Jia cleared her throat as she read the post.
"Good evening, this is Choi Pablo."
"I hope this message finds you well. There have been some rumors circulating recently, and I think it's time I set the record straight. You may have heard that Choi Si-woo and Choi Min-ah are June's parents, but in reality, they're mine. I know this might come as a shock to some of you, but yes, I come from a well-off family. However, I want to make it clear that everything I have achieved in my life, all my successes, is owed to me and my hard work. I am my own person, and I've worked tirelessly to build my own identity."
"I want to apologize for taking so long to address this situation. I was afraid of the public's reaction, and that fear held me back. But today, I found the strength to speak out and clarify the truth."
"I also want to express my gratitude to June. Amidst all the confusion and speculation, he has been incredibly brave and understanding. Thank you, June, for enduring the hate!"
"Now, to lighten the mood a bit and as a way of apologizing for keeping you all in the dark, here's a photo of June! My little cutie pie June is both cute and handsome, and I couldn't be prouder to have him as my muse."
"Let's move forward together, stronger and united. Thank you for your understanding and continued support. #FamilySucks #JuneIsAwesome #JuneWhiteAbs"
"What was the last hashtag?" Na-ri asked.
"Must be a typo," Jia brushed off. She was way too focused on the post to think about the hashtags. Then, a wide smile appeared on her face.
June had done it once again.
"June is a genius," Minjun muttered with a smirk as he read the post. Then, he looked at the comment section.
With Choi Pablo's post, almost all of the hate comments had been eradicated. Instead, they were filled with praises for June.
- Okay, so it's actually Choi Pablo. Makes sense. He does look like those two rich bitches.
- I'M SO STUPID! WHY DIDN'T I REALIZE IT SOONER?
- WE'RE so stupid. People should really work on their comprehension skills more.
- You say that, but I'm sure another issue will arise next time.
- You're right. People never learn. But hey, at least, I believe in June now!
- #JuneOurRisingStar! But did you guys see how handsome he is in the photo that Choi Pablo uploaded?
- Yes, damn. I thought I was the only one who noticed.
"He's even met…Choi Pablo?" Jangmoon absent-mindedly said. "THE Choi Pablo?"
C-Jay laughed in disbelief.
Minjun proudly smirked and pointed at all of them. "Don't underestimate my big brother! He might seem stupid at times, but he could obliterate you with one click!"
Just then, the door opened, and the star of the show appeared right before their eyes.
Minjun brightened up as soon as he saw June. "Big bro!" the little kid exclaimed. "You're back!"
June, who was wearing a bonnet to hide his cotton candy pink hair, looked at the scene before him with confusion.
While he caressed Minjun's hair, he looked at the group of guys with furrowed eyebrows.
"What are you guys doing here?" he asked.
June didn't even have any time to react as the five of them charged toward him. His eyes widened in surprise when Jangmoon opened his arms and planted a huge, wet kiss on his forehead.
"Big bro, I'm so sorry!" he sobbed.
C-Jay, on the other hand, wrapped his arms around June's leg like a sloth hanging from a tree branch. "I'll serve you my entire life if you forgive me, brother. I promise you my loyalty for life!"
Jaeyong stood by his side, shyly tugging his shirt. "I—I'm sorry," he stammered. "Forgive me?"
Jisung continued to cry in front of him, not being able to even utter a word.
Akira was on his other side, practically rapping with how fast he was uttering apologies.
In summary, June was in a sensory overload…and it wasn't any good.
"Alright!" he exclaimed. "Just get off me," he said, taking a step back. He still held onto Minjun, though. June was very fond of the little kid.
"We're really sorry," Jangmoon said with all sincerity. "I just—I was stupid. I know you don't share a lot about your life, but that doesn't give us the right to judge you for something we're ignorant of."
June sighed. He wasn't the type to hold grudges (he actually is). June'll probably forget about it tomorrow (he'll bring it up during the pettiest fights). But then again, June was pretty chill…especially with matters like this.
"Alright," he said. "I'm not disappointed anymore. I'll see you on Sunday for the filming."
Although June didn't blatantly say that he forgave them, it was already enough for his friends to know that June was planning on seeing them on the next filming day.
"Now leave," June said. "Rest well."
Minjun shook his head as he looked up at the older man. 'He's so cool,' he thought.
"Umm, before we leave," Akira said, raising his hand. "I was just wondering..."
"Yes?" June asked.
"How did you land a photoshoot with Choi Pablo?" he asked.
"For real," C-Jay said. "You asked us about him, but I wasn't expecting you to actually land a photoshoot with THE Choi Pablo….You looked very handsome in those photos, by the way."
"Yeah, you looked smoking hot," Jangmoon agreed.
"What?" June asked with wide eyes.
"Huh, what?" Jangmoon cluelessly asked back.
June sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose before responding.
"I don't know," June said. "I just asked?"
"You just asked?" Jisung clarified.
"Yeah, then he took pictures of me."
The five of them glanced at each other. This seemed like Deja Vu. They also felt this way when they met Hana Lim for the first time.
June is really on another level.
***
The small, cluttered room, which was initially filled with sadistic joy, had now become tense.
Hoon and Xin sat huddled on the couch, their eyes fixed on the now static screen.
"H—Hoon?" Xin shakily said. "Are you alright?"
"What do you think?" the stubbled loser said, his calm voice making Xin even more afraid.
"You told me that June was going to be humiliated."
"H—he was," Xin stammered. "I saw it with my own eyes. I was there. Robby humiliated him!"
Hoon's fists clenched in anger, and his face contorted with a terrifying rage. He jumped to his feet and sent the coffee table and its contents crashing to the floor. Xin gasped, his eyes wide with fear.
"Hoon, please, calm down! It's just a show!" Xin said before he could stop himself.
Hoon turned to him with wide, bloodshot eyes. "It's just a show? It's just a fucking show, huh? THIS SHOW WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MY TIME TO SHINE!"
Hoon's anger knew no bounds. He started throwing anything he could get his hands on—pillows, DVDs, and even the bottles of pee under his computer. The room turned into a chaotic mess as he punched the wall, his knuckles bleeding.
"Hoon, stop, bro! You're fucking scaring me!"
But Hoon paid no heed to Xin's pleas. Xin rushed forward and grabbed Hoon's arm, attempting to pull him away from the destruction. Hoon wrestled with Xin, causing the two of them to stumble towards the bed, knocking over more furniture along the way.
"Ugh! Let go," Hoon struggled.
"Fuck," Xin cursed as he tried to fight Hoon's strength.
Meanwhile, Hoon's mom was awakened by the noise inside her son's room. She couldn't take it anymore, so she peeked inside.
She gasped softly when she saw pieces of furniture scattered around the room. However, that wasn't the most shocking part.
Her son was in bed with another young man, groaning and moaning with their hair and clothes a mess.
She quickly shut the door and shook her head, walking back to her room with wide eyes. "I don't even know anymore," she muttered.
Hoon wrapped his hand around Xin's neck, pressing until the latter was gasping for breath.
"H—Hoon, s–stop," Xin gasped, but Hoon persisted.
"You're fucking useless," he spat.
"Now," Hoon whispered, leaning closer to Xin's face. "Be useful for once and make sure that nobody finds out about this...not a single fucking soul."
