Chapter 206
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 206
‘It’s a great world for ripping off the naive.’
Ever since he realized as a child that everyone has a hidden side, Kim Jae-yeon found joy in uncovering those secrets.
Though he was often pointed at and cursed, he was highly satisfied with his profession as a paparazzi—digging into people’s private lives and making good money while doing it.
Recently, however, there was one individual who made him doubt his own professional expertise.
“Tsk.”
Despite being an idol, this guy seemed just as well-versed in this line of work as he was.
“Seriously, what is up with this bastard?”
He was young, and no matter how much Jae-yeon dug, the kid seemed completely removed from this dark, gloomy lifestyle.
He was handsome enough to put top-tier actors to shame, yet his mental fortitude was elite even by the standards of the jungle-like entertainment industry.
One day, while flipping through channels, Jae-yeon had seen Seo Ho-yun being kind to his members on a variety show (obviously a performance, in his opinion) and had thrown his remote in horror.
They didn't seem to have a bad relationship, but…
Was that for the cameras or not?
[Is there any point in dragging this out?]
Jae-yeon frowned as he suddenly recalled that moment, hearing Seo Ho-yun’s voice over the phone.
On the computer screen in front of him were screenshots Ho-yun had sent—captures of a Starstagram account belonging to a fansite master suspected of being Yun Hee-eon’s lover, something Jae-yeon hadn't been able to find no matter how hard he looked.
“No, but seriously, how did you find this? I knew it existed, but still…!”
[Well, one thing led to another.]
Kim Jae-yeon’s pride took a hit.
Seo Ho-yun didn't elaborate. Sounding clearly annoyed and claiming he was busy, he simply dumped some additional data and hung up.
Jae-yeon first scrolled through the posts among the captured photos, noticing several posts that had been blacked out.
He didn't know what they were, but regardless, this was a gold mine.
‘Creepy.’
Jae-yeon organized the relevant content and dates separately before moving on to the message captures. Here, too, several parts were blacked out. One message in particular stood out—it had no profile picture, no name, and no settings configured.
The ID was ‘@h__X18313n’.
The conversation consisted of a single line: the name of a restaurant famous among celebrities for its strict security, followed by a day of the week and a time.
‘Wait, is this Yun Hee-eon’s private Starstagram account?’
Just in case, he searched for the accounts on his own phone, but both showed only the padlock icon, indicating they were locked.
Smacking his lips in regret that he couldn't dig further, Kim Jae-yeon thoroughly combed through everything Ho-yun had given him, then cross-referenced and analyzed it with his own previous findings.
Just as the work was nearing completion, Seo Ho-yun called again.
“I think we can just leak it like this.”
[What are you talking about? If we do that, it’ll just be a temporary controversy. Don't you know he’ll just pretend to reflect and then look for a chance to make a comeback?]
A sigh and a click of the tongue came through the phone.
[Let’s make the picture a bit prettier.]
While Jae-yeon was reviewing the scenarios stacked in his head to find the best method, he heard Ho-yun’s voice again.
[Isn't it best to give back exactly what you received?]
The explanation that followed was remarkably similar to Scenario 17, "Fighting Fire with Fire," a method Kim Jae-yeon loved and used frequently.
The process differed slightly, but the goal was to pay Yun Hee-eon back exactly for what he had done to Seong Ji-won.
‘Man, seriously.’
Once the consultation was over and the means were decided, the rest was easy.
He had known for a while that fansite masters and sasaengs exchanged information through open chat rooms, but they were so secretive and secure that he hadn't been able to enter.
Conveniently, one of the messages Ho-yun provided contained the address and password for a chat room, so he decided to use it. Following the address led him to another mobile messenger.
The sudden appearance of a stranger seemed to put everyone on guard, but perhaps because reaching this place required multiple steps, an invitation, and a password, their guard dropped faster than expected.
Kim Jae-yeon put his heart and soul into it.
