The Aspiring Ten-Million Actor
As soon as Lee Se-rin excused herself with a scheduling conflict, only Kim Doyun and Go Yun-hui remained in the room.
“Auntie! Don’t say anything else strange!”
Her departing figure was rather cute, wasn’t it?
Lee Se-rin, who usually wore such a gloomy expression, looked strangely at ease today.
Or maybe not.
The faint blush on her cheeks made her seem like any other teenager. Whichever it was, Go Yun-hui hadn’t seen that side of her in a long time. That alone was enough to make her view Kim Doyun favorably.
But business is still business.
Go Yun-hui regarded Kim Doyun with the sharp focus of a general stepping onto the battlefield.
How should I play this?
He was a talent she absolutely had to secure. That was why she had already prepared a contract with unprecedented terms.
However…
Looking at it objectively, the only performance Kim Doyun had demonstrated was his supporting role in Flowers Fall. What if this was a peak he would never reach again?
A premature investment could lead to a devastating loss.
Cheongram’s current policy was safety first. No matter how influential Director Go Yun-hui might be, she couldn’t simply run wild.
Yet if I miss him here, another company will definitely snatch him up.
In the drawer beneath Go Yun-hui’s desk lay the standard rookie contract alongside a second, far more exceptional one written exclusively for Kim Doyun.
Shall I test the waters first?
The moment Director Go Yun-hui reached that thought and opened her mouth—
“Director.”
“Ah, yes!”
Startled out of her deep reverie, Go Yun-hui answered in a voice louder than she intended. She quickly cleared her throat.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I called you in and then… lost myself in thought for a moment.”
Director Go Yun-hui smoothed the awkwardness over with a smile.
“I have a question.”
“Of course. Ask me anything. The current roster of our artists? Promotion and branding strategies? I’ll give you a clear answer on anything.”
“No, that’s not it. I noticed Lee Se-rin called you auntie.”
Go Yun-hui was caught off guard for only a second before she answered with a smile.
“It’s just a nickname.”
“A nickname?”
“You probably already know that Se-rin has been with Cheongram since she was a child.”
“I do.”
“Back then Cheongram wasn’t the large company it is today. I personally handled everything from her schedule to her acting practice. So naturally…”
Doyun asked, visibly surprised.
“You oversaw her acting practice yourself? Were you an actress before?”
“Oh, hardly. I know nothing about acting. I simply acted as a practice partner for young Se-rin.”
“I see…”
“Yes. And with just that, Se-rin improved quickly. She truly deserves to be called a genius.”
Doyun tilted his head, puzzled.
“Lee Se-rin’s mother was an actress, correct?”
“You knew. Yes, the late Lee Myeong-hwa.”
“Then why…”
The unspoken question was why her mother, an actress herself, had not trained her directly.
Go Yun-hui glossed over it with a touch of discomfort.
“There were certain issues when she was very young. Anyway, let’s set that aside.”
Go Yun-hui smiled and leaned forward, closing the distance between them.
“Shall we discuss the contract in earnest?”
Doyun nodded.
“Please do.”
Go Yun-hui was slightly taken aback by his calm demeanor.
Huh. A rookie this composed in the face of a contract from Cheongram.
Most would be nervous, or at least show a flicker of anticipation.
From his acting to his attitude, he doesn’t carry even a trace of rookie energy.
He felt more like a seasoned actor wearing a newcomer’s skin. Still, a rookie was a rookie.
After a brief internal debate, Go Yun-hui pulled out the standard rookie contract and placed it on the desk.
“This is Cheongram’s standard contract. Given our high assessment of your potential, Mr. Kim Doyun, we’ve adjusted the terms to the absolute highest level our internal regulations allow for a newcomer.”
Go Yun-hui presented the document with confidence.
Of course she couldn’t lead with an outrageous thirty- or forty-million-won offer. Even these conditions would be more than attractive to most rookies.
She held her breath and watched Kim Doyun’s reaction closely.
He read the contract with meticulous care, then made a faintly troubled expression.
“Hmm…”
Go Yun-hui swallowed.
What is this?
The rookie before her was genuinely weighing an offer from the industry’s top agency.
This wasn’t part of the plan.
Two possibilities flashed through her mind.
The first was that the offered terms simply didn’t satisfy him.
A truly green rookie might not know the industry average. Perhaps he still doesn’t fully grasp the weight of the Cheongram name?
If so, that was manageable. She could explain in detail exactly what kind of support the company could provide.
At that moment, Kim Doyun set the contract down and spoke.
“It is certainly a generous offer. I believe it’s more than a newly debuted rookie deserves.”
“Then—!”
Just as delight began to bloom across Go Yun-hui’s face—
“I still need a little more time to consider it.”
It landed like a thunderbolt.
The second possibility. And quite possibly the worst-case scenario.
Surely not…
An actor of this caliber wouldn’t necessarily wait until after debut to receive offers. He had already distinguished himself in multiple auditions; it would be perfectly normal for other insiders to have noticed him.
Is he already signed somewhere else?
No, that couldn’t be. An actor with an existing agency wouldn’t attend another company’s contract meeting.
Then only one possibility remained.
Another agency has already offered better terms, and he’s weighing both contracts!
Go Yun-hui reached that conclusion and, hiding her urgency, drew the second contract from her drawer.
“And this?”
“A revised contract. Special terms prepared solely for you, Mr. Kim Doyun.”
The strange sensation that their roles had reversed flickered through her, but she had no time to dwell on it.
