Chapter 658: Han So-Won (4)

I first confirmed Jung Hye-Soo's intentions one last time. It was because I was about to harshly corner her younger sister.

"Mrs. Jung, may I act on your behalf to handle this matter?"

At that moment, Jung Hye-Soo nodded firmly on the video call screen.

-Yes, Mr. Jung. Please, I'm begging you.

"Understood. I'll get back to you shortly."

I was planning to confront the aunt and uncle, citing Han So-Won's malnutrition, so I intended to end the call first. I couldn't imagine how devastated Jung Hye-Soo would be upon hearing her daughter was malnourished.

Nevertheless, Jung Hye-Soo shook her head.

-No, don't hang up. Please, say what you need to say.

"It might be uncomfortable to hear. Are you sure?"

-No matter what you say, I'll be fine.

"Alright."

I handed the phone with the ongoing video call to Lee Ho-Jae.

"Ho-Jae, take this."

"Yes, hyung-nim."

Taking the phone, Lee Ho-Jae pointed the camera at Han So-Won's aunt and uncle. From that moment on, I began to tear into Han So-Won's aunt Jung Soon-Ok and uncle Yeo Jin-Sung mercilessly.

"Repay three times the total amount So-Won's mother sent over the past year. If you refuse, we'll file both civil and criminal charges immediately. What will you do?"

Jung Soon-Ok and Yeo Jin-Sung's eyes widened.

"Three... three times? Are you insane?"

"You damn lunatic!! What did we do wrong? We just received rightful child support!"

Instead of apologizing, the two began shamelessly acting like victims.

"A-and we took care of So-Won like our own daughter! Go ahead and sue us! We'll sue you for false accusation!"

"Y-yeah. The academy thing was our fault, sure, but not the rest!"

I scoffed as if it were absurd. "You treated So-Won like your own daughter, you say? You've got to be kidding. We just came from the hospital, and the kid's malnourished!"

The two were left speechless. They didn't expect we had actually gone to the hospital.

I continued, "So I asked, and it turns out you didn't even give her breakfast or dinner at home, so she was starving all day. If it weren't for the school meals, she'd have been in serious danger. And you call that treating her like your own? Are you joking?"

I shouted at them until my voice nearly burst. The once-brazen Yeo Jin-Sung and Jung Soon-Ok looked at each other and began to make excuses.

"T-that's because she said she didn't want to eat."

"Y-yeah. She was dieting to become an idol. Why blame us?"

They tried to twist the truth, but there was too much evidence.

With a face ready to rip them apart, I spoke. "Stop spewing nonsense and listen carefully. If you don't repay the amount by tomorrow, we'll not only press charges under the Child Abuse Punishment Act and the Child Welfare Act, but also broadcast every detail of what you did. Understood?"

Han So-Won was a finalist in

Project I.O.A

. The show aired stories behind each contestant, and I said we would reveal what Han So-Won went through over the past year.

Only then did the two begin to panic and try to negotiate. "W-wait. Let's not go that far..."

Since I had no intention of giving them a break, I went in for the kill. "And if the broadcast airs, not only your faces but your daughters' identities will be revealed nationwide. Are you still okay with that? If that happens, your daughters can forget about becoming idols."

At that moment, their eldest daughter, Yeo Min-Ju, who had been listening quietly, turned pale and collapsed on the spot. She had acted indifferent until now, thinking it was just her parents' problem. But now she realized she was part of it too.

Thud.

As Yeo Min-Ju fell on her butt, the shocked Yeo Jin-Sung and Jung Soon-Ok rushed to her. Seeing their daughter's ashen face, the two shouted in panic.

"W-wait a moment! Mr. Jung!"

"We'll pay! We'll pay, so just wait a moment!"

They had tried to take away Han So-Won's future, but only when their own daughters' future was at stake did they finally change their tune. If they had shown even half this concern for their own daughters to Han So-Won or even just done the bare minimum, I wouldn't have gone this far.

But they didn't, and since Yeo Min-Ju, who attended the same school as Han So-Won, also bullied her just like her parents, I didn't feel an ounce of sympathy for them.

