Chapter 131
Chapter 131
Do You Know Why He Was Hated?
(Do you know why Yu Yeon-seo was hated so much?)
“Wasn’t it because he was a brat? Or because he had no talent?”
So Dong-hyun had no idea why he was being asked this all of a sudden, but the words left his mouth automatically.
(A lot of people didn’t like him, that’s for sure. He came off as a kid who just debuted and was acting all high and mighty, relying on his family’s connections.)
At eighteen, Yu Yeon-seo had walked into AST Entertainment, said he wanted to be an idol, and signed a contract on the spot.
After a short six-month training period, living with the other members, he debuted on February 14, 2011. AST Entertainment was a small agency with no experience in producing idols, but One Seven garnered attention from the moment they debuted. All because of Yu Yeon-seo.
Having stolen the spotlight from other idol groups that debuted around the same time, Yu Yeon-seo became the number one topic of gossip among industry insiders for his nasty personality.
(But the rumors were blown out of proportion. It’s not like he was that abusive with his power.)
“Really?”
After witnessing the horrific state of his biological mother, Yu Yeon-seo had suffered from a personality disorder of unknown origin. It was a mental issue he had struggled with for years since childhood, and with no one to confide in, he bottled it all up, his emotions gradually wearing away.
In proportion to this, his dissatisfaction and irritation with the world grew. He would get angry for no reason, and though his mind knew it was wrong, harsh words would spill from his mouth. At first, he blamed himself and tried to change, but it wasn’t easy.
(There are plenty of people with nasty tempers in this industry. Just look at the scandal with Yoon Bo-ra from Seven Jewel. That was on another level.)
He had acted impertinently, but he had always managed to stay just within the lines. And even if he did mess up a little, the people Juseong assigned to him would clean up the mess.
“What about him assaulting that director?”
(That’s impossible to defend.)
So Dong-hyun frowned.
“So, what are you trying to say?”
(Anyway, there’s a theory that the rumors were intentionally exaggerated, and the image that it was okay to hate on Yu Yeon-seo was solidified because some powerful group was involved.)
Then and now, Yu Yeon-seo was a tempting target. A third-generation heir of Juseong, the son of Lee Hui-seo, who was still talked about as one of the greatest top stars of her time. Landing a single scoop on him would be a jackpot.
“Come on, wasn’t that just JSENM’s rivals trying to keep them in check?”
(That was an industry thing. I’m talking about a different power.)
“So this mysterious power intentionally spread weird rumors?”
Choi Yu-jin had aggressively expanded into the entertainment business. There was backlash from existing industry players, who saw it as a conglomerate encroaching on their turf. So, they pushed back. The media relentlessly published negative articles, claiming that anything a conglomerate touched would fail.
But Choi Yu-jin hit it big with every venture she touched and earned the industry’s respect by investing generously. Those who were unhappy about it couldn’t go after her directly, fearing severe repercussions, so they targeted someone close to her. Her second son, who happened to be a celebrity with a bad reputation, was the perfect target.
Interfering at that point would have been like pouring oil on a fire, leading to accusations of media suppression. A major reason Choi Yu-jin was so protective of Yu Yeon-seo was her failure to properly protect him back then.
“So what’s this famous incident you’re talking about? Is it connected to this group?”
(I have a feeling it is. Anyway, a while back, an acquaintance of an acquaintance of mine told me they got their hands on Yu Yeon-seo’s childhood psychiatric records.)
“When? During One Seven’s rookie days? How?”
(I don’t know. But there’s no way that person could have obtained those records on their own. Even if he was the disowned grandson back then, medical records? Psychiatric records, no less? I asked him where he got them. He said someone just gave them to him. A stranger.)
Could those records have been real? So Dong-hyun stepped out of the office and found a spot on the emergency stairwell landing.
“Does that even make sense?”
(You think so too, right? But here’s the interesting part. The person who handed over the documents supposedly said, ‘Don’t hold back. Torment him as much as possible so he’ll never even think of setting foot in the entertainment industry again.’ After that, the rumors got even more extreme.)
“And that was the group? Who was it, someone with a grudge?”
(Could be. Anyway, the guy who got the scoop obviously wrote an article.)
“Then why don’t I remember seeing it?”
(You wouldn’t have. It was taken down the instant it went up.)
The article was said to have vanished without a trace less than a minute after being posted. Which meant the hospital records were real.
(He said he never saw that person again. They just disappeared from the industry.)
“......Isn’t that just some urban legend?”
(No. Everyone who knows, knows.)
Hearing the reporter’s words, So Dong-hyun felt a chill run down his spine. He rubbed his arms, trying to act unfazed.
(And right after that, Yu Yeon-seo suddenly left One Seven.)
Upon learning of the incident, Chairman Yu had summoned his grandson and pressured him to quit “that damn entertainer gig.”
“Tampering with the records… Did Juseong do it? To make him give up?”
(No way. It’s one thing, but these are medical records. His grandson’s records, which were used to hurt him? I think the succession battle is tied up in this.)
“Come on, that can’t be it. If that were the case, they should have let him stay in the entertainment industry. Besides, the second-generation succession hasn’t even happened yet.”
(You think so?)
Besides, the line of succession had already solidified around Yu Geon-min by then. A conglomerate as massive as Juseong would suffer more if it was torn apart by a succession war.
“By the way, Reporter Han, you’ve really done your research, haven’t you?”
(I told you. I’m itching to land a big one myself. So stay away from that one. I’ll be dead.)
“Hmm… Do you have the contact info for that acquaintance of an acquaintance?”
(Hey.)
“I mean, you have to be curious. What on earth was written in there that made the article get taken down immediately?”
Tempted by the thought, Reporter Han didn’t try to stop So Dong-hyun.
