Chapter 131: Recruiting Kang Ha-Na (1)

Chapter 131: Recruiting Kang Ha-Na (1)

Park In-Ki let out a sigh while holding a piece of tissue in his left hand.

"I appreciate your offer to transfer Jang Jun-Hyuk over to me, but it feels like the ship has already sailed. You know Ms. Kang's temperament. Our division is going to be completely split up and scattered. Maybe I'll even be fired."

I shook my head. "Ms. Kang said if you and your team sincerely apologize and submit a written apology, you'd be forgiven with just a one-month salary cut. You can cover that with your bonus, right?"

Park In-Ki's eyes widened. "R-really? Ms. Kang said that?"

"Yes."

Park In-Ki was silent for a while before reaching out to pour the half-filled bottle of soju into an empty glass.

Then, he started cursing at himself. "Sigh, damn it. What a fucking disgrace!"

Park In-Ki downed the soju in one shot and frowned. "Ugh, that's really bitter."

After a long sigh, Park In-Ki bowed his head and said to me, "I'm sorry... and thank you so much, Assistant Manager Jung."

"Don't mention it. Please, raise your head."

When Park In-Ki lifted his head, I could see tears welling up in his eyes.

"You're the one who asked Ms. Kang to forgive us, aren't you?"

I kept my mouth shut and just smiled.

"Assistant Manager Jung, no, Yoon-Ho. I feel a bit embarrassed to say this, but why are you being so nice to me? Didn't Lee Tae-Poong almost lose his contract for that drama because of me? And you're just going to forgive me and let that pass?"

"What's there not to forgive? And..."

"And?"

I slowly spoke as I filled Park In-Ki's empty soju glass, "I don't want to be alone."

"Huh?"

I poured soju into my own empty glass with a bitter expression and also downed it in one shot. The cold and sharp soju burned down my throat, igniting a warm sensation in my stomach.

"My goal is to make our Actor Division 2 the best, but I can't do it alone. The Suhyaejong line is sticking together and we need to do the same."

"But could someone like me be of any help?"

I nodded at Park In-Ki's self-deprecating words. "Why not, Mr. Park?"

I had been bold and unhesitant since my regression in an effort to stand against Kim Dong-Soo because I thought being complacent would put me at a disadvantage. This might have made Park In-Ki and his team feel powerless, but the truth was they were also competent individuals.

"I'll do better, Mr. Park. So let's work together."

I could feel Park In-Ki's gaze fixed on me. Contrary to the bustling atmosphere of the surrounding bars, a silence hovered over our table.

I filled my glass again while waiting for Park In-Ki to speak.

Glug-glug.

But as the soju glass was about half-filled, Park In-Ki grabbed the soju bottle from my hand.

"Don't pour your own drink. It's said to bring bad luck."

Park In-Ki's voice was husky with emotion. The slight tremor in his hand as he poured the drinks spoke volumes about his feelings.

"Thank you, Mr. Park."

"Thank me? I'm the one who's more grateful."

Feeling a bit uncomfortable by the somber mood, I made a fuss on purpose.

"Ah, Mr. Park! You've had quite a bit to drink. Look at you shaking so much already!"

Park In-Ki filled my glass to the brim and then raised his own.

"Yoon-Ho."

"Yes, sir."

"I'm sorry for being such a pathetic sunbae. I'll look forward to your support from now on. I've been pushed around here and there and almost went astray, but that won't happen from now on. I'll apologize sincerely to Ms. Kang and to the chief as well."

"What's past is past. Sharing a drink like this from time to time will smooth everything over."

Park In-Ki nodded and reached his glass out.

We clinked our glasses and downed the soju in one go. With that shot of soju, we let bygones be bygones.

Afterward, Park In-Ki called all his team members and actors for a second round. That night, I once again pledged to look after every member of Actor Division 2. It was a bit painful to drink so much, but the outcome was more than satisfying.

The grandeur of the altar-like stage, 40 meters wide and 12 meters high, was unparalleled. The vast and movable stage in the shape of a diamond was unimaginable in cost.

