Chapter 400: Aftermath (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 400: Aftermath (2)
Cheon Yun-seong was finally caught.
Before Cheon Yun-seong and Go Su-gyeom could even notice, the order came down from Cheon Gang-hyeok, who had now perfectly established himself as the Chairman.
『Defective goods aren't meant to last long.』
As the short sentence ended, a man in a suit exited the Chairman’s office.
A black vehicle pulled up in front of a gate in a secluded residential area.
In a neighborhood where one might wonder if anyone even lived there, the homeowner who remained, Go Su-gyeom, obediently opened the door for the uninvited guest.
Perhaps "obediently" is the wrong word. The outsider was pointing a suppressed pistol from beyond the front door.
Go Su-gyeom did not resist.
As if expecting such an attitude, the man aimed the gun at Go Su-gyeom’s temple without even bothering to tie him up. In that split second—
Go Su-gyeom twisted the man’s arm and slammed him straight onto the floor. With a heavy thud, the gun slid across the ground. Despite the noise, not a single light flickered on in the houses outside the window.
『How…!』
The man pinned to the floor widened his eyes, clearly not expecting resistance. Without a word, Go Su-gyeom pressed his forearm against the man’s throat.
Then, a metallic click.
As the camera filming Go Su-gyeom’s face slowly panned to the side, it revealed a hand in a black leather glove pointing a gun at Go Su-gyeom’s head.
『You’re doing something useless.』
『…….』
『You must know that doing this only serves to reveal a weakness.』
The sound of trembling breath was vivid.
『I’ll be sure to tell the Young Master. That Division Chief Go fought tooth and nail for him.』
At the threat of touching Cheon Yun-seong’s sore spot as punishment for resisting, Go Su-gyeom sneered.
『The Young Master won't feel a shred of guilt because of me.』
『Don’t you realize your actions right now are proof of a special bond between you two?』
『Since when did the people of Cheonju Group use words like "bond"?』
Go Su-gyeom’s eyes flashed.
『This is one-sided loyalty. Pity, guilt—the Young Master feels none of those things.』
『How can you be so sure?』
『Because I asked him not to.』
Go Su-gyeom, who had lost his friends and once resented everyone but eventually took Cheon Yun-seong’s side, felt his usually calm face flush red.
『I told him I wouldn't become a weakness, and that I wouldn't resent him even if I died.』
『…….』
『You asked why I’m doing something useless?』
Go Su-gyeom looked up at the man with bloodshot eyes.
『What kind of dog stays still when a rat sneaks in?』
Their gazes clashed. Go Su-gyeom let out a small laugh.
『I have to bite it to death before the Master sees it.』
With a dull thud, Go Su-gyeom disappeared from the frame. The man who had been pinned down stood up, having thrown a punch at Go Su-gyeom.
The man in the leather gloves handed the gun back to his companion.
He was about to leave after giving the order to "clean up," but he paused.
Go Su-gyeom’s hand was gripping the hem of his trousers. He was different from Cheon Yun-seong, who had ultimately failed to seize Cheon Gang-hyeok.
Looking down at his former colleague, the man took the gun back.
A gunshot rang out, but the neighborhood remained as pitch-black as ever.
Seeing those who had come for him, Cheon Yun-seong headed to his bedroom as if he had prepared for this. A well-maintained hunting rifle found its way into his hands.
How ridiculous that even the owner of the hounds was nothing more than prey.
Cheon Yun-seong’s dark eyes blinked slowly. The curve of his lips held no trace of joy.
With movements like a well-rehearsed play, Cheon Yun-seong brought the muzzle of the gun to his chin. His shoulders rose and fell rhythmically with every breath.
He did not tremble. He was as still as the night view seen from the highest point on earth.
Was it because he had drifted too far from the ground?
He met his end in a world where not a single person was on his side.
At the same time, the sleeping Ham I-seo’s phone rang. A succession of email notifications lit up the room.
Checking her emails half-asleep, Ham I-seo bolted upright.
Though her hands shook in disbelief, she rushed to her desk and turned on her laptop.
『Heugh…』
A sound closer to a gasp than a sob escaped her.
Without even being able to wipe away the tears covering her face, Ham I-seo frantically began writing an article.
The final email from Cheon Yun-seong glowed on the small laptop screen.
