Chapter 57
Chapter 57
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Episode 20: At the Crossroads of Choice (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Kang Han-do, Choi Ye-hee, Yoon Chae-won from LC Entertainment, and the man who had come with him. The four of them moved to a nearby barbecue restaurant.
"Welcome!"
At the staff member's energetic greeting, Kang Han-do announced their group size.
"Table for four."
"Yes! Right this way!"
Kang Han-do and Yoon Chae-won were both wearing sunglasses.
They had put them on just in case any entertainment industry folks might be dining there, preparing for any unexpected encounters.
The four claimed a table. They had deliberately chosen a room-style place, so once inside, they no longer had to worry about prying eyes.
As soon as they sat down, Yoon Chae-won and Kang Han-do removed their sunglasses side by side.
Yoon Chae-won gave a wry smile and cracked a joke to break the ice.
"That's why celebrities have it so tough."
"Hahaha. Yeah, tell me about it."
It was a self-compliment laced with intent to hype up Kang Han-do.
Yoon Chae-won and the LC Entertainment staffer sat on one side.
Kang Han-do and Choi Ye-hee took the seats across from them.
Yoon Chae-won spoke first.
"Before we get into the main topic, I hate to ask, but could I inquire about one thing?"
"Of course. Anytime."
A sudden seriousness settled over Yoon Chae-won's face.
It looked like a pretty heavy question was coming.
Sure enough, as Kang Han-do anticipated, Yoon Chae-won posed something that couldn't be brushed off lightly.
"I'm curious about the nature of your relationship."
"......"
"......"
It was a perfectly reasonable question.
A civilian like Choi Ye-hee hanging out with Kang Han-do already raised eyebrows.
Unless they were close, she wouldn't tag along to a meeting like this.
Given the situation, it was natural to suspect something more between them.
Yoon Chae-won had zeroed in on it exactly. A meaningful glint entered his eyes.
The two weren't in any suspicious relationship, but the mere fact that Yoon Chae-won saw it that way was enough to fluster Choi Ye-hee.
Unlike her, Kang Han-do responded calmly.
"We met back when I was working part-time at a convenience store. I was on nights, and Ye-hee-ssi was on days."
"A convenience store gig?"
"Yeah. We've kept in touch periodically since then."
He put special emphasis on "kept in touch."
Of course, it was a complete fabrication.
They had never worked together, and the daytime shift at Kang Han-do's store had been someone else, not Choi Ye-hee.
Yet he spun the impromptu lie so smoothly it sounded like gospel truth.
Even Choi Ye-hee, sitting right beside him, was stunned by how effortlessly he lied without batting an eye.
"Is that right, Han-do-ssi?"
Now the question turned to Choi Ye-hee.
She decided to play along with his made-up backstory.
"Ah, yes."
"I see."
A private connection from before he became a celebrity.
Kang Han-do had successfully dressed up their current relationship with the lie.
"Sorry if that came off suspicious. I was just testing the waters. Don't take it personally."
"Haha, if anything, getting linked with a beauty like Ye-hee-ssi would be an honor for me."
Choi Ye-hee's cheeks flushed at his smooth reply.
With the relationship clarification out of the way, it was time for the real discussion.
"To cut to the chase, LC Entertainment would like to debut Ye-hee as a singer."
Yoon Chae-won didn't mince words.
As the head of a major agency, he had proven his company management and artist handling skills to the world.
Confidence radiated from his demeanor.
"If LC Entertainment is scouting me... I'd be honored."
Choi Ye-hee shyly voiced her interest.
Kang Han-do nodded in strong agreement.
He had already verified from fellow celebrities that LC Entertainment was superior and safer than most. It was a safe bet.
"Then let's sign with us right away."
"But I'm still a student..."
Choi Ye-hee glanced subtly toward Kang Han-do.
He picked up the unspoken point she hadn't voiced.
"Ye-hee-ssi's parents want her to focus on school, so we'd need to approach that carefully."
"Looks like there's some family opposition."
"Yes. And personally, I'd hate for her to grind away as a trainee for years just to get dropped."
