Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All-Chapter 500: Rumor and Rumor (1)

[Everyday V12.1]

[Date: December 15, 2020]

-10:00 p.m: [NEW. Yoo Eun-Ah]

<Baro Star> "Yoo Eun-Ah demands top actress treatment on set! 'I only drink Éviang!'"

<Entertainment All Times> "Yoo Eun-Ah: The true face behind the goddess image. Power-tripping on staff!"

(Meeting Content: Malicious rumors are spreading seriously. Entertainment news articles are flooded with them.)

Everyday reported that ridiculous rumors about Eun-Ah would be circulating. The first people that come to mind as the most likely culprits were Lee Dong-Ju and Ahn Hee-Soo, both from Ace Entertainment.

Lee Dong-Ju was twenty-six-years-old and had been acting for five years. Ahn Hee-Soo was twenty-five-years-old with a four-year career. Both were considered talented actors, but both of them will leave the entertainment industry due to personal scandals next year.

'Lee Dong-Ju and Ahn Hee-Soo... Those two would definitely gossip about Eun-Ah.'

But there was no way these actresses acted alone. Ace Entertainment must have orchestrated this.

'And what's this about Eun-Ah only drinking Éviang which costs four thousand won per bottle? She drinks water from the office cooler just fine! What kind of nonsense is this?!'

It was absurd, but that's how rumors worked. They started with 'That makes no sense!' and ended with 'I heard she really does that,' ruining the celebrity's image in the process. I had to stop it before it spread any further.

If it dragged on, her image would already be destroyed and advertisers would be threatening to pull their ads.

I put my phone in my pocket and warned Eun-Ah and Baek Hee-Yung sitting in the back seat. "Eun-Ah, try to avoid Lee Dong-Ju and Ahn Hee-Soo today."

Eun-Ah hesitated before asking, "Do the sunbae-nims not like me?"

As a singer, Eun-Ah was a top idol with an eight-week music show streak at number one. But on a film set, she was a rookie actress. Her idol achievements didn't count in the acting world. That's why she called them 'sunbae-nim.'

I explained, "Ace Entertainment and our company aren't on good terms right now. I'm just worried you'll get caught up in something unnecessary."

"Got it. I'll be careful, oppa."

Baek Hee-Yung, with her twelve years of experience, quickly suggested a countermeasure. "If Dong-Ju and Hee-Soo approach, I'll step in before anything happens."

"I'm counting on you."

I also knew a lot about Lee Dong-Ju and Ahn Hee-Soo. If needed, I was ready to make a bold move.

And there was one more thing I needed to watch out for: the set staff were just as concerning as the actresses.

"Oh, and make sure the staff don't get anything to hold against you."

Eun-Ah and Baek Hee-Yung responded in unison.

"Yes, oppa."

"Yes, Mr. Jung."

I turned off the car engine completely and headed to the set with them.

***

The Ballerina of Time set located in Namyangju consisted of three large modular buildings. This was thanks to LT Entertainment's President Shin Jong-Ki doubling the budget when Eun-Ah was cast.

Today's filming took place in Set 2, which housed the 'large practice room' set for ballerinas and the dressing room set. As we entered Set 2, a spacious rehearsal stage came into view. The three sides of the stage were covered with large mirrors.

In front of them, staff members were busily moving around for today's shoot while Assistant Director Choi Eun-Seon called out to them. "Come on, come on! We need to finish setting up before Mr. Na arrives!"

It seemed like Na Hyung-Joon hadn't arrived on set yet.

"Sound director! The speakers were crackling yesterday. Please check that."

"Okay!"

"Lighting director! Mr. Na said yesterday that the lighting was uneven. Please check all four lights so we don't need to fix it in post."

"Got it. I'll check the lights and wipe down all the reflectors too."

Since Na Hyung-Joon and Choi Eun-Seon were used to working on low-budget films, they had developed a habit of double-checking everything.

I approached Choi Eun-Seon with Yoo Eun-Ah and Baek Hee-Yung. When we greeted her with a bow, she smiled warmly. "Oh my, why are you here so early? You could've taken your time~"

Normally, when an actor joined a production mid-shoot, the staff tended to be a bit standoffish. However, Shin Jong-Ki had doubled the production budget thanks to Eun-Ah. With better filming conditions and higher pay, everyone including Choi Eun-Seon and the passing staff greeted us warmly.

Because of that, I couldn't guess who might be spreading rumors about Eun-Ah among them.

"Since she joined mid-production, it's only right to come early. Oh, and later today, we've arranged for a coffee truck and sandwiches. I also ordered instant coffee and snacks to stock the pantry, so no need to buy them separately."

A spark of delight appeared on Choi Eun-Seon's face at the prospect of saving some budget. "Aw, you really didn't have to~ Why go through all that trouble?"

"And also, I apologize that Eun-Ah couldn't come to the set earlier due to her schedules. Once her year-end concert is over, she'll fully dedicate herself to filming."

"Goodness~ There's no need to say that. We all know how busy year-end concerts and music shows are. It's fine."