I warned, "Transfer the money to So-Won's mother's account by tomorrow. Otherwise, we'll do a one-on-one interview with the PD and file the charges immediately. Got it?"

Yeo Jin-Sung nodded frantically. "O-okay. I'll prepare the money by tomorrow. Then you won't sue us or go on air, right?"

He was so desperate his voice trembled.

"That's the plan."

"A-alright. Then I'll pay the money. So, that's two million won for twelve months... No, the first two months were three million. Altogether that's twenty six million won. Three times that is seventy eight million won! I'll pay it by tomorrow! That'll do, right?"

I let out a short laugh. "If you're including the original amount, then that's not three times."

"Wait. Are you saying it's three times excluding the original amount?"

"Isn't that obvious?"

"T-then it's a hundred and four million won?"

I nodded with my arms crossed.

At that moment, Yeo Jin-Sung looked at Jung Soon-Ok. Jung Soon-Ok, holding her daughter, gave a nod.

Getting his wife's consent, Yeo Jin-Sung shut his eyes tightly and said to me, "I-I'll pay. I'll wire the hundred and four million won tomorrow. So cancel both the lawsuit and the broadcast!"

'

There we go

.'

"Understood. Then tomorrow, we'll draw up a settlement agreement in the presence of our legal team lead here. Also, right now, return So-Won's bankbook, seal, OTP, and debit card."

"Got it."

Having secured a hefty settlement, I turned my head. In the video call, Jung Hye-Soo was crying. Even though she had sent hundreds of thousands of won every month, she had just learned her daughter was malnourished.

I comforted her and confirmed the final agreement. "Ma'am, do you accept this settlement?"

Jung Hye-Soo wiped her tears and replied.

-Yes, Mr. Jung. Please do it that way.

"Then can you come up to Seoul today? I know you have work, but this is something you need to handle in person to avoid any issues later."

For her daughter, Jung Hye-Soo said she will leave immediately.

-Okay. I'll leave right now!

"Understood. I'll text you the address of So-Won's new place. See you there."

-Okay.

Click.

The video call finally ended and the automatic recording also stopped. I glanced over and saw Kwak Moo-Hyuk giving me a thumbs-up. I gave a slight nod, then turned to Han So-Won.

"So-Won, do you want to go pack your things with Ho-Jae from the rooftop room?"

"Yes, Mr. Jung. I'll be right back."

Han So-Won's face, which had once been full of darkness, now shone with hope—just like when she had first passed the debut team selection before the regression.

***

Click.

Han So-Won came down from the rooftop room with just one suitcase. Lee Ho-Jae carried it for her and stepped out the front door.

As we all followed, loud shouting erupted from inside the house.

-A hundred and four million won? You think you can just dig up the ground and get that amount!? Are you crazy?

-Damn it. What else could I do? We have to save Min-Ju!

-You should've bargained at least a little!

-Bargain? Fuck. How dare you act all big now when you didn't say a single word earlier? You even agreed with me back then!

-I was just flustered! But still, how could you accept that so easily? You should've said we didn't have the money!

-Don't be ridiculous. That excuse wouldn't have worked! From what I saw, Chief Jung actually wanted us to refuse!

-Dad! Mom! Be quiet! Do you want the whole neighborhood to hear?

-Hey! Yeo Min-Ju. You failed an audition that everyone else passed? If you hadn't been so jealous of So-Won, we wouldn't have gone this far!

-

Ugh

! Why is it always my fault? Then you should've spent more money and gotten me expensive private lessons!

𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

-Enough! All of you, stop fighting! Damn it. This all happened because your mom was too cheap!

-And what about you? You liked the idea too! Why are you only blaming me now?

The family's yelling echoed over the walls. For people obsessed with money, making them spit it back out was the most painful punishment.

At that moment, Lee Ho-Jae asked with a slightly dissatisfied expression. "Hyung-nim, are you really going to let those unrepentant jerks go like that?"

"What else would you have me do?"

"You should've just pressed criminal charges and thrown them in jail!"

I understood Lee Ho-Jae's frustration, but these matters shouldn't be handled that way.

"If we do that, we won't get the compensation properly."

