— But, if they were to change the narrative and accuse us of holding a press conference without verifying any details with them, it could be troublesome. We’ll have nothing to say if Kim Seok-Hyung denies everything and comes up with an excuse about how he just got back from a short trip and was unaware of the article.
CEO Jang Soo-Hwan insisted on sending him a text message as evidence even if he didn’t pick up the phone.
“I’ll call him tomorrow morning.”
— Why would you deal with that fella! This is an issue between adults.
“No. It’s my problem. And also, I’m an adult too.”
From the beginning, Woo-Jin had always thought of this matter as his own problem. Getting help from others was different from taking a step back and being protected. Even when he was younger, he had always protected himself. Now that he was older and all grown up, it wouldn’t make sense for him to hide behind other adults.
“Perhaps, that person is feeling very anxious as well.”
Kim Seok-Hyung might have stirred up trouble, but he most likely had a lot of uncertainties. It was obvious that he was keeping a close eye on how Woo-Jin and DS would react while making contingency plans. But, if they remained silent without kicking up a fuss, then he would become even more anxious instead. had already stirred up trouble, but there were still a lot of uncertainties. He would have to answer the phone call that Woo-Jin would make right before the press conference.
After convincing Jang Soo-Hwan, Woo-Jin hung up the phone and briefly responded to the people who called and texted him, telling them not to worry and simply watch the press conference tomorrow. After that, Woo-Jin specially made a phone call to Director Yoon Seon. He felt terrible toward the director and the production company because this incident blew up right when the movie was topping the box office charts.
— Judging from how they picked Sunday of all days to blow up the matter, they’re obviously targeting the movie’s ticket sales.
Yoon Seon burst with anger after hearing Woo-Jin’s explanation. There were bound to be more viewers on Sunday than on weekdays. While maintaining box office success was important, the movie ratings were even more important to the director. It was difficult for Director Yoon Seon to hold back his anger as this was the most crucial period.
— So, the companies you’re modeling for will sue TM?
“At the very least, my father is planning to do so.”
— Your father?
“My father is the CEO of Brisingamen.”
There was nothing to hide anymore at this juncture, so Woo-Jin told him the truth. Director Yoon Seon remained silent for a while. He momentarily held back his anger and asked Woo-Jin.
— Can our production company take part in the lawsuit as well? On top of reducing our viewers, this scandal has damaged the image of our movie, among several other things.
It was still too early to report the statistics for the day, so he couldn’t say much, but upon hearing about the lawsuit, it piqued Director Yoon Seon’s interest.
“I haven’t decided on my lawyer yet, but shall I get them to contact you when the time comes?”
Each company had its own legal team, but Woo-Jin’s lawyer would ultimately be in charge of dealing with TM.
— Even though CEO Jang will take care of it and decide on a lawyer for you, you have to pick a good one. Since you’re dealing with TM, it’s highly possible they’ll hire someone with power and high status.
Jang Soo-Hwan was very influential and had a lot of connections, but he paled in comparison to Kim Seok-Hyung when it came to playing dirty. Director Yoon Seon was well-aware of what Jang Soo-Hwan couldn’t do and what Kim Seok-Hyung was capable of doing.
“My maternal grandfather will probably look for a lawyer for me.”
— Your maternal grandfather? Not your maternal uncle?
Director Yoon Seon was curious about Woo-Jin’s maternal family and asked about it. Woo-Jin then answered his question calmly.
“My maternal grandfather is the CEO of Rome Law Firm.”
— …
“Director?”
When Woo-Jin didn’t hear any response from the other end of the line, he called out to Director Yoon Seon once again.
— I felt very relieved all of a sudden….
Even though Woo-Jin had assured him that he had the evidence and they were going to sue TM, Director Yoon would be lying if he said he wasn’t anxious about it. However, Director Yoon Seon’s anxiety-ridden voice started to sound normal again in a flash.
