T/N: For clarity, the Kim mentioned pertains to Kim Woo-seok. If it’s Kim Woohyun, then I will clarify it with ‘Manager Kim’
Have you ever heard the term “classical conditioning”?
Put simply, it is the process of eliciting a particular reaction by repeatedly pairing a stimulus until a reflex response is produced.
The conditioned-reflex phenomenon that comes from that process is what people call “Pavlov’s dog”.
Nowadays the phrase is also used in a negative sense, meaning that someone has been brainwashed to do something without thinking.
Right now, Kim Woo-seok, standing in front of Executive Director Park, looked exactly like one of Pavlov’s dogs.
“Just what were you talking about while holding up my busy kids like this?”
At Park’s single sentence Kim’s body flinched automatically.
When Kim Woo-seok still wore an LS Entertainment badge, Park was already a founding member, skillful at in-house politics, and Kim had sweated bullets lest he fall from Park’s favor and have to surrender his staff card.
Kim was not even in Team 1, so Park had never treated him warmly, and Park carried weight not only inside the company but across the whole entertainment scene. He was just hard to face.
For that reason Kim had never once defied Park or raised a hand to him.
Even the shadow had frightened him too much to step on it.
Now things were different. He had landed an executive director post at JN Entertainment, a company on the same scale as LS.
No need to keep crawling forever. Besides, Manager Kim belonged to Director Choi, not to Park, and Kim Woo-seok was under no obligation to cower.
“If it is such a secret that you cannot tell me, fine.”
Park’s coercive tone asked again.
“Uh…”
Feeling threatened by Park’s big build and sharp gaze, Kim faltered, then, conscious of the watching eyes, lifted his chin and answered.
“We were merely exchanging trivial personal talk.”
Seeing three top figures—LS’s executive director and a department manager plus a JN executive—gather in one spot was fascinating to industry people, and a small crowd formed around them.
“That corner looks tense.”
“Aren’t those two originally from the same company?”
“Kim Woo-seok jumped ship to JN, you know.”
Whispers rose. Kim raised his voice, like an animal puffing itself up for defense.
“There is nothing Director Park needs to worry about.”
Park listened in silence then narrowed his eyes.
“You made some kind of proposal to Manager Kim, didn’t you?”
“A scouting offer?”
“Trying to poach him to JN?”
“No way.”
Standing behind Park, Hyunseung chimed in now and then, joining the pile-on, then stepped back with a quiet grin.
Front-row seats were the best.
Indeed, the most entertaining sight in the world is a fight, and this one looked like a herbivore quivering before a carnivore.
To be honest Park and Hyunseung were not on friendly terms. Park would steal any bowl of rice for Team 1. He had once coveted whole tables that Hyunseung had set.
But there was no hard feeling; sometimes Park’s interference had actually helped, and the misunderstanding after the plagiarism fuss had partly cleared.
To Hyunseung, Park was simply someone who charged straight ahead to protect his own people, the kind of ally who feels solid when he is on your side.
“Director Park, please listen…”
“Answer first.”
“Yes, I did make a scouting offer.”
“You understand. In this business poaching offers happen all the time. He worked well with me so I wanted to pull him over.”
Park nodded as if he knew everything.
“Sure, you two worked well and Manager Kim is good at his job. People move nests often in this field.”
After a pause he added,
“But you talked about something else too.”
Faced with Park’s direct stare, Kim shrank again like a well-trained Pavlov dog.
“Not going to answer?”
After staring at the tightly sealed lips, Park waved a hand.
“Forget it. You do not have to talk.”
He could not know every detail, but in a survival audition show agency reps clash for obvious reasons: when their own trainees suffer because of trainees from other agencies. Yet that, too, merely means their company lacks power.
To make an issue, to nitpick, to act up over that? They must have had bad blood already.
And now that both Kang Hajun and Yoon Jaeyi from LS were on the shortlist, Kim Woo-seok’s plans and pride had twisted.
Park called him.
“Woo-seok.”
He spoke slowly.
“You know I never allow anyone to mess with my people.”
The voice was low and calm yet carried an indescribable pressure.
“We used to be in the same household. Rather than growling at each other, I should suggest to the CEO that LS and JN hold a harmony meeting.”
Kim suddenly remembered something he had forgotten.
About seven years ago, at the year-end music awards, LS artists and another company’s artist prepared a joint stage. Earlier in rehearsals a small conflict arose over blocking. With many eyes on them, the singers could not argue, so the fight spread to their managers.
Kim, newly promoted, faced the other side’s division head and could only flounder—until Park appeared, saying,
“Who dares touch my kid?”
After that the other division head was said to have been buried in the industry. Kim had never heard of him again.
Park was fierce and would smash not only bowls but forks if someone crossed him; more frightening was the backer behind him, CEO Jeon Nam-il, whose grim legends every rookie heard. Kim knew those tales were no rumor.
Given his position, crossing Park or the CEO would bring no gain.
“I suppose my pettiness made me bother Woohyun for no reason…”
Kim folded his hands and swallowed his pride.
“As your former senior I am ashamed. Woohyun, I am sorry.”
He bowed repeatedly.
“Director Park, please be generous. This will never happen again. Only please, not the CEO…”
A shadow crossed Park’s face. They had once shared a roof, sometimes cooperated. Watching this did not feel pleasant. Manager Kim also looked less than delighted.
Park loosened the hand at his waist.
“Woo-seok.”
He spoke quietly.
“If you covet what others have and their people, you will only torment yourself.”
Just as I once did, he thought but did not say.
Not long ago, after discovering that a Team 1 composer had plagiarized HS’s track, Park drank alone and realized something.
“Do not envy others, do not covet.”
Jealousy makes people stupid.
He had learned that lesson late, close to fifty.
“Let us each do only what we can.”
It was both warning and advice.
“We are done here. You can go.”
“Sorry?”
“Go look after your own kid.”
“Yes…”
Watching Park’s back, Hyunseung thought, “That was pretty cool.”
When he faced Hyunseung, Park usually bared fangs, but as an ally he felt dependable.
Whatever wind had moved Park to shoo away that annoying fly buzzing around Manager Kim, Hyunseung was thankful.
He spoke softly.
“Thank you.”
Park chuckled.
“Thankful? Does not suit you.”
Manager Kim added his thanks.
“We were wasting strength on nonsense. Thank you.”
“Do not misunderstand. I was already set on teaching him.”
“I do not know why you stepped in but thank you.”
“I said, do not get me wrong. I dislike you two, more than you imagine.”
Turning to Hajun he said, “Come on, kid. Time to make the rounds.”
He strode off first.
“Hurry, Hajun. We have faces to show.”
Hajun glanced between Park and Hyunseung, then bowed deeply.
“See you later.”
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