Chapter 673: Malicious Intention (2)

"C-Chief Jung. W-why are you doing this?"

Inside the small dressing room building with just the two of us, Oh Sun-Guk's face went pale as he sat on the opposite sofa.

"You said orphans and kids from rough places all have nasty temperaments, didn't you? You know I'm from an orphanage," I said.

Knowing that Oh Sun-Guk was the type to scare easily, I deliberately made my movements rougher.

Oh Sun-Guk looked around nervously, but there was nowhere to run in the cramped dressing room. Eventually, he climbed up onto the sofa and shouted, "Hey! Y-You think doing this'll m-make me talk—"

At that moment, I punched the backrest of the sofa he was sitting on.

Bang!

The front legs of the sofa lifted and then slammed back down with a heavy thud.

Thump.

Oh Sun-Guk screamed. "

Aaaaah!

"

Without even blinking my eye, I started throwing punches again one after another right next to his face, toward the sofa's backrest.

Bang!

"I didn't get an education because I had no parents!"

Thump.

Bang!

"I didn't eat properly because I had no money!"

Thump.

Bang!

"I had nothing, so I couldn't do anything. But!"

Thump.

"But... people like you, with parents and siblings... why do you do this? What right do you have to rip open someone's wounds, write articles with unverified claims, and destroy another person's life again? What right!?"

The anger that had been festering in my chest burst out. Even though I had my mother's care in the orphanage, my life had been tough. However, Deok-Bae had lived through something even harder, many times harder than mine.

'

And now that he's finally started to smile and finally began to breathe a little...Someone is trying to destroy his life?

'

I was never going to let that happen.

Oh Sun-Guk stammered. "C-Chief Jung... th-that's... I mean..."

"Mr. Oh. Deok-Bae barely started living again these past few months. He even cracks jokes sometimes now. I will never stand by and watch someone ruin that. So listen closely... if Deok-Bae's life gets twisted in any way, I'll make sure your life ends up the exact same way."

Oh Sun-Guk froze completely, unable to speak.

I continued, "But I'd prefer if it didn't come to that. So tell me. Who gave you that bullshit tip?"

Oh Sun-Guk clenched his eyes shut and muttered, "Han Sun-Myung..."

"What? Han Sun-Myung from Ace Entertainment?"

"Yeah."

Han Sun-Myung, also twenty years old like Deok-Bae, was the rising star that Ace Entertainment was grooming with high hopes. About 180cm tall with a solid build and good looks, he was educated overseas and had gained recognition over the past year with small roles in various dramas.

In

Hwaranjeon,

he played Taecheong-Rang, one of the four handsome Hwarang knights under the national guard, and was gaining popularity. He was now popular enough to be dubbed part of the "Hwarang F4." I couldn't understand what he could possibly have been lacking to make him submit a tip like that.

"You're really saying Han Sun-Myung made the report?"

"Yes, I'm telling you. It was definitely him."

I just couldn't wrap my head around it. Han Sun-Myung was known to have attended middle and high school in Hawaii, not Yongsan Middle School where Deok-Bae went.

I asked, "Isn't he from Hawaii?"

"No. According to him, he immigrated because he was traumatized by getting beaten up by Choi Deok-Bae, who went to the same school. Said it ruined his school life."

Oh Sun-Guk explained he had come to the Gyeongju set to confirm the story after receiving the tip. Then I had to find Han Sun-Myung and confirm it myself.

When I took a deep breath and extended my hand toward Oh Sun-Guk, he flinched again.

"I'm not going to hit you. Get up."

"R-Really...?"

"Yes, really."

I grabbed Oh Sun-Guk's hand and helped him up. His darting eyes showed he was looking for a chance to run. However, I couldn't just let him go like this. He was the kind of person who would walk out and write a headline like 'Chief Jung Yoon-Ho assaults reporter: attempted murder.'

"Mr. Oh."

"Y-Yeah..."

"I know about how you extorted money from rookie actress Lee Joon-Ah three months ago, and how you blackmailed rookie actor Oh Jung-Hoon six months ago. If even a whisper of what happened here gets out, I'll expose everything you've done. Got it?"

"H-How do you even know about that... Chief Jung..."

"You don't need to know that. And even if you cover their mouths, it won't end there. So think carefully before you move."

When I pinpointed his scandals, Oh Sun-Guk turned completely pale and nodded repeatedly. "I-I swear, nothing from today will get out. I promise."

"Good. Then just go home. If your editor asks, tell them I blocked the interview."

"O-Okay... sure."

"Shall we go, then?"

I said that and walked toward the door.

Click.

As I opened the door to the dressing room, the bright set lights shone on us. When I stepped outside, Oh Sun-Guk followed behind. Thanks to the lights, I noticed a stain near the front of his pants. It looked like he peed himself a little, but I pretended not to notice.

'

Even when you corner a rat, you need to leave it one escape route

.'

***

After Oh Sun-Guk hurriedly left, I immediately checked Everyday.

