Chapter 24: The Watching Eye

Big Win Entertainment, a small office converted from an old billiards hall. Muyoung sat on the sofa and looked around curiously.

‘It looks like a loan shark’s hideout.’

That was his first impression of the place that would become his agency. Oh Seok, who had come along, also glanced at Muyoung, surprised by the poor conditions. He wondered if Muyoung might regret it.

‘Wow!’

Of course, Muyoung had no such thoughts. He was simply amazed by the unique atmosphere. Gyeongmin asked the two of them,

“Green tea or coffee. What would you like?”

“I’ll have green tea.”

“Coffee. Is this the boss’s office and that’s the practice room?”

A red carpet was laid out in the middle of the office. It was used to divide the space. All the furniture was pushed against the walls, so that acting practice could take place there.

“It’s a practice room, dining room, and on-call room all in one. There’s a cot in the storage room.”

Gyeongmin put the tea in front of them and joked. At the same time, he glanced at Muyoung’s face. Would he change his mind because the company was so insignificant?

“Muyoung. I’m sorry. We have two staff members and two actors, so we’re short-handed. The boss will be here soon.”

“It’s okay. I came early anyway.”

“Yeah. There’s about ten minutes left. Tell him to take his time.”

He was only a boss in title; his job was no different from that of a manager. Muyoung sipped his green tea and stared at the cabinet behind the desk.

“By the way, what’s in there?”

“There? The cabinet?”

Beautiful pollen crumbs trickled through the cracks. Was it where they kept the contracts? Muyoung’s bag, which contained documents, was also full of glitter.

Squeak.

Gyeongmin opened the door as if it were nothing. There were stacks of scripts and paper bundles as tall as a person.

“It’s where we keep our works. There’s everything from movie scripts floating around Chungmuro to drama contest winners. The boss has a habit of keeping anything that comes into his hands, so his house is a mess, too. A mess.”

“For character analysis?”

There was nothing better for acting practice than a finished script. Its usefulness was incredibly wide.

It wasn’t just character analysis. Practicing to grasp the entire work was also a form of training that could not be done without a finished product.

“That’s part of it, but the boss is actually a script nerd.”

Slam!

“Sorry I’m late!”

Speak of the tiger, and he appears. The office door opened with a loud noise. A man gasping for breath and wiping away sweat. It was Nagumdong, the president and manager of Big Win Entertainment, who also handled various odd jobs.

“I’m sorry!”

He rushed over, bowing repeatedly. His impression was as kind as his name suggested. He looked like the kind of person who would give you a bag of apples if you met him in the countryside.

“Boss. Where’s Taeseok?”

“I told him to go park the car. I was afraid he’d be late. Hehe.”

I think I know what a family-like atmosphere is. The boss doesn’t seem like a boss at all. As he approached, Muyoung stood up.

“Hello. I’m Ha Muyoung.”

“Oh! Gosh! I’m Nagumdong.”

He looks way better in person than on video! The aura that a flat screen couldn’t capture was impressive. It wasn’t just his height, but his eyes—they were like stars, and his gaze was incredibly charming.

“Have a seat. Sit down.”

The two shook hands lightly and sat down.

“Nice to meet you. I saw your MeTube video. Director Ko told me a little about you. He said you haven’t been acting for long, but wow! It was very impressive.”

Hahaha, why does his laughter ring in my ears even though he’s not laughing? He has a unique way of speaking, a very distinctive person. Muyoung looked at Oh Seok and replied,

“I think it’s because I had a good teacher.”

Gulp, you little brat.

Oh Seok barely managed to suppress his twitching cheeks with a cough. How rewarding it was.

He had sent many students to college entrance exams before, but Muyoung was the first to produce such tangible results.

“Well, then.”

Nagumdong took a moment to catch his breath before getting to the point.

“You’ve reviewed the contract terms, so you know them, and I’d like to formally tell you about our company.”

Muyoung already knew, because Oh Seok had mentioned it in passing. Nagumdong and Ko Gyeongmin had met as seniors and juniors in a theater troupe. The two, who had dedicated their lives to acting, couldn’t leave this place, so they started a company.

“I wanted someone to go down the path I couldn’t, and I wanted to watch that happen. It’s still a small company, but I’m willing to bet everything I have to support my actors’ careers.”

It was desperate and poignant. If he failed here, he felt like he would live a life completely unrelated to this world. Every day was fiercely hot.

‘Amazing.’

Muyoung’s brief exclamation at feeling his sincerity. He really loves acting purely! Nagumdong asked with a gentle smile,

“Do you have any preferences or goals you’re pursuing? For example, do you prefer drama over movies? Or genres or colors or something. We need to know these things so we can adapt to them.”

“I like anything as long as I can act.”

Anything at all, as long as it’s a good work!

The boss couldn’t hide his smile of admiration at Muyoung’s answer. In fact, he welcomed any talent, but that attitude was even more welcome.

