Chapter 372: Kang Si-Ah (2)

Upon hearing my question about whether Choi Yi-Sun had ever asked for money, Jo Eun-Hye glanced nervously at her daughter. "Well... it's just that..."

"Ma'am, I need you to be completely honest with me. That's the only way we can fix this."

Jo Eun-Hye nodded and reluctantly explained the truth. "She asked for money every month, saying it was for activity expenses... But she told me to keep it from Si-Ah, so I transferred the money directly into her account every month."

Rage boiled up inside me once again.

Choi Yi-Sun had treated Kang Si-Ah disrespectfully, justifying it by claiming she hadn’t charged Kang Si-Ah for tuition. In reality, she had been secretly siphoning money from Si-Ah's mother’s hard-earned wages. Most of the money Jo Eun-Hye made from working 14 hours a day frying Korean pancakes had been going directly into Choi Yi-Sun's pocket.

There was no way I could let trash like Choi Yi-Sun go without severe consequences.

***

As soon as I learned that Choi Yi-Sun had been extorting money from Kang Si-Ah's mother, I called Kang Gam-Chan from the apartment in Amsa-Dong.

After hearing the full story, Kang Gam-Chan's voice turned cold and serious.

-Let's complete the remaining payment and officially register Si-Ah as part of Hoop Entertainment by the end of today. I'll notify the legal division but you can handle the follow-up. Do whatever's necessary and give me a report afterward. Do you understand what I mean?

Kang Gam-Chan's decisive approach made it clear that he was ready to act boldly to protect Kang Si-Ah. He wanted to fully secure Kang Si-Ah's place at Hoop Entertainment first and deal with the compensation later.

I had initially planned to start a lawsuit only after paying the deposit. After all, following Kang Gam-Chan's way would be safe but it would take a long time to receive compensation.

However, with Kang Gam-Chan's clear backing now, I could move more aggressively.

"Thank you, sir."

-There's no need to thank me. Once we receive the expense reports from ES Acting Academy, I'll take care of the remaining payment. Just be ready to take action.

"Understood, sir."

-And scum like that need to be crushed. Don't go easy on her.

I could feel anger in Kang Gam-Chan's voice.

"Yes, sir!"

When I gave a firm response, he ended the call, stating he was about to have a strategy meeting with Kwak Moo-Hyuk and Kang Ji-Yung.

I put my phone away and turned my attention back to the mother and daughter beside me.

Both of them held my hand tightly with their eyes filled with hope.

"Mr. Jung! I promise I'll work really hard!" Kang Si-Ah exclaimed.

Despite her young age, Kang Si-Ah was ready to give everything for her future.

The final paperwork and full transfer would take a few more hours, but there was something I needed to take care of first.

I looked at Jo Eun-Hye and said, "Ma'am, I'd like you to come with me for a bit."

Jo Eun-Hye, who had been wiping her daughter's tears, looked confused and tilted her head. "Huh... where to?"

"Let's go get you fitted for a new hearing aid."

The hearing aid she had been using for seven years was clearly worn and outdated.

Startled, Jo Eun-Hye quickly responded, "Oh, no, that's not...necessary... Mr. Jung."

"It's no trouble at all. The cost will be covered by our company's welfare fund, so you don't need to worry."

As most child actors didn't have dedicated talent agents assigned, their family members would usually step in to take the role. If Jo Eun-Hye were to travel to filming locations with Kang Si-Ah, a reliable hearing aid would be essential.

Moreover, Kang Si-Ah had developed a slight delay in her speech due to frequent conversations with her mother. It affected her diction, even causing her to mispronounce some words. This wouldn't be a big issue if Kang Si-Ah were an average person. However, clear pronunciation was necessary for an actor.

I explained to Jo Eun-Hye that she needed to get a new hearing aid and work on her pronunciation for her daughter's sake.

Only then did Jo Eun-Hye eventually agree. "If it's for Si-Ah's sake... I'll follow your lead, Mr. Jung."

"Thank you. Alright. Things will get hectic once ES Acting Academy sends the expense reports, so we'll need to move quickly. Let's go."

With that, I took Jo Eun-Hye and the excited Kang Si-Ah to Kim Soo-Myung's clinic for a new hearing aid.

***

After conducting a thorough hearing test at Kim Soo-Myung's clinic, we placed an order for a new hearing aid.

Kim Soo-Myung grumbled that his clinic wasn't a full-service hospital, but he meticulously reviewed Jo Eun-Hye's condition as always.

We arranged to pick up a top-of-the-line digital hearing aid in a week and left the clinic with a temporary one for now.

Jo Eun-Hye glanced around in awe with tears welling up in her eyes.

Kang Si-Ah asked with an excited expression, "Mom! Can you hear my voice clearly now?"

"Yes, I can hear everything so clearly. My dear daughter..."

When Kang Si-Ah grabbed her mother's hand with a happy expression, they both started crying tears of joy at the same time.

At that moment, my phone rang. It was Kang Gam-Chan.

-Yoon-Ho. Si-Ah is officially part of Hoop Entertainment as of this moment.

