Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All

Chapter 398: Han Hyun-Ho (5)

After Yoon Myung-Hee was admitted to the hospital yesterday, Seo Jae-Ill immediately applied for an emergency arrest warrant from the court.

This was triggered by Han Hyun-Ho's incessant barrage of threatening texts and calls, demanding to know where she was.

As a result, a senior officer with a short buzz cut and a younger officer arrived at the meeting room with a warrant in hand.

The senior officer, a large man with a commanding presence, confirmed Han Hyun-Ho's identity before presenting the warrant.

The officer listed the charges written on the warrant, "Mr. Han Hyun-Ho. You are under arrest for assault, battery, and unlawful confinement against Ms. Yoon Myung-Hee..."

Then, he continued with the Miranda warning. "You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to an attorney..."

Han Hyun-Ho shouted angrily, "Are you saying Myung-Hee reported me? That girl would do anything I say and even pretend to die if I told her to. Don't spout nonsense! Who put her up to this?"

The senior officer narrowed his eyes and glared at Han Hyun-Ho. "Come quietly. There are plenty of people watching."

"Go quietly? Like hell I will, you bastards! I'm not going anywhere!" Han Hyun-Ho cursed. Having been pampered as a celebrity, Han Hyun-Ho refused to comply with the officers' instructions.

The senior officer shook his head and turned to the younger officer. "Take him in."

"Yes, sir."

The younger officer approached Han Hyun-Ho and tried to avoid escalating the situation in front of the onlookers by not immediately pulling out handcuffs. Instead, he stood beside Han Hyun-Ho and locked arms.

However, Han Hyun-Ho resisted violently. "Let go of me! I said let go!"

"Stop resisting. If you continue, we'll have no choice but to cuff you."

"You're fucking insane! I didn't do anything wrong!"

At that moment, Han Hyun-Ho accidentally struck the younger officer's face as he tried to yank his arm free.

Thwack!

"Ugh!"

The younger officer staggered back. He clutched his nose and blood began dripping between his fingers.

At that moment, the senior officer's expression turned ice-cold as he witnessed the scene.

"You've just committed obstruction of justice, Mr. Han Hyun-Ho."

"Obstruction of justice? This is ridiculous!" Han Hyun-Ho retorted.

The senior officer said nothing in response. Instead, he twisted Han Hyun-Ho's arm behind his back and swept his leg out from under him.

Thud!

A heavy sound echoed as Han Hyun-Ho was slammed to the floor.

"Aaagh! Damn it, that hurts!"

Despite his screams, the senior officer remained unfazed and swiftly cuffed his wrists behind his back.

Click.

Now restrained, Han Hyun-Ho writhed and shouted desperately. "Are you all just going to stand there and watch? Someone call Team Lead Kwak already! Aaaagh!"

Lying flat on the floor, Han Hyun-Ho called out for Kwak Moo-Hyuk, the legal division's team lead.

At that moment, Kang Gam-Chan looked down at Han Hyun-Ho with a cold and detached expression. "Why should we?"

Han Hyun-Ho stammered with his voice full of panic. "M-Mr. Kang!"

"You've already left us behind, haven't you? From now on, talk to Ace Entertainment. Didn't you say they'd take good care of you?"

"Th-that's...!"

Han Hyun-Ho was left speechless. He finally realized the full extent of his situation—his once-protective agency was no longer shielding him. On top of that, there was no guarantee Ace Entertainment would step in to help him in a mess like this.

Kang Gam-Chan maintained his stoic demeanor and turned to the officers. "Officers, what are you waiting for? You've apprehended a criminal. Shouldn't you be escorting him out?"

The senior officer paused momentarily and asked, "Excuse me... isn't Mr. Han Hyun-Ho a celebrity under this company?" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Kang Gam-Chan responded calmly, "His contract was terminated just moments ago. Don't worry about it and just take him away."

Hearing that Han Hyun-Ho no longer had an agency, the senior officer's expression brightened slightly. "Ah, I see."

Kang Gam-Chan then turned to the younger officer and asked, "By the way, are you alright? There's a hospital nearby. Why don't you get checked out? We'll cover the medical expenses."

