Chapter 57 – This is the We Want to Know That Production Team

“Sa Min-woo?”

Hearing Manager Yeom’s words, Kim Mi-yeong jumped up from her seat.

“Oh my, oh my… Really?”

Kim Mi-yeong raised her voice without realizing it, but she immediately returned to employee mode and hurriedly covered her mouth.

However, her gaze did not stray from where Sa Min-woo was standing.

“Geez, what brings Sa Min-woo all the way here? But seeing him in person, even though he’s all covered up, he’s really cool.”

As Chief Kim Mi-yeong whispered lowly, Manager Yeom chimed in.

“Right! But celebrities are indeed completely different. I saw him standing right in front of the elevator, and there was some aura… Is this why they call him the national creep actor?”

Im Seon-hui, who was watching from the side, said with a laugh.

“Oh, Manager. He’s not the national creep actor, he’s the national husband.

Didn’t you see that drama? *Our Family of Seongjuk-dong*. He appears as a husband who is caring, well-mannered, and has a good personality, and is even capable. That’s why I liked him too. Hoho.”

Manager Yeom shrugged his shoulders.

“Eh, it’s all the same. But while looking slightly ordinary, his face is as small as a fist and he’s handsome.”

As people’s eyes focused on Sa Min-woo, Ju Yong-hae had no choice but to guide Sa Min-woo and his manager to the staff lounge.

“I’m sorry. This is for employees, so it might be a bit hectic, but since outsiders cannot enter this way, please wait here for just a moment.”

The manager nodded, and Sa Min-woo said nothing.

Once Ju Yong-hae closed the door and left, Sa Min-woo pulled off his mask as if feeling stifled and muttered lowly.

“Sigh… Seriously. Why are people so ill-mannered? Look at their class… Why are they staring so intently?”

The manager made a troubled face at his irritated voice.

“Water.”

His brief word.

“Water… Ah!… I’m sorry. I was distracted and left it in the car…”

The manager hesitated and looked around, then looked pleased to see the new water purifier with its vinyl wrap not even fully removed.

“Um, Actor. The water in this purifier seems new… If you are thirsty, shall I pour some of this for you?”

“What? Are you in your right mind? How can I drink the water that these commoners drink?”

He snorted, waving his hand.

“Hurry downstairs and bring Evian mineral water.”

As Sa Min-woo frowned deeply, the manager quickly slipped out of the lounge.

Left behind, Sa Min-woo slowly scanned the staff lounge. A simple shoulder massager, coffee machine, and toaster prepared for the staff.

Next to them, personal cups of various heights were lined up, and each cup had a name clearly written in marker or on a label.

On the shelf below, neatly placed toothbrushes and rinsing cups caught his eye.

Sa Min-woo snorted.

“Geez… Do salarymen do some kind of lodging training here? So messy… What is this.”

At that moment, the door opened and the manager walked in, sweating as if he had run.

“Here it is.”

When the manager handed over the mineral water with a straw inserted, Sa Min-woo drank a sip.

“Right. As expected, even a single bottle of water must be drunk according to one’s class.”

He set down the water bottle, he asked.

“But how much… do they get in a place like this? It’s a law firm, right? If it’s a law office employee, do they receive… a 100 million won salary?”

At the unexpected question, the manager answered with a bewildered expression.

“Well… I don’t know, but wouldn’t it be less than that? Salaries would also differ by position.”

“Really? If they can’t even get that, why do they work at a place like this? Tsk tsk…”

Sa Min-woo glanced at the manager and asked.

“Then how much gets printed in your bank account every month?”

“Pardon? Since my probation just ended… 1.9 million won a month.”

“1.9 million won?”

Sa Min-woo smirked and threw his head back.

“Pfft. You get fucking a lot more than I thought? For driving a couple of hours and running a few errands, you get paid pretty decently.”

The manager shut his lips.

His feelings were hurt, but his expression was one of enduring it to avoid showing it.

Looking back, Ju Yong-hae, who was looking at them from the doorway, said.

“Um, the lawyer says you can come in.”

Sa Min-woo stood up without a word, putting his mask back on and pulling his cap down low.

***

Sa Min-woo entered Geum Nae-yeong’s office.

Keeping his sunglasses and cap on, he sat down after only removing his mask, and the manager sat next to him, pulling out a bundle of documents.

The manager began to recite the consultation contents while busily rummaging through the documents.