After talking a little more about the incident, Woo-Jin hung up the phone and was startled to find Woo-Hee standing there. She had come into the room while Woo-Jin was on the phone and had been staring at him with her arms folded ever since.
“When did you come in?”
“Just a while ago.”
Woo-Jin put his phone aside; while he felt bad towards Director Yoon Seon, he was glad today was Sunday instead of a weekday. Woo-Hee would have gotten embroiled in this dirty rumor without any countermeasures if today had been a weekday. The press conference was scheduled for tomorrow morning, so as long as Woo-Hee somehow managed to avoid dealing with the matter, there was no reason to drag her into it.
“Do you want to skip school tomorrow?”
“Didn’t you say you’re having a press conference tomorrow morning? What’s there to avoid then?”
“It’s just that things will be problematic until then. There’s no need for you to listen to something you don’t have to hear.
“Hmph, no one in school would do anything to me. I’m not that weak.” Woo-Hee snorted and acted strong. Then, she hesitated at first before mustering the courage to hug Woo-Jin tightly.
“It’s been hard on you. And I’m sorry for not knowing anything.”
Like her mother, Woo-Hee did not fully understand or support her brother’s decision to become a celebrity. She had resigned to it because Woo-Jin simply wanted to do what he loved, just like how she wanted to become a prosecutor. It couldn’t be helped if her brother’s heart was in the entertainment industry.
Despite his feud with Blue Fit and the constant pressure given by the agency's CEO regarding the sponsorship issue, her older brother managed to overcome everything by himself in silence, so Woo-Hee was proud of him. At the same time, she felt that perhaps one of the reasons her brother had to endure everything by himself in silence might be that his family had no means of supporting him.
“Thanks.” Woo-Jin happily accepted his sister’s quiet apology. He felt that he could laugh about it because it had happened so long ago.
“But don’t go on the internet today.”
“It’s a mess, right?” Woo-Jin asked in a tone that suggested he wasn’t expecting much. There were mixed feelings written all over Woo-Hee’s face.
She replied, “That may be the case, but your fans are very supportive of you.”
“Is that so?”
The thing Woo-Jin was most worried about regarding this incident was disappointing his fans, even just for a bit, but hearing what Woo-Hee said made him feel relieved. First of all, taking his side meant that they believed him.
“They gritted their teeth in anger and argued that any information or material coming from TM must not be trusted regardless of the situation. They also said you recorded that clip during an acting practice session and that TM probably edited it. Reading their posts alone is terrifying enough.”
Woo-Hee shuddered and remarked that it was her first time seeing so much han and spiteful words in the posts. Especially since Woo-Hee had friends who were members of Wish Baragi, and having heard their reactions firsthand, she felt as though she could hear their voices in her head when she read the posts.
After the article went viral, Woo-Hee’s friends were curious about the situation, so it was only natural for them to contact her first. Even before hearing Woo-Hee’s explanation, none of them doubted Woo-Jin. Woo-Hee could proudly proclaim that she was going to school tomorrow was partly because of the trust she had in these friends.
“You’re exaggerating. My fans are so meek and gentle. There’s no need to feel terrified.” Woo-Jin reached for his phone as he couldn’t contain his curiosity, but Woo-Hee stopped him.
“I told you not to look at them today.”
“My fans are defending me; I need to know what they’re saying.”
Woo-Hee knew what Woo-Jin thought about his fans, so she suddenly felt a strong sense of obligation to protect the barags of Wish Baragi. Even though they were scary, it was evident that they were Woo-Jin’s most trustworthy warriors. So Woo-Hee quoted her friends' usual catchphrase.
“No knight wants to show his princess his bloodied face.”
***
An hour before the press conference.
Woo-Jin arrived early and waited in the waiting room to avoid running into the reporters. As he organized his thoughts by himself, he picked up his phone and called TM's CEO, Kim Seok-Hyung, with just thirty minutes left to spare before the press conference began.
