Top Management

TM Chapter 147

TL: emptycube / ED: Isleidir

Kim Hyunsup waved his baseball cap. Beside him were the director, staff, and other unknown actors who worked on the independent film with Nam Joyoon. Nam Joyoon bowed his head towards them.

The staff took something out from beneath their seats.

I flinched, worried it was some poster board, but fortunately, they brought out cameras. These cameras were even bigger than the reporters’, but they were members of a film crew so it was to be expected. If they weren’t at a theatre, they might have even brought along a film camera.

I should greet them separately after the cast introductions.

Thinking this, I looked at Nam Joyoon. The corners of his lips were slightly raised.

As soon as the actors gathered, the project producer held the mic.

“Wow, it must be because our actors are all amazing, but everyone seems heated in investigative spirit! After today’s screening, I hope you will tell your family, friends, colleagues, and strangers about it. Now the director and cast will make their introductions!”

Ear-piercing cheers erupted.

***

“It feels weird seeing Mr. Joyoon over there, right?”

“He gets to introduce himself along with all those other top stars. Makes me feel like we’ve fallen behind.”

“Will he be living in a different world than us from now on?”

The independent film members whispered to each other.

“Do you think your life will change if you appear in a couple scenes of a commercial film?”

A blunt voice poured cold water over their moods. It was Lee Sunghyun.

“Mr. Sunghyun, did you not come to see the premiere with us before? It’s not just a couple of scenes, he appears quite a lot.”

“That’s right. His character is very impressionable too. With Alive’s box-office results, I bet his popularity will soar.”

Lee Sunghyun shrugged at the director and assistant director’s words.

“We’ll have to see how great the box-office results are. A Hollywood film is going to be released in a few days.”

“Are you cursing other’s movies because your own flopped?”

Kim Hyunsup cut in. Lee Sunghyun’s expression distorted frighteningly.

The assistant director quickly changed the subject when he felt the mood become dangerous.

“Wow, Lee Songha, that girl has no need for lights or reflective panels. She glows on her own.”

“Her acting is even more incredible. Apparently, she filmed Alive and Royal Family at the same time, yet she got into both characters so well. They were completely different roles to boot. It like she debuted as a child actress than an idol.”

The staff gaped in admiration. The audience cheered like wolves as soon as Lee Songha held the mic. Expertly introducing herself, Lee Songha looked beside her. Nam Joyoon was next. The surging cheers quickly died down.

“Who is he?”

“Seeing as he’s introducing himself as well, I guess he’s an actor? He’s good-looking compared to your average joe.”

“I wish he would take his time so we have more time to look at the other actors.”

As if she heard them, Lee Songha stopped before passing over the mic.

Then she said,

“E-everyone, before the movie begins, please look at the person next to me.”

One by one, the audience looked towards Nam Joyoon.

“Although you may not know him now, after the movie-“

“I know him! I know him!”

A pregnant woman sitting on the very front row raised her hand high.

“I bought a ticket to this event after seeing the premiere! I even saw it early in the morning today!”

The excited woman stomped her feet. Receiving the mic, Nam Joyoon bowed.

“I am Nam Joyoon. Thank you.”

“Oh my goodness, you’re so great at acting! My baby almost popped out while I was watching the movie!”

“… We can’t have that.”

Various people in the audience laughed. A few people began taking pictures of him.

The woman smiled brightly and said,

“I became your fan, but I couldn’t find a photo of you on the internet! That’s why I decided to see Alive a few more times! Please appear in many movies in the future!”

No words escaped from Nam Joyoon’s mouth for a while before he bowed again.

“… Yes, thank you.”

His lukewarm expression slowly warmed.

*

Two hours later, the audience left the theatre in a trance.

“The rumors weren’t exaggerated.”

“I need to watch it again. I was so immersed in the plot that I didn’t get to look at Lee Songha.”

“It was such a thrill for the whole two hours! My neck almost cramped from being tense for so long.”

The audience continued their positive feedback. A woman who saw the pregnant woman pass by smacked her lips in regret.

“Ah! I should have taken a picture of that actor too! That crazy villain, what was his name?”

“Nam… Nam Joyoon! Did I take a picture? It feels like he’ll become popular, right?”

“Let’s see! Oh my gosh, the photo came out so well! Send it to me so I can post it on my blog!”

Seeing people like this, the independent film director grabbed Kim Hyunsup’s shoulder.

“They seem to like Mr. Joyoon?”

“I know, right? Joyoon that bastard, I really hope everything goes well for him this time.”

“He suffered a ton. People like him deserve to be successful.”

Nodding his head, the director looked around.

“Mr. Sunghyun, you should stop… Huh? Where did he go?”

Lee Sunghyun stood rigid, pale in the face.

An unknown actor sighed next to him.

“Fuck, someone’s life’s all set now. I always consoled myself whenever I failed an audition by thinking, ‘At least I’m better than this no-life who’s been getting nowhere for the past ten years’. Was Nam Joyoon also destined to be successful?”

“It’s all luck.”

Lee Sunghyun said as if convinced.

“He was lucky to be cast in a movie like this and was lucky to get an impactful role. If I also had this opportunity, I…”

“No shit. You would have done much better than him! I also-“

Just as the unknown actor put on airs, a man carrying a laptop and camera approached them and handed them his business card.

“Excuse me. Could I ask you a few questions?”

The unknown actor asked after checking his business card,

“Uhh… Are you a reporter?”

“I came here to cover this event, but I happened to overhear your conversation.”

