Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All

Chapter 354: Cha Eun-Sol (2)

Cha Eun-Sol's parents ran a small food stall called "Eun-Sol Snacks" near her school.

However, their business declined after several franchise tteokbokki shops opened in the vicinity, leaving the family in financial difficulty.

This meant that Cha Eun-Sol's family was unsure if they could afford the tuition and enrollment fees even if she got accepted into college.

In my past life, she entered college but considered taking a leave of absence every year due to the financial strain.

Knowing Cha Eun-Sol's situation, I made a bold offer. "And on top of that, I'll cover your college tuition and enrollment fees. What do you think? Still not interested?"

Cha Eun-Sol's eyes widened in surprise. "Huh? Really?"

I continued. "Oh, right. And there's a company dorm available, so you could stay there throughout your four years of school."

"A-are you serious?"

"Of course. And even if you don't get into college, I'm still going to hire you."

Although I was certain she would pass the early admission process, I mentioned the possibility just in case.

Cha Eun-Sol looked at me in disbelief. "What... what makes you trust me enough to offer such a good deal?"

"I just really like the feel of your photos."

Cha Eun-Sol's expression showed that she wanted to accept the offer right away.

'That's right. It would be crazy to refuse under these terms,' I remarked inwardly.

She hesitated and eventually lowered her head. "I'm sorry...but I don't think I can do it right now."

I was taken aback by her answer. 'What? Did she actually just say no?'

"I-I'll contact you later."

Cha Eun-Sol looked like she had no other choice and returned to her friends.

I was momentarily stunned and unable to process her refusal. "E-Eun-Sol?"

Then it hit me why she had turned me down. 'Right... she mentioned her dad is strict, didn't she?'

Her dad wasn't an issue in my past life since I met her when she was already in college. However, right now, Cha Eun-Sol was still a senior high school student.

At this life stage, her parents still had an absolute influence on her career decisions.

However, I wasn't about to give up. After all, Cha Eun-Sol was almost convinced by me.

'I guess I'll need to get some extra proof to win her over,' I thought.

To strengthen my case, I sent a KkTalk message to Kang Ji-Yung to push for Cha Eun-Sol's recruitment.

[Team Lead Jung Yoon-Ho: Ms. Kang, I want to add someone to the Publicity Division. Here are some sample photos. (Fan meeting photo 1), (Fan meeting photo 2), (Fan meeting photo 3).]

The moment I sent the message, my phone rang immediately.

-Who took these photos?

"Do you like them?" I asked.

-Of course! I haven't seen this much life in photos since Gu Mi-Oh!

Gu Mi-Oh was a top photographer who was only engaged in major projects like shooting covers for Womans. She was known for capturing vibrant expressions in milliseconds and extracting colors more accurately than a computer could.

Right now, Cha Eun-Sol's skills were being compared to Gu Mi-Oh's.

"Actually, the person who took these is a high school senior. So..."

As soon as I explained my offer to recruit Cha Eun-Sol, Kang Ji-Yung responded without hesitation.

-Hire her immediately!

Presenting the results and explaining the situation made the approval come surprisingly easily.

Now, it was time for round two of convincing Cha Eun-Sol.

***

Now that I had full authority over scouting Cha Eun-Sol, I felt reassured and continued with the rest of the fan meeting schedule.

The three fan club administrators were live-streaming the event, creating a huge buzz on social media. As a result, the top trending search term was 'You & Me Fan Club Live!'

The fan meeting progressed successfully and moved toward its conclusion.

At 10 p.m., the final highlight of the fan club offline meeting arrived: the viewing of Episode 24 of In the Name of God.

As the fan club members settled in their seats for the screening, I turned off the lights in the small theater. The final episode intensely unfolded over the next hour, ending with Cheongmyung avenging herself against the psychopathic serial killer.

As soon as the episode concluded, the lights came back on in the darkened theater.

"Jung Yoo-Jin is the best!"

"Jung! Yoo! Jin! Jung! Mi! So!"

"You & Me!"

Yoo-Jin and Mi-So stood up, deeply bowing to the fans in response to the thunderous applause. "Thank you so much!"

Just then, I received a call from Kim Sung-Woon. I quickly shouted, "Everyone, hold on! It's the call about the viewership ratings."

The theater fell silent in an instant without a single sound. My heart raced as I answered the call.

-The final episode's viewership ratings are in!

"What's the percentage?"

After a brief pause, Kim Sung-Woon yelled into the speaker so loudly that it nearly echoed through the room.

-It's 39.5%!

As soon as the unbelievable figure was announced, the fan club erupted with cheers and nearly shook Hoop Entertainment to its core. "That's amazing~~!!"

Fans were shouting and celebrating, sharing their excitement.

***

It was finally time for everyone to go home.

The talent agents guided everyone out of the small theater except for the underage members who would be escorted later. "Alright~ please exit this way."