3791 〈wlkvofjie8354@……〉
To: Me
No need to make time to come.
Just have a bowl of yukgaejang with your incentive pay.
The feeling of someone you knew suddenly vanishing, a realization that hits like an instinct.
An unrealistic terror, a helplessness that transcends it, and…
『Ugh, huff…』
…Grief.
Typing away, underlining data, and editing, Ham I-seo eventually dropped her head. Tears fell incessantly from the tip of her chin.
*
Through the screen, Won Chae-hee watched Ham I-seo, who had to accept Cheon Yun-seong’s death.
So Sae-young’s acting was more than enough to immerse the viewers. Kim I-wol’s portrayal made Cheon Yun-seong seem like a living, breathing person.
Perhaps that was why Won Chae-hee cried so much.
She sobbed until she was out of breath like Ham I-seo, and instead of just wiping her face, she pressed tissues to her eyes, letting the tears soak in as fast as they flowed.
The broadcast and reality were strictly different, Kim I-wol was not Cheon Yun-seong, and this was merely a well-crafted story.
But Cheon Yun-seong’s relaxed smile resembled the usual Kim I-wol so much, and because she knew that Kim I-wol had endured the same anger and pain that the adolescent Cheon Yun-seong must have felt.
Because Kim I-wol’s expression made the viewers so sad.
Even in a situation where he was driven to the edge of a cliff, she couldn't help but think that Kim I-wol might actually be that detached.
'It's all because of the drama.'
She made excuses, but Won Chae-hee couldn't turn off the screen and kept wailing until the drama ended and the commercials started. This was despite the fact that she could barely remember the last time she had a reason to cry since becoming an adult.
Some fans admire idols, and some fans love them.
But Won Chae-hee thought of Kim I-wol and wished:
I hope you do well.
I hope you live a good life, undisturbed by anyone.
If they were to meet human to human, every fan would likely feel the same as Won Chae-hee.
The episode where Cheon Yun-seong died recorded the highest viewership ratings for Exclusive Report.
The plot development received rave reviews—from Cheon Yun-seong, who had treated Ham I-seo and Gong Ji-chan as nuisances, handing over all the data to Ham I-seo at the moment of his death, to Ham I-seo reporting the exclusive exposé without even having time to mourn the death of Cheon Yun-seong, who was once an enemy but became a fellow victim.
≫ So Sae-young is definitely taking home the Best Actress award.
Don't you think Kim I-wol could aim for Best Supporting Actor?
└ He’ll definitely be nominated at the very least.
└ If Exclusive Report was his debut work, he’d have the Rookie Award in the bag… what a shame.
≫ I felt this episode was especially intense because:
First, Division Chief Go revealed the backstory that hadn't been disclosed.
Then, Cheon Yun-seong, who had such a massive presence, died in such a dry, simple way.
And Ham I-seo, who hated Cheon Yun-seong the most, grieved his death the most.
It was a triple-hit combo on my heart…
The directing was so good—Cheon Yun-seong, who struggled so hard to survive and expose Cheonju Group, left without lingering regrets, while the ordinary Ham I-seo wailed while writing the exclusive article.
└ Ham I-seo cried so realistically that I started crying too.
└└ I was shocked seeing her unable to even breathe properly, sobbing with a mix of surprise, fear, and anger… especially since Cheon Yun-seong died like a painting right before that…
└ I wondered why Division Chief Go lived in such a run-down neighborhood, but after seeing a theory that it was the house his dead friend used to live in, I’m crying like a dog.
≫ F*ck.
I love you, Go Su-gyeom.
└ haLOL ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
└ Division Chief Go forever.
└ No, stop being a Division Chief at Cheonju Group. Don't be "forever" there.
└ Go Forever.
└ hahahahahahahahahahahaha
└ I was planning on marrying him, but I became a widow instantly.
└ Who is this person? hahahahaha
└ There are a million people who became widows overnight right now.
≫ I feel like my heart will only be at peace if I wrap Kim I-wol in a microfiber blanket, feed him a warm meal, and lay him down in a heated room.
I-wol, they say roasted chestnuts are so good lately… Whether in the drama or real life, just throw your family away and peel roasted chestnuts with Division Chief Go.
└ Yun-seong’s end wasn't beautiful, but I’m seriously going to make sure I-wol’s future is paved with flowers.
