Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All

Chapter 335: Shadow (2)

It was past midnight.

Haru suddenly opened the door and stepped into the living room, possibly drawn by my raised voice.

"Hyung? What's wrong? Is something going on?" Haru asked.

"Oh, sorry. Did I wake you?"

Haru shook his head. "No, I was just planning the menu for this week's competition."

Haru was preparing for the finals of the Table of Mukbang this Saturday. The cooking theme was "Three meals a day to serve to a precious person." Haru had been up late every night struggling to think of ideas as he hadn't decided on the menu yet.

I patted Haru's shoulder and assured him it was nothing serious. "I was just surprised by how many people came to see Tae-Poong's movie. Anyway, do you want some help if you're having trouble deciding on the menu?"

"No, I'll handle it myself."

"Alright, but let me know if it gets too hard."

"Yes, hyung~"

I gently pushed Haru back into his room. "Okay, then go to bed now. You need to sleep early to grow taller."

"Goodnight!"

"Yeah, you too."

After saying goodnight to Haru, I rechecked my planner but found no changes to the schedule.

I had already asked Kim Sung-Woon to reschedule the shoot, and I couldn't possibly do so again. Besides, it wasn't like we had the luxury of time to skip tomorrow's filming session altogether.

In the end, I had no choice but to face it directly on-site.

I suppressed my anxious heart and headed to bed. I tried to lie down and closed my eyes but couldn't fall asleep.

'Why did a new schedule appear out of nowhere?' I fretted.

As I mulled over the reason for the new schedule popping up, one thought suddenly crossed my mind. 'Wait a minute. Could it be... someone is targeting Yoo-Jin on set?'

That seemed like the most reasonable assumption.

I immediately got up from bed and sent KkTalk messages to Lee Yung-Jin and Jung Sang-Bong.

I suggested they entrust their schedules to other talent agents and accompany Yoo-Jin to the site tomorrow instead.

***

It was 5:30 a.m and there were still two hours left before we had to leave for the shoot.

I spent the whole night checking through the fan letters stored in the storage room as I was worried that a stalker might be lurking.

I rubbed my bloodshot eyes and mumbled. "I have no idea who it could be..."

I went through more than a thousand fan letters, but there was nothing suspicious that hinted at a stalker.

I went outside to check with the security company staff who guard the place 24/7, but they said they hadn't seen anyone suspicious.

I returned home and organized the fan letters scattered in the living room while waiting for Lee Yung-Jin and Jung Sang-Bong to arrive.

"Who the heck could it be? What's going on?" I asked in frustration.

I clasped my head, but no answer came to mind.

It was now 6 a.m. and Lee Yung-Jin, Jung Sang-Bong, Lee Mi-Ri, and Yang So-Ri arrived.

I expressed concerns about seeing suspicious individuals frequently around Yoo-Jin, creating a sense of urgency.

Even though I didn't know the exact cause, it was crucial to stay alert and keep a close watch on Yoo-Jin for now.

Lee Yung-Jin spoke with a bewildered expression. "If it's a stalker, shouldn't we contact the police?"

"But it might just be my imagination. Let's all get through today and stay alert. Pair up and keep close. And if you see anyone suspicious, report them to me immediately."

Fortunately, they didn't ask for more details since all four of them trusted me.

"Yes, Mr. Jung!"

"Oh, and I called the Kimbap Store to order 80 sets of kimbap with soup, so make sure to pick them up on the way."

"Got it."

"Alright, let's eat and get moving."

We had a hearty breakfast with the help of one of the talent agents, Jung In-Ji.

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After all, there wouldn't be any time to eat at the site today.

***

We arrived at the Yangpyeong filming location.

Episode 22, which we were filming today, was set to air in two days. As such, the staff were running around busily, too busy to even sit down.

Everyone looked particularly tense and on edge than usual because it was an important episode where Manshin Wol-Ah dies and exits the show.

I instructed Yoo-Jin to get her makeup done and then went to find Kim Sung-Woon.

In the monitoring tent, Kim Sung-Woon was holding the cue sheet and shouting orders nonstop.

"Dong-Jin, tell Mrs. Kim Soo-Hee that we'll be reshooting scene 318."

"Again? But Mr. Kim, we're running out of time..."

"Do you want to release a half-baked project just because we're short on time? Go talk to her and also inform Yung-In as well."

"Yes, sir!"

Even in this hectic situation, Kim Sung-Woon was ordering retakes to aim for perfection.

I called out, "Mr. Kim, we're here."

Kim Sung-Woon turned his head. "Oh, you're here?"

"Yes, I apologize for the delay."

"No worries. By the way, how is Miss Yoo-Jin feeling?"

"She's much better now."

"That's good to hear. We'll start shooting scene 300 shortly after 12:45 p.m., please be ready. Also, please have a rehearsal with Mr. Byung-Jun around 12:30 p.m.."