There were 15 underage fans still in the theater. Most of them were from Seoul, so the talent agents would personally drive them home. Hence, they had to wait in the theater until the other fans left.

Cha Eun-Sol, Kim Yoo-Yeon, and Lee Sang-Eun, who lived in Cheongju, were supposed to be driven home by Jung Sang-Bong. However, I pulled Cha Eun-Sol aside near the stage to make another attempt at convincing her.

Cha Eun-Sol apologized. "I'm really sorry, Mr. Jung... It's a generous offer, but I don't think I can accept it."

I was about to tell her I could speak with her father when her phone rang.

"Oh? It's my mom."

"Huh? I just contacted her earlier and told her we'd drop you off ourselves."

Cha Eun-Sol answered the phone with her expression also showing confusion. However, her face grew darker as the conversation went on.

"N-No, Dad... it's not like that."

It seemed her father had called using her mother's phone.

'It looks like she came here with just her mom's permission without telling her dad,' I thought.

It was a common situation.

"I-I'll come home right away. I'm sorry. No, you don't have to come. The company said they'd drive me back. Okay, bye."

After hanging up, Cha Eun-Sol's face was filled with fear as if my earlier offer was seemingly forgotten.

Though I had a business trip to China tomorrow, I realized I had to head to Cheongju tonight to convince her father. If Cha Eun-Sol got scared and gave up on fangirling now, the future could change drastically.

I quickly told Jung Sang-Bong to take Yoo-Jin and Miso home while I drove Cha Eun-Sol and her friends to Cheongju.

If Cha Eun-Sol continued to support Team Jung's actors and singers, their rise to the top would be twice as fast.

I couldn't afford to miss this opportunity.

***

At 1:20 a.m., I headed toward Cha Eun-Sol's house with her as the last stop after dropping Kim Yoo-Yeon and Lee Sang-Eun off at their homes.

In the distance, the blinking sign of Eun-Sol Snacks came into view.

Cha Eun-Sol's house was a two-story brick building with the snack shop occupying the first floor. Light spilled out from the shop late into the night, and standing in front of it with his arms crossed was a man—Cha Eun-Sol's father, Cha Jong-Taek.

Cha Eun-Sol hunched her shoulders upon seeing her father and muttered, "What should I do?"

"Don't worry. I'm here."

I reassured Cha Eun-Sol and parked the car slowly in front of the shop.

As soon as we stepped out, Cha Jong-Taek approached us with a stern expression. I had braced myself to receive a scolding, but he bowed politely to my surprise. "My immature daughter seems to have caused you trouble. Thank you for bringing her home so late."

Although he was surely angry, Cha Jong-Taek remained respectful.

"It's nothing. I should have contacted both you and her mother beforehand. That was our mistake," I responded politely.

"No, the fault is mine for being too caught up in the shop to pay attention while my daughter was out so late."

When Cha Jong-Taek took the blame, Cha Eun-Sol couldn't bear the heavy atmosphere and spoke up. "D-dad, actually today..."

"Eun-Sol, we'll talk later."

Cha Jong-Taek's firm attitude made Cha Eun-Sol lower her head even more.

I decided to speak up. "Sir. Before you scold Eun-Sol, could we have a quick conversation?"

Cha Jong-Taek shook his head. "It's late and she has school tomorrow. You should head back now."

Cha Jong-Taek was clearly furious that his daughter, a senior high school student, had lied and gone to Seoul without his permission.

However, I couldn't just walk away and leave Cha Eun-Sol like this. As her potential team lead, I couldn't ignore the challenges she was facing.

"I won't leave until you hear me out," I replied calmly but firmly.

Cha Jong-Taek stared at me intently. "No matter what you say, it won't change anything."

"If you hear me out, I'm sure you'll reconsider."

Cha Jong-Taek let out a short sigh. "Alright, I'll give you three minutes."

I nodded. 'Three minutes would be more than enough.'

I immediately pulled out my phone, ready to show him the card I had prepared to win Cha Eun-Sol over. "Please take a look at this article."

Cha Jong-Taek took my phone and began reading the article. "You & Me Fan Club Meeting at Hoop Entertainment Theater, including the final episode viewing of In the Name of God. What's this supposed to mean?"

"Please check the author's name at the bottom of the article."

"What are you trying to do here?" Cha Jong-Taek frowned and asked.

"You said I had three minutes. So please bear with me."

Cha Jong-Taek sighed again and continued reading. "Author: Reporter Choi So-Hye. Photo courtesy... Cha Eun-Sol?"

Seeing his daughter's name, Cha Jong-Taek's eyes widened in shock.

I quickly explained. "These photos were taken today by Eun-Sol herself, and they'll be on the front page of Central Daily Newspaper's entertainment section tomorrow."

Central Daily Newspaper was a major newspaper, printing 100,000 copies daily in addition to its online distribution. The fact that his daughter's photos would be featured there began to shift Cha Jong-Taek's expression.

"Did Eun-Sol really take these photos? It's not someone with the same name?"

