Chapter 26: Manager Yang Joo-won
by GideonIt was an unreasonable request. The manager shouldn’t have to sacrifice his sleep just to commute that long distance for Jubin’s sake.
“I’ll head to the real estate office right away.”
If he wanted to find a decent place in time, he had to act fast.
—Oh, by the way, the MOON Entertainment floor is the closest to the cafeteria. Isn’t that great?
“I’ve heard the food at the SUB Entertainment cafeteria is amazing. That’s perfect.”
—Zion even gave me a heads-up that it’s the best spot.
“CEO, Zion is really helping out a lot.”
—He is. I should treat him to a meal at the cafeteria sometime. Hahaha!
Sensing the conversation had reached a natural end, Jubin offered a brief farewell and was about to hang up when CEO Moon Woo-jin suddenly shouted as if he’d just remembered something.
—Ah! Yeon-a! I’ve got another way to solve the housing issue!
“What way?”
He proposed a revolutionary solution.
Today was the day MOON Entertainment moved into the SUB Entertainment building. When they were scheduling a time to meet his new manager, today was the only day that worked.
They hastily agreed to meet at a cafe near the new office. Since it was their first meeting, Jubin arrived early to wait.
“Hello, Jubin-nim.”
A man approached and greeted him, dressed smartly in a crisp light blue shirt, dark-toned trousers, and loafers.
“Ah, hello. Mr. Yang Joo-won.”
Jubin, who had been startled out of his script reading and cold brew, stood up abruptly.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“The honor is mine. Please, feel free to call me by my name.”
I can’t just call him by his name, Jubin thought. They weren’t close yet, and he still had a lot to learn about the man’s personality. He didn’t want to make a mistake, so he had to be careful.
“I can call you Joo-won-ssi, right?”
“Oh, of course. You can just call me Yang Joo-won.”
He had a bright, kind face that suited his age, and he was tall with a calm voice.
Jubin had worried he might be too extroverted, but thankfully, his soft-spoken manner and the way he clutched the materials Jubin had prepared to his chest inspired trust.
“Shall we sit and talk?” Jubin offered the seat opposite him. “I heard you like coffee, so I ordered some ahead of time.”
“Thank you so much.”
His gratitude for such a small gesture was endearing.
Joo-won carefully laid out the materials he’d brought, arranging them on the table before beginning his explanation.
“First, I’ll give you the key card for the officetel’s main entrance and the resident card for the fitness center.”
CEO Moon Woo-jin’s brilliant idea was to utilize SUB Entertainment’s employee benefits.
Up until now, Jubin had been paying for his own temporary housing. But when CEO Moon Woo-jin applied for SUB Entertainment’s comprehensive temporary housing benefit, they immediately assigned him one of their contracted officetels.
Since it was just a place to stay during the filming period, there was no pressure. Jubin could live there while looking for a new permanent residence, meaning he wouldn’t have to rush into signing a lease.
The biggest advantage, however, was its proximity to the new company building.
Of course, if Jubin didn’t sign with SUB Entertainment, CEO Moon Woo-jin would have to cover the entire cost himself.
It’s a benefit we can use in a pinch, Moon Woo-jin had said. Let’s just use it for now and worry about the rest later.
“You should read the manuals for the optional amenities when you have a moment,” Jubin said, holding them out.
His gesture was so polite it was almost awkward. When someone was too formal, it made Jubin uncomfortable, yet he still found himself observing every detail of the man’s movements, his gaze, and his words.
“And here’s the filming schedule. I also have the script for the next episode.”
“Thanks. Please keep giving me paper scripts.”
“I’m coordinating the team dinner. Does this date work for you? Most of the staff prefer this day.”
Jubin glanced at the date and nodded. “Yes, that’s fine.”
“The CEO mentioned you’re taking Action School and diving lessons. Should I arrange transportation for you?”
Though the lessons were an extension of his work, they were personal classes Jubin preferred to attend on his own.
“No, you don’t need to worry about that. I’m taking those classes privately, and they’re not far from the apartment I’m moving into.”
“If you ever find public transportation inconvenient, please feel free to call me.”
He was more thoughtful and attentive than Jubin had ever expected.
Jubin didn’t want to burden his manager with more work than necessary. After all, being a manager meant taking full responsibility for a client’s every need, from A to Z.
“Oh, and on company dinner nights, I’ll find my own way home,” Jubin said. “You can clock out without waiting for me.”