"Haha, no need to worry about that. We'll put Ye-hee under special management and make sure she debuts as a singer, come hell or high water. Plus, with you around, Han-do-ssi, we couldn't mistreat her anyway."
"That's reassuring to hear."
"We'll accommodate her studies too. We'll schedule practice around her classes as much as possible."
"Yes!"
Yoon Chae-won promised every consideration he could offer.
Perhaps due to his enthusiastic scouting pitch for Ye-hee, things progressed smoothly from there.
As the meeting neared its end,
Yoon Chae-won dropped a bombshell.
"Oh, and this just occurred to me on the spot."
"What is it?"
Was there more unfinished business?
At Kang Han-do's question, Yoon Chae-won smiled intriguingly.
"How about you sign with LC too, Han-do-ssi?"
"......?!"
Opportunity had ambushed Kang Han-do from an unexpected angle.
* * *
"How about you sign with LC too, Han-do-ssi?"
No words could capture the shock from Yoon Chae-won's single line.
LC Entertainment, the so-called entertainment giant. To get scouted by them.
Unlike Choi Ye-hee, Kang Han-do had a lot to mull over.
LC Entertainment's foundation was built on music.
Yoon Chae-won himself had started as an obscure music producer.
He, along with a few underground powerhouse singers, had founded the early LC Entertainment.
One of those starting members was Park Tae-gong, now a legend in the music scene. Countless other big-name singers called LC home too.
LC Entertainment wielded overwhelming influence in music.
But outside of that? Different story.
They had only branched into variety stars and actors three years ago.
Sure, in that short time, they racked up impressive results.
Snagging famous variety folk and actors expanded their reach beyond music.
Flip the perspective: sometimes a specialized agency that poured resources into one field—like variety or acting—was better than a sprawling giant.
It all boiled down to choice.
'Tough spot.'
Kang Han-do couldn't just joyfully accept the scout offer.
He lacked key info.
Even if he signed, would the pros outweigh the cons? He couldn't calculate without more data.
He needed intel.
So first,
"It's too sudden for me to decide right now. Sorry."
"Haha, no problem. I didn't expect an answer on the spot anyway."
Yoon Chae-won graciously offered him time to think.
Meanwhile, the LC staffer beside him during this exchange wore shifting expressions.
One emotion dominated: shock.
Kang Han-do clocked it instantly from his face.
'No internal discussion on this, huh.'
From the look, Yoon Chae-won's pitch was an off-the-cuff impulse, not pre-approved.
Yoon Chae-won steered the conversation.
"Anyway, take your time. And Ye-hee-ssi, we'll assume you're signing with us."
"Yes!"
"One of our staff will follow up with you soon. As for you, Han-do-ssi..."
Yoon Chae-won rummaged in his pocket.
A small business card appeared in his hand.
"Here's my card."
"Thank you."
"If you're open to joining us, call my personal line anytime. Don't hesitate."
"Your personal number, from the CEO himself...?"
"Hahaha! It's fine. I've had my eye on you for a while, Han-do-ssi. I kept meaning to reach out but got swamped and forgot. This feels like fate. Here's to a great partnership."
"I'll consider it positively."
"Looking forward to good news."
With future promises made, the four exchanged farewells.
* * *
On the way home, Choi Ye-hee looked up at Kang Han-do with sparkling wide eyes.
"You're amazing, Han-do-ssi. Scouted right on sight..."
"Nah. You're the real star here, Ye-hee-ssi. You caught the eye of a label head who's already a legend in music. He'll make you a great singer."
"If I debut someday, I'll treat you big-time!"
"I'll hold you to that."
Pushing Ye-hee back toward a singing career could be risky.
The music biz... no, entertainment in general... wasn't clean.
It was dirtier than most fields.
Trainees trading their bodies for debuts. Agencies and PDs swapping black money for airtime.
These were the ugly underbelly of showbiz, hidden from public view.
Deep down, Kang Han-do had hoped she'd abandon the idol dream.
Yet the more he felt that way, the fiercer her determination grew.
In the end, he helped her, and today marked her first step toward debut.
Was it the right call?
Time would tell, but for now, no regrets.
Because right beside him, Choi Ye-hee beamed with joy.