Chapter 11
Chapter 11
The Manager’s Brother Speaks
[Pann Talk Talk] I’m the younger brother of Yu Yeon-seo’s late manager. The articles aren’t true. (Proof included)
It seems he’s getting excessively hated on for something that isn’t true, so I’m borrowing a friend’s ID to write this.
Please excuse me if this is disorganized.
First, here is proof that I am the late manager’s younger brother. (Photo) I will delete this after ten or more comments confirm they’ve seen it due to personal information concerns.
It’s true that Mr. Yu Yeon-seo came to our house after being discharged from the hospital.
To get straight to the point, yes, our family accepted the consolation money Mr. Yu Yeon-seo offered.
But unlike what the articles say, while it’s true he told us to do whatever we wanted with the money—whether it was buying a foreign car or paying for tuition—he absolutely never said to do it with the ‘manager’s insurance money’ or the ‘price of my brother’s life.’
I can’t state the exact amount of the consolation money, but we received as much as a lottery jackpot. Who gives that much for consolation money? A private individual, not an insurance company, to the family of a manager who worked for him for only two months?
My parents tried to refuse, but he said this was the only way he’d feel at ease and stubbornly wired the money into our account, telling us he had even taken care of the taxes before leaving immediately.
Also, our family never agreed to any interviews with reporters. However, a person claiming to be an aide of Mr. Yu Yeon-seo came into our house and asked what was said, so we answered.
I think that person was either the reporter who wrote the article or the one who tipped them off.
My parents felt it, and so did I, but we were surprised at how different Mr. Yu Yeon-seo was from the rumors. He was polite and respectful to my parents.
We have just barely managed to lay our brother to rest in our hearts. We hope he will not be mentioned in connection with false reports like this in the future.
The post Kim Jong-seo uploaded was moved to the best board within five minutes.
At first, the comments debated whether the post was fabricated or not. But the verification photo was undeniably of the deceased manager.
Even with the clear proof, those who had been gleefully tearing into Yu Yeon-seo tried to deny the facts, insisting the poster was impersonating the brother or had been paid off by Juseong Group. Some even criticized the family, asking why they had kept their mouths shut all this time after receiving so much money.
-Is that post on Pann for real?
-Just post it everywhere, go go
Yu Yeon-seo’s fan club, Love Letter, joined in, spreading the post far and wide.
-Somehow, even though our actor is a bit of a jerk, he usually walks a fine line. I thought it was strange this time because he crossed it so hard.
-Honestly, I was almost swayed lol. Even his outrageous remarks are my type haha. Do I belong in the trash can?
└Get in there.
└Mocking the bereaved family was too much, yeah. Anyway, I’m glad it’s not true.
-If it was as much as a lottery jackpot, did he give like a billion won? That’s modest for our actor lol. Not saying it’s not a lot of money lol.
└2222 Still, for a manager who worked for less than half a year, that’s a huge amount for consolation money.
-A polite and respectful version of my actor… I can’t get used to itㅋㅋㅋ
As the Pann post spread to various online communities and garnered hundreds of comments, becoming a hot topic, reporters picked it up and published articles.
“Yu Yeon-seo’s Desecration of the Deceased Not True”… Bereaved Family’s Direct Statement Becomes a Hot Topic
Regarding the Controversy of Yu Yeon-seo Mocking His Manager’s Family, Juseong Group Releases a Statement: “The Post by the Manager’s Younger Brother Is True… We Will Find the Reporter Who Impersonated an Employee and Turn Them Over to the Police”
└Whoa, Juseong released a statement.
└Isn’t this the first time they’ve released a statement about Yu Yeon-seo?
└Wow, the impersonation was real? That takes some gutsㅋㅋㅋ
└They said they won’t shy away from a lawsuit. Damn, isn’t Juseong’s legal team the best in the country?
-I think I found the reporter who wrote the first article on Yu Yeon-seo?
Entertainment Jump, Lee Da-un, right?
└That’s him.
└Report it to the email in the statement. They said there’s a reward.
└I bet tons of people have already reported it.
