Chapter 536: Han So-Jin (2)

Park Ye-Yung had her phone camera pointed toward the door from the moment I walked in. That meant there was a good chance she had recorded a video of Cherry Blossom on their knees. If I released that video to the media, Han So-Jin's career in the entertainment industry would be over.

Still holding the hands of Han So-Jin and Oh In-Jung, I let go and headed toward Park Ye-Yung. Park Ye-Yung, who had been recording us on video, started backing away. But since the waiting room was small, she was quickly caught and had her phone taken away by me.

Snatch.

"No, don't!"

Ignoring Park Ye-Yung's words, I checked her phone.

'

Just as I thought.

'

A message on the screen showed that it was currently recording the situation.

[Video Recording in Progress: 5 minutes 10 seconds]

'

Of course!

'

The fact that it had been recording for over five minutes meant it had captured the moment when Cherry Blossom got down on their knees. I instantly stopped the recording and saved the video file.

[Video Recording Ended: 5 minutes 13 seconds]

In that instant, Han So-Jin, Oh In-Jung, and Park Ye-Yung rushed at me from behind to take the phone.

"Take it!"

"Grab him!"

"Give it back! That's my phone!"

I quickly turned and moved toward the wall. I pressed myself against it, leaving barely any space between me and the wall, and started checking the very beginning of the recorded video.

The video started from the moment Cherry Blossom entered the waiting room.

-Mrs. Han, could I get your autograph please?

In the video, Sae-Ri greeted Han So-Jin with an excited expression the moment she saw her. To Sae-Ri, who was about to debut as a solo singer, Han So-Jin—who had been a diva for twenty years—was one of her idols.

However, the moment Sae-Ri held out the autograph paper and pen she had been treasuring, Han So-Jin slapped her hand away like a madwoman. Sae-Ri's autograph paper and pen flew into the air.

-Hey! Don't you know I have a jinx where signing before a performance ruins it?!

Han So-Jin yelled, making excuses about a jinx that didn't even exist.

Startled, Sae-Ri began trembling and repeatedly apologizing.

-I-I'm sorry, ma'am. I-I didn't know.

-You think not knowing makes it okay? And when a sunbae arrives, aren't you supposed to adjust the stage setup immediately...?

Han So-Jin continued to lash out, blaming Cherry Blossom for not changing the stage setup. Cherry Blossom and the talent agents tried to apologize and manage the situation, but Han So-Jin only got more aggressive.

-So kids apologize while standing nowadays, huh? Back in my day, when you messed up in front of a sunbae, you got on your knees first!

At Han So-Jin's ear-splitting shout, Sae-Ri was so frightened she dropped to her knees and began to apologize.

-I'm sorry, Mrs. Han. I didn't mean to upset you. I just really admire you. Please forgive me.

No matter how famous she was, Sae-Ri was still just a high school freshman.

When the terrified Sae-Ri knelt down, the rest of Cherry Blossom members followed suit. They wanted to apologize quickly and diffuse the situation. Because of that, even the talent agents had no choice but to kneel and start apologizing.

Nevertheless, Han So-Jin seemed determined and kept yelling.

-Hey! If you can't change the stage, call that Chief Jung or whoever!

-Mr. Jung had another engagement and couldn't make it. I'll apologize, so please just let our girls go. Please, ma'am.

The more I watched the video, the angrier I became. Han So-Jin was tormenting kind-hearted Cherry Blossom and the talent agents just to get to me.

That's when a loud shout came from behind me.

"Hey! Give me back my phone!"

"You're gonna pay for this!"

Even in this situation, the three of them hurled insults and swung their fists. I wanted to turn around and fight back with my own fists right then and there, but I couldn't bear to see Cherry Blossom lose first place because of my violence.

I gritted my teeth and endured until reinforcements arrived. After all, there was someone far better suited to use this video in a more devastating way than I ever could.

'

I'll pay you back tenfold, Han So-Jin.

