Chapter 199
Chapter 199
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 199
Chapter Title: A Double Deal
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“So, in exchange for changing it from one member to the full group, you want us to give you a justification for switching companies?”
Director Lee Woon-young smiled, murmuring to himself, yet not quite, and the members of Earl Grey swallowed hard as if the contract were their own.
After a moment of silence, Director Lee Woon-young spoke.
“So, you’re proposing a press release that says something like, ‘While we were morally obligated to accept King Patty’s offer, Break Burger presented a more meaningful contract by including a donation option in addition to the advertising fee. In return, we had all of Answer participate.’ Is that the gist of it?”
“Yes. You’ve understood perfectly.”
“You get to secure both the money and the positive image, don’t you?”
“It’s also a golden opportunity for Break Burger to steal sales from a competitor at minimal cost while cementing a good image.”
Director Lee Woon-young let out the smile she had been holding back.
“Haha. You’re right. I’ll admit it.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re quite surprising. I might sound like an old-timer, but you seem to have a lot of experience for your age. Your negotiation skills are incredible.”
Experience? Thanks to the system and my desire to overturn a past I wanted to erase, I suppose I do have an edge. The sudden memory of my past made my fists clench.
“You’re making me blush. I’m just trying to look out for the best interests of my company and the artists under my care.”
Director Lee Woon-young said with a hearty smile.
“I’ll accept the terms of the contract.”
Seeing the members of Earl Grey clench their fists instead of me made me want to laugh.
“But I have one condition. We need to schedule the shoot within ten days. We need to strike while the iron is hot, before the buzz dies down.”
I had already checked their schedule, so I answered without hesitation.
“They’re free from this coming Sunday evening until 9 a.m. the next morning.”
“I really like your work style.”
“I’m glad to hear that from someone as decisive as you, Director Lee.”
“Pfft. You don’t seem like the flattering type.”
“I’m not. It wasn’t flattery.”
“Haha! You really are beyond imagination. I’ll have the contract sent over by the end of the day.”
We stood up and shook hands with satisfied expressions.
The members of Earl Grey, who had been listening to our conversation, wore dazed expressions, a mixture of ecstasy and confusion.
Maybe I should really call them the Fools.
* * *
“Get in.”
“Yes!”
“Yes, yes!”
At Min-jun’s words, the members of Earl Grey boarded the van in an orderly fashion. They had vaguely thought of Min-jun as a capable person, but seeing him negotiate firsthand had left them in awe.
“Congratulations on landing your first ad. The contract takes effect tomorrow, but congratulations in advance.”
“What? You mean that 20-million-won deal from earlier?”
The vocalist, Jang Hyun-seung, asked in response to Min-jun’s words.
“Yes.”
“Didn’t you just say you were going to review it?”
“No. I said we’re doing it.”
“Ah!?”
“For real?”
“Huh?”
Even the bassist, Yoon Woo-sung, who usually maintained a stoic demeanor, and the ever-precious So-joong-han let out gasps of surprise.
In truth, Earl Grey wasn’t of great value to Break Burger. No matter how much Min-jun hyped up their potential for growth, Earl Grey was, strictly speaking, an unknown band that hadn’t even debuted yet.
But Director Lee Woon-young was a person with a broad perspective. She had recognized Min-jun’s talent at a glance and willingly accepted the bundle deal to foster a long-term partnership with JD Enter.
Of course, if Earl Grey failed to take off, contrary to Min-jun’s bold claims, it could come back to bite him. But Min-jun had no confidence that he would fail. He was confident he couldn’t *not* make Earl Grey famous.
For this reason, if nothing else, Earl Grey was now as good as in the palm of Min-jun’s hand.
“So-joong-han-ssi.”
“Ye-yes?”
So-joong-han stuttered, suddenly called upon by Min-jun.
“Is management important, or is it not?”
“Pfft!”
“Pwahaha!”
“Hehehe.”
“……”
Laughter erupted from the Earl Grey members, and So-joong-han’s face turned bright red.
“I admit that it’s important.”
“Oh? You really admit it?”
Min-jun said, feigning surprise, which made So-joong-han even more embarrassed.
“Th-that’s why you’re taking a fifty-percent cut, isn’t it?”
So-joong-han mumbled, his spirit crushed. Min-jun smiled brightly and adopted a humble tone.
“I’ll be in your care from now on. I look forward to working with you.”
“We look forward to working with you!”
“We look forward to working with you!”
“We look forward to working with you!”
The Earl Grey members replied with excited expressions.
So-joong-han felt an urge to dig a hole and crawl into it, but that wasn’t an option. He also knew that sulking alone would only make things more embarrassing.
