Chapter 50
While sprawled out listening to the TV, Cheong-yeon heard his phone vibrate.
Thinking it might be contact from the audition officials, he quickly got up and checked the screen.
[Mr. Yoo Cheong-yeon, you have been rejected for the role of Woo-rim.]
It was a rejection message. Cheong-yeon nearly threw his phone across the room.
At the same time, Song Hee-jun’s slick smile seemed to float before his eyes.
“Ah, shit! Song Hee-juuun!”
*So yesterday he really just made me run around for nothing? Is this guy completely insane?*
As Cheong-yeon kicked off his blanket and cursed Song Hee-jun, he received another text message from an unknown number shortly after.
[Cheong-yeon. It’s Hee-jun. The director said your acting isn’t good enough yet so he didn’t pick you ㅠ I definitely put in a good word for you..]
“Right. Life was never going to be that easy.”
With a resigned attitude, Cheong-yeon glared at the screen and sent a brief reply.
[ㅗ] (middle finger emoticon)
Song Hee-jun immediately sent back a laughing message.
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
“This guy is seriously crazy.”
As if he couldn’t stand the sight of it, Cheong-yeon ruthlessly blocked Song Hee-jun’s number. Then he put down his phone and began tidying up his bedding as if nothing had happened.
But before long, he plopped back down on the bed.
“Wait, I can’t recover my mental state?”
*Why are there so many corrupt people in this industry? Are humans allowed to be this malicious?*
As if the series of recent events weren’t bad enough to make his teeth grind in his sleep, now he had to suffer such humiliation from a nobody like Song Hee-jun.
Cheong-yeon fumed while messing up the blanket he had just tidied. As he irritably pushed back his falling hair and tried to compose himself with deep breaths, his phone began to ring again.
Quickly picking up the phone, ready to unleash a torrent of curses if it was Song Hee-jun again, he saw that the caller was his agency Manager, Kim Kyung-seop.
“Yes, Manager.”
Worried that something had happened, Cheong-yeon answered the phone without hesitation.
—”What’s wrong with your voice? Did you stay up all night?”
Kim Kyung-seop noticed Cheong-yeon’s cracked voice.
“No, well… I just had something personally irritating happen. But why are you calling?”
—”*Sigh* Didn’t I tell you to take care of your condition? Anyway, what’s your schedule today?”
“I have to go to my part-time job later.”
Holding the phone between his shoulder and ear, Cheong-yeon resumed tidying his bed. Come to think of it, he didn’t have time for this. If he was going to his afternoon part-time job, he should be getting ready to shower soon.
“Oh, and about yesterday’s audition… as you probably expected, it didn’t go well. I got the rejection notice this morning.”
Cheong-yeon ground his teeth, recalling Song Hee-jun’s face.
—”Really? That’s unfortunate, but what can we do? Better opportunities will surely come later. Don’t be discouraged.”
Kim Kyung-seop offered words of comfort in a strangely soulless voice.
Calling suddenly, asking about his schedule without any context, and showing no interest in the audition results. *Has he been drinking?*
Cheong-yeon pouted, suspicious of Kim Kyung-seop’s awkward tone.
“Manager. Is something wrong?”
—”Huh? Well, actually…”
Kim Kyung-seop dragged out his words frustratingly.
—”Cancel your part-time job today and come see me for a bit.”
“What? Why so suddenly? Did I get an audition?”
—”It’s not an audition, but I have something important to discuss.”
*What kind of conversation requires me to cancel my scheduled part-time job?* With no living expenses and about to suck his fingers, what kind of unreasonable demand was this?
“You could just tell me over the phone. I need to go earn money so I can pay my utilities without falling behind.”
—”It’s not something I can discuss over the phone. Ah. No. I’ll come to your place now, so come out later. I’ll explain in detail when I see you in person.”
Cheong-yeon felt his temper rise at Kim Kyung-seop’s insistence that he come out first and ask questions later. *Does he think canceling a precious part-time job is easy? Especially when he’s not even going to supplement my living expenses.*
“You’re coming all the way here? What’s this about? Did the filming team finally contact you about making me pay? That’s it, right? They want compensation.”
Cheong-yeon placed his hand on his hip, interrogating with a confident voice.
*I thought it was strange that they let it go quietly. With losses of that magnitude, the filming team wouldn’t just stay silent.*
—”It’s not that. But this is something I need to explain in person, so get cleaned up and wait. I’ll call when I arrive, so come down. Got it?”