"Did you receive the expense report?" I asked.

-Yes, I got it. And let me tell you—it's a disaster.

Kang Gam-Chan then informed me that he would send the expense report to me via Kk Talk shortly.

Now it was time to turn the tables.

I was planning not only to file charges against Choi Yi-Sun on behalf of the company but also to support Jo Eun-Hye in her lawsuit.

'

All the money that had been extorted from her—plus interest—must be returned,

' I thought.

"I'll get started right away," I replied to Kang Gam-Chan.

-Good. The publicity division is also preparing articles for the press.

After ending the call with Kang Gam-Chan, I called Choi So-Hye.

My voice trembled slightly with anger as my blood boiled once again while I explained the situation. "Ms. Choi... I have something to report."

-What's going on this time? You sound so serious.

"It's about..."

After I detailed what happened to Kang Si-Ah at the ES Acting Academy, Choi So-Hye's voice trembled with fury as if she were the one who had been exploited.

-I've heard so many bad rumors about that place, so I was thinking about looking into it anyway. This will make a perfect story.

"We have solid evidence. I'd like to meet in person."

-I'll bring Kang In-Han sunbae with me, let's meet up right now. Where are you now?

"I'm near Apgujeong."

-Alright, then let's meet in front of your company. We'll head there right away.

Eager to start the investigation, Choi So-Hye ended the call immediately.

Next, I contacted Seo Jae-Ill to report the "non-recyclable trash," as I put it.

Finally, I helped Jo Eun-Hye re-register her personal seal, emphasizing that anyone asking for her seal in the future should be treated as a potential scammer.

***

After having an interview with Choi So-Hye and Kang In-Han the next day, I went to the Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office with Jo Eun-Hye, Kang Si-Ah, and Kwak Moo-Hyuk to file an official lawsuit.

Seo Jae-Ill reviewed the bank transaction records that Jo Eun-Hye had provided before recording Jo Eun-Hye's verbal statement for the case. Next, he turned to examine the expense report handed over by Kwak Moo-Hyuk.

A few moments later, Seo Jae-Ill tilted his head in confusion and asked, "Are you saying all these lessons were provided?"

Kwak Moo-Hyuk shook his head. "Not at all."

I also held a copy of the expense report sent from ES Acting Academy.

[Expense Report (Kang Si-Ah)]

-Food Expenses: 500,000 won per month

(Total over 24 months: 12,570,000 won)

-Flower Arrangement Lessons: 2,370,000 won

-Horseback Riding Lessons: 5,350,000 won

-Archery Lessons: 2,350,000 won

-Fuel Expenses: 11,340,000 won per year

...

The expense report was full of lessons Kang Si-Ah had never taken.

Choi Yi-Sun had no problem writing such a shamelessly inflated report as she relied on her influential husband, CP Jang Hyun-Soo from MBS, to protect her.

Kwak Moo-Hyuk explained to Seo Jae-Ill why the report was false.

Seo Jae-Ill then turned to Kang Si-Ah and asked, "Si-Ah, can you answer honestly? Did you eat meals regularly at the academy?"

Kang Si-Ah shook her head. "No... I only ate a few times when the older girls shared snacks with me."

Seo Jae-Ill forced a smile with a frown appearing between his brows. He was clearly trying to keep his temper in check as he continued his questioning.

"Did you ever receive horseback riding lessons?"

"Just once... it was a field trip in Chuncheon."

Another wrinkle appeared on Seo Jae-Ill's forehead. "A-and archery?"

"Once at a free experience event in Suwon..."

Seo Jae-Ill's face reddened as he struggled to contain his anger.

"

Hahaha

. So you just tried it once for the experience, huh? And what about flower arranging?"

"I did it once at the Gangnam Culture Center."

Seo Jae-Ill's face grew redder, and he eventually stopped asking questions.

Then, he told one of the investigators to take Jo Eun-Hye and Kang Si-Ah outside the office for a moment. "Mr. Kim, please take them outside for a moment and offer them something cold to drink. Bring us five bottles of drinks as well with ice..."

The investigators, who were just as furious after hearing the details, didn't need any more explanation. "Yes, sir."

Once Jo Eun-Hye and Kang Si-Ah had left the room, Seo Jae-Ill erupted. "What the fuck! This woman hatched a meticulous plan to steal from them, didn't she? And what's with the fuel expenses? The kid rode buses and subways, yet she claimed over 10 million won a year in fuel costs? This insane bitch!"

Seo Jae-Ill was seething with rage as if he was ready to throttle someone.

After a few deep breaths, Seo Jae-Ill turned to Kwak Moo-Hyuk. "What's Hoop Entertainment's stance? You're not planning to settle quietly, are you?"

"Absolutely not. Our president has instructed us to see this through no matter the cost."

"Good. I'm ready to go all in on this, so prepare yourselves."

With Seo Jae-Ill and Kwak Moo-Hyuk fully aligned, there was little need for my involvement now.

