On the way to ES Acting Academy, I followed Choi Yi-Sun's car while making a call to Kang Gam-Chan. "Mr. Kang, I found a child actor from ES Acting Academy during the audition. She seems quite promising."
-Are you planning to bring her over?
"Yes."
-You should be able to handle that yourself by now, shouldn't you? So why the call?
"The thing is... her contract situation is a bit tricky."
I explained that acquiring Kang Si-Ah would likely involve a legal dispute with ES Acting Academy.
After a moment of consideration, Kang Gam-Chan asked,
-Is she worth it?
"If we fix a few flaws, she's ready to contribute immediately. She has great potential for the future."
-If it's a pick from Jung Yoon-Ho, of course I trust your judgment. Go ahead and proceed. I'll back you up if anything goes wrong."Thank you so much, Mr. Kang."
Kang Gam-Chan had my back as always.
A short while later, I arrived at ES Acting Academy.
The building was a seven-story tower located near Gangnam Station. Looking at the fancy building, I could immediately tell a lot of under-the-table deals had been made.
After parking in the basement parking lot, I headed to the director's office.
Kang Si-Ah and Choi Yi-Sun were already there, waiting for me.
"Please have a seat over here, Mr. Jung."
I sat down on the couch after a brief exchange of pleasantries.
Then, Choi Yi-Sun pointed to the photos and autographs of famous actors who had trained at ES Acting Academy, claiming that Kang Si-Ah would become just like them one day. ṜἈƝОʙΕs̈
However, I cut Choi Yi-Sun off in the middle. "I'm sorry, but I'm in a bit of a hurry. Can we get straight to the point?"
"Hahaha, of course! I know you must be busy managing some of the top actors these days. My apologies."
Choi Yi-Sun quickly shifted gears and turned her attention to securing Kang Si-Ah's transfer. "Si-Ah. If you move to Hoop Entertainment, you'll have more opportunities to appear in dramas. What do you think? This could be a great opportunity for you."
Kang Si-Ah replied, "I don't really know, so I'll do whatever you tell me to."
Choi Yi-Sun patted Kang Si-Ah on the head. "You see how obedient she is? She's such a good child."
With a willing Kang Si-Ah, it was time to move on to the next step.
"Then I'll need to speak with her mother," I said.
"Oh, don't worry about that. Si-Ah only has a mother, and her mother gave me full authority over her decisions," Choi Yi-Sun explained.
She assured me that everything was in her control with a signed power of attorney and the family seal.
"Alright, then let's get to the point. How much are you asking for her transfer?" I asked.
Choi Yi-Sun began laying the groundwork to inflate the price. "Well~ raising an actor takes a lot of money as I'm sure you know..."
Then, she glanced at Kang Si-Ah before continuing. "Si-Ah, why don't you step outside for a moment while we adults discuss things?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Kang Si-Ah got up and bowed politely before leaving the room.
Click.
As soon as the door clicked shut, Choi Yi-Sun dropped her pleasantries and revealed her true self.
"I'll need to go over the numbers to be precise. But roughly speaking, we've spent about 100 million won on her lessons and other expenses over the past two years. But of course, we need to make a profit as well...How does 200 million, no, 300 million sound? After all, she still has six years left on her contract."
I was so dumbfounded that I almost swore out loud.
'100 million won over two years for Kang Si-Ah?'
For most child actors, the usual expenses would be simply acting lessons and meals.
Of course, there were elite S-class students who received additional lessons in dance, singing, horseback riding, golf, piano, and violin.
However, Kang Si-Ah had never received that kind of education, and there was no doubt about this fact as I had reviewed this information in my past life.
Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't have agreed to such an outrageous sum. Unfortunately, it seemed like there was no other way to secure Kang Si-Ah.
"Alright. That amount is quite big but doable. Hoop Entertainment will take good care of her. Please send me the expense reports for the money spent so far."
In the entertainment industry, financial reconciliations always required expense reports as detailed records were needed to properly account for costs when revenue came in.
My plan was to get the reports from Choi Yi-Sun and then initiate legal action against her.
However, I needed to agree to a deposit first.
Choi Yi-Sun's face lit up as if she thought she had caught me in her trap. "Of course! But, um... would it be alright if I send the reports by tomorrow morning? I just need a bit of time to finalize them."
She was clearly buying time to fabricate the reports.
Pretending to think it over, I nodded. "That's fine. Since we're here, shall we discuss the deposit as well? How about 30%?"
"Haha! Sure. But just remember: if you break the contract, you'll owe me ten times the deposit."
"Don't worry. We have no intention of breaking the contract."
"Haha, I was just making sure."
Humming happily, Choi Yi-Sun walked over to her desk to retrieve the contract.