'

Just then, the waiting room door swung open at the perfect moment.

Clack.

"Have you all lost your minds?! Hey! What do you think you're doing to Chief Jung? Huh?"

A booming voice rang from behind me. It was Lee Mal-Soon. After she shouted, a command followed. "Team Lead Yang! Get them all off Chief Jung!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"I'll help too, Mr. Yang!"

Team Lead Yang Hong-Seok, Lee Mal-Soon's talent agent, and Eun Ji-Yoo pulled the three people away from me.

Lee Mal-Soon rushed over and checked to see if I was okay. "Are you alright, Chief Jung?"

"Yes, I'm alright."

My back ached a little, but it was bearable.

Lee Mal-Soon's face was filled with concern. "Are you really sure you're okay?"

"More importantly, please take a look at this."

"What is it?"

I played the video recorded on Park Ye-Yung's phone. On screen, Cherry Blossom was kneeling and begging.

The moment she saw it, Lee Mal-Soon's furious voice shook the waiting room. "This... crazy bitch! You made our babies kneel? Hey! Han So-Jin, have you lost your damn mind?"

At 52 years old, with 30 years of trot experience, Lee Mal-Soon unleashed a torrent of coarse curses.

"S-Sunbae, it's not what you think..."

At the word 'sunbae,' Lee Mal-Soon's eyes widened. "Oh~ So I'm your sunbae? Great. You rude brat. Get on your knees!"

"What?"

"Why? You told Cherry Blossom to kneel, didn't you? But now you won't do it in front of me? When I'm your sunbae?"

Han So-Jin's face twisted with rage as she screamed in protest. "Sunbae, can't you see they were the ones who triggered my jinx first?"

"What a joke! This isn't the first time you've blamed your nasty temper on some made-up jinx. Wow, you really are awful."

Lee Mal-Soon stared at Han So-Jin with utter contempt, then clicked her tongue and continued.

"Han So-Jin, you know the saying 'Life is a battlefield,' right? Well, today, you're going to get a real taste of it."

Lee Mal-Soon handed Park Ye-Yung's phone to Yang Hong-Seok and then made a call on her own phone.

"Mr. Han? It's me. I think you need to come down to Han So-Jin's waiting room right now. Yes. If you don't, things are going to explode today. And bring CP Oh Se-Chan with you while you're at it."

Click.

She hung up and gave another order to Yang Hong-Seok.

"Team Lead Yang. Send that video to all the reporters right now."

"Understood."

Among talent agents, those who worked with trot singers were the most seasoned when it came to dirty tricks like this. This was because trot singers attended all kinds of events—even night gigs when needed—and dealt with some of the roughest characters out there.

For Yang Hong-Seok, repaying Han So-Jin for what she did was as easy as pie. This was exactly why I had waited for Yang Hong-Seok and Lee Mal-Soon to arrive.

Then, Oh In-Jung shouted urgently. "W-Wait! Please hold on! If you promise not to leak the video, I'll tell you who ordered all this!"

Yang Hong-Seok paused with his finger in the air. "Who is it, Ms. In-Jung?"

"I'll tell you if you don't send the video to the press. Promise me."

Lee Mal-Soon snapped beside me. "You've gotta be kidding me. Team Lead Yang, don't listen to her and just send it! Who cares who's behind it?"

At that moment, two people came to mind like a flash. One was Hong Seok-Joon, who had tampered with MBS's

Hwaranjeon

press conference and pulled their ads. The other was Kim Dong-Soo, who was in the process of buying up the remaining shares of Ace Entertainment.

Since Kim Dong-Soo was likely too busy dealing with the Ace shares, the most likely suspect was Hong Seok-Joon.

I asked, "Was it Hong Seok-Joon?"

"I'll tell you... if you give the phone back."

It seemed like it was Hong Seok-Joon, but Oh In-Jung's poker face made it impossible to be sure. In that case, there was one way to find out.

"Mr. Yang, since we've already called Mr. Han, let's wait just a bit."