“Manager? Manager, Kyung-seop hyung!”
After rambling evasively, Kim Kyung-seop unilaterally hung up without giving a proper answer. Cheong-yeon quickly called back, but there was no response.
“What is it? It’s driving me crazy with curiosity. He could have at least given me a teaser before hanging up.”
Cheong-yeon cursed Kim Kyung-seop while pulling at his hair.
*Even for contract signing, didn’t I go directly to the office?* Yet he’s coming to my home at this hour? It must be something extremely important.
Although Kim Kyung-seop had dismissed the possibility of a compensation issue, Cheong-yeon couldn’t shake off his anxiety.
*Is Director Yang Jung-hak holding a grudge and trying to harm me? Or maybe he’s coming to demand the agency terminate my contract?*
Cheong-yeon paced around his room anxiously, considering all possibilities. But it was a problem he couldn’t solve on his own.
With no choice, Cheong-yeon canceled his part-time job as Kim Kyung-seop requested and hurriedly prepared to go out.
“Cheong-yeon. Ah, come over here.”
The door of a large van parked in front of the subway station opened, and Kim Kyung-seop, who was inside, gestured to Cheong-yeon.
Cheong-yeon entered the van and awkwardly surveyed its spacious interior. Judging by the lack of wear and tear, it seemed newly purchased.
There was an unfamiliar person sitting in the driver’s seat.
“Ah, that’s the new manager who just joined. First time seeing him? Say hello.”
Kim Kyung-seop pointed to the front seat and introduced the new manager.
“Nice to meet you.”
“Hello. But did the company always have a van like this?”
“We only use it for important schedules. It’s for show when going to award ceremonies and such. We don’t use it often.”
Kim Kyung-seop explained as if making an excuse. Cheong-yeon nodded while pressing the plump cushioned seat.
“By the way, where are we going that requires this van? What’s going on?”
“We’re going to a beauty salon. You have a meeting scheduled.”
After barging in front of his home, Kim Kyung-seop now unilaterally announced that he had to attend a meeting.
*So it was about work after all?* But this abrupt way of taking him, almost like a kidnapping, felt very uncomfortable.
Cheong-yeon observed Kim Kyung-seop’s expression while fiddling with various functions installed in the van seat. The Manager’s eyes seemed somewhat unfocused.
Even though he knew he should explain the situation to Cheong-yeon, he seemed half out of it, not fully present.
The atmosphere inside the van was also suspicious. The man introduced as the manager would glance at Cheong-yeon through the rearview mirror, and when their eyes met, he would awkwardly smile.
“Aren’t you going to tell me what kind of meeting this is?”
“You’ll know when we get there.”
“If we’re stopping at a salon, it seems important, so you should explain in advance.”
“It is important. Hey, Yoo Cheong-yeon.”
Kim Kyung-seop, who had been avoiding Cheong-yeon’s gaze while staring out the window, suddenly turned his head and made eye contact.
“Yes.”
“What do you think you should do if a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity comes your way?”
Kim Kyung-seop asked, lowering his voice resolutely.
*What kind of wind has gotten into this guy to make him talk so cryptically since earlier?*
“Seize it, of course.”
“Right. You should grab it tightly, right?”
“Why are you asking such obvious questions?”
Cheong-yeon stared at Kim Kyung-seop with somewhat anxious eyes.
“You and I are at that crossroads right now.”
“What? Please, Manager. Can’t you explain in a way that I can understand?”
“Yong-jun. Let’s hurry a bit more. You did contact the salon, right?”
“Yes. We can go in right away.”
When asked for an explanation, Kim Kyung-seop changed the subject and suddenly started talking about the salon. Cheong-yeon sighed, frustrated by the lack of clarity.
“What’s your waist size? I think we should prepare pants in advance…”
“Manager! Are you really going to be like this? What kind of meeting requires styling our hair and clothes at a salon? Who are we trying to impress with all this fuss…”
As Cheong-yeon was about to ask why he was making such a fuss, something flashed through his mind.
*”You just need to casually socialize with some directors a few times. They’re mostly Alphas, but… if you really don’t like Alphas, I heard there are Betas too if we look.”*
He recalled their previous phone conversation about sponsorship.
“Wait. This isn’t about that sponsorship thing you mentioned before, is it?”
“Let’s just go. You’ll understand what this is about when we get there.”
With Kim Kyung-seop’s vague response, Cheong-yeon’s suspicion turned into certainty.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
