ALL NOVEL Chapter 78
Chapter 78. Unexpected Fortune (3)
The reason why PD Kwon and the production company weren’t moving was obvious.
—It seems that CP Yoon is making various excuses using the editing process.
—For now, PD Kwon is trying to persuade them that our direction is the most important since Miro is the main investor…. But the production company’s CEO doesn’t seem to agree.
Even though these days, 80% of the programs produced by broadcasting stations are made in collaboration with production companies.
In the end, a production company is just a production company. Ultimately, the broadcasting station that gives them work holds the power.
‘Moreover, since they’re a new company and haven’t been around for long, if they have to choose between an entertainment company and a broadcasting station, they’ll likely lean towards the broadcasting station.’
So, Hajin thought he’d add one more weight to the scale to make the production company’s calculations a bit easier.
‘They should be arriving around now….’
Just as Hajin checked the time on his phone and looked toward the entrance of the café, someone approached him.
“Are you Kang Hajin?”
A handsome man with a gentle impression, dressed in a classic suit.
However, recognizing the familiar features, Hajin quickly stood up from his seat.
“Yes, hello. I’m Kang Hajin.”
With a trustworthy smile that anyone would find reliable, he extended his hand for a handshake to the person who would serve as the additional weight on the scale.
“Thank you for meeting me despite the sudden contact.”
“Oh, I was a bit surprised… but since it’s about the youngest, I had no choice but to come out.”
The man asked, grasping Hajin’s hand with a familiar gesture.
“Is there something wrong with our Eunchan?”
The grip of the hand slightly shaking his own was strong.
Hajin chuckled softly, carefully withdrawing his hand.
* * *
While Eunchan’s older brother, Eunseok, went to order drinks, Hajin examined the business card he had received from him.
**
Joodies Furniture was one of the top three furniture companies in the country.
Their main products were high-end furniture, the kind you’d expect to see in a chairman’s study.
But recently, they had also successfully launched a soft line targeting single households in their 20s and 30s, according to the articles.
‘And the person who led that change is that guy over there.’
…as I also read in an article.
‘What did it say? Something about gentle leadership and bull-like drive….’
The article was meant to promote Joodies Furniture’s young and aggressive image renewal, but Hajin quickly realized that it wasn’t just for the brand.
Dozens of similar news articles praised that man, Joo Eunseok, himself.
In other words, it was probably image-making for the future successor who would soon become the next owner of Joodies Furniture.
‘Eunchan, that guy, isn’t just an ordinary rich kid.’
Being the youngest son of such a family, it’s no wonder that the Director and Han Sungwoo were trying their best to paint Eunchan as a parachute recruit.
As Hajin crossed his arms, thinking, Eunseok returned to the table carrying a tray with hot coffee and a thick chocolate cake. He then naturally handed a fork to Hajin.
“……?”
“Oh, the youngest mentioned that his roommate likes sweet things.”
“Yes, I do like them, but….”
“I’m grateful that you take good care of my brother. Please, enjoy.”
“In that case, I’ll enjoy it.”
In the dictionary of Kang Hajin, there was no such word as “refusal.”
Hajin accepted the fork and took a big bite of the dense mousse cake. The sweetness seemed to slightly ease his sharp mood.
“So, what’s going on with our youngest?”
Though there was a significant age gap between the brothers, Eunseok’s skillful handling of the topic made him seem like a guardian.
‘Well, with Eunchan being 18 and him in his mid-30s, it’s natural for him to feel like a son.’
Since Hajin understood the feeling of worrying about one’s child, he quickly got to the point.
“There are forces trying to slander Eunchan.”
“…Could you say that again?”
Seeing Eunseok’s surprised eyes, Hajin struck the table with his hand, making a loud sound.
“A PD at the broadcasting station is conspiring with a trainee to bully Eunchan, hyung! Oh, is it alright if I call you hyung? After living with Eunchan and seeing him every day, I can’t help but feel a strong sense of familiarity toward you.”
