Mr. Kane Got Blacklisted

Leighton was taken aback, his ears turning red as he met Nicole's teasing gaze.
“you’re the one who’s dumb! I know it’s pronounced petty!'” Nicole blinked and helpfully pointed out, “But you just said ‘pi’ not
‘pe’.” Leighton stiffened.
“No, I didn’t.” “Yes, you did.” “I didn’t!” “You did! Estelle heard it too.” Nicole nodded toward Estelle.
“ Right, Estelle?” Not wanting to get involved in their childish argument, Estelle cleared his throat and said, “I didn’t catch what
you were saying.” Nicole clicked her tongue.
“No wonder so many young idols are clueless these days.
It's because managers like you spoil them.” Leighton suddenly wanted to kick her out of the car! Estelle chuckled.
“Leighton just isn’t great at the language.
He's fine in other subjects.” This wasn’t just to cover for Leighton.
The Hall family had good genes for academics.
Leighton’s grandmother had been an educator before she retired, and his siblings excelled in school.
Leighton’s younger brother even won a world championship at the age of ten.
Leighton might not have been as brilliant as his cousins or his younger brother, but his grades were respectable.
He secretly applied to a regular program at a film academy, intending to switch majors once there.
However, his father found out and made him switch to Salcator Medical University.
Despite the high admission requirements, Leighton got in.
With his language scores just barely passing, he still ranked in the top ten of his program, indicating his strength in other
subjects.
After being scouted in his third year, he signed with an entertainment company.

Due to missing too many classes in his fourth and fifth years, he couldn't graduate, but the university allowed him to keep his
student status and take a leave of absence.
He could still complete his degree within two years if he returned.
In the entertainment industry, image was everything.
From foodie personas to straight-laced types, having a persona was crucial, whether it was genuine or not, as long as the fans
bought it.
Estelle, upon learning about Leighton's academic history, initially considered marketing him as a top student.
However, Leighton refused, feeling that not graduating was too embarrassing.
Estelle, having seen many shameless individuals in his career, thought that boasting about Leighton’s high scores was hardly
shameful compared to others who flaunted average grades.
But after hearing Leighton mispronounce words, Estelle was relieved that Leighton had insisted against it.
Otherwise, they might have faced a major backlash.
Leighton didn’t seek the spotlight.
Aside from being stubborn and showy, he didn’t pretend to know things he didn’t.
This helped him maintain a solid reputation in an industry where scandals often erupted.
However, publicly “dating” was another matter.
In the idol industry, dating was taboo.
Leighton’s desire to transition away from his idol image was evident in his collaboration with Nicole, a move against the
company’s wishes.
It was a risky strategy, with uncertain outcomes.
Nicole, skeptical of Estelle’s defense, smiled and said, “Excelling in other subjects doesn’t really help in this industry.

Poor reading skills lead to poor comprehension, making it hard to understand scripts, let alone portray roles convincingly.
Academic achievements are often mocked by audiences when actors perform poorly yet make a lot of money.
Last year’s grassroots Best Actor only had a middle school education, and no one mocked his education after he won all those
awards.”