Chapter 22

At the end of the message, Ji-Ah had attached the link to the company's website, where a short introduction of her was written, just in case Woo-Jin was doubtful or suspicious of the text message. It seemed like she had mentioned doing a video call so he could match her face to the picture on the website. In any case, if he were to personally make a trip down to their office, he would be able to learn the validity of this text message, so it was not a big deal. What surprised Woo-Jin was the content of the message. It was surprising that DS was interested in him but even harder to believe the part where she said they wanted to discuss moving forward together. He thought that even if DS contacted him, he would have to audition first, and then make a decision before signing the contract.

That was a reasonable guess on Woo-Jin's part as an unknown rookie without any achievements yet. He had never imagined receiving a call from them, offering to sign a contract and discussing working together. He even read the message a couple of times to see if there was anything hidden between the lines. After checking Kwon Ji-Ah's face on the website, Woo-Jin replied to her message, telling her that he was free to do a video call right now.

***

After speaking with Kwon Ji-Ah on Sunday, things moved quickly. Without going through any other parties, Woo-Jin had a private one-on-one interview with DS Entertainment's CEO Jang Su-Hwan directly on Monday.

"You look better in person."

That was CEO Jang Su-Hwan's first impression of Woo-Jin. He had thought that Woo-Jin was very good-looking, after looking at his videos and photos countless times prior. However, those videos and photos could not be compared to how Woo-Jin looked in real life — he looked so perfect in person. He was dressed unfashionably and plainly, but if he were to receive the same amount of treatment and care as the other celebrities, he would definitely stand out.

"Oh my, scrutinizing one's appearance is a habit of mine; it comes with my job. Have a seat. We haven't signed the contract yet but it's fine if I speak casually to you, right?"

"Yes, I'd prefer that too."

"Hmm, you have a nice voice too. It's a pity we don't get to hear such a nice voice on Glooming Day."

In his usual relaxed and confident body language and voice, CEO Jang Su-Hwan frankly evaluated Woo-Jin. Perhaps he was satisfied with his decision — the look on his face softened and his smile grew bigger.

"You must have been very surprised to receive our call, right?" asked Jang Su-Hwan.

"Yes," replied Woo-Jin.

"What were your first thoughts? You can be honest."

It was uncertain what kind of answer CEO Jang was expecting, but he had a strange look on his face. It seemed as though he wanted to hear what Woo-Jin thought of DS.

"I could not tell if the people in your agency were insane or if I was delusional and unable to comprehend what I was reading. Are you really going to sign a contract with me?"

They were immediately offering to sign a contract with him without asking him to audition first, and it was DS, of all agencies, who contacted him first. He would be crazy if he blindly believed that.

"That's right. If you want to sign with our agency, we will sign the contract right here, right now."

"Without an audition?" asked Woo-Jin.

"I don't know about you, but there isn't any issue on my end because I have already seen your portfolio."

It had been almost two months since G&C's CEO Choi recommended Chae Woo-Jin to him. Over the course of those two months, CEO Jang Su-Hwan hadn't just been thinking it over.

"To be honest, when I was deciding whether or not to sign the contract with you, I had several concerns of my own. However, after hearing the comments of the two people I asked to evaluate you, I was determined to recruit you." continued Jang Su-Hwan.

For Chae Woo-Jin's case, while Jang Su-Hwan cared about the opinions of the people who recommended Woo-Jin, he himself was also interested in Woo-Jin. Nevertheless, he had been hesitant to sign the contract with Woo-Jin because if he were to sign him with their agency, he was certain that things would get messy with TM. Additionally, while he himself did not seem to be aware of it, Woo-Jin's family history would inevitably pose a problem in the future.

Jang Su-Hwan wanted to become the Medici of the entertainment industry and he had been working hard to make it a reality. Some people saw him as nothing more than a businessman who made money from the entertainment industry. However, at the very least, Jang Su-Hwan was doing his best to protect his artistes. He had also supported them to the best of his ability to ensure that they could produce their best work in the most optimal environment. However, what Jang Su-Hwan hated the most were the messy scandals that were riddled with rumors. He could not stand the fact that his artistes couldn't focus on their work as a result of that, as well as the company suffering from criticisms internally and externally.

