Chapter 129
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 129
The paparazzi Kim Jae-yeon was enjoying a very peaceful string of days.
That is, if you excluded the fact that he’d gained absolutely nothing from tailing Min Ji-heon, who was currently expanding his reach beyond the Hallyu wave to the entire world as Please Take Care of the Camera spread through OTT platforms.
How can a human being live like that?
Min Ji-heon’s daily routine consisted of: eating like a madman piling up food, helping out struggling staff members, grinning like an idiot, and then suddenly flipping a switch to pour himself into his acting like a completely different person.
And then it was home, set, home, office, home, restaurant, restaurant, home…
That was it.
He really is a genius. No wonder he’s the one feeding all of Daepasung.
And recently, a rising star had emerged from Daepasung. It was The Dawn.
No, to be precise, it was Seo Ho-yun, the man dragging the "nugu" group The Dawn—whom no one had expected anything from or cared about—up by the scruff of their necks.
…How can this guy be human, either?!
Kim Jae-yeon took a sip of his hot Americano and fiddled with his phone.
An idol… no, even by the standards of a regular person, he was no ordinary character. What sane person would even think about colluding with a paparazzi?
Even now, his body shivered involuntarily when he thought of Seo Ho-yun smiling as he brought up XX Construction.
So, Kim Jae-yeon tried his best to accommodate the deals Seo Ho-yun wanted to make. It wasn’t like he was losing anything, anyway.
“Photos of Yun Hee-eon at a hotel?!”
[Yes.]
“What are you planning to do with those?”
Kim Jae-yeon pulled the phone away from his ear for a moment, staring blankly at the screen before scratching his head and continuing.
“Look, Mr. Seo Ho-yun… I mean, it’s all well and good, but usually, people like that don’t go in together. Besides, even if you have photos, if the other party is a chaebol, it’s hard to break the story, and it’s easy to face a backlash… Unless you’re trying to extort money from a chaebol or something…”
[Aw, are you actually worried about me?]
“…….”
[Don’t worry. I’m not doing this to extort money.]
With that, Seo Ho-yun cut off the talk about himself and concisely recited what Kim Jae-yeon needed to do.
As Kim Jae-yeon pulled a pen and notepad from his pocket to jot down Seo Ho-yun’s instructions, he felt goosebumps rising on his arms.
And for good reason…
“…Did you work as a paparazzi before becoming an idol?”
[You’re crossing the line, aren’t you?]
It was because the methods he described were no different from those of a professional paparazzi.
First: Match Yun Hee-eon’s unofficial schedule with sasaeng sightings to find gaps of unaccounted-for time.
Second: Narrow down a list of high-end, high-security hotels located in or around the metropolitan area. Since rumors were rampant that the partner was head-over-heels for Yun Hee-eon, cross-reference the hotel list with Yun Hee-eon’s schedule locations and his home to estimate places that wouldn't take too much travel time.
Third: Go to the suspected locations during his free time and stake them out to find the exact spot. (If the location can't be confirmed, go back to the beginning and repeat the process of cross-referencing the partner’s house and the hotel list.)
It would take time, but it wasn't as difficult as one might think. However…
…It wasn't a method a twenty-three-year-old idol would easily come up with or act upon.
He’s really something else.
Kim Jae-yeon rubbed his arms.
“It might take some time, you know?”
[Yeah, I’m going to build it up slowly anyway… Ah!]
…What now?
Seo Ho-yun, who had maintained a dry, indifferent tone throughout the call, suddenly added something urgently as if he’d just remembered it.
[And I have one more favor. You know Yun Hee-eon’s home address, right?]
“I do.”
Kim Jae-yeon tilted his head as he wrote down Seo Ho-yun’s following words.
“…But what exactly are you sending him?”
Suddenly, a burst of laughter erupted from the other end of the line.
[Pfft, haha…!]
“…What is it?”
[Ah, this is seriously hilarious.]
