June couldn't stop staring at the back of Lin Zhi's head.
Haruki kept yapping by his side, but he couldn't bring himself to listen to him.
"I just felt like I was being unfair to you because of my prejudice about your past with Haruto. You can't really blame me...I mean, you can blame me for treating you quite badly. However, I want to take this time to apologize to you."
"After hearing more stories from Haruto, I realized you're a pretty decent guy. The chocolates I gave were actually from my own pocket. I hope that speaks of my sincerity."
"Anyway," Haruki cleared his throat. "Do you want to be friends?"
June only snapped out of his daze just as Haruki tapped his shoulder.
"June?" Haruki softly asked, surprising June with his tone.
"Why are you speaking like that?" June asked.
"Like what?" Haruki asked in confusion.
"Like a friend," June said, causing Haruki's shoulders to slump.
"You didn't hear a word I said just now, right?"
"Nope," June said, shaking his head.
Haruki sighed in disappointment, feeling like his chance yet again went down the drain.
"I really, really hate you," Haruki couldn't help but say. However, he regretted it right after he said it.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})"I know," June said, not really surprised about it.
Haruki pursed his lips and followed the trajectory of June's gaze. There, he saw Lin Zhi speaking with the actors in the front row.
Haruki's eyebrows furrowed when he realized who it was.
"Isn't that the guy who went to Rising Stars and cheated during the creation mission? Lin Zhi, right?" Haruki asked.
"He's done much more than that," June muttered.
"Well, I didn't expect him to make a comeback in such a?big project after his announcement."
"Announcement?" June asked, his back straightening in surprise.
"He trended yesterday because he announced his comeback. Apparently, the guy was mentally unwell throughout the show. It seemed like he was particularly overworked by Azure."
"He even posted some of his diagnoses, so the people perceived it in a much more positive light. Still, I expected him to audition in a smaller project after his announcement."
June wanted to laugh out loud after Haruki's statements.
While it was true that Azure was a shitty company who overworked their trainees and their idols, Lin Zhi definitely did not get the short end of the stick.
He was even able to manipulate the votes, which had never been exposed, and cheat his ranking until the very last moment of the finale.
"Where did he post it?" June asked.
"On Navel," Lin Zhi responded.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})June quickly went to his phone and to Lin Zhi's profile. He raised his eyebrows in surprise when he saw that he already had a million followers.
He clicked his tongue and looked through his followers, only to see plenty of users with weird usernames.
"He bought followers, too," he muttered.
Then, June scrolled down until he saw the post that Haruki was talking about.
"Such a long apology," June chuckled to himself.
'Hi, this is Lin Zhi.
I hope this message finds you well. I write to you today with a heavy heart regarding a matter from the past year. It is with humility and sincerity that I address the accusations leveled against me regarding cheating in the show and seeking undue assistance from producers during our creation mission.
First and foremost, I want to express my deepest apologies for any disappointment my actions may have caused. I take full responsibility for my behavior and the repercussions it has had on the integrity of the show and the trust of its audience. There are no excuses for such conduct, and I understand the gravity of my actions.
It is important for me to acknowledge that my behavior was not a reflection of my true character but rather a manifestation of my struggles with mental instability during that period. I have since sought professional help and received diagnoses that shed light on the challenges I was facing.
Furthermore, I must address the role of overwork and the pressure exerted by the company representing the show.
I want to assure you that I am taking this opportunity for serious growth. While I may not return as an idol, I am determined to continue my journey as an all-rounded entertainer. My hope is that, through genuine effort and dedication, I can earn back the trust and respect of those who have supported me.'
June shook his head in disbelief. He was sure that Lin Zhi wasn't the one who issued the apology because he could never write as eloquently as his post.
"Pretty good, right?" Haruki asked. "Whoever is on his PR team must be great. They issued a great apology. Although the response isn't a hundred percent positive, it is better received than I had expected."
- Hmm, I don't know much about this guy, but he seems pretty sincere
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})- With attached medical evidence, too? Oh, Azure. You will burn in hell.
- I liked him a lot during Rising Stars. I was disappointed that he cheated on the creation mission. However, after seeing all of this, I now understand. Lin Zhi didn't deserve the hate he was getting. #AzureApologizetoLinZhi
- He's just an overworked baby. #AzureApologizetoLinZhi
- No matter what happens, I'll support you. #AzureApologizetoLinZhi
- Ya'll really believe anything you see on the internet these days.
June sighed as he turned off his phone and placed it inside his pocket.
Reading such positive comments put him in a bad mood. The fact that a person like Lin Zhi was getting this kind of treatment was downright outrageous. Meanwhile, actual hardworking trainees were cast to the side just because they didn't have anyone backing them up.
Truly, connections ran the world.
It seemed like Lin Zhi still hadn't noticed his presence because if he did, June was sure he'd have a cocky look on his face.
"Are you guys on good terms?" Haruki asked.
June smirked. "Don't get me started."
Just then, the door opened, revealing a small, artistic-looking woman, a tall man in a suit, and Director Bong—all of them exuding powerful auras.
The actors all stood in the presence of the influential figures.
Director Bong was particularly intimidating. He didn't even bother greeting the applicants and went straight to his seat.
Meanwhile, the woman, who looked like Edna from The Incredibles, went to the front and scanned the room with her eyes.
"Good morning."
"Today, one of you will be our Future Yian—the main villain in this unnamed movie."
