on me and picked on me because I was an orphan with only a high school diploma.
Later on, though, he finally came to acknowledge me after seeing me survive by Ina's side.
But in the end, he was the one who demoted me on the head director's orders.
Though, as it turned out, going to Team 5 was a blessing in disguise.
He was that kind of guy—reasonably competent, but also a bit sly.
Anyway…
…He's pushing a new project that's going to ruin Ina?
"Is Actress Ina Kim scheduled to appear in a new project, by any chance?"
"Heh, why? Interested?"
"If you don't want to answer, you don't have to."
I turned away without a second thought, prompting Dongmin to hurriedly grab my arm.
"Director Seol Kim's Black Crown! You've heard of it too, right?"
I had heard of him. In fact, Director Kim was such a household name that there wasn't a soul in South Korea who didn't know him.
A maestro who wins awards at international film festivals without even trying.
From Berlin to Cannes, all the way to the Academy Awards—he had swept them all.
"This is the project Director Kim is obsessively planning, dead-set on finally winning the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival."
"So you're not saying Actress Ina Kim is going to win Best Actress at Cannes, then?"
"Where did that random nonsense come from all of a sudden? Well, it's not completely impossible, but realistically, no matter how amazing Ina is, it won't be easy."
Just the title of starring as the lead actress in a Cannes Palme d'Or-winning film was a massive deal.
If it's a Director Kim film, it couldn't fail even if it tried, right?
[You are worrying about Ina Kim! Activating 'In-Depth Appraisal'!]
No, I'm not?!
[Black Crown]
[An affair scandal between Director Seol Kim and the female lead (Ina Kim) is bound to erupt!]
…Does that even make sense?
[It is a malicious, fake scandal!]
I frowned.
In an entertainment industry crawling with backstabbing and schemes, a stunt like this was hardly surprising.
For an actress, especially a top star, it's a fatal scandal, regardless of whether it's true. It's even worse if the other party happens to be Director Seol Kim.
Honestly, if a scandal had broken out with a male actor, it would've been fine. Unlike idols, the public tended to be pretty forgiving when it came to actors' love lives.
But if the other party was Director Kim, it was a whole different story.
Not only is he a married man, but he's already turned the country upside down with an affair scandal.
Director Kim had once shocked the entire nation by leaving his wife and children behind to move in with a young lead actress.
Even if Ina denied the rumors, the public would most likely look at her with suspicion.
Ultimately, it would become a permanent stain on her reputation.
…After all, plenty of top stars have completely vanished over unfair controversies right at the peak of their careers.
As I stood there lost in thought, Dongmin gave a sly smirk, clearly misinterpreting my silence.
"It's not too late yet, so come to your senses. Give me a call whenever you change your mind. I'll get you back on Ina's team."
* * *
Like hell I'll call him.
To be perfectly blunt, whatever happened to Ina was none of my business.
Sure, I could lend a hand out of the goodness of my heart as a fellow coworker, but this time, there was absolutely nothing I could do.
How on earth am I supposed to stop her from appearing in Director Kim's film? Should I just tell her not to star in it because she might get caught up in a nasty scandal?
There was no way she would accept that.
Even so… turning a blind eye leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Strictly speaking, she was a former coworker.
And a total bitch I never got along with, at that.
But turning a blind eye when I knew exactly what she was about to suffer made me feel strangely uncomfortable.
Looking out at the Han River view late at night already gives me the creeps. What the hell am I supposed to do if Ina shows up as a vengeful spirit?
My mood was ruined, so I decided to leave work early.
Since we have flexible working hours, I can just make up for it whenever I have to work overtime down the road.
But just as I went downstairs and was passing through the first-floor lobby—
"Are you Chief Manager Chanwoo Lim of Star Entertainment?"
"…Who are you?"
"I am Head Director Minsu Jang of TC Entertainment."
"?!"
TC—one of the big three agencies.
Even if they hold the same title, he is on a completely different level than Head Director Soohyuk Kim!
Soohyuk was also a big shot in the entertainment industry, but TC Entertainment's head director carried far greater weight.
"…By any chance, were you waiting for me?"
"Yes, I have been waiting for three hours."
