Top Management - Chapter 108

Chapter 108

Chapter 108: Important Between Manager and Celebrity, Compatibility (6)

TL: emptycube / ED: Isleidir

Sponsor: acc0rd

Just what was this now?

I thought he would talk about Nam Joyoon first .

“Team 2?”

“You originally wanted to be assigned to actors . If you still want to, there’s a limit to what you can learn in Team 3 . While the people there might be veterans in the music industry, the acting industry is a completely different ballgame . If you want to learn properly before it’s too late, then you need to transfer quickly . ”

The team 2 leader said as though he was sincerely concerned about my career .

To be honest, his words were quite persuasive since there were more times where Chief Lee Bongjoon’s advice was more helpful than Kim Hyunjo’s while we were filming the drama .

“Of course, if you transfer, you can still take care of Lee Songha like now . There are cases where chiefs take care of two to three people if they have the capacity so you can also experience taking care of another actor . ”

Who was he trying to fool? Did he think I was fool ignorant of the world?

“That other actor, is it Son Chaeyoung?”

“Yeah, our top star who no one can handle . ”

The team 2 leader said while slowly rubbing his beard .

“Obviously, it’ll be too much for you to be assigned to both Lee Songha and Son Chaeyoung . I’ll assign you a skilled chief to help you and share your workload . If you do this, you’ll have my full support . ”

His voice sounded kind on purpose .

With an awkward expression, I said,

“Putting aside the fact that the relationship between Lee Songha and Son Chaeyoung is so bad that it can’t get any worse, I don’t like Ms . Son Chaeyoung . How could I work with her like this?”

“Why can’t you? It’s just work . ”

The team 2 leader leaned towards me . His eyes shined sharply .

“I don’t know why, but Son Chaeyoung is interested in you . Just think of it as using that . ”

I heard it as though he was throwing me in like a toy to placate the angry Son Chaeyoung .

“Put everything else aside, and think about what will be more beneficial to you . Your career will be more robust, and I’ll think of you as one of my own from now on . ”

Haha, that was the most ridiculous thing I heard all year .

What ‘think of me as his own’? Either way, Im Joowon’s contract was proceeding smoothly thanks to me, yet this man was trying to push me to Son Chaeyoung .

Maybe if we could maintain a relationship where we didn’t bicker every time we saw each other, but he wasn’t someone I could trust and follow from the start . I still vividly remembered how he pushed all the responsibility onto and fired the road manager during the Sung Dowon incident .

“Also, that actor you brought, depending on how you do…”

An unpleased expression flashed on his face .

“I could get you a contract right away . ”

“Is Mr . Nam Joyoon a kind of reward? If I refuse your proposal…”

“Then there’s no contract . From our meeting, our opinion is heavily leaning towards not recruiting him . Despite his lackluster profile, I called him for a meeting because he’s the next actor this guy who’s known for his discerning eye is fixated on . I was still disappointed after meeting him . Our mailboxes are filled with actors like him . On top of that, he filed a lawsuit against his previous company . ”

My mind went blank .

After clicking his tongue, the team 2 leader returned to the point .

“I’m giving you a lot with this . That’s why come to Team 2 . Do you und-“

“No . ”

The smile faded from the team 2 leader’s face when he heard me .

“Hey, if it wasn’t for Chaeyoung, do you think I would listen to your circumstances and take care of you like this? I’ve taken your circumstances into consideration the best I can, which is why-“

“While I am thankful for your words, I want to keep working in my current team . ”

Meaning you should clean up your own mess .

While I wanted to say that, I stored it away for another day . However, the team 2 leader’s face flushed with anger at my refusal . Agitated, he stood up .

“Like before and now, you are still someone who can’t receive anything even when spoon-fed . ”

How laughable .

That was what I should say .

*

“Hey, running crew! Quickly load the opened props in the van!”

The film set was being torn down after the filming was over .

Nam Joyoon was carrying boxes filled with props . His face, neck, and even muscular back were soaked with sweat .

He wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand as he stretched his back .

“I just need to carry these, right?’

He asked while stacking a few boxes .

When he finally noticed me, his eyes became round .

