Chapter 41
Chapter 41
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 041
Chapter Title: Agency Bidding War
-----------------------------------------------------------------
It had been enjoyable. ‘With lifespan flowing in automatically like clockwork, how could it not be?’ He’d even hit the mega jackpot just from filming the drama. The auto-harvest lifespan jackpot. Far more efficient than hustling for a bunch of minor requests. A few months shooting one drama had netted him over a full year’s worth—that said it all.
The real bonanza hit on the finale airing day.
[Congratulations! You have secured a large amount of lifespan.]
[Harvest the corresponding lifespan?]
[Congratulations! A large amount of…….]
Not just any lifespan, but a massive ‘large amount’. It poured in explosively over the two days after the drama wrapped—a sight to behold. Reruns were still bringing in hefty chunks sporadically, leaving him thoroughly satisfied. He’d already stockpiled over two years’ worth. Compared to those early days grinding short-term requests to scrape together lifespan, it felt like night and day.
‘Still, I can’t leave it all to auto. Extra special stats only come from requests, it seems.’
He had zero plans to quit requests entirely. The auto-harvest feature owed itself to those special extra stats. Sure, requests were a pain, but relying solely on auto-lifespan harvest wasn’t an option.
‘This is an investment.’
You had to plant the seeds before you could reap the harvest, right?
“You’re not thinking of quitting, are you?”
“For now, no.”
With no better alternative in sight, there was only one path.
“That’s fortunate, then. Yeonwoo-ssi, since it came up—want to join my agency?”
Kwon Seonghyeon said with a bright smile.
***
“Kwon Seonghyeon-ssi’s agency?”
“There are already tons of people after you, Yeonwoo-ssi. Once you start on a few more dramas or movies, handling it solo will be tough. Ah, of course, you could manage without one.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because I can vet everything like I have been.”
“Huh?”
“It’s fine. I shouldn’t have brought it up. You probably don’t care either way about having an agency. Right?”
“……I’ll think about an agency.”
“It really is a great one……”
If push came to shove, the guy was ready to micromanage everything personally. Yeonwoo shook his head seriously.
Having a lifespan vending machine nearby was reassuring, but for some reason, getting tangled with this guy always led to exhausting drama. Even if it had resulted in back-to-back jackpots……
‘The process is what wears me out.’
[Are you joining Actor-nim’s agency?]
The Child Spirit poked its head out from Yeonwoo’s chest pocket.
“You’re awake, Dongja-ssi? This body’s been sleeping extra long this time.”
[I dunno…… Maybe ‘cause I’m cold-blooded…… Being exposed to my spiritual energy makes this body want to hibernate…… Yawwwn……]
The soul’s chill yin energy seemed to be affecting the tiny lizard’s flesh.
[Actor-nim looking after Yeonwoo isn’t bad, but it’d steal his time, so nah.]
Well said, Child Spirit. Finally proving your worth.
[Just join Actor-nim’s agency and it’s all good, right? Delegate the work and he can just hang out with Yeonwoo for fun.]
……Betrayed in under a minute.
“That’s a solid idea too. Handling everything myself from start to finish is tempting, but wasting time on other stuff doesn’t appeal……”
“…….”
That sounded terrifying somehow.
“Then it’s settled—we’ll join the same agency.”
Kwon Seonghyeon clapped his hands decisively.
***
“Why does it end up like that?”
Min Yerin asked in a sharp tone, her cold expression screaming displeasure.
“Because my agency can give Yeonwoo-ssi the absolute best treatment across the board?”
“If that’s the case, my agency’s no slouch either!”
“That agency that shoehorns people in?”
Kwon Seonghyeon smiled softly, while Min Yerin looked icy. She glared sharply at Yeonwoo, brimming with frustration.
“You haven’t decided yet, so come check it out at least. The board’s been totally purged—no more incompetents. You can relax. You haven’t committed anywhere, right?”
“No.”
“Then come tour it. I’ll show you around.”
“Personally?”
“……Why? Don’t want to?”
Something about the vibe said saying no here would be a bad idea. Her face was frosty, but it felt like that was all surface—poke it wrong, and the carefully packed thin ice would shatter spectacularly.
“Everyone, calm down. We know Yeonwoo-ssi’s charming, but we gathered to talk reward vacation, remember?”
Min Writer, who’d been quietly slurping her drink, stepped in to mediate after reading the room.
Normally, this would be handled through agencies. But Yeonwoo had none, and Min Writer had wanted to see him, so the meetup happened on a whim.
‘Didn’t expect Min Yerin to crash, though.’
“No need to overthink it, Writer-nim.”
“Hmm? What’s that mean, Seonghyeon-ssi?”
“Do whatever you want, just like you hoped. We’ll cover any extra costs.”
“……For real?”
“That was the plan from the start. The network said they’d handle it, but……”
Kwon Seonghyeon trailed off. No need to spell it out—everyone here got the point.
