Let's Go All the Way
Bang!
Joo Jeong-dan kicked open the office door with brutal force. He'd just come out of a meeting, only to find himself smack in the middle of a total shitshow. He swept everything off the desk in a crashing heap and bellowed.
"So! Where the fuck are we at with this?!"
"We're sorry. We're still checking right now."
"Checking, checking, checking! Doesn't anyone on our payroll have the balls to look into this shit quick? What the hell have you all been eating our money for? If you're taking the cash, earn it, goddamn it! Aaaargh!"
It was rage on the verge of a full meltdown. He let out guttural roars, smashing every damn thing in the office. His secretary flinched but held back—this wasn't her first rodeo. She just retreated and waited for him to calm down.
"We couldn't get in touch with Cha Ye-sol after she got hauled into the station, so when we saw the lawyer head in—"
"You little shit! If a summons comes flying my way, I'll get there faster than her! What kind of idiot brain is rattling around in that skull of yours, fuck?!"
"Excuse me, Executive Director. The Chairman—"
"Dad? What about Dad?!"
He whipped his head around, eyes bulging with fury. It was a killer glare that said he'd rip apart anyone who crossed him right then.
"He wants you to come up for a bit."
"Aaaargh! For real!"
Bang! He pulverized a crystal trophy into glittering shards, then caught his breath. He snatched the jacket from his secretary's hands and stormed up to the chairman's office.
Ding-dong.
"Oh, hello, Executive Director."
"Out of my way."
The employees inside spotted Joo Jeong-dan's face and piled out in a hurry. He rode the elevator straight to the top floor, the chairman's domain, like it was the most natural thing.
Knock knock.
"Chairman, the Executive Director is here."
"Send him in."
A powerful elderly voice carried through the door crack. He pushed it open to find the chairman, Joo Seok-dol, casually swinging a golf club in lounge wear. Joo Jeong-dan ground his molars. One wrong move and my head's gonna explode.
Screech—
"Jeong-dan."
"Yes, Chairman."
"This Cha Ye-sol kid. You meet her?"
No long-winded bullshit. Short, concise, straight to the point. Joo Jeong-dan couldn't bring himself to answer. The second his mouth opened, that silver golf club might come flying.
"I told you, didn't I? Just like dope peddlers watch out for the dope, we in the entertainer business gotta steer clear of that shit. They're 'merchandise'—any trouble with them screws us from every angle. If you wanna fuck around with women!"
Thwack! The chairman smashed the display case with his club. Shattered glass rained down at his feet.
"Find it somewhere else. I warned you last time was the end of it, didn't I?"
Incidents? He'd had a ton, if you were generous. The minor ones were countless, forgotten. But that 'last time' the chairman mentioned? Yeah, that was a big one. Some idol he'd hooked up with off the books got drunk, they banged once, and boom—knocked up.
"Park-ah."
Joo Jeong-dan swallowed a sigh at the chairman's words and prostrated himself flat. The golf club reared back for a full swing—
Thud!
"Ugh!"
Thwack!
"Urgh...."
Dull thumping sounds echoed endlessly. Finally, unable to take the pain, Joo Jeong-dan collapsed to the floor. That's when someone knocked on the open door, announcing their arrival.
Knock knock.
"Chairman."
"Where?"
The chairman chucked his club aside roughly and plopped onto the sofa.
"The first report came from Korea News. The reporter's name is Park Kyung-sik—he barely covered our side, mostly handled SJ-related stories."
"SJ?"
"Yes. And the prosecutor who indicted her—Shim Seong-bora. She's an alum from Yusaha University."
"Didn't she go to school overseas?"
"Yes. Only a three-year age gap, so they probably know each other."
How tight must fellow Koreans that age be, stranded in some far-off country? The chairman's brow furrowed at the sudden drop of SJ's name.
"This...."
Could it be? Had they been bitten? He glanced sharply at his son. Sprawled there like a frog—pathetic. This was the reality he'd created by spoiling the youngest rotten.
"Haa. This headache just got worse."
He pressed his temples hard.
"Those SJ bastards are picking a fight right now."
"...No solid proof yet, but it's suspicious. We sent porcelain to all the media execs' homes. Second Deputy Prosecutor Lee Uk-kyung's out in the provinces—we should hear back within the week. You'll have to respond to the summons investigation for now, sir."
When called, you go. No choice there. The chairman lit a cigarette and muttered.
"Fuck. It's all tangled up."
Made him look just like a mob boss. Well, his usual behavior wasn't far off anyway.
"Chairman!"
"What, yelling like that?"
"A-an article just dropped. It names Cha Ye-sol directly, and y-you too, Executive Director...."
The employee glanced nervously at Joo Jeong-dan, kneeling there, voice trailing off smaller and smaller. The chairman flicked on the TV in a flash.
Ding—
Background footage showed photos of them together. No mosaics—their faces were crystal clear, fully identifiable. Joo Jeong-dan stared at it blankly. Where the hell did they get those?
"Wh-what the...."
As he dazedly fixated on that, the chairman read the SJ muscle lurking behind the story.
"The others got called in too, right? But only Joo Jeong-dan's name drops?"
Joo Jeong-dan—like calling some stranger, cold and detached. The chairman snapped the unlit cigarette in his mouth and glued his eyes to the news.
"D-Dad."
First time in the office calling him 'Dad' instead of Chairman. But instead of a reply, a razor-sharp, icy glare sliced back.
"Shut your mouth—"
Quick as ever, the chairman's judgment kicked in.
"Once the investigation wraps sloppily, head to America."
"America? Why the hell America...."
"Quit your job and lay low there. Get some fancy degree like Yusaha or whatever. Parachuted you in with that nepotism label—tch tch. Useless punk. Should've done this ages ago."
