Chapter 106
Chapter 106
Our Young Master
(The Top Excellence Award goes to······.)
(Yu Yeon-seo of ‘Demon.’ Congratulations.)
At the announcer’s voice, Yu Yeon-seo rose from his seat and strode onto the stage. The cast of ‘Demon’ saw him off with a standing ovation, while the audience, seemingly tireless, continued to send voices of support.
“Are you watching that again?”
“What do you mean, ‘again’? I missed it last night, so I’m watching it now.”
Park Geum-ju sighed and sat on the sofa, looking at her husband, whose cheekbones were raised in a pleased smile.
(First, to my ‘Demon’ family, it was an honor to work with you. Ha-jun, Min-ah, and······.)
His handsome face was further accentuated by his neatly swept-back hair. The camera, well aware of this, focused solely on Yu Yeon-seo during his acceptance speech, not panning to the audience or the other actors.
(And to my fans who always send their support, my agency family, and my secretary, thank you······.)
He delivered his thanks calmly, without any particular fanfare in his acceptance speech.
(And finally, um······ my family. My parents, my brother, and my grandfather, thank you.)
“Hah······ To think that boy knows to thank his grandfather.”
In truth, Yu Yeon-seo had only included his family out of courtesy, since everyone else thanked their agency and family. But Chairman Yu, hearing his own name mentioned, beamed, his eyes filled with adoration.
“If you were going to be this happy, why didn’t you just let the boy do what he wanted from the start?”
“He didn’t have the talent back then. It’s better for him to inherit the company than to endure criticism. It’s not like he’s slow-witted.”
“Wasn’t it because of that child, Hui-seo?”
Chairman Yu turned his gaze from the TV to his wife. It was the first time Park Geum-ju had mentioned Lee Hui-seo since the accident. He should have been happy that his wife had overcome her long depression and was now okay, but a corner of his heart felt uneasy. It was because of that name: Lee Hui-seo.
“Yes, that was what bothered me the most.”
His grandson, who used to have fits at the mere mention of Lee Hui-seo’s name, suddenly wanted to become an idol just like her. So he had tried to stop him, only for him to switch to acting and follow in Lee Hui-seo’s exact footsteps, which he didn’t like.
He had even tried to use his influence to block him from the entertainment industry entirely, but the boy’s stubbornness was extraordinary. When he tried to stop him, his grandson told him not to expect to see him for the rest of his life, so he gave up. Still, he was concerned, so he occasionally pulled strings for him from behind the scenes, but he never stepped in actively.
After watching his grandson finish his speech and return to his seat among the actors, Chairman Yu changed the channel. The 12 o’clock news was on.
(This morning at nine, JSENM held an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders and passed a motion to appoint actor Yu Yeon-seo, son of Juseong Electronics Vice Chairman Yu Geon-min, as an internal director of JSENM. The business world speculates this may be part of the preparations for the succession plan.)
The screen showed Choi Yu-jin presiding over the shareholders’ meeting, then played clips from Yu Yeon-seo’s recent dramas, films, and commercials as archival footage.
“But now, well, the kid likes it so much, so I have to let it go.”
Just then, a short clip from ‘Welcome to the Guest House’ showed him smiling brightly at a child. Park Geum-ju fixed her gaze on the screen and spoke.
“He’s also agreed to do the company work you so desperately wanted, so of course you’d let it go.”
“You know me too well.”
Being an old-fashioned man, Chairman Yu still looked down on entertainers. He disliked that his second grandson continued to pursue a career in the entertainment industry, and it irked him that the company his daughter-in-law had painstakingly built with his support would be handed over to that fool from the Ahjin side.
But then, Yu Yeon-seo, who had stubbornly refused before, appeared and took a position. Chairman Yu smiled in satisfaction.
“I’m leaving the country. Spend the Lunar New Year with the children without me.”
“Again?”
Chairman Yu knew well that Park Geum-ju left the country every holiday because she was ashamed to face her grandson.
“You, I told you to stop running away. Look at me, I’m doing fine.”
“You say that, but you’ve been supporting him from behind the scenes all this time. Do you think he doesn’t know?”
Park Geum-ju glanced at her husband, who coughed, embarrassed, and fiddled with the phone in her hand. She believed she had already made an irreversible mistake. The memory of cruelly turning away that young child when he asked for help still haunted her dreams.
She had tried to approach him on Choi Yu-jin’s advice, but he kept running away.
“I guess it’s true that you get childish as you get older.”
Who knew apologizing for my mistake would be this hard······ Park Geum-ju let out a deep sigh.
“I’m scared.”
She was afraid to face the truth of the reality her grandson was living in.