[Everyday V12.2]

[Date: February 24, 2021]

-05:00 p.m. [NEW. Choi Deok-Bae] Entertainment All Times, "Rookie actor Mr. Choi accused of school violence. Role likely to be recast." (Meeting Note: According to internal MBS sources, some executives discussed forced removal before the first episode.)

The current time was 7 p.m. on February 23. There were less than 24 hours before the article was supposed to go live, but the content hadn't changed yet.

However, judging by how Oh Sun-Guk had fled, I was sure he wouldn't write it. Most likely, Entertainment All Times would send another reporter or have the editor write it directly. In that case, there was only one solution: Shut up the informant. And the informant was here, at our filming location.

I wasted no time before making my way to the food truck where all the staff and crew had gathered. At Table 3 just in front of the bustling food truck, I saw Han Sun-Myung and his talent agent, Chief Yang Sung-Taek.

But sitting with them was the filming director, halfway through his meal. I wanted to confront Han Sun-Myung right away, but there were too many eyes on us. I would have to wait and catch him alone.

Just then, Yoo-Jin spotted me and waved from Table 9. "Oppa! Over here!"

Yoo-Jin motioned to the empty seat beside her, urging me to grab a tray and come over. Her flashy hand gestures seemed to say I should bring plenty of braised short ribs, today's special.

When I approached empty-handed, Yoo-Jin looked a little disappointed. "Oppa... today's ribs are amazing~ The food truck lady likes you, so she was going to give you extra!"

'

Am I your rib-fetching carrier or something, Yoo-Jin?

'

It was true that I was close with the food truck lady, but I didn't have time for things like that right now.

"I don't have time to eat right now."

Yoo-Jin widened her eyes. "What? Who's stopping my oppa from eating? Just say the word and I'll scold them!"

She looked around while holding her spoon. Thanks to her, the anger boiling inside me cooled a bit.

I smiled. "Thanks. But more importantly, eat up and take care of your condition. You're shooting late into the night today, aren't you?"

Yoo-Jin slumped her shoulders. "I'd love to... but the food truck lady only gave me three ribs, so I couldn't eat much."

'

Three fist-sized ribs should be plenty!

'

Leaving pouting Yoo-Jin alone, I looked across the table at Deok-Bae. While Yoo-Jin's tray was still half full, Deok-Bae's tray was already spotless.

Having grown up in the shantytown, alternating between eating one day and starving the next, he had developed a habit of finishing meals quickly whenever food was available. I figured I would need to help fix that unhealthy eating habit soon, but there was something more urgent for now.

"Deok-Bae."

"Yes?"

"Did something happen between you and Han Sun-Myung in the past?"

Deok-Bae tilted his head. "No. Nothing much happened between Han Sun-Myung sunbae-nim and I."

"I mean, not here on set but back in middle school. You went to the same school, right?"

"What? Han Sun-Myung sunbae went to my middle school?"

Deok-Bae looked genuinely surprised like he was hearing this for the first time.

I asked, "He didn't?"

"No. Han Sun-Myung sunbae went to middle and high school in the U.S."

Something was off. Oh Sun-Guk had said Han Sun-Myung went abroad during middle school to escape trauma.

Then a thought crossed my mind.

'

Did he... fake his past?'

It wasn't uncommon for actors to fabricate their backgrounds, building new careers overseas to wash away old histories. Sometimes they even changed their names and got plastic surgery to make their pasts nearly untraceable.

Currently, Han Sun-Myung had a U.S. citizenship. Even if I hired a private investigator, I wouldn't get anywhere without his original name from middle school.

Wondering what to do, I asked Deok-Bae again, "Then was there anyone who dropped out during middle school to study abroad?"

At that moment, Deok-Bae nodded. "

Oh

, right. There was one kid."

"Who?"

"Bong-Pil. Han Bong-Pil."

"Han... Bong-Pil?"

"Yeah. He was the school's top delinquent. He got into a big fight with delinquents from another school, hurt someone pretty bad, and even made the news. Then his dad and grandpa sent him abroad. Wait, now that I think about it... Han Sun-Myung sunbae kinda does look like Bong-Pil... or maybe not?"

Deok-Bae was looking at Han Sun-Myung's face, trying to recall the past.

"Wait, you're saying Han Sun-Myung was a delinquent?"

"If he's Bong-Pil, then yeah. He beat up a lot of kids at school. I got hit a lot, too."

As a child who had been abandoned without knowing his parents and raised by a nun in the shantytown, Deok-Bae had managed to go to school. And that same Deok-Bae had been beaten regularly by this guy.

In other words, the real school violence perpetrator—Han Sun-Myung—was now trying to flip the narrative and pose as the victim. My fury rose to the top of my head, but I forced it down. I still couldn't understand how the victim, Deok-Bae, was being painted as the perpetrator.

"Deok-Bae, do you know why he used to hit you?"

"I'm not really sure. He said he just didn't like the look of me. Sometimes it was because I was poor... I honestly don't remember why. But are you sure Han Sun-Myung sunbae is really Bong-Pil?"

'

He was hit so much that he doesn't even remember the reason?'

For a moment, I imagined flipping the dinner table and punching him right now, but I pulled myself together and answered.

"I'm pretty sure... it's him."

