Han Hyo-joo walked into the hospital room, took off her hat and mask, and offered a slight, apologetic smile to Kwon Hyun Hyuk, who was half-reclining on the hospital bed.
"Hyuk, this is Hyo-joo, I don't think I need to introduce her, do I?"
Park Jun-jung raised his hand and introduced her to him.
"Hello, I'm truly sorry, my younger brother did such a thing."
"It's alright, it was just an accident, and besides, I'm fine."
Facing the famous big star, Kwon Hyun Hyuk's expression was natural, and he even showed a bright smile.
This was the first time he had seen Han Hyo-joo in person; before, he had only seen her photos online.
How to describe her? She had a gentle demeanor, and her appearance was of the delicate, refined type, not the dazzling type of female celebrity.
Most South Korean actresses are like this. Those with dazzling, striking features are mostly idols, which can also be understood as the difference between strong and soft facial features.
Park Jun-jung motioned for them to sit and talk, and Han Hyo-joo also sat down beside Kwon Hyun Hyuk.
Her gaze naturally fell upon the script placed on the hospital bed, then subtly shifted away, her face full of apology.
"I just finished filming, so I arrived a bit late."
"It's alright."
"Han Hyo-joo rushed over halfway through filming; Kwon Hyun Hyuk and I have already discussed it."
Park Jun-jung, who was standing nearby, also played the role of mediator.
"I saw the news that Kwon Hyun Hyuk had just finished filming a show, and then this incident happened halfway through. I am truly sorry."
Hyo-joo had also briefly learned about Kwon Hyun Hyuk on her way there—a young man born in '97, a complete newcomer to the entertainment industry.
He was just a hair's breadth away from succeeding in a survival show but was eliminated, and now he'd been in a car accident because of her younger brother.
Under these circumstances, it wouldn't be an overreaction to be angry, but fortunately, they were acquaintances.
She was naturally familiar with Park Jun-jung as the head of BH Company's management department, and having this connection naturally made things easier to handle.
They signed a settlement agreement. In this situation, they should try to satisfy him as much as possible. It would be best if the matter could be resolved smoothly.
After some pleasantries, the atmosphere became generally more relaxed. Han Hyo-joo, who had taken time out of her busy schedule to come, didn't have much time to linger and converse with the two.
"I also communicated with Director Park when I arrived; the compensation will definitely satisfy Kwon Hyun Hyuk."
Han Hyo-joo finally got to the point, her expression serious, her tone sincere and earnest.
"If you've communicated with my uncle, then I believe there won't be any problems."
Kwon Hyun Hyuk readily agreed and was very cooperative. If a small-time nobody like him were to genuinely negotiate terms with her, he would only be asking for trouble. After all, he still had to make a living in the entertainment industry, and building a good relationship was more important than demanding exorbitant compensation.
He was going to join BH Company in the future, so Han Hyo-joo was essentially his future colleague. Leaving a good impression would make it easier to get along once he joined the company, and perhaps he could even leverage this to get some of her resources in the future.
"I see Kwon Hyun Hyuk is preparing to develop his career as an actor?"
Just as he thought of this, Han Hyo-joo spoke, her gaze still on the script Kwon Hyun Hyuk had placed in front of him.
"That's right. Since I was eliminated from the show, I naturally have to find other directions to work hard in."
Kwon Hyun Hyuk said quite frankly.
"That's a very positive mindset. If Kwon Hyun Hyuk holds onto such a belief, he will succeed in whatever he does in the future."
Han Hyo-joo said a polite encouraging word with a smile, while also having some small ideas internally.
With the most important matter discussed, things were pretty much concluded.
"Then I shall take my leave."
Having said almost everything, Han Hyo-joo looked at Kwon Hyun Hyuk on the hospital bed, a gentle smile appearing on her face. She extended her hand, wanting to shake his hand.
Seeing this, Kwon Hyun Hyuk also extended his hand. The moment their hands touched, a familiar sensation flashed through him again, and a fragmented stream of information surged into Kwon Hyun Hyuk's mind.
For a moment, he forgot to react, his eyes a bit dazed, holding her hand for a long time without letting go.
This feeling was completely different from the information flow that surged into his mind when he touched the script earlier. It involved information about the future of the person he touched. The information was still very fragmented, but he could carefully discern information beneficial to himself from it.
So, the Midas Touch is more useful when touching people.
