Chapter 392: Press Conference (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 392: Press Conference (1)
≫ Assault?
≫ He’s totally caught red-handed lol
≫ Just release the CCTV footage already lol
≫ Hitting your parents is crossing the line.
≫ Typical empty-headed idol level lol
The chat window was moving at a frantic pace. People were raising their hands everywhere.
『Did Kim I-wol actually assault his mother?』
『Were the agency staff just standing by and watching?』
『Guys, it’s going crazy here. You see this? Kim I-wol is officially screwed.』
My fingertips felt numb. While I clenched and unclenched my fists, the only sound in the meeting room was the audio coming from the live stream.
“They’re talking a lot of trash. It’s not like I strangled him; I just grabbed his collar. Does that even constitute assault…?”
“It does.”
“What?”
“I said it does.”
I rubbed my face with both hands.
“What if we delete the footage first?”
“Instead of the evidence disappearing, it’ll just give them an excuse. They’ll say we deleted it because we had something to hide, that something even worse actually happened… If that happens, there’s no turning back.”
“And you’re okay with him becoming an idol who throws punches?”
Choi Je-ho’s blunt words sometimes forced me to see the situation more objectively than anyone else. My mouth felt bone-dry.
“The only way out is if the other side agrees to a settlement, but I don’t know how much that would cost. Besides, settling is basically the same as admitting it’s true.”
A chill ran through my body. I felt as if all the blood was draining out of me, like I’d been struck with a sledgehammer.
Is there any way to make them drop the lawsuit?
My head felt foggy. Outside the meeting room, the office grew chaotic as phones began ringing simultaneously across the floor.
“Fuck, hey. Pull yourself together.”
Choi Je-ho grabbed my shoulders and shook me.
“I am together. I’m thinking.”
“Find the focus in your eyes before you say that. Stop acting like the world is ending.”
Unfortunately, the world was on the verge of collapsing. Did he think I never searched ‘What happens if you grab your boss by the collar’ back when I was dealing with Department Head Nam?
I shouldn't have lost my cool.
It was too late for regrets. The situation was desperate.
“Delete it. Just delete it.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Let’s delete the footage. If you’re too uncomfortable to say it, just stay holed up in here. I’ll go handle it.”
“Did you hear a single word I said?”
I was already distressed enough, and now Choi Je-ho was acting out too.
“It’s not entirely without benefit. We can’t deny the mistake, but if we reveal the full context, we’ll have something to say for ourselves. Whether it’s verbal abuse or threats…”
“You’re going to reveal that?”
Choi Je-ho’s voice trembled. He was clearly furious.
“Do you even remember what you were like that day?”
“…”
“It’s shitty enough that we have to talk about what those people said, but you want to reveal the whole situation? You want to broadcast the part where they asked you to your face if you had a mental illness? They’re the ones who said all that bullshit, so why the hell should we expose the fact that you were just standing there taking it!”
“I don’t want to either.”
My frustration burst out reflexively.
“I have parts of myself I don’t want to show, too.”
Who would enjoy having to expose their own weaknesses? Having to intentionally reveal things for others to tear apart was the absolute worst.
“But there’s no other way.”
I tried to maintain my composure. I had no desire to gain even Choi Je-ho’s pity.
“For now… don’t leave this room.”
Choi Je-ho pressed down on my shoulder and stood up.
Just as I was about to grab him, the meeting room door opened. It was Ju-gyeong.
“You’re still here. Thank goodness.”
Ju-gyeong mentioned she’d heard from Manager Chan-yeong that we were watching the live stream, and she guided Choi Je-ho back into his seat.
“You saw the part where they mentioned the CCTV, right?”
“Yes.”
“The situation is urgent, so I’ll get straight to the point. There is no CCTV footage. Even if they ask for it, there’s no evidence to give.”
What did that mean? Choi Je-ho looked just as confused as I was.
“To be precise… nothing was recorded.”
“Was it broken?”
“Apparently, a request was made a few months ago to turn off the meeting room CCTV. It seems it hasn't been recording since then. The company only just found out.”
“Who on earth would…”
Then, I heard the name of a person I never expected.
“They say it was Jang Jun-hu.”
Ju-gyeong quickly summarized the situation. Jang Jun-hu had personally visited the security room and requested that the recording for the meeting room CCTV be terminated. His reason was ‘protection of the artists’ privacy.’
“It was a request from someone completely unrelated to you guys, and it happened long before your family showed up, so there was no malicious intent. Je-ho, you said you were the first one to enter the room, right?”
“Yes.”
“Chan-yeong and Dae-yeon said they didn’t even see you grab his collar, Iwol. The hallway CCTV only shows Chan-yeong and Dae-yeon entering the meeting room.”
I pondered how such a thing could be possible. As I continued to deduce, a certain suspicion arose.