└ He was a chaebol in the drama, so I thought our baby was finally living the high life, but why is he so unlucky even here? ㅠ I guess the only place for I-wol is Spark.
≫ He’s turning all the attention from his private life into interest for the drama.
If the work was boring or the acting was bad, people would have lost interest halfway through or complained about being tired of hearing about some random celebrity, but this is amazing.
└ In the articles with a high ratio of 40s and 50s commenters, there are tons of people scolding others not to block the path of a young man with a bright future haha Kim I-wol is the idol of the elders ㅠ
└ Exactly. In the beginning, most of the complaints were to replace the actor… It’s surprising that public opinion has changed this much.
≫ Honestly, I’m pissed that his family issues blew up like this.
There’s a reason it’s called "private life," and especially since he didn't want to reveal it himself.
But it’s a bit of a relief that I-wol got so much attention that it became an issue outside the idol scene and became known nationwide.
There are plenty of places that would have kept doing business as usual if the public didn't know.
It’s satisfying that the MeTuber company not only lost their PPL but also had to pay penalties for taking down videos before the posting period was up. And it’s refreshing that the Chairman couldn't even show up to work, took sick leave, and then got dismissed by the board in his absence.
I can't be 100% at ease, but I hope I-wol can feel a bit better too.
Since it’s well-known now, I hope he finds his older sister soon.
└ I think it’s a good thing even just for the sake of his sister ㅠㅠ At least everyone knows she exists now.
└ If only those bastards trying to scam him by lying about being his sister would disappear…
└ UA already posted a notice saying there will be no leniency if anyone tries to scam him regarding his family.
└└ As expected of a company that’s bad at everything else but great at suing.
└ If they’re so good at suing, why couldn't they take down the Research Squad videos all this time? ㅠㅠ You bastards.
└ Because MeTube HQ doesn't accept reports easily + they kept using "freedom of the press" as a shield.
└ It’s legendary how they immediately set up an online concert after tasting how sweet "freedom of the press" was. I bet they were planning to use media play however they wanted once the online concert was established hahaha
└ But now they’re all out of business, right?
└ Ah!!!! F*ck, that feels good!!!!!!!
On top of this, I received support from Jeon PD, who cherishes and cheers for me.
≫ [Exclusive Report] I-wol wrote the text for Cheon Yun-seong’s email.
During the audition, they only shared part of the early script and positions, and gave a task to write the final words Cheon Yun-seong would leave in a certain situation. They said they used exactly what I-wol submitted.
Source is the Exclusive Report PD’s Instagram!!
└ Kim I-wol, the genius of essay exams.
└ Even though he was a CSAT Warrior.
└ Oh my god ㅠㅠ
└ It’s so cruel that the first comfort he offered to the person he’d been fighting against was telling them they didn't have to come to the funeral.
I only found out about this after receiving the script for that episode. I thought they were just trying to gauge my understanding of the character.
The writer apparently liked the answer so much that they even modified the scene they had originally written. It seems the trust gained from that task contributed significantly to casting me—someone much younger than the role—and even getting rid of the dragon tattoo.
I also received a package timed with Cheon Yun-seong’s final episode. It was a gift from Woo Yun-jae, the senior actor who played Division Chief Go.
He said it was a return gift for the wine I gave him on the day of filming. He sent six boxes of cabbage juice made from cabbage his parents farmed and he harvested himself.
Woo Yun-jae
[I heard cabbage is good for the body..]
He must have seen the article about ‘Kim I-wol collapsing from a gastric ulcer…’ I was moved by his warmth in not mentioning it directly. Since he told me to share it with the members, we’ve all been taking one pouch a day.
“Shouldn't we show our gratitude to the senior too? We’re getting to eat this thanks to you, Hyung…”
Jeong Seong-bin pondered. No wonder the kid had been on a supplement recommendation site since morning.
“No, I’ll do it.”
“You, Hyung?”
“Yeah.”
I said, looking at the message I received from Manager Chan-yeong.
Manager Chan-yeong
[I-wol, we got an offer for you to appear on ‘Off the Story.’ Are you interested?]
[You’d be going on with actor Woo Yun-jae!]
[Health is the most important thing, so decide based on your condition!]
“An opportunity to see him has come up.”