Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All

Inside Lee Moon-Yung's office at KJ Law Firm, the well-known drama writer Yoo Sun-Jung was furiously shouting. "Is Jung Yoon-Ho crazy? How dare a mere talent agent hang up on me?"

Bang!

Yoo Sun-Jung slammed the armrest of the sofa she was sitting on with a furious thud. "He shattered my pride!"

The sound of the heavy wooden armrest echoed throughout the room.

Lee Moon-Yung sighed and spoke up. "Mrs. Yoo, please calm down."

Yoo Sun-Jung snapped her head toward Lee Moon-Yung. "Calm down? Do I look like I can calm down? If you had done your job properly in the first place, I wouldn't have to calm down!"

While being a lawyer could sometimes feel like being a punching bag, it was not often one encountered a client as difficult as Yoo Sun-Jung.

Grinding her teeth, Lee Moon-Yung bowed her head once again as she had no defense for her failure to silence Gae Eun-Sook.

However, one thought kept gnawing at her: This woman really did steal the synopsis.

When Lee Moon-Yung first took on the case, she believed Yoo Sun-Jung's story. She thought it didn't make sense why a star writer like Yoo Sun-Jung would risk everything by lying.

Now, Lee Moon-Yung realized she had been wrong. She should have remembered what the head of KJ Law Firm always said.

'Never trust your client's words. Never!'

Still, Lee Moon-Yung was determined not to let her legal career be ruined by this case.

Just then, Yoo Sun-Jung snapped her out of her thoughts. "Ms. Lee! Are you even listening to me? Are you just going to sit there and do nothing?"

Lee Moon-Yung quickly regained her focus. "Mrs. Yoo, if Writer Gae Eun-Sook testifies in court, the copyright registration alone won't be enough to defend you. Is there any other evidence or testimony from a PD or CP that could support your claim?"

Yoo Sun-Jung exploded with irritation. "Defend? Why should I have to defend anything? No one's going to believe some assistant writer anyway. Just crush them! Isn't that what I'm paying you for? What's happened to the quality of KJ lawyers these days?"

Unable to hold back any longer, Lee Moon-Yung shouted, "Mrs. Yoo! Even at KJ, we can't create something out of nothing!"

"Or maybe it's just because you're incompetent!"

"Mrs. Yoo!"

Yoo Sun-Jung glared at Lee Moon-Yung. "Where do you get off glaring at me like that? I've been treating you with respect as a lawyer, but you've clearly got no sense of fear. You little brat!"

At that moment, the door to Lee Moon-Yung's office opened and a man in his mid-50s walked in.

It was none other than Kim Tae-Jin, one of the co-founders of KJ Law Firm.

After retiring as a senior judge, he established his law firm and built it into one of the most successful firms in the industry within just five years.

"Please calm down, Mrs. Yoo."

Recognizing his authority, Yoo Sun-Jung reluctantly lowered her voice. "Fine. But Mr. Kim, I need you to replace my lawyer! She's not cutting it."

"Did our Attorney Lee make a mistake?"

"If incompetence counts as a mistake, then yes. She's been eating up my money without getting anything done."

Kim Tae-Jin turned his gaze to Lee Moon-Yung. "Attorney Lee, did you make any professional errors with Mrs. Yoo?"

Lee Moon-Yung bowed her head without any excuse. "No, I didn't."

Yoo Sun-Jung glared, but Lee Moon-Yung remained honest in her response.

Kim Tae-Jin continued, "Did Mrs. Yoo ask you to do anything illegal by chance?"

Lee Moon-Yung clamped her mouth shut.

"..."

At that moment, Kim Tae-Jin's eyes flashed with understanding. Lee Moon-Yung maintained her professional ethics by keeping her client's matter confidential from her firm's representative.

Satisfied with Lee Moon-Yung's response, Kim Tae-Jin nodded to himself before turning to Yoo Sun-Jung. "Mrs. Yoo, are you sure you want to terminate your contract with Attorney Lee?"

"Yes! And I want you to take over the case, Mr. Kim. I'll pay double the fee."

Kim Tae-Jin calmly took out his phone and pressed the record button.

"Let's handle this one step at a time. I'm recording this for legal clarity. As of this moment, Attorney Lee Moon-Yung is relieved of her duties representing Mrs. Yoo Sun-Jung in the copyright lawsuit. The termination of the contract takes effect immediately. Do you, the client, agree?"

Yoo Sun-Jung smirked. "Yes, I agree. Let's follow the procedure. So, Mr. Kim, will you take over the case?"

Kim Tae-Jin gave a faint smile and then stopped the recording. "I'm sorry, but that won't be possible."

Yoo Sun-Jung frowned. "What did you say?"

Without changing his expression, Kim Tae-Jin held up his phone. "Take a look at this."

On his phone, a live broadcast from the MeTube channel Entertainment Buzz was playing.

"Wh-what is this?"

Kim Tae-Jin rewound the video by five minutes.

The screen displayed the stage at the small banquet hall of the Intercontinental Hotel in Samseong-dong.