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The younger officer, still holding his nose, shook his head. "I'm fine. It's no big deal."

I handed the younger officer a tissue and he accepted it with a polite nod and used it to stem the bleeding. With a slight shift in demeanor, he firmly grabbed Han Hyun-Ho's arm.

Han Hyun-Ho yelled, wailing like his life depended on it. "Ouch! Stop! You're hurting me!"

The officers simply dragged Han Hyun-Ho to his feet.

"M-Mr. Kang! Mr. Kang! I'm sorry! Cancel the termination! Please! Hey! Yung-Seop! Why are you just standing there? Do something!" Han Hyun-Ho pleaded.

Han Hyun-Ho's desperate cries echoed in the meeting room, but Lee Yung-Seop and the other talent agents averted their gazes. They showed him no sympathy and thoroughly ignored him.

Watching with a cold expression, Kang Gam-Chan gestured toward the door and spoke to me. "Team Lead Jung, why aren't you holding the door for the officers? They're doing the hard work of taking this criminal away."

"Yes, sir. I'll also escort them down to the first floor,"

I hurried to open the meeting room door for the officers. With a cheerful demeanor, I guided the officers to the elevator and down to the lobby.

***

Ding.

The elevator arrived on the first floor.

As we stepped out of the elevator and into the lobby, curious glances turned into wide-eyed stares from the other talent agents present.

"What the...? Why is Hyun-Ho hyung being arrested by the police?"

"Do you think it's drugs?"

"No way. That guy doesn't do drugs. Alcohol, maybe."

When none of them stepped forward to intervene and simply watched the scene unfold, Han Hyun-Ho's face flushed bright red with embarrassment.

At that moment, the sound of camera flashes echoed.

Click, click.

Lying flat on the lobby floor, Choi So-Hye began snapping photos of Han Hyun-Ho's face. As the founder of Star Exclusive, an entertainment news outlet, she wasn't about to miss the exclusive scoop I had handed her.

Cho So-Hye spared no effort and took photos from every possible angle.

"Stop taking pictures!" Han Hyun-Ho yelled as he struggled to avoid having his face captured. Regardless of how much he squirmed, he couldn't escape Choi So-Hye's determined lens.

After capturing enough humiliating shots, Choi So-Hye stood up and began her relentless questioning. "Mr. Han Hyun-Ho, are you aware that your girlfriend sustained fractures requiring four weeks of recovery?"

"H-how would I know that?"

"Why did you resort to such severe violence?"

"Violence? It was just a minor bump!"

"Is it true you have a pattern of seducing unknown actresses and discarding them once you're bored?"

"No! Absolutely not!"

"Do you plan to apologize to the victim?"

Even as she asked the questions, Choi So-Hye continued snapping photos to ensure Han Hyun-Ho's public humiliation would be immortalized online.

***

Han Hyun-Ho was hauled away like luggage into the police car parked in front of the company.

Choi So-Hye wiped the sweat from her forehead and reentered the lobby. "Thanks, Team Lead Jung."

"Don't mention it. So, how did the photos turn out?"

"Perfect! These are pure gold!"

Choi So-Hye showed me her camera. The screen displayed a series of distorted close-ups of Han Hyun-Ho's face, all unflattering.

"Shooting from below doesn't pull any punches, does it?"

"Exactly. That's why everyone takes selfies from 15 degrees above. If it's shot from below, even someone like Lee Tae-Poong might look bad... Actually, no, Lee Tae-Poong would still look good from any angle."

'Fair enough.' I remarked inwardly.

"And I'll also give you the names of Han Hyun-Ho's other girlfriends," I said.

"What? You mean there's more than one?"

"Yes. Lee Soo-Yeon, Park Eun-Chae, and Lee Seo-Ni. All three are relatively unknown actresses. If you can get their testimonies about his violence, it'll boost your viewership for sure."

As Choi So-Hye hurriedly wrote down the names, her expression brightened.

"This guy is total garbage."

"Pretty much."

Choi So-Hye said she would track down these women for interviews. Considering they were actresses likely hoping for some publicity, they would probably jump at the chance.