"It sure did cost a lot. Any chance you'd appear as a guest judge?"

"Come on! I told you I'm busy."

At that moment, Ahn Jun-Hee's gaze met mine after finishing his conversation with Lee Dong-Min and he asked, "Who's this?"

Lee Dong-Min introduced me rather grandly. "Oh, let me introduce the both of you. This is Assistant Manager Jung, the actual ace who produced Cherry Blossom."

"Ah! The rumored secret weapon of Hoop Entertainment?"

'Secret weapon?' I wondered.

"Seems like you don't know all the small talk going around, do you?"

Lee Dong-Min chuckled and replied, "People usually don't know about their own rumors."

"Is that so?" Ahn Jun-Hee responded with a sparkle in his eyes as he scanned me from head to toe.

"Not bad looking either..." he added.

But Lee Dong-Min tightly wrapped his arm around my shoulder as if he wouldn't let me go.

"Hey, don't look at him like that. He's off-limits. You know how much Mr. Kang values him."

KNET, a conglomerate subsidiary, owned several entertainment companies including two significant management agencies.

But Ahn Jun-Hee raised his hands in surrender despite his interest in me.

"I guess I have to give up if Mr. Kang cherishes him so much. But I really want Cherry Blossom for the celebration stage in the fourth episode. Is there any way we can make that happen?"

Lee Dong-Min scratched his head and came up with a convincing excuse. "There's a government schedule lined up for the girls. They're even giving us a commendation and you know it wouldn't be fun if we missed that. We could end up getting audited if we're seen in a bad light, so please understand."

"Government officials are never helpful."

'Like he's ever helpful himself,' I thought to myself.

"I'll try my best to accommodate the schedule. If it really doesn't work out, I might check in with Singer Division 1 and see if we can send Golden Road instead."

Ahn Jun-Hee reluctantly nodded and showed his dissatisfaction. "Well, I guess we could do that if Cherry Blossom is really unavailable."

"Okay."

Ahn Jun-Hee disappeared after waving his hand.

Lee Dong-Min let out a sigh of relief before speaking. "Let's just sit back and watch. We can't see Kang Ha-Na or Kang Du-Ri until the stage is over, right?"

"Yes, sir."

Lee Dong-Min and I took our seats in the designated area for officials and waited for the filming to start.

Soon, the filming began. While studio shoots usually involved around seven cameras, this set had a staggering 20 cameras deployed.

"Trainee number one, Choi Ji-Min, please enter."

Following the MC's call, the first idol trainee stepped onto the stage.

One after another, trainees from well-known entertainment companies like A-Teen, Pledi, Ye-Hwa, SJ Entertainment, Big Star Entertainment, and even Ace Entertainment, took to the stage to showcase their prepared performances.

"Number three isn't bad, right? She's a promising one from Ye-Hwa. She's got a good sense of humor and a nice smile. That one's going to make it."

"I'm betting on number 12. The profile said she's been a trainee for five years. You can tell her fundamentals are on a different level. I like the ones who put in the effort."

Staff members were also picking their own favorite members.

Knowing who would survive in the entertainment industry and who would be weeded out, I was itching with excitement. If it weren't for the contract durations, I would have wanted to sign several of the talents right away.

Finally, it was Kang Ha-Na's turn.

Three tall girls, each averaging 169 cm in height, took the stage with microphones in hand.

"Hello! We are Park Ye-Seul, Choi So-Yung, and Kang Ha-Na from Eyestone Music!"

They were 16-year-old Park Ye-Seul, 17-year-old Choi So-Yung, and 26-year-old Kang Ha-Na.

But while Park Ye-Seul and Choi So-Yung appeared confident, Kang Ha-Na's face seemed somewhat dispirited—the noticeable age difference compared to the other two was the reason.

However, in just a few months, the fate of these three would drastically change.

Park Ye-Seul and Choi So-Yung would fail spectacularly despite making it into the debut group of 11, while Kang Ha-Na would spectacularly succeed as a music powerhouse.

But at that moment, I was the only one aware of this fact.