On the stage were Lee Ji-Yeon, Han Woo-Ju, Gae Eun-Sook, Kim Soll-Ip, and Jung Yoon-Ho.

Lee Ji-Yeon had a microphone in hand and was speaking loudly.

-Did they say Writer Han stole from Yoo Sun-Jung? Don't make me laugh! The real thief is Yoo Sun-Jung!

The gathered reporters buzzed with excitement.

-Ms. Lee Ji-Yeon, is that really true?

-Of course, it's true! Writer Han's work is one I'm directly involved with. Do you think I'd lend my name to a project if it were stolen? Just a few words with her were enough for me to know the truth.

Lee Ji-Yeon then revealed that she was joining Hwaranjeon as a supporting writer, handling several key episodes.

The room erupted into chaos at the news that the legendary Lee Ji-Yeon was supporting a rookie writer like Han Woo-Ju.

Next, Gae Eun-Sook stepped up to speak.

-A week ago, Writer Han came to the KBC writers' office and left her synopsis with me. I'm here to testify to that fact.

-You're directly contradicting Writer Yoo Sun-Jung's claims. Do you have any evidence? The dates don't seem to match.

-Whenever I come across a good piece of work, I jot down a short review in my diary in case I need to recommend it to a PD or another writer later. I left a note about Writer Han's Hwaranjeon a week ago. It's synced to a backup server, so I can verify the date.

As Gae Eun-Sook tearfully made her confession, the room filled with the flash of cameras.

Then, Han Woo-Ju held up a piece of A4 paper and declared,

-And it's not just this project. The previous work, Under the Big Tree, was also mine. And here's the original ending I wrote, which Mrs. Yoo Sun-Jung completely changed!

Finally, Jung Yoon-Ho stepped forward and shouted.

-Two more of Mrs. Yoo Sun-Jung's former assistant writers just texted me saying that their work was also stolen. We'll be sending out press releases to the reporters here.

Eager for a scoop, the reporters bombarded them with questions.

Kim Tae-Jin paused the video at that moment. "You were hiding quite a lot from us, Mrs. Yoo."

Yoo Sun-Jung waved her hands frantically with her face drained of color. "No! No! These bastards are lying! Mr. Kim, you don't believe this, do you? You're my lawyer!"

Kim Tae-Jin shook his head with a cold expression. "Have you forgotten already? You just agreed to terminate your contract."

"B-but that was just to start a new contract with you!"

"Well, that's no longer our concern. KJ Law Firm will no longer be representing you, Mrs. Yoo. You'll need to find a new firm if you want a new lawyer."

Yoo Sun-Jung angrily pointed an accusatory finger at Kim Tae-Jin. "Hey! How dare you! Do you know how much money I've paid you over the years? You can't do this to me!"

As Yoo Sun-Jung began to lose control, Kim Tae-Jin calmly made a call. "Send in four female security guards, please."

Realizing her outburst wasn't working, Yoo Sun-Jung switched tactics and began pleading. "Mr. Kim, please! I'll pay triple—no, ten times the fee! Just take the case! Everything they said is a lie!"

Kim Tae-Jin remained unmoved, not even blinking.

Soon, four female security guards entered the office.

Kim Tae-Jin said to the guards, "She's paid us well over the years, so make sure she's escorted out safely."

"Yes, sir."

The four guards quickly moved to restrain Yoo Sun-Jung, who began to thrash and scream.

"Hey! Let go of me! Let me go! I'll sue all of you!"

Despite her cries, the security guards didn't flinch, lifting her off the ground and carrying her out.

"Mr. Kim, I'll pay ten times the fee! Pleeeaase!"

Yoo Sun-Jung's desperate pleading echoed loudly through the hallway as she was carried out.

Kim Tae-Jin watched Yoo Sun-Jung's retreating figure with a shake of his head, then turned his attention to Lee Moon-Yung. "Attorney Lee!"

"Yes, Mr. Kim!"

"When dealing with garbage, the first thing you need to learn is how to cut ties quickly. Just because a client tells you to do something doesn't mean you should cross the line into illegality."

Lee Moon-Yung lowered her head in shame. "I'm sorry... I really am."

"Yes, you should be. You lost before even getting into the fight."

Kim Tae-Jin's words made Lee Moon-Yung shudder.

Then, Kim Tae-Jin said something unexpected. "And if you plan to take on more cases in the entertainment industry, keep a close eye on Hoop Entertainmentp's Team Lead Jung."

"Huh? Team Lead Jung...but why?"

Kim Tae-Jin raised his phone and showed her a message. "Take a look at this. This was sent to us because they didn't want to escalate the situation."

As Lee Moon-Yung read the message on Kim Tae-Jin's phone, a chill ran down her spine.

The message detailed various illegal actions and evidence that could lead to the revocation of her license to practice law.

"This is the result of underestimating someone just because they're 'only a talent agent.' Don't forget—he's not someone to be taken lightly."

Lee Moon-Yung trembled, feeling a deep sense of defeat from someone she had dismissed as merely a talent agent.