Furthermore, Jang Su-Hwan's family was opposed to him entering the entertainment industry because they were afraid that his business would have a negative impact on the group's image. Taking that into consideration, he had to be more careful.

Recently, large conglomerates had been stepping up and entering the entertainment industry. However, Jang Su-Hwan's family was much more on the conservative side, so they were still against the idea of dabbling in the entertainment industry. That's why whenever a person was selected, everything from their personality to their environment would be scrutinized. Regardless of how much DS wanted to recruit them, if there was a major problem, that person would be ruthlessly abandoned.

However, even though Chae Woo-Jin could potentially bring about a couple of problems in the future, Jang Su-Hwan could not let go of him. Apart from those potential problems that could arise, Chae Woo-Jin had an attractive appearance, as well as checking off all the other boxes. Coupled with the hunches that Jang Su-Hwan had as a result of being in this industry for so many years, it made it hard for him to give up on Woo-Jin that easily. He had to contemplate for a long time whether Chae Woo-Jin was worth signing a contract with, and being prepared to deal with all the issues. However, he could not come to a conclusion, and so, he ultimately turned to the two directors.

"I personally asked Director Moon Seung-Kwon and Director Choi Yi-Geon what kind of actor you are," said Jang Su-Hwan.

Jang Su-Hwan himself had personally contacted the two directors. Since it was very rare for Jang Su-Hwan to personally come forward because of a contract with an actor, they could tell how concerned he was.

"One could not stop singing your praises but there was only one conclusion. As for the other person, he did not particularly shower you with any compliments, he only said one thing. However, both of them said the same thing. They want to make a movie with you as the male lead."

The first person was a renowned veteran, a director who represented Korea's film industry. The second person was a rising contender known for his unique style and new way of directing; a director who was more established abroad as compared to Korea. The former was a typical director at the box office; the latter was a director who pursued art films and had won several awards at film festivals abroad.

Chae Woo-Jin was acknowledged by these two individuals, who had very different dispositions, as an actor.

"Furthermore, both of them sent me some of the edits of their movies on their own accord without me asking for them. I looked at them and came to the decision that I want you as one of DS' actors," continued Jang Su-Hwan.

Truth be told, Jang Su-Hwan fell in love with Chae Woo-Jin as an actor the instant he watched the edited clips of the movies. On top of having good looks and outstanding acting skills, Chae Woo-Jin also had a great screen presence and aura — qualities an actor should possess. Jang Su-Hwan couldn't take his eyes off of Woo-Jin the entire time until the scene was over.

"You're a great actor."

"Thank you for liking my work. However, I'm a little worried. They were good only because the directors did a good job directing the movies."

"So you're not confident about future projects?" asked Jang Su-Hwan in an offhand manner, as he had come across many people who were humble and modest.

"Regardless of whether I am confident or not, I am now relying on my own efforts and sincerity. However, I am worried because I am very well-aware of the fact that I am not the best version of myself at the moment. While I will continue to work hard and do my best, I also know that hard work doesn't necessarily yield the best results."

Whether it was the end of his trainee days that had happened recently, or the countless experiences he had gone through in his previous lives in the distant past, Woo-Jin knew the bitterness of life all too well. He knew that hard work did not always yield the best results, and that good luck in the beginning did not guarantee a happy ending.

In truth, he had been very lucky recently. He was fortunate enough to meet people who thought well of him and had fun working together with them. However, it was scary at the same time for him as well. How long was this good luck going to last? He was afraid that he would not be able to overcome trials and tribulations with his own strength and effort without luck on his side.

Hence, he came to think more favorably about signing a contract with an agency. Initially, he wanted to be on his own for a while because of his experience with his previous agency. However, Song Jae-Hee's attempt to convince him had a huge impact. An agency would offer a much higher level of protection against external threats that he would be defenseless against by himself. He felt that an agency was trustworthy if their artistes trusted and relied on them. However, Woo-Jin was no longer the naive person that he was back then — someone who felt happy and excited just by landing a contract with an agency.

