Chapter 1014: Genius Child Actors (1)

"1.2 billion!"

President Lee Ha-Yoon called out the amount at the top of her lungs. The bid came out the instant Kang Eun-Gi offered 1.1 billion won, as though she had absolutely no intention of losing.

A signing bonus of 1.2 billion won for four eliminated contestants meant each of them would receive 300 million won. Three hundred million per person was the same signing bonus each I.O.A member would receive individually, and it was also the ceiling I had set before the auction began.

An excessively large signing bonus would only become a burden for the artists themselves, while forcing the agency to push unreasonable schedules to earn the money back. Yet Lee Ha-Yoon went one step further.

"On top of that, they'll each get a dedicated MeTube channel! And they'll receive full support not only from Hayoon Entertainment, but from Daechon Media as well!"

After I limited the cash offers, Lee Ha-Yoon simply started adding benefits beyond the signing bonus. She was determined to sign them no matter what.

Kang Eun-Gi shook his head before glancing at Wang Long and Sasuke. "This is why you can't compete with a major corporation..."

Wang Long shrugged. "I'm out. We'll already be investing a lot in I.O.A."

Sasuke nodded and applauded. "So am I. We can't match a signing bonus like that. Congratulations, Ms. Lee Ha-Yoon."

The others also applauded, making it clear they had no intention of continuing the bidding war.

Only then did I smile and address Lee Ha-Yoon. "These girls are every bit as talented as the contestants who made the final lineup. Please take good care of them."

Lee Ha-Yoon's eyes sparkled. "Of course. They're already stars! Oh, and you haven't forgotten your promise to give us songs from Composer Bang Seon-Woo, have you?"

No matter how talented the producer, a girl group's success depended on having great songs.

I nodded. "Of course not. They may have been eliminated, but they're practically Seon-Woo's own students."

Lee Ha-Yoon clenched her fist. She looked as though she had already secured the next hit idol group.

"And when these girls debut, you won't mind if we add a few more members to the group, right?"

'Not bad.'

As expected of Chairman Kim Ae-Ryeon's daughter, the woman running an entertainment company had come up with a sharp idea. If she built a group around these four, she could successfully debut a much larger lineup all at once. That was why she had been willing to offer 1.2 billion won.

"Of course."

Lee Ha-Yoon nodded with a smile. "These four will still be the core of the group, so don't worry."

"That's something your company can decide for itself."

"I just wanted to make sure."

I nodded before turning toward the stage. Park Eun-Chae, Oh Hae-Nim, Liu Lan, and Nagai Haruko—the four eliminated contestants stood there trembling, unable to believe what had just happened.

I offered them a quiet congratulations. "Congratulations, girls. Work hard preparing for your debut with Ms. Lee Ha-Yoon. And if you ever have questions or need anything, don't hesitate to contact me."

Park Eun-Chae answered in a trembling voice. "Y-Yes... th-thank... you..."

She lowered her head as tears streamed down her face. Oh Hae-Nim, Liu Lan, and Nagai Haruko tried to comfort her. Before long, they were all sobbing together.

At that moment, the parents of the eliminated contestants rose to their feet and bowed deeply. "Thank you."

That was when the newly selected I.O.A members shouted at the top of their lungs.

"Mr. Jung! Thank you for everything!"

Ling Ling and Seo Hee-Joo shouted next. "Our talent agent really is the best!"

The parents of the newly selected I.O.A members also called out to me. "Mr. Jung, thank you for taking such good care of our kids!"

Even the broadcasting station staff, who had been cleaning up the stage, all shouted in unison. "Chief Jung! Thank you too! Thanks to you, the show was a massive hit!"

Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!

As thunderous applause filled the performance hall, my chest swelled with emotion.

I barely managed to suppress my pounding heart before bowing deeply to everyone and shouting back, "No... I'm the one who should be thanking all of you!"

And so, Project I.O.A finally came to its grand conclusion.

***

[Project I.O.A peaks at a 21.2% minute-by-minute viewership rating!]

[Hayoon Entertainment signs all four eliminated finalists on debut contracts. New girl group announced.]

[Five weeks until I.O.A's debut. The D-30 countdown begins in two weeks!]

[Project I.O.A writes a new chapter in entertainment history during its long journey, achieving record-breaking ratings!]

[Song Mi-Hee and Go Eun-Seo tie for first place on Project I.O.A.]

[A once-in-a-generation broadcasting sensation is born. An in-depth look at the I.O.A effect that's drawing advertisers in like a black hole!]

["Go Eun-Seo was always going to win anyway?" Go Eun-Seo proves the rumors wrong with undeniable talent.]

