TAKE 1
There are things you can never reach no matter how long you stretch out your hand in your lifetime. For instance, the stars in the night sky, unattainable dreams. And people who live in a completely different world. Seungun tilted his head back and looked up at the building. It was a sophisticated building you’d only see in famous foreign architecture magazines. Standing among mediocre concrete buildings, it was unmistakably eye-catching. Like the handsome face hanging on that building’s wall, as large as a door.
“…….”
As he kept his head tilted back for a long time, the sun stimulated his tear ducts. His eyes met with people who had retraced their steps to see the actor’s face on the building. They stood in the middle of the street taking photos of the building, or enlarging and capturing in their cameras the actor’s face—not even the real thing. As if they wanted to reach him even in that way.
Seungun had business at that building today. Just as he’d felt from the building entrance, the security was tight. Not only that. The interior materials and finishes of the building were, needless to say, high-end. You could tell they’d paid attention to every detail, down to the door handles.
And for good reason—it was the most successful talent agency among those currently in existence. The employees bustling through the interior also dressed like celebrities. Everyone’s skin glowed, their hair was silky smooth, and they were all uniformly stylish. Among them, Seungun felt intimidated.
*Ding.*
Getting off the elevator, Seungun immediately found his destination in the quiet hallway. The place he was heading to was a small conference room. It was the moment he stood before the blindingly white door and was about to knock. Muffled shouts poured out from inside. He hadn’t known because blinds were drawn on the hallway windows, but there was already a visitor inside. It was a voice he couldn’t help but hear even without intending to listen.
“Listen, I really, ha! I’ve really put up with this as much as I could. Who started this job not knowing it would be like this? I knew everything! I came in fully prepared. But I just can’t take it anymore. When I go home, I’m also a precious son, a precious grandson. You think only certain people are precious?”
“I know. Who doesn’t know you’ve worked hard all this time. But still, how can you just quit suddenly like this. If he’s having a hard time, I’ll assign you a different actor. You know the company is already short-staffed, and you’re doing this?”
“Ah! Let go! I said don’t grab me! Don’t act like this now when you should’ve treated me better when you had me! When you had me! What good does it do to fix the barn after losing the cow?”
The voice full of pent-up grievances was relentless in bursting into shouts. The sound of footsteps approaching the door was heard, and the door was flung open right after. A man with a face ripened red like a tomato burst out from inside. Seungun quickly moved out of the way.
“Hey! What are you going to do if you just leave like this!”
Someone strode out after him, shouting at the back of the disappearing man. The person who had put his hands on his hips and was sighing soon discovered Seungun and changed his expression. His intention to belatedly save face was obvious. The man’s first impression reeked of money. An expensive suit that even the illiterate could recognize, an expensive watch, shiny dress shoes. The bearing of someone who’d never done hard labor.
“Hello. I’m Im Seungun, here for today’s meeting.”
Seungun bowed politely.
“Yes, nice to meet you.”
Director Kang extended his hand, requesting a handshake.
“Look at the time already. I had a prior appointment with someone else. Come in, come in. You saw me at the second interview, right?”
Seungun followed Director Kang into the conference room.
“Yes. That’s correct.”
“Seeing your face reminds me. If I were just ten years younger, I would’ve brought you in as a rookie actor.”
“…….”
Director Kang had a talent for making even lip service sound genuine.
“Ah man, really. What do I do showing you such an embarrassing sight on the first day.”
Director Kang smoothed his disheveled hair as he turned on the conference room lights. The interior brightened all at once. The interior design that hadn’t been visible from outside was revealed at a glance. Around the long round table, ergonomically designed chairs were packed tightly. Beyond the blinds that half-covered the wide picture window, the city below peeked out. Seungun grabbed the edge of a chair tucked into the long table and silently pulled it out.
“You heard everything we said inside, right?”
Director Kang asked with an awkward smile.
“No. I just arrived.”
Seungun also knew how to make lies sound real, just like Director Kang.
“I see. Ah, right. Since we’ll be working together from now on, I’ll drop the formalities.”
“Please do as you’re comfortable.”
“What just happened is nothing. This kind of work is so tough, you see. Ah, so I mean, it’s all doable once you get used to it, but there are also people who especially can’t endure it because it doesn’t suit their aptitude. So many people jump into this work at first. But there aren’t many who survive with persistence, you know?”
“…….”
“Ah, but don’t worry needlessly. It’s not like Seungun-ssi is coming in as that person’s replacement.”
Director Kang pointed at the man who had just left.
“That person was in charge of a different actor.”
“I see.”
Seungun nodded as if he understood. Whether or not the man who’d just left was the former manager of the actor he’d be in charge of didn’t matter anyway. For Seungun, the only thing that mattered was working under Gi Siyoung.
“Young people these days give up so quickly. That’s why I don’t look for anyone too young anymore, you know?”
As if this had happened many times, Director Kang grumbled with a fed-up face. Seungun silently humored him.
“I suppose so.”
“My words are never wrong. Really! You’ll learn that as you work too.”
“Yes.”
Though it was their second meeting, Director Kang treated Seungun like an employee who’d worked there for a long time. He had such an easygoing and smooth-talking attitude. That’s why he could run a company like this, after all.
“Oops, look at me. Aren’t you thirsty? The weather’s so sweltering.”
“I’m fine.”
