The Ace's Pride Was Shattered
Kim Namhu had not yet secured many regular clients.
It had been simple enough to track down the female clients who had visited him seeking him out and then crossed paths with Choi Moon-ho.
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He asked the question gently, using the excuse of wanting to offer an apology.
Softening the words just enough to make them sound different was all it took for regular clients to rally around him as if the matter were their own.
They contacted the people who had recommended him and asked about the incident.
The identity of the unlucky female client was revealed in no time.
It was the CEO of Kim Hye-ji's agency.
Kim Hye-ji had called during her busy filming schedule.
"I'm really sorry."
"It's fine. It could happen."
Kim Hye-ji had apologized with genuine sincerity.
She had recommended him out of goodwill to help him, reaching out to the women around her.
She knew, however, that goodwill was useless if the outcome was poor.
She was a proud actress, yet she understood the need to apologize when required.
"So, did the store suffer any damage?"
What Kim Hye-ji had heard was that the CEO had visited The Queen three times, yet bad luck had prevented her from seeing him even once.
If the CEO knew the full truth, she would have gone to extreme lengths.
"Whether luck was on your side or not."
Kim Namhu told her how the Ace host, Choi Moon-ho, had stepped in to block the attempt and how Choi had even tried to pull some nonsense on him.
Kim Hye-ji listened silently to the explanation before speaking.
"Do you have time during the day today?"
"Why?"
"I need everything cleaned up properly. I can't stand seeing things left in a mess. I introduced you to her in the first place, yet she went to another host for money. We should all meet and sort it out cleanly."
Kim Hye-ji spoke with firm resolve.
The fire of anger burned beneath her words.
'In truth, neither Kim Hye-ji nor the CEO had done anything wrong.'
If someone had erred in this matter, it was solely Choi Moon-ho, who had unnecessarily complicated everything.
Yet the most important person to Kim Namhu right now was his regular client, Kim Hye-ji.
If she wished to resolve this cleanly, he would follow her wishes as a host.
"Then I'll take some time before work."
Kim Namhu was still young.
Cutting his sleep by about two hours would not affect his condition greatly.
"Really? Then take a taxi to the address I sent you. I'll cover all the expenses."
The address she had messaged was her agency's building.
Kim Hye-ji had apparently believed she could wrap up the matter so easily that she explained why she was reacting so fiercely.
"Your side must be just as messy as the entertainment industry. I've had my fair share of good scripts stolen by other actresses through underhanded means. Ufufu. I can't stand seeing something so dirty."
Every industry had its dirty corners, and to reach the top, one inevitably witnessed others' filth even if one remained clean oneself.
"You've never had an easy life either."
"Of course not. There are plenty of dirty deeds happening here too. But once you reach a certain position, you simply don't have to see it. I had a scandal once, but I'm not in a position where even that would touch me. Just trust me and follow along."
Kim Namhu found himself strangely trusting Kim Hye-ji.
The following day arrived.
Kim Namhu rose two hours early and headed to the agency's building.
At the reception desk on the first floor, he gave the receptionist's name.
The staff member responded politely, as if expecting him.
"Yes, the CEO has an appointment with you. Please come this way."
He rode the elevator directly to the CEO's office on the top floor.
A handsome male secretary opened the door and led him inside, where a middle-aged woman and Kim Hye-ji sat drinking tea.
Kim Hye-ji waved enthusiastically at Kim Namhu.
The woman who appeared to be the CEO gave Kim Namhu a look of bewilderment upon first seeing him.
Kim Namhu could read her thoughts instantly.
'He's handsome enough, but not at an idol level. Just average among ordinary people. Yet she's willing to make a place for a man like this? Why? Is there some other charm?'
At the same time, the CEO felt embarrassed.
To be lectured by her own artist over nothing more than meeting one host was not at all pleasant.
'But there's no helping it. Hye-ji still has a bright future ahead.'
From the agency's perspective, the most important thing was an artist who could bring in money.
And Kim Hye-ji was a promising actress who had suffered only one scandal.
She was now twenty-one.
Yet her acting skills and beauty were both recognized by everyone.
As long as she landed the right roles, she could rake in money from countless CFs and blockbuster hits until at least her mid-thirties.
In other words, she was a guaranteed source of income for over a decade.
The CEO could never afford to sever ties with Hye-ji.
The clearest sign of their relationship was the way they addressed each other.
"Sis."
Although the CEO was her manager, Kim Hye-ji called her unceremoniously by the term "sis."
That was how much the CEO cherished her.
"Yeah."
"I told you, didn't I? That I couldn't visit the store often, so you should boost the sales. But why did you go to another host?"
"No. That's not it. I went three times, and each time he wasn't there. I was about to get angry when the Ace there stepped in, and that's how it ended up."
"Namhu. He doesn't go out much except on Wednesdays. And when he's not at the store, I call him. So why are you angry, sis?"
Kim Hye-ji had no complaints.
She knew her own worth.
There were still many agencies that wanted her.
"And I'm a person too. I want to play. Rather than drinking and having fun with other entertainers until I cause an accident, wouldn't it be better to just call over one host and enjoy ourselves quietly? From your point of view as well."
"That's true…"
The CEO pondered how to resolve the situation.
It was simple.
"Hye-ji, then I'll go to The Queen and make sure I don't see any other host. Problem solved?"
The CEO's solution pleased Kim Hye-ji.
The CEO pulled out her phone.
It contained Choi Moon-ho's number, exchanged with her only a few days earlier.
Choi Moon-ho had called her a wealthy woman and exchanged numbers to turn her into a regular client.
The CEO immediately dialed Choi Moon-ho.
He answered on the first ring.
The CEO switched to speakerphone.
"Yes, CEO."
Choi Moon-ho answered with a gentle voice, unaware of the situation and already trying to charm the wealthy woman.
The CEO spoke in a sharp tone.
"Choi Moon-ho! What on earth is this?"
"Excuse me?"
The sheer astonishment in his voice was audible.
The CEO had clearly heard the entire story from Kim Hye-ji before Kim Namhu arrived.
"No. Even if he's a host, there's no way to poach a customer's client from his junior like that."
"CEO, I think there's been a misunderstanding…"
"What misunderstanding? Did you really think you became a regular client after just one drink with me? I'm the CEO of an entertainment agency. If I want, I can drink with any man prettier than you—countless of them!"
That was true.
The CEO was endlessly clingy toward Kim Hye-ji, yet she was an utterly difficult woman toward other entertainers.
She could manipulate any male idol trainee or male actor she desired.
Moreover, she was wealthy.
If she wished, she could visit the top host bar in Gangnam and party extravagantly.
It was nothing special to encounter an Ace host from Bukgang.
If she had stayed long enough to grow close and fall deep, perhaps, but their relationship was not that advanced.
The CEO cut off Choi Moon-ho before his words lengthened.
"We shall settle this now. I have no intention of spending more time with a host who steals clients from his junior. I won't even glance at your face from now on. If I visit The Queen, I hope he doesn't appear."
The game was over.
No matter how successful the Ace host, he could do nothing when the customer spoke so decisively.
He could only clench his shattered pride and manage his mental state.
'He probably thought his charm alone could devour any ordinary woman.'
But that was a miscalculation, and an arrogant one.
And Kim Namhu, since Choi Moon-ho had been the one to start the conflict, could not help but add his own remark.
"CEO, I'm sorry. This should have been handled among the hosts first. My lack of ability caused you unnecessary trouble."
Choi Moon-ho said nothing, but Kim Namhu sensed his panic.
It was inconceivable to Choi Moon-ho that Kim Namhu's voice would suddenly enter this situation.