Chapter 65. If You're a Streamer, You Gotta Go Through Some Controversy
Chapter 65. If You're a Streamer, You Gotta Go Through Some Controversy
While Laila and Song Hoon were resting at home, the press received a tip from an anonymous source.
It claimed that Song Hoon had committed school violence in the past.
"We got a tip through an anonymous source. And a post has gone up on the community forums, too."
"Just post it!"
"But if we run with that without even clearing it with the desk, won't it cause problems...?"
"Are you going to take responsibility if someone else snipes this!?"
Despite the trainee reporter's reservations, the senior reporter snatched the data away.
And then, blinded by views and ambition for a promotion, she immediately wrote an article without any approval from the higher-ups.
[ Famous Hunter Streamer 'Song Hoon' Faces Allegations of Being a School Violence Perpetrator... ]
Controversy erupted after allegations surfaced that Song Hoon—known worldwide as the hunter and streamer who dismantled a cartel—had been a school violence perpetrator during his student days.
A post went up on the Han online community claiming to have 'suffered persistent bullying from Song Hoon during school' and revealed the following details.
"Seven years ago, he was the king of the classroom. Even the teachers were wary of him. He'd dump his tray on my head, made it so I couldn't even say my name."
- Victim A
In addition to this, a flood of similar statements poured in: "I've suffered from depression my whole life because of Song Hoon." and "No one could speak up back then. He was just too terrifying..."
In particular, some who claimed to be victims asserted that Song Hoon had violent tendencies dating back to childhood, and that these tendencies were now manifesting in the 'extreme remarks' and 'radical punishment' he displayed during his recent hunter activities.
"I get that he's powerful. But that shouldn't justify it. He used to act like 'if you have power, you can do anything' back in the day, too."
- Victim B
... (Excerpted)
An anonymous post, a blurry graduation photo, testimonials from victims.
Sensational headlines and the algorithm stoked the fire, and comments exploded in an instant.
Wrecker NewsTubers covering the incident uploaded videos with provocative thumbnails.
They also contacted individuals claiming to be victims, and multiple videos were being uploaded each day.
"Shocking Confession! Song Hoon, Turns Out He Was a XX?"
"A Victim Who Says He Was Mocked and Called a 'Beggar' During School Appears... Emotional Interview Revealed"
"A School Violence Committee Was Even Opened, But the School 'Did Nothing'—The Victim's Feelings at the Time"
Hundreds of comments were piling up on these videos and articles.
└ That bastard just looked like a bully from the start lol
└ Fr, a bad habit never goes away
└ You get your answer just watching him cuss on stream
└ I knew a school violence controversy was going to blow up on him someday lololol
└ Every time one of these blows up people be like "I Knew This Would Happen" lolol
└ How about you take the forced defense and get lost lol
└ Fr defending school violence now;;
Videos blew up, hashtags trended on social media—it was everywhere.
Since he wasn't just a regular celebrity but a famously powerful S-rank hunter, the public reaction ran even hotter.
Some YouTubers even tried to start fundraising by forming groups like the 'School Violence Survivor Alliance.'
---
"Hmm..."
"Hero, what should we do?"
"More importantly, Laila, are you okay?"
"Of course I don't believe any of that stuff!"
I read through a bunch of articles about the recent, much-discussed exposé.
Honestly, I didn't feel much of anything.
Not only was it untrue, but people had always sent baseless envy and jealousy my way whenever I did well.
- Son... you really didn't do it, right?
Unlike me, who was perfectly fine, my parents seemed quite worried about the controversy, calling me the instant the article went up.
"Mom, don't you remember what I was like as a student?"
- ...
"You remember, right?"
- Uhm... I'm sorry...
"..."
Mom.
Apologizing made it even more insulting.
"Son, do you have any idea who might be behind this?"
That was the problem: I had no idea.
The only possibility was China, maybe...
'At the very least, it won't be them this time...'
They wouldn't have any reason to pull a stunt like this unless they'd completely lost their minds.
If they got beaten that badly and still did this, I'd honestly have to give them a round of applause.
Posts demanding a quick explanation were still flooding in on the YouTube and Pajijik channels.
Meanwhile, on other community boards, comments trying to stay neutral were occasionally popping up, too.
[ Author: Anonymous ]
[ Title: Speaking as a Former Outcast ]
[ Content: The way he looks is a total bully face, but watching the way this bastard talks and acts, he's not one ]
└ And what makes you an expert?
└ Author: I was a total outcast for six years through middle and high school
└ Suddenly my trust in this was skyrocketing;;
└ An expert had entered the chat lololol
└ Author: Seeing how he fumbles his words and stammers, he's seriously just one of us fr
└ Stop sneakily lumping us in with him, damn it
└ lololololol
It was then that a notice went up on both Song Hoon's Pajijik and YouTube channels almost simultaneously.
[ Author: Dumbass Hero ]
[ Title: Turning on a stream in a bit, I'll tell you everything you're curious about Anonymous ]
[ Content: Got held up by this and that, if you're curious about anything just watch the stream ]
└ What? You want me to get on my knees?