Seeing that he wasn't letting go, Han Hyo-joo turned her head to look at him. Noticing his vacant eyes, she realized something was amiss and used her other hand to pat him again.
"Hyuk?"
This time, he reacted, released Han Hyo-joo's hand, and put on a simple, honest smile.
"I'm sorry, this is my first time meeting Senior Hyo-joo, and I got a bit carried away for a moment."
Telling a blatant lie.
Han Hyo-joo chuckled lightly at this. A small incident wasn't worth dwelling on.
"Kwon Hyun Hyuk, please rest well. If there's anything you need help with, please don't hesitate to tell me."
It was just a polite remark, and Kwon Hyun Hyuk didn't take it seriously. He just watched Park Jun-jung escort Han Hyo-joo out of the room.
Outside the hospital room.
"Kwon Hyun Hyuk's conditions seem very good for an actor. Why did you think of sending him to a survival show back then?"
Han Hyo-joo put on her hat and mask again, asking Park Jun-jung beside her as they walked.
Kwon Hyun Hyuk's physical appearance was exceptionally outstanding, otherwise, how could he have made it to the final round of the survival show, competing for a debut spot?
For Han Hyo-joo to praise his conditions as good, it was naturally not just ordinarily good, but exceptionally good.
His features were well-defined, his face well-proportioned, and there was an inherent heroic spirit between his brows. The finishing touch was his pair of eyes, deep and bright, with an endless charm.
An actor's appearance doesn't just pursue simple handsomeness or beauty, or the "three courts and five eyes" and body proportions—these are basic conditions and can even be non-essential.
But beyond these conditions, there's something even more important: the sense of story an actor conveys.
Especially if not much acting skill is required, and the actor's appearance alone can give this feeling, it naturally gives the actor a significant advantage.
A pair of expressive eyes can convey more than countless techniques; this is a goal many actors eagerly strive to achieve.
Among South Korean male actors, only Won Bin has eyes that seem to speak volumes, conveying a thousand words.
Later, when Kwon Hyun Hyuk becomes famous, he will naturally be listed on various handsome rankings. He currently has no reputation, and as is well known, popularity in the entertainment industry determines how handsome one's appearance can be perceived.
Park Jun-jung felt that his nephew had this potential. It would be a waste not to become an actor with such conditions; he was born to be in this line of work. Otherwise, why would he bring his own family into the entertainment industry?
"He thought it was an opportunity at the time, and since it wasn't long, he wanted to give it a try."
Han Hyo-joo nodded upon hearing this, then asked again.
"Are you planning to have Kwon Hyun Hyuk join the company?"
"That's right. I plan to let him act in some small roles to hone his acting skills, as he is a newcomer and has no experience."
Since they were all insiders, Park Jun-jung spoke frankly without beating around the bush.
"Try to arrange some impressive roles. If I come across anything suitable, I'll also contact you."
Park Jun-jung nodded upon hearing this, knowing that this loss wasn't in vain. This was a promise to find suitable resources for Kwon Hyun Hyuk.
In the public's stereotype, South Korean actors seem to be like idols, mere puppets manipulated by entertainment agencies.
But the reality is completely different. Once an actor reaches a certain level, they naturally gain sufficient influence and autonomy, such as arranging actors for film sets, organizing a film production, attracting investments, and so on.
This is true even in South Korea, where conglomerates are stereotypically believed to monopolize everything.
When an actor becomes sufficiently popular and their status and achievements are strong enough, their position with the company reverses.
The actor takes the lead, and the company is in a supportive role, similar to China and the United States, where it's a situation of a major artist and a smaller company.
However, the situation in the acting circle has no chance of happening in the idol industry; even the most popular idol remains a puppet.
The fundamental reason is the difference in their nature: one is a fast-moving consumer good, the other is a durable good.
A top actor building a large company is not a joke, but a fact.
BH Company, as a leading entertainment company today, was founded by Lee Byung-hun and his manager.
Artist Company was founded by Lee Jung-jae and Jung Woo-sung, and is now also one of South Korea's top entertainment agencies.
In addition, there are Keyeast founded by Bae Yong-joon, Vast founded by Hyun Bin, and so on. The ecosystem of the film and television industry is in some ways completely opposite to K-pop.
Therefore, any role recommended by Han Hyo-joo using her resources would not be too bad.