He had experienced many times that acting clumsily would only ruin everything.
He pretended to sell information while gauging the atmosphere, carefully spreading fabrications mixed with truth.
Messy relationships with women, sponsors, two-timing, and so on.
At first, there was no reaction, but soon, one or two people began to have doubts. Kim Jae-yeon deliberately targeted those people's comments and showered them with data.
Things like photos of Yun Hee-eon entering a hotel parking lot on a day he wasn't meeting the fansite master he was currently dating.
The rumors began to spread with increasing speed.
‘Will it work?’
After anxiously watching the situation unfold for a few days, the result he had been waiting for finally emerged.
[Exposing Yun Hee-eon’s True Nature]
An anonymous post with this title appeared on an open bulletin board of a portal site famous among idol fans.
[He said he was going to see his parents after returning from a trip to Jeju Island, but I have photos of him heading straight to a hotel.]
He wasn't going to see his parents; he was going to meet a sponsor.
[I’m the idiot who believed him for six months while he told me ‘I only have you’ and ‘You’re different from other girls’ as I poured money into him.
He even made up lies to badmouth idols or juniors he didn't like.
I only trusted him because I loved him, but looking back now, I was nothing but a stupid pushover.]
Information disadvantageous to the posters themselves was conveniently omitted, but Seo Ho-yun didn't say much.
He seemed to know that it would all come to light anyway.
From then on, everything went smoothly.
Once a day, a string of exposures followed from women claiming to be Yun Hee-eon’s girlfriend.
Photos taken with him, couple rings, and dating locations were revealed endlessly. People who were skeptical at first gradually began to believe.
At the same time, the identities of the whistleblowers were also thoroughly dug up.
[Wow, it’s a parade of current girlfriends.]
[It’s not even two-timing, how many timing is this? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ What a crazy bastard ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ It’s so fun seeing how pissed everyone is in the full text.]
[Did you see the full text from Yun Hee-eon’s accusers??
ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ They’re all acting like tragic victims, but I see exposures popping up about them too ㅋㅋㅋ Looks like they bashed male idols like crazy.]
[Confirmed as the biggest K-pop scandal of the year.]
He had only lit the fuse, but it was exploding everywhere.
‘…Seo Ho-yun really is something else.’
Of course, a lot of work was needed before lighting the fuse, but if they had just leaked it as is, it wouldn't have had this much of an effect.
[Selling Yun Hee-eon photocards.
Actually, I’m trashing them. F*ck, this is beyond saving. Even a foreigner wouldn't buy these.]
[Ah, f*ck ㅠㅠㅠ Hee-eon’s media play ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ The hostility toward male idols is insane, seriously.
Hey, your group’s male idol even used media play to ‘discipline’ his juniors. So funny ㅠ]
Kim Jae-yeon watched Yun Hee-eon being burned to ashes on various SNS and communities, then searched for The Dawn.
[What do you think about the guy named Seo… being a rabbit?]
It was perfectly peaceful.
“What do you think about the guy named Seo… knowing the sasaeng ecosystem?”
He had supposedly been very hot on a variety show recently, and there were endless clips related to him on Nutube.
In particular, Jae-yeon felt a chill every time he saw Seo Ho-yun acting fake.
“No, but seriously, why is he doing this?”
If F.O.B was a setting sun, The Dawn was a rising one.
There was no way a man who seemed like he wouldn't bleed even if pricked was doing this just to take care of his own member.
“Ji-won, is it good?”
A shiver ran down Jae-yeon’s spine as he saw Seo Ho-yun on the computer screen, eyes crinkling beautifully as he asked kindly.
“There’s no way that guy would do that out of the goodness of his heart.”
Absolutely no way.
* * *
‘I did something completely useless because of Seong Ji-won.’
That night, I clicked my tongue as I checked Nutube and saw videos about Yun Hee-eon pouring out with all sorts of provocative titles.
Cracks are bound to leak eventually; I truly couldn't understand why people did things they were bound to get caught for.
