CK Agency (1)
September 25, 1995. The new office of CK Agency, located in West Hollywood.
Having finished sketching out the blueprints for his various plans, Sion Lee had finally arrived. He knew Charlie Kang had been running himself ragged setting up the office in the meantime, but this was his first time seeing it in person.
Taking a lap around the office, which was much larger than he had anticipated, Sion felt his heart swell with excitement, like Leo Walker receiving a Lego set on Christmas morning.
It's magnificent. Looks like a rising startup straight out of Silicon Valley.
He finally felt like the company was starting to look the part. There was a spacious CEO's office, two conference rooms, and a main workspace clearly divided by partitions. It also featured a nicely decorated breakroom and an empty, temporary space left open for future expansion.
Hmm, a pool table would go perfectly right here.
It was a delightfully villainous thought, born of the realization that everyone else would be far too busy to ever use it, leaving it entirely to him.
Next, he wandered into the breakroom and stood before a brand-new espresso machine, looking it up and down to figure out how to operate it.
"Oh...!"
A female employee returning from the restroom gasped, covering her mouth the moment she saw him. She was a face Sion didn't recognize either.
"Oh, don't be so startled, sweetheart. Get used to it. I'll be dropping by often."
"O-Oh...! Yes, sir!"
"Coffee?"
"I'll make it for you!"
The employee rushed over and immediately pressed the buttons on the machine.
"Thanks. I appreciate you pressing the button for me."
"N-No problem at all! What brings you by today?"
"I needed to see Charlie. ...And your name is?"
"Mona. I'm new to the PR team. And I'm a huge fan of yours, Sion!"
"Should I give you an autograph later?"
"T-That would be amazing!"
"Where would you like me to sign?"
"I-I actually own all the videotapes of your movies!"
...My hand is going to cramp.
"How's the atmosphere around the office?"
"I'm still figuring things out, but the vibe is great, thanks to the boss."
"Charlie does have that charm."
Sion chatted with Mona as they walked toward the CEO's office.
"Oh, Sion! So good to meet you! Want a cookie?!"
"We have chocolate bars here too!"
"How about a handful of candy?"
"..."
For some reason, every employee he passed along the way offered him snacks.
"I suppose I do look a bit gaunt lately," Sion muttered as he stepped into the office, wondering if his body fat had dropped too low.
"What? Did something happen to you?" Charlie asked immediately, catching his words.
The interior of the CEO's office was a faithful reflection of Charlie's tastes. It was a simple setup: a guest sofa and table adorned with a loud, tacky pattern, a few Korean-style potted plants of mysterious origin, and a massive desk.
Sion flopped onto the guest sofa and tossed his pile of snacks onto the table.
"Want some? If you're not going to eat them now, hide them somewhere so we can find them when we move in a few years."
"Yi-siony, what brings you here all of a sudden?"
"I can't visit my own company whenever I want?"
"...Right, you are the majority shareholder."
Between the shares Charlie had initially allocated to him and the massive reinvestment of his earnings, Sion now owned over 50% of CK Agency. Yet, he still respected Charlie—in his own unique way.
"I came because I missed you, Charlie. But seriously, isn't this office alone bigger than our entire old place?"
"No, it's not that big. And what's the use of it being big? I feel like I need to bring in more feng shui items to balance the energy."
"Anyway, how does it feel to hold real power now, Charlie?"
"It feels more like a heavy responsibility than power. ...Wait, aren't you the one with the real power here?"
Letting out a long sigh, Charlie rose from his desk and sat across from Sion.
"Still, I'm only holding up thanks to you and Chloe."
First and foremost, Sion's role as an investor had provided the company with a massive financial reserve. On top of that, Sion had acted as a de facto casting director, leveraging his extensive network to bring in talent, while Chloe supported them by managing budgets and schedules as she always had. Thanks to this synergy, the company had scaled up dramatically in no time.
"Huh...?"
Charlie squinted, tilting his head as he stared at Sion.
"Did you gain weight recently?"
"What are you talking about? I ate a ton of beef just yesterday."
"Really? Are you working out then? Your frame looks broader than before. More manly?"
"I've always been manly. But yeah, I can't keep my usual slender look when I'm shooting an action film."
This was the standard path for many Hollywood actors. In their early to mid-twenties, they had to build experience, and since their star power was still developing, they were often cast in low-budget romances. To maintain a relatable, everyday appearance, many chose to stay lean rather than bulk up.
But once they hit their mid-twenties and transitioned into big-budget blockbusters, they had to transform. They bulked up, sculpting themselves into larger-than-life, heroic figures.
"I'm slowly entering my mid-twenties too. It's just a natural progression. There's something truly spectacular under this shirt. Look forward to it."
"...Come to think of it, wasn't your birthday last week?"
