Kang Yejin's Unpolished Gem

8th Floor of Starlite Media.

Kang Yejin sat with her legs crossed at her sleek glass office. She absent-mindedly stirred her cup of coffee while staring on an email on her monitor. It was a meeting notice summoning all directors in an hour. Yejin blew out a sharp sigh just as her casting manager, Yoon Jieun, stepped into the office.

"Director Kang, I got the memo. You can't skip this meeting. CEO Ji Yoonseok specifically mentioned that every director has to come."

Yejin swiveled her chair to face her, one eyebrow arched. "Good morning to you too," she said dryly. She leaned back, arms folded loosely. "And here I was hoping I could quietly slip out and avoid the boredom." Her tone was light, but there was a flicker of annoyance in her eyes.

Yoon Jieun chuckled. Shaking her head, she replied, "Not this time. I think the CEO's making sure everyone is present. No exceptions, even for our star casting director." She emphasized the last words teasingly.

They both knew Yejin's tendency to duck out of long corporate meetings if she thought they were a waste of time.

Yejin clicked her tongue. "They're directly targeting me, aren't they? Making a point I can't wiggle out." She stood up, smoothing a wrinkle from her tailored blazer. "Let me guess, Nam Yoonseo had something to do with this?" 

The slight wrinkle of her nose when she said the PR director's name didn't escape Yoon Jieun's notice. She raised her palms in a half-defensive gesture. "Hm, I don't think Director Nam is behind this one. Word is it's from Mr. Cho which means its ordered by the CEO himself." She gave Kang Yejin a knowing look. "So play nice? At least not to get into a spat with Director Nam in front of the CEO. And... I don't actually think Director Nam is that bad. Just slightly uptight and—"

"Ha!" Yejin rolled her eyes. "Don't you know that every time our eyes meet, his face immediately turns into as scowl?" The corner of her mouth twitched up. "But, for the CEO, I'll behave if he behaves.

Hearing this Yoon Jieun couldn't help but press her fingers to her temples.

It was no secret in the company that Kang Yejin and Nam Yoonseo didn't exactly see eye to eye. Their last squabble during a meeting—over something as trivial as whether a new idol group should have members that could make an audience laugh—had devolved into pointed barbs. Kang Yejin's reply to Nam Yoonseo nearly made the members in the boardroom shed into tears.

"We need at least two members who can make the audience laugh. Right now, the trainees we have in the trainee pool are either too soft or too cold."

To this, Kang Yejin rolled her eyes. "Oh sorry, we didn't cast comedians for you. You know that we've only been casting idols, right? Let me just dig through the resume stack for one."

Across the table, Nam Yoonseo's grip tightened around his paper cup until it crumpled in his hand. Thankfully, it was already empty.

"Kang Yejin!"

Remembering the details of the meeting made Yoon Jieun shudder. 

Neither of them were bad people; in fact, they both aimed for the company's success. But put them in a room together and somehow ideas crossed every time. Some suspected it was Nam Yoonseo's prickly pride that clashed with Kang Yejin's own straightforward demeanor (though he'd probably say the same about her). 

There was actually an infamous incident where a sarcastic joke Kang Yejin made about the PR team was misinterpreted as an insult to Nam Yoonseo's entire department, and he'd retorted by questioning her eye for talent—oh, that argument echoed through the halls for days.

"Honestly, the way you two bicker... some people might think you're an old married couple."

Yejin froze and gave Jieun a look of sheer horror. "Do you hear yourself right now?"

"I'm just saying."

"No. Absolutely not," Yejin muttered, grabbing her laptop and notebook. "Our relationship passed the point of no return a long time ago." Then, she sighed. "Don't worry, though—I'll be the picture of professionalism."

"Oh, before you go. One of the staff members sent me a few clips of your unpolished gem."

Yejin blinked. "Unpolished gem? Which one?"

"The one you plucked off the street and pinned all your hopes on. You know, Yeong Myeongho. Or does he call himself by Damien now?"

At the mention of Damien's name, Yejin's expression softened. "Ah... him. I was meaning to check on his progress. Has it been a month already?"

To her, Damien was not like the usual trainees who came through agency auditions. Yejin had spotted him by chance—eating fish cakes by a stall on that slightly cold evening. She rarely ever did spontaneous street castings, but something about his aura, his voice, and his appearance screamed at her to scout him.

This kid has it, she thought that day.

And so far, she had never been wrong about those instincts.

"I have a few minutes before I have to head to the boardroom. Let's see how the kid's doing. You have the practice footage, right?"

Jieun nodded and tapped on the tablet in her hand. She handed it to Yejin as they stood side by side.

On the screen, a group of trainees were running through a dance routine. Near the back was Damien, his brown hair darkened with sweat. Yejin watched intently as he moved. The choreography was intense—sharp pops, and turns, intricate footwork. Damien had mastered this routine before; she'd seen him nail it with captivating charisma. 

But today, something was off.

He hit each step, but there was a slight hesitation in his movements. And the confidence that he showed before felt like it had nearly vanished.

Yejin pursed her lips, concern knitting her brow. What happened to the hoy she'd brought in?

"This practice footage was recorded when Damien return after his collapse. Ever since the kid fainted during last month's evaluation, he hasn't been the same... In the end, he was removed from the advanced class and was moved to intermediate class."

"..." Yejin drew in a slow breath and handed the tablet back.

The manager eyed her. "Some of the higher-ups are murmuring, you know. Wondering if you gambled wrong on this one. They expected him to skyrocket, and now…" She trailed off with a small shrug. 

At that, Yejin's chin lifted, a spark of defiance in her eyes. "I never make mistakes with my casting. Never." She uncrossed her arms, planting her hands on her hips in a stance as if to prove her determination. "The boy's a diamond, even if he's rough around the edges right now. Give him time to recover. He'll become a bright star—one of the brightest we've ever had."

Her absolute conviction made Jieun smile despite the grim footage they'd just watched. She'd worked under Yejin long enough to know she spoke from experience. Kang Yejin's rare street-scouted talents had a way of proving everyone wrong and shining on the big stage. 

Still, she voiced her worry gently, "I believe you. But Damien might need a bit of help. A little polishing, if you will. Perhaps someone to guide him through his slump, rebuild that confidence."

Kang Yejin stayed silent for a few moments before replying. "...You're right. I'll check in with him sometime this week. Can you perhaps send me footage of him in the intermediate class as well?"

Jieun smiled. "On it."

Yejin checked her watch and saw that the meeting was in fifteen minutes. "Looks like it's showtime," she said, motioning for Jieun to follow. "Let's not keep the CEO waiting."