I nodded. "Understood. By the way, we brought some kimbap. It's for lunch, so can we distribute it to everyone right now?"

Before arriving on set, I called Cha Soo-Yeon to inform her we had arranged for the kimbap as a snack.

My plan was to be on the lookout for anyone who might seem like the stalker while distributing the kimbap.

Kim Sung-Woon, holding two rolls of kimbap and soup, nodded. "Kimbap is certainly better than a lunchbox on busy days like today."

Kim Sung-Woon spread out the foil and started chomping down on the kimbap while keeping his eyes on the cue sheet.

"Then I'll get going now since I have to hand out kimbap to the rest of the staff."

"Alright, Mr. Jung."

After a brief bow, I left Kim Sung-Woon.

It was currently 10 a.m., and the incident in my planner was expected to happen at 1 p.m.

Since there were still a few hours left, I handed out kimbap with Jung Sang-Bong while observing people's faces as we went.

However, there was no one particularly suspicious. In the end, I had no choice but to return to Yoo-Jin without any leads.

By then, Yoo-Jin had finished her makeup for Manshin Wol-Ah and was waiting for me.

Perhaps because of the buzz about the tight schedule on set, even the usually bold Yoo-Jin seemed unusually tense.

As her talent agent, it was not only my job to ensure her safety, but also that she didn't mess up her acting.

"Yoo-Jin, what's wrong?" I asked her.

Yoo-Jin stuck out her tongue slightly and expressed her anxiety. "W-well, they keep saying there's not enough time...and it's making me nervous for no reason. I'm worried that if I make a mistake, it will delay the entire filming schedule..."

I smiled reassuringly at her. "Just focus on what you can do. Leave the schedule to the production team and us, okay?"

When I encouraged her to forget everything else and focus solely on her performance, Yoo-Jin smiled and nodded. "I don't know if it'll work, but I'll try to clear my mind."

"Good. If you do well today, let's go eat something delicious tonight. It's on me."

Yoo-Jin pouted her lips. "Hmph. Are you going to take me to that buckwheat restaurant again and only feed me buckwheat noodles and brown rice?"

Yoo-Jin was referring to the previous week when I promised her a hearty meal but ended up taking her to a healthy buckwheat restaurant.

Though I felt a pang of guilt inside, I kept a straight face. "Oh, no. Today, I'll let you eat whatever you want."

"Really? Is that a promise?"

"Yeah, really!"

Yoo-Jin clenched her fist with an excited expression. "Okay, got it."

Feeling relieved at the sight of a brightened Yoo-Jin, I gathered the talent agents next to the waiting area. "Did anyone see anything suspicious?"

"I didn't see anything."

"Neither did I."

"You'd think someone would stand out with all these people around, but I haven't seen anyone."

We even checked in with the bit-part actors, but there were no significant findings.

I nodded. "Alright. Still, don't let your guard down on set just yet."

"Yes, Mr. Jung."

I instructed the talent agents to keep a close watch on Yoo-Jin and checked my planner again.

However, the schedule remained unchanged.

'Who could it be?' I wondered.

***

Hours passed without any progress.

I began to wonder if perhaps it wasn't a stalker targeting Yoo-Jin but just an accident. As such, I helped by carrying and checking equipment whenever I had a free moment.

Nevertheless, the schedule in the planner remained the same.

It was now 12:20 p.m. and there was less than an hour until the incident was expected to occur.

Trying to calm my anxious heart, I gave instructions to Yang So-Ri. "We'll rehearse the stabbing scene in ten minutes. Since the makeup might smudge, please ensure there's time for some touch-up before the actual shoot."

"Yes, Mr. Jung."

Next, I instructed Lee Mi-Ri to prepare the costumes.

Then, I started reading the script for scene 300, which involved the death of Manshin Wol-Ah.

That's when it hit me: a ridiculous thought filled my mind. 'Could it be that Lee Byung-Jun is going to stab Yoo-Jin for real?'

I quickly shook my head.'No, that's too far-fetched.'

In the Name of God had a viewership rating of 34%. Plus, Yoo-Jin was a key factor driving that popularity.

If something were to happen to Yoo-Jin, Lee Byung-Jun, who played the role of the psychopath, wouldn't be able to continue working in the industry ever again.

'Still, I can't be too sure. I shouldn't keep my guard down,' I thought.

Although this was an absurd possibility, I kept it in the back of my mind since TK Entertainment had always been looking for a chance to take me down.

A moment later, Lee Byung-Jun from TK Entertainment approached me with the prop knife he would use today. Beside him was Jin Chul-Min, the talent agent from TK Entertainment.

Lee Byung-Jun smiled as he looked at Yoo-Jin. "Your makeup is incredible no matter how many times I see it. Miss Yoo-Jin. I mean, Mdm. Manshin Wol-Ah, I look forward to working with you today."

