Chapter 184
Chapter 184
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 184
Chapter Title: Dating Rumor Chaos
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**185.**
**Bang!**
Rushing home and slamming the door shut, Kang Hyun kept picking up his phone and putting it down repeatedly.
"Yes, Team Leader Choi Tae-ri."
-There are nonstop calls coming into the office! What should we do, Prosecutor?
"...Just pull the plug."
-Got it! See you tomorrow... But is it true, Prosecutor?
"No."
-Aww... Okay.
It was a message from Choi Tae-ri, who was getting calls pouring into the prosecutor's office too.
"Haa..."
Ending the call, Kang Hyun stared down at his phone with a frustrated expression.
There were way more missed calls than he'd imagined, and even a quick peek at his SNS showed it was on fire.
[Yoon Haneul, Kang Hyun 'Dating Rumor'—What's the Full Story?]
[Yeouido Area Date Sightings Spread... Holding Hands and Strolling the Streets]
"What the hell is this?"
Articles kept popping up and down, and the reporters, thrilled out of their minds, were spewing all sorts of delusions and baseless rumors mixed in with their speculation.
Truth be told, up until he got off the bus and walked home with his tired mother, it hadn't really sunk in.
It was just a mishap, and a rebuttal article would come out soon enough.
But then Kang Hyun got a call from someone that made him realize the gravity of the situation.
It was TBS director Jeong Eun-seong.
"Director Jeong Eun-seong?"
-Yes, it's me. Wait, Kang Hyun, you and Yoon Haneul have been dating? Back then with the photoshoot, there were dating rumors too...
"What are you talking about? Nothing like that. It was just..."
Even as he denied it, Kang Hyun felt a bit unsettled.
"...we were friends."
Defining their relationship as just friends felt complicated to say out loud, and now this dating rumor had exploded.
Kang Hyun calmly sorted through his throbbing head and listened to what he had to say.
-Were you always close? No, that day, you talked like you barely knew each other. Did I fail to see through your true feelings, Kang Hyun?
"...It's been a while since we last talked. Work's been busy. Looks like reporters saw us bumping into each other behind the broadcasting station that day. Nothing else connecting us."
-Haa. So that photo...
"Photo?"
-There's one posted on SNS under the tag 'Yoon Haneul Kang Hyun' by Dispatch. A picture of you two holding hands behind a building.
Kang Hyun's hunch was right. That day he coincidentally ran into Yoon Haneul, someone had snapped a photo, leading to this farce.
"It's malicious distribution. Whoever from Dispatch took and posted that photo must have seen us awkwardly bumping into each other."
-Huh. Is that so? Can you do a quick interview then? Yoon Haneul's side is hard to reach. Her agency just says they have nothing to say. But you're friendly with me, and you'd want a rebuttal article.
Jeong Eun-seong was in a hurry too, so business came first. Given the situation, Kang Hyun had no choice but to agree.
"...Sure. Check my schedule and get back to me."
**Click.**
"Ugh, whew. What a mess."
Stretching with a groan and flopping onto the bed, Kang Hyun.
He'd been screwed over by reporters again. Of all people, they latched onto Yoon Haneul, which was bound to make things awkward between them.
For a moment, he recalled her words from behind the broadcasting station—"Call me."—and let out a hollow chuckle.
'She told me to call, but fat chance now.'
With the dating rumor out, what call?
He fiddled with his phone and tried anyway, but the number had changed—it was disconnected.
Kang Hyun had never had a way to contact Yoon Haneul in the first place.
At first it was absurd, but now he was pissed.
"...Anyone who publicly disseminates false information damaging a person's reputation faces up to five years in prison, disqualification for up to ten years, or a fine of up to ten million won, you reporter scum."
Out of nowhere, Kang Hyun muttered the legal clause.
It was because "defamation" had popped into his head.
Defamation has three requirements.
Was the information disseminated publicly to an unspecified many? Was it stated as a specific fact, not mere rumor? And did it actually damage the victim's reputation?
Public dissemination by stating false facts? Check. Specific fact stated? Already met.
So, did the claim that Yoon Haneul was dating Kang Hyun damage her reputation?
"Hmm... It's iffy."
Given the nature of celebrities who prioritize image, especially Yoon Haneul with her overwhelming male fanbase.
The very fact of a secret relationship with a guy was bound to harm her.
But that's just one view among many on whether there's "actual reputational damage" in defamation.
Considering Kang Hyun's social position and fame, it might not rise to defamation level.
In other words, debatable.
He chewed his lip, something he hadn't done in ages. It had been so long since he'd been this emotionally angry.
"Ha. I'll catch those reporters and throw them in jail myself."
But fundamentally, if Yoon Haneul wanted to file a complaint at the police station, she would—why come to him?
And he was a victim too; there was nothing he could do right now.
"Screw it, whatever."
Even as he thought it, the inconsistency bugged him, so he stopped dwelling.
But then.
**Ring ring.**
"...?"
His phone rang quietly in the silent room.
Unknown number, but strangely, Kang Hyun instinctively knew who it was.
He just had a feeling.
"Hello?"
-...
Only soft breathing sounds.
Small and faint, yet sweet somehow.
Even without words, Kang Hyun felt like he knew exactly who it was.
"Why aren't you saying anything?"
-...It's me.
"Who?"
-Yoon Haneul.