"Yeah, that works."

Oh In-Jung's face grew tense with urgency. "Then I'll never tell you!"

"We're not the ones in a hurry, are we?"

Yang Hong-Seok nodded and began smiling with relaxed confidence.

Bang!

Moments later, the waiting room door burst open and Han Seok-Yung and Oh Se-Chan rushed in, panting heavily. Their red faces and gasping breaths made it clear they had come running.

Han Seok-Yung spoke through ragged breaths. "Mrs. Lee!

Huff, huff

..."

"Mr. Han, you're here. You have no idea what's going on here..."

"I heard everything on the way."

"Better to see than to hear. Watch this first."

When Yang Hong-Seok played the video, Han Seok-Yung's expression changed by the second.

Then Lee Mal-Soon spoke up beside him. "You heard there's someone behind all this, right?"

"Behind it? You mean someone ordered this whole mess?"

"That's what they say."

Han Seok-Yung's face turned red as he snapped at Han So-Jin without hesitation. "Mrs. So-Jin! Are you out of your mind?"

Gritting her teeth, Han So-Jin cut in. "Wait a second!"

"What do you mean, wait?!"

Han So-Jin pulled out her phone and made a call. She seemed to be reaching out to the one behind her.

"Who are you calling?"

Without replying, Han So-Jin spoke to the person on the line. "It's me. A video got recorded and I think I need your help. Yes. Yes. Mr. Han Seok-Yung from MBS is here. I'll put him on."

Han So-Jin handed over the phone.

"Here, take it."

Han Seok-Yung frowned as he took the call. "Who is this?"

"You'll know once you pick up."

The moment Han Seok-Yung took the call, his expression quickly darkened. In the end, he exploded and shouted.

"President Hong Seok-Joon! Do you think MBS is some pushover?! You already pulled ads from

Hwaranjeon

and now you're trying to ruin our music show too? Fine. We're not staying quiet either!"

He angrily hung up.

Clack.

"That bastard Hong Seok-Joon. First he threatens to pull ads from

Hwaranjeon

, and now he messes with our music program? Who does he think he is, a king?"

Fuming, Han Seok-Yung turned to Yang Hong-Seok.

"Team Lead Yang. That video—you're going to release it, right?"

"Ah, y-yes. That was the plan, but I held back because I didn't know who was behind it. And because of MBS's situation..."

"Upload it."

"Excuse me?"

"I'll look into HK separately. You upload the video. That way, no other singers get involved with HK."

"Ah, yes. I'll send it out right now."

Han So-Jin panicked and shouted. "M-Mr. Han! Do you think this will end well for you?!"

"Yeah. I think it will."

Still furious, Han Seok-Yung turned to Oh Se-Chan.

"And CP Oh. From now on, Mrs. Han So-Jin is banned from appearing on MBS."

"Banned from appearing?"

"Yeah. We won't be seeing her again. And you need to write a report."

Oh Se-Chan gritted his teeth as he glared at Han So-Jin. He had gone out of his way to make room for her on the music show, only for her to cause this mess.

"Ugh. Seriously. What the hell. Total bad luck."

Even Oh Se-Chan resorted to harsh words, and only then did Han So-Jin grab Han Seok-Yung's arm and start pleading.

"M-Mr. Han. Please, just wait. I messed up, okay? So please, just not the video..."

"What? You dragged HK into this without even being prepared for the consequences? If you made a bet and lost, you have to own up to it. Don't you think so?"

"N-No, but still..."

Han Seok-Yung shoved Han So-Jin away. "Let go! You're wrinkling my outfit!"

Thrown back, Han So-Jin landed hard on the floor with a thud. "

Ah!

"

Watching the dazed faces of Han So-Jin, Oh In-Jung, and Park Ye-Yung, I checked EveryDay.