If criminal charges were filed, the two would likely dig in their heels and refuse to pay. Then they would hire a lawyer and prepare for a legal battle. At that point, the evidence of extorting two million won a month wouldn't hold up with just the bank statements. They could claim it was for living expenses, food, rent, and clothing.

And even if we brought up malnutrition, their lawyer might argue that all idol trainees suffer from it. That could hold up in court. So even if they were found guilty, they would likely get away with a suspended sentence. And in a civil suit, the compensation wouldn't even exceed ten million won.

That's why I chose a practical solution. I wanted Han So-Won and her mother to resolve their most urgent problem.

"What So-Won and her mom need most right now is money. And what hurts So-Won's aunt and uncle most is also money. I brought a whole team and put on a show to pressure them. If we press criminal charges now, we won't get what we need."

"Well, even so..."

That's when Kwak Moo-Hyuk chimed in. "I get how you feel, Mr. Ho-Jae, but this is the best outcome. Maybe in the U.S. it'd be different. But in Korea, compensation isn't very high. And as for punishment? They'd get a slap on the wrist at most. Only the victim ends up suffering. And when you press criminal charges, people like them never pay. I'd say the settlement Mr. Jung secured will sting them the most. He did the right thing."

At Kwak Moo-Hyuk's words, Lee Ho-Jae looked at me with an embarrassed expression. "I wasn't thinking clearly. I'm sorry, hyung-nim."

"It's fine. It happens. Chin up."

I patted the apologetic Lee Ho-Jae on the shoulder and looked at Han So-Won.

"So-Won, was that good enough as your backup?"

Han So-Won gave a bright smile and raised both thumbs. "Yes! You're the best backup ever!"

Her voice, brighter than the chilly night air, made me smile. Then she spread her arms and took a deep breath with a beaming face. Her expression looked as though she was finally free, light and unburdened.

And the happiness radiating from her face was spreading to me too.

'

Yeah. So-Won. That dream of becoming a singer—let's make it come true this time.

'

I smiled with satisfaction and thought to myself. Then I headed toward the car to take her to her new place.

"Alright, let's go!"

"Yes, Mr. Jung!"

***

Han So-Won's new place was set at the DH Villa.

Her mom, who had taken a taxi straight to Seoul, burst into tears and hugged her the moment she saw her. The next day, Han So-Won's mom signed the settlement and received over a hundred million won. With Kwak Moo-Hyuk handling the legal matters in between, she was able to settle things peacefully without directly confronting her sister.

Now with a substantial sum, she decided to live with her daughter at DH Villa. For now, she said she would take over the coin karaoke part-time job Han So-Won had been doing while looking for other work. I planned to find her a more suitable job soon.

After that, I arranged outpatient treatment for Han So-Won at Kim Soo-Myung's clinic and set up joint lessons with Sung Na-Ra. With Han So-Won's affairs wrapped up, the Seoul regional preliminaries came to an end.

And the next day, I went to the company and headed to the meeting room.

But just as I was about to open the door, a new post appeared on the ENT_jjirasi Instargem account I followed.

Buzz~

[@ENT_jjirasi]

[Posts 1,242, Followers 510K, Following 0]

-

Project I.O.A

Seoul regional preliminaries results (Top 5 only)

1. Go Eun-Seo (Influencer, Hanil Arts High School, 1st year)

2. Sung Na-Ra (Former member of Five Angels, Visual member)

3. Ye Sung-Yeon (Influencer, Sungji Arts High School, 2nd year)

4. Choi Yeon-Mi (Former trainee at Ace Entertainment, Sungji Arts High School, 3rd year)

5. Park Yeon-Jae (Former trainee at TNT Entertainment, Hanil Arts High School, 2nd year)

ENT_jjirasi was an Instargem account known for posting celebrity gossip. And lately, it has been focusing heavily on

Project I.O.A

audition news.

Suspected to be someone inside the broadcasting station, this account had failed to include Han So-Won in the top 5. It was because Han So-Won hadn't worn any makeup that day, unlike the other contestants.

"This guy clearly has no eye for talent. She should be third at least..."

Grumbling to myself, I opened the meeting room door.

Click.

As I walked in, everyone was looking at the same Instargem account.

