Chapter 862: Popular Guy (2)

The kids suddenly burst into cheers, so I asked Miso what was going on.

"Miso, what's happening here?"

Miso raised her right index finger and said, "You're in first place, Uncle Yoon-Ho!"

"First place? First in what?"

"You're the number one ideal type among female celebrities. That's why my friends followed me to see how cool you are."

'

Number one ideal type among female celebrities

?'

"Miso, what are you talking about?"

Looking frustrated, Miso stamped her feet and turned to Han-Ul. "Han-Ul, explain for me!"

Smart Han-Ul held out his phone. "It was posted in the Daily Womans today. Uncle Yoon-Ho was picked as the top ideal type by female celebrities. Look here."

Daily Womans was the online platform for the monthly magazine Womans, a site dedicated to entertainment news. And there it was on the main page—a huge photo of me arm-in-arm with Yoo-Jin from that interview we did a while back.

[We asked 100 female celebrities: "Who is your ideal type?" (limited to figures in the entertainment industry)]

-1st Place: Jung Yoon-Ho, talent agent at Hoop Entertainment (40 votes)

(The rest of the rankings below)

2nd Place (25 votes): Actor Lee Tae-Poong

5th Place (10 votes): Actor Jo Min-Sung

...

10th Place (3 votes): Actor Haru

...

13th Place (2 votes): Singer Seo Yeon-Woo

...

(The May issue of Womans will feature the full responses by each celebrity.)

Usually in these kinds of polls, female celebrities picked famous top stars. For example, with Lee Tae-Poong, his name popping up created good clickbait for headlines such as "Lee Tae-Poong picked by Ms. B as her ideal type." Or they might choose a promising director to get in good with him.

'

But in a poll like that, out of 100 female celebrities, 40 picked me

?'

"Why? Why would they pick me?"

I wasn't an actor or a director. I was just a talent agent. Sure, talent agents technically counted as people in the entertainment industry, but no agent had ever been included in these kinds of stats before.

I couldn't wrap my head around how I had ended up in first place. I wanted to call and ask immediately, but figured I would just have to visit the Womans office later and find out. Right now, I had to deal with the group of wide-eyed kids staring up at me.

I handed the phone back to Han-Ul and asked, "Okay, but still. Why did everyone come here like this?"

Just then, Eun-Byul grinned and said, "The kids from another class wanted to see you, so Miso told them to come along. She wanted to brag."

Miso nodded. "Yup! I brought everyone to show off how cool my uncle is!"

I couldn't understand what was so brag-worthy about this that she had to bring along an entire other class. Nevertheless, the kids were staring up at me like I was some kind of miracle.

"You're way taller and better-looking than my dad!"

"Are you dating a celebrity?"

"Who are you gonna marry?"

"Do you get a prize for first place?"

"Why are you number one? I'm a fan of Mr. Lee Tae-Poong!"

"Who's this guy? Is he in a drama or something? I've never seen him before."

"You dummy! He's the mister from the Real Ramen ad!"

"

Oh,

right! He's the Real Ramen guy!"

"Then is he a celebrity?"

"No, they said he's a talent agent."

"What's a talent agent?"

First graders were basically toddlers who have just graduated from kindergarten. So they kept looking up at me like meerkats and chattering noisily among themselves.

Just as the noise was about to knock me out, Miso raised both arms and calmed them down, like she was my talent agent blocking off gossip reporters.

𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

"Okay, you've all seen my uncle now, right? He's cool, huh? Then let's say bye!"

Miso tried to disperse the crowd with a proud smile and her nose in the air. Seeing her so puffed up, I figured I had to do something. A talent agent should look after their actor's pride, after all.

"Hey kids, hold on a second."

I told them to wait and went back to the car, where I popped the trunk. Inside were mint-colored paper bags, each the size of a hand, filled with cookies Yeon Bo-Ra's mom had made as gifts. I took out about thirty and started handing them to the kids.

They opened the bags right away and squealed with joy.

"Wow! Cookies!"

"There's even a ribbon!"

"Thank you!"

Then Miso, her nose practically piercing the sky now, shouted, "

Oh

, right! Picture! Let's take a group photo!"