"Then we'll head to the dressing room and start getting ready."

"Alright."

Just as we were about to leave for the dressing room, Choi Eun-Seon hesitated and looked apologetic.

"Oh, and Mr. Jung, Eun-Ah will start with Scene 44 today."

"Scene 44... isn't that the fight scene with the actresses?"

Scene 44 took place after the lead role in Ballerina of Time's 'Swan Lake' performance had been decided. It was a scene where the antagonists bullied the lead, and Eun-Ah's character, Han Ye-Rim, got into a hair-pulling fight with them.

At that moment, I understood Na Hyung-Joon's intentions.

'So he's worried about Eun-Ah's timid personality, huh?'

After she was cast, Eun-Ah had taken an individual acting test in front of Na Hyung-Joon. There had been no issues with her acting ability, but Na Hyung-Joon had expressed concerns about her personality. Because she was naturally reserved and shy, he wondered if she could handle the pressure of close-up filming in a movie, which was very different from performing on an idol stage.

It seemed like he was deliberately starting her with the most intense scene to test her under pressure.

'She has to nail it.'

If Eun-Ah failed to deliver, the friendly atmosphere on set could turn against her in an instant. After all, single NG would delay the entire filming schedule.

Still, I was confident in preparing Eun-Ah. Before my regression, she had been a regular Best Actress winner at the Hwangryong Film Association. And once she got immersed in acting, a completely different side of her would emerge.

I nodded. "Understood. We'll prepare thoroughly."

Choi Eun-Seon sighed in relief. "Then I'll see you later."

"Yes."

I went around greeting the rest of the staff and subtly observed their reactions, because I wanted to see if anyone was treating Eun-Ah negatively. However, I couldn't yet identify who was spreading the rumors judging from brief interactions.

'Everyone seems friendly.'

After finishing our greetings, I headed with Eun-Ah and Baek Hee-Yung to the actresses' waiting area.

***

The waiting area had been set up as a dressing room for the ballerinas to do their makeup.

Standing in front of the waiting room door, I told them to go in without me. "The actresses inside will be changing and getting their makeup done. It's better if I stay out here."

Baek Hee-Yung responded, "I heard they partitioned the space with curtains, so it should be fine."

"You go in first just in case. If you think it's okay, let me know."

"Got it."

Baek Hee-Yung was about to take Eun-Ah inside. Taking the opportunity, I subtly signaled her with a glance.

'Call me right away if anything happens.'

Baek Hee-Yung gave a small nod.

'Yes, don't worry.'

I then clenched my fist and cheered for Eun-Ah. "Yoo Eun-Ah, you got this!"

Eun-Ah smiled shyly and nodded. "Thank you... oppa."

Eun-Ah was playful with me when we were alone. Yet the moment she was around strangers, her shyness kicked in. Still, I wasn't too worried because she would perform a scene that she had done best in before my regression.

'Everyone's going to be shocked when they see a different side of Eun-Ah...'

Holding back a grin, I let Eun-Ah and Baek Hee-Yung enter the waiting room. Then, I stepped back outside to assess the situation on set.

***

The actresses' shared waiting room was also used as the ballerinas' makeup area in the film. To ensure that the actresses didn't have to face each other, the staff had partitioned the space with long curtains to create separate sections similar to voting booths.

At the entrance, each partition had a name tag with the actor's character name and real name written on it.

Yoo Eun-Ah's designated space was at the very end. She wanted to greet her sunbaes upon seeing their names, but she wasn't sure if they were changing or rehearsing inside. Not wanting to intrude, she decided against it.

Baek Hee-Yung quickly noticed and said, "Eun-Ah, let's get changed first. You can greet the sunbae-nims later."

"Okay, got it."

Yoo Eun-Ah walked toward her designated waiting area. With a soft flutter, she pushed aside the curtain and entered the temporary dressing space. Inside was a makeup station with a mirror. On the table, there was a flower basket and a box of tissues.

Wasting no time, Yoo Eun-Ah swiftly changed into her ballet costume and adjusted her stiff pointe shoes to fit her feet. Afterward, she finished her makeup with Baek Hee-Yung's and focused on her script.

As filming drew closer, Yoo Eun-Ah started feeling thirsty. "Ms. Baek, could you get me some water...?"

Baek Hee-Yung looked around. Unfortunately, Yoo Eun-Ah's section didn't have any bottled water.

"Wait a second, I'll go grab some."

"Oh... okay."

Just as she was about to step out, Baek Hee-Yung remembered Jung Yoon-Ho's warning—Be wary of Lee Dong-Ju, Ahn Hee-Soo, and the staff.

That's when a sudden thought crossed her mind.

Baek Hee-Yung discreetly hid her phone inside the flower basket before heading toward the entrance. With a soft flutter, she pushed the curtain aside and exited.

Meanwhile, Yoo Eun-Ah quietly read through her lines for Scene 44. At that moment, the curtain at the entrance of her waiting space swayed again.

Flutter.