Kim Jae-yeon asked in bewilderment, but the snickering continued for a while without an answer.
Just as Kim Jae-yeon was debating what to do with this lunatic or if he should just hang up, Seo Ho-yun hummed in a slightly calmer voice.
[Well, it’s not something you need to know, Mr. Kim Jae-yeon. Just make sure it’s delivered well without being followed.]
“…Alright.”
[Then, I’m counting on you.]
Having finished his business, Seo Ho-yun hung up the phone ruthlessly, as he always did.
“……What is wrong with this crazy bastard now?”
Kim Jae-yeon frowned and shook his head.
But what could he do?
He had long since given up on trying to follow Seo Ho-yun’s train of thought.
Despite the lingering feeling of unease, Kim Jae-yeon started his car.
Deals with Seo Ho-yun were always hard to refuse, and the rewards were guaranteed to be a profitable trade.
* * *
The CEO of Yun Hee-eon’s agency realized that things were taking an unusual turn.
The entertainment industry was a kind of "light."
It was a place that sold people’s dreams and idols.
Naturally, there were bound to be many bugs attracted to that light.
Among them, the most malicious were those who made money by exploiting rumors.
The CEO couldn't close his mouth after seeing the report from the internal operations team.
“W-What is this?”
It was information that could be bought for a small amount of money on the internet. Today’s hottest post was about "sponsors."
The post, titled with the provocative headline "The Entertainment Industry Really Is an Animal Kingdom," didn't have many details, but the CEO’s intuition flared.
Thinking that if the post was already up and had reached him, it must have spread to most people, he hurriedly searched around. Sure enough, people were already trying to figure out who the subject of the post was.
[LOL, anyone can see this is K.H.Y. Even if I give them the benefit of the doubt, it could be Y.H.E., but that’s a bit vague..]
[Stop talking nonsense. Who believes this kind of crap these days? F*ck, you’re taking a trashily written post as a documentary.]
[Guys, I don’t care. Ah~ let’s stop. I’m more surprised that people actually pay to read stuff like this.]
[Are they scared because they’re trying to bury it?? Hmm, seems like it might be true.]
The CEO let out a hollow laugh after reading the reactions.
He figured it would be impossible to narrow down a specific person with just this much information. Furthermore, public opinion on tabloid-style posts had long since plummeted to rock bottom, so it wasn't a major issue.
However, there was one problem.
It’s almost like a targeted attack.
Usually, he would have been notified before such a post went up so he could block it in advance.
The fact that the post was just left there, combined with how various rumors seemed to intentionally mix in vague "bait" to draw suspicion toward Yun Hee-eon, felt deliberate.
And it was a mix of facts and fabrications.
“…Is it a tabloid? Blackmail?”
Yun Hee-eon, who had come to the office at the CEO’s call, asked in a calm voice. These kinds of rumors weren't rare in the entertainment industry, and they usually died down quickly.
He knew this would likely end as just another incident.
“I don’t know. Nothing has come to us yet.”
The CEO pressed his temples.
There were so many media outlets or other agencies that came to mind that it was difficult to gauge who had started this, which was frustrating.
“Sigh, just stay quiet for the time being. No individual activities, stay at home. Got it?”
“…Yes.”
Yun Hee-eon had to return home feeling a bit uneasy.
Still, he thought it would be fine.
If anything, the CEO’s fidgeting just made him look pathetic.
How are they going to spread something like this? It’ll all be blocked anyway.
There had been countless such crises until now. Since Yun Hee-eon had been in the industry for years, he had gone through his fair share of ups and downs.
So, he knew that a mere rumor like this wouldn't destroy him.
It was difficult to take photos due to hotel security, and it wasn't like he’d been caught kissing someone in public.
Even if he had, he knew it could never get out. He had significant backing.
It wasn't baseless confidence; rather, it was a certainty born from experience.
Everyone starts out like this.