“If only it weren’t humid, I think I could live. I can’t even go running outside anymore. Oh right, did you hear that news? Now we can grow bananas in our country too. No matter how delicious bananas are, being able to cultivate them in our country is a different story. What do you want to drink? We have pretty much everything here. Don’t refuse.”
Director Kang opened a small refrigerator in the conference room. Inside, various brands of beverages, sparkling water, and juices were arranged systematically.
“Then I’ll have sparkling water.”
“Right, this brand’s sparkling water is good. The carbonation is strong but the throat feel is smooth. This is the sparkling water our Gi actor advertises. We get so many gifts there’s nowhere to put them all in the company.”
Director Kang said boastfully.
“Then I’ll drink it gratefully.”
Director Kang rested his chin on his hand, watching Seungun who even opened the sparkling water cap quietly and obediently.
“He’s doing an interview downstairs right now, so Myeongwoo will be a little late.”
“Pardon? I came here understanding I’d be Gi Siyoung actor’s road manager.”
“What?”
Director Kang furrowed his brows. At the blatant expression, Seungun was momentarily flustered. However, Seungun was equally flustered. He had agreed to take on the manager position for Gi Siyoung. Also, he’d never heard of a celebrity named Myeongwoo.
“My guy, Myeongwoo is the name of Gi actor’s manager in charge.”
“Ah, yes….”
Seungun drank his sparkling water again with an embarrassed face. Just as Director Kang said, unlike the strength of the fizzy carbonation, the throat feel was smooth. It was an expensive brand that even Seungun, who absolutely never paid money for water unless it was urgent, was well aware of.
“*Sseup*, suddenly saying something so out of left field. Are you originally such a scatterbrained person?”
“I apologize. I was confused for a moment.”
“Well, that can happen. Oh right, do you happen to have your resume with you right now?”
“Ah, yes. I brought it.”
“Can I take a look? I didn’t get to see it in detail back then.”
“Here.”
Seungun took the paper out of his bag and handed it over. Director Kang lightly skimmed through Seungun’s resume. Just as the information he’d known a bit about indicated, there was no particularly notable career.
“You worked at a logistics center for quite a while.”
“Yes. I started it as just a short-term part-time job, but they looked favorably on me, so I did it consistently whenever I had spare time.”
“You must have been diligent. You also did a fair amount of delivery work…. Quick service… motorcycle? Car?”
“Both.”
“You must be confident in driving….”
“That’s probably why I’m here.”
“Myeongwoo is good at everything but his driving has severe ups and downs. You know what I mean?”
“Pardon?”
“This kid used to be a road manager for idols. He did that job right after getting his license, you see? Since all he did was highway driving, only his impatient personality remained, so he’d just slam on the accelerator worried about being late to events. Even when I tell him to fix it, I guess it doesn’t get fixed because it’s the driving habit he learned first. If there’s a speed bump ahead and you don’t step on the brake, what happens to the car?”
“You just need to press the brake a bit beforehand….”
“That’s what I’m saying!”
Director Kang slammed the desk with a *bang!* as if he’d finally met someone who understood.
“So our Seungun needs to pay special attention to the driving.”
“Yes.”
“Ah, and.”
Director Kang clasped his hands together and pulled his chair in to sit. As if telling some secret, he suddenly even lowered his voice. Inadvertently, even Seungun pulled his chair in to sit.
“Let me test you on a few things. Do you know how tall Siyoung is?”
He’d already grasped advance information about Gi Siyoung. This kind of thing was a piece of cake.
“189cm.”
“Weight.”
“As far as I know, about 85kg….”
“Siblings.”
“He’s an only child.”
“Religion.”
“None.”
“Do you have a religion?”
“I also have no religion.”
“Debut work.”
“He debuted at nine years old in a movie called <Even Lawlessness Is Law>.”
“Has our Siyoung been to the military?”
“Wasn’t he born in America?”
“That’s right. You know well.”
What Director Kang was asking were really basic information that anyone would know. However, Director Kang looked at Seungun, who answered each question in succession, with satisfaction, saying seeing is believing.
“That was just trivia. The fact is, there are truckloads of kids in this industry who come at you without any intention of memorizing even simple information that comes up with a single internet search, so I tested you a bit—don’t take it badly.”
“Ah, no. It’s not bad.”
“Simply jumping into this work because you like celebrities is really a one-dimensional thought. In any case, becoming someone’s manager in charge means looking into and being responsible for, supervising, that person’s every move. If you don’t have that sense of responsibility, it’s better not to even start this work.”
“…….”
“Now, this is the contract, so read it carefully and sign.”
Director Kang brought over documents. Seungun carefully read through the stack of papers. The densely packed black letters made him dizzy since it had been a while. In any case, it was a formal contract you’d fill out when entering any company. Even while he was signing at the bottom of the paper with the pen Director Kang handed him, the person across from him was busy talking about various pieces of information one must know to do this work going forward.
“Gifts come in for Siyoung every other day, and before delivering them directly to him, we have to inspect them first.”
“First? Do I just open the gifts?”
“Yeah. And throw away most food items. Especially anything that looks homemade, throw it all away. Of course, if you want to eat it instead, you can, but I don’t really recommend it. You might get sick from eating it. Then it’s your own loss.”
“Yes, that’s right. Huh, but this one.”
Seungun was signing away when he paused his pen for a moment on the last page.