Lee Dong-Min, also reading ENT_jjirasi, asked me, "Chief Jung, did you see the latest post from that entertainment gossip account?"

"Yes, I saw it."

"What do you think?"

"Well~"

I had a clear favorite in my mind, but I couldn't say it out loud. If I spoke, it might influence the selection.

"Jeez, you're thorough. Don't worry. Your opinion won't affect the decision."

"Still."

Lee Dong-Min chuckled and scrolled through his phone, muttering, "So-Won definitely deserves to be in the top five..."

As expected, Lee Dong-Min clearly shared my thoughts.

Then Do Ran-Hee, nodding to herself, came up with an idea. "Mr. Jung. What if we let So-Won appear without makeup for a while, then do a full makeover later to completely change her image? We could appeal with a surprising charm concept."

"Wow~ that's a good idea. Put together a plan and submit a proposal. I'll bring it up with PD Ji later."

"Yes, sir!"

Do Ran-Hee had come up with something clever. Seeing the people around me grow like this made me smile without meaning to.

Then Lee Dong-Min asked, "Chief Jung, we're heading down to Daejeon for the regional prelims. Want to come with us?"

The

Project I.O.A

Daejeon prelims were scheduled for that afternoon.

However, I shook my head. "No, I'm planning to meet with Mr. Kang and take half the day off today, and a full day off tomorrow."

"Why? Is there something going on?"

"Yes. My mom and younger sister are coming to Seoul later today."

Today, Sister Michaela and Lee Yeon-Sil were supposed to come up from Gwangju in Gyeonggi Province. My mom was going to acquire shares in the recently revived Mirinae, and Lee Yeon-Sil, now thirty four weeks pregnant, wanted to get a detailed checkup at a large hospital in Seoul.

And since they were coming to Seoul, we planned to visit Kang Eun-Gi together tomorrow.

"I see. Then take care."

"Thank you, Mr. Lee."

"Alright then, we'll get going."

At that moment, everyone from Singer Division 2 got up and left the meeting room. I followed them out as well.

***

On my way to the president's office, I called my mom. I was curious how far along she was, since she was coming with Lee Soo-Chan.

After a few rings, she answered.

-Hey, Yoon-Ho~ we're almost at the hospital.

"I'll take my half-day off and head to the hospital right after."

-Take your time, take your time~ Yeon-Sil's checkup will take a while anyway. Even if you come early, you'll just be waiting around.

As always, my mom put me first. That constant gratitude tightened my chest.

"Okay. Oh, right. How's Yeon-Sil doing?"

-Her? She just ate a bunch and now she's groaning about indigestion~

Then I heard Lee Yeon-Sil's voice from the other end.

-Mom! It wasn't me, the baby wanted to eat!

-My girl, let's be honest. Since when has the baby asked for sundae[1], tteokbokki[2], fries, and fish cake[3]? What was with the extra intestines you ordered, huh? I really can't understand it when I hear stuff like that.

-T-that's just... a feeling that's hard to explain!

-Oh, come on~

Their bickering sounded just like a real mother and daughter now.

"Stop fighting and come safely. I'll be at the hospital as soon as I finish work."

Then Lee Yeon-Sil replied brightly,

-Okay~ Got it, oppa. And the babies want to see you too! Uncle Yoon-Ho~ buy us lots of yummy food, okay~?

'

To think I'd get a niece or a nephew..

.'

I couldn't even imagine what it would feel like to meet them in person. Before the regression, I never even saw Lee Yeon-Sil's baby.

"Okay. I'll get you lots of tasty stuff, so see you soon."

-Alright, oppa.

After ending the call, I was already in front of the president's office. Straightening up, I raised my hand to knock.

But just then, shouting could be heard from inside.

-Mr. Kang, are you seriously going to do this?

The voice arguing with Kang Gam-Chan was none other than Choi Man-Sik.

I immediately pushed the door open and entered. And there was Choi Man-Sik, sitting on the meeting room sofa, making an outrageous demand of Kang Gam-Chan.

1.

Sundae

☜

2.

Tteokbokki

☜

3. Fish cake can either be in a

soup

or come as a

side dish

... or be added in tteokbokki ☜