“So, you see. It wasn’t on purpose… but it somehow ended up being a double contract.

That’s why the previous agency filed a lawsuit against us to confirm the validity of the exclusive contract. And they also filed an application for an injunction to ban activities at the same time.

The current agency’s position is to just pay the penalty and get it over with, as that’s the cleanest way.”

Without any response, Geum Nae-yeong moved his pen, *scribble scribble*, writing the contents in the consultation log.

After writing a few lines of the contents, he raised his head and asked.

“How much time was left on the exclusive contract with the previous agency?”

“One year.”

“Quite a bit was left. But why did you sign a new contract instead of waiting? It is a period worth waiting.”

It was a question that hit the nail on the head.

The manager was about to speak, but stopped and checked Sa Min-woo’s expression.

Then, only then did Sa Min-woo step in.

“Well… as you know, I was almost unknown before.

But after my works hit one after another, the new agency contacted me with good terms.

Since they also said they would pay the penalty… well, naturally… I acted according to common sense.”

Geum Nae-yeong tilted his head slightly.

His eyes only calculated various possibilities, carrying no judgment or emotion.

“Yes. Fine.

However, please have the manager you mentioned wait outside for a moment. Since personal matters may be mentioned, I will consult with you first.”

For a moment, Sa Min-woo’s and the manager’s gazes clashed.

Sa Min-woo felt displeased with Geum Nae-yeong, who did not recognize him and mistook him for the manager.

“I am the actor, and this person is the manager?”

At that, Geum Nae-yeong put down his pen and asked back.

“But why is this person answering on your behalf, and you are sitting in the back? Isn’t this your own problem?”

“….Originally, this kind of work is handled by the manager. Also, this guy knows well about things related to me, so he’ll do it well on his own. That’s why I use a manager.

And since I’m famous, it gets tiring if people recognize me.”

At those words, Geum Nae-yeong tilted his head again.

“This is a private office, so you won’t get tired from someone recognizing you, Sa Min-woo.

And in principle, legal consultations are held only with the client.

It is confusing if both of you answer at the same time.

Besides, you two look alike.”

“Pardon?”

Sa Min-woo’s expression stiffened subtly at Geum Nae-yeong’s reaction of not recognizing him.

‘What? You don’t know me right now? Me, the actor praised by South Korea? Me, who won an award at the Beris Film Festival?’

“Excuse me… By any chance, do you not know me? I am the actor who won the Best Supporting Actor award at the Beris Film Festival for the work *Daewongun*.”

At those words, Geum Nae-yeong raised his eyes for a moment and answered calmly.

“Yes, I don’t know you well. And I have also received all the awards I was supposed to get since high school. Recently, my thesis, ‘A Study on Korean Broadcasting Legislation,’ was published in an authoritative international journal and won an award.

But I do not brag about it. Because it is unrelated to this consultation.”

“P-Pardon?? Bragging?”

Sa Min-woo’s eyes grew wide.

‘What… I came because they said this is the only place that takes cases against Gangyeok. I heard his personality was weird, but is he really a psycho?’

Offended, Sa Min-woo mentioned a broadcast video he appeared in, as if to make sure his identity was clearly recognized.

“If you search on YouTube, there is a video of my acceptance speech at the Beris Film Festival.”

Geum Nae-yeong began to write the consultation contents again and replied indifferently as if annoyed.

“Yeah—I have one too. If you type Geum Nae-yeong or #ItFeltRefreshing on YouTube, it comes up.”

“Geez… Excuse me. Still, saying my manager and I look alike, isn’t that a bit too much?

…It’s absurd that I receive the same treatment as commoners.”

At Geum Nae-yeong’s nonchalant, talking-back response, Sa Min-woo’s usual speech habit popped out.

When Sa Min-woo’s protest ended, Geum Nae-yeong put down his pen without a word.

‘It is unrelated to work, but for the efficiency of the consultation, I should correct the facts.’

“Yes, that is correct. You should not receive the same treatment, Sa Min-woo.

The class system was abolished in 1894, but hypothetically speaking, actors in the Joseon Dynasty belonged to the clown class. Clowns had a lower social status than commoners, so sitting in the same spot carelessly is against etiquette.

In other words, strictly speaking, you, Sa Min-woo, should be kneeling on the floor beneath this consultation table, bowing and speaking as if making an appeal.

For example…

‘A lowly wretch like me received an award, sir… The contract is somehow tangled up. But I don’t even know how to read’… like that.”