[But why didn't you do it yourself? It would have been faster.]
“Ah, because I’m innocent.”
[……Excuse me?]
Kim Jae-yeon sounded dumbfounded, but I genuinely thought so.
How could an idol do such a thing?
After scanning the reactions, I put down my phone without regret.
‘It’s over.’
Statements from fan clubs and movements to kick him out were already happening.
His removal seemed to be only a matter of time.
Even if he wasn't kicked out, it would be hard for him to make a comeback.
Does Yun Hee-eon know?
That he was taken down by the very same tactics he used.
I stared at the ceiling for a moment and placed a hand on my chest.
“Ho-yun, let’s use this as an object lesson and live kindly from now on.”
[What are you saying? Are you crazy?]
The System Window, which was usually quiet, had been nagging me throughout this whole process, telling me not to use items like this.
Of course, I didn't care in the slightest.
“You worked hard with your fragile heart, Ho-yun……”
[Gag.]
The System Window, which had been grumbling, slowly disappeared as if sighing, then reappeared.
[But please, watch yourself from now on. It’s really hard lately.]
Hard? What is?
As I twitched an eyebrow, the System Window provided a supplementary explanation.
[Originally, we’re the ones who throw quests, not the ones who tailor them to what you need. And there should be appropriate rewards and prices. Honestly, this quest was no different from handing you a reward on a silver platter with an easy mission.]
“What do you mean, silver platter? Didn't you see me suffering because of Ju Woo-seong?”
[That’s exactly what I wanted to see, so I threw it.]
What a nasty bastard.
[The loan, Shining Star Season 2, and even now. The system is so unstable that it’s hard for even me to predict what will happen next. This isn't a good phenomenon for the player either.]
“Hmm.”
I stroked my chin and flopped onto the bed, listening to the noisy sounds leaking through the door.
“Just don't give me weird quests.”
Now that I’d finished tidying up my surroundings, I planned to carry out quests diligently, so I judged that I could lightly overlook this level of warning.
However, if there was one thing I regretted, it was that I didn't get to see Yun Hee-eon’s ruined face in person.
I should have mocked him at least once, like I did with Today. Then I could have enjoyed my daily life with a refreshed mind.
‘What a shame, what a shame.’
“Hyung! Ten minutes until Ji-won hyung’s birthday!!”
While I was thinking that, the door burst open.
It was Jeong Da-jun.
“Did you think of a saeng-seon?”
“Fish?”
“That was so lame, I’ll pretend I didn't hear it.”
Jeong Da-jun prattled on excitedly, saying he was going to give Seong Ji-won toe socks with hair on them. He said he bought two pairs, so if they took a proof shot together and posted it on Starstagram, the fans would love it.
“I have one for you too, hyung! It looks a bit different, though…!”
I sluggishly got up, draped my arm over the kid’s shoulder, and pinched his unusually chubby cheek.
“Ack!”
“Do you have a motor in your mouth? You never stop talking.”
“……Vroom vroom.”
I chuckled as I watched the maknae play along, making motor sounds with his lips.
As I leaned my weight on my draped arm, Jeong Da-jun whined that I was heavy. I pressed his lips with my finger to make a duck face and sauntered out of the room.
Kang Yi-chae, who was sitting on the sofa chewing gum loudly while looking at his phone, smiled brightly when he saw me.
“You’re here?”
I sat next to him and glanced at his phone; an article about Yun Hee-eon was on the screen. Since it was Seong Ji-won’s birthday, the useless posts were being pushed back, and the search terms were being purified to some extent.
He seemed to know I was the one behind it, but since it wasn't a topic to discuss in front of the other members, I changed the subject.
“Where’s Seong Ji-won?”
Come to think of it, seeing as he contacted me when I was with Ju Woo-seong, he seemed to have something to say, but it had just passed by because of schedules and such.
“I’m here.”
I turned around to see him coming out of the room with Kim Seong-hyeon.