“Excuse me?”
The manager’s surprise was understandable. Most actors expected their managers to wait on standby indefinitely during such events.
“But…”
“I’ll get home just fine. You don’t need to worry about that.”
Jubin valued his own time, and he extended that same respect to others.
“I can’t allow that. The world is a dangerous place, and we can’t risk anything happening to you.”
“Actually, those kinds of things rarely happen. So please, go home and relax.”
When it came to stubbornness, Jubin could give anyone a run for their money. He found it more uncomfortable when someone else fussed over every detail of his life.
“Alright, alright. I understand.”
Fortunately, he backed down.
“Oh, and… you don’t have to pick me up at home. I’ll go to the office.”
“…What?”
He shot her a bewildered look, as if asking what kind of nonsense this was.
“I’ll head to the underground parking lot of the office building. You can just come down whenever you’re ready.”
He waved his hands dismissively, as if he couldn’t concede that much. “Even when CEO Moon was my manager, we always met at the office. I’ll just leave ten minutes early, so don’t worry about it.”
“…Uh, still, that’s…”
This time, his shoulders slumped, and his expression turned a little dejected. Did I draw the line too sharply? she wondered. It didn’t seem like it, though.
His spirit deflated like a puppy that had just been scolded by its owner.
“…Understood.”
The conversation flowed smoothly after that, but he kept pausing, searching for a gap to speak. To Jubin, the gesture was glaringly obvious.
“…Is there something you want to say?”
The man flinched. He seemed caught off guard, as if he’d never expected such a direct question.
“You’ve looked like you wanted to say something for a while now, but you can’t seem to bring yourself to say it.”
His lips parted, then closed again. Finally, he spoke in a calm, steady tone.
“Sir. Please, feel free to speak casually with me from now on.”
Is he an extrovert, not an introvert? Jubin wondered. Some people find formal speech awkward, after all.
“Do you find formal language uncomfortable?” Jubin asked, feeling a bit awkward himself.
“I’m fine, but I was worried you’d be uncomfortable,” Joo-won said.
I couldn’t help but chuckle. His request was a bit illogical.
“You’re the one calling me ‘Actor-nim,’ Joo-won. How am I supposed to speak casually to you?”
He blushed as he replied, “Ah, well… it’s because you’re so famous.”
He looked at me with the shy admiration of a true fan before quickly averting his gaze.
“Um, if being called ‘Actor-nim’ is a bit too much…” He seemed to be thinking hard, his posture stiff with nerves. “C-could I call you Joo Yeon-nim instead?”
For a moment, a strange feeling washed over me. It was a name that revealed exactly how he saw me.
In Joo-won’s memory, I was simply Joo Yeon.
If he had used that pen name for his comeback, I would have gladly let it slide. But given the timing, it was an unreasonable request.
“Um, it would be a lot more helpful if you called me by my name from now on, Joo-won.”
Joo-won lowered his gaze to the real name written on the document and immediately realized his mistake.
“Ah, I’m sorry. Did I offend you?”
“No, it’s not something you need to apologize for. There’s a reason.”
Jubin waved his hand dismissively, as if to reassure him he was truly fine. “I like that name too, but I can’t use it anymore because I changed agencies. Don’t misunderstand.”
“I thought it was okay because CEO Moon calls you Yeon.”
“That’s because he’s been calling me that for a long time.”
Jubin replied in a gentle, soothing tone.
“I’ll keep that in mind. So… Jubin-nim?”
Jubin was the type to be mindful of others and try to fit in, but Joo-won was on a whole other level. It was only natural for a new manager to be nervous during their first meeting, and it was even more understandable for him to feel intimidated by someone whose face was already well-known.
I’m not that important, Jubin thought. It’s probably better for our relationship if he feels more comfortable around me.
“Just call me hyung,” Jubin said, taking the uncharacteristically bold step of dropping honorifics.
“Really? I can call you hyung?”
“Yeah. Let’s get along, Joo-won.”
And so, his work with the new manager began.
I moved into my new studio apartment today. Since I didn’t have much stuff, I hired a professional moving service for small apartments. Two movers arrived early in the morning and got everything moved in quickly.
Jubin helped out with the smaller items.
“This is the last one!”
The move wrapped up late in the afternoon.
“Thank you. Get home safe.”
After paying the movers and finding myself alone in the new place, a strange feeling washed over me.
Bzzzz.
My phone vibrated.
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