A prosecutor and a lawyer were determined to pursue justice aggressively with the goal of exposing every detail of Choi Yi-Sun's fraud.

***

After finishing up the report at the Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office, we returned to Kang Si-Ah's apartment in Amsa-dong.

By then, the entertainment news was ablaze with the stories I had leaked to the media.

[Gangnam Acting Academy Under Investigation for Child Abuse and Extortion]

[Famous Acting Academy Accused of Secretly Extorting Money from Parents]

[Shocking Reality of an Acting Academy! "They Even Starved the Kids to Save on Food Costs"]

(Comments)

-They're actually starving kids? Seriously?

-They feed you well even at construction sites. Nothing angers me more than people messing with food.

-Are there actually still places like this?

-Isn't the director's husband a CP from MBS? Anyone got facts on that?

-I attended that academy. We had to buy food from their cafeteria, but it was so bad I wanted to puke after just one bite. And they banned us from bringing in outside food, so we couldn't even eat elsewhere.

-That's because you weren't in the top classes. The S and A classes got special meals. But of course, you have to pay 5 million won a month for that privilege.

'

It's all over

,' I remarked inwardly.

The comments section was flooded with accusations from former students and parents who had been through the same at ES Acting Academy.

After reading the articles, Jo Eun-Hye asked, "Mr. Jung, what next?"

The only thing that changed was her hearing aid, but Jo Eun-Hye's previously slow and unclear speech now came through much more distinctly.

Along with her effort, her pronunciation was naturally improving, likely due to her increased ability to hear herself.

"Just focus on protecting your daughter for now. If Director Choi Yi-Sun contacts you, don't respond at all."

"Yes, Mr. Jung."

Just then, my phone rang. Choi Yi-Sun had called me instead of calling Jo Eun-Hye.

[Caller ID: Director Choi Yi-Sun]

'

You're quite sharp, aren't you?

' I thought.

Considering the news broke right after we signed Kang Si-Ah, it wasn't surprising that she suspected me.

I answered the call while activating the recording function.

"Hello?"

Choi Yi-Sun's furious voice boomed through the phone.

-What do you think you're doing right now?

"Did you really think you could cheat Hoop Entertainment with those fake expense reports? You should've expected this much."

There was a brief pause before Choi Yi-Sun spoke again.

-You... planned this from the start, didn't you?

As expected, she was sharp enough to see through the situation. However, I wasn't foolish enough to confirm it, as she might also be recording the conversation.

"What nonsense are you talking about? And really, don't live your life like this. After hearing what Mdm. Jo told me, I'm ashamed to be in the same industry as you."

-Wh-what did you just say...? Hey, you're just a two-year rookie! I've been in this business for over 20 years!

"Oh, I bet you've filled your pockets real good in those 20 years. Well, get ready to cough it all up. I hear you own four apartments in Gangnam, huh? That should cover the compensation nicely."

Choi Yi-Sun seethed with anger and shouted.

-You think you're going to walk away from this unscathed? My husband is Jang Hyun-Soo, the CP at MBS!

"Oh, right. As we speak, our president is probably explaining all of this to MBS's president."

-W-what...?

Only then did Choi Yi-Sun's voice begin to tremble. Simultaneously, I could hear loud banging in the background from her line.

-Mdm. Choi, Mdm. Choi! There are reporters outside!

-Please stop pushing! Mdm. Choi isn't here!

-Director Choi Yi-Sun! We know you're in there!

Outside, the noises of reporters, angry parents demanding refunds, and people trying to stop them were echoing loudly through the phone.

"It sounds like you're busy, so I'll let you go. Oh, and I'll visit you soon... in prison."

Choi Yi-Sun gave no response as if she was out of it.

With that, ES Acting Academy was crumbling.

***

[ES Acting Academy Under Investigation for Excessive Student Fees and Fraud!]

[ES Acting Academy Has Been Secretly Extorting Money From Parents!]

[ES Acting Academy Took Over 2 Billion Won in 15 Years!]

By the next morning, Choi Yi-Sun was arrested.

Because child exploitation was a crime that could not be forgiven, it was clear that escaping charges wouldn't be easy no matter how expensive a lawyer she hired.

Furthermore, Kwak Moo-Hyuk had even coordinated with a law firm run by one of his hoobaes to help the victims file a joint lawsuit.

Meanwhile, Choi Yi-Sun's husband, CP Jang Hyun-Soo, was under internal investigation at MBS after being called in by the company's president.

With both Jo Eun-Hye and Hoop Entertainment leading the charge, taking down ES Acting Academy happened faster than I could have imagined.

After successfully resolving Kang Si-Ah's situation, I returned home feeling a weight lifted off my shoulders.

When I arrived at the house in Cheonho-dong, Yoo-Jin and Miso were already at the front door, ready to head out.

Yoo-Jin asked, "Oppa, is it all over now?"

I nodded. "Sorry for being late. Have you been waiting long?"

"No, it's okay."

"Alright, shall we go then?"

With Kang Si-Ah's issue resolved, it was now time to tackle Miso's struggle with expressing anger in her acting.