Serin's Confession ④: The Scandal Goes Public
Jinseok and Serin had only been dating for a short time when the news spread across the internet.
Watching the reports, Serin felt troubled.
"Now that it's come to this, why not just make it official?"
"Do we really have to make something like this official?"
"But if we don't, weird rumors will keep circulating, right?"
Ye-eun advised Serin to publicly acknowledge her relationship with Jinseok. Serin felt resistant to the idea of officially confirming her private life, but Ye-eun's advice made a lot of sense.
"Haa... Do we really have to go this far...?"
Serin sighed, but she couldn't deny the logic in Ye-eun's words. Without an official statement, speculative articles and rumors were proliferating even more.
"No choice, then. Hyeji, please prepare an interview."
"Yes, understood, Miyeon."
Miyeon asked Oh Hyeji—her secretary and de facto manager for Team Valkyrie—to set up the interview. Hyeji handled most of the team's administrative work. She had short bobbed black hair, average height, was a bit older than Miyeon, and had an ordinary appearance. A C-rank ability user with electric powers, she wasn't particularly powerful, so she worked in an office role for the team. Hyeji was highly competent in administration, earning Miyeon's trust.
......
"Ugh! So many pointless replies..."
Jinseok came across the articles about his rumored romance with Serin. The content was unpleasant enough, but the comments irritated him even more—they were full of vitriol.
There were tons of comments denying the relationship due to the massive gap in levels, refusing to accept it outright.
Jinseok, who'd only shared kisses and light skinship with Serin so far, found it utterly repulsive. The idea that outsiders were meddling in their pure relationship disgusted him.
"Serin would get hurt seeing this stuff. Ugh."
More than his own disgust, what tormented Jinseok was imagining innocent Serin wounded by these lewd comments.
......
"Unnie Ye-eun said it'd be better to just make our relationship official."
"Really? Do we have to go that far...?"
"But if we don't, the rumors will just multiply..."
"Guess no choice, then."
As per Ye-eun's suggestion, Serin proposed making things official with Jinseok, and he had no option but to agree. The two approached Miyeon with the idea.
"? Do we really need to do that?"
Miyeon struggled to understand the push for an official announcement. She was insensitive to online opinions.
"But this way, it'll just make both of you uncomfortable."
"If you say so, Ye-eun, fine. Let's prepare the official statement."
With her close friend Ye-eun advocating, Miyeon accepted and got things ready. The announcement was quick and simple: They invited a few trusted reporters who covered Team Valkyrie exclusively and held a brief interview. Miyeon, Jinseok, and Serin participated.
The content boiled down to officially confirming the relationship between Jinseok and Serin. There wasn't much else to say.
"So, you're officially confirming that Yoo Jinseok and Han Serin are in a relationship?"
"Y-Yes... Um, that's right."
"Yes. That's correct."
As the reporters fired aggressive questions, Serin blushed, bowed her head, and answered softly. Jinseok stepped forward deliberately, positioning himself protectively in front of her.
"When did the relationship start?"
"How far have things progressed?"
"Any wedding plans?"
"Hahk!"
"Hey, those questions are a bit much..."
Even after the main interview, the barrage continued. Serin froze up completely, unable to respond, while Jinseok awkwardly blocked the mics and cameras.
"We revealed the relationship to avoid misunderstandings, but beyond that, it's private. Please don't pry."
Seeing their distress, Miyeon smoothly intervened, reining in the reporters, and the interview wrapped up quickly.
In the end, the confirmed romance between Serin and Jinseok still sparked controversy, but as Ye-eun predicted, baseless speculation and malicious comments dropped significantly.
Of course, diehards refusing to accept it, calls to break up due to mismatch, and bizarre sexual fantasies persisted. But they'd decreased enough to tolerate.
......
"Good work, everyone... But you all look exhausted."
Having somehow resolved the scandal, Miyeon felt drained. As Team Valkyrie's leader and a stellar hero, she excelled in the field but was unused to media and online backlash.
Team Valkyrie doubled as celebrities with heavy entertainment schedules, but Miyeon only did it for revenue—she hated the hassle of public opinion.
"My head hurts too... Monsters I can just slice, but this? Haa—"
Dealing with such annoyances mentally exhausted her.
"How about we all take a vacation? We've been so busy."
Ye-eun suggested a group trip, mostly because she craved one herself.
"Vacation... Sounds nice. Let's do it."
Mentally worn out, Miyeon agreed.
"Then, the beach? Beach."
"Beach? Why the beach specifically?"
Miyeon eyed Ye-eun curiously as she jumped on the idea.
"Heheut. To tease Jinseok with Serin in a swimsuit."
"Heheut..."
Ye-eun grinned mischievously, and Miyeon chuckled along.