She had to secure him. With desperate resolve, Go Yun-hui slid the document across the table.
“As a signing bonus, I’ll offer thirty million… no, forty million won.”
“Forty million won?”
She didn’t miss the way Kim Doyun’s eyes widened. Triumph surged inside her.
Got him!
Whatever other offers he might have received, there was nowhere in Korea besides Cheongram that could present a rookie with a signing bonus of this magnitude.
Go Yun-hui delivered her final line with a confident smile.
“At Cheongram, we aim to transcend simple management and cultivate each actor into a brand of their own. Someone like you, Mr. Kim Doyun, has the potential to become our flagship brand.”
It had been a long time since she had invested this much effort into recruiting a single actor.
He would surely accept. Reading his expression, Go Yun-hui could already taste victory.
Doyun stared at the contract on the table.
Forty million won.
At this point in time, it was a miraculous condition for a rookie. The kind of offer that made you want to stamp it immediately without a second thought.
This was the agency that had raised Lee Se-rin. Their actor care would be impeccable.
But…
It still sticks in my throat.
Though I never belonged to a proper agency, twenty years of watching and listening taught me plenty. Once you’re bound by the label of “branding” at a major company, you’re forced to walk the safe path they design for you.
With terms this exceptional, that would be even more true.
It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. From an actor’s perspective it could reduce image consumption and allow greater focus on the craft.
However.
There’s no way they’d permit something like an independent film with the unknown director Baek Hyeon-jin…
Not unless you were as seasoned as Lee Se-rin with a clearly established position inside the company.
“Hmm.”
Kim Doyun stared at the contract for a long time as though deep in thought, then smiled.
“With Cheongram, advertising and film roles would naturally follow, right? That’s why everyone wants to sign here.”
“Talking about Cheongram’s influence would only make my mouth tired.”
Go Yun-hui continued with a victorious smile.
“These are truly exceptional terms. Just as we’re making a significant investment in you, Mr. Kim Doyun, we won’t allow a single moment of your career to remain empty.”
It was a win-win contract. There was no way he would refuse.
“I’m sure that’s true.”
Suddenly Doyun’s eyes took on a subtle shift.
“If I stubbornly insisted on appearing in something like a commercially unviable independent film directed by an unknown filmmaker that pays nothing right away… would Cheongram permit that?”
For a moment Go Yun-hui was rendered speechless by the startlingly specific question.
What on earth is this kid saying?
When he should be following the meticulous plan Cheongram would build for him, he was talking about independent films?
She answered with an awkward smile.
“Haha, while casting decisions are made through discussion between company and actor, the company’s circumstances naturally…”
“If I join Cheongram, will I be able to become a Ten-Million Actor in the way I want?”
“Pardon?”
Go Yun-hui was momentarily stunned by the ridiculous question.
Was he naïvely innocent in a way unusual for today’s youth, or did he genuinely not understand the realities of the Korean film market?
Even if it were possible, didn’t he realize it wasn’t decided by a single actor’s power alone?
“Haha, even we cannot guarantee a Ten-Million Actor, but I can confidently say that at Cheongram you will be able to build a stable career as an actor, Mr. Kim Doyun.”
At her words, Kim Doyun lowered his head.
“Thank you. I understand that these conditions are far more than a nameless rookie like myself deserves.”
“Then—!”
“Nevertheless, I’d like a little more time to think it over. Would that be all right?”
Go Yun-hui was flustered but maintained her smile with effort.
“Of course. The actor’s own wishes are the most important factor in any contract.”
She didn’t want to lose him, yet she had already gambled by offering an exceptional contract against company policy. And now he was asking to shoot some unprofitable independent film.
I don’t want to let him slip away…!
Anxiety gnawed at her. But in negotiations, the key was never to let the other side see your desperation.
At the same time, you had to make them feel the pressure.
Go Yun-hui smiled as though slightly troubled.
“However, since this is already an exceptional proposal from Cheongram, I cannot guarantee we would be able to offer the same conditions in the future…”
She smiled. Well? Doesn’t it sting? Aren’t you tempted? Don’t you feel like you should stamp it right now?
Yet contrary to her expectations, Kim Doyun rose from his seat without any visible agitation and bowed politely.
“I’m sorry for being unable to give you an immediate answer after you took the time to extend such a generous offer.”
He showed not the slightest sign of being shaken.
What in the world…
Had he received offers like this more than once or twice? Go Yun-hui hid her disappointment and answered.
“That’s perfectly fine. It happens. Please contact us anytime if you change your mind.”
“Thank you. I’ll take my leave now.”
Kim Doyun bowed once more and turned away. There was no hesitation whatsoever in his steps as he left Cheongram.
Left alone in the now-empty office, Go Yun-hui muttered to herself.
“He’s not easy.”
His skill was one thing, but his impression was also favorable.
Since Se-rin took a liking to him, his character must be exceptionally good.
Humanity was something Go Yun-hui valued as much as talent. Having met him in person, he turned out to be an even more upright young man than she had imagined.
She cried out inside.
What a shame!!
Still, he hadn’t given a complete refusal. There was still a chance…
Probably not.
His expression had been the very picture of a polite rejection.
Go Yun-hui leaned her head against the sofa and murmured.
“Se-rin… you’ve made friends with a very interesting person.”
A Ten-Million Actor, of all things.
Only two kinds of people could say those words with sincerity.
A fool who didn’t understand how the world worked.
Or…
“Either way, he’s no ordinary person.”