Rejection and Controversy

"You expect me to believe that...?"

I explained the full situation to Jeong Ha-rin at her place. Maybe because I bluntly said we were fucked, she let me inside. Well, my place didn't have any spare chairs either.

"Believe it or not, up to you."

"......"

I sat on the sofa in Jeong Ha-rin's living room and told her everything about Kang Do-hyun. Of course, I left out the part about the other female celebrities connected to him who had died. Just the fact that he'd propositioned me, I'd turned him down, and that if he couldn't fuck Jeong Ha-rin, he'd drag her down into the gutter.

"Ha, what a load of bullshit."

Jeong Ha-rin seemed to mull it over for a bit before coming to that conclusion.

"How the hell is Kang Do-hyun gonna ruin me? He's just some actor. What power does a nobody actor even have?"

"Dunno... but you that confident?"

"What...?"

"You haven't exactly lived a squeaky-clean life."

"......"

Her face hardened at my question. Then she forced a laugh like it was no big deal.

"What, because I made you run errands? Or hung out with the kids who bullied you? Come on, over something that petty..."

"Doesn't matter what you actually did, Ha-rin."

"......"

"They just need proof you were a thug. You know how it works as an actress... People love dragging others down."

My ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠words hit home, and she bit her lip, crossing her arms and turning away with a scowl.

"Whatever. Your story's not even solid anyway. Kang Do-hyun's that kind of psycho? I don't buy it. You're the suspicious one here."

She shot me a glare.

"What's your angle? Trying to scare me? Using Kang Do-hyun as an excuse to mess with me?"

"......"

She really didn't want to face reality. I could tell after one look at the guy, and she'd have noticed his sleazy side too...

And right then.

Riiing.

"......"

"......"

The silence in the living room shattered with the phone ringing. It was Jeong Ha-rin's smartphone. She picked it up quick, checked the caller, and answered with a stiff face.

"...Yes, this is Jeong Ha-rin. Oh, yeah... ...Yeah."

"......"

"Ha, got it. I'll head over right now. Yeah, just a quick talk."

She hung up, bowed her head, and her shoulders started shaking. I could guess who it was, but I asked anyway.

"Who?"

"......"

"Kang Do-hyun?"

"......"

Her silence confirmed it. Then she looked up at me with anxious eyes.

"What do you want from me...?"

"Me?"

"Yeah, you told me this shit, so... you got some plan, right? What? What do you want?"

She'd misunderstood completely. I chuckled and replied.

"Not asking for anything in particular."

"What?! Don't bullshit me! You think I don't see it?! You suddenly become my manager and move next door! And now Kang Do-hyun pulls this, and you say it's nothing?!"

"Kang Do-hyun was a coincidence, and like you said, I'm your manager."

"What...?"

"If my actress is about to get fucked, I gotta warn her ahead of time as her manager. That's it."

"......"

Jeong Ha-rin stared at me blankly for a moment, her face saying she couldn't tell if I was lying or not. Then she grimaced and clicked her tongue.

"Tch... whatever. Drive the car."

"I already clocked out."

"You fucking asshole! You came over on your own two feet after clocking out! Shut up and get ready!"

She was seriously pissed, and I couldn't help but laugh. No idea what Kang Do-hyun said on the phone, but it had her spooked good.

I enjoyed the show as I headed down to the parking lot.

Screech.

"Here?"

"Yeah."

"A hotel?"

"Hotel cafe's the spot, you perv. Gonna think something dirty? If it was a room, I'd have said no from the start."

For someone talking so bold, Jeong Ha-rin's face was tense as hell. What was she thinking? Worried about crashing and burning, never acting again?

Yeah, if a scandal ends her career, so does her dream of marrying into chaebol money.

Maybe she was weighing her options: spread for Kang Do-hyun to dodge the bullet, or hold out despite the blackmail. Either way, it was entertaining as fuck from my seat.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Hold up, Ha-rin."

"What...?"

I stopped her right before she got out of the car. She glared at me tensely and paused.

I held something out to her.

"...What, a necklace?"

"Put it on."

"...You're flirting with me right now? Worried I'll go get fucked?"

"Misunderstand all you want."

What I offered was an item from UnderDream I'd gotten via mods. A gold necklace with a small emblem, a fancy gem in the center.