The kids answered in unison, "Yeah!"

Miso looked at me and tugged on my arm. "Uncle Yoon-Ho, take a picture with us."

I never expected to become a celebrity doing a fan meeting with first graders, but in the end, I was dragged into a pose by Miso. The kids quickly gathered around me, in front, behind, on the sides.

Han-Ul stepped up, held out his phone, and said to all of us, "Cheese~"

Click.

And just like that, thanks to Talent Agent Miso, I had the rare experience of becoming a first-grade superstar.

***

After parking in the basement garage of Womans magazine headquarters located in Cheongdam-dong, I unbuckled my seatbelt and spoke to Miso in the passenger seat.

"Miso, I'm going to step out and make a quick call. I'll undo your seatbelt when I get back, okay?"

Miso, sitting in the backseat, bounced her feet and replied, "Okay. I'll play on my tablet."

She immediately tapped the icon for the Powertuff Girls mini-game and started playing. While she was distracted, I grabbed my phone to call Womans' President Jang Ji-Hye and let her know I had arrived.

However, there were over 120 unread messages on Kk Talk.

It looked like the finale of

Hwaranjeon

had hit 40% viewership ratings last night, and advertisers or producers were flooding in with casting requests.

I scrolled through to see who had messaged me. Then I blinked.

"What is this?"

About half of them were offers and inquiries for Yoo-Jin just as I expected, but the other half were about me.

[Baro Star Reporter Choi Ik-Hyun: Chief Jung. Let's do an interview. Come on, yeah?]

[Entertainment All Times Reporter Park Deok-Hoon: Make some time today. I'll get us a good spot.]

[LM Clothing President Moon Yung-Mi: If you're thinking about doing ads, you know LM or L.M.L. should be your top choice, right?]

[L.M.L President Lee Yung-Ah: Mr. Jung, we're about to launch a new brand targeting fashionable professionals and we'd love to have you as our model...]

Just as I was wondering why all this was happening, one Kk Talk message caught my eye.

[Weekly Star Reporter Jang Moon-Ki: Sorry.]

'

Sorry? For what

?'

Jang Moon-Ki was the king of clickbait articles. A wave of unease hit me, and I immediately searched his articles on the portal. The moment I saw it, everything started to make sense.

'

So that's why I was getting all these offers

.'

[#1 Most Desirable Korean Man Female Celebrities Want to Marry: Talent Agent Jung Yoon-Ho! - We take a microscopic look at the irresistibly charming life of this man! (by Weekly Star's Reporter Jang Moon-Ki)

The handsome talent agent Jung Yoon-Ho.

A wealthy man who owns 15.5% of Hoop Entertainment, where each share currently stands at 122,000 won.

An orphan-turned-self-made billionaire at just 28 years old.

He's got the looks, the skills, the money.

Presenting Korea's ultimate groom material, Jung Yoon-Ho.

Cue dramatic music!

...

(Statistic source: Daily Womans)

(Comments)

-Whoa, this is insane. A talent agent being #1 groom material? What is happening?

-So if you're the second-largest shareholder of Hoop Entertainment, female celebrities will apparently rank you first as husband material.

-Wasn't this poll originally about ideal types from Daily Womans? How did it turn into "most desirable for marriage?"

-Master of spin and fabrication, Reporter Jang Moon-Ki never changes, not even in the new year. This was the original poll. (Link: Daily Womans- "We asked 100 female celebrities: Who's your ideal type?")

-What college do I have to attend to become a talent agent like him? Please reply, I'm a high school senior. This is urgent!

-Chief Jung Yoon-Ho is a high school grad from what I know.

-It's all about skill these days. Who cares about where you went to school?

...

'

Marriage? Irresistible charm? Korea's #1 groom material?

'

Jang Moon-Ki really crossed a line this time. It was a light-hearted interview asking female celebrities to name their ideal types, and this guy spun it into something so sensational. Of course it was bound to have ripple effects.

I picked up my phone, ready to demand a retraction from Jang Moon-Ki. As expected, he didn't answer.

-The number you are trying to reach is unavailable, please leave a message...

I was about to try again when another Kk Talk came in from Jang Moon-Ki.

