Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All

Chapter 424: Coffee Truck (1)

Chapter 424: Coffee Truck (1)

Ju Yung-In appeared on the Hwaranjeon set, fully made up in her usual dazzling outfit.

She wore a bright ivory long coat over a white blouse and beige long skirt, paired with black boots and a deep gray bag that added the perfect accent.

Her hair, still as long as ever, now flowed in a dyed black shade instead of its former light brown to reflect her role as the black-haired beauty protagonist in Wolf of the Battlefield.

"Miss Yung-In! You must be so busy with filming. What brings you all the way to Gyeongju?"

The moment Ju Yung-In arrived, reporters quickly abandoned Min Gyu-Ri to swarm around her. No amount of Min Gyu-Ri's charm could overcome the gap as Ju Yung-In was simply in another league.

Naturally, this would make a world of difference in article view counts.

With a bright smile, Ju Yung-In pointed to the coffee truck's signboard. "It's written right here. I'm here to cheer for my friends Yoo-Jin and Miso."

At the same time, Ju Yung-In faced the cameras with a playful fist pose. "Jung Yoo-Jin, you've got this! I'm counting on you!"

As Ju Yung-In struck her cheering pose with a cute smile, the reporters' cameras clicked rapidly.

Currently, Ju Yung-In was at the center of national hopes to break the Korean wave in China while solidifying her stardom across Asia with the success of In the Name of God. It would be no exaggeration to say she was now a top star.

Watching the reporters flock to Ju Yung-In, Lee Yung-Jin couldn't hold back his laughter. "Hahaha. Min Gyu-Ri really went all out today, but she totally stepped in it."

Min Gyu-Ri dressed in ceremonial garb and full makeup had been dutifully carrying coffee. However, Ju Yung-In's sudden appearance stole all attention.

"Well, life rarely goes the way you want it to," I remarked casually.

I reflected, 'Even in this lifetime, not everything goes my way either.'

After wrapping up a quick interview, Ju Yung-In began walking toward us with the reporters still in tow.

That's when Min Gyu-Ri stepped forward, holding a takeaway coffee cup to intercept. "It's an honor to meet you, sunbae-nim. I made this coffee myself. Please have a cup."

With so many cameras watching, Min Gyu-Ri played the perfect polite hoobae as she knew that even a single article suggesting ties to Ju Yung-In would be invaluable to her as a rookie. It was a sly move, but she had a knack for seeking out camera opportunities.

Unfortunately for her, Min Gyu-Ri underestimated Ju Yung-In.

Ju Yung-In subtly shifted into the spot where the cameras would capture her best. After confirming the angle, she asked sweetly, "I'm sorry, but who are you? I've been traveling overseas so much lately that I'm a bit scatterbrained."

The flustered Min Gyu-Ri's face turned bright red. She might have been one of Hwaranjeon's major roles, but being ignored so thoroughly had caught her off guard.

Still, Min Gyu-Ri managed to introduce herself in a trembling voice while suppressing her humiliation. "I'm Min Gyu-Ri. I play Princess Do-Hwa in Hwaranjeon."

Ju Yung-In flashed a radiant smile. "Oh~ I see. I'll look forward to your performance, Miss Gyu-Ri. But I'm sorry, that coffee isn't for me. I appreciate the thought, though."

With that, Ju Yung-In didn't even take the coffee and smoothly walked past Min Gyu-Ri. It was clearly payback for Min Gyu-Ri's attempt to steal the spotlight.

'Though knowing Min Gyu-Ri, she won't let this slide quietly...' I thought.

Sure enough, Min Gyu-Ri, now seething, stepped aside and deliberately stomped on the edge of her own long skirt.

Wobble.

"Oh, no!"

Min Gyu-Ri stumbled forward, flinging the takeaway coffee cup into the air.

Thud.

The cup hit the ground with its lid popping off and splattering dark coffee in all directions. As a result, Ju Yung-In's ivory coat bore the brunt of the spill and was now stained with unsightly coffee marks.

"S-sunbae.. I'm so sorry. What should I do..."

Min Gyu-Ri sprawled on the ground and feigned trembling as if she had truly caused an accident when it was intentional.

The reporters didn't miss their cue and snapped away.

Flash! Flash!

It was the perfect story: rookie actress VS top actress.

The reporters eagerly anticipated Ju Yung-In erupting in anger and cursing at Min Gyu-Ri. If they could capture that moment, a front-page headline was guaranteed.

However, something unexpected happened. Ju Yung-In didn't frown or lose her composure even once. Instead, she calmly helped Min Gyu-Ri up.

Ju Yung-In spoke with concern. "Are you alright? Oh no. You've got filming to do but now your outfit is ruined. Will you be okay, Miss Gyu-Ri?"