“I look forward to working with you, too.”
Finally overcoming his embarrassment, So-joong-han squeezed his eyes shut and spoke. Seeing this, Min-jun wore a peculiar smile.
Before they knew it, they had arrived at the dorm where Earl Grey would spend their last night.
“I’ll be here to pick you up at 7 a.m. tomorrow. Please be ready.”
“Thank you, PD-nim. Have a good evening!”
The Earl Grey members spoke energetically, unconcerned that Min-jun was younger than them.
Soon, the car Min-jun was driving slid away and disappeared. After staring at the back of the car for a moment, Jang Hyun-seung was the first to throw his hand in the air and shout.
“Awesome!”
“Twenty million!”
“Are you crazy, twenty million!”
The members of Earl Grey, practically exploding with joy, high-fived with all their might and hugged each other in celebration.
The most they had ever been paid for a gig in all their years was a mere 2 million won. And even that came with the memory of all the members working themselves to the bone, staying up for nearly two weeks straight.
But now, 20 million won from just a few words of conversation. Even the perpetually negative So-joong-han couldn’t contain the smile overflowing on his face.
“Producer Min-jun is the real deal.”
“He must be really famous!”
“We should’ve signed with him sooner!”
Jang Hyun-seung, Yoon Woo-sung, and Seo Bang-il shot subtle, blaming glances at So-joong-han.
“…I didn’t know he was this good. And besides, we still haven’t even gotten our first paycheck.”
“…Hey. Did Joong-han just admit it?”
“Looks like it.”
Yoon Woo-sung agreed with Jang Hyun-seung’s surprised comment.
“I don’t know about anything else, but the fact that he studied the entire company is respectable. And that was before the contract was even finalized.”
So-joong-han remarked coolly on the part that had impressed him about Min-jun.
“Yeah. Something about some cheese being bitter so they removed that flavor. I couldn’t even understand what he was talking about, but seeing him go back and forth with that director, I almost snorted the hamburger I was chewing out my nose.”
“By the way, does this mean we get to live on steak now!?”
The members of Earl Grey jumped for joy, oblivious to the fact that Min-jun was already planning how to work them to the bone.
* * *
As soon as I entered the company parking garage, my phone started ringing. I quickly parked and answered the call.
“Oh, Seul-bi-ssi. Aren’t you in the middle of a shoot?”
-Min-jun Oppa, I have a problem.
For Seul-bi to call during a shoot, it had to be a serious problem.
-I’m filming ‘Gourmet in Love’ right now, and the recipe is just absurd. They’re putting pen shell adductors in bungeoppang batter, and claiming to age a hot-water dough for 48 hours when it’s obvious they’ve never done it before….
It was the kind of thing that would set off Seul-bi, who was sensitive about food. Moreover, her strong sense of justice, subtly showing through her concern about delivering false information to viewers, put me in a good mood.
No matter how much you say you should watch broadcasts for entertainment, everything has its limits.
-I’m having such a reality check right now, I’ll just do whatever you say.
I thought for a moment about Seul-bi’s words.
Many viewers think that all manipulation is done by the production crew, but that’s not always the case.
If the informant or the restaurant insists that they use a special recipe, it becomes difficult for the production team to question and counter every claim. They aren’t the police; they can’t just launch an investigation.
But they can’t just back out either. As freelancers, they only get paid—enough to live for a few days or a week—once they complete an episode.
Of course, on the flip side, it’s also true that some teams encourage manipulation to create more sensational content for viewers.
“If you treat it too much like a documentary, it could cause big problems for the production crew, so just think of it as an entertainment show. Instead, how about phrasing your words in a way that gives viewers room to think? For example…”
I offered a balanced solution.
-Oh. I think I’ll say it just like that. So people with half a brain will realize I’m throwing subtle shade?
“Yeah. Anyway, I’m sorry. It was a schedule we booked a while ago. I’ll make sure not to schedule anything uncomfortable for you in the future.”
-It’s okay. How can you pay attention to every single detail like that, Oppa? I was just frustrated and wanted to vent…. Thanks, Oppa.
Seul-bi’s voice, which had sounded tight as if she had a sweet potato stuck in her throat when she first called, was now clear and relieved.
“Of course. Finish the shoot well, Seul-bi-ssi.”
-Okay, okay. Keep up the good work, Oppa.
The contrast between the rebellious Seul-bi from a year ago and the seemingly mature Seul-bi of today was deeply satisfying.
After a moment lost in thought, I got out of my car and headed up to the office.
*Ding-dong.*
The elevator doors opened, and Siljang Ji stepped out.
“Hey, Chief Producer. What’s your deal?!”