-The situation in our company lobby today
(Photo)
Our Young Master looks even more handsome on the big screen
└ Our Young Master is so handsome
└ Young Master, congratulations on the Top Excellence Award!!!
└ Young Master, let’s go for the Grand Prize next!
└ Young Master, I’m looking forward to the Baeksan Arts Awards!! All hail!! ^^7
└ What’s with all the praise? Is the atmosphere at Juseong Electronics always like this?
└└ Would you not celebrate if our Young Master’s award got you a special bonus?
└└└ Wow;;; I’m jealous
└ Did JSENM get anything?
└└ We got a special holiday, lol
└ What’s the big deal? It’s just a Top Excellence Award, not even the Grand Prize, lol. And it’s just some broadcast station’s drama awards, not a film festival. Isn’t it embarrassing to make such a fuss over it?
└└ Don’t you dare insult our Young Master
└└ Don’t you dare insult our Director
└└ It’s nice to see a father fangirling over his son, why are you picking a fight?
└└ Just leave them be. They must be jealous, lol. Ah, this bonus is sweet~!
At Yu Geon-min’s request to have lunch together as a family for the new year, Yu Yeon-seo visited the Juseong Electronics headquarters, only to freeze on the spot, his jaw agape.
“Hyung, what is that?”
An ultra-large display, showcasing Juseong Electronics’ technological prowess, filled the entire wall of the first-floor lobby. And on that display, a video of Yu Yeon-seo’s acceptance speech from the drama awards was playing on a loop.
“What do you think it is?”
“No, why is that here, why on earth······.”
Yu Eun-ho smiled playfully at his flustered, stammering brother. Choi Yu-jin did the same.
“Oh my, I should have done this too. Eun-ho, shall we take a commemorative photo?”
“Don’t say such dreadful things. Hyung, don’t take it.”
As passersby murmured amongst themselves, Choi Yu-jin and Yu Eun-ho snapped a photo, flanking Yu Yeon-seo, who had a hand pressed to his forehead.
‘There’s only one person who would do something like this.’
Just then, the elevator doors opened, and Yu Geon-min, who had been in a serious conversation with some executives, spotted his family in the lobby.
“Son!”
“Dad!”
To think my Yeon-seo would call out to me so loudly······ His spirits lifted, Yu Geon-min approached his son with a light step.
“You’re here?”
“Turn that off, right now!”
At his father’s beaming face, Yu Yeon-seo snapped.
-Live report from the Juseong Electronics lobby.
The Vice Chairman is getting an earful from the Young Master.
Look at the Managing Director filming it, hahaha.
└ Ah, hahaha
└ The Managing Director has that side to her?
└└ The Managing Director is surprisingly funny, lol
└ Knew it, lol
└ So our Vice Chairman is at the bottom of the family hierarchy ㅠ
└ But they look so good together, lol
The posts on the employee community quickly leaked to external communities. Juseong’s PR department actively capitalized on this. Yu Geon-min’s doting behavior unexpectedly generated a favorable public opinion.
Perhaps it was because the fact that a chaebol family, who seemingly wanted for nothing, could act as affectionately as any ordinary family came as a surprise.
“I just want to show off my son, what’s wrong with that······.”
Did you get your son’s consent for that? Yu Yeon-seo shot a sharp glare at his muttering father.
“Come on, Yeon-seo. The news is already out, what’s a few more days?”
As always, Choi Yu-jin was the only one who took his side. Yu Geon-min looked at her, touched, while his two sons shook their heads as if they couldn’t deal with the display.
“Haa······ Do whatever you want.”
Yu Yeon-seo finally waved the white flag. He hid his trembling hands under the table again. Something felt strange these days.
“Yeon-seo, aren’t you eating?”
“Ah, my stomach feels a bit off.”
“Really? Shouldn’t you take some medicine? What about the hospital?”
“It’s not that serious.”
Yu Yeon-seo shook his head. In truth, he’d vaguely noticed that the tremors worsened when he was with his family. Surely this wasn’t related to the hallucinations, was it? He squeezed his eyes shut then opened them, trying to control his body.
“Oh, about Director Cheon Seong-min. I think I’ll be working with him.”
“Really? It’s only been a few hours since you became a director, and you’re already bringing in results?”
Choi Yu-jin looked at Yu Yeon-seo with pride. At her affectionate gaze, Yu Yeon-seo cleared his throat.
“Since it’s come to this, how about I assign some people to you so you can learn the ropes?”
“Should I? I haven’t decided on my next project anyway······.”
He hadn’t found a synopsis he liked yet. He figured he might as well stick by Director Cheon’s side, get on his good side, and learn everything he could.
First, Yu Yeon-seo shifted the attention away from himself.
