Chapter 68: Termination of exclusive contract

Mid-April.

A time when the coronavirus was spreading globally, and people’s outdoor activities were gradually being restricted.

“Ah, Hyung.”

Kobayashi Hiro greeted the person on the other end of the phone respectfully.

A stark contrast to his usual relaxed demeanor, he was perfectly composed.

Well, it was understandable.

The person on the other end was that formidable of a presence.

Japan.

Among those in the cultural content industry, there would be few who didn’t know his name.

Takamine Tatsuo.

The global OTT service generating the largest revenue in the Japanese OTT market.

Netblix.

He was the head of Netblix for the Asia-Pacific region.

[Well, it’s a relief you seem comfortable these days.]

⸻Though I’m not at all.

Ttak ttak-

Simultaneously.

The sound of a pen clicking from beyond the phone stopped, and silence fell.

[…I heard the news.]

Yes, you kicked out one of your idols this time, didn’t you?

“Hyung, Hyung-nim…”

[Wow, I was overseas so I heard the news a bit late.]

I just saw the internet article.

What, should I send a wreath over there or something?

Takamine Tatsuo.

He was someone with deep ties to Kobayashi in many ways.

They were senior and junior in the same school club, and their industries were similar.

But among those, the most important connection was…

[Come to think of it, my son suddenly asked me to introduce him to a lawyer.]

‘Ah, I’m f*cked.’

In an instant, the atmosphere plummeted, and Kobayashi’s face turned pale.

Indeed, the information had leaked from where he had expected.

Takamine Sion.

The dedicated producer for the girl group Cornelia, and Takamine Tatsuo’s son.

Since Ren knew him even before joining the company, he could tell their relationship was special.

‘But, I never thought Tatsuo-san would step in like this.’

To be honest, it was a completely unexpected development.

Weren’t their family backgrounds worlds apart in the first place?

Given that even his wife didn’t view Ren favorably.

He had expected Tatsuo himself would also know and just let it slide…

[Are you listening?]

I can’t see your face, so I can’t tell…

“Ah, yes.”

I’m listening.

At the irritated voice coming from over the phone, Kobayashi quickly snapped to his senses.

‘Someone please get me out of this hellish place.’

‘What did the lawyer just say?’

Kobayashi, who had merely declared he would consider legal sanctions as a scare tactic, truly felt like dying.

Hikari had said she’d take care of it beforehand, but seeing this, it seemed she had failed.

[So, I wondered what happened, and I looked up some Japanese articles.]

It must have been about 30 minutes.

“Th-that is…”

Despite the trembling voice coming from the other end of the line, Tatsuo continued indifferently.

“You’ve been running the company quite well until now, huh?”

Honestly, it makes me regret lending you the business funds.

The more he pressed refresh on the site.

The countless controversies erupting were enough that even Tatsuo eventually gave up searching.

Many issues were circulating, but there was one choice that made the least sense.

“More than anything, you have absolutely no eye for people.”

‘To think, of all things, he’d consider kicking out Ren.’

Tatsuo suddenly recalled his first meeting with her.

A small girl who had painted new colors onto his own completely dead eyes.

‘I only saw her once as she passed by.’

Separate from his relationship with his son.

The potential he had personally seen in Ren was enormous.

It wasn’t because she was Japanese.

In the first place, the nationality of actors or directors didn’t significantly influence his evaluations.

It was simply that her caliber was top-notch.

Her uniquely overwhelming visual appeal was a given,

Be it acting,

Be it recording,

Be it even dancing.

She, who perfectly digested everything through relentless effort, was the very definition of a perfect, well-rounded entertainer.

If given just a small opportunity, she would soon transcend Japan.

A jewel that would even be recognized in the global market.

‘Tsk…’

Tatsuo, not hiding his irritated expression, suddenly thought of the directive from headquarters.

There were many details, but a detailed explanation was bothersome.

To roughly summarize the main point, it was this:

‘As the epidemic has been spreading rapidly recently, we plan to accelerate the production of original content that people can easily enjoy at home…’

For Tatsuo, the head of Asia, this was an immense burden.

In a situation where the culture of neighboring Korea was already spreading globally and gaining prominence.

If he released a work that was even slightly inferior, it would be criticized for not meeting viewers’ expectations.

In short, it was an industry that required that much caution.

It wasn’t that he was particularly attached to his position.

But his inherently perfectionist nature made him consider all possibilities.

No matter what, his name was attached as the head, so wouldn’t it be regrettable in many ways if a low-quality work came out?

Therefore, he wanted to use this opportunity for the best raw talent he knew to seriously advance onto the world stage.

And yet.

This crazy b*stard.

He had taken that jewel and thrown it into the middle of the ocean.

That jewel, which would soon be priceless!

Udeuk-!

For Tatsuo, who knew the reality of the Japanese cultural industry that hadn’t shown noticeable growth recently, it was truly a maddening situation.

“Hoo… Anyway, I don’t intend to fight with you much either.”

Tatsuo, after calming his mind and body with a deep breath, spoke.

If he had his way, he wanted to fly to Japan with an axe right now and smash the head of that empty-headed junior of his.

But what could be done about what had already happened?

It wasn’t like Ren would come back, and buying a plane ticket for that would be a waste.

[However, it’s also true that I can’t look upon you favorably.]

“······.”

At those words, Kobayashi felt his breath catch in his throat.

Interpreted literally, it was an expression of displeasure.