Seeing how the person at the other end of the line picked up the call as soon as the phone started ringing, a slight smile crept across Woo-Jin’s face at the satisfaction of knowing he was right about Kim Seok-Hyung. However, none of them broke the silence first.
Woo-Jin felt it was time to say something, so he purposely let out a long sigh, audible to Kim Seok-Hyung. Starting from now…ready, action! It was the beginning of a makjang.
“Why did you do such a thing?” Woo-Jin’s trembling voice was filled with resentment and despair.
After hearing his question, the person on the other end of the phone started laughing scornfully. For some reason, his voice sounded cheerful and infinitely lighthearted.
— What do you mean?
“Everything in the article is a lie, isn’t it? You were the one who pressured me into getting a sponsorship. How could you edit the voice recording and change the narrative like that?”
— Edit?! I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. I didn’t even know it was leaked until I saw the article.
Fortunately, Kim Seok-Hyung didn’t deny or pretend he didn’t know about the article. It would’ve been difficult to carry on the conversation if he had feigned ignorance. Kim Seok-Hyung knew this conversation was being recorded, and Woo-Jin knew he was aware of it. It was also clear that CEO Kim was probably recording it too. With both parties fully aware that their current conversation was being recorded, they were careful with every word they said to not dig their own graves.
“So, the employee who stole my phone was the person who edited the voice recording of our conversation?”
— I…don’t know anything about that.
“I don’t know if you do or do not know anything about it, but today, I’m going to tell the truth. So, I would ask you to please reveal the truth too.”
Woo-Jin pleaded with Kim Seok-Hyung and begged him. As soon as Woo-Jin told him this matter could only be resolved with his help, Kim Seok-Hyung’s voice became more and more relaxed, and it started to sound more arrogant.
— The truth?! The truth that I know has been spelled out clearly in the article. What kind of truth do you want me to say?”
“What do you mean by that? You were the one who threatened me to get a sponsor.”
Woo-Jin was shocked by Kim Seok-Hyung’s words and replied with a question.
— You actually have the audacity to make such an accusation! Even with such solid evidence, you’re still lying through your teeth shamelessly without repenting? I thought you would reveal the truth because you’re having a press conference today, but you were planning to pin it on me?
Perhaps, CEO Kim continued talking to Woo-Jin under the impression that he would present their current conversation as evidence later during the press conference. However, it was evident that he was trying to intimidate Woo-Jin by leading the mood with his strong and confident voice. Perhaps, that was why he was speaking more politely than usual, thereby making him sound stiff and choppy.
Kim Seok-Hyung was treating Woo-Jin in this manner largely due to the fact that CEO Jang Soo-Hwan failed to call him. Jang Soo-Hwan was known in the industry for his hatred of scandals and bad publicity and his extreme hatred for celebrities who had sponsors in particular. The moment he found out an artiste he had been supporting generously had a sponsor, he would coldly kick them out of the agency without any hesitation.
From a celebrity’s point of view, it wasn’t necessarily a good thing if their agency didn’t see them as a commodity. People were bound to make mistakes, making wrong choices at times because of greed. If something like this happened to one of Kim Seok-Hyung’s artistes, he would do whatever it took to become a shield for Chae Woo-Jin and try his best to protect his marketability. Even if the problems couldn’t be resolved entirely, he could always send him abroad for a couple of years before making a comeback. He wouldn’t give up on his commodity that easily. That was how much he appreciated Chae Woo-Jin’s commercial value.
However, Jang Soo-Hwan was different. Since Jang Soo-Hwan hadn’t attempted negotiating with Kim Seok-Hyeong thus far, it was possible he might have already abandoned Chae Woo-Jin. As a result, it gave Kim Seok-Hyung a small sliver of hope. Because Kim Seok-Hyung was very good at recycling, he was more than willing to take in the discarded Chae Woo-Jin and use him once again. That was why he kept the phone call going, even though he could’ve hung up on him. He wanted Woo-Jin to know he was the only person who could save him from his current predicament.
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