Unlike Yoon Myung-Hee, who had been genuinely devoted to Han Hyun-Ho, those actresses saw him as a means to further their careers.

"So, are you planning to hold an opening ceremony for your company?" I asked.

Choi So-Hye had recently founded Star Exclusive in a small office with three other reporters after the JH Media incident.

"Who has the time for that? I've got to cover more stories just to pay my team's salaries. Even today when I left, they told me, 'Boss, bring back lots of money!'"

"Still, you should plan something. As a congratulatory gift for your opening, I'll arrange exclusive interviews with all the Team Jung members one by one."

"Really?"

"I told you I'd help, didn't I?"

Choi So-Hye looked genuinely moved. "Thank you. Seriously."

"There's no need to thank me. You've done plenty for me and endured all those hardships."

"Ah, getting thrown in lockup for a story is nothing for a reporter. Thanks to you, though, I've got a new goal."

"What is it?"

"I'm going to grow my company into a powerhouse and personally take down JH Media."

If Star Exclusive could regain the level of influence it had in my past life when it rivaled major dailies, this wasn't an impossible goal.

Choi So-Hye added, "By the way, Reporter Kang In-Han is joining us soon. So please look after him."

In my past life, Star Exclusive had been purely an entertainment paper with a near-nonexistent social affairs section. However, after dealing with the JH Media incident, they realized how intertwined the entertainment world and power structures could be.

As such, they decided to expand their focus and even hired Kang In-Han to cover broader societal issues.

If things keep progressing, Star Exclusive might grow to be even larger and more influential than it was in my past life.

'I should give them full support,' I thought.

With a reliable partner like Choi So-Hye, I was more than willing to help.

"Anyway, look forward to today's article."

Skipping the elevator, Choi So-Hye opted for the emergency stairs, saying she didn't have a moment to waste as she headed to the basement parking lot.

***

Within hours, the promised articles were live.

[(Exclusive) The Prince of Original Soundtrack, Han Hyun-Ho, Turns Out to Be the Prince of Violence?]

[(Exclusive) Han Hyun-Ho, Kicked Out of Hoop Entertainment.]

[(Exclusive) Behind Han Hyun-Ho's Gentle Looks Lies a Beast: Girlfriend Sustains Four-Week Recovery Fracture.]

[(Exclusive) Han Hyun-Ho Arrested on the Spot!]

[(Exclusive) More Victims Emerge: Three Additional Women Accuse Han Hyun-Ho of Assault.]

(Comments)

-Han Hyun-Ho looks sweet, but his character is trash.

-Hoop Entertainment cut ties with him the same day. No excuses, just immediate action. They have my full respect.

-This is Jung Yoo-Jin's company, right? Their president is known for his charisma and sharp image.

-Han Hyun-Ho. Now he's unemployed. LOL

Thanks to the well-timed articles from Choi So-Hye, Hoop Entertainment began receiving praise for their quick and decisive action. If the news had first broken as "Hoop Entertainment's Han Hyun-Ho," the company's reputation might have been irreparably damaged.

This was why timing and tone in media coverage mattered so much. The wrong sequence of words could completely alter the narrative.

I felt relieved I had called Choi So-Hye in advance.

Just then, my phone rang.

[Caller ID: President Im Ha-Yeon]

Worried something might have happened to Yoon Myung-Hee at the hospital, I quickly answered. "Yes, Ms. Im?"

-Mr. Jung, it's me, Myung-Hee.

Yoon Myung-Hee was calling from Im Ha-Yeon's phone.

-I just saw the news that Hyun-Ho oppa... no, Mr. Han Hyun-Ho, was arrested.

"Yes, it's all over now. Rest assured. We've removed him from the company as well, so he won't be getting out easily."

-Thank you... so much.

"You don't need to thank me. This happened because we failed to manage things properly from our end. How are you feeling, by the way?"

-I'm feeling much better.

"Good. Focus on your recovery. And once you're ready, let's finalize the roles we discussed."

I could hear Yoon Myung-Hee's voice quivering with emotion.

-Thank you...truly. I will... repay this kindness, no matter what.