Ju Yung-In's magnanimous attitude, unbothered by her stained coat, drew soft murmurs of admiration from a few reporters. Even with an expensive coat ruined, she prioritized her hoobae actress's wellbeing.

It wasn't the dramatic scene they had hoped for, but it was still a touching moment. The cameras flashed relentlessly.

'Not bad, Ju Yung-In.' I remarked inwardly.

In my past life, these two women had made my life unbearable. Now, watching their subtle battle of wits was both amusing and chilling. Min Gyu-Ri causing a scene in front of reporters was bold, but Ju Yung-In's flawless response was even more impressive.

I shook my head and thought, 'No wonder they trampled me so easily back then. How did I ever survive between women like them?'

While the stylist fidgeted anxiously in the background, Ju Yung-In nonchalantly lifted Min Gyu-Ri.

Min Gyu-Ri's plan to damage Ju Yung-In's image had completely backfired. Min Gyu-Ri must have been burning with rage on the inside, but outwardly, she wore the look of a regretful and apologetic hoobae.

Min Gyu-Ri forced sincerity into her tone and said, "Sunbae, I'm so sorry. I'll make it up to you. I'll pay for everything."

Ju Yung-In simply shook her head with an angelic expression. "No, it's fine. Where would a rookie even find the money to replace this? Don't worry about it. This is a limited edition piece by Richard Choi, the top Korean designer in New York. You can't even put a price on it."

With a single statement, Ju Yung-In accomplished two things: she subtly scolded Min Gyu-Ri for ruining an irreplaceable item while presenting herself as magnanimous for forgiving the mistake.

Sensing an opportunity, the reporters furiously drafted their headlines.

-Ju Yung-In comforts the hoobae actress's mistake with warm compassion...

-Top Korean designer Richard Choi chooses Ju Yung-In.

Having lost completely, Min Gyu-Ri tried to salvage some dignity. "Still, I can't just let this go. Please let me pay for the cleaning, sunbae-nim."

Ju Yung-In shrugged as if relenting. "If it really bothers you, fine. I'll send the cleaning bill to TNT Entertainment."

For the first time, Min Gyu-Ri's face betrayed genuine shock. "Wait...You knew...?"

She hadn't mentioned her agency earlier when introducing herself, meaning Ju Yung-In had known who Min Gyu-Ri was all along and only pretended not to recognize her.

Ju Yung-In flashed a sweet smile before handing her coat to the stylist trailing behind her. "Soo-Hyun, this needs cleaning. Can you grab me another coat?"

"Yes, unnie."

While Ji Soo-Hyun ran off to the parking lot for a new coat, Ju Yung-In posed effortlessly for the cameras in just her blouse and skirt. She showed no discomfort despite the biting November wind with her expression remaining poised and confident as if to say she was untouchable.

Moments later, Ju Yung-In reappeared in a pale pink coat. She smiled briefly at Min Gyu-Ri before turning and walking gracefully toward me.

It was a perfect victory. Ju Yung-In had outclassed Min Gyu-Ri in every way.

***

After promising the reporters an interview later, Ju Yung-In approached me with her talent agent, Ahn Yung-Hee.

Watching Min Gyu-Ri return to her seat, Ju Yung-In remarked with amusement, "Oppa. Min Gyu-Ri's got quite the nerve, doesn't she?"

"I'd say you completely crushed her, though."

Ju Yung-In shrugged nonchalantly. "There aren't many rookies like her in this industry. But if you can't handle people like that, you might as well quit this business. But seriously, it was so hard to keep my cool."

I complimented her. "You're impressive, Ju Yung-In."

Ju Yung-In smiled. "If I'm being honest with you, I wanted to rip that hanbok she's wearing to shreds...but what can I do? As Korea's representative actress, I have to show some restraint."

'The thought of ruining someone's clothes over a coffee spill... what a truly extraordinary mindset,' I remarked inwardly.

I asked, "How much was that coat anyway? If it's a Richard Choi design, it must be ridiculously expensive."

"It is. About fifty grand in USD."

"What...?"

"But Shanghai New Media Inc. gave it to me for free and told me to wear it around. Actually, I should be charging them advertising fees."

"If it's free, you don't really need to charge Min Gyu-Ri for cleaning, do you?"

"Of course I do. It's mine now, so I can charge what I want. And since her actions annoyed me, I'll send her a bill for about ten grand. Yeah, I'll slap her with a 10 million won cleaning fee. That girl has some nerve coming at me like that," Ju Yung-In argued.

Unlike before, Ju Yung-In didn't bother hiding her true nature in front of me anymore.