“Your friend said you’d be here so I came over . ”

“Why did you come all the way here? You could have just called and I would have gone to meet you . ”

“I was nearby so I came over to see you . ”

He had to work to earn his food money so how could I make him skip a day?

“Then please wait over there for a moment . After I carry thi-“

“It’ll be faster if I help out . We can talk longer the faster we finish . ”

While carrying boxes with Nam Joyoon, who was acting awkward, I went to the point .

“It didn’t work out . ”

Nam Joyoon flinched while placing down boxes .

“The meeting . The results came out, but it didn’t work out . ”

After loading everything, Nam Joyoon brought over a plastic chair from behind the film set and sat me down . Then he handed me a bottle of water and a roll of gimbap he obtained as he said,

“You could have told me on the phone . ”

“I wanted to tell you in person . ”

“It’s okay . ”

He roughly brushed away the dusty floor before sitting down .

“Don’t stress it . It’s not my first time experiencing this . I was happy that I met someone who remembered me from a project I was cast in when I was youn-“

“Take this and give it a read . ”

While chewing on a piece of cold gimbap, I handed him a scenario that I took out from my bag .

“It’s a new project from Pan Production . I know their CEO well . There’s a role I marked on there . If you like it as well, I can try to get you an audition . ”

The more I talked, the more confused Nam Joyoon’s expression became .

“I don’t really understand, but what are yo-“

“I am trying to entice you right now . To work with me . ”

Nam Joyoon began to cough as if something was caught in his throat . While smiling, I handed him the bottle of water .

To be honest, I came after receiving the team 3 leader’s approval . I asked if he could let me take care of an actor outside work, making sure this didn’t interfere with Neptune .

“There’s no contract, and I won’t be able to use W&U’s background, but it’ll be better than working on your own . While it’s a bit embarrassing to say this, I hear that I’m quite good at my job . ”

Nam Joyoon let out a breath after gulping down half the water bottle . Various emotions arose in his barren eyes . As if he didn’t know what to do, Nam Joyoon roughly tangled his hair as he said,

“Why are you… As a chief, you should have better candidates than me . ”

“It’s not for you, but for me . I have something I want to confirm . ”

Nam Joyoon looked at me with eyes asking what I meant .

Smiling faintly, I said,

“I wanted to confirm if my discerning eye is any good . ”

*

Thud . Lee Songha chopped down with a kitchen knife .

The head of the small octopus on the cutting board was cleanly cut off . After filming that with the camcorder, I moved on . The other girls all had aprons and were working hard to make the kitchen a mess .

They were asked to bring their own lunchbox for the program they were appearing on as a guest tomorrow, but I was concerned whether it was okay to hand this over to the staff . It was a complete crisis . When there were four girls living together, it was likely that one would be good at cooking .

Sweating as she handled the rice, Im Seoyoung shouted,

“Oppa, please! Stop laughing! Cooking is all about confidence!”

“See what you made and tell me it’s not funny . ”

I thought she said she was going to make a cat face with fried rice, but she made it looked like a monster that would appear in nightmares .

“This is good for an amateur!”

“If that’s good, then the picture I took worthy of the Pulitzer Prize . ”

“Ah, really! What? Do you think you can do better?”

“Why do you think I can’t?”

Im Seoyoung halted . The other girls also stopped what they were doing and looked at me . Lee Taehee threw out the eggs she messed up trying to separate into yolk and whites as she asked,

“Do you know how to cook?”

“Somewhat . ”

“Uhh, no? You said you don’t cook when you’re living alone! I remember you saying that you received side dishes from home and your brother’s family . ”

“That’s because it’s a bother and I’m busy . How could I not know how to could after living with four kids who ate like pigs?”

“Th-then do it!”

I put on plastic gloves . Suddenly Lee Songha began hurriedly looking around the sink before handing me something .

“Oppa, here . Put this on while you cook . ”

It was an apron . A hand-sized one with a rabbit drawn on it .

“You can’t get your clothes dirty . ”

“It’s fine, put it away . It’s probably better to cook without my clothes than wear that . ”

Above all, LJ picked up the camcorder the moment you handed it to me .

