Chapter 221
Chapter 221
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 220
Chapter Title: Regrets Come Calling
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Kim Jun-seo couldn't shake his anxiety and ended up pulling an all-nighter, wide awake.
Even the rustling of leaves outside the window made him jump up in fright. He gnawed at his fingernails and muttered to himself.
"What do I do...? I got so mad in the moment, but I shouldn't have done it."
He trembled just imagining what Song Woo-yeon might do.
Was he really going to end up in jail like this? No way. He hadn't even landed a proper hit.
Kim Jun-seo picked up his phone again. He'd already posted dozens of similar questions on KnowledgeOn, but his fingers danced across the screen one more time.
The search bar was already cluttered with terms like "attempted assault," "threat charges," and "sentencing for first-time offenders."
"Aaaargh! Damn it!"
Kim Jun-seo hurled his phone across the room.
A lawyer had just replied to his latest question, and the response didn't sit well with him at all.
The answer glared at him from the phone screen through the cracked display.
「Hello. This is Kim Beom-ho from Solar Law Firm.
From what you've described, while no direct violence was used, strongly gripping the wrist and using threatening language could still constitute 'assault.'
Assault isn't limited to striking the body; it includes any act that inflicts physical pain. If bruising or injury resulted from the tight grip on the wrist, it could be recognized as assault.
Assault carries a penalty of up to 2 years in prison or a fine of up to 5 million won...」
"Gasp, huh. What do I do? A-Am I going to jail? No. No one's going to jail over something like this. I'll just pay a fine or whatever."
For a powerless, penniless young man like him, even a few million won in fines was a heavy burden, but it beat prison time.
"Yeah. That's gotta be it. It has to be. ...But what if it's not?"
The anxiety snowballed endlessly. In the end, Kim Jun-seo greeted the morning without a wink of sleep.
The next day, when he arrived at his spot out of habit, he tilted his head at the neighboring shop owners who greeted him warmly.
'Nothing's changed as much as I thought?'
The unease faded quickly.
As a day, then two passed, his worries blurred away like words scrawled in the sand washed smooth by the waves.
Kim Jun-seo quickly forgot his own misdeed.
But a week later, one phone call ignited all his nightmares.
"Pardon? Dropped from the show?"
The person on the line, who looked like a junior writer, responded awkwardly to Kim Jun-seo's shocked question.
-Yes. That's how it turned out.
"...Did Song Woo-yeon say something?"
-Pardon? Oh, Song CEO?
The junior writer seemed momentarily flustered that Kim Jun-seo had so casually named Song Woo-yeon, but brushed it off nonchalantly.
-I didn't hear anything specific, so I'm not sure. If you're worried about that incident last time, don't be. Song CEO has chewed out plenty of contestants before. He always wraps things up nicely in the end.
Kim Jun-seo let the junior writer's chatter go in one ear and out the other.
'I thought he'd told the PD. Guess not?'
The junior writer seemed completely oblivious to Kim Jun-seo chasing after Song Woo-yeon.
Sure, getting dropped from the show was a bummer, but the thought of facing Song Woo-yeon again made his vision go dark.
The idea of enduring another humiliation like last time? Better to bow out gracefully.
'Yeah. Actually, this works out. I was gonna quit anyway, right?'
Rationalizing it that way eased his mind considerably.
The other food trucks nearby would be on TV anyway. More foot traffic meant sharing customers with his rice ball stand, too.
'Did they think I was too scared to even open my mouth?'
The thought even amused him a little.
Until, not long after, another piece of mail arrived.
"What the hell is this?"
Kim Jun-seo's face drained of color as he muttered to himself.
"A summons notice?"
The envelope bore the name of the local police station in bold letters. Heart pounding, he tore it open, and there it was—the very thing he'd dreaded.
Appear at this place by this date and cooperate fully with the investigation.
"..."
Rip! Rip!
Kim Jun-seo shredded the summons into confetti.
His vision reddened, breath caught in his throat. His heart thundered, limbs shook uncontrollably.
His mind reeled as if he'd sprinted until his lungs burned.
'This can't be happening...!'
As darkness closed in...
Bzzzzt!
His phone vibrated. In a daze, Kim Jun-seo answered without checking the caller.
"Hello?"
