CHAPTER 97

Fate is Gathering (3)

In my hands was a script from Director Choi Sung-Moon, which I had obtained from the script department earlier that morning.

"This is Director Choi Sung-Moon's latest script. He's currently casting for this piece of work and I heard he has been facing challenges in securing a lead actor."

Choi Sung-Moon was one of the few directors known for achieving his artistic merit and commercial success. Most importantly, he was Lee Tae-Poong's favorite director.

"If you sign the contract with us, we'll ensure that you get cast as the lead actor for this piece of work within the next three months."

I sensed Oh Duk-Gu's questioning gaze, seemingly inquiring when I had prepared such a plan. However, I ignored it and focused on my conversation with Lee Tae-Poong.

Lee Tae-Poong appeared skeptical of my remark. "M-me? The lead actor in Mr. Choi's work? How is that possible?"

"If you follow my guidance, it's entirely possible."

Once we successfully manage Lee Tae-Poong's dyslexia, he would no longer be criticized for his poor acting skills. Setting aside his struggle with dyslexia, he was actually a pretty good actor. After hearing my offer, Lee Tae-Poong seemed to ponder deeply before sighing and nodding.

"I would love to. It's been my lifelong dream to star in a work by Mr. Choi. But, you know about my nickname, right?"

Lee Tae-Poong's eyes were filled with uncertainty, revealing his lack of confidence. He wanted to act but was acutely aware of his limitations.

"I'm well aware of it," I responded firmly.

Lee Tae-Poong's face showed a glimmer of hope upon seeing my confident attitude.

"Even if it's not the lead role, I would be grateful just to be in Mr. Choi's work."

Lee Tae-Poong took the bait, but the real challenge lay ahead. To ensure he could audition for Choi Sung-Moon's work, I had to let him know that I was aware of his dyslexia.

As my eyes met Gu Seong-Cheol, I signaled for a private conversation with Lee Tae-Poong. When Gu Seong-Cheol agreed, I bowed to express my gratitude and asked Lee Tae-Poong if we could speak in private for a moment.

Lee Tae-Poong looked puzzled but soon pointed to the gazebo. "We can talk there. I've put up curtains, so it won't be cold."

***

As we moved to the gazebo, Lee Tae-Poong asked anxiously. "You're not going to ask me to do something like a sponsorship, are you?"

"Not at all," I reassured him.

"Sigh. That's good to hear. So, what is it?"

I hesitated before asking because it was always difficult to bring up the topic about someone's weaknesses.

"Before we proceed, I just want to confirm one thing. The talent agent you wish to bring along is Lee Dae-Ho, right?"

"H-how do you know about him? Dae-Ho hyung is not even from this industry."

'As expected. That hasn't changed.'

Lee Dae-Ho was Lee Tae-Poong's close cousin who was five years older than him. He was a graduate of Seoul National University, the best university in Korea, and was currently a Seoul city government official. However, the truth was he had always dreamed of acting. In the future, he would become a successful businessman managing several actors with Lee Tae-Poong leading the way.

"Researching a prospective recruit is standard procedure."

Lee Tae-Poong's face turned anxious, possibly worried he might have to tell me about his dyslexia.

Nonetheless, letting Lee Tae-Poong know that I was aware of his dyslexia was necessary if I wanted to offer a solution.

"Mr. Lee Tae-Poong, I know about the condition you have..."

The moment I finished speaking, Lee Tae-Poong's face turned pale.

***

After our conversation ended in the gazebo, I returned to the living room alone where Gu Seong-Cheol inquired why I had come back by myself.

"He probably needs a moment to think. Let's wait a bit."

Lee Tae-Poong remained seated in the gazebo, clearly zoned out. It was very likely that he was overwhelmed by the mention of his dyslexia and the solution I had proposed.

Ten minutes later, Lee Tae-Poong rejoined us in the living room.

"Mr. Gu."

"Ah, yes, Mr. Lee. Please go ahead."

"Do you happen to have the contract with you right now?"

At Gu Seong-Cheol's nod, Oh Duk-Gu promptly presented the contract. "H-here it is. Please read it carefully and if you agree…"

Without reading through the contract, Lee Tae-Poong flipped to the last page and picked up a pen, ready to sign it.

'Hmm. That's not a good habit.'

"Do I sign here?"

At that moment, Gu Seong-Cheol gently stopped Lee Tae-Poong and shook his head. He then gave sincere advice as a senior, not a business partner. "I recommend you read the contract first and consult a lawyer when signing an important document like this. I can give you a day for you to…"

However, Lee Tae-Poong shook his head and interrupted Gu Seong-Cheol before he could finish speaking. "Your words alone are enough for me to trust you. I'll accept everything as long as Mr. Jung Yoon-Ho is assigned to me."

His finger pointed at me, drawing all eyes in my direction. Gu Seong-Cheol flinched for a moment and nodded.

"Although it's true your previous agency went bankrupt, you still need to process the termination of your previous contract."

"Yes, that's fine. Please handle it according to your needs."

Lee Tae-Poong promised to entrust all contract-related matters to us, with his sole condition being that I was assigned to him.

To be honest, I had not expected this situation. During our private conversation in the gazebo just a while ago, I shared a plan to help overcome his dyslexia: a voice recording of the script I had read aloud. While it was a straightforward solution, it proved to be highly effective for dyslexia—a condition where the brain struggles to process written words. Some individuals may mistakenly believe that people with dyslexia can't read because they aren't intelligent enough, but dyslexia is unrelated to intelligence. After all, the brilliant director Steven Spielberg and the action maestro Jackie Chan both have dyslexia.

Unfortunately, many individuals with dyslexia choose to hide their conditions for fear of being labeled as stupid. The same was true of Lee Tae-Poong.

Despite his struggle to read due to dyslexia, Lee Tae-Poong possessed a remarkable auditory perception. For this reason, his acting significantly transformed and eventually led him to stardom after I provided the recordings of the script in my previous life.