"Why didn't you contact me…?"
"I contacted you multiple times before, but didn't you ignore me?"
"…"
Minsu Jang, a titan of the entertainment industry and the head director of TC, spoke with the utmost courtesy.
"I have something urgent to discuss with you, so I would be deeply grateful if you could spare me a moment of your time."
* * *
The reason TC came looking for Chanwoo Lim was due to the recent mega-hit, Crime Society.
"Chanwoo Lim. You exceeded my expectations."
Kanghyuk Lee, the CEO of TC—one of the nation's big three agencies—and a living legend of the entertainment industry, spoke quietly.
"You said he rejected our offer last time, right?"
"…That is correct."
To be perfectly accurate, Chanwoo had never actually rejected TC's offer. He had simply found it too bothersome to meet in person and told them to send an official document if they had business with him.
When he demanded we send a scouting offer through official company channels, I thought, who the hell does this crazy bastard think he is?
But now, Chanwoo Lim's crazy energy (?) finally made sense.
"Chanwoo Lim is a genius. You shouldn't judge a genius by ordinary standards."
"…What do you mean by that, sir?"
"Perhaps Chanwoo Lim was testing us back then to see just how desperate we were to recruit him."
"!!!"
Come to think of it, it was strange. If he'd simply wanted to turn us down, he could've done it like a normal person—so why did he insist on an official document instead?
"Sir, are you saying he wants us to prove our commitment by going to all that trouble? That seems a bit…"
"Or, he might be intending to use our scouting offer as a tool to pressure Head Director Soohyuk Kim. Word is Chanwoo Lim is currently clashing with the head director at Star Entertainment."
"Don't you think that's also a bit of a stretch…?"
"Of course, I could be wrong. However, a genius like Chanwoo Lim wouldn't have done all that without a clear intention."
"…Then what should we do, sir?"
CEO Kanghyuk Lee tapped his desk with his fingers. The extraordinary brain that had forged him into a legend of the entertainment industry began to whir.
"What did you say Chanwoo Lim's current situation at Star Entertainment is like?"
"It's safe to assume he has crossed the point of no return with Head Director Soohyuk Kim."
"What are the odds of him coming out on top?"
"Realistically, it is impossible, sir."
"Is there absolutely no chance at all?"
"Given Star Entertainment's equity structure, it isn't completely impossible. If a few of the major shareholders side with Chanwoo Lim, a miracle might just happen."
"So, virtually no chance of that actually happening, right?"
"Correct, sir."
CEO Kanghyuk Lee chuckled.
"And Chanwoo Lim is fighting this reckless battle for the sake of Star Entertainment's artists?"
"…So they say. Rumors are everywhere that he cares for his artists to an extreme degree."
"Wonderful. Excellent! To think such an idealist still exists in this day and age."
Chanwoo Lim's talent was undeniable.
Unrivaled talent like his had no business propping up a trash company like Star Entertainment. He could've named his price anywhere else. And yet here he was, throwing himself into the fire, again and again—all for the sake of his artists.
As a senior figure in the industry, he found it admirable and impressive.
…Though if Chanwoo heard this, he would have said, 'Huh? Me?'
I like him. No, I want him—to the point it's driving me crazy.
However, it didn't seem like Chanwoo would accept TC Entertainment's scouting offer right away. Therefore, CEO Kanghyuk Lee decided to use another method instead.
"Let's give the chief manager a helping hand."
"Excuse me?"
"Since sending an official document directly would be a bit too much… well, you will just have to go through a bit of trouble yourself, head director."
Hearing the CEO's words, the head director was taken aback.
"Are you telling me to go directly to Star Entertainment and meet Chanwoo Lim myself?"
In a way, going directly to a rival company to approach one of their employees was just as rude as sending a scouting offer.
"It would be even better if you make a show of waiting for Chanwoo Lim—let those Star Entertainment bastards see it."
The reason CEO Kanghyuk Lee gave such an instruction was simple.
It was to hand Chanwoo a weapon in the form of TC Entertainment's backing!
"I didn't like those trashy bastards at Star Entertainment anyway, so wouldn't it feel great to screw with them like this?"
"…Yes, sir."
