Top Management - Chapter 220 (Patreon)

Chapter 220: A Good and Lucky Agent

I'm craving jjajangmyeon.

The thought struck me out of nowhere. Maybe it's because everyone around me is dressed in pitch-black tuxedos, or perhaps I've had too much bread these past few days.

Leaning against the bar, I picked up a glass of champagne. A famous actor, last year's Academy Award winner, walked past. Despite being accustomed to this, seeing a celebrity in person still felt surreal.

I took a sip of champagne and scanned the bustling crowd for Nam Joyoon and Lee Songha.

Nam Joyoon remained in the same spot, his expression as bland as ever. He stood with Director Oh Hyunkyung, Manager Kim Hyunsup, and an interpreter. The atmosphere seemed fine.

And then there was Lee Songha.

"She's a fine actress, isn’t she?"

A woman approached and commented.

"The girl you’re managing. She’s young, elegant, and her gaze holds a peculiar charm. Just standing there, she looks like she has a story to tell, exactly the type actors like these days."

It was hard to gauge the woman’s age. Her nose was slightly crooked, and her sophisticated hairstyle included grey streaks. Her cynical eyes were striking, enjoying overpowering others at first glance.

We had never met before. Who was she?

"Ah, René Emmerich," she introduced herself, handing me a business card. She was a partner-level agent at UG Agency, a solid and influential company, though not one of Hollywood's top agencies.

"I’m Jung Sunwoo," I responded.

René Emmerich glanced at my business card and slipped it into her clutch. With a gesture of her chin, she pointed behind her.

"I’m not usually one to meddle in other people’s affairs, but do you see that man talking to your actress?"

I quickly turned my head. Lee Songha, who had been speaking with a pleasant-looking elderly French director, was now talking to a Hispanic man in his fifties.

"He’s known for offering roles in exchange for sleeping with unknown actresses and models."

What?

"He definitely secures jobs and doesn’t scam them, but if you're not interested, it’s best not to give out your contact information. He’s persistent once he gets attached."

"I better go. Oh, thanks."

"Thanks? It’s nothing. Just trying to be nice."

I pocketed the business card and hurried over. By the time I arrived, Lee Songha's expression had turned sour, while the Hispanic man’s face wore a sleazy smile.

“That agent, you know?”

“A Korean agent? Just cut him off.”

The man gestured as if throwing away trash.

"You should swim in bigger waters to catch bigger opportunities. You have the talent; it’s a pity. Do you prefer shows or films? Work with me, and you could start auditioning tomorrow."

"No thanks. Even if I go to bigger waters, I’ll go with my agent."

“Do you have what it takes?”

I hesitated for a moment, briefly considering pouring my champagne on that greasy face.

“I do, so mind your own business,” Lee Songha waved her hand dismissively, annoyed.

I moved closer.

“Songha.”

“Oppa.”

Lee Songha's frown relaxed. Meanwhile, the Hispanic man scanned me from head to toe and then disdainfully turned his head away.

This is new.

Most of the people I've met here have been similarly uncomfortable but with bright smiles, a humorous and polite demeanor, and hugs as standard. They make guests from afar feel welcome, but there's always a strange distance.

But this overt contempt was a first for me.

“Think carefully…”

I interrupted the oily voice.

“If you don’t want to ruin your suit, stop talking and leave. I’m debating whether to pour this champagne on you right now.”

“Ah? This tuxedo is expensive. Let’s not do something you’ll regret.”

Lee Songha understood why people threw things when they were angry. What else are hands for? To throw.

My grip on the champagne glass tightened. Seeing this, the man raised his hands cheekily.

“Then, after you cut this agent off, call me. If you don’t want to regret it later, don’t throw away my business card.”

And with that, he turned and left.

“Is he insane?” Lee Songha crumpled the business card and looked for a trash bin.

I exhaled the breath I had been holding and looked down at my champagne glass. I really should have just poured it. It would have been too much to handle, wouldn’t it?

---

[6th Year Drought at Cannes Film Festival, ‘City Jungle’ to Break it? Strong Contender for an Award!]

[‘City Jungle’ Receives 7-Minute Standing Ovation at Cannes Film Festival – Korean Cinema Receives Unprecedented Response]

[Lee Songha and Nam Joyoon, Praised for Their Exquisite Performance at Cannes, Garner Foreign Media Acclaim]

The team from 'City Jungle' was ecstatic, having engaged with media outlets from the U.S., France, Italy, and the Netherlands, among others.

Initially, the associates from 'City Jungle' were cautious about their chances, but following the press screening, internal optimism about winning an award had risen...

“Who said that? Are they crazy? We’re a strong contender now? Who said that?”

“Wasn’t the standing ovation less than 7 minutes? I don’t think it was that long.”

While they fulfilled their schedule at Cannes, back home, every move of the 'City Jungle' team was being sensationalized.

The domestic cinema industry, desperate to save face or stir issues, pumped the news as if no movie had ever competed before.

The media hyped the atmosphere, and naturally, public opinion followed suit.

-City Jungle full standing ovation video

-Lee Songha, Nam Joyoon on the red carpet.jpg

-City Jungle foreign media reactions (beware of mistranslations)

-Seriously considering 'City Jungle' as a contender for an award

It’s almost an Olympic-level topic now. If they return empty-handed, they might as well be accused of deceiving the nation. It seems they aren’t expecting to win here, though.