Baek Seo-jun and Im Seung-hyeon visited the funeral of the supermarket owner who had reportedly died. As it happened, Baek Seo-jun preferred black clothes, and Im Seung-hyeon was in his usual suit, so they didn’t look out of place.
“There are no mourners.”
“I see that.”
The funeral hall was quiet, as if everyone who was going to come had already paid their respects.
“Is that her?”
They cautiously approached a woman in mourning clothes sitting in a corner.
“Choi Mi-ri?”
The woman, who had been staring blankly at her father’s memorial portrait, looked up.
“...Who are you?”
“We’re with the police. First, please accept our condolences for your loss.”
Baek Seo-jun and Im Seung-hyeon bowed their heads respectfully. According to the records, her father was the only family she had. Prying too hard could easily cause her pain.
Choi Mi-ri frowned, looking puzzled at the police ID Baek Seo-jun presented.
“Why are you here…?”
“We are investigating the accident involving Mr. Choi Nam-yun.”
“I’ve already spoken with the police… Have you caught the culprit?”
The accident was a hit-and-run, and the culprit had not yet been caught. But was it really a simple hit-and-run? Baek Seo-jun was suspicious.
“We’re working on it. However, we are considering other possibilities.”
“What?”
“Do you think the deceased did anything to make someone hold a grudge against him?”
“Are you saying…?”
“We’re looking at this as a planned murder, not an accident.”
She thought it was a simple accident, but a planned murder? Who would want to kill her father? Choi Mi-ri’s eyes darted around in confusion.
“Uh… No, the father I knew wasn’t that kind of person.”
“We are only trying to find the culprit, so you don’t need to be so wary. We don’t believe the deceased did anything wrong.”
Not yet, anyway. While Baek Seo-jun spoke with Choi Mi-ri, a gentle smile on his face, Im Seung-hyeon surveyed the surroundings.
“Do you happen to have a chronic illness? You look a bit pale.”
“Yes…”
“Are you fully recovered now?”
“I still have occasional outpatient treatments, but yes.”
“The hospital bills must have been expensive.”
At the subtle nuance in his tone, Choi Mi-ri shot him a suspicious glare.
“What are you trying to say?”
“Ms. Mi-ri, we need your cooperation to catch the culprit.”
The smile on Baek Seo-jun’s lips straightened into a thin line. The change in atmosphere made Choi Mi-ri swallow hard.
“...I’ve been unwell since birth, I was in an incubator. I had to get my GED for school… That’s why no one has come to pay their respects.”
“You must have gone through a lot.”
“My father was the one who went through a lot. He worked so hard to pay my hospital bills…”
“Did you, by any chance, have any financial difficulties?”
Choi Mi-ri sighed. The guilt of having burdened her family’s finances due to her illness weighed heavily on her.
“There was a time when I was very sick as a child. I needed surgery, and I think he was struggling a lot back then.”
“Mr. Choi Nam-yun was.”
“Yes. But then one day, my father hugged me and told me joyfully that I could get the surgery. I wondered where the money came from, but he just said he’d found a good sponsor…”
Having spent most of her life in hospitals, Choi Mi-ri had matured early and had been curious about the source of the money even then. But seeing her father so happy, she had kept her mouth shut.
“A sponsor…”
Baek Seo-jun stroked his chin, lost in thought. The letter sent by the likely culprit at the time, the sudden death of Choi Nam-yun. The timing was too perfect.
Im Seung-hyeon’s eyes narrowed as he spotted a man who briefly appeared at the funeral hall entrance.
“Detective.”
“What is it?”
The man seemed to have seen them and hidden behind a wall as if to flee. His suspicious movement made Im Seung-hyeon stand up abruptly.
“No, it’s nothing.”
He walked toward the entrance and looked around. The man was gone. Was it just his imagination? Just then, Im Seung-hyeon’s phone rang. It was Yu Yeon-seo.
“Yes, Young Master.”
(Choi Nam-yun, investigate him first.)
Yu Yeon-seo had replayed the memory until he finally recalled the name. Upon hearing it, Im Seung-hyeon’s eyes widened in surprise.
“...We’re at his funeral right now.”
(What?)
“He passed away the day before yesterday. A hit-and-run.”
(Hah…)
Hearing this, Yu Yeon-seo let out a sigh. Could it be connected to that incident? But the most important witness was already dead?
“What is it?”
Yu Yeon-seo recounted what he had seen in the synchronized memory: Choi Nam-yun groveling, begging a colleague for money for his daughter’s hospital bills, and the colleague’s reluctant expression.
“Huh… Really?”
Where did that money come from? And what was this about a sponsor?
“Suspicious…”
(What are you going to do?)
“...I’ll have to start looking into it now.”
(Wait…)
Yu Yeon-seo tried to say something else, but Baek Seo-jun hung up abruptly and approached Choi Mi-ri again.
“Do you happen to remember when that was?”
“Um… I was about ten years old.”
“Ten years old, so 1999?”
“Yes, around then.”
Baek Seo-jun and Im Seung-hyeon glanced at each other.
“Do you know which hospital you were admitted to?”
“Ah, seriously…”
Yu Yeon-seo scowled at the disconnected call. Shin Ye-won, who had gotten out of the car behind him, approached. The glittering lights made his eyes itch.
“Was that an important call?”
“No. Not really.”
The cast of ‘The Imperial Seal’ stood in a line, waving and smiling at the reporters. Among them, the ones receiving the most attention were the lead actors, Shin Ye-won and Yu Yeon-seo.
“Look this way, please!”
“Mr. Yu Yeon-seo!”
A reward vacation at a time like this. Yu Yeon-seo blinked, trying to endure the barrage of camera flashes.