Of course, he wasn't doing this solely for a petty reason like that.
"When Chanwoo Lim eventually leaves Star Entertainment, where else would he go? He will naturally consider TC his top priority."
Even though Kanghyuk was known as a benevolent man, that didn't mean he lacked greed. In the first place, someone without greed could never build one of the big three agencies.
In fact, Kanghyuk was greedy.
Insatiably so.
And such a man had begun to covet Chanwoo Lim.
In earnest.
* * *
I had a brief conversation with TC Entertainment's head director.
It was nothing special. Just some small talk, like how much he enjoyed Crime Society.
If I had to pick something strictly business-related, it was when he brought up the timing for revealing Karmin as the arranger, now that Sena's 'Love's Shuttle Bus' had become a mega-hit.
Since the move would benefit both Rainbow and Sena, I was completely on board with his suggestion.
However…
"We are thinking of mentioning Chief Manager Lim's name as the mentor who helped Karmin."
"…Me? But I'm not even a TC employee. Wouldn't that be a bit inappropriate?"
TC would end up getting flak for it.
"No. From TC's… or more accurately, Rainbow's perspective, that's actually better. If we spin a narrative that Karmin was being quietly sidelined within TC, it will help rally the fandom even more."
He said that since the artist's success ultimately benefited TC anyway, it didn't matter if the company took a bit of heat.
As expected of one of the big three agencies!
They were incomparable to a trashy company like Star Entertainment.
"And besides, it's not like you're a total stranger to us here at TC, Chief Manager Lim."
"Aren't we strangers, though?"
"That will depend on how things go in the future. Our TC wants to get even closer to Chief Manager Lim."
"I don't particularly want to, though…?"
"Haha, I knew you would react that way. Still, please remember that our TC is rooting for Chief Manager Lim. If things ever get tough, our TC wants to be there for you."
I don't need your help, though…?
After all, my strength came from the monthly rent from my building.
After having that conversation, I showed up for work the next day.
The atmosphere was bizarre.
People were whispering all over the place while stealing glances at me.
"The chief manager shouldn't leave…"
"This is all because those rotten higher-ups are tormenting the chief manager."
…Such chatter reached my ears.
And that wasn't all.
Arriving in front of the Team 5 office, I flinched.
Why is that crazy bitch here…?
Ina was standing in front of the office with her arms crossed! As if she were waiting for someone.
I tried to make a casual U-turn to slip away while pretending not to see her, but she was faster.
Ina glared at me coldly and spoke.
"Chanwoo, let's talk."
* * *
Since too many eyes were on us inside the office, we headed to the emergency staircase.
Standing within range of the CCTV, I felt like my combat power rose by about 10%, as if I had received a buff.
Just as the spy camera and voice recorder were about to swiftly activate—
"…Is it true that you're transferring to TC?"
"What?"
"I heard you're going to TC."
"I'm not, though?"
"You're not…? I heard you met TC's head director."
"We were just talking about business, though?"
Judging by the vibes, it seemed like they did have some interest in scouting me, but I had no plans to go to TC.
I mean… rumors are widespread about how brutal the workload is at TC.
Ina glared at me even more fiercely.
"Really? You're not just going to suddenly leave after saying that, right?"
"Haven't you watched me for three years? I don't lie."
"…Right. You don't lie. That's why I trust you."
I flinched.
Ina's expression had suddenly softened, as if she felt relieved.
"You startled me…"
She was a top SS-rank actress possessing EX-rank potential.
When Ina—whose appearance transcended even SS-rank—let her harsh expression melt away, it felt as though a flower had suddenly bloomed inside the dim emergency staircase.
However, it lasted only a split second.
She immediately returned to her usual vicious expression.
"You promised, so don't you dare try to leave me."
"I never made a promise, though…?"
"Hmph."
Acting as though she had accomplished what she came for, Ina turned to leave.
Right at that moment, I acted impulsively.
"…Miss Ina, please wait a moment. I have something to say."
[Ina Kim]
[Scheduled to go downhill after getting caught up in an unfair scandal in her next project]
…I suppose I ought to prevent Ina from showing up as a vengeful spirit while I'm looking at my Han River view.
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