With precise and rapid diction, Hajin reported the misdeeds of Han Sungwoo and CP Yoon!
[System Alarm: Shaking head…. (It means you have no clue what crazy stunt he’s about to pull.)]
Thirteen, who had already become accustomed to Hajin’s antics, displayed an emoticon of a faint smile, but Hajin ignored it and showed the dumbfounded Eunseok a screenshot on his phone.
“What is this…?”
“It’s a post that was uploaded to an anonymous community a few days ago.”
**[These days, even trainees need money…]**
Heard from a friend who was a trainee but quit…
Sigh, it’s so depressing that in today’s world, even dreams require money.
**[If a trainee is a gold spoon, would the company push them more?]**
A wealthy background + ‘that kind of world’ image must definitely be a selling point, right?
* * *
— Not sure about pushing them more, but it’s definitely a selling point.
— Yeah, nowadays, it’s true lol. The days of idol misery marketing are over.
— If they’re rich but lack talent and charm, no.
If they’re talented and charismatic, and rich too? Then yes.
└ 22 Exactly lolololololol
└ That’s right, teenagers go crazy for the ‘that kind of world’ + noble aura image.
**[Honestly, if they’re from a well-off family]**
From the company’s perspective, it’s an advantage lololololol
Such kids don’t have any twisted issues
And because their family backs them up, there’s no pressure in living the trainee life.
They have an easier time getting lucrative advertisements
And it’s easier to create a high-value image
So these days, companies tend to favor such kids lol
There were many posts with similar keywords. Eunseok, with a serious expression and posture that made it look like he was reviewing a report at work, quickly scrolled through Hajin’s budget smartphone screen.
His fingers and gaze, which had been skimming through the gallery, paused at the last image, which had a different tone.
**miroawakend @alfhapdlwm**
Put him in as a trainee with his family’s backing, gave him special treatment, and now they’re openly pushing him.
The moment Eunseok saw the last post, a cold light flickered in his usually gentle eyes. The context of the previous screenshots, which had been unclear, suddenly made sense.
“The last post you saw was deleted along with the account about three hours after it was posted. It didn’t get any attention.”
“……”
“And similar posts on social media have been appearing and disappearing over the past few days. It’s as if someone is hoping to be noticed.”
Eunseok’s gaze shifted to Hajin. Then, in a very cautious voice, he asked again.
“…Does the youngest know about this?”
“No, he doesn’t. As you probably know, Eunchan isn’t the type to pay attention to things like this.”
“But this isn’t true… and Eunchan….”
“The family opposes it, right? Eunchan becoming an idol.”
Eunseok was visibly startled and fell silent at Hajin’s words, as if he already knew everything.
“Did Eunchan mention that himself?”
“No, not directly…. Although he often talks about you, he doesn’t really talk about your parents. I noticed that you’re listed as his guardian at the company instead of his parents.”
“……”
“And maybe that’s why Eunchan has become a target.”
Hajin didn’t mention the fact that Eunchan had been ostracized for quite some time due to Sungwoo’s schemes.
‘If it was something he could have shared, he would’ve told this person already.’
From what Hajin observed, despite being pressured by the Director, Eunchan hadn’t informed his brother for two reasons.
Either he couldn’t say it, or he didn’t think it was necessary.
‘If he had told his family that he was being bullied while pursuing his dream of becoming a trainee against their opposition, they would’ve told him to quit immediately. He didn’t think it was serious enough to take that risk.’
So, Hajin covered for Eunchan’s circumstances while only sharing the external factors that were targeting him with Eunseok.
This was to emphasize to Eunseok that he needed to protect his younger brother and also to show that it wasn’t just a personal matter for his brother, but a risk for the company as well.
“How can you be sure that this is a scheme by the broadcasting station?”
“The broadcasting station’s CP asked about the investor while attaching one condition. They wanted the furniture in the dorm to be mostly from Joodies.”
“……!”
This information was something Hajin had learned from his previous meeting with Ji Suho. Today’s meeting was also arranged by Hajin, who asked Suho for a favor after hearing that story.