"Oh. How've you been?"
-...
A long silence.
Awkward greetings from Yoon Haneul and Kang Hyun.
For a moment, only their tiny breaths crackled back and forth over the line.
-I didn't tell you I changed numbers? My mistake.
"You could've DM'd or whatever. Plenty of ways."
-...You knew and didn't reach out either.
Brief silence.
Then Yoon Haneul continued.
-Call this number from now on. Not my manager or anyone else...
"We're both busy. I get it. We don't have to talk, so no need to say...
-What do you get?
"...Huh?"
More silence.
Yoon Haneul's tone felt off.
She sounded like she'd been waiting impatiently, or maybe waited until she was fed up.
It was weird. She was the one who'd cut contact first...
-...Can we meet for a bit?
"It's Sunday night—you're not busy? No agency pushing to take down articles or issue rebuttals?"
-...I'm at school.
"What? Which school?"
-Korea High.
"No way... Why are you there at this hour...?"
-Just.
"Alone?"
-Yeah.
Kang Hyun shot up. Luckily, no prep needed—he threw on some clothes and bolted out.
**Bang!**
"Where you off to? Something happen?"
"Mom, just handling some business—be back soon!"
**Dash.**
Like an immature high school kid bolting out for some urgent errand.
Past nine o'clock, when restaurants and cafes would start closing, but Kang Hyun's steps toward the school didn't falter.
"Taxi!"
**Vroom.**
Korea High School.
Where Kang Hyun and she had first met.
"Huff, huff."
Sunday night, hardly anyone around. Arriving at the darkened school in one go, Kang Hyun caught his breath and scanned around.
"Huff, huff, huff, ha..."
As he finally regulated his breathing, a slender woman entered his view from afar.
Masked and hatted to hide her face, dressed unobtrusively.
But her silhouette alone oozed allure, arms crossed in thought, waiting for someone by the edge of the field.
It was Yoon Haneul.
Kang Hyun strode up and stood before her. Her eyes sparkled.
But their tones carried a hint of hurt.
"Yoon Haneul."
"...Kang Hyun."
"Why here? Huh."
"You're one to talk—come without a word, phone off, then show up. Why'd you come?"
Her voice trembled with upset, shaking slightly.
"Then why are you waiting here all this time?"
"Dunno."
Like on the phone, they fell silent again.
Kang Hyun stared silently into her eyes, while Yoon Haneul avoided his gaze, fixed on the dark school field.
Then, after a bit, her sigh slipped out softly.
"Haa. Just felt complicated, came to school after ages. Called 'cause I thought of you, that's all."
"What'd your agency say?"
"I told them not to do anything. If it goes south, even I might not get through."
"Isn't that their call? Didn't they ask if rebutting right away is best, what to do?"
"I'll handle it."
"Then why'd you call me?"
"What do you take me for?"
"That's what I want to ask."
Their voices grew louder bit by bit. Even as passersby glanced over, Yoon Haneul yanked off her mask and kept going.
"I saw you as more than a friend. At some point."
"No, you saw me as less than one. No contact, no news. Didn't even know if you were dead or alive sometimes. Hell, I even went to your house. Your mom said, 'Haneul's doing well.'"
"Sarcasm?"
"No, facts. When other kids asked if I'd heard from you, I said yeah even though I hadn't—figured you were fine. Even after over a year without seeing you, forgetting your face. I respected you, trusted you, told myself it was okay. But what is this?"
"..."
"What are we? Some nothing relationship where I'm just supposed to stick around? What?"
"That's my line."
Finally, Yoon Haneul's eyes started reddening.
"You said you'd protect me even as a prosecutor."
"What? No, you were the one who went silent."
Then, tears slid from her eyes.
"You said you'd always be by my side... You lied."
"What?"
"How much did you care while studying for years, huh?"
"...What?"
"When I first went to France, calling you every day, flying back monthly—what'd you do?"
Kang Hyun panicked.
Years of knowing her, hanging out, eating, playing, sharing thoughts and hearts, countless memories.
She'd never once glared at him with teary, reddened eyes.
Their first proper reunion in years.
For two celebrities, it was a disaster from the start.
But then.
**Vroom! Screech!**
An ordinary car sped into the school grounds, stopped, and a familiar man got out, standing before Yoon Haneul and Kang Hyun.
['The guy from the broadcasting station. Manager, probably.']
The day he met Yoon Haneul behind the station, the man who'd urgently whisked her away—definitely her manager.
"Haneul!"
"Team Leader Seo?"
She instinctively schooled her face cold, hiding her emotions.
Actress blood, perhaps—her tearful expression vanished.
"Let's go. You can't stay here."
He gave Kang Hyun a quick nod, then spoke urgently to Yoon Haneul.
For him to rush here panting like this, something big must've gone down.
"Why? I said don't look for me today."
"Big trouble. We gotta go first."
"...?"
Kang Hyun and Yoon Haneul both looked baffled. The man called Team Leader Seo seemed to think he had to explain regardless, took a deep breath, and dropped a bombshell.
Pile-on to the mess so far.
"They say rumors are spreading maliciously that you... two-timed. Spreading too fast—agency says post a clarification."
Scandal on scandal.
Kang Hyun and Yoon Haneul gaped in stunned silence, speechless at the unfolding chaos.
['What the hell is going on?!']