[Reporter Jang Moon-Ki: Sorry.]

His initial "Sorry" was for running a clickbait article. But this new "Sorry" meant he couldn't take it down now that it was racking up views. It was a "sorry, not sorry."

In the end, I messaged Jang Moon-Ki.

[Chief Jung Yoon-Ho: If you're gonna play like this, no more exclusives from me.]

The "unread" next to my message disappeared as he read it. Then his reply came.

[Reporter Jang Moon-Ki: This is pulling more views than any exclusive you could give me. Sorry. This is the real scoop.]

It seemed like there was no chance that article was coming down today.

***

Miso and I arrived on the 10th floor of Womans, where Jang Ji-Hye was waiting. As soon as we stepped off the elevator, she and the editorial team showered us with paper flower petals.

"Our number one groom material is here!"

"Congratulations!"

"Congrats to Miso, too, on your solo cover!"

I barely acknowledged their greetings before cutting to the chase. "Forget the petals! What on earth were you thinking running that interview like this?"

Jang Ji-Hye shrugged. "What? It was just a typical question we usually throw into the gossip column. Everyone always answers lightheartedly."

"Yeah, but you didn't put it in the gossip column this time. You put it on the main page of Daily Womans. That's why it's spreading like wildfire. Now other reporters—not just Reporter Jang Moon-Ki—are spinning the 'ideal type' thing into 'most marriageable man.'"

The monthly print version of Womans was known for thorough reporting and normally didn't feature gossip articles on its main page. But today, they had taken something meant for the gossip section and blasted it front and center.

Jang Ji-Hye answered with a shameless look. "Of course it had to go on the main page! Why would we bury such a high-traffic story? And come on. Being ranked first as an ideal type basically means you're the top pick to marry. Don't you agree?"

The editorial staff all nodded.

"Totally."

"Facts."

Clearly, there was no intention of taking the article down here either.

So I said bluntly, "But Womans isn't some tabloid..."

Jang Ji-Hye chuckled. "Guess you didn't know, Chief Jung. We are the original tabloid. The OG. You didn't know?"

"Huh? Womans is the original tabloid?"

"Where do you think Womans is usually stocked?"

"Hair salons."

"Exactly. And where do you think all those juicy tabloid clippings at salons come from? That's right—us."

'

So much for being a traditional journalism magazine

.'

Now they were proudly claiming their tabloid roots. With that kind of swagger, there was no way they were taking the article down anytime soon. At this point, I figured I should at least check on the part I was most concerned about.

"Did Yoo-Jin answer the survey too?" I asked.

"Of course!

Oh

, and Ju Yung-In did as well, plus the Cherry Blossom girls and Kang Ha-Na."

"You asked every female celebrity at Hoop Entertainment?"

"Naturally."

"Then... Can I see their answers?"

"What, are you worried someone wrote something weird?"

"Yes. If anything odd is in there, it could damage their image."

"If that's what you're worried about, don't be. I'm thorough with this stuff. Here, take a look."

Jang Ji-Hye handed me her tablet, which showed the responses that would appear in the May issue.

[Jung Yoo-Jin's pick: Jung Yoon-Ho, talent agent at Hoop Entertainment]

-He always does his best in everything he takes on. (P.S. Yoon-Ho oppa, I'm always grateful!)

Thankfully, Yoo-Jin gave the textbook-perfect answer. There was nothing to worry about there.

[Cherry Blossom's pick: Jung Yoon-Ho, talent agent at Hoop Entertainment]

-Woo Yeon-Hee: He's kind, thoughtful, and reliable.

-Yang Eun-Bi: A total all-rounder.

-Yoo Eun-Ah: Like a dependable dad.

Sae-Ri: He has long arms and legs, which I don't have.

Sae-Ri's comment threw me off a little, but the rest were safe enough.

[Kang Ha-Na's pick: Jung Yoon-Ho, talent agent at Hoop Entertainment]

-When I couldn't see a future, he gave me insight and lit the way. He's the guiding light in the dark world of entertainment.

'

Ha-Na, that's only because I'm a regressor

.'

Still, the answers were all overwhelmingly positive.