He thought of the junior who had sarcastically mocked him a few days ago. Even now, the memory of that sarcasm made his stomach boil with rage, but Yun Hee-eon let out a smirk instead of showing irritation.
Under the conviction that no matter how much they pretended to be clean, as long as they were in this industry, they would eventually become just like him.
“So stupid….”
Yun Hee-eon rubbed the back of his neck as he opened his door lock, punching in the password.
Ah, but it’s a real shame about Composer Cheong-beom.
He was about to open the door when—
Clunk.
Something caught on the door, preventing it from opening. Looking down at his feet, he saw a box, neither too big nor too small, beautifully gift-wrapped.
“……?”
Normally, he would have assumed it was from a sasaeng and thrown it away without hesitation. But he couldn't do that after seeing the small note tucked on top.
[Early Christmas Present
A gift from Hotel H ^^]
At first, he didn't understand the content, but gradually, Yun Hee-eon’s mouth fell open.
“…What?”
That place he had been frequenting lately.
Yun Hee-eon, who had been dismissing everything until a moment ago, was left speechless by the threat that had suddenly and blatantly arrived like an uninvited guest.
“…No, it’s not.”
Glancing around to check his surroundings, he hurriedly grabbed the box and went inside, fearing someone might see.
He placed the box on the marble table and let out a deep sigh.
“Haa….”
Who the hell was it? No, did that mean the sponsor rumor really was targeting him?
He couldn't report it to the police, and telling the CEO wouldn't change anything. If it was someone operating under the radar like this, tracking the person who delivered the box here would likely be useless.
He paced around the table, agonizing over numerous possibilities.
But in the end, all his thoughts led to one conclusion.
For now, he had no choice but to open the box and see what was inside.
…Right. I need to know what it is to prepare for what comes next.
Yun Hee-eon hesitantly reached for the gift box. The moment he untied the ribbon and opened it—
Pop!
Shhhhhhh—!!
A spring-loaded doll popped out, and glittering powder showered Yun Hee-eon.
“Cough, cough…!”
Yun Hee-eon, who had expected at most some blackmail photos or a USB, was startled.
But that wasn't the end. As if some mechanism had been set, the box beneath the doll exploded, and another spring doll popped out, repeating the process several times.
Pop!
Pop!
Po-pop!
Shhhhhhh—!!
Multiple boxes, glittering powder that blurred his vision, and dolls cluttered the floor.
Yun Hee-eon stood up and coughed for a long time, brushing the powder off his shoulders and body.
“Pah, pah! F*ck… what is this?!”
It was a malicious prank. Yun Hee-eon spat out the powder that had even gotten into his mouth and kicked the boxes rolling on the floor.
Everything that was supposed to pop had already popped; there was no further reaction. When he kicked a box once more, a single card was discovered amidst the scattered piles of powder.
[Earn your money healthily, you bastard!]
“What is this… Who, who is it?”
Yun Hee-eon trembled at the words on the card and flipped it over to see if anything was written on the back.
[Hooray! Yun Hee-eon is now impotent! Congrats!]
“……Huh?”
What did that mean?
Yun Hee-eon crumpled the card with one hand and threw it to the floor.
What is this?
Was it a metaphor? Did it mean his sponsor was gone? No, no. That couldn't be it.
Yun Hee-eon knew very well that his current partner was infatuated with him. They wouldn't easily find someone as sensible and high-class as him.
“I’ll have to find out, damn it….”
Yun Hee-eon kicked a box rolling on the floor, took off his jacket, and headed for the bathroom. He decided to first wash off this unpleasant, suspicious powder from wherever it had come.
It was only a few days later that he let out a scream.
.
.
.
Meanwhile, I was alone at the dorm, basking in the warm winter sunlight on the veranda while looking at the message Kim Jae-yeon had sent.
“Man, the weather is nice today.”
And next to me, an item window I hadn't seen in a while was floating.