35 year old Lee Byung-Jun was a supporting actor with 12 years of experience. He hadn't stood out much until now, but he was gaining significant recognition for his villain role in In the Name of God.

Yoo-Jin quickly bowed in response to her sunbae's greeting. "Thank you. I look forward to working with you, sunbae-nim."

"Alright. How about we run through the rehearsal?"

Lee Byung-Jun raised the dagger with an oak-colored handle that he had brought. Though it was a plastic knife without a blade, the paint job was so realistic that it looked like a real knife.

I was about to ask to inspect the knife out of worry, but Lee Byung-Jun demonstrated by stabbing his own palm.

Squish, squish.

The blade smoothly sank inward.

"Don't be scared. It doesn't hurt at all."

Yoo-Jin let out a short sigh of relief. "But what about the blood?"

"The prop team will put fake blood in the handle here after the rehearsal. When the blade goes in, it's supposed to spray out blood immediately. Oh, and take a look at this knife too."

Lee Byung-Jun kindly handed the knife to Yoo-Jin.

Yoo-Jin waved it around a bit, even pressing it against her own stomach. "It really doesn't hurt at all, huh?"

"Of course not. Your value is beyond imagination. We can't afford for you to get hurt, right?"

Lee Byung-Jun's kind demeanor helped ease some of my suspicions.

"Alright, we're short on time, so let's start the rehearsal."

"Yes, sunbae-nim."

The two of them took their positions and began the rehearsal.

Lee Byung-Jun slowly moved to stab Yoo-Jin from the front.

"I'm going to stab you like this from here."

Lee Byung-Jun carefully slid the blade under Yoo-Jin's armpit.

It would look like he was stabbing her in the chest on screen, but the knife would be going into the space under her armpit in reality.

Following Lee Byung-Jun's movements, Yoo-Jin slightly opened her arm just as the knife was about to touch her.

"Then I'll open my arm a little and react just as the knife touches me—like this."

Lee Byung-Jun pushed the prop knife under the slightly opened armpit.

At the same time, Yoo-Jin shuddered and groaned. "Ugh..."

Lee Byung-Jun holding the knife was pressed closely against Yoo-Jin. From a distance, it really looked like the entire blade had plunged into her body.

Pleased with their coordination, Lee Byung-Jun smiled and stepped back. "As expected, you're good. You probably didn't even need the rehearsal."

Yoo-Jin relaxed her expression and replied. "Not at all, sunbae-nim."

"You're so humble. Anyway, do your best later too, okay?"

"Yes, sunbae-nim!"

Lee Byung-Jun smiled and returned to his waiting chair.

I had watched the entire rehearsal from start to finish, but there were no signs that he intended to harm Yoo-Jin. 'It doesn't seem like it's Lee Byung-Jun.'

Still concerned, I asked Yoo-Jin, "Are you okay?"

Yoo-Jin raised both arms and said, "Yes, sunbae-nim avoided me well when he stabbed, even though my angle was off."

Yoo-Jin pointed under her armpit as if it was amazing.

There were no injuries and everything seemed fine.

Now, only twenty minutes remained.

No matter how much I thought about it, there was nothing else suspicious besides the stabbing scene.

'Should I ask to see the knife that will be used in the actual recording?' I wondered.

I considered running to the props team immediately in case Lee Byung-Jun switched the knife but ultimately changed my mind.

If my suspicion was wrong, I would end up disrupting the filming. I was already getting glares for arriving late on set, so I decided to try another approach first.

"Yoo-Jin, come with me."

"What? Where to?"

"Let's go to the car and put on some protection."

In the van, there was a stab-proof vest used during the scene with Kang Eun-Gi.

"It didn't hurt when I got stabbed earlier. Why the protection?" Yoo-Jin asked.

"You never know. You might get caught up in the moment and make a mistake during the scene. It's better to be safe just in case."

Though I still didn't know who might be targeting Yoo-Jin, wearing the stab-proof vest would ensure she wouldn't get hurt.

For now, I planned to do everything I could.

After thinking it over, Yoo-Jin nodded. "Alright."

I called Yang So-Ri and instructed her to help Yoo-Jin put on the protective gear, then stepped outside the van.

It was now 12:50 p.m.

Yoo-Jin came out of the van wearing protective gear.

At that moment, the planner entry was deleted.

[Everyday V10.1]

[Date: October 6, 2020]

-01:00 p.m. <Schedule Deleted>

(Deleted Schedule: [NEW. Jung Yoo-Jin] Transported to the emergency room. (Note: All schedules canceled for 4 weeks.))

I raised my eyebrows in shock. 'So the incident caused by the knife was accurate after all.'

I had figured out what was causing the injury.

Now, the next step was clear.

It was time to find the culprit.