Juseong Group released their statement as if they had been waiting for the right moment. It was a direct order from Yu Eun-ho. They took a hard-line stance, vowing to file complaints not only for the employee impersonation but also against anyone who wrote articles spreading false information.
Some say you shouldn’t make an enemy of the press, but Juseong Group was far more frightening. The articles that had copied Lee Da-un’s piece and spread the lies were quietly deleted. But a flood of emails from Love Letter, who had taken screenshots, was pouring in.
“Lee Da-un!”
Naturally, the Entertainment Jump office was in an uproar. The editor-in-chief stormed in as soon as he arrived, shouting for Lee Da-un.
“Where is reporter Lee Da-un?!”
“He said he’s taking the day off.”
Lee Da-un’s deskmate sighed.
“Hah… Does that bastard think not showing up solves everything?”
The editor-in-chief rummaged through Lee Da-un’s desk. The office atmosphere grew tense.
“What were you all doing, not stopping Lee Da-un when he was writing an article like this?!”
Another employee who heard this scoffed inwardly. Who was the one who ordered them to keep a close watch on Yu Yeon-seo?
But even the employees snickering to themselves were the same people who had cheered on reporter Lee Da-un, saying he’d landed a scoop and would get a hefty bonus.
“Excuse me.”
A stranger infiltrated the chaotic office. The large man in a black suit was smiling amiably.
“Wh-what is it?”
“We’re from the Strategic Planning Division of Juseong Group. And this is Detective Kang from the Gangnam precinct.”
Someone from Juseong Group, and with a detective… The editor-in-chief swallowed hard. He tried his best to hide his flustered expression.
“I-if you’re looking for reporter Lee Da-un, he didn’t come to work today.”
“Ah, that’s not what we’re here for. Something similar, though.”
“Pardon?”
“My colleague is already on his way to Mr. Lee Da-un’s residence with the police.”
“Then why are you here…”
The man didn’t answer, just grinned. To an outsider, it might have looked like a gentle smile, but goosebumps rose on the editor-in-chief’s arms.
“You’re the one in charge, right?”
“I am, but… that article was solely reporter Lee Da-un’s…”
“The person in charge can’t be unaware.”
The editor-in-chief’s desperate attempt to cut his losses failed. The detective, who had been standing silently beside them, stepped forward.
“You’ll have to come with us.”
“W-why me…?!”
“Let’s talk at the station.”
“Wait…!”
The men even handcuffed the editor-in-chief before leading him outside. The remaining employees stood up awkwardly, staring at the office door.
“What was that?”
“What’s going on?”
“Are we in big trouble?”
Subsequently, Entertainment Jump was abandoned by its parent company and, not long after Juseong Group’s intervention, it was shut down. The exact reasons for its closure were never made public.
“See, I knew our Yeon-seo wouldn’t do something like that!”
“CEO Han, you were clutching the back of your neck back then.”
“That’s… Ahem, well, you’ve caused so much trouble, it’s only natural I wouldn’t believe you!”
CEO Han laughed heartily and patted Yu Yeon-seo’s back. Normally, Yu Yeon-seo would have snapped at him to stop, but he remained still. He really has changed. Amnesia is a good thing after all.
Once Kim Jong-seo’s clarifying post went up and Juseong Group’s response proved different from before, public opinion shifted in an instant. Yu Yeon-seo had become the victim of a wrongful accusation.
People started to steer the narrative, saying the standards for Yu Yeon-seo had always been too harsh and that the blatant mockery needed to be self-regulated. Of course, the influence of Love Letter members posting as if they weren’t fans was significant.
“So, when do I get my acting lessons?”
“That… just wait. It’ll take some time to find a good teacher.”
“Is it because no one wants to take me on?”
CEO Han tried to brush it off, but the quick-witted Yu Yeon-seo could see right through him.
“Th-that’s…”
“I knew it. This is all your fault, CEO Han. They won’t come because you’re offering too little money.”
“What?”
“Offer five times what you originally did.”
Yu Yeon-seo held up his palm, fingers spread wide. It was a decision he could make since money was the only thing he had in abundance.
“Still, that’s too much…”
“It’s coming out of my pocket, not yours, so make a big offer.”