[Everyday V12.1]

[Date: January 2, 2021]

-10:00 p.m

(Deleted Schedule Entry: [NEW. Kim Sae-Ri] "Cherry Blossom's Talent Agent Mr. J involved in assault incident at MBS," "Cherry Blossom voluntarily withdraws from music broadcast stage," "11-week first-place streak record shattered")

𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

'

Mission, accomplished.

'

The pain that had been gnawing at my back disappeared as if it had never been there.

By this incident, I confirmed that the true mastermind behind this was Hong Seok-Joon. Originally, I had planned to leave it to the MBS news bureau to expose him. But I changed my mind.

Tonight, I would go to the Leaders Club meeting and bring down Hong Seok-Joon myself.

***

Han Seok-Yung and Lee Mal-Soon left the waiting room first with Yang Hong-Seok.

Oh Se-Chan told the dazed Han So-Jin and Oh In-Jung to clear the waiting room within five minutes, then exited with me and Eun Ji-Yoo.

After receiving another apology from Oh Se-Chan, I headed to Cherry Blossom's waiting room. When I opened the door and stepped inside, the members of Cherry Blossom looked up with tearful, deer-like eyes.

Sae-Ri ran up and threw herself into my chest.

"Yoon-Ho oppa~~"

Sae-Ri looked up at me with tears brimming in her eyes like a kitten in boots. Thinking about how much emotional pain this 16-year-old girl, just turning 17, must have endured—it hurt my heart.

I gently pulled Sae-Ri back and looked into her eyes. "Sae-Ri, are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm okay. But are you okay, oppa?"

"If you're okay, then of course I'm okay too."

Sae-Ri let out a sigh of relief. "

Sigh

... I'm so relieved."

Then the rest of Cherry Blossom approached and asked what they should do about Han So-Jin now.

"Don't worry. Han So-Jin is now banned from MBS. The articles will come out, and she'll likely be forced to retire from the industry. You won't have to see her again."

The members looked briefly surprised, then visibly relaxed.

I continued, "So just keep your heads high and give your best performance on stage. Let everyone who envies you and hopes to see you fall know how strong you really are."

Sae-Ri said Han So-Jin was no longer her idol and vowed to perform proudly for her fans. "Yoon-Ho oppa, we're going to win first place today!"

"Yeah. Let's give it everything we've got today."

Eun-Ah raised her voice quietly by my side. "Y-Yeah. Let's win first place and show them what we're made of."

Yang Eun-Bi looked satisfied. "Eun-Ah's getting ambitious! Let's do it. Another win today! 11 consecutive weeks at number one, first ever on a music show!"

Woo Yeon-Hee wiped away her tears and encouraged the others like a true leader. "Yeah. Just like Eun-Ah said, let's forget about Han So-Jin sunbae and repay the fans who are waiting for us. That's our job."

"Yes, unnie!"

"You're right, unnie."

The four girls encouraged each other, finally starting to shake off the trauma Han So-Jin had caused.

'

My girls have really grown.

'

In the past, the four of them would have spent the whole day in tears, but now they showed how much they had matured.

Knock knock.

Just then, a staff member knocked on the waiting room door and called out.

–Cherry Blossom, it's time for rehearsal in one minute.

"Okay, we'll be right out!"

After responding, the members of Cherry Blossom headed to the dressing table and hurriedly fixed their makeup.

I used that moment to check their shoelaces out of habit. If any were loose, I might need to tape them again. That's when I noticed their knees. All four of them had red, bruised knees from kneeling in front of Han So-Jin.

Suddenly, a wave of emotion surged through me again. The true culprit behind this was Hong Seok-Joon. And I would make him pay for making Cherry Blossom kneel.

At that moment, Cherry Blossom left the waiting room with faces full of energy.

"Oppa, we're heading out~"

"We'll be back after rehearsal~"

I cheered them on as they stepped out.

"Alright~ You got this! I'm rooting for you!"

Watching the girls' determined backs, I quietly picked up my phone.

To destroy Hong Seok-Joon at tonight's Leaders Club meeting, I would need the help of one person.