Chapter 54
Chapter 54
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Three Things Men Should Be Careful Of
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The internet communities were in absolute chaos after Kim Ji-hoon's explanation video.
The video uploaded to his YouTube channel was just 30 minutes long.
But its impact was enormous.
A three-line summary posted by someone spread across every community.
The fact that his "fucked up" comment wasn't just a slip-up, but had real reasons behind it.
Especially the male-dominated communities fully sided with him.
The comments were a total shitshow, though.
He's probably the Korean who's gained the most subscribers in the shortest time ever.
And then someone posted the key piece that tied all the puzzle together.
This suspicion drew attention from every community.
They flocked to Stock Gallery like on a holy site pilgrimage, digging through his old posts.
The fact that the 'hero of America' was actually a Stock Gallery named user spread like wildfire across all communities in a shocking twist.
The once peaceful Stock Gallery was buzzing entirely with stories of Kim Ji-hoon, or rather 'Loser Male'.
Right...
Sounds good.
Jealous...
And posts about Lily were there too.
Women tend to share stories about their boyfriends or husbands openly with friends.
But even among ball-busting bros who curse each other out, stories about their own wives or girlfriends are extremely taboo.
This held true even in anonymous communities.
'Don't touch the wife.'
That was the unspoken rule of men's world.
So most of their reactions boiled down to one line in the end.
— ...Fuck, I'm jealous.
The genuine affection shining through the video.
That sincere gaze a man might receive once in a lifetime, if at all.
Just...
Enviable couple.
That was the only thought.
Meanwhile,
the female communities were the polar opposite of the male-dominated ones, burning with rage bordering on curses.
To them, Kim Ji-hoon wasn't a hero.
He was just a shameless criminal who ignored women's legal rights and fled.
Their anger wasn't just at Kim Ji-hoon—it extended to Lily too.
They couldn't accept Kim Ji-hoon's happiness.
Chipping away, tearing down, cursing—that was their only response.
Meanwhile, Ji-su.
She was going insane from the flood of contacts from acquaintances.
His explanation video.
That one video had flipped everything upside down.
"......"
Until now, Ji-su had vaguely dodged explaining her divorce to those around her.
Acting like the victim by mumbling that her husband Ji-hoon was at fault.
Of course, some suspected.
But she had an irrefutable weapon.
"If I was really at fault, how could I have gotten 50% asset split from the court?"
That confident line made most acquaintances nod.
"Oh my, really? That guy's trash."
"Ji-su, you must've suffered so much..."
They took her side, comforted her.
Ji-su accepted their pity and sympathy as her due.
But Ji-hoon's video shattered it all.
[Ji-su... you okay?]
[Just watched Kim Ji-hoon's YouTube... is what he said true?]
A KakaoTalk from a college classmate.
Ji-su's heart sank.
With trembling hands, she opened YouTube.
Ji-hoon's video with tens of millions of views.
In the screen, Ji-hoon shoved a mosaiced court ruling at the camera.
Then the video zoomed in clearly on one part.
[...The primary responsibility for the marriage breakdown lies with the defendant (Kim Ji-su)'s adultery...]
Ji-su's face went deathly pale.
The '50% asset split' ruling she'd used as her shield.
It explicitly stated her 'adultery'—now exposed to the world.
"Hello? Ji-su? Is... what Kim Ji-hoon said true?"
Another call came in.
From an acquaintance who'd comforted her.
But the voice held cold contempt, not sympathy.
All her lies were busted.
You can't ignore your reputation in society.
Even if divorce isn't taboo anymore, the 'divorcee' label.
To rationalize it, the other side had to be at fault at minimum.
But if you cheated and were the cause?
Hard to get good looks.
Back in the day, even widows were shunned by neighborhood women fearing they'd seduce their husbands.
Woman's nature.
No matter how modern society changes, you can't stop that basic instinct of wariness.
Especially among groups of women who already have boyfriends or husbands,
a 'woman with a history of cheating' was public enemy number one.
Why?
Because it's obvious she'd do it with theirs too.
Friend Yuri had already cut contact long ago.
Now even casual acquaintances were about to sever ties.
"Kim Ji-hoon, you bastard...!"
Not giving money, and now socially killing me too.
Ji-su fumed, wishing the US lawsuit would end soon so she could get the money.
'Once I get the money... I'll move somewhere else right away. Ugh... so stressful.'
Ji-su irritably grabbed her phone and called Min-jun.
"Where are you?"
[I'm... practicing? What's up?]
Her boyfriend Min-jun.
"Sigh... I'm pissed today, so come meet me right now."
[Huh? I'm kinda tired today... tomorrow okay?]
"Aaaah!!!! Just come when I say come!"
[...Okay. Got it. Coming.]
Ji-su vented her stress on Min-jun every time.
He was her boyfriend now, but
if she hadn't met Min-jun,
if that night hadn't happened,
she'd still be living comfortably—victim compensation psychology.
So she treated him like an emotional trash bin.
'......I'm the victim.'
Ji-su brainwashed herself relentlessly.
There's an old saying that men should beware of three "ends."
The tip of the tongue, the tip of the fingers, and the tip of the dick.
A warning against loose talk, gambling or violence, and woman problems.
Min-jun sighed deeply as he hung up.
He never imagined messing up down there would cost this much.
No matter how she treated him like shit or used him as an emotional dumpster, he couldn't even protest properly—this reality exhausted him.
Once, stressed out too much, he snapped.
"It's been so long! We've been dating a year! Just report me! I'm done!"
He yelled.
But Ji-su smirked and replied.
"Babe, even couples report rape these days, you know? We've slept together a lot. I have all the motel receipts. I could just claim it was coercive and report you."
Exactly.
Korea was a land of "emotional justice" where victim's tears equaled evidence.
Even lovers—exes with grudges could ruin a man's life, cases galore with a quick search.
Min-jun thought it wouldn't happen to him, too complacent.
Now paying the price sweetly.
"Sigh..."
Min-jun clutched his head.
"That bitch throwing another fit?"
His friend Jeong-su from acting class approached.
Closest friend, so Min-jun had roughly confessed the situation.
"Yeah... fuck, I'm going crazy. Maybe quit acting. Feels like I'll be dragged around forever."
"Tsk tsk. Why'd you do it then."
Jeong-su clicked his tongue.
"With your looks, girls line up. Pics show she's not even that pretty."
True.
Since joining the agency, he could hook up with trainees or hot civilians anytime.
Ji-su was honestly way below his league.
"Ah... booze is the enemy..."
"Find a way quick. Or you'll be leashed for life?"
Jeong-su gave practical advice.
"And debut's soon—if agency finds out about a girl, shit hits the fan. Don't ruin cooked rice. Clean it up now. Would you let go of a celeb boyfriend?"
"Sigh... yeah?"
"Yeah. Hook her up with someone else to cheat, or pay to break up. End it quietly."
"Ha... wish I could."
Min-jun's head throbbed.
Right before debut, agency finding out about a girlfriend would be hell.