After briefly reviewing it, I found no major issues. I sent the contract to Kwak Moo-Hyuk right away and got his approval to sign it.
-Sign it and fax it over. I'll process the notarization and deposit right away.
"Understood, sir."
A short while later, the contract, complete with Kang Si-Ah's mother's seal and power of attorney, was finalized.
'Leaving the family seal with someone like Choi Yi-Sun is so dangerous...' I remarked inwardly.
I made a mental note to talk to Kang Si-Ah's mother about properly managing her seal in the future.
"The deposit should be in your account within ten minutes," I replied.
Choi Yi-Sun beamed and extended her hand for a handshake. "Well then, please take good care of my precious Si-Ah. I've personally invested a lot into her."
I resisted the urge to pull my hand away and forced myself to shake her hand.
"Is it alright if I take Si-Ah home today?" I asked.
"Feel free to. She's practically part of Hoop Entertainment now."
Choi Yi-Sun looked delighted as if she thought she had taken advantage of me.
'You'll soon find out who the real fool is, Mdm. Choi,' I thought
With that, I said goodbye and exited her office.
When I stepped outside, Kang Si-Ah was standing outside and nervously clasping her hands together.
"Si-Ah, the contract is done. Are you ready to go?"
Only after hearing my gentle voice did Kang Si-Ah finally relax and smile.
"Yes, Mr. Jung!"
***
Kang Si-Ah's home was a small 15-pyeong rental apartment in Amsa-dong.
The drive from Gangnam took some time, which gave us the chance to talk along the way.
"Actually... there's something about my mom..." Kang Si-Ah said hesitantly.
She was unsure how to explain her mother's hearing impairment.
"I already know about your mom's hearing disability, so don't worry. It doesn't affect your contract at all."
"H-how did you know?"
'How else? From the future, of course,' I remarked inwardly.
"Let me just say that checking an actor's background is standard procedure," I answered her.
Kang Si-Ah's mother only had 20% of her hearing ability since birth. Without her hearing aids, she could barely understand conversations. However, her hearing aids were so old that she could hardly hear at all these days.
She was currently working at a small Korean pancake shop owned by a friend in the market.
Kang Si-Ah looked at me anxiously and asked, "Mr. Jung…when will I be able to debut?"
Since I was the casting director for Jiri Mountain, I planned to recommend Kang Si-Ah for a child role in the drama.
"You know Jiri Mountain, right? The project where Lee Tae-Poong will be the lead? I'll get you a role in that as a child actor."
Kang Si-Ah's face lit up with excitement. "Really?"
"But first, we need to fix the weaknesses in your acting."
"I'll fix them no matter what, I promise!"
"Good. I'll also assign you a teacher, so don't feel like you have to do it all on your own."
Kang Si-Ah gave me a wide smile with her eyes curving into crescent moons. "Yes, sir!"
"But let me ask... are you in a hurry to debut because of your mom?"
Kang Si-Ah nodded. "Yes. If I start earning money, I can buy my mom new hearing aids. Then she could find a job that's less hard on her."
She was only ten, but her sense of responsibility and maturity were beyond her years.
I realized that the first thing I needed to do was get her mother a new hearing aid—not only for her well-being but also because I would need her help in bringing down ES Acting Academy.
I decided to tell her the truth. "Oh, by the way. Si-Ah, there's something you need to know."
"What is it?"
I explained the situation as simply as possible for Kang Si-Ah to understand.
I told her about the wrongdoings of Choi Yi-Sun and what I had planned to do to protect her from further harm.
***
Screech.
"This is where I live, Mr. Jung."
Kang Si-Ah opened the door to a narrow hallway in an old apartment building.
As we stepped inside, the smell of sizzling oil wafted from the kitchen. It seemed Kang Si-Ah's mother had finished work early after receiving the long KkTalk message from Si-Ah and was now making Korean pancakes.
Kang Si-Ah shouted as loud as she could, "Mom! I'm home!"
At that moment, her mother, Jo Eun-Hye, hurried to the entrance while wiping her hands on her apron.
After adjusting her hearing aids, Jo Eun-Hye spoke with a slow and slightly slurred voice. "Ah, h-hello... I'm Si-Ah's mother, Jo Eun-Hye."
I spoke clearly and enunciated each word so she could read my lips, "It's nice to meet you, ma'am. You have a lovely name."
Jo Eun-Hye, who could read lips to some extent, smiled warmly and led us into the living room. "Thank you. Please come in, Mr, Jung."
"Yes, thank you."
Kang Si-Ah and I sat in the modest living room.
The apartment was small with two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a small living room, all showing signs of age and wear.
It seemed like I would need to find Kang Si-Ah better living arrangements soon.
A few minutes later, Jo Eun-Hye brought out a plate of freshly heated Korean pancakes[1] and a bowl of sikhye[2].