Reminded by the mention of age, Charlie stood up, retrieved something from his desk drawer, and walked back.
"Happy birthday, Yi-siony, you rascal."
"You shouldn't have."
Sion smiled awkwardly as he took the palm-sized box and opened it. Inside was a piece of traditional Asian paper—a thin sheet with a yellow background and squiggly red lines drawn across it.
"It's a Korean bujeok, a talisman for health and success."
"...I already have both. Does this keep them from leaking away, then?"
"It has that effect too. I prepared it in advance to give to you on your birthday."
"Even for you, Mr. Charlie Kang, is this really what people usually give as a birthday present?"
"You make ten times more than I do, so a normal gift wouldn't have felt meaningful."
He had a point.
"Just keep it in your wallet."
"...Thanks for the handy instructions."
Sion felt a strange sensation. His roots, which he had once considered a faint, distant connection, were being tied back to him in this peculiar way through Charlie Kang, his friend and business partner. He didn't believe in superstitions, and unlike most Americans of this era, he didn't practice any religion. If he had any faith at all, it was a quiet gratitude toward whatever entity had granted him the miracle of regression.
"Hmm, keeping it close does make me feel strangely secure. Maybe I should turn it into a necklace and wear it to the press conference."
"Don't you dare. You must never show it to anyone else."
"But you've seen it, Charlie."
"I'm your family. Practically."
"What about the person who made it?"
"Uh... that person is a servant of the gods."
"Only family and servants of the gods can see it. Fascinating. Then I guess Ellie is fine to see it?"
"Ellie...? Elena Asimov? Don't tell me you two are—?!"
Seeing Charlie's sheer panic, Sion thought, Hook, line, and sinker! and chuckled triumphantly. Still, he genuinely appreciated the unique gift. He even made a mental note to show it off to his parents later.
A week later.
"...It's been a while."
It was now early October, in a banquet hall at the Beverly Hills Hotel. A petite young woman stared with a petulant expression at the confidently smiling man standing before her. Sion, the target of her glare, turned to her with a bright grin, completely ignoring her sour mood.
"Susan Hopkins! Long time no see!"
It was Susan, the actress who had played Belle alongside Sion in The College Player. Twirling the ends of her dyed, wavy blonde hair around her finger, she approached him, her cheeks slightly flushed.
"How have you been? Hmph, well... you look like you're doing great. I enjoyed watching Batman Forever, by the way."
"The other actors shone much brighter than I did. How have you been?"
"Just getting by, doing a few projects here and there. ...Oh, right, wasn't your birthday last week?"
Though she spoke as if she had just remembered, Susan pulled a beautifully wrapped small box from her bag and handed it to him.
"Happy birthday."
"T-Thanks. I didn't expect to get a birthday present at an event like this."
"...Hmph. I'm just glad you appreciate it."
Just then, a shadow approached the friendly-looking pair. Her hair was a natural white-blonde, not dyed. Since this was an official event, she hadn't left it loose as usual; instead, it was gathered into a single long, elegant braid. Elena Asimov had been hovering nearby like a satellite, but the moment she saw Susan handing over a gift, she immediately marched over.
"...You idiot, so it really was your birthday?"
Sion tilted his head in confusion.
"What are you talking about, Ellie? You sent me a massive cake for my birthday."
"...! You idiot! Why would you say that out loud?!"
"Oh, really...?"
Susan watched them with keen interest. Relying on her sharp intuition, she calculated the perfect moment to slip into the conversation as naturally as possible. After all, as long as the chances weren't zero, opportunity could knock for anyone at any time.
From the three of them chatting boisterously like the young actors they were, to Leo Walker sitting on a nearby chair, swinging his legs back and forth while thinking, This probably makes me look cute.
"Anyway, let's do great today."
Today, CK Agency was hosting a massive press conference, gathering numerous media outlets from across the country to announce their future business plans. By introducing some of their newly signed talent, they aimed to add star power to the event while signaling to the industry that the agency's weight class had drastically increased.
In a way, it's closer to propaganda.
Since the entertainment business didn't deal in standardized physical goods, this kind of sensational marketing was crucial. They had already established a clear positioning strategy for this very purpose.
Time flew by, and reporters began filing into the hall. Sion walked up to the white table set up in front of a backdrop emblazoned with the CK Agency logo. Sitting between Elena and Susan, he mentally rehearsed his strategy for the day.
"Hey, um..." Elena whispered from beside him, her face flushing red.
"T-That cake didn't mean anything, okay? You sent me that ridiculously huge bouquet for my graduation, so... I just sent it to tease you back..."
"Sure, sure. Let's get married after this is over."
"...! What if someone hears you?!"
"Isn't that already happening?"
Sion gestured with his chin. Realizing that about fifty reporters were seated right in front of them, Elena cleared her throat and quickly reclaimed her usual cold, composed demeanor.
