The person who was waiting for me in the office was Richard Langdon, a fifty-something American.
For a moment, I wondered if this was the ‘Micc’ company, but fortunately, it wasn’t.
So, Mr. Richard is apparently a CFO-type figure sent over by the investors, and there is a separate CEO who’s just absent temporarily due to other business.
Mr. Richard is only involved with the internal operations and financial matters of the company, while the substantive care for the artists lies with the CEO and the Korean staff, which they reassured me of.
Perhaps this system was put in place because not many people in this industry know how to properly run a company.
It’s not a bad setup.
After all, there are plenty of talent agencies out there that collapse because they over-rely on a single star and make reckless moves without considering the long-term.
There are too many people here who know nothing about management.
Perhaps Flame’s success comes from having such a well-established division of labor.
After completing the contract, I had a separate meeting with Team Leader Seo.
Now that I was officially affiliated with Flame, we needed to get to know each other more meaningfully.
I had many questions myself, so I silently followed Team Leader Seo into a separately arranged consultation room.
“By the way, I noticed there were a lot of bodyguards downstairs. Most of them were foreigners. Are they related to this company?”
“Oh, the S&M bodyguards?”
“S&M bodyguards?”
“Yes, they’re dispatched personnel. S&M is one of Flame’s major investors. Oh, and Mr. Richard, the CFO, is also from that side.”
“Is that so?”
What puzzled me the most was definitely those bodyguards I saw earlier.
Not just the numbers but most of them were foreigners.
But it turns out they are also part of the dispatched staff from the investors.
Is this a foreign-owned company? Or if it is, there’s no real reason for them to send so many guards, right?
And then S&M, doesn’t that ring a bell somewhere…
“Surely it’s not the S&M that I know?”
“If the S&M you’re thinking of is the one behind Shine phones, then yes, that’s the one.”
“No way. Why would a company like that…?”
For any modern individual, the smartphone is indispensable.
Here in the country, Blue from Changcheon holds a stronger position than S&M’s Shine, but internationally, Shine is predominantly ahead.
So, S&M is a global giant in smartphone sales.
Of course, S&M’s ventures aren’t just limited to smartphones.
The S&M guards mentioned earlier are also likely part of S&M Group’s many enterprises.
Besides, this company is essentially American, multinational though it may be.
So the idea that such an American company would invest in a Korean entertainment agency seems odd.
Even if we were to consider the power of media, wouldn’t someone like S&M have more interest in an international giant like ‘Finesse’?
Moreover, if they’re sending employees, it doesn’t feel like just a casual investment.
It implies that the company backing us is quite significant. So, while it might be a good thing, my head is filled with doubts.
“I can’t say much more than what I’ve shared. I’m just a salaryman, after all. However, it seems like S&M is serious about entering the Korean market. Korea, after all, is where Blue dominates…”
“That makes sense in a way…”
True, there’s not much point in overthinking it.
The reason why S&M’s Shine has not been very successful in Korea is mainly because Changcheon is a Korean company.
If they use entertainment—a media that is closest to the public—as a starting point to enter various fields and raise external awareness, and if that leads to even a slight increase in smartphone market share, that would be a benefit for S&M.
So, it’s probably alright to think of S&M’s investment in Flame in that context.
“Still, I don’t understand why they would even send bodyguards. Could it be that this building is owned by them?”
“No, this building belongs to Flame.”
“…Is that so? This whole big building?”
“Yes, it was newly built specifically for Flame. Even though we’re new, Flame has a lot of potential.”
The fact that it’s a newly built structure indicates that this absurd design was also requested by Flame.
I don’t know who the CEO is, but their sense is questionable.
It’s akin to how the Lord of Heavenly Demon remodeled the entire Demon Temple with dark black stones—such misplaced senses do exist.
So it seems the world is vast and full of strange people.
However, if Flame owns this large building, then I wouldn’t worry much about financial issues.
As a talent agency, the maintenance costs probably aren’t that extraordinary anyway.
We don’t employ that many people either.
I imagine just renting out half this building would provide ample funds to maintain the company.
“So, that’s all settled.”
Through Team Leader Seo, I was able to resolve most of my queries.
Though I still don’t understand why S&M would go as far as to send bodyguards, it’s better to leave that as their internal matter.
After all, it doesn’t really concern me.
To an actor, an agency is only important as long as it handles the logistics cleanly and continues to provide work.
Hence, I decided to remove that part from my mind.
“Now, let’s discuss your upcoming schedule. How is the shooting with Yoon Seo-eun going?”
“It’s almost done.”
“Oh, is that so? Are there any difficulties or specific issues you’d like to mention?”
“Well, if you want to call it an issue… There was a bit of a situation.”
“Which is…?”
Now it was my turn to be questioned by Team Leader Seo.
Team Leader Seo began by inquiring about my shooting progress.