Do you have any idea what I did for you?
Even though I had no intention of ever saying it out loud, I was taking all sorts of credit in my head. But Seong Ji-won stopped at the point furthest away from me.
‘Huh?’
Moreover, his gaze was strangely averted.
“—Si-since there’s no cake, it does feel a bit empty.”
Seong Ji-won even whipped his head in the opposite direction from me.
“Ah! There are Mon-X and Choco-O in the kitchen cupboard. Should I bring those?”
“Hyung, I have candles.”
While I was feeling that something was off, Jeong Da-jun scurried to the kitchen.
Since we were planning to have a birthday party with fans on B-Live around 7 PM anyway, we hadn't prepared anything separate.
As Jeong Da-jun stacked the chocolate breads, Kang Yi-chae stuck a candle that said ‘Congratulations’ on top and lit it.
“28!”
“No, why are you starting the countdown from such an awkward number?”
Jeong Da-jun started the countdown as if he had been waiting.
“24!”
“Isn't the timing off? It’s already 12:02.”
“20!”
Even though the members each added a comment, Jeong Da-jun was persistent.
“5! 4! 3! 2! 1!!”
Pop! Party poppers went off, and paper scraps flew everywhere.
“Happy birthday!”
August 31st.
I thought he was like a blooming spring, but he was a guy born at the end of summer.
“Hyung, hurry and make a wish!”
“I’m going to make another one later.”
“Ayy, hyung~! Breakfast, lunch, dinner. You can make a wish three times a day.”
At the maknaes’ urging, Seong Ji-won looked at the members one by one, then quietly closed his eyes and folded his hands.
Kang Yi-chae grabbed my arm.
“Come on, hyung too! One more time, long and loud~ wish him a happy birthday with affection!”
“Sigh……”
Hiding my slightly complicated feelings, I spoke up.
“Right, Seong Ji-won. Stay healthy and be blessed. Don't forget to work hard and make lots of money while you’re young and have the stamina.”
“Seong Ji-won, hurry and give him a deep bow.”
Kim Seong-hyeon picked a fight from the side, saying it sounded like something you’d hear on a holiday. After hitting him on the back, I continued.
“Happy birthday.”
Seong Ji-won, who seemed to be avoiding my gaze, finally looked me straight in the eye.
“…Thanks.”
I ruffled the hair of the maknae, who was stuffing a chocolate bread into his mouth, and went into my room.
‘What the hell was that?’
I felt quite uneasy, wondering if something had gone wrong somewhere.
While I was retracing my actions in reverse order, Seong Ji-won opened the door and poked his head in.
“Ho-yun, are you sleeping?”
“…….”
Even though it was still noisy outside with Jeong Da-jun and Kang Yi-chae’s voices, he whispered softly.
“Do you happen to have some time today?”
“No.”
“…Really no time?”
“……No. I do.”
He was avoiding me earlier, and now he’s approaching me.
I wanted to refuse because I didn't want to be alone with Seong Ji-won while he was acting so strangely, but seeing the guy hesitating in front of me made it hard to push him away.
“That’s a relief! Do you want to go buy a cake?”
“The staff will probably buy one, though?”
“Haha, I want to buy one myself. We don't have any schedules today anyway.”
A gentle tone and light brown eyes filled with anxiety.
The moment I sensed a strange atmosphere, warning bells rang in my head.
‘What is it?’
After living together for over a year, I knew he wasn't the type to fuss over his own birthday.
Moreover, given his usual personality, he would have withdrawn the suggestion the moment I showed I was annoyed.
But why?
“…Where are you planning to buy it?”
Why is he being so stubborn with me?
Seong Ji-won smiled faintly.
In a way, he also seemed nervous.
“The first floor of XX Hotel.”
That was the hotel Yun Hee-eon had been frequenting.
This is bad.
Very bad.
As someone who had lived for 33 years, I knew from experience that ominous feelings never missed the mark.