“You’re amazing! For someone so young.”

They felt like they could be a good energy for each other. Nagumdong hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“But I’ve already lived my life with the same mindset as Muyoung, haven’t I?”

If the contract falls through here, there will be no more connections in the future. So there was something else he really wanted to say.

“Being an actor is a profession that requires an audience, so some flexibility is necessary. There will be times when you want to do something but can’t because no one comes to see you. That’s why an actor’s power is important. When you find a good work, you can grab it and not let it go.”

“You mean popularity, right?”

“Right. It’s essential if you want to do what you want to do. So, Muyoung, broaden your spectrum. Don’t stick to theater; try everything. Modeling, movies, dramas…… There are many opportunities.”

Muyoung pondered his words quietly. Nothing he said was wrong.

“I understand what you’re saying. Thank you.”

“Well, from what I’ve seen of your web drama, you’re already doing a great job. Hahaha!”

Muyoung laughed along with Nagumdong’s hearty laughter. Then he took the contract out of his bag.

“Then I’ll leave it to you. You’re the one who takes care of all that management stuff, right?”

The document already had a big stamp on it. Nagumdong opened his mouth slightly and took the paper.

Oh Seok and Ko Gyeongmin were the same. They knew he had a mind, but to go this far!

“Wow, Muyoung is very prepared.”

At Oh Seok’s words, Muyoung just shrugged his shoulders.

“Once you stamp it, there’s no hassle.”

“Right! That’s right! Actors should only think about acting; we’ll handle that flexibility for you!”

For Muyoung, the hassle was Park Moonchul of Sealing, but Nagumdong seemed to understand it a little differently. Since there was no need to correct him, Muyoung just smiled.

“Hey, Director Ko. The stamp!”

“Oh. Yes, yes. Just a moment.”

Nagumdong and Ko Gyeongmin fumbled for the stamp. Then, a shadowy figure flickered outside the door. When Muyoung turned around, it quickly disappeared.

‘What was that just now?’

It was Taeseok, a fellow actor who had come to sneak a peek at the new recruit after three years. He had finished parking, but was afraid he might cause a disturbance if he went in.

[The new guy’s here!]

The tall, muscular man squatted in the building’s hallway and informed his fellow actor of this fact.

His butt was cold, but what did that matter! He was just waiting for the right moment to go in, listening to the noisy sounds from inside.

“Okay. Shall we stamp it then?”

“Do we really have to? Boss?”

“Come on. It’s a memento. Director Ko.”

Muyoung, holding the contract, stood in the middle, with Ko Gyeongmin and Nagumdong on either side. Oh Seok took a picture of them with his phone.

“Smile!”

“Kimchi!”

“Ah, chee-ese!”

A clear shot of Muyoung and Big Win Entertainment’s stamps. Muyoung poked out a V with his fingers.

Click! Click!

“That’s it! Congratulations, Muyoung!”

“Thanks, teacher.”

“Oh, you’re so good.”

Muyoung asked Ko Gyeongmin and Nagumdong,

“Now that we’re family, speak comfortably. I’ll be counting on you from now on.”

“Should we? Okay! We’ll be counting on you too. Director Ko will be in charge of most things, so feel free to share your opinions anytime.”

“Call me casually. Manager or director, whatever’s easier.”

Director Ko and Muyoung shook hands.

“Then I’ll call you Manager Hyung. What should I do for my next project? I’ve only done one web drama, and I haven’t done anything properly since. I want to act as soon as possible!”

Oh. His eyes could sparkle even more there! Nagumdong admired him and introduced the cabinet behind him. He had already seen what was inside, but he seemed unaware of that fact.

“Ta-da-da-da ta-”

He even sang the song from the old variety show, Love House, as he flung open the cabinet. Then he pointed to the pile on the right and said proudly,

“Choose! The ones on the left are already finished or canceled, but these are still in the casting process.”

It could be called a collection of scripts wandering in search of actors. Muyoung’s gaze was fixed on a script that was shedding pollen.

‘Hmm.’

And just, well, just in case, he asked Manager Hyung.

“Have you read everything that’s in there, hyung?”

“Me? Yeah, pretty much.”

“Then could you recommend something? There’s too much to choose from.”

“Oh. Sure, sure.”

Muyoung watched the manager’s back with anticipation. He rummaged through the scripts and pulled out a total of five.

“In my opinion, these are pretty good.”

‘Wow.’

That script in his hand. The one with the pollen fluttering!

‘He has an eye for it.’

There was a reason he sparkled, after all.

Muyoung accepted all five with a satisfied expression. Then he pretended to skim through them, turning the pages. A rough summary on the first page.

“I’m going to-”

After a brief pause, Muyoung pointed to the title of the script.

“I’ll do this one.”

The Plague

Ko Gyeongmin pretended not to care and just nodded. The title didn’t catch much attention, but you’d know if you read a little.

‘He has an eye.’

It was one of the best scripts he’d seen in a long time.