"You can repay it by becoming a healthy and dedicated actress who excels in her craft."

-Understood...

Fortunately, the fear in Yoon Myung-Hee's voice had lessened significantly.

***

Seo Yeon-Woo had just arrived at the recording studio in the basement, completely unaware that he would mark his debut as a singer for the Hwaranjeon original soundtrack album.

When he called to inform us of his arrival, Lee Dong-Min and I, who were holding a meeting in Singer Division 2, immediately headed down to the basement recording studio.

When we entered Studio 4, Bang Seon-Woo was deeply engrossed in his work and surrounded by his equipment. His disheveled hair suggested he hadn't slept in two days.

Beside him, lyricist Jang Ye-Bin was scrawling revisions on her lyrics with her hair equally unkempt.

I said, "You two should take a break. There's still plenty of time."

Bang Seon-Woo and Jang Ye-Bin looked up simultaneously.

Bang Seon-Woo smiled with bloodshot eyes. "I like to get the main lines down when inspiration strikes. It makes arranging easier later."

Jang Ye-Bin rolled her eyes. "Mr. Jung, you know this guy makes about 20 different arrangements for every song, right? And somehow, they all turn into entirely new songs."

"Look who's talking, noona. You're always rewriting lyrics because you think you've come up with something better. No wonder you can't finish your novel—you're too busy dreaming up new plots."

"Hey! Why bring that up? Do you want to die?"

"Wait, noona. Do you still dream of writing novels?"

"Of course, I do! My ultimate dream is to write a grand epic fantasy like The Queen of the Rings or Throne of Kings before I die! You got a problem with that?"

Watching them bicker like siblings, I quietly turned my attention elsewhere.

Seo Yeon-Woo sat on a sofa in the corner and was completely absorbed in memorizing Jang Ye-Bin's lyrics as if this was all routine.

'This guy's focus is seriously impressive,' I silently observed.

Seo Yeon-Woo believed he was here as a guide vocalist—a singer who records demo versions of songs to help other performers understand the composer's intentions. He had no idea the song he was about to sing was actually meant for him.

After carefully studying the lyrics for a while, Seo Yeon-Woo finally noticed our presence. "Oh, you're here."

"Yes. Did you get some practice in?"

"I did."

The song Seo Yeon-Woo would perform today was 'Hwayeonga', the theme song for Kim Beop-Min: the eldest son of Kim Chun-Chu who loved Princess Yu-Hwa in the story.

In actual history, Kim Beop-Min was the first son of King Taejong Muyeol and later became King Munmu. But in Hwaranjeon, Kim Beop-Min was portrayed as both a suitor to Princess Yu-Hwa and a rival for the throne within the Kim family.

Thus, 'Hwayeonga' had to convey Kim Beop-Min's conflicted emotions—his love for the princess and his loyalty to his family's ambitions for the throne.

Having completed the setup, Bang Seon-Woo looked at Seo Yeon-Woo. "Yeon-Woo, are you ready?"

"Yeah. I've memorized the lyrics. I'll head in now."

Seo Yeon-Woo picked up the printed lyrics and entered the recording booth.

Bang Seon-Woo pressed the intercom button to communicate with him. "Yeon-Woo, even though this is just a guide, make sure to interpret the song properly. If you slack off, we won't be done today."

"You're not planning to make me sing for ten hours again, are you?"

"Only if you don't sing it right. Think of yourself as Kim Beop-Min and pour your love for the princess into it. Do that, and we'll be done in one take."

"Got it."

"And remember, the first verse and the second verse should feel completely different. Make sure to highlight the contrast."

"Understood."

Standing before the microphone, Seo Yeon-Woo cleared his throat a few times and nodded to signal that he was ready.

Bang Seon-Woo released the intercom button and smirked. "You'll be amazed when you hear Yeon-Woo sing."

With a grin, Bang Seon-Woo pressed the recording and playback buttons.

At that moment, the introduction to 'Hwayeonga' filled the studio speakers. The sad melody of a piano set the base, overlaid with the delicate vibrations of a bipa.

The moment Seo Yeon-Woo's voice emerged, the recording studio was enveloped in magic.