This wasn't some random gig—it was an executive spot at the company. How do you keep a drug scandal guy in place, especially one tangled with an actress from a company investment project?
"Ah...."
If he didn't cut it, he'd get axed. No helping it. The kid was already neck-deep in shit from bad parenting. Can't let pests spread in the company—you prune 'em out.
The chairman barked orders at his executive assistant and strode out.
"Figure out how far SJ prepped this underwater before dropping it. Sneaky fucks. When the hell did they cook this up behind our backs? So goddamn petty. Right?"
"Yes, Chairman."
Bang—!
Left alone in the trashed office, Joo Jeong-dan clutched his collar, trembling all over.
"Yoo Sa-ha—"
First name that popped up. The guy who fucked up his life at every turn. Always there like light and shadow, the benchmark for his own failures. Should've stomped him dead as a kid....
Let him live, and he pulls this backstab?
"Ex-Executive Director!"
He grabbed just his foreign car keys and bolted to the underground parking. Like possessed, he headed straight for SJ Entertainment HQ. Unlike him, Yoo Sa-ha was sure to be at the office right now.
"Move it! Don't block with your shitbox, you fucks!"
Vrooom! Honk honk! Weaving through three lanes in a reckless sprint. His hunch was spot on.
At the same time, SJ Entertainment was hosting an investor meeting.
* * *
"Man, this is a first."
"Yeah. Celebrities at meetings are rare enough, but for their own project?"
It was a regular gathering for film investors—updates on progress, schedules, changes due to internal or external factors.
"Hello. Nice to meet you. Ha Moo-young here."
"Nice to meet you too. You're way too handsome. Huh? Haha!"
"Big fan. I was thrilled when I heard you'd star. Grateful you're taking performance-based pay too. Must've been a tough call."
"Sit! Sit down!"
"Autographs after? Haha!"
Of course, Moo-young was a legit investor too. Small amount, but symbolically? More important than anyone there. He was the movie's lead.
Moo-young exchanged greetings and took his seat.
"Alright, looks like everyone's here. Let's get started."
Yoo Sa-ha checked his flashy wristwatch and fired up the screen. Mostly reps from other companies, but the industry's small—they all knew each other vaguely. The vibe was cozy. Probably 'cause Moo-young, young enough to be a son, was there. Everyone kept sneaking peeks at him.
"First up, the shooting schedule report. We're 90% done now, and if things stay fast, on-location filming wraps by mid-next month."
They'd shelled out cash—they wanted to know where it went. Moo-young's eyes sparkled with focus, drinking in his first-ever investor meeting. This is straight out of TV, right? So cool.
Yoo Sa-ha and SJ's investment execs and staff presented their sections crisply. About thirty minutes in.
Thud thud crash!
"Hey! You can't do this!"
"Call security—no, someone, anyone!"
"Let go, fuck! Move!"
"Eek!"
Commotion erupted outside. Yoo Sa-ha, mic in hand, paused and turned. The door flew open.
Bang!
"Yoo Sa-ha!"
"...Huh?"
Joo Jeong-dan. Expected, but still off-the-wall. Yoo Sa-ha set down the mic. The other investors stood at his sudden entrance.
"What the hell is this...."
"Isn't that Baekgoon's Joo Jeong-dan, Executive Director?"
"Yeah? What the fuck's he doing here...."
"Yoo Sa-ha, you fucking bastard! This your doing?!"
As murmurs spread, Joo Jeong-dan fired first with a shout. Yoo Sa-ha sighed deeply, eyeing the investors.
"Terribly sorry, but could you step out for a moment? My secretary will guide you to the lounge. Apologies again for the disturbance."
"Ahem. Uh, yeah. Let's go."
"Come on out, man."
The violent aura had them flinching as they filed out. Moo-young tried to slip away quietly too.
"You too, fuck! I warned you, didn't I?"
"Whoops."
Busted. Pfft. Were lasers shooting from those flipped-back eyes? Moo-young grinned sheepishly and edged back.
"I didn't do jack, though~."
"Treating me like a retard? You kidding?"
"Noooope. Totally innocent."
Let's see. Hmm. Arm's still got that smog intact. Joo Jeong-dan stomped toward Moo-young with a savage scowl, unleashing a torrent of abuse.
"Who the fuck are you to butt in, you little actor punk? Wanna crawl the gutter till you're 21 and die? Wanna test if I can make it happen or no—"
"Doubt you can."
Moo-young just stared blankly while Yoo Sa-ha cut in. To Joo Jeong-dan, both were chew toys.
"What're you gonna do from jail?"
Yoo Sa-ha crossed his arms, face twisted in clear disgust.
"You just disrupted business too—gonna stay longer now. Right, Executive Director Joo Jeong-dan?"
"Shut the fuck up? You're the one turning my business card into toilet paper!"
"How's that on me? You did the drugs. Oh, high right now? Wrong station, huh?"
Ooh, CEO Yoo Sa-ha goes sarcastic in a fight. Moo-young watched the ping-pong like a tennis match from the middle.
"You fucking shit!"
Joo Jeong-dan lunged at Yoo Sa-ha, rage winning out. Moo-young startled and grabbed him, heart dropping, hands suddenly shaking.
"H-hey. No violence. Talk it out. Talk. You're adults now, even if not before."
"Before?"
At Yoo Sa-ha's question, Moo-young floundered, clinging to Joo Jeong-dan's arm. Damn smog's blocking the view.
"Like, rice or whatever. No! Let go a sec! Ugh, seriously!"
"Let gooo! You wanna die too?!"
"Moo-young, let go. It's fine."
Eh? That voice was ice-cold murder. He turned—Yoo Sa-ha smiled only with his eyes, radiating massive pissed-off energy.
"Let him go. Looks like he wants to see this through to the end."