Deok-Bae stared quietly at Han Sun-Myung. Then he sighed and gave a bitter smile. "Don't worry about it, hyung. I'll just pretend I don't know. I'm not a kid anymore. It would be lame to bring up the past."

To my surprise, Deok-Bae chose to let it go. He said it was all in the past, and he needed to move forward for Han-Ul. Even though storming over and punching Han Sun-Myung would have been completely justified, Deok-Bae held it in like an adult for Han-Ul and

Hwaranjeon

.

"If a story comes out because of me, it'll hurt our drama. I'd rather just let it slide, hyung."

Truthfully, Deok-Bae was right. If I could just stop the article, pretending not to know might be best for the success of

Hwaranjeon.

However, the problem was that it didn't look like this would end easily.

"Deok-Bae. I get where you're coming from, but we have a problem. That guy Han Sun-Myung is trying to release an article, claiming you bullied him."

Deok-Bae looked shocked. "No way, hyung. That's not true. I swear."

Worried I might be doubting him, he waved his hands in panic.

"I know you didn't. I'm just telling you what's going on."

'

Even when the whole world points fingers and floods with hate comments, the talent agent has to stand by the actor

.'

And of course, I intended to do just that. Deok-Bae's face brightened a little.

At that moment, rough breathing came from the side.

Snort, snort.

Turning my head, I saw Yoo-Jin gripping her spoon and chopsticks, glaring at Han Sun-Myung like she was ready to kill him.

"Oppa. Don't try to stop me. I'm about to cause a huge scene. Seriously, look at that guy!"

Yoo-Jin had always felt a bond with Deok-Bae, who was raising Han-Ul on his own. So now she was ready to charge at Han Sun-Myung as if she was Deok-Bae's older sister.

'

No wonder her schedule entry appeared next week.

'

I immediately grabbed Yoo-Jin's arm and sat her down.

She glared at me, still breathing heavily. "Huh? Why? Are you gonna fight him instead?"

Yoo-Jin could read me like a book now.

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Then while you're fighting, I'll sneak up and whack him in the back of the head. Deal?"

'

Huh? What deal?

'

"No. If you hit him, it'll be all over the 9 o'clock news. The drama will be ruined."

"Then should I wear a mask?"

"No. No masks, no traps, nothing. Absolutely nothing."

"I didn't even mention a trap... but that's not a bad idea, is it?"

'

What do you mean, not a bad idea?

'

I turned down Yoo-Jin's suggestion for a tag-team beatdown.

Then, Yeon So-Hee joined in. "Mr. Jung, what if I use my reporter connections and bury this whole thing? We can handle it discreetly."

Yeon So-Hee might be calm and calculating, but she never let anyone touch the talents she managed. This wasn't going to work. I had to cool these two hotheads first.

"Yoo-Jin, from now on, don't have interviews with any reporters. Especially nothing about Deok-Bae. It's strictly 'no comment,' got it?"

"What? Why? If they say something wrong about him, I should correct it! You said yourself the victim's being painted as the bully!"

"I'll handle it."

Yoo-Jin puffed her cheeks in frustration. "Okay..."

Then I turned to Yeon So-Hee. She was gripping a fork hidden under the table, who knows where she got it.

"Mrs. Yeon, put the fork on the table and calm down. We'll talk first and then decide what to do."

"Yes, sir..."

If, like Deok-Bae said, the guy regretted his actions and the Everyday schedule entry disappeared, I might reluctantly let it go. But in my experience, these things never ended that way. So I began preparing for when talking wouldn't work.

At that moment, the filming director sitting across from Han Sun-Myung stood up. Other staff hurriedly finished eating and left for the shoot. Almost no one was left by the food truck, except Han Sun-Myung and Yang Sung-Taek, who were still eating.

This was my chance. I stood up right away.

"I'll be back."

To protect Deok-Bae, I headed straight for Han Sun-Myung's table.

***

Thud.

When I sat down across from Han Sun-Myung, he flinched and looked up at me. His eyes were shaking like a kid caught doing something bad. However, his anxious expression quickly disappeared.

Han Sun-Myung forced a smile and asked, "What is it?"

'

How rude.

'

His father and grandfather were the founder and CEO of the famous Gangnam law firm HANS, so of course he was arrogant.

I asked, "Sun-Myung, can we talk for a minute?"

"I have to shoot soon, so I'm afraid I don't have time."

'

I don't have time either, you punk.

'

At that moment,Yang Sung-Taek frowned. Yang Sung-Taek wasn't brought into Reverse Entertainment when Ace split. It was because he was known for scheming and having a shady personality.

"Chief Jung, don't do this. If you've got something to say, say it to me. What's this about?"

I didn't respond to him, because I would rather deal with the sloppy Han Sun-Myung than the slimy Yang Sung-Taek. And more than anything, I wanted to hear Han Sun-Myung admit he was wrong. Only then might I feel even slightly inclined to forgive him, just like Deok-Bae asked. But if not, then I would give back far worse than what Deok-Bae got.

I spoke softly and calmly, aiming for a confession. "Why did you do it, Bong-Pil?"

'

It's time for confession, you bastard.'