***

After the successful press conference, I received a text message from President Kim Tae-Jin of KJ Law Firm on my way to drop off Han Woo-Ju.

[President Kim Tae-Jin: I've done as you asked, so let's consider the lawsuit against Attorney Lee dropped.]

Just before entering the banquet hall, I had sent him a recording of Lee Moon-Yung's conversation at KBC, capturing her violations of the Attorney Act and attempts to coach false testimony. I had also mentioned that I didn't want to escalate the conflict with KJ.

Being the sharp man he was, Kim Tae-Jin had promptly severed ties with Yoo Sun-Jung.

It would have been a tough battle if KJ Law Firm had decided to pursue the case to the end, but fortunately, things had worked out in our favor.

With KJ's influence no longer shielding Yoo Sun-Jung, the media was now unleashing a flood of unrestrained articles.

[Writer Yoo Sun-Jung's Habitual Script Theft Finally Exposed!]

[The Beginning and End of Her Crimes—A Comprehensive Investigation into Yoo Sun-Jung's Misdeeds.]

[Shameless Writer—How a Famous Writer Used Power to Steal a Mentee's Talent. More Dramatic Than a Drama!]

…

As Han Woo-Ju read the articles in the passenger seat, her face lit up with relief and happiness. "It's really over, Mr. Jung!"

"Yes, it's all over."

Han Woo-Ju kept reading the articles with a bright smile, clearly feeling a sense of freedom after finally breaking free from the shackles that had bound her. She was smiling more genuinely than I had ever seen before.

When we reached Han Woo-Ju's neighborhood, I pulled the car to a stop. "I'll get the writing studio set up soon and get back to you."

Han Woo-Ju hesitated for a moment before looking up at me. "But, um, Mr. Jung... could you speak to me more casually when it's just the two of us? I'm only 23 years old..."

Seeing my uncomfortable expression, she quickly added. "You speak casually to the actors, right? I'm part of Hoop Entertainment now, so please treat me the same way."

But I shook my head.

"Why not...?"

"From now on, the scripts that come from your pen will affect the livelihoods of countless actors and production companies. Regardless of your age, I can't treat you casually when so much responsibility rests on your shoulders."

The fate held in a drama writer's hand was no small matter. The success or failure of their work could impact dozens, if not hundreds, of lives in this industry.

Because of this, drama writers were given respect and deference as soon as they broke into the industry.

It might be a heavy burden, but it was something Han Woo-Ju needed to overcome on her own.

Just the 50-episode Hwaranjeon alone would require at least 15 billion won in production costs and the outcome of that investment was now in her hands.

"You'll do well. You already succeeded with Under the Big Tree, didn't you? Have confidence," I reassured her.

Han Woo-Ju nodded and slowly raised her hand to shake mine.

But then, she suddenly reached over from the passenger seat and wrapped her arms around me. Being petite, all she could manage while seated was an awkward hug around my arm.

"Mr. Jung! Thank you so much! Because of you, I've really become a writer. I promise I'll do my best!"

I considered pulling away, but something told me I shouldn't. Instead, I left my arm where it was and gently patted her back with my other hand. "Everything's going to be fine now, Ms. Han."

I had to stay there and comfort her until she finally regained her composure.

***

The next day after the interview, the viewership ratings for episode 11 of In the Name of God came in at 29.7%.

While the rate of increase had slowed slightly, any upward movement when the viewership ratings were already nearing 30% was still a significant achievement.

Thanks to this, Yoo-Jin's face was glowing with happiness from the moment she woke up. "At this rate, we're definitely going to break 30%."

"Of course we will! It's just a matter of when."

Yoo-Jin beamed and nodded enthusiastically. "But when will the script for the next project be ready?"

"It might take a little while."

"I hope it's ready soon!"

Since the current project was nearing its final stages, Yoo-Jin was brimming with anticipation for the next one.

Beside her, Miso was wearing an equally excited expression. "Uncle Yoon-Ho, am I going to be in this one too?"

"Do you want to be in it again, Miso?"

"Yes! I really want to!"

I crouched down to meet her eye level and asked, "But you'll have to audition for it. Are you okay with that?"

I teased her playfully that she would have to take a test, but Miso responded confidently. "Yes! I'll go to the audition and get first place!"

She looked absolutely certain she would succeed.

"Is that so? Then let's make sure you nail the audition and win the role!"

"Okay!"

Then Yoo-Jin asked, "Oppa, who's the director this time?"

"I have someone in mind."

"Who is it?"

"It's not set in stone yet. I'll tell you once it's confirmed."

One of the candidates I was considering was PD Oh Bok-Hee, who was on the verge of resigning from MBS.

"Alright, let's get ready. Sang-Bong will be here soon."

Having won the dispute over Han Woo-Ju's work, I was curious about how the people at the office would react today.

At that moment, my phone rang with Lee Soo-Chan's call.

"Hey, Soo-Chan. What's up?"

-Hyung-nim! I have bad news! Nalsae's been captured!

"What?"

Nalsae, who had been tracking down Choi Eun-Tae's son under orders from Kim Dong-Soo, had been captured by someone.

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