“Alright.”
CEO Han nodded. Yu Yeon-seo’s reputation in the industry was at rock bottom, which made finding an acting coach difficult. He was currently begging one person, banking on their personal connection.
But the fact that the money-grubbing Yu Yeon-seo was willing to pay out of his own pocket made CEO Han feel relieved, thinking he must be serious about acting lessons. By the way, why is he looking at that?
“I get that, but… why are you looking at scripts?”
“To pick a project.”
“You said you were getting lessons.”
“That’s that, and this is this. It’s time for me to take on a project, isn’t it? Aren’t all these scripts for me?”
Yu Yeon-seo answered as if it were obvious. CEO Han waved his hands in dismay.
“How about you do that after you’ve had some lessons and your acting has improved a bit? Huh?”
Yu Yeon-seo silently shook his head.
After being discharged, he had been lazing around at home for a few days, waiting for his acting lessons to start, when he had a small realization.
‘Right. I’m a terrible actor to begin with.’
Was there really a need to wait until his acting improved after lessons? It’s not like it could get any worse.
Ever since he was in the hospital, he had been itching to get back to acting. It was something he had desperately wanted since he was young, and this wasn’t the year 2207. He couldn’t just sit around twiddling his thumbs.
“You haven’t even fully recovered yet.”
“I’m all recovered. The lessons can be taken slowly, but I can pick a project now, can’t I?”
“Fine… How could I possibly stop you?”
CEO Han let out a deep sigh. His acting wouldn’t improve in such a short time, so was the image makeover a lost cause?
His strategy to cement the currently favorable public opinion of Yu Yeon-seo with improved acting skills had just gone down the drain.
“Oh, then we have a big problem…”
“What is it?”
“Even if you start a project right away, there’s no manager to take you on. And Secretary Im can’t act as your manager, can he?”
CEO Han glanced at Im Seung-hyeon. Yu Yeon-seo tilted his head as if it were no big deal.
“Manager Park can do it.”
“Manager Park said he’ll quit the company if he has to manage you again.”
“Really? Hmm…”
Yu Yeon-seo rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought. He had been intermittently synchronizing his memories and had met the many managers who had passed through Yu Yeon-seo’s life.
“Number 12.”
“What?”
“The twelfth manager, what was his name?”
“Number 12, number 12… Ah, the guy who abandoned you on the street?”
Most managers couldn’t stand Yu Yeon-seo’s temper and disappeared without a word, but that man was the only one who had offered sincere advice. Even if he did abandon him on the street. And even if he did flip him the bird…
“Why him?”
“Bring him back. I liked him.”
“You did? You said you wouldn’t let him get away with it if you saw him again.”
“Did I?”
Yu Yeon-seo shrugged. Who knows, I have amnesia.
“…Do you think he’d want to manage you again after leaving in such a state?”
“He’ll come if we offer him a big salary.”
“Well… maybe because you’re a chaebol you don’t get it, but there are people in this world for whom pride is more important than money.”
CEO Han was flustered. The 12th manager was the first to treat Yu Yeon-seo that way. If he went through the trouble of bringing him back only for him to quit again because of Yu Yeon-seo, it would just be a headache for him.
“I will find him, Young Master. I will negotiate with him.”
“Would you?”
Im Seung-hyeon, who had been listening quietly, stepped in, and Yu Yeon-seo smiled brightly.
“You heard him, CEO. Please give him the contact info.”
“We dispose of the personal information of former employees…”
“That won’t be necessary. We have our ways of finding things out.”
Im Seung-hyeon’s words sent a shiver down CEO Han’s spine.
It was Im Seung-hyeon who had turned him and Manager Park away at the door when they visited Yu Yeon-seo’s hospital room.
There was an unbridgeable distance about him, and the thought of having to see that man every time he saw Yu Yeon-seo made his future seem bleak.
“Alright, so if we throw in a lot of money, I’ll get acting lessons soon… the manager is settled. All I have to do is pick a good project.”
Oblivious to CEO Han’s feelings, Yu Yeon-seo smiled brightly. Wow! I can finally act.