Geum Nae-yeong stared intently at Sa Min-woo, then immediately looked under the table.

“……What?”

While Sa Min-woo was flustered by the sudden historical drama lines, Geum Nae-yeong continued.

“And since I am a lawyer, based on that era’s standards, my occupation would be about an *oejibu* (legal representative).

My status would be about a *jung-in* (middle class). In that case, you, Sa Min-woo, can speak with me even less.”

Geum Nae-yeong spoke calmly, then smirked, with only his mouth smiling.

“Because. You are lowborn.”

“W-What? Lowborn??”

Sa Min-woo’s face flushed bright red.

But before he could open his mouth, Geum Nae-yeong had already picked up his pen and was moving on to the next note.

“To tell you the conclusion, if this case goes to a lawsuit, you will lose. Because you have already violated the contract terms.”

At Geum Nae-yeong’s resolute words, Sa Min-woo’s expression distorted.

‘What? He talks abusively, and then says I can’t win? Absurd??’

Wearing a cold expression, Sa Min-woo stood up from his seat.

“Then there’s no reason for me to come here. If we can’t win, there’s no need to receive a consultation while hearing such things.”

Geum Nae-yeong raised his head.

“I am not a god.

If you broke the contract agreed upon by both parties first on your own, I cannot make you win it.

However, it is possible to resolve it smoothly through mediation.”

At those words, Sa Min-woo’s eyes wavered.

But since his pride was hurt, it was awkward to just sit back down.

In the end, he mixed bluffing back into his attitude and voice.

“I have nothing but money. Legal matters are a headache, so I’m just trying to get it handled.

Still, if you can resolve it cleanly, I’ll think about it.

Isn’t the retainer fee what’s important to lawyers anyway? I will pay you generously.”

Even at his arrogant tone, Geum Nae-yeong’s expression remained unchanged.

“What kind of person the client is and how much money they have are not important matters.

I set the retainer fee based on ‘how simply it can be resolved’.

For cases that can be finished easily, I charge a low fee.”

Sa Min-woo said mockingly.

“Hahaha, then since you said mine was difficult, are you going to charge hundreds of millions?”

Geum Nae-yeong answered without any emotion.

“No. Since your case, Sa Min-woo, is very easy, the retainer is 100,000 won.

However, this is limited to mediation. The contingency fee will be calculated as a certain percentage of the profit remaining from the mediation.

It will be roughly between 10 million and 20 million won.”

“O-One hundred thousand won?”

Sa Min-woo’s face stiffened.

‘Is he teasing me right now?’

“Forget it. I didn’t come to hear abusive talk. I’ll entrust it elsewhere.”

Geum Nae-yeong nodded and stood up calmly.

“Yes, go ahead. There is no lawyer in South Korea who can lead a mediation more advantageously than I can.”

Geum Nae-yeong’s voice was firm.

“Especially if the opponent is ‘Gangyeok’, statistically I can lead it 100% advantageously.

Although I’d have to review the materials, it is possible to make it much more advantageous based on whether there was a reason corresponding to the termination of the contract with the existing agency.

And there probably won’t be any place besides us that will accept the lawsuit.”

As if there was nothing to think about, Geum Nae-yeong stood up from his chair and headed to his desk.

Sa Min-woo, who was left in his seat, hesitated but eventually sat back down in the chair quietly.

‘Damn it… I was pushed back in aura… What is this guy?’

The consultation that turned Sa Min-woo into lowborn status concluded in that way.

After hesitating, he eventually scheduled another consultation and left the office.

***

After the consultation, Geum Nae-yeong drank a sip of coffee and checked his next schedule.

Riiiiing.

The office phone on the desk rang.

“Yes, hello. This is Geum Nae-yeong.”

“Ah, hello. Lawyer Geum. We are the production team of SBC’s .”

The voice over the receiver continued.

“We saw the broadcast related to the cold case that you appeared on not long ago, and it was truly impressive.

We are currently preparing a special on long-term unarrested fugitives, and we are thinking of a setup where we invite you, Lawyer Geum, to directly track down the fugitive.

Of course, the broadcast won’t be long…”

The moment the writer was about to continue the comments prepared in advance for casting, Geum Nae-yeong cut her off.

“I will appear.”

For a moment, it fell silent on the other end of the line.

“…Pardon? You will appear? Right away?”

“Yes. Just let me know the date and time.”