This feels like expecting a car going at 120 kilometers per hour to suddenly zoom up to 400. And it doesn’t seem like it will stop anytime soon, not until it crashes into something.

Lee Kwanwoo sighed.

“Is there really nothing else to talk about?”

“No, but this kind of baseless excitement needs to stop. Who’s going to clean up this mess later? Will the journalists take responsibility if it turns into a joke?”

Kim Hyunsup threw his phone in frustration.

Meanwhile, the real subjects of the conversation, Lee Songha and Nam Joyoon, sat crumpled in their party attire on a sofa, watching their manager and staff burst with frustration.

I stepped out to the balcony.

I tried to act nonchalant, but I felt somewhat uneasy. I took a deep breath of the night air. I rolled the lukewarm phone in my hand a few times before calling Mr. Park from the publicity team.

-What’s up? Aren’t you busy right now?

“How’s the publicity team? It’s chaos back in Korea.”

-A bit too much, huh? But it’s good for publicity.

“Isn’t it about time to pour some cold water on this? If it doesn’t pan out, the actors will end up being ridiculed.”

-It happens every year.

Mr. Park replied nonchalantly.

Do you remember how the country was abuzz a couple of years back when Park Heeseung was up for Best Actor at the Berlin Film Festival? Even then, he came back empty-handed after all the noise had died down. This too shall pass and quiet down.

"Ah..."

Was it?

Everyone just gets swept up in the hype, how many really expect anything?

Team leader Park laughed.

"Just go and have fun without worrying too much."

After hanging up the phone, I leaned on the railing. The lights of unknown desires or aspirations illuminated the night city. It was a sight I saw every day since I've been here. It lifted my spirits each day.

Some days it seemed close enough to grasp, other days it felt infinitely far. It seemed I couldn't even touch the fragments of that light.

Today was the latter.

Suddenly, a sticky voice revived in my ear.

"Korean agent? Just cut them out."

"Do you have the power to do that?"

It was annoying earlier. Now, inexplicably, I found myself smiling.

Having worked day and night for the past few years, I thought I had climbed high, but looking up, the stairs still stretched dauntingly high—a strangely thrilling realization.

I didn’t realize how narrow my world was until it seemed to expand in an instant.

Such a dizzying euphoria.

A desire always coiled tight in my stomach suddenly swelled several times in size. My heart thumped wildly, and my mind was unusually clear. A richly intense vitality pounded through me, awakening every part of my body.

With tingling hands, I grasped the railing and looked down again.

Someday, this dazzling world will be within my grasp.

I took a deep breath and turned around. There, Lee Songha and Nam Joyoon stood like a pair of totem poles, staring at me through the balcony window.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

The two came out to the balcony without a word, their faces filled with unease.

"Don't feel pressured. Don't mind the journalists."

"I'm not."

"That's fine."

They responded simultaneously.

"Fine? You both look miserable."

"The miserable one is you."

Lee Songha retorted.

"Don't be too disappointed if you don't get the award."

"I'm not disappointed."

I never had much hope to begin with.

Realistically.

"Or feel crushed because the threshold

 of the world is too high..."

"I won't."

"A slump..."

"Stop."

I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity. What kind of person do they see me as?

An incarnation of insatiable desire? A slave to ambition?

"Both of you might feel different, too. Even veteran actors get unsettled at international film festivals. They feel empty."

Back home, top-tier actors are unknowns here. Some shrink back realizing they've been frogs in a well, while others are motivated to work even harder. Which one are they?

"Do you feel any different?"

"Well, I'm still..." Nam Joyoon tilted his head slightly. "It still feels strange to be here. I've always watched this starry world on TV, thinking it wasn't my place." He fiddled with his bow tie. "And honestly, I'm at the peak of my life now, and it would be okay if it all ended tomorrow. As long as I can keep acting."

What to say. Such an ashen person. Having been through the rough tides at the bottom, having seen all manner of disgrace but unable to leave because of attachment, perhaps all that's left is a spark for acting.

"I'm not okay with that, if your goals are that modest."

At my words, Nam Joyoon smiled awkwardly. Well, that’s okay. I might as well help him raise those goals. Shake off the ashes, polish them up, and keep attending international film festivals, and soon he'll stop saying it doesn't seem like his place.

I patted Nam Joyoon on the back and turned to Lee Songha.

What about her?

I'm still confused about why she acts. Is it because she loves acting? Because she wants to succeed? Or because it's simply something she's good at?

She dug her own pit out of a sense of uselessness and started acting desperately to find her place, so I wonder if she still thinks that way. If coming here could be a turning point for Lee Songha, that would be good...

"Brother, did you know?"

"What?"

"Megan Shaner went to an interview high on marijuana."

Out of the blue?

"A journalist I met at the reception said so. It would be a big deal in Korea, but here it’s nothing."

"What are you talking about?"

When you're too astounded, words tangle in your mouth. Lee Songha leaned on the railing, her long hair disheveled by the wind.

"Just a thought. Issues that are difficult, serious, and troublesome for me seem like nothing to these people."

"That..."

"Brother."

Suddenly, a spark ignited in Lee Songha’s eyes. In them, a desire began to sprout.

"They all act like they are the protagonist."

She flared up as if she had never been lukewarm. It's blinding.

"I want to live in that world."

Lee Songha turned to look at me.

"A world where you do what you want and have what you want."

As I looked into those entrancing eyes, a sharp dizziness hit, and Lee Songha's face shattered before me.

Again, it was the future.

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