...But the reporters had already snapped dozens of photos of the two. The shot of Sion chuckling with an amused expression next to a blushing Elena whispering in his ear was framed so perfectly it was practically art.
Susan was subtly glancing at Sion while pretending to look away. Beside her, Leo put on an innocent face, swinging his feet that didn't quite touch the floor. Though they might not have had the sheer gravity of superstar Sion or the prestigious pedigree of Elena, they were highly regarded rising stars in the industry. A group of unique, talented young actors—this was precisely the "image" CK Agency wanted to project.
"Alright, is everyone ready?"
Soon, a man in a sharp blue suit took his seat among the actors. A Korean-American in his mid-forties, sporting a vibrantly colored pocket square. As he sat down, everyone nodded in unison. Though they had initially learned of CK Agency through Sion, their meetings with Charlie Kang had quickly fostered a deep trust in his warm, genuine character.
If he's cared for Sion so consistently from childhood until now, he's someone who truly values his actors. The immensely talented Elena, still somewhat naive about the industry, wanted a partner she could trust.
He managed to keep Sion's paparazzi-beating incidents out of the mainstream media, so he must be highly competent. And since he finally got Sion to clean up his act, he must be great at managing actors. The free-spirited Susan, who had a few minor "alcohol issues" of her own, wanted someone who could keep her grounded.
He didn't expand the business for a long time, which might suggest a lack of ambition... but perhaps he was just biding his time, waiting for Sion to reach adulthood and establish himself. Even now, the timing is perfect. The clever Leo wanted a steady, fatherly figure he could walk alongside into the future.
With the actors' diverse expectations intertwining, the press conference commenced.
First up was the photo session. Following the coordinator's cue, the actors stood up one by one to greet the crowd. The rapid-fire clicking of camera shutters filled the room. Sion Lee, Elena Asimov, Leo Walker, and Susan Hopkins. A formidable lineup of young actors, each projecting a distinct image. Their collective presence practically handed the gathered reporters their headlines on a silver platter. It was the birth of a new force poised to shake up the traditional agency landscape and the Hollywood ecosystem. And standing at the center of it all...
"First of all, thank you all for coming today."
Charlie Kang, the CEO of CK Agency, offered his greetings and began the briefing. "The projects we have steadily prepared over the past few years are finally beginning to move forward."
...Of course, that was a lie. If Sion hadn't pushed him, Charlie would have been perfectly content living a quiet, peaceful life managing a reformed Sion.
"Collaborating with various actors based on the trust and expertise our agency has built over the years..."
But now, stepping into the industry spotlight, he had carved out a new "position" for himself: the only man capable of controlling the notorious brat, Sion Lee. A man of absolute common sense. He also intended to fully leverage his Asian heritage, projecting an image of high competence and efficiency—much like Star Wars' C-3PO. ...Though, in that case, there was the minor drawback of not quite being treated as a regular human being.
"...We intend to do our absolute best."
Charlie had worked tirelessly for this moment, even correcting any trace of a non-native accent. Delivering his speech with calm composure, he looked every bit the head of a major agency.
The reporters' gazes shifted to Sion, who was looking at his agent with a playful, affectionate smile.
Whoa. His expression is completely different from usual.
Sion Lee is practically dripping with affection.
Well, they've been together for ten years since he was fourteen... It makes sense they'd have a deep bond.
Wait, doesn't that mean he managed to control Sion Lee for ten whole years? He's got a surprisingly full head of hair for someone who went through that.
To begin with, Charlie had already established a reputation in the industry as "someone who might not be a business genius, but is incredibly competent at what he does." However, only a select few who had dealt with him directly in private meetings truly understood his capabilities. Yet, simply having the notoriously wild Sion look at him with such warm, respectful eyes created a powerful halo effect, amplifying those quiet rumors. The only person the actor Sion Lee trusts and follows. Just how exceptionally talented must this agency head be to command such loyalty? ...Sion had truly reached a level where he could manipulate public perception with a single look.
"Thank you."
Having concluded his formal presentation of the agency's vision, Charlie scanned the room and continued. "Next, I would like to introduce the actors who have newly joined our agency."
This was where the real main event began.
Another photo session?
Didn't we just do that?
While the reporters murmured in confusion, Charlie turned slightly and gestured toward the side. Emerging from backstage where he had been waiting, a man in a sleek, tailored suit stepped into the light.
"Jim Carrey."
Every single reporter in the room gasped in utter shock at the mention of the name.
So those old rumors were actually true?!
The lineup they just showed was already impressive, but Jim Carrey too?
Damn, for an agency that's just starting to expand, their weight class has exploded out of nowhere...!
In that single, breathtaking moment, CK Agency's status skyrocketed straight to the absolute top tier.