Thinking that Baek Hee-Yung had returned, Yoo Eun-Ah looked up. Instead, standing there were Lee Dong-Ju and Ahn Hee-Soo from Ace Entertainment. They played 'Hye-Joo' and 'Seon-Jung,' the main antagonists who bullied the lead in the film. In just a short while, they would also be in Scene 44 where they would grab Yoo Eun-Ah's hair and fight.

They were also the very people Jung Yoon-Ho had warned about.

Lee Dong-Ju crossed her arms and smirked. "You don't even greet your sunbaes and just mind your own business, huh?"

Startled, Yoo Eun-Ah quickly stood up and bowed. "I'm sorry. I didn't know what you were doing inside..."

Lee Dong-Ju waved her hand dismissively, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Whatever. As if I care about greetings. Don't even bother with a fake one."

Despite their hostility, Yoo Eun-Ah didn't get angry. She knew that engaging with people like this wouldn't benefit her.

At that moment, Ahn Hee-Soo spoke. "If you were thirsty, you could've just asked us. Why send your talent agent? Oh~ is it because you only drink that expensive Éviang water? I heard you come from a well-off family. Didn't you say your father runs a hospital or something?"

Lee Dong-Ju chimed in mockingly. "I actually heard she drinks VEENX water. That's thirty thousand won per bottle. I guess she thinks she's different from us. Being in Cherry Blossom must be nice, huh? Making all that money."

Yoo Eun-Ah quickly shook her head. "N-no, sunbae-nim! That's not it…"

Before Yoo Eun-Ah could finish, Lee Dong-Ju snapped in irritation. "Don't lie! We all know the truth!"

"Yeah. And speak faster. Aren't you frustrated by how slow you talk?"

Yoo Eun-Ah's face turned bright red. She was already trying her best to answer quickly, but the two spoke so fast that she barely had a chance to respond.

Sensing Yoo Eun-Ah's flustered reaction, Lee Dong-Ju pressed on, clearly enjoying herself. "Oh, and by the way, what kind of sweet talk did you whisper to the director when you got in through connections? Your script got a lot longer all of a sudden."

Ahn Hee-Soo nodded in agreement. "Wow~ it must be nice to have connections. More screen time, less stress."

Yoo Eun-Ah gave up on responding. There was no point arguing with people who had already decided to torment her. Nevertheless, even that silence didn't sit well with Lee Dong-Ju.

Lee Dong-Ju snapped, "Wow~ now you're ignoring your sunbae? Well, I guess that makes sense. You are a top idol, after all."

Ahn Hee-Soo smirked. "Right? She's totally rude."

Just as Yoo Eun-Ah's patience reached its limit, the curtain blocking her waiting area was suddenly pulled aside.

Flutter.

Expecting to see Baek Hee-Yung returning with water, Yoo Eun-Ah looked up, only to see Jung Yoon-Ho instead. His expression was colder than she had ever seen before.

"What do you think you're doing right now?"

In that instant, the crushing pressure on Yoo Eun-Ah vanished like a receding tide.

***

After checking the set, I returned to the actresses' waiting area after hearing a commotion inside.

I stepped into Eun-Ah's curtained-off section and raised my voice as I entered. I locked eyes with Lee Dong-Ju and Ahn Hee-Soo, then swiftly moved in front of Eun-Ah to shield her.

Still seated, Eun-Ah clutched my sleeve tightly.

I asked, "Eun-Ah, are you okay?"

Eun-Ah answered honestly, "No... I'm not okay."

"I got it. Leave it to me now."

I could see Eun-Ah was upset even at a glance. I patted the back of her hand reassuringly before turning back to the two actresses. "I asked what you two were doing."

Lee Dong-Ju, dressed in her pink ballerina costume, stepped forward with a sneer. "What do you mean by that? Why are you yelling?"

"Do you take me for a fool, Ms. Lee Dong-Ju? You two are deliberately trying to ruin Eun-Ah's reputation. What, are you planning to spread rumors that she's rude and disrespectful to her sunbae?"

Hushed whispers rose from the surrounding sections upon hearing my sharp voice.

I deliberately raised my voice even more. The more people knew about this, the harder it would be for them to twist the story later. "I won't stand by and let you bully someone like this. And let me warn you—stay away from Eun-Ah."

I made it sound like I was ready to report them at any time. However, Lee Dong-Ju wasn't one to back down easily.

"Oh, and who do you think you are? Her dad? Just because a sunbae tells a hoobae something, you think we're bullying her? What kind of scheme are you accusing me of?"

Ahn Hee-Soo chimed in, her voice shrill with indignation. "If you're so worried, why don't you just take her away? Tell her to stick to idol life instead of acting!"

It was clear that reasoning with them was pointless. Then there was only one option left—make sure they never tried this again.

I stepped closer to Lee Dong-Ju.

Lee Dong-Ju flinched. "W-what are you doing?"

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Standing right beside Lee Dong-Ju, I leaned in and spoke in a low voice just loud enough for her to hear. "You…"

The moment she heard what I said, her face turned deathly pale.

Ristretto's Thoughts

OMG! Chapter 500 already!!!