Jang Ji-Hye smiled as she took the tablet back. "See? Nothing to worry about."

Just then, one person's answer caught my attention.

"Isn't this one... a little problematic?"

[Ju Yung-In's pick: Jung Yoon-Ho, talent agent at Hoop Entertainment]

-My type.

Jang Ji-Hye shrugged with a brazen look. "What's wrong with saying that? And trust me, there are way more provocative ones. So Yi-Yung and Min Gyu-Ri both said they'd say yes to a proposal on the spot."

They could keep So Yi-Yung and Min Gyu-Ri. I wouldn't take either of them if they begged.

"Anyway, don't worry, this won't take long. You've got another schedule, right? You still have to shoot Miso's May cover."

I nodded, since I had to finish this quickly and get to MBS. "Yes, ma'am."

I took Miso by the hand and headed to the studio on the fifth floor. Today's visit was all about making Miso the cover model for the May issue—the very first child to ever grace the front cover since Womans was founded.

***

Inside the Womans building on the fifth floor studio, Miso headed next door to the dressing room for makeup.

While she was gone, Jang Ji-Hye leaned in with a casual suggestion. "Chief Jung, what about doing a solo cover for Womans yourself sometime?"

Clearly, Jang Ji-Hye was trying to milk today's hype for all it was worth.

"

Oh

... no, thank you, Mrs. Jang. But I really don't think—"

Just as I was trying to politely decline, a soft, honeyed voice chimed in from behind. "Mrs. Jang, I was already pushed from the front cover to the back for the May issue. Now I'm losing it to Mr. Jung too?"

I turned around to see Jin Sol-Ah, the rookie actress from Root Entertainment, pretending to wipe away tears with a teasing smile.

She was twenty-five this year, currently playing Queen Jeong-Seon, wife of King Danjong, in KBC's

Queen Jeong-Hee.

It was a tragic role—a noblewoman forced into marriage by the tyrant King Sejo, yet she remained faithfully devoted to her late husband.

The part was powerful, and Jin Sol-Ah's popularity had risen to nearly the same level as lead actress So Yi-Yung. On top of her graceful beauty, she had a reputation for angelic kindness, earning her the title of next-generation breakout star.

She had come today in full costume, complete with a traditional wig. Apparently, she had originally been the scheduled front cover model for the May issue.

Jang Ji-Hye's response was sharp. "Ms. Sol-Ah, we already talked about this. You're on the back cover this month, and in July, you get the front cover feature."

Jin Sol-Ah flinched at the tone but quickly recovered with an apologetic smile. "

Oh

, I'm sorry! I was just being playful. And if it's Mr. Jung, I'm happy to step aside."

"Really?"

"Honestly, thinking about Womans target audience, I think Mr. Jung is a better fit for the cover. I'm thrilled just to have the back cover."

Jin Sol-Ah played the gracious angel to perfection, just like her public image suggested.

"

Hm

. Is that so?"

"Yes, it really is."

"Hmph. You're just as considerate as people say. But don't worry. Chief Jung already declined. And July's front cover is still all yours."

Jang Ji-Hye praised Jin Sol-Ah's sweet nature, but I said nothing.

Jin Sol-Ah was, more than anyone I knew, a woman whose surface and core were completely different. Though she was currently loved for her angelic beauty and charity work, I knew better than anyone that behind it all was a ruthlessly selfish person.

The truth was, her lifelong dream wasn't success as an actress but it was marrying into a chaebol family. That was why I didn't even look at her.

'

Stay out of it. That's the smartest move

.'

Yet despite my efforts to stay distant, Jin Sol-Ah smiled brightly and looked straight at me. "Mr. Jung, you're even more handsome in person. Did you know I picked you as my number one in the Womans poll today too?"

I kept my distance and answered coolly. "

Oh

... thank you."

"But seriously, are you really not seeing anyone? The rumors say you're single."

"Yes, I'm single."

Then, with a clap of her hands, Jin Sol-Ah said something completely ridiculous. "Wow~ That's a relief. Then... would it be okay if I applied to be your girlfriend candidate?"

'

Jin Sol-Ah... What on earth are you scheming

?'

She was making a move on me even though I'm not a chaebol.