“I twisted arms to bump the lodging past the 50% cap after the drama chief skimped. That guy’s stingy as hell. He’ll promise five-star but dig up some third-rate dump. He’s weirdly good at that crap. But hearing you say that already feels reassuring!”
At Min Writer’s praise, Min Yerin bit her plump lip and spoke up.
“Writer-nim. I can chip in too.”
“Oh my, even Yerin-ssi? Wow, our staff’s so lucky. This reward trip’s gonna be epic!”
Min Writer beamed, delighted at the thought.
But between Kwon Seonghyeon and Min Yerin, another frigid gust blew through.
“Why the look? Mad I’m contributing?”
“What look? You’re misunderstanding. No complaints—just a bit worried.”
“Worried? Why would you be, Kwon Seonghyeon-ssi?”
“With your key personnel all purged, things must be chaotic internally…… Not sure you have bandwidth for a post-drama reward trip.”
Utterly gentle tone. Pure concern on the surface, but Kwon Seonghyeon’s smiling eyes gleamed cold.
Min Yerin wasn’t backing down.
“But we’ve got the know-how. Data from raising and succeeding with hundreds. Your agency’s a one-man show—doubt it has systematic management.”
“I think focused beats scattered. And doesn’t my own success prove the know-how’s there?”
Kwon Seonghyeon smiled brightly; Min Yerin winced like she’d seen something nasty.
“We offer top-tier treatment.”
“So do we.”
“Highest signing bonuses, everything Yeonwoo-ssi needs!”
“No matter what you offer, I can guarantee ten times that.”
“……You’re really doing this?!”
“Taught that coveting others’ stuff is bad, didn’t you?”
Faces unchanged, but the air turned arctic. Hard to believe this couple had been so chummy.
[Whoa…… Yeonwoo-ya. Must be nice being so popular.]
“What about it.”
[Actor-nim and Min Yerin are duking it out over you.]
“Eh……”
Less popularity, more shrimp clinging to a whale’s back.
‘Writer-nim bailed too.’
Min Writer, grinning over the upgraded reward trip, had slipped away ages ago.
“Gotta share the good news with the other staff. They’re buzzing. Be right back. Got it?”
She’d delivered her lines flawlessly—proving scriptwriting had zilch to do with acting—then awkwardly but swiftly bolted.
[I like Actor-nim’s side better!]
“Just ‘cause you like him.”
[Busted.]
The round-eyed, big gecko licked its tongue. Despite complaining about hibernation from spiritual energy, the Child Spirit was still in lizard form.
“You’re jumping the gun when I haven’t said a word about going anywhere.”
They were off to the races already. Was this what they meant by assuming the rice cake and choking on kimchi soup first?
Kwon Seonghyeon made sense—he’d been spared a hundred times over. But why Min Yerin?
‘No way it’s ‘cause I saved her from drowning?’
Saved one person, got two packages attached. Reality.
Watching their inexplicable standoff, a thought struck him.
“Oh, right. Hey. Dongja.”
[Yeah?]
“Didn’t hear anything from your mom?”
[Huh?]
“Why so obviously flustered? You visit Lady Kang sometimes. Even before switching to lizard.”
“H-H-How’d you know?”
How’d he know?
“Been living with you for 23 years. Think I wouldn’t notice?”
Yeonwoo knew the Child Spirit as much as it knew him.
“Vanishing for days on ‘body swap’ excuses? Hard not to notice.”
“R-Really……?”
“Yeah.”
[Yeah?]
“What’d Lady Kang say?”
“About what?”
“No word from Lady Kang?”
“What kind of word?”
“What kind? Come on. Drama fanatic Lady Kang wouldn’t miss a Kwon Seonghyeon drama I was in. She’d have said something. Right?”
“W-Wellll……?”
The big lizard eyes rolled.
“Spit it out properly?”
“Really nothing……”
“Really?”
[Yeah!]
Weird. Lady Kang would’ve pounced by now.
‘Figured no contact meant tacit approval so far.’
But after his drama debut, still nothing?
“Something happen to Lady Kang?”
Lady Kang never showed weakness. She knew whining just got you dismissed. One exception: when she’d tried passing the shaman mantle to him upon retiring.
[No way.]
“You seem suspicious.”
Dodging his gaze was super fishy.
The Child Spirit desperately professed innocence.
“If something was wrong with Yeonhwa-ssi, she’d have called already. Right?”
“True, but……”
“If you’re worried, just go see her.”
“…….”
Yeonwoo narrowed his eyes.
Child Spirit acting bold suggested no issue.
‘Yeah. Lady Kang wouldn’t have problems.’
Ex-top shaman, tangled in every bigwig’s affairs. If trouble hit, her network would mobilize.
‘Still, maybe visit once?’
Yeonwoo pondered.
“……?”
The mood had quieted.
The swan-like paddling under the water had ceased.
Glancing over, Kwon Seonghyeon and Min Yerin were both staring at him.