Contract
I slid open the door to the VIP hospital room and found a handsome man, towering over 180cm, lying on the bed.
He had an IV hooked to his arm and his broad chest was draped with all sorts of medical equipment.
"Seung-Hoon, did you bring the black bean noodles?"
Jang Jun-Hyuk looked for the black bean noodles without taking his eyes off his phone.
"Come on, hyung. How would I bring black bean noodles into the hospital room?"
A playful complaint came out of Jang Jun-Hyuk's mouth.
"Hey, you call yourself a talent agent when you can't even bring me black bean noodles? Try to do something about it. Would you not even fulfill a dying man's wish for a bowl of black bean noodles?"
"Stop talking nonsense and greet the person who saved your life. Mr. Jung Yoon-Ho is here."
When Jang Jun-Hyuk met my eyes, he smiled brightly.
"Are you feeling alright?" I asked.
"It's painful but it's bearable. Don't stand there, please come closer. It's a bit difficult for me to get up in this state right now..."
Jang Jun-Hyuk seemed unable to move due to the IV lines attached to his body.
"Ah. Yes."
As I approached him, Jang Jun-Hyuk grabbed my hand.
"Thank you so much. If it weren't for you, Mr. Jung Yoon-Ho, today would have been my memorial day."
Jang Jun-Hyuk smiled playfully before suddenly gripping his chest and letting out a low groan.
"Ughhh."
Lee Seung-Hoon quickly came to Jang Jun-Hyuk's side to support him.
"My goodness, I told you to be careful! The doctor said not to laugh or move, remember?"
Jang Jun-Hyuk pouted in response to Lee Seung-Hoon's nagging.
"All you ever do is nag. I only laughed because I was happy to see Mr. Jung, who even gave me a kiss."
'All I did was mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, and he calls it a kiss!?'
I frantically waved my hands in denial.
"Mr. Jun-Hyuk, I had no choice but to do that to save your life!"
'Begone, lips of Jang Jun-Hyuk! Get away from my memory!'
Seeing me sweating in embarrassment, Jang Jun-Hyuk laughed teasingly.
"Well, let's put that aside. If there's anything you want, please feel free to ask. Think of it as the reward for saving my life. I'll give you anything you want if it's within my means."
"Oh, but I didn't do it for a reward."
Jang Jun-Hyuk shook his head at my reply.
"I know, but still. There's no such thing as just receiving and not returning the favor in my life!"
I said it was okay, but Jang Jun-Hyuk seemed to have no intention of listening.
"If you don't accept my offer, I'll just go lie down in front of Hoop Entertainment and make it seem like I was caught in a scandalous situation because I was kissed while unconscious."
The thought of a scandal involving a top star was chilling.
'I can't win this.'
"Alright. I'll accept it, just to avoid the scandal."
"Ha ha ha. You made a wise decision Mr. Jung."
When Jang Jun-Hyuk gestured, Lee Seung-Hoon approached me to pass me something—it was a car key with a triangular star logo.
"I heard your car was wrecked in the accident. Please take mine."
'What? Jang Jun-Hyuk must be out of his mind after a near-death experience.'
"Mr. Jang. This is too much for a gift."
"Too much? Is my life worth less than this?"
I could picture the 100 million won Binz E-Class car in my mind but I hadn't saved Jang Jun-Hyuk's life to receive such a reward. Moreover, there were practical issues to consider.
'Insurance and fuel costs must be crazy.'
Driving such a luxurious car carelessly could lead to bankruptcy.
"I appreciate the gesture, but honestly, a foreign car is too much for a talent agent."
I politely cited the reasons I couldn't receive the car. However, to my surprise, things began to move in a different direction.
"Ah, if it's the maintenance costs you're worried about, then... Seung-Hoon, switch the car to a lease and keep the fuel card topped up every month for Mr. Jung."
"Will do."
'Wait. Is he being serious right now?'
At this point, it became difficult to refuse Jang Jun-Hyuk's offer any further. Regardless of whether they had good or bad personalities, top stars were accustomed to having things their own way. Further refusing this favor would be no different from openly inviting a conflict.
I eventually accepted the car keys with an awkward expression.
"Then, I'll gratefully... make good use of it. Thank you."
Only then did Jang Jun-Hyuk's face light up with a smile.
"Ha ha ha. You're the first person I've seen who's so uncomfortable receiving a gift."
I just scratched my head at Jang Jun-Hyuk's words, who seemed to find the fact that I refused his offer interesting.
"Oh, and since you're here, I have a favor to ask."
"A favor? Please feel free to tell me."
Jang Jun-Hyuk spoke with a more serious expression than before.
"To be frank, I want to join your company."
"You want to come to Hoop Entertainment?"
"Yes. Seung-Hoon will explain the reason to you."
Then, Lee Seung-Hoon began to explain the difficult situation that Jang Jun-Hyuk had encountered due to the day's events. While most of the broadcasting schedules disrupted by the accident were substituted with future appearances, there were a few advertisers talking about lawsuits.
"Lawsuits?"
"Yes. As you know, today's accident made it public knowledge that there is a problem with Jun-Hyuk hyung's heart."
"That's true."
"The problem is that Jun-Hyuk hyung was in the midst of advertising several health supplement products."
"Ah!"
Though it was not intentional, having an unhealthy image seemed to be harming the hiring company's product image.
"I get the picture."
"This is why we shouldn't do health supplement ads... those companies are sensitive about these things."
Lee Seung-Hoon laughed helplessly.
I felt sorry for the advertisers who had suffered damage. But to blame Jang Jun-Hyuk like this on the very day of such an unforeseen accident was preposterous. It seemed the companies were using the accident as an excuse to seek compensation.
"Given the situation, we have to quickly secure a large agency that can help us. I found out today that Hoop Entertainment's legal team is famous for doing a good job."
I realized once again just how dangerous the situation had been when Kang Myung-Gil tried to sign a contract with Jang Jun-Hyuk using my name.
Acknowledging the tricky situation, I responded to Jang Jun-Hyuk's proposition.
"Do you mind if I quickly make a call to the company? It's just that I can't decide on the recruitment alone."
Recruiting a top star like Jang Jun-Hyuk would at least require a managing director to be involved in the negotiations.
"Not at all, please go ahead. Please tell them we won't be difficult about the conditions."
Looking at Jang Jun-Hyuk smiling as he spoke, I felt unsure whether he was joking or serious.
I stepped into the hallway and called Gu Seong-Cheol.
"Jang Jun-Hyuk wants to join our company? For real?"
"Yes, he insists on working with Division 2. So please inform Ms. Kang about this matter. Also, something happened earlier before I arrived..."