“……”
Siljang Ji’s sudden outburst. Had he found out about my shares?
“How did you sweet-talk them? Break Burger sent the contract over by courier right away? Does their legal team not even review things?”
Ah. So that’s what this was about.
“The contract options were only slightly modified, so I guess it didn’t need a legal review. Plus, I met with the decision-maker directly. And you know I’ve always been articulate.”
“Pfft. True. You’ve earned the right to be a little arrogant. I think I’m just going to start believing everything you say from now on.”
“I’m kidding. I need you, Siljang-nim, to maintain your balance until the very end.”
“Pahaha! You’re hilarious. I’m off to Sung-hoon’s ad meeting.”
“Okay. Have a good meeting, Siljang-nim.”
Siljang Ji walked toward his car, chuckling to himself.
It seemed I had now formed not just a so-so professional relationship with the people at JD Enter, but a strong emotional bond as well.
Everyone was friendly toward me, and I was at a point where I didn’t mind spending money on them. No, it was more like I wanted the people around me to do well, even if it meant spending my own money.
Had I ever felt this way in my past life? I wasn’t sure. Was it because I never had the luxury to feel such things, or did I truly never experience it?
As I was heading into the office, I ran into Lee Timjang in the break room.
“How did you do it?”
Lee Timjang asked with a look of astonishment.
“Lee Timjang, can I get a coffee too?”
“Yes, Isa-nim.”
Thanks to the director, who chimed in as if on cue, Lee Timjang ended up making three cups of coffee.
“How did you do it? I can understand the Answer deal, but to get one for Earl Grey, who haven’t even officially joined us yet.”
It seemed he had planned to send the Earl Grey contract next week but ended up drafting it along with Answer’s. I had a general idea of Director Lee Woon-young’s straightforward work style, but it appeared even my director was extremely curious about the specifics.
It was too complicated to explain in detail, so I decided to be vague.
“I just said, ‘This is a band that will be as famous as Answer in the future. If you sign them right now, we’ll let you have them for twenty million.’”
“Pfft!”
Lee Timjang, who was making coffee, sprayed a laugh against the wall. The director and I stared at him intently.
“……”
“…I didn’t spit. I aimed for the opposite wall.”
At Lee Timjang’s excuse, the director smiled faintly and poured her coffee into his cup.
*Glug, glug.*
“…Isa-nim, have a heart. Me too.”
*Glug, glug.*
“……”
I followed the director’s lead and poured my coffee into his cup as well, filling his large mug to the brim.
Lee Timjang let out a small sigh and began to slurp the overflowing coffee. The once-prickly Lee Timjang was now funnier than any comedian.
The director rinsed her cup and mine in the sink and made fresh coffee. A bitter smile hung on Lee Timjang’s face.
“Signing them early is good, but won’t it be a loss for them later if they want to shoot an ad when their value is much higher?”
“It should already be in the contract. We agreed to coordinate closely on the timing of the shoot and broadcast.”
“Ah.”
The director wore a slightly sheepish smile, but behind it, there seemed to be a layer of trust in me.
Just then, Lee Timjang chimed in with something unexpected.
“Producer Min-jun’s work is flawless. Honestly, I think he deserves to be treated as a Siljang, rather than some vague title like Chief or Producer.”
“……?”
Where did that come from?
But Lee Timjang said it with such sincerity that it made me feel embarrassed. Wasn’t this a bit of an overreaction?
“Really? You’d be okay with Producer Min-jun becoming a Siljang, Lee Timjang?”
Oblivious to my inner turmoil, Director Lee Sun took his words at face value. She leaned her hip against the table with an interested expression and spoke.
“Of course. It’s only natural for someone who works hard to be treated well. Honestly, who in this company hasn’t been helped by Producer Min-jun? The successful turnaround to profit, the consolation bonuses, and the year-end bonus that’s sure to be hefty this year. Oh, and can we look forward to a summer vacation bonus, by any chance?”
Lee Timjang’s serious face brightened considerably at the mention of a vacation bonus. The director, also in a good mood, chuckled.
“This year’s should be at least double last year’s. Don’t worry.”
“Heh!”
Lee Timjang patted both my arms in delight. When did this guy become so slick?
The three of us finished our brief chat and returned to our desks.
“Check this and see if it’s okay to sign.”
“Yes. I’ll review it now.”
The director handed me the two contracts that had arrived by courier, and I began to read them carefully, recalling our conversation from the morning.
*Bzzzt. Bzzzt.*
As I was deep in reading, my phone vibrated with unusual intensity.
It was the representative from King Patty Burger, the one who had responded to my offer this morning with a take-it-or-leave-it lowball.