Interpreted a bit more harshly, it was no different from a threat: ‘I can cut off all future work for your agency’s actors.’

[But don’t worry.]

I won’t impose any sanctions, nor can I.

“Ahaha··· Yes·····.”

‘Damn it···.’

Of course.

Given Tatsuo’s personality, the possibility of him dragging private matters into the public sphere was remarkably low.

Having just recently signed a large contract for Hallyu content, he was definitely not the type to let emotions sway his work.

However.

None of that mattered anyway.

Society was already chaotic due to the recently spreading epidemic.

It was difficult to give up the card of the OTT industry here.

No, it didn’t even need to go that far.

Netblix was already a conglomerate.

Due to the nature of the Japanese broadcasting industry, where overseas expansion is more difficult than in Korea.

Creators had a strong desire to enter foreign markets through OTT services.

To catch the eye of Netblix, the largest among them, was no different from a spider’s thread lowered by Buddha into hell.

Everyone was desperate to look good somehow, to somehow bask in that grace.

Who on earth would want to use an actor from a company that the Netblix Asia head disliked?

It is human nature to avoid anything that might even slightly attract negative attention.

No matter how much the evaluations of experts from each country played the most important role, eventually, all Asian works passed through his hands at least once.

Considering the career he had built at the company so far, if he were to genuinely reject something, it was clear that at the very least, the service posting would be put on hold.

In the first place, even setting all that aside, how many people wouldn’t be mindful of him?

To put it bluntly.

The man himself was simply scary.

‘Damn it…’

After hanging up the phone, Kobayashi slumped into his chair.

“Haaa….”

All I did was kick out one idol.

What on earth is all this?

His head throbbed unusually badly today.

---

“So, it got resolved like that?”

[Yeah, it seems Dad called him directly.]

Terminating the contract seems like it’ll be surprisingly easy.

A call with Sion, after a long time.

Ren’s eyes widened.

She had anticipated how it might turn out, but she never thought it would be crushed so quickly.

‘At that point, it seems like your father really lost his temper.’

They say a kind person is scary when they get angry once.

It’s just that his impression is a bit stiff.

How on earth could his usual, rather cheerful personality change 180 degrees like that?

‘More than that, I never knew he thought of me that way.’

‘What a waste.’

‘Doesn’t this mean if I had stayed in the entertainment industry, I would have automatically walked the path of global success?’

‘If that happened, I could have met overseas fans more often too; it was regrettable in many ways.’

Well, still, thanks to that, the CEO ended up looking ridiculous.

Wow, how dare he provoke the head of Netblix Asia?

This wasn’t just waking a sleeping T-Rex.

It was like pissing it off so much that its hidden berserker mode was awakened.

And just before being mauled to death, he barely escaped by sacrificing an arm called Cornelia.

Thinking about it this way, it’s a bit satisfying.

My feeling of regret eased a little.

[Still, it’s not all over.]

“Right, it’s a bit much for just us to pull out now.”

I had momentarily forgotten, but the main point of this exposé was about the agency’s corruption and unfair contracts.

If we just pulled out now that our contracts were terminated, what would happen to the other people involved in that problem?

Even if it doesn’t go as far as a lawsuit, Sion and his group will be busy in the future just to resolve the issues that will follow.

…Come to think of it, should I have just ratted them out to his father from the beginning instead of exposing them?

‘Hmm, no.’

Thinking about it again, he probably wouldn’t have believed me if I just said that.

Ultimately, this was the best outcome in the current situation.

“Well, so.”

Where are you planning to find another agency now?

If everyone plans to continue their celebrity activities, it would be better to have an agency.

Sion answered my question.

[Well···· I’m not sure about that yet.]

“····Really?”

Hmm, I thought there might be a place willing to take them since the contract termination went surprisingly smoothly.

Apparently, our rigid Japanese entertainment industry.

Seemed unwilling to accept young people who had blown up a company.

‘Honestly, with his father’s connections, I feel like they could manage even without an agency, but····.’

I already felt sorry for making him worry about such issues, so I couldn’t possibly ask for something like that.

It was also a somewhat confidential matter externally.

Sion himself is a kid who wants to succeed on his own without his parents’ connections.

Proceeding in that manner would be incredibly rude.

Even this time, if it hadn’t gone as far as a legal dispute, Sion probably wouldn’t have called his father, right?

More than anything, if they entered like that, they’d just be treated as parachute hires, wouldn’t they?

Of course, if our kids went down, it wouldn’t be a parachute anymore, but a paratrooper unit.

Well, anyway.

[By the way, Ren.]

Do you really have no intention of returning?

“Huh?”

[Dad said you’re welcome back anytime.]

“·····What?”

Ah, this is a bit tempting.

No, the world’s top global OTT company.

The head of Asia personally extended a love call?

Am I that good?

Honestly, it still doesn’t feel real.

Well, still….

“Well, I don’t think I can go that way just yet.”

While rolling in the mud of the entertainment industry until now, my mind has also become considerably exhausted.

If it weren’t for my acquaintances there, wouldn’t my dislike have evolved into outright hatred?

[Alright, I’ll tell him that then.]

“Yeah, take care.”

Don’t get sick.

Aigo, our Prime Minister.

Please do a proper job with the quarantine, you old man.

After hanging up the phone, I moved my body back to the computer.

Whether they have a legal battle or a parliamentary audit.

That side will get beaten up well enough on its own.

⸻Well, should I finish my broadcast for today?