Chapter 240
Chapter 240
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 240
Chapter Title: What Could This Mean?
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What could this mean?
I scanned Jo Yi-ruk's face closely. But as always, he remained calm, showing no particular reaction.
"What?"
"The scandal stirred up by Hyunmu's heir."
"Why do you think that?"
He wasn't acting like he knew anything in particular. But Jo Yi-ruk suspected I was involved in this incident.
Or maybe it was more worry than suspicion?
"...The timing is too coincidental."
"You never mentioned who sent the flowers."
"There was a note right there for anyone to see. I didn't go looking for it on purpose."
Fair enough. I was the one who asked them to throw out the flower basket. No one to blame but myself.
'I had no idea he had ties to Hyunmu, and suddenly Hyunmu's heir sends a flower basket. Then that very evening, a scandal explodes and the whole world goes crazy. Yeah, it's suspicious enough.'
I had no idea how this sequence of events looked to Jo Yi-ruk.
"Not only that, but when Hyunmu proposed the acquisition, you stepped in and handled it personally, didn't you, sir?"
"Oh, right. I did."
"I've thought it was strange ever since then."
Thinking about the rumors that spread because of that—calling me JC's illegitimate child or whatever—still made my teeth grind.
Someday, I'd pay back that Executive Director Hwang Tae-in.
"I know Hyunmu isn't the type of company to back off easily. Everyone in the industry has heard that. But they didn't do it to The Song."
"Oh? And?"
"I knew you must have pulled some strings, sir. But I couldn't even guess what move it was. I could only vaguely surmise."
Jo Yi-ruk continued with a serious expression.
"That you had connections to the higher-ups at Hyunmu."
It was a reasonable inference. Otherwise, there'd be no reason for Hyunmu to give The Song special treatment.
'He noticed. Looks like he's been pondering it on his own for quite a while.'
I thought he trusted me completely since he never asked. But he'd been racking his brains, trying to piece together the puzzle I hadn't explained.
'Not a bad feeling.'
Someone chasing right behind me didn't make me anxious—it actually felt good.
Walking far ahead alone gets boring.
"Then yesterday, seeing the flowers confirmed it for me. That you have ties to Hyunmu's heir."
I nodded readily at Jo Yi-ruk's words.
"Well, you're half right."
The timeline was a bit off, but I couldn't exactly bring up JC here.
"As expected. So Executive Director Je Yoon-jae showing up fits the same context?"
"Uh... yeah?"
He did come because of that day's events.
Jo Yi-ruk's face grew grave at my answer. As I wondered why he looked like that,
He continued in a low, subdued voice.
"...Does Executive Director Je know too?"
"Know what?"
"That you..."
Jo Yi-ruk squeezed his eyes shut, as if he couldn't bring himself to say the rest.
"...that you're two-timing."
"?"
Two-what now?
How did the conversation veer this way?
I just sat there with wide eyes, unable to follow, and Jo Yi-ruk spoke in a strained voice.
"Hyunmu and JC are both great companies to have connections with, sure. But if Executive Director Je finds out about your relationship through this, there's a chance he could retaliate out of personal grudge..."
"Hold on."
I hurriedly cut off Jo Yi-ruk.
"First off... what exactly do you think I did? Two-timing? You don't mean between Hyun Tae-seong and Executive Director Je?!"
"Isn't that right?"
"No! Absolutely not!"
As I freaked out and denied it, Jo Yi-ruk looked puzzled instead.
"But the flower basket from Mr. Hyun Tae-seong did arrive here."
"That's because that guy's taste is totally outdated...! No, he did show interest in me, but that's as far as it went? We just had one meal together. That's it."
"Pardon? Then Executive Director Je..."
"There was a misunderstanding from some nonsense rumors in the industry. We met and talked it out, and it's definitely not that kind of relationship."
"..."
Jo Yi-ruk looked somehow deflated.
He must have filmed a whole trashy drama in his head. I was the female lead, and the male leads—don't tell me Hyun Tae-seong and Je Yoon-jae? The two fighting over me in a love triangle? Horrifying just to imagine.
'It was a situation ripe for misunderstanding!'
No wonder—top figures in the business world had come calling one after another.
And Hyun Tae-seong even sent flowers!
'Jeez. Do they only think romance whenever a young man and woman get involved?'
It wasn't like Jo Yi-ruk did anything wrong in particular; it was such a common misunderstanding that it was even more absurd.
"I'm sorry, sir. I spoke out of turn."
Jo Yi-ruk quickly grasped the situation and bowed his head.