I turned a disappointed Lee Songha away and handled rice for once after a long time . I put the fried rice in the lunchbox, formed it into a cat shape, then cut seaweed into its whiskers, eyes, nose, mouth . I was finished in a jiffy .

“Here, it’s done . A cat, easy, right?”

“Not at all! It’s not easy at all!”

I helped the other girls with their lunchboxes a little as well . I didn’t plan on it, but Lee Songha kept admiring from behind whenever I did something .

“Stop staring . It’s not like I’m doing something amazing . ”

“It looks amazing to me . ”

“Even if you flatter me, there isn’t any for you . I only bought the precise amount of ingredients . ”

“That’s not it . I’m not someone who’s always hungry or anything . ”

Lee Songha mumbled . At her words, not just me, but all the other girls, who had been working hard on their lunchboxes, burst into laughter .

“Yeah, let’s say that . Can you roll up my sleeves?”

“Your sleeves?”

“They keep sliding down . If your hands are dirty, then Taehe-“

“I’ll do it . ”

Lee Songha gripped my forearm . Then she steadily rolled up my sleeves with a very serious face, as if she was some sleeve-rolling expert . Her soft, delicate hands brushed my arms . From my elbow, she gradually rolled my sleeves higher and higher .

“Stop . How high are you going to roll them? Up to my shoulders?”

“Ah . ”

It seemed unintentional as she blinked before stopping .

I left the kitchen and held the camcorder again .

The girls’ expressions were bright . Maybe it was because of his betrayal or some other reason, but the mood had been a little strange since the traitor was fired . I didn’t know whether they were hiding their complicated thoughts, but they looked no different from normal .

Im Seoyoung closed her lunchbox before saying as though she just thought of something .

“Right, oppa . You know . I think we’ve become too used to working with you . It was really awkward when Kim Hyunjo oppa came by himself last time . Maybe it’s because we think of you as good luck, but it felt like we weren’t doing as well either!”

“It’s troublesome if you don’t do well . After handing over my duties, I’ll only be coming to big schedules . ”

“What?!”

Im Seoyoung was shocked . The other girls were the same .

Lee Songha was the only one who looked fine .

“Why are you so surprised? I was promoted to chief . I’ll be busy from now on . ”

“Th-that’s right . You’re a chief now . I guess you can’t be demoted?!”

“Of course not . My salary increased too . ”

“What are you going to do after throwing us aside?!”

Before I could reply, in an excited voice, Lee Songha said,

“You’re probably busy because of me . I have to go to China to promote the drama, set my next project and begin filming . Like while I was filming the drama, the two of us will have lots of work to do from now on . ”

“Hmm, right . ”

Her face brightened at my reply .

I suddenly recalled Nam Joyoon, who I met earlier . While I wasn’t assigned to him officially, they would probably meet each other from now on .

While the other girls were singers, he overlapped with Lee Songha so I had to take special care, especially since there were cases where she was anxious I would be assigned to another celebrity in the past .

I considered telling them but ultimately decided against it . She seemed to be in a good mood so I should tell her later .

Also, she was holding a kitchen knife .

“Right, Songha, were there any synopses you liked out of the ones you read?”

“There are a few I enjoyed . ”

Lee Songha quickly rushed to her room .

When I followed her, she handed me a few stacks of paper . The project I had a hard time picking was there too . While thinking that it was a relief, I looked at a few others before realizing what they had in common .

“They are all very melodramatic . You prefer these?”

“They were fun . ”

Flipping through each one, I halted on the last scenario .

“This one’s a bit . It’s a passionate melodrama . If you decide on this one, we probably can’t read the script dialogue together . ”

Surprised, Lee Songha’s eyes became round .

“Why? We read the script every night last time . ”

I grinned as I added,

“I mean, I read this scenario as well . There’s dialogue like ‘I love you . I can’t live without you,’ starting halfway . ”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“I’ll have to read your counterpart’s dialogue . Won’t it be too funny to concentrate?”

Lee Songha’s expression became odd . It seemed she was imagining us reading the script together as her well-formed brows and lips twitched a few times .

Soon, she broke the silence and asked,

“… Why? Why is it funny?”

What was with her reaction?