└ Alright, let's dive in lolol
└ I was keeping it in neutral, but now I guess we'll find out if it's full throttle or full brakes...
Countless comments poured in on the notice saying he'd explain everything through a stream, but he didn't respond to a single one.
Everything was scheduled to be revealed that day anyway.
---
It was an incredibly busy time.
To clear up my own unfair treatment, I ran all over the place gathering information.
"This is a really ridiculous situation... Someone completely innocent has to personally dig up evidence to prove their own innocence..."
The reason behind this kind of false exposé was obvious.
They just wanted to drag me down, to put even a small scratch on my reputation.
"But why would they do something like this?"
"Well, they probably just wanted to stir up trouble where there isn't any."
The first place the post appeared was an online community.
Then media outlets got tipped off by those claiming to be victims.
"It's infuriating that they wrote it without any fact-checking, but..."
Even the news desk at the outlet didn't know the article had been posted.
They said that if there were any problems with the article, they'd verify it quickly and issue a rapid correction.
"Which means the outlet isn't openly doing a witch hunt against me..."
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't get a feel for who it could be.
"Ah, I seriously don't know."
I turned the stream on for now.
[ Dumbass Hero : I Did Nothing Wrong, So I'm Not Explaining ]
An unbelievably cocky title you'd never expect from someone embroiled in controversy.
But I truly hadn't done anything wrong, so I was standing proud.
[I knew this bastard would be like this lololol]
[Hero... you didn't, right?]
I started the stream at the time given in the notice.
A larger crowd than usual flooded in.
The viewer count was similar to what I'd get during a raid stream.
[Hey, say something, seriously]
[The way this bastard is keeping us hanging, don't tell me]
[You're not gonna start with some "Wild and youthful younger days..." type intro, are you?]
"Everyone, quiet down."
[?]
[???]
[So brazen lolololol]
I cleared my throat.
I waited a moment for the viewers' chat to calm down and then began to speak.
"First off, I've got nothing to hide. I've been on the receiving end of a beating, but I've never thrown a punch."
[Sigh, fuck... his looks keep throwing me off]
[He genuinely looks like such a damn bully, it's driving me nuts lolololol]
Ahem... I knew that comment was coming.
I started rummaging around off-screen and pulled something out.
"Alright, this is my high school graduation photo. The guy who claimed he went to the same high school as me didn't show my picture—he just showed the cover of the graduation album, right?"
As I said that, I opened up the graduation album.
I found the class I remembered and held the photo up for the camera to see.
I'd agonized hundreds of times over whether to show this or not.
'It's seriously such a dark history for me...'
The moment people saw my face in the photo, they went collectively silent, as if they'd all been hit by a stun spell.
"Say something..."
[Wow...]
[He's quelling the controversy with a single photo lololololol]
[I know I really shouldn't say this, but he just looks like a total loser;;]
My skin was on the darker side, and my hair was what you'd call the classic bowl cut.
I was tall as a beanpole, but my build was fat.
Even my glasses didn't seem to match my prescription, making my eyes look excessively small.
"I was in a situation where I had no choice but to focus solely on my studies."
That was the reason I got into a good university.
Since I couldn't make any fond, blossoming memories of school life, I at least hit the books.
Though, I did have a few friends I chatted with from time to time.
[ Saintess's Foot-Fetishist donated 50,000 Won! ]
- He seriously looks like you'd want to chuck eraser crumbs at him;;
[ Overflowing Holy Power in My Pocket donated 10,000 Won! ]
- His fucking face lmaooooooooo
There was no special reason my looks had changed so drastically from the photo.
I'd suffered all kinds of hardship in the otherworld and had no choice but to lose weight.
As I reached a higher state of being, my aging halted, and my body was reconstructed into its optimal physical form.
'Something like that Hwanggoltae transformation you see in wuxia novels...'
And yet, my tannish skin never did turn white.
Even that occasional delinquent-like, shitty attitude I had was just a result of growing rougher while surviving in the otherworld.
"Do I still look like a bully to you?"
Even so, there were still loads of people who wanted to drag me down.
They said looked aren't everything, and asked if I hadn't used my tall height to act threatening.
The real haters really were using any method they could to try and smear me.
"I figured as much."
Once again, I rustled around off-screen and pulled something else out.
[Student records?]
[Gonna flex his grades?]
[Something totally unexpected is coming out lolol]
I drew a highlighter line on the printed paper and shoved it in front of the camera.
- Polite and demonstrates a sense of responsibility.
- Has never caused problems in peer relationships.
"See that?"
[Hmm...]
[Seems like the brakes are the right call?]
[Then what happened with the School Violence Committee?]
"Oh, I figured someone would bring that up, too."
I turned the paper over.
- No record of a School Violence Committee meeting.
[It's real]
[Giving a thumbs up to the bastards who are slowly shrinking away lololololol]
[Are you all satisfied now? lolololol]
"Fuck... I wasn't planning to show this part..."
There was one more tiny line written beneath the school records.
It was a line my homeroom teacher had squeezed in, having absolutely nothing else to write, just to try and give me any defense they could.
- Walks around softly and quietly.
I squeezed my eyes shut as I revealed the very last line of my school records.