We left Seonghyeon Pictures and headed for the restaurant Chairman Lee Jeong-ho had reserved.
From the tiled outer wall alone you could tell this wasn’t an ordinary Korean place.
The moment we stepped inside, a neatly dressed staff member recognized us and guided us to a private room.
“Junseong, you’re here? Oh, Director Gyeong too.”
Chairman Lee, already seated, greeted us with a smile.
“Good afternoon, Chairman.”
“You boys worked hard on the audition. I hear the result isn’t out yet?”
“No, sir. We still need to talk it over among ourselves.”
“Mm-hmm, if you need time, postponing is one way.”
Beside the chairman was another empty seat with placed setting. Was someone else coming?
While I eyed the empty spot, Chairman Lee explained:
“My friend’s son is dropping by, I hope that’s all right. He begged; said he’s a die-hard fan of your films.”
“Not a problem for me,” I replied.
Junseong, however, shot me a queasy look and asked his father:
“Dad, did he call you out of nowhere?”
“Last night. I owe his father a favor, so I told him to come.”
“What business is he in?”
“Says he’s an entrepreneur.”
Right then the guest appeared. Kim Mu-jin, CEO of Haeyum Entertainment, Lee Seobin’s agency.
Junseong heaved a deep sigh, then, as if possessed, hammered frantically on his phone beneath the table.
Finished, he nudged me and showed the screen:
I’ll tell Dad I need a separate meeting about business. You handle him. You can manage that, right?
While I blinked from father to son, Chairman Lee asked, “Something wrong?”
Quick on the uptake, Junseong laughed.
“Dad, since he’s your guest and a fan of Director Gyeong, why don’t you and I eat in another room?”
“Eh? All of a sudden?”
“Something came up for work, that’s all. Best deals are struck over a meal, right? Haha!”
Chairman Lee eyed him suspiciously but finally nodded.
Kim Mu-jin bowed.
“Chairman, a pleasure. I’m Kim Mu-jin.”
“So you’re Mu-jin? I’ve heard plenty from your father, Cheol-ho.”
“The honor is mine.”
When the greetings ended, he turned to us, bowing apologetically.
“Director Gyeong, PD Lee—happy to meet you. Forgive the imposition; I was desperate to say hello. Huge fan.”
Junseong offered a purely polite smile; I gave a brief nod.
Then Chairman Lee spoke again:
“Actually, I’ll eat with Junseong elsewhere.”
“Pardon?” Mu-jin blinked.
“He suddenly wants to discuss business. But thank you for coming. Don’t feel slighted.”
“Of course not, sir! How could I?” He laughed.
Another text popped on my phone, apparently dashed off in haste:
If he sniffs that you’re trying to coach Kwak Yeonji, it’ll blow up. Prepare in case we must use Lee Seobin…
With that, Chairman Lee and Junseong left for another room; staff whisked away the two extra tables.
The already spacious room now felt cavernous and suffocating with just a stranger and me.
“Director Gyeong?”
“Yes?”
“You look pale. Is everything all right?”
“Oh, fine, haha.”
To break the ice, he launched into movie talk.
“I must’ve watched Night dozens of times. Incredible debut.”
“Thank you.”
“And Desirelessness, Park Junsik’s acting floored me.”
“You’re too kind.”
Seeing the praise had some effect, he poured it on until he ran dry.
Silence fell then the food arrived: every kind of side dish, pancakes, boiled pork, tartare, grilled patties, even dried croaker.
The sight made my mouth water.
I wrapped a glossy slice of pork in kimchi, crunch of cabbage, then melting meat. Flawless combo; I smiled despite myself. He seized the chance:
“Great place, isn’t it?”
“Sure is.”
“You must like good food.”
“Who doesn’t?”
“I know a superb barbecue joint. Perhaps next time we…”
“I know plenty myself, thanks.”
His face froze a split-second, then softened.
“Ha… then maybe you could take me sometime?”
“I’ll just give you the address.”
“…So, what line of work are you in?” I asked, though I already knew, I was testing him.
“Business,” he smiled. “You might say I toil to create stars.” He scratched his head bashfully.
“Stars?”
“Yes—actor, idol, singer. I head an entertainment agency.”
He offered a card:
Haeyum Entertainment
CEO Kim Mu-jin
Waiting for mine, he stared.
“I didn’t bring cards. I thought this was just a meal.”
“Not a problem,” he said, sheepish.
“Haeyum… that’s Lee Seobin’s company, right?”
“Yes, the very one. She auditioned for you. A fine actress, wouldn’t you say?”
“She did well.”
“But a second audition… do you need anything?”
He rubbed his palms, face saying ‘Name your price’.
The smug look was disgusting.
“No, I need nothing.”
Taken aback, he stared. The industry usually priced such matters easily.
“You need… nothing?”
“Correct. Choosing my lead is about film quality, not personal gain.”
“I see… ha… You’ll regret picking Kwak Yeonji, though.”
“If you’re here to badmouth others, stop. I’ll judge by ability.”
“Do audiences judge by ability? Image matters, you know that. I’m saying this for your sake, Director.”
Annoyance flared, but I recalled Junseong’s warning text and bit it back.
“One rumor is all it takes,” he continued. “Her agency couldn’t handle it. Why gamble? Play it safe with Seobin; she’s plenty good.”
In my memory, Kwak Yeonji quietly faded. She had no big scandals.
“You mean you’ll create a rumor?”
“Rumors aren’t homemade crafts, haha. Pretty faces attract them naturally. Shame, really. If she could act, she might’ve bewitched the nation.”
His mock pity was nauseating.
Looking at this gutter rat stoked my resolve to cast Yeonji no matter what.
“I’ll handle things. And that talk will only hurt Seobin.”
“Even if the movie tanks? You’re popular with audiences, but inside the industry it’s chilly. Lots of enemies.”
I kept silent; he mistook it for hesitation and grew bolder.
“The Cheongpoong Festival incident—ditching your award on-stage? Impressive, but reality is reality. I have contacts; I could make allies for you, a seat in the guild.”
He didn’t know. After my reset, I had more allies than ever: Junseong, my family, PDs, DP Jinsu, actor Junsik… I’d once been utterly alone, not now.
“So think it over. You succeed, I succeed. Win-win, right?”
Win-win, my ass. Rage bubbled, but I checked Junseong’s text again.
He slid closer like a salesman.
“Well, Director? Sound proposal, no?”
“Could you sit back over there?”
“Pardon?”
“Your breath reeks.”
“…Huh?”
Pinching my nose, I waved him away. Flustered, he returned to his seat, cupping a hand to his mouth, sniffing. There was apparently nothing.
“People rarely smell themselves. Anyway, thanks for sharing. You’ll see the result in two weeks.”
“Right… haha, I trust you’ll decide wisely.”
Convinced his pitch had worked, Kim Mu-jin flashed a broad grin.
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