Chapter 634 (2/2)

-But I thought you liked me.

-I do! More than anyone. That’s why you vex me even more.

The rabbit stopped talking before raising its head.

-I don’t want to talk to you any longer. From now on, I’m not going to reply even if you come to this place. If it’s about acting, then don’t worry about it. You will definitely change. You will improve to the point that the people around you will be surprised. So don’t think about anything and keep walking forward. If you are stuck on something then just think about this stage. If you do, you will naturally see what you have to do to proceed.

The rabbit with its fire-like eyes turned around and left. Two red glass balls floated in the darkness. Gaeul looked at those eyes until she opened her actual eyes due to the cold sensation from her shoulders. A drop of water fell from her hair, which she couldn’t wrap with the towel completely. When she checked the time, she saw that about 20 minutes had passed. She threw the wet towel into the laundry basket before drying her hair with a hair dryer. When she looked at the fluttering hair in front of her eyes, she was reminded of the fluttery fur of the rabbit. Just why was that person angry? Rather than questioning the very existence of that strange being inside her, her curiosity was directed towards the emotions it harbored. It was a curious thing. It should be natural for her to be wary and watch out, but her body was completely vulnerable without any defenses towards that rabbit. It was as though she had met someone she knew well.

Why did it have to be a rabbit of all things? To her, rabbits were an important symbol. It was an animal that had a special meaning. Gaeul returned to her room and touched the ring that Maru gifted her. It was a ring with a cute rabbit engraved on it. When she stroked the rabbit’s ears with a smile, she suddenly had this thought - what made her like rabbits in the first place?

“Must be because of Alice, right?”

A rather vague answer reverberated in her mouth. She thought that she would give a clear answer just like how she would when showing off an act that she had practiced for months, but what came up was a twisted fragment of memories. There should definitely be a reason that made her like rabbits, so she decided to think about it at this opportunity.

“My girl, can you bring me a towel?”

The strand of memory that was about to come to mind shattered into smithereens. Gaeul sighed softly before standing up. That was enough thinking. She was curious, but it wasn’t important.

“I’ll put it in front of the door.”

Gaeul put a towel in front of the bathroom.

* * *

“I want to ask one last question I really wanted to know.”

“You know? You’ve always asked a difficult question when you said those words, journalist. Can I take a sip of tea before you ask?”

“Sure. You can take two if it means that I will get a good answer.”

Junmin raised the teacup. He quite liked this young journalist that was interviewing him. He was much easier to talk to than the self-proclaimed ‘veterans’ who monitored his mood at every moment. Thinking that youngsters were full of energy these days, Junmin put down the teacup and looked at the journalist. This was his signal for the journalist to ask.

“This is a really personal question, so I will ask if I can put this on the final interview separately. If you have to come up with one reason that you were able to become successful like this, what reason would you pick?”

“Just one?”

“Yes. Of course, as of right now, JA Production is said to be lacking when it comes to the scale or the careers of the actors in it compared to the other management agencies, but there are a lot of expectations placed on it just from the fact that you, president Lee Junmin, is the one leading it. Also, I have the feeling that this agency will operate with only a small group of elites. I think my prediction is not wrong based on the fact that you, who has produced multiple stars, are not cooperating with them, and instead choosing to start the JA business with a completely new group of people. Am I wrong?”

“You’re entirely right. I don’t plan to host a lot of actors in this agency. Below ten. That’s the range I plan to maintain while operating this company.”

“So I was right after all. Does that mean that you think that the current actors under your wing will grow to be bigger than the actors who have been through you?”

“You can see it that way.”

“That’s what I’m curious about. How can you strategically pick your actors like that? Oh wait, was I a little strange with the choice of words?”

“Not at all. Strategic choice, in one sense, that’s the right expression for it. A management agency is ultimately a business whose merchandise is people. You have to find the source stones, refine them and then package them before you put them out in front of people. This is primarily the case.”

“What do you mean by primarily?”

“If it’s just that, an actor’s lifespan will be too short. Actors who were nurtured to suit the tastes of the public will not be able to continue sailing and will sink if they get swept by the trends. In the end, as fundamental as this might sound, acting is everything for an actor. Everything from beginning to end is about acting. It’s a hard job that requires you to keep climbing onto a stage where you will be evaluated critically.”

“Do you mean to say that JA Production is not nurturing actors to fit the public, but rather actors that the public will have to adapt to?”

“Ultimately, that is the goal. As arrogant as I might sound, that is my dream. I will not accept any other actor than this actor - that is what I plan for the audience to say.”

“I think that’s very cool. At the same time, it begs the question: potential is a matter of probability in the end, is it not? If that’s the case, I think interacting with more actors and finding value among them will be better.”

“That is definitely correct. It is right, but it does not apply to me.”

“I see that you have confidence that the actors currently with you will stand at the top of the country?”

“It’s not confidence.”

Junmin faintly smiled.

“It’s closer to blind faith.”

The young journalist looked rather flustered.

“I’m really curious. How did you find and pick such actors? Is it a business secret?”

“I know that you will definitely get angry at me if I say something like this, so I must apologize in advance, but you will know when you see them. I was able to tell by looking.”

“We’ll know when we see them. Masters used that expression quite a lot, yes. Also, when you say you ‘were’ able to tell, does that mean that you no longer can?”

“Honestly speaking, yes, that is the case. Perhaps it’s because I’m getting old, but my eyes that discern people aren’t functioning properly anymore. That’s why I plan to pour everything into the ones I’m currently raising. Sorry for that bland answer.”

“Not at all. In fact, I am grateful that you’ve committed to the interview. Actually, I was quite nervous before we began. You are a famous person after all.”

The young journalist turned off the recording device and his laptop.

“Thank you for the interview. We’ll send you a copy of the interview before it’s released, so if there are any expressions you don’t like, please don’t hesitate to tell us. We’ll fix it right away.”

“Alright then. I very much enjoyed today. Let’s have a meal together next time.”

“I would be honored.”

Junmin stood up from his seat and shook hands with the young journalist.