"Looks expensive... You really proposing here...?"

"Ha-rin, it's a necklace, not a ring. Chill. ...It's a good-luck charm. Wear it."

"I'm Christian, fuck."

"The Lord's cool with it."

Her "proposal" comment wasn't totally off. In UnderDream, this was based on the necklace you give companion NPCs to propose marriage. Not that I was actually proposing.

"......"

Jeong Ha-rin eyed it closely, then snatched it.

"Wait here till I get back."

With that, she strode into the hotel like she owned it.

Alright... let's see.

The necklace I'd given her was called the Companion Designation Necklace. In UnderDream, you could only have one companion. This mod let you designate more by giving them the necklace. But that wasn't why I'd given it to her.

"Whoa... she's actually a virgin...? Not even kissed...?"

I gaped at Jeong Ha-rin's tab in the companion status. She'd been telling the truth.

Why did companion stats show this shit? UnderDream's proud tradition. The SexDream adult mod.

...Weird seeing it on a real person, but kinda fun from this angle.

In the adult mod, if the player or companions lost to monsters or enemy NPCs, you'd get a rape event. Or pick options for peaceful sex events. These stats tracked exactly what acts you'd done and how much.

"Masturbation over a thousand times... normal? Or low...?"

I decided to monitor her stats till she got ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠back. If they changed while she met Kang Do-hyun...

Means she gave up her virginity.

Sucks I couldn't watch, but seeing her humiliated face later would be good enough.

And I'd spot any lies about nothing happening.

With that, I chilled in the car, anticipating the drama.

But then.

Thunk. Rattle.

"Huh...?"

"...What, why."

"Nah, ...you got back quick?"

I side-eyed the status as she climbed in without a word.

She just... came back?

Surprisingly, it looked like they'd really just talked.

"Why the face? Think I sucked him off or some shit?"

"...Nah, just surprised you're back so fast."

She always played princess and missed the mark, but sharp when it counted.

"So, what'd he say?"

I probed to see what went down.

"......"

She sulked, arms crossed, staring out the window.

"You were right."

That was her opener.

"That fucker... blackmailed me with my school days. Got photos somehow... Wait, was it you? You fed him info!"

"Wouldn't have warned you if I did."

"Ha, fuck... yeah? Then who...?"

"You got other managers besides me."

"What...?"

I had a hunch who leaked her school info. And Jeong Ha-rin caught on quick.

"That worm Jang Hyeok-jin...!!"

If Kang Do-hyun propositioned me, the ex-manager, he'd done the same to Jang Hyeok-jin. Easy guess.

But bigger question now.

"So? He blackmailed you."

"Yeah."

"...You gonna spread?"

"You fucking crazy?!"

Bam!

She kicked the back of my seat and exploded.

"How much you think my virginity's worth?! Selling it to a perv for fun?! I got shot in the head or what?!"

"......"

Which meant she'd told Kang Do-hyun to fuck off.

"You... really turned him down?"

"Ha, why? Relieved I'm still pure? Worried I'd get fucked by someone else? Sorry, but even if the sky falls, you're not taking my virginity—or my first kiss. Dream on, manager boy."

"Nah, not that. ...You sure you can handle it?"

"......"

She had no clue what happened to the other actresses who rejected him. But with her entertainment experience, she knew scandals could end careers.

"Fuck if I know. Just go home."

"Alright."

So Jeong Ha-rin blew off the blackmail. And a few days later...

As Kang Do-hyun threatened, her school bullying scandal blew up across every news outlet.

After Jeong Ha-rin's bullying scandal erupted, I talked with KV Entertainment's CEO, Han Gyu-seong.

He seemed to fully buy my "I'm a fan" line and swore he'd fix it.

I glanced at Jeong Ha-rin. In the empty corner of my bare living room, she huddled with her knees to her chest, head buried.

Since the scandal broke days ago, all her schedules were canceled. Ads, variety shows, radio—nobody called her. Her drama wrapped filming just in time too.

She was totally jobless now. A full-on bum.

[So please, just wait a bit, and I'll definitely...!]

"No, sir."

I glanced at her again ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and moved to a distant room she couldn't hear. On the balcony, admiring the view, I grinned.

"Just drop Ha-rin."

[......Pardon?]

The CEO's stunned voice leaked from the speaker.