[Top star Han So-Ye bursts into tears after daughter Go Eun-Seo finishes in first place.]

[Former child actress Park Eun-Chae to debut this time as a girl group member!]

The reporters flooded the news with articles, thrilled to finally have a major story to cover again. The public celebrated the birth of a new girl group, while fans of the eliminated contestants were overjoyed to learn they'd be seeing their favorites again.

Still, it was impossible to make everyone happy. At this very moment, Miso was crouched beside my bed, looking up at me with a pout.

"Uncle Yoon-Ho... why did Na-Ra unnie finish fifth? Did they count the votes wrong?"

The moment she got home from school, she tossed down her backpack and rushed straight into my room. She even brought Baekseolgi and Injeolmi with her.

-Grrr...

-Meeeow!

From atop the bed came the sounds of Baekseolgi and Injeolmi waging an all-out battle on my back. I felt Injeolmi, the cheese tabby, backpedal before climbing onto my head.

Feeling the cat's weight on top of me, I held out my hand like it was a microphone in front of Miso. "It seems you've enlisted both Injeolmi and Baekseolgi to protest against your uncle. Are you suggesting there was vote manipulation, Miss Miso?"

Miso flinched and quickly turned her head away. "I-I'm not!"

"Please look your uncle directly in the eye when answering, Miss Miso. Isn't that what you're thinking?"

Without looking at me, Miso replied, "I... am looking right at you."

Watching her sneak glances at me from the corner of her eye was so adorable that I couldn't help smiling. As I broke up the war between Injeolmi on my head and Baekseolgi on my back, I gently comforted Miso.

"Miso. It'd be nice if Na-Ra could always be number one, but yesterday the other girls simply performed better. And if Na-Ra were always first, what about everyone else? Wouldn't they be sad if they could only ever be second or third forever?"

Kind-hearted Miso flinched before nodding. "You're right."

"Right. So don't be too upset."

Only then did Miso nod. "Okay... But in my heart, Na-Ra unnie will always be number one in I.O.A!"

Miso had compromised a little, but her devotion as a fan remained unshakable.

After proudly declaring her unwavering support for Sung Na-Ra, Miso suddenly jumped to her feet. "Oh, right! Uncle Yoon-Ho! Grandma said to come downstairs and eat. Then we're going to the Land of Happiness filming set!"

Today, we were heading straight to Miso's Land of Happiness shoot.

"Got it. I'll wash my face and come right down."

"Okay~~!"

I set Baekseolgi and Injeolmi down from the bed onto the floor.

Looking at the two of them, Miso called out, "Let's go!"

The moment Miso dashed out of the room, the two pets forgot all about their fight and came scrambling after her together.

Stretching my neck, I checked my Kk Talk messages. Now that the audition program had reached a 21% viewership rating, advertising offers were pouring in. On top of that, five hundred people had correctly guessed not only every I.O.A member but even their exact rankings in the comment event.

The overwhelming interest made me smile. Still, this was the message that pleased me the most.

[Park Eun-Chae: Mr. Jung, I used my signing bonus to pay off all of our urgent debts. My dad said he'd really like to treat you to a meal!]

Lee Ha-Yoon had transferred the signing bonus immediately, allowing them to repay everything they owed Daeheung Savings Bank in one go.

[Chief Jung Yoon-Ho: Good. We'll get together when things settle down. And don't let this new opportunity slip away.]

[Park Eun-Chae: Yes, Mr. Jung! I'll never do anything like that again!]

Seeing Park Eun-Chae's determined reply, I smiled. Afterward, I sent messages to Wang Long and Sasuke suggesting we meet tomorrow for the follow-up I.O.A planning meeting before stretching once more.

"All right then... time to get this week's schedule started."

This week, two dramas featuring Miso would air back-to-back. They were SBC's weekday drama Land of Happiness written by Lee Ji-Yeon, and KBC's weekend drama Haze produced by Mirinae.

To make sure the two productions that would change Miso's life became a success, I left my room with renewed determination.

***

We arrived at the Land of Happiness set in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province. Built on the grounds of a remote abandoned elementary school was the set for Eunseong Orphanage.

It was the facility where the protagonist, Yoon Na-Ra, and her siblings were first sent after losing their family in an accident. Eventually, the orphanage went bankrupt under financial strain, scattering the siblings to different places. Because of that, the staff had gone to great lengths to recreate the atmosphere of an orphanage on the verge of collapse.

The single-story building and its small caretaker's residence were covered with faded murals, while the overgrown playground was littered with sand, rocks, and weeds. Only the old sand playground remained as a place for the children to play.

I noticed several child actors who had already arrived playing in the sandbox as I parked in the temporary lot outside the set.