Even though it came from the market where she worked, it was warm and looked delicious.
"You must... be hungry. Please... eat."
"Thank you so much."
Not wanting to refuse her hospitality, I ate a few pieces of the Korean pancakes. It was tasty, but I set my chopsticks down after the third or fourth piece. "The food is delicious. But I think we should talk about business now."
Jo Eun-Hye nodded and replied in her slow, deliberate speech, "Yes... I heard... that Si-Ah... will be moving... to Hoop Entertainment."
"That's correct, ma'am. We plan to take good care of your daughter at Hoop Entertainment."
Jo Eun-Hye smiled warmly and held her daughter's hand.
I noticed small burn marks on her hands, likely from frying Korean pancakes at the market. It was clear that she had been working hard to raise her daughter on her own.
"That's... good news... for my daughter," she remarked with a smile on her face.
"Mom! Mr. Jung said I'm going to debut soon!" Kang Si-Ah exclaimed.
"De...but?"
"Yes! I'll be in a movie soon, so you won't have to work so hard anymore! The movie starts filming in a month!"
Jo Eun-Hye smiled gently. "It's okay... I can still... work. You, my daughter... live how you want to... Don't worry... about me."
"I'm not worrying about you, Mom. And this is how I want to live. I want to make things easier for you."
Kang Si-Ah's words were so sincere and touching. However, I couldn't let sentimentality distract me from what needed to be done.
I quickly spoke. "Ma'am, I need you to listen carefully to what I'm about to say."
"Yes...please go ahead."
"First, I want to assure you that Hoop Entertainment will protect your daughter no matter what."
Kang Si-Ah, who had been briefed on the situation earlier, held her mother's hand reassuringly.
I continued to explain, "Now, here's what I'm planning to do..."
***
A moment later, Jo Eun-Hye asked with a slightly uneasy expression, "So…what will happen…to Mdm. Choi?"
It was clear that she was struggling to believe that Choi Yi-Sun, the person she had trusted so much, was actually a fraud.
'No wonder she had entrusted Choi Yi-Sun with her personal seal and power of attorney,' I thought.
I looked at her and replied slowly, "That fraudster will go to jail and she'll be blacklisted from the industry. Her husband too, of course. Don't worry, Si-Ah won't be harmed in any way. But I'll need you to be brave, ma'am—it will make things much easier."
While Hoop Entertainment could press charges for fraud on its own, having Kang Si-Ah's mother involved as a contract party would make the case stronger and faster.
As Jo Eun-Hye hesitated unsure of what to do, Kang Si-Ah spoke up with something that tipped the scale. "Mom. I didn't want to worry you so I never told you this, but… I never ate while I was at the academy."
Jo Eun-Hye's eyes widened in shock. "What? But they said…they provided meals… I only gave you enough money…for transportation."
Kang Si-Ah shook her head. "No, Mom. Mdm. Choi rarely even gave lessons and I had to buy my own food."
Jo Eun-Hye's face crumbled as her eyes began to tremble. "S-so…you've been starving…this whole time?"
Even I didn't know about this.
'How could she attend the academy every evening after school until late at night without being fed?'
I was so dumbfounded that I was at a loss for words.
Yet even in this moment, Kang Si-Ah tried to comfort her mother in a bright voice. "It's okay, Mom. You know I don't eat much anyway."
However, Jo Eun-Hye couldn't contain her emotions and started sobbing, clutching her chest. "You…should have…told me…"
"Mom, you've been saving money by eating only Korean pancakes from the market every day. How could I eat by myself knowing that?"
Jo Eun-Hye grasped her daughter's hand tightly. "Well, I'm a mother…you are…different."
"Aw, Mom, don't cry. If you cry, I'll start crying too."
Tears welled up in both of their eyes.
At that moment, I tightly clenched my fists without realizing it. 'Choi Yi-Sun, how can you call yourself human?'
However, something about their situation seemed off.
'Do they have a debt? Even though she works a part-time job at a Korean pancake shop, it doesn't make sense for them to be this short on money.'
Hearing that Jo Eun-Hye hadn't even replaced her hearing aids in seven years despite the fact that government subsidies made them relatively affordable proved how poor they were.
That's when an unsettling thought crossed my mind.
"Ma'am, has Mdm. Choi ever asked you for extra money?" I asked.
Jo Eun-Hye hesitated to answer. Her perplexed expression showed that I had hit the nail on the head.
My blood began to boil with anger.
'Choi Yi-Sun, you're not getting away with this.'
1. One type of Korean pancake ☜
2. Sikhye ☜
Ristretto's Thoughts
Ristretto: This chapter got me so emotional 😢
Maggy: This is so sad…Kang Si-Ah is so mature for a ten-year old :'(
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