When I gestured toward Cha Eun-Sol, she quickly stepped forward and held up her compact camera. "Dad, I really took those photos. Look!"

Cha Jong-Taek looked perplexed when Cha Eun-Sol handed him the camera. "When did you even buy this camera?"

"I saved up my allowance..."

Cha Jong-Taek's expression wavered. "Allowance? But I didn't even give you much this year. How did you save up for this?"

"I just bought it recently and it was second-hand from a friend. So it was really cheap. It's true!"

Hearing that she had bought the camera by saving what little allowance she had and getting it second-hand left Cha Jong-Taek speechless.

His face showed a mix of regret and guilt that he couldn't even buy his beloved daughter a new camera due to financial hardships.

As Cha Eun-Sol said, it was clear that he loved his daughter deeply despite his strictness. His opposition to her fangirling was likely out of a desire for her to succeed by getting into a good university.

However, the path to success for Cha Eun-Sol wasn't in academics—it was somewhere else entirely.

Sensing the opportunity, I pressed on. "Sir. After seeing the photos, the reporter from Central Daily Newspaper asked me to introduce her to Eun-Sol. However, I refused immediately. Why? Because I plan to scout her myself!"

Cha Jong-Taek looked at me with an astonished expression. "You're saying... you're going to scout Eun-Sol?"

"Yes. After she gets accepted into college, I plan to register her as an intern in the publicity division and offer hourly pay along with incentives. Oh, and we can also sign a contract guaranteeing a full-time position upon graduation."

At that moment, the door to the shop creaked open and Cha Eun-Sol's mother, Lee Joo-Sun, rushed out to defend her daughter. "Dear, please go easy on Eun-Sol! She's been under so much stress lately that I told her to take a break and let her go for a bit!"

Lee Joo-Sun grabbed her husband's arm as he blushed, clearly embarrassed.

"I-I'm not scolding her. Why don't you go back inside for a moment?"

"Then why aren't you coming inside? I'm the one who told Eun-Sol that she could go!" Lee Joo-Sun said anxiously.

Cha Jong-Taek responded sheepishly, "H-hey. Don't do this in front of a guest. This isn't about scolding her. Mr. Jung here wants to hire Eun-Sol, so we're discussing that."

Lee Joo-Sun stopped shaking her husband's arm and looked at me in disbelief. "You're saying you want to hire our daughter?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"But she hasn't even gone to college yet."

"What does college have to do with talent?"

Just then, Cha Jong-Taek spoke up as if he had made a decision. "Then can you put what you're saying in writing?"

He wanted to make sure everything was legitimate.

I responded with a smile, "Of course. Could you hand me my phone?"

Realizing he was still holding my phone, Cha Jong-Taek handed it back to me. "Here you go."

I showed him the electronic contract I had prepared in advance on my phone. "Please take a look at this."

The contract was set to take effect after Cha Eun-Sol's college admission, covering her tuition and fees. It also included that we offer an hourly rate of 15,000 won and guarantee 50% overtime and 100% for special assignments.

"You're even offering to cover her college tuition? For just a few photos...?" Cha Jong-Taek asked with a puzzled look.

I met Cha Jong-Taek's gaze and confidently replied. After all, I knew better than anyone the value of Cha Eun-Sol's photography. "Sir. While you may not see it, one of Eun-Sol's photos could make millions rise or fall. In this industry, her talent is something we desperately want to recruit!"

When I acknowledged Cha Eun-Sol's talent, her previously shrunken shoulders in her father's presence began to straighten—almost as if she were spreading the wings of her passion for fangirling.

Cha Jong-Taek asked one final question. "T-then if my daughter doesn't get into college, does that mean the offer is off the table?"

I shook my head. "Not at all~"

I smiled and showed him a second electronic contract I had prepared. This one wasn't tied to any college admission.

I added, "In fact, it's even better for us if she doesn't get into college. We would hire her as a full-time employee right after she graduates high school. She will join my team immediately!"

Cha Jong-Taek and Lee Joo-Sun exchanged stunned glances as if they couldn't believe what was happening.

After a brief pause, Cha Jong-Taek looked at his daughter and spoke words I didn't expect. "I had no idea my daughter had such talent... I'm sorry for always telling you not to waste your time on things like this."

Cha Jong-Taek gently stroked Cha Eun-Sol's hair and apologized.

At that moment, tears began to stream down Cha Eun-Sol's face as she threw herself into her father's arms. "N-no, Dad... I'm the one who's sorry."

Cha Jong-Taek patted her back and comforted her. "You've worked so hard. I'm sorry... and I love you."

They stood there for a long while, crying and embracing each other.

After they calmed down, Cha Jong-Taek, having accepted his daughter's passion for fangirling and her career, turned to me with a sheepish expression. "Um... Mr. Jung, would you like to come in for some ramen?"

It was the moment I officially recruited Cha Eun-Sol, the future top-tier homema in the industry.