"No, it's fine. I know you didn't mean it that way. The circumstances were a bit ambiguous."
"I'm truly sorry."
"I'm not some femme fatale of the century seducing both of them at once for two-timing. Even morning dramas don't go that far these days."
"..."
Jo Yi-ruk's face flushed red, embarrassment washing over him.
"Hang on. That first question—'Did you know about this too?'—you weren't suspecting I was involved in Hyun Tae-seong's drug party?!"
Looking back now, the intent of his question seemed different. As I stared at him wide-eyed, Jo Yi-ruk cleared his throat awkwardly.
"We need to prepare for contingencies, sir... The Song is entirely reliant on your image marketing right now."
"That's true, but."
Whoa. He'd believe I could grind red beans into meju, but he's thorough about stuff like this.
I shook my head with a wry smile.
"No need to worry. I've never touched drugs. If anything..."
More like an internal whistleblower.
"If anything?"
"No. Anyway, no need for that worry. I told you, just one meal with that guy."
Setting aside last night's chain of events, sure.
"That's a relief, then."
Jo Yi-ruk fiddled with the edge of the newspaper as he spoke.
"The 'anonymous tipster' the papers are hyping up acted so boldly. I wondered if it was you, sir."
"...What did the papers say?"
"That he called the police directly to tip them off, then infiltrated the scene himself instead of the cops to reveal their hideout."
"..."
"It's not something an ordinary person could pull off. Pretty impressive, huh?"
"...Yeah."
That bastard Kang Yu-ha.
I told him to keep my name anonymous, and he spills everything except the name?
- Chaebol Scion Hosts Drug Party in Luxury Home... Police Raid Leads to On-Site Arrests
- High-Society Kids Crossing the Line? ...Police Vow Stern Investigation
- Chaebol Heirs Above the Law? Privilege Controversy Reignites
→Another big corp kid. Pull strings and it all goes away. Is this a country?
→Punish one to scare a hundred!
→Bet it's another slap on the wrist
→Born rich, guilty poor... Sick of it~~
[Born into a chaebol family, and normal just won't cut it?]
I'd be like "thank you" and live happily
Why touch drugs and self-destruct every time?
→Dopamine addiction they say
→They've tried everything else, that's why. Entertainers too probably
→They cover eyes and play blind man's bluff so they keep screwing up lol would've gone straight to jail if normal family
[Whoever this anonymous tipster is]
Fucking legend lololol
Article here details the tipster's timeline, straight insane lololol
(Kang Yu-ha Reporter - article link)
→Saw this too
→This guy's been solid on articles, scoops and now this. Knows the tipster? His source?
[H Group's image is fucked]
Food company and son's a junkie lolol
Already infamous for dirty private life smh
→Yeah infamous lol
→→Brings in bastard son then acts all family man, hilarious
[This one blew up big, but can they drag it out and bury it?]
They always do
But attention's insane lol
→Gotta ram it through on the sly
→Just smoke and mirrors;; Doesn't seem like the kind of issue to get all media swarming
→"Drug-free Korea" is ancient history now
→Any more involved? Only one caught red-handed, but there had to be others there
[Truth is stranger than fiction]
Timeline of what the 'anonymous tipster' did in this case
(Kang Yu-ha Reporter - article link)
More than a movie lol even in a film they'd call the hero crazy
→Kekekeke solo into that place?
→Balls of steel
→What if cops thought it was a prank call and didn't show?
→→Junkie ending incoming
→→→Total bullshit tho
[But who the hell is it?]
Party was elite high-society kids only
To get invited there, tipster ain't ordinary
→Yeah no cap
→That's what I'm most curious about
→H.T.S. brought him personally, so not some small fry, academic lunch consensus
[Tipster's gotta be a chaebol kid]
How else you hold in this epic hero tale?
I'd launch a YouTube channel and spill immediately fr lol
→This is it lol
→Can't hold back
[About that anonymous tipster tho]
Won't he show as witness at trial?
[I live near the courthouse, should I swing by and peek]
Meet the tipster, I'll report back
→Closed testimony probs
→→What's that
→→→Closed trial. No spectators, only parties and lawyers
→→→→Oh that exists?
→→→→→Yeah but you won't meet anyway, waste of time
→→→→→→lolol got nothing better, might stroll over
[Courthouse arrived]
(verif photo)
Waiting for anonymous tipster right here
[Can't get in, blocked off]
Just smoking nearby, about to head back
→Saw the tipster?
→→Nah
[Wtf?]
It's me from earlier, said I was going to courthouse
Suddenly sirens, ambulances and cops everywhere;;;
What's going on??