-Hello, Mr. Kim Jun-seo. This is the rep from the youth food truck rental program. Sorry to call so late. Is now a good time?
"Oh, sure. What's up?"
Kim Jun-seo replied in a voice thick with exhaustion. His head felt stiff and foggy.
-The thing is, we received a complaint. Just calling to verify. Mr. Owner, have you been sued for assault recently?
His heart plummeted to his feet.
Before he could think, words tumbled out reflexively.
"How did you..."
-Ah, so it's true. As we stated in the contract and explained beforehand, since this is a city-run program, any legal entanglements can lead to termination.
The rep spoke in a purely bureaucratic tone, dripping with boredom and annoyance. The shocking content jolted Kim Jun-seo upright.
"Wait. Termination? You mean I have to pack up and leave right now?"
-A guilty verdict means immediate exclusion from the program. We'd prefer no issues like this, but regulations are regulations—we can't make exceptions. Feel free to contact us with any further questions.
As the rep rushed to wrap up, panic surged in Kim Jun-seo.
"Hold on! H-How can you spring this on me? Where am I supposed to go if I have to close up shop now?"
Business from the food truck had only piled up debts. Sales were so abysmal that ingredient costs, monthly rent, electricity, water—all just accrued losses.
His original goal of saving for a small storefront? Long gone. Now he was scraping by, drowning in debt.
"Please, just this once. Come on? I-I didn't even hit anyone, just grabbed a wrist. People snap sometimes, right?"
-Even if you say that to me...
The rep trailed off awkwardly.
Then, cautiously:
-If you're that set on it, you should try settling with the victim. As a first-timer, you might get a suspended indictment. We don't count that against you.
"S-Settle?"
Kim Jun-seo's vision swam. The victim? Song Woo-yeon? Would that guy even agree?
He replayed his actions in his mind.
'I'm screwed.'
Bitter regret churned in his chest. But spilled water couldn't be gathered again.
-That's all I can say. Hope it works out. Goodbye.
Click.
Kim Jun-seo clutched the dead phone, standing frozen for a long while.
Just then, ding!
He stared blankly at his phone. A KakaoTalk from the owner next door.
[Lee Yeon-ga Owner: Owner, did you see this?]
[Lee Yeon-ga Owner: (site link)]
What now? Kim Jun-seo clicked the link on reflex.
It led to a community site. Top left: "Song Woo-yeon's Alley Secrets" in big letters.
A hub for folks debating the show.
Kim Jun-seo read the post title first.
'I'm a regular, but an assault went down during the last shoot and one contestant got booted...?'
Below it, a long post with a staff verification photo from Alley Secrets.
[Proof pic shows I'm legit Alley Secrets staff lol
As you all heard spoiled, we were shooting at food trucks this time. First shoot, one contestant got absolutely roasted by SYY and I was like 'this is TV gold' lmao
But then that contestant suddenly drops from the show; we had all these hype highlight teases ready 😭
Everyone wondering why waste good content lol, total confusion. Then I overheard PD and SYY talking.
OMG lmao
Reason for drop? 😂 Real as hell
After shoot, chased SYY and tried to get violent. Lucky bystander helped so it was just attempted, but they forced him out anyway.
Believe it or not, deleting in 10. SG.]
The original post was gone—someone's capture.
Ding!
Another KakaoTalk preview popped up.
[Lee Yeon-ga Owner: Right?]
[Lee Yeon-ga Owner: Everyone's saying it's you.]
Subtle probing.
'Guy who never even private-chats before. So that's why.'
Food truck owners gossiping, one sent to scout.
Kim Jun-seo felt his mind unravel.
'So there's a group chat without me? Since when? The day Song Woo-yeon wrecked me? Or when I got dropped?'
The back of his head throbbed. They'd shared hardships, eaten from the same pot. To turn so fast.
Kim Jun-seo set his phone down wordlessly.
"Ah, fuck."
A groan escaped his lips.
"I'm fucked, for real..."
Thick regret and despair clogged his throat. Chest tight, eyes welled up unbidden.
I spun my chair with a twirl, revealing Joy Look's unusually serious face. I grinned and said,
"See? It turned out just like I said."
Hadn't I told him?
I'd make him regret it to his bones.