“Ju-gyeong.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“By any chance, was the time Senior Jang Jun-hu requested the CCTV be turned off…”
Was it after the day I collapsed in the meeting room after drinking that beverage?
Choi Je-ho flinched at my question. It seemed to have left him with a bad memory.
“The date was definitely… Hmm, yes, it was.”
Ju-gyeong’s answer confirmed my suspicion.
On the day I collapsed, Jeong Seong-bin had checked the meeting room CCTV. Thanks to that, we discovered that Hong Un-seop had rummaged through the trash to steal a Post-it and had brought the drink spiked with coffee.
By checking the CCTV on a large scale within the company, it became known to everyone at UA that the cameras were functioning perfectly.
Including Jang Jun-hu, who had once had a private meeting with me in that very room.
Even if he couldn't do anything about what was already recorded, he wanted to prevent any future mishaps.
If records suddenly vanished after it was known they existed, it would inevitably draw suspicion.
So, Jang Jun-hu chose the next best thing: a method to reduce potential problem factors in the future.
He ensured that no more evidence would remain in the meeting room, where I might call him out again. Since he had a history of being caught by CCTV and knew that people did occasionally check the footage, he must have been anxious.
“Rather…”
Ju-gyeong continued with some difficulty.
“The hallway CCTV caught a glimpse of you, Iwol, clutching your own neck.”
When she asked if I wanted to see it, I nodded.
On the phone screen Ju-gyeong held out, there was a photo of the CCTV monitor. It primarily showed the hallway, but a portion of the meeting room interior was visible in the corner.
Beyond the transparent wall over the translucent glass, my silhouette could be seen clutching my neck. It meant that even if my mom and dad received all the footage from that day, that was all they would see.
As the tension bled out of me, my body began to shake. While Ju-gyeong went to get a thick blanket, I buried my face in my hands and took one deep breath after another.
-
We scheduled the press conference for the very next day after the bombshell announcement. I never dreamed I would be the one holding an idol press conference, something that had become rare lately.
There was no time for meticulous preparation. In a society where even ordinary people are severely punished for crimes against their parents, stalling while branded as someone who assaulted their own parents was a suicidal move.
We didn't just rush into it blindly, though. The UA staff, the lawyer, and I stayed up all night preparing. In the process, I had to make a certain resolution.
Because my father appeared at the end of the press conference, Choi Je-ho ended up being summoned as well. To think I’d end up being ‘Hell-Road Mates’ with Choi Je-ho. Regression is certainly something worth experiencing.
My stomach ached. Was it because it was empty? I lost track of how many meals I’d skipped in a row.
Unlike the video I saw yesterday, the atmosphere at the scene today was heavy. Part of it was thanks to UA managing the attendees, but the presence of major media outlets played a big role.
The shutters began clicking along with the lawyer’s statement that the meeting was arranged to clarify the series of events. I could hear the recording alerts of live broadcasts starting all around me.
My turn came quickly. I had organized and printed the materials all night, but there was no need to look at them.
Because it was all so vivid. I even recalled things I’d forgotten while looking through the documents.
If they had just let me keep forgetting, I wouldn't have had to sue them for every single thing.
I could clearly imagine the expressions they would have while watching this live.
“…What is currently being shown on the screen is a copy of the reflection letter submitted as rebuttal evidence against the allegation that I tried to manipulate demerit points by threatening a teacher. You can see that it includes a clear description of the situation: ‘If the bruises are revealed, a report of abuse will be filed, and I wanted to hide them as much as possible because I didn't want to face even worse violence after the report.’ It is also noted that the demerit points were deleted because the situation was recognized as unavoidable, and the reflection letter was returned because there was no longer a need to record the reason for the demerit points.”
As I spoke alone before countless cameras, I suddenly thought of Lee Cheong-hyeon from the past, who had held a solo live stream to clarify drug allegations. I remembered him clutching his papers with both hands, stammering that he was innocent.
Even when you’ve done nothing wrong, proving your innocence is this exhausting. I could feel the full weight of the burden Lee Cheong-hyeon must have felt.
“I intended to wait for all clarifications until the court’s ruling, but a misunderstanding has arisen that cannot be overlooked, and I wish to address it.”
The lenses of every camera turned toward me simultaneously. They had sensed that my words were leading to yesterday’s issue.
“My mother’s statement that I assaulted my father when he visited the agency is…”
Mom, Dad.
I realized that lies can truly drive a person mad. My blood ran cold and my vision went dark.
When you said I was a rotten child who made you suffer the whole time you raised me, or that it cost hundreds of millions of won to raise me—I didn't feel much, even though I knew they were lies.
But there are some lies that are simply unacceptable. I was so indignant and felt so wronged that I couldn't even breathe. Seeing how anger keeps surging up even for things I thought I’d become numb to, I guess I haven't completely given up.
“Not true.”
So, experience it for yourselves. See what it feels like to be so wronged you want to jump out of your skin.