“Our conversation?”

The reporter took another step towards them.

“Yes, it seems like you’re close with Mr. Nam Joyoon?”

***

“Mr. Sunwoo! Wow, really! Holy! Wow, I can’t even talk right now!”

“Please calm down.”

“I saw the articles! Amazing! Are you really blessed?”

“No.”

I felt like the pied piper.

Employees surrounded me in the lounge just outside my office. Their excited voices buzzed in my ears. The PR Team female employee handed me a coffee from her tray of coffee cups and said,

“SBE Film is in a frenzy right now. Their CEO apparently said their first-week goal was 2 million people.”

“I heard that too.”

“Their goal was 2 million people for the first week? Then, of course, they are in a frenzy. If I was their CEO, I’d be tumbling over backwards in happiness!”

“Is 2 million people really the problem? Their opening number was 790, 000!”

Someone shouted with a snort. Other employees were astonished.

“They say it’s the best yet.”

“At this rate, they’ll pass their 2-million goal by tomorrow!”

“I heard the rumors are great right now. Wow, I’m so speechless.”

I felt like my face had become a dart board. Their gazes stuck on me. The gazes, which I could have laughed off in the past, were a bit intense. So much so that I felt a little queasy. I calmly rubbed my lips to not reveal my thoughts.

An Audio & Recording (A&R) Team female employee, who I remembered back when we were working on Neptune’s mini-album, said,

“He’s definitely human just like us. You are human, right?”

“What would I be if not human?”

“But how can everything you pick be jackpots? With you, won’t the company not need the A&R Team anymore? At this point, I think you could just pick Neptune’s title track. We’ll just sit back and enjoy the ride!”

Laughter erupted in the crowd.

It was a joke. Meant for a laugh. Even though I knew this, I felt like there were thorns in my throat.

The moment I heard her words, the thoughts I had barely managed to suppressed burst forward. Pretty Girls. Chief Lee Taeshin. The songwriter. The song Kim Hyunjo was certain would have done better if Neptune sang it. The song that could sweep away the potential problems laying around Neptune and make my next decision a surefire success.

The song destined for success. One no one else knew.

“Why is it so loud here?”

A thorny voice suddenly cut through the commotion. The Team 2 Leader was walking down the stairs.

“Do you all have no work to do?”

The employees quickly dispersed. I also simply greeted him and left. Maybe it was because of Alive’s successful numbers, but the Team 2 Leader looked like an irritable stingray, and my mind was teeter-tottering as well.

“Jung Sunwoo.”

The Team 2 Leader’s voice held me by the back of my neck.

“… Yes.”

“Are you taking good care of Neptune? People have been talking.”

“There’s never a peaceful day. I am aware of it.”

“Really? I was worried you threw them aside since you were so entranced by your new guy.”

I guess he didn’t have anything to say about Nam Joyoon considering he brought up Neptune instead.

I just hoped he would worry about his own work.

I replied with a smile,

“That’s not it. Rather, I feel like you can’t take your eyes off me.”

“You bastard, your words grow more revolting by the day.”

The Team 2 Leader laughed.

“Hey, you need to be humble when things are going well. You never know when you’ll trip up.”

Just as I was about to reply, the office door suddenly burst open.

“Mr. Sunwoo! Come in quickly! An article about Mr. Nam Joyoon-!”

The PR Team female employee flinched when she saw the Team 2 Leader.

The Team 2 Leader asked with interest,

“An article? What kind of article?”

When we walked into the office, people were gathered around a computer.

The Team 3 Leader, Kim Hyunjo, Lee Kwanwoo, and other members of Team 3 and the PR Team were focused on the monitor. Team Leader Park was pacing around on her phone. Her voice was raised.

“Director, it’s not like Mr. Nam Joyoon’s all on his own, how can you do this despite knowing he’s one of us? When did you investigate all of this? If you were going to publish an exclusive, you should have mentioned it to me beforehand. How can you just suddenly throw this out there?”

Investigate? Exclusive article?

What problems could there be regarding Nam Joyoon?

Was it about his lawsuit against his previous company? But the company was more at fault.

The tussle with Director Park last year?

No, there was no way he could talk when he himself was guilty.

I went over and asked,

“What is it? Mr. Nam Joyoon’s article?”

“Yeah, what’s with all this fuss?”

The Team 2 Leader, who came in with me, added. He looked like he was spectating a show.

Frowning, Kim Hyunjo looked at me and said,

“To be precise, it’s an article about Mr. Nam Joyoon and you.”

“Me?”

“Bring up the article.”

Lee Kwanwoo moved the mouse. An article popped up on the screen.

The headline and caption caught my eyes.

{Chief Jung Sunwoo proves he’s Midas’s Hand. Not just projects, but people as well?}

The actor who went unknown for ten years then suddenly became Alive’s scene-stealer! Who is Nam Joyoon?

What the hell?

It was completely different from what I expected.

As Kim Hyunjo said, the article was more about both of us than just Nam Joyoon. It included the story where we first met on the set of the independent film. Also, how he auditioned in front of Director Choi Sungwon. Shooting Alive. It was recounting of the past few months I spent with Nam Joyoon.

It even included the part where Nam Joyoon was rejected by W&U after an initial meeting.

The Team 3 Leader read a part of the article out loud.

“In a call with the main reporter, a person at W&U said, ‘The team leader at the meeting commented that Nam Joyoon lacked potential,’ and revealed how ‘thinking about it now, it was the team leader, who didn’t have a good eye.’”