A few days before calling Kim Jae-yeon, I had been scrolling through the Item Shop to see if there was anything useful when I stopped at a certain item.
[Anti-Love Doll
Self-restraint is a must for idols!!
Gift a doll box to a colleague you’re concerned about!
The recipient will not feel any emotional agitation, no matter how attractive a person they see.
Enjoy a safe and worry-free idol life.
※ Effect applies only to the designated individual. (Can also be used by the player.)
※ Can be used multiple times; effects stack.
※ Caution: Since it suppresses oxytocin and testosterone, side effects may occur with excessive use.
Points: 1,500]
“What is this junk item?”
It could suppress hormones?
I’d thought it was useless since I hadn't had my heart flutter for anyone so far.
As I read down the system window, my eyes lingered on the caution section.
“Is that the side effect of excessive consumption?”
I asked the question to be sure, but the system window didn't respond. However, being the model student I am, I deduced the answer myself from that lack of reaction, which was nothing new.
And after having that "heartwarming" encounter with Yun Hee-eon in the restroom, I remembered this item and purchased several to ensure the effects would stack as much as possible.
[What is this?]
“Think of it as a small Christmas present.”
Kim Jae-yeon had grumbled something, sensing something ominous in my tone, but the result was that he’d delivered it well. Just today, he sent news that Yun Hee-eon’s expression had been terrible for the past few days.
If the item with the wonderful name "Anti-Love Doll" had arrived properly, something precious of his wouldn't be functioning correctly—
“I wonder how long the effect will last?”
As a result, he would have become (temporarily) impotent.
“Hahat!”
I didn't particularly feel like I’d gone too far. Every time I remembered the filthy things I’d heard back then, and contrasted them with Seong Ji-won’s pure, beaming smile, I got pissed off all over again.
And this item was discovered at a timing that felt like heaven had perfectly arranged it for me to use on Yun Hee-eon. I’d be an idiot not to use it.
As I snickered, the system window popped up.
[…Are you a psycho?]
“Yes, I am.”
I was in such a good mood that I lightly responded to a comment I would usually ignore. Perhaps even that didn't sit well with it, as system windows began to pour out.
[I told you not to use them like this…!! Are you really going to use an item I prepared with such a pure heart like this??]
“Hey, don’t be so hard on me. I’m upset too….”
[I’m not going to answer… I’m not curious why you’re upset….]
I could feel the system window’s disgust even through the text. I stroked my chin and said, as if disappointed:
“I should have seen Yun Hee-eon’s face turning pale with my own eyes.”
That would have been a source of laughter to sustain me through my difficult life.
This wouldn't be the fatal blow that brought him down, but just thinking about how pale Yun Hee-eon must have turned made me burst into laughter again.
Well, even now, it’ll probably serve as six months' worth of entertainment to chew on by myself.
[Malicious………….]
[I’m going to discard this forever….]
[For the safety of everyone in the entertainment industry….]
“Ahaha, what a shame.”
I was planning to use it again next time.
The points I’d gathered through so much blood and sweat had run a bit low, but this much was fine.
I was stretching and looking at the view outside the dorm when—
Buzz—.
My phone vibrated. I took it out immediately, and a satisfied smile spread across my face.
“Kim Jae-yeon, you work hard, don’t you?”
It was another text from Kim Jae-yeon.
After continuing his stakeout for a few days, he had finally caught something.
Hmm, I can’t release this right away.
Attached to the text was a photo of Yun Hee-eon’s car leaving the hotel.
This much would probably only be a passing seasonal gossip. However, if played right, it could be the spark at the end of a fuse that sets off a bomb.
What should I do…
I heard there was a possibility Yun Hee-eon would participate in Shining Star Season 2, though it was still unconfirmed.
But one thing was certain.
With heart-pounding anticipation, I buried my head in one arm and hummed playfully.
“Let’s take our time starting this, Mr. Yun Hee-eon~.”
You really picked a fight with the wrong person.