Hajin continued, habitually tapping the table with his fingers.
“Of course, the dorm will be fully broadcasted. It’s not
PPL, but since they bought and installed the furniture themselves, you probably didn’t know about it.”
But, when it’s aired, Joodies will see quite an effect, won’t they?
Hajin shrugged and met Eunseok’s gaze with a sly look, as if to say, ‘I’ve laid it out this clearly, you get it now, right?’ causing Eunseok to clear his throat with a short cough.
“Kang Hajin… you—”
“Please just call me Hajin, hyung. And speak comfortably. After all, I’m just a friend of your brother.”
“…So, Hajin, how did you find out about all this? And why are you telling me?”
Although there was a slight undertone of suspicion in the question, Hajin didn’t feel offended at all. The fact that he was asking about the informant’s identity meant he believed the information itself.
And Hajin was also prepared to answer this question.
“I happened to overhear it. The conversation between that trainee and the CP.”
[System Alarm: That’s a lie….]
Yes, it’s a lie.
If he had heard such a conversation, he would have recorded it and spread it around immediately.
‘But how would Joo Eunseok know if it’s a lie or not?’
What’s important is making him believe that I’m entirely on his brother’s side.
“I haven’t been at Miro long, but I’ve been a trainee at another company before. So I know. How dirty and petty the competition is in this industry.”
Hajin’s sharp and keen eyes quickly softened with emotion, becoming moist as if they held a story. His clear voice weakened slightly, turning from strong to soft and low.
[System Alarm: Someone is bewildered, wondering who gave this guy an expression score of C….]
‘Ah, you’re really getting in the way, man.’
Hajin, now annoyed by the chatty Thirteen, casually winked and turned off the system alarm. (So, about this feature—!) Then, he continued his performance with a melancholy and lonely expression.
“When I first joined Miro, feeling awkward, the first person I got close to was Eunchan. Even now, as a roommate, he’s been a great help to me….”
Of course, Hajin had never felt awkward after joining Miro. The thing Eunchan said most often these days was, “Doha hyung, please switch rooms with me.”
‘But who cares?’
Hajin, wetting his lips with a huge gulp of iced tea instead of saliva, let his eyes shine.
“So when I found out that something like this was happening to Eunchan, I couldn’t just stand by. That’s why I asked Team Leader Suho to let me meet with you, hyung.”
Finally, with a twinkle in his eyes, playing the role of ‘the good friend with a backstory,’ Hajin looked at Eunseok.
Eunseok, seemingly touched by Hajin’s sincere (but not really) demeanor, relaxed his furrowed brows and smiled warmly.
“…Our youngest sure found a great roommate.”
Got him.
Seeing Eunseok looking at him warmly, Hajin clenched his fists in silent celebration.
“Thank you. I’m hesitant to talk about this to others, but I’ve been so busy with work and home that I haven’t been able to pay much attention to Eunchan.”
“No, it’s nothing. Oh, I heard you recently got married. It’s late, but congratulations, hyung.”
“Haha. It’s really strange meeting a friend of my younger brother like this. The youngest has never introduced anyone as a friend before.”
Okay, I’ve earned the title of the youngest’s first friend.
“Hm. But this is quite tricky. They’ve set up the situation so cleverly that it would be awkward to officially deny it as a company… And I don’t think this is something that should reach my father’s ears.”
Eunseok returned the phone with a troubled expression. Indeed, no matter how they responded, it seemed difficult to completely shake off the suspicions.
Then, Hajin, who had been playing the role of the ‘bright and cheerful but secretly pained younger friend who couldn’t just stand by when something similar happened to a fellow trainee,’ suddenly dropped the mask and leaned forward with a predatory gaze.
“So about that, hyung.”
“…Uh, yeah?”
“How about spending some money on this? Let’s go all out.”
[System Alarm: That bastard’s lost his mind again. (Stop selling this nonsense….)]
Eunseok’s pupils trembled.