Ju Yung-In glanced around, though her searching didn't seem particularly earnest. "By the way, where's Yoo-Jin?"

"You really came here to see Yoo-Jin?"

"I told you I did."

It was hard to believe, but I didn't press further. That's when I spotted Yoo-Jin on the other side of the set, dressed in a light blue princess costume.

"There she is."

The moment Yoo-Jin spotted Ju Yung-In, she froze for a moment in surprise. Then, she held Miso's hand tightly and began running toward us.

***

"Oh my! Miso, you've grown so much since I last saw you!" Ju Yung-In exclaimed.

Ju Yung-In greeted Miso warmly, but Miso simply hid behind Yoo-Jin and gave a small nod.

Yoo-Jin pulled Miso closer and asked Ju Yung-In, "What are you doing here?"

"What else? I came to cheer you on."

"You came to cheer me on? Don't kid around and be honest. Why are you really here?"

Ju Yung-In let out a dramatic sigh and shrugged. "Why are you and Yoon-Ho oppa so suspicious of me?"

Yoo-Jin snorted softly. "Say something believable, then. Just this morning, there was an article saying you were too busy to even breathe."

Ju Yung-In retorted with a sly grin. "So you're keeping tabs on my articles now?"

Yoo-Jin blinked in surprise and stammered, "What? No... I just see your name pop up in related searches when I'm reading mine."

Ju Yung-In smiled playfully. "Oh~ really?"

She added, "You two really are impossible to fool. Fine. The truth is, I actually came to ask Yoon-Ho oppa for advice on something."

Yoo-Jin's expression immediately turned wary. "You're not up to something shady again, are you?"

"Shady? Wow. You really don't trust me, do you? Did you not see the coffee truck I brought?"

"You didn't bring it for me but you brought it so your name would appear in the headlines. Isn't that right?"

"Wow~ Yoo-Jin, that really hurts. Is that what you think of me?"

"Yeah."

At that moment, Ju Yung-In grinned wider. "This isn't working, huh? Still, I did come partly for you. And besides, you're the only one who knows how to argue with me properly."

"That's not a good thing!"

I stepped in to break up their bickering. "Alright, enough of that. Just get to the point. Why are you really here?"

Clearing her throat, Ju Yung-In finally got to the real reason. "Actually, CP Do called me and asked if I'd be interested in playing the lead role for Queen Jeong-Hee. I wanted to get your opinion on it, Yoon-Ho oppa."

"The lead role in Queen Jeong-Hee?"

Ju Yung-In explained that CP Do Ye-Soo from KBC had personally called her, offering the role of the main lead of Queen Jeong-Hee. However, with her current commitments to Wolf of the Battlefield, Ju Yung-In's schedule was packed until early next year.

Despite that, Ju Yung-In clearly had her sights set on Queen Jeong-Hee.

I glanced at Ahn Yung-Hee. "Can she manage both projects at the same time?"

Ahn Yung-Hee nodded without hesitation. "Yes. Shanghai New Media Inc. has been incredibly accommodating, so I think she can handle it. If we decide to work with KBC, they even agreed to provide a private jet for me to travel between the two countries."

Since Wang Long was a personal fan of Ju Yung-In, she was receiving far more generous treatment than I had expected.

Queen Jeong-Hee was originally a drama set to achieve viewership ratings of 23% in the latter half of next year. With Do Ye-Soo, a veteran who had spent 30 years mastering historical dramas as the chief producer, the results were sure to be solid once again.

However, there was one key variable.

Regardless of the actors, directors, or CPs involved, Hwaranjeon had Yoo-Jin. If Yoo-Jin's performance shone and Hwaranjeon became a hit, Queen Jeong-Hee would inevitably take a hit in its viewership ratings.

At that moment, Ju Yung-In looked at me with a serious expression and asked, "Oppa. I brought the coffee truck and put Min Gyu-Ri in her place, so give me an answer. Do you think Queen Jeong-Hee will be a hit or not?"

Ju Yung-In had always followed my lead until now. At first, it was to crush Yoo-Jin. Then she simply started following my choices in projects. This time, she was outright asking me for my opinion.

'You really are something else, Ju Yung-In.'

In the past, I might have hesitated to answer this question. However, there was no reason to hesitate now. I was certain that Hwaranjeon wouldn't lose to Queen Jeong-Hee.

Looking at Ju Yung-In, I calmly replied, "It'll be a hit. CP Do Ye-Soo, Writer Ga Ye-Eun, and Writer Lee Sun-Chang are all masters of historical dramas."

The moment I said this, Ju Yung-In, who had been carefully studying my expression, let a deep smile spread across her face.

She had clearly already made up her mind about whether to take the role or not.