Screech.

After parking, I opened the rear door.

Miso unbuckled her seatbelt, climbed out, grabbed my hand tightly, and asked with an excited smile, "Uncle Yoon-Ho, you'll stay with me all day today, right?"

"Of course. Today we're filming the scene where Yoon Kkot-Nim gets into a fight with the other kids while she's in a wheelchair. I'm going to stay right by your side."

Since Miso's role as Yoon Kkot-Nim required a lot of emotional scenes early on, I planned to stay with her for the time being.

As I watched Miso brighten, I slowly surveyed the surroundings. As a talent agent, the first thing to do upon arriving on set was greet the PD.

Just then, I spotted PD Ju Se-Hyung coming out of the left entrance of the abandoned school building.

"Move it! The kids can't film at night, so we've only got five hours! Push all the adult scenes back until this evening and shoot the children's scenes first! Let's go!"

A weekday drama production normally stayed at least one month ahead of schedule, and sometimes as much as three. With the brutal pace of airing five episodes a week, they needed that kind of cushion to keep the footage coming.

Land of Happiness, however, had been rushed into production and scheduling so quickly that only three episodes had been filmed. Because of that, even Ju Se-Hyung, who was famous within SBC for his fast shooting pace, couldn't help being on edge.

"Miso, Mr. Ju is just really busy, okay? So don't be startled if he raises his voice."

Miso already had plenty of experience on filming sets, so she nodded without looking worried. Then she blinked and asked cautiously, "Okay! But Uncle Yoon-Ho... does that mean I shouldn't give Mr. Ju any candy?"

She had stuffed her little crossbody bag full of candy.

"Hmm. Let's see what kind of mood he's in first."

"Okay~"

"Then let's go say hello."

Holding Miso's hand, I crossed the playground and walked over to Ju Se-Hyung.

"Mr. Ju..."

Still pointing and barking orders at the staff, Ju Se-Hyung whipped his head around. "I'm busy as hell. Who is—"

He was about to snap at us, but the moment he saw us, his face lit up.

"Huh? It's Miso and Chief Jung! Hahaha. Sorry, sorry. I've got so much on my mind right now. You understand, right?"

"Of course, sir. We'll go get ready then."

"No, no. Hold on a second. Chief Jung, I need to talk to you for a minute. Leave Miso with Hye-Min."

At that moment, Miso quickly unzipped her crossbody bag.

Ziiip.

She took out three pieces of candy and offered them to Ju Se-Hyung. "Mr. Ju! Have some candy and cheer up!"

"Aww, Miso's the only one who cares about me. My blood sugar was crashing too. Thanks!"

As Ju Se-Hyung smiled and popped a candy into his mouth, Miso finally beamed. She took FD Seo Hye-Min's hand and disappeared toward the container dressing rooms set up beside the playground.

Whether it was really the candy or not, Ju Se-Hyung seemed noticeably more relaxed. He pointed toward the sandbox next to the changing rooms.

"Chief Jung. You know Nam Joo-Hwan and Sung Ri-Yeon over there, right?"

Seven children were gathered around the sandbox. Five of them, dressed in ragged clothes, were playing in the dirt around a handsome little boy. They were deliberately getting their clothes dirty ahead of the scene they were about to film.

That handsome boy was Nam Joo-Hwan. Meanwhile, a young girl in a neat red outfit stood just outside the playground, quietly watching them was Sung Ri-Yeon.

I nodded. "I know them well. They were both called genius child actors before Miso came along, weren't they?"

Sung Ri-Yeon was ten years old, two years older than Miso. She had debuted as a baby formula commercial model at the age of two and was once called "the cutest child in the world." Then, at four years old, she appeared as a child actress in the historical drama Division, which depicted the Korean War. Her astonishing performance earned her the title of a genius child actress.

After Miso appeared on the scene, though, people stopped calling her that. Her acting ability hadn't declined, however, which was why she had been cast in this drama as Yeo Soo-Jin, Yoon Kkot-Nim's rival.

Nam Joo-Hwan was also ten years old and widely considered one of the top three male child actors of his generation. He had first become famous through a parenting reality show. The moment he switched to acting at the age of five, he quickly rose to fame as another "genius child actor."

More importantly, before my regression, both of them had belonged to Top Entertainment. That meant I knew them better than almost anyone else. Having grown up in the entertainment industry, they were exceptionally perceptive and, despite their young age, as calculating as many seasoned adult actors.

"Yes, I know them both well. Why do you ask?"

"I heard reporters are planning to run a feature calling them and Miso the three genius child actors. Have you heard?"

'Grouping Miso together with the other so-called genius child actors?'