He wanted to confirm how much was left of Yoon Seo-eun’s part and check if there were any problems during the shoot.
Since I thought there were no problems, I was about to reply immediately but paused for a moment.
I didn’t feel that there were any real issues, but I knew I should bring up the conflict I had with Jo Yoo-shin.
We were now on the same team, so if any small problems arose, we’d have to deal with them together.
In fact, this is exactly why I came to the company expecting such issues to be handled smoothly.
“Actually, during the shoot, there was some friction with Jo Yoo-shin.”
“Ah, I’ve heard about that. It also made the news. Of course, Lion and you were able to appropriately quell the situation.”
“Yes, that’s how it went. But…”
“Go ahead, say it.”
“I…well,…I…”
“…What?”
“…hit him. I mean, it wasn’t much though.”
World.
Is that something that expression even existed on that gentleman’s face?
Watching Team Leader Seo, who always seemed so composed, with his pupils dancing wildly, I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.
Of course, afterward, I explained the situation, as Team Leader Seo looked at me reproachfully, indicating that this wasn’t something to laugh about.
When Team Leader Seo judged that the matter had been smoothed over, he regained his composure, but the beads of cold sweat forming between his eyebrows suggested that he was quite taken aback.
“…Well, I hope you’ll be a bit more restrained in the future. Given Jo Yoo-shin’s personality, I don’t think he’ll spread this around, but violence can become a habit.”
“Yes, I doubt it will happen again.”
“Let’s trust that.”
Team Leader Seo carefully gave a cautionary note as he scribbled something on his notebook.
Could this somehow affect me negatively?
I revealed it because it’s an event the company should naturally be aware of, but Team Leader Seo’s actions seem to carry some hidden meaning, making me feel a bit anxious.
After jotting down notes, Team Leader Seo returned to his usual demeanor and asked me another question.
“So, your next schedule is the wrap party?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Your next acting work…”
“Ah, I’m planning to think about that for a while. And there is something I need…”
“Please do tell.”
“I feel I need to study acting further.”
“Acting? But you…”
“Actually, I do feel confident about my acting. But performing in front of the camera is different.”
“Ah, so because you lack experience.”
“Yes, that’s why I’d prefer someone who’s good at camera acting rather than stage performance.”
“Understood. I’ll inquire with the CEO about this.”
Studying acting was something I had always felt was an issue while shooting dramas.
It’s true that I have confidence in my acting abilities, but performing in front of the camera was quite new to me.
Well, if I’m to be exact, it’s not entirely my first time.
After all, I had participated in various smaller roles for five years or so.
However, in Martial Forest, I lived for fifty years and forgot all the memories of this era, making me now a master of naturalistic acting but somewhat awkward when cameras roll.
It didn’t cause any problems during this drama.
Director Yoo’s shooting team consisted of experienced professionals who adeptly managed my shortcomings.
But I can’t expect that level of consideration for long, can I?
Of course, in time, this might sort itself out, but awkward acting in this world can be tantamount to death.
Even if there are no sword-wielding people charging at me here, I can’t endure feeling awkward during my performance.
Since Flame seems substantial enough to provide a good acting coach, I think depending on the company for this is fine.
After communicating my requests, I received briefings about my schedule.
Specifically, it was an apology and clarification that my team was not fully formed yet.
Since the company was newly established, they hadn’t yet hired all the staff, and the staff for my department was still in the recruitment process.
The schedules up to the wrap party and in the near future would be managed by Team Leader Seo, who was in front of me.
Indeed, it was obvious when I came in that the office was mostly empty.
It seems they haven’t fully hired enough staff, and considering that they approached me despite that, it indicates they regard me highly. That’s not too unpleasant.
But what Team Leader Seo said next was something I hadn’t even considered.
“So, do you intend to continue living where you currently reside? While it’s not an immediate concern…”
“Ah, right. The security of our apartment…”
“Yes, it’s time to start preparing, actor.”
This was about my living arrangements.
Our apartment, or rather, a place where one should even stop contemplating security.
It might not be an immediate concern, but as I gain recognition, all sorts of inconvenient situations could arise.
This isn’t just about me; it could involve the entire family, so I need to carefully think about it.
“Then, will the deposit from this contract be used for housing?”
As if sensing my dismay, Team Leader Seo cautiously made a suggestion.
“If you need a residence with better security, the company could be of assistance.”
“Assistance from the company?”
The proposal was that the company would help with finding a place to live.
Given that this contract’s deposit already had a designated purpose, I paid close attention to what Team Leader Seo was saying.
And then the housing Team Leader Seo introduced me to was…
“…Why does this company have an office apartment?”
Turns out it was an office apartment included in the same building.
Flame Entertainment had turned the 7th and 8th floors into residential spaces, making it a rather peculiar mixed-use building.