"In other words, progressive effort? I like that answer better. There are a lot of young people these days who mistakenly believe that they can become stars right away after receiving compliments from people around them and believing in their own skills, which are lacking to begin with. What you are trying to say is that you have not reached the level you want to be at yet, and you don't know what will happen in the future, and you're worried that if you were to blindly sign a contract with us, you might end up being mistreated, right?"

CEO Jang Su-Hwan picked up on the emotions that Woo-Jin struggled to express. Woo-Jin's previous agency, TM, was one of the few agencies that were recognized in Korea, but it could not be compared to DS. Just like the saying that there would always be someone better, DS' status, planning ability, etc. were by far the best and they did not lack anything. However, there was no guarantee that DS wouldn't do the same thing to Woo-Jin, like what TM did previously.

In the entertainment industry, people were thoroughly exploited instead of being tossed aside, and the agencies were at the apex of the entertainment industry. They were places that were capable of committing menacing acts that were worse than abandoning an artist without any guilt.

"I am well-aware that in my current circumstances, if DS offers to sign a contract with me, I have to accept it. This is because this is as good as it gets. To be honest, I don't know what you saw in me, but you are known to have good judgment, so I think that you must have a good reason for choosing me. If there is something I lack, there must be a way for me to make up for it."

Upon hearing Woo-Jin's words, CEO Jang Su-Hwan nodded with satisfaction. This was because he was confident that DS was the best agency when it came to supporting and helping celebrities and artists.

"However, I don't want it to be a sponsorship," said Woo-Jin. [1]

"...!"

At first, Jang Su-Hwan was taken aback and confused by what Woo-Jin said, but eventually it was cleared up. In the report containing Chae Woo-Jin's information, according to the statement from TM, there was discord amongst the members in his group. However, Jang Su-Hwan could not comprehend their decision because if he was the CEO of TM, he would never let Woo-Jin go. Even if the group couldn't debut together due to internal discord, it was not the end of his journey. With his good looks and great singing skills, he could have been placed in a new idol group, or groomed into an actor. TM had quite a number of actors as well, so it wasn't like they were out of options. However, the CEO chose to drop Woo-Jin instead.

"I'm only asking just in case...did TM by any chance..."

"TM said that they would not let me debut if I did not accept the sponsorship," said Woo-Jin.

"So did you accept it?" asked Jang Su-Hwan.

"Of course not. When I rejected it, they threatened me, saying that I have to spend the rest of my life as a trainee."

"But they let you go."

If they had threatened him, it meant that they did not intend to let Chae Woo-Jin go that easily, but that was not in line with the outcome.

"I recorded my conversation with TM's CEO. I used that to threaten him a little," explained Woo-Jin.

Sponsorships had to be kept confidential. That's why the CEO had personally contacted Woo-Jin and made the secret proposal. According to the standard practice, it was common for subordinates to step in and handle issues, but if the problem became more severe, the CEO would nip the problem in the bud while feigning ignorance.

He speculated that the sponsor must have been an important figure who needed things to stay confidential since the CEO had personally stepped in to handle it. In any case, because of that, Woo-Jin was able to terminate the contract without much repercussions or rumors within the company.

"So you were the one who wanted to leave TM and not the other way around. Did you give them the recording?" asked Jang Suhwan.

"I gave that to him," answered Woo-Jin.

"That?"

"There was no way that the CEO would have spoken to me only once or twice. I recorded everything each time, but I had only revealed the existence of the last recording."

In order to not let the CEO find out about the other recordings, Woo-Jin had pretended to be naive and told the CEO that he had recorded their conversation on the spot. He had acted as though he had recorded the conversation only on that day because he could not take it any longer, intentionally pretending to be excited so that it seemed believable. Woo-Jin had told the CEO that if he did not terminate the contract immediately, he would send the recording to the media and spread it to the public. Fortunately, it worked out. Needless to say, everything would blow up and the CEO was reluctant to let other employees know about the sponsorship issues, that's why, he called in a lawyer and terminated Woo-Jin's contract on the spot. In return, Woo-Jin had to give the CEO the phone with the voice recording in it.

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1. Most of the time these sponsorships require sexual favors from the artists in Korea. <i class="far fa-hand-point-left">