The idea was so ridiculous it almost made me laugh, but I held it in.

"No."

"Really? Well, I guess that's possible. Anyway, I'm worried those comparison articles will turn into a fight between the adults."

At that moment, I realized what was really bothering him.

"Do you think Ri-Yeon's mother and Joo-Hwan's mother commissioned those articles?" I asked.

I had first met Sung Ri-Yeon's mother, Cheon Mi-Ra, and Nam Joo-Hwan's mother, Yang Mi-Ra, at the broadcasting station.

After discovering they shared the same given name and that both came from extremely wealthy families, the two women became close almost overnight. Eventually, they co-founded Mira Entertainment, a talent agency specializing in child actors, and began running it together as co-presidents.

Mira Entertainment represented around thirty popular child actors. If a television station wanted access to top-tier child talent, it practically had to work with Mira Entertainment.

Ju Se-Hyung nodded. "I'm not certain, but there's a good chance. The two presidents of Mira Entertainment have the perfect opportunity to tie their son and daughter to Miso with this whole 'genius child actor' marketing angle. Still, nothing's confirmed. And if we start making accusations, it'll just become a headache. So I'd appreciate it if you could pretend you don't know anything. You know how packed our schedule is."

Under normal circumstances, he would have made a fuss about it, but the schedule was simply too packed.

"I'll do my best."

My answer carried an unspoken warning that I wouldn't stay quiet if they crossed the line.

"Good. Oh, right. Mrs. Lee Ji-Yeon just called and said she's coming to the set in a little while. She's with Hoop Entertainment now, so take good care of her."

"Yes, sir. Don't worry. By the way, where are President Cheon Mi-Ra and President Yang Mi-Ra?"

Ju Se-Hyung let out a sigh. "They took the other child actors' moms to a nearby café for coffee. That's why we're trying to finish filming before they get back. Be ready."

"Understood."

After giving me a few more instructions, Ju Se-Hyung went back to preparing for the shoot. The atmosphere felt off enough that I decided to tell Miso not to mingle with the other kids today.

I turned toward the changing rooms. However, Miso had already changed into her costume and was walking over to the children in the playground to hand out candy.

Just as I was about to call out and stop her, Sung Ri-Yeon and Nam Joo-Hwan quietly said something to her. The instant they did, the smile vanished from Miso's face. Her expression turned completely rigid.

'What the hell are those kids doing?'

I was about to head over immediately. Instead, Miso suddenly spun around and sprinted toward me. She covered the fifty-meter distance in no time and threw herself into my arms the instant she reached me.

"Miso. What's wrong?"

She buried her face against my chest without saying a word. I gently pulled her back so I could look at her.

"Miso, you have to tell your uncle what's wrong. Remember? You promised you'd tell me anything."

Her small body trembled. "Uncle Yoon-Ho... They said... I don't even have a mom and dad...They said I don't have to work hard at acting...because everything just gets handed to me..."

Miso was so angry that even her voice shook.

'Why, those little brats...'

Sung Ri-Yeon and Nam Joo-Hwan were only ten years old. They were clever children, but words like those had undoubtedly come from their mothers' influence. Still, they were old enough to know what should and shouldn't be said. They were more than smart enough for that.

In that case, they needed to learn a lesson. Instead of taking revenge for Miso, I wanted her to defeat them herself.

So I began comforting her. "Miso?"

"...Yes."

"Your mom and dad are watching over you from heaven. And down here, you have me and your mom staying by your side in their place. And besides! I know better than anyone how hard you've worked for this role. This time you're playing Mrs. Lee Ji-Yeon's younger self, so you practiced harder than ever. Isn't that right?"

Being recognized for her efforts seemed to ease her anger a little. Miso nodded firmly.

"That's right! I worked really, really hard! Nothing was handed to me!"

Almost as much as mentioning her parents, what truly upset Miso was being told she had succeeded without earning it.

"That's right. Mrs. Lee Ji-Yeon will be here soon, so let's show her exactly what you can do. And even before she gets here."

At the suggestion of beating them with her acting, Miso clenched her fists and nodded vigorously. "I... I'm never going to lose to that unnie and oppa!"

"That's right!"

Just then, a staff member wheeled over an old, battered wheelchair and waved from beside the sandbox.

"Miso! We're ready~ We're starting right away, so come on over!"

Miso looked at me with a determined expression. "Uncle Yoon-Ho. I'm going!"

"Go get 'em."

With both fists tightly clenched, Miso marched back toward the sandbox wearing the expression of someone heading into battle.

'And what was that? Genius child actors? Give me a break.'

"Miso... show them what a real genius looks like!"