“I heard you have some good news too, Hyung.”
“Ah······ It’s nothing.”
“A promotion is nothing?”
Having passed his grandfather’s test, Yu Eun-ho was being promoted to Senior Managing Director this year. It was a rapid promotion, even for a member of the owner’s family. The promotion was already decided, only awaiting a press announcement.
Yu Eun-ho was feeling impatient, as his busy schedule had stalled his progress in finding Lee Hui-seo’s real culprit. Baek Seo-jun, who was helping him, was also busy with work.
“We’ve had a lot to celebrate lately. Shall we have a glass of champagne?”
“Count me out. Mine is nothing special.”
Compared to my brother’s promotion to Senior Managing Director, mine is still shabby. At Yu Yeon-seo’s words, Choi Yu-jin smiled warmly.
“There are people who want that award but can’t get it. It’s certainly something worth celebrating.”
“······You’re right.”
Her words hit him like a blow. Right, this award isn’t something to be taken for granted. In his rush to win more awards, had he been devaluing himself······?
“Shall we make a toast then?”
As Yu Geon-min raised his glass, the other three followed suit, clinking their glasses together. And with that, the New Year’s family gathering came to an end.
A few days later, true to his reputation as an issue-maker, Yu Yeon-seo’s name dominated the internet. A reporter had snapped a photo of him meeting with Director Cheon Seong-min at a cafe in the suburbs to coordinate their contract.
Yu Yeon-seo, Now a Director at JSENM, Already Cast in a Master Director’s Comeback Film?
[Issue] Yu Yeon-seo Was Behind Director Cheon Seong-min’s Comeback
Yu Yeon-seo to Star in Director Cheon’s Comeback... No Longer a Beacon of Hope for Rookies, But an Entertainment Industry Ecosystem Disruptor?
-Wow, he’s sticking himself right into Cheon Seong-min’s comeback film, lol. Other actors are going to lose their chances.
-A project by Director Cheon is every actor’s dream, and he just gets it like this, lol. Isn’t it a bit too obvious?
-Wow, he already had an insane background, and now he’s got wings, lol.
-But isn’t the investor the most powerful person in a film? If he’s investing money, isn’t he allowed to participate as an actor? It’s not like his acting is as bad as it used to be.
└ Still, it’s against business ethics. He’s a public figure, he should be more discreet.
└ Who said Yu Yeon-seo is investing?
└└ If not an investment, then what is it? You think someone of Director Cheon’s caliber would cast Yu Yeon-seo as the lead if he wasn’t an investor?
└ I admit his acting has improved, but honestly, it’s unfair. Some people go to dozens of auditions while others get cast without one just because of their background, lol.
└└ Hey, you know nothing about the industry, lol. The production company decides who to cast anyway. Auditions are so outdated, lol. Even when they hold them, the roles are already filled, lol.
└ People in the film industry were also negative about Yu Yeon-seo becoming a director. They were worried he’d use his background to get everything he wants.
└└ But he’s always done that. Weren’t you all praising him for developing the film industry before?
└└└ Who’s complaining about him discovering new talent? This is Cheon Seong-min we’re talking about, the Emperor of Cannes, lol. A man who makes even top actors audition for every role just casts him instantly? If that’s not pressure, what is?
Ever since Yu Yeon-seo was confirmed as an internal director at JSENM, the number of people trying to keep him in check had suddenly increased. It could be the fandoms of rival actors, their agencies, or even figures within the film industry who were wary of him.
A director at Korea’s largest investment and distribution company. An actor at the peak of his career, who could wield considerable power even as an individual investor.
They were probably anxious that he would take their place. All sorts of negative viral campaigns were launched, and drama, film, and actor communities were virtually flooded with this topic day after day.
(I should probably say something.)
“I feel like you’re revealing this early because of me.”
(Not at all. I was planning to announce it soon anyway.)
“Since it’s come to this, why don’t we promote the auditions at the same time? What do you think?”
(That’s a great idea.)
As the situation escalated, Yu Yeon-seo, who was preparing an official statement, received a call from Director Cheon. A few hours later, the director’s official statement was released.
[Official] Director Cheon on Comeback Rumors: “The Comeback is Happening. But Yu Yeon-seo is Participating as an Investor.”
······In response, Director Cheon Seong-min said, “Do you think I’m someone who would bow to such pressure?” He continued, “Actor Yu Yeon-seo is a long-time fan of my work. He promised to respect my vision and support me both materially and spiritually, and I simply accepted his offer.”
JSENM also dismissed the circulating rumors as absurd, stating, “Yu Yeon-seo is participating not as an actor, but as an internal director of JSENM.”