Chapter 361
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 361
“I’ve taken such good care of you since your rookie days… and now your senior’s career is on the verge of collapsing over a dating scandal, and you’re just going to ignore me?”
You must have forgotten, but you’ve dated a hell of a lot.
And I’m your blackmailer, you punk…
I didn’t bother responding and just stood there, while Jeon Sae-young and Lee Han-ju whispered loud enough for everyone to hear from across the room.
“Right now, Seo Ho-yun is looking at Woo-seong hyung with total pathetic-eyes…”
“Honestly, our hyung is an embarrassment no matter where you take him.”
“Hey, I can hear you!”
Oops, I guess it showed.
I slowly raised a hand to stroke my chin before finally speaking.
“…I don’t think your career is going to end over this.”
“W-well, that’s true, but… it’ll still take a hit!”
I looked Ju Woo-seong up and down with narrowed eyes.
There was only one reason I had helped Ju Woo-seong back in Unknown Actor Tycoon.
‘Because he looked unstable.’
Like someone who couldn’t feel anything, the sense of listlessness shrouding him felt precarious.
It was a look that didn't suit someone born to be as flashy as him.
‘Should I just help him? Or not.’
As he said, there would be some damage.
But it wouldn't be massive. WH Entertainment would manage it reasonably well, and the truth would eventually come out over time.
“I’m supposed to have a solo comeback at the end of the year! What am I going to do if this happens now, huh?!”
“Sigh…”
…Fine, whatever.
He was a guy who had changed his mindset and was trying his best to be an idol; there was no reason I couldn't help him out once. But…
Judging that the conversation would be long, Kang Yi-chae had stepped aside and was quietly texting the other members of The Dawn.
“Are you absolutely sure you’ve never met her even once? Here, you two look pretty close.”
When I pointed to one of the many photos to double-check, Ju Woo-seong waved his hands frantically.
“Never. This is all just a composite. It’s photoshopped.”
“Hmm, right. Well, let’s say it is. If it’s a fake, your agency will handle it. I don’t think I need to get involved.”
As I said, it was strange for me to interfere in something that was clearly the agency’s job when I had nothing to do with it.
At that, Ju Woo-seong’s lower lip pouted out as if he were truly hurt.
“I didn’t expect you to actually solve it, either. But shouldn’t you at least pretend to care? After everything I’ve done for you.”
So this is why he did those favors. To hold them over my head.
I clicked my tongue inwardly while putting on my best business smile.
“Ju Woo-seong sunbae-nim.”
“What!”
“I believe life is more beautiful because of its ups and downs. Consider this incident just another part of that process.”
“So basically, you’re telling me to just go ahead and hit rock bottom.”
I used my elbow to poke Kang Yi-chae in the ribs, stopping him from accurately narrating my inner thoughts.
“Well then, Yi-chae and I are busy, so we’ll be going now. Good luck, sunbae-nim!”
I gave a polite bow and was about to walk away when Ju Woo-seong, one eyebrow arched, crossed his arms and spoke grumpily.
“You really won’t lift a finger unless there’s something in it for you, you little… Fine. What if I hop on a variety show with you? Will you help me then?”
Wait, look at his tone now.
As I slightly knit my brows, Jeon Sae-young and Lee Han-ju started whispering behind Ju Woo-seong again.
“Didn’t they say all the WH Entertainment artists were gathering to film a variety show anyway…?”
“Yeah. And it’s funny how he talks like he’s doing a huge favor when he calls Seo Ho-yun every time because he has no friends.”
“Are you guys even on my side?!”
Ju Woo-seong, who had been flaring up, let out a deep sigh and mumbled in a small voice.
“I’m frustrated, but I really want to do right by my fans… I don’t want to disappoint them…”
“Ho…”
“Oh… Hyung actually has such admirable thoughts…?”
Unlike Jeon Sae-young and Lee Han-ju, who began to look at Ju Woo-seong with slightly warmer eyes, I watched the display with a dissatisfied gaze. Then—
“…Seo Ho-yun-ssi.”
A voice tinged with awkwardness called out to me.
Standing a few paces away, Chae Jeong-woo gestured to me with a soft smile. As I approached, a careful persuasion followed.
“Could you perhaps play along with him a little? Looking closely at the articles, I think if you helped with the explanation, things would be settled much faster.”
“Hmm.”
“It might not be a huge problem, but if a member takes a hit during a long hiatus, it affects the whole group. And if you’re okay with it, would you like to appear on my radio show again? The response was great last time.”
The last offer was likely a reward for my cooperation.
He really is skilled at handling people.
I rolled my brain for a moment, weighing the options, then let out a couple of intentional coughs and spoke loudly.
“…Ahem, a radio show? For all of The Dawn?”
“Well, I’ll check and get back to you. But you don’t need to worry.”
Chae Jeong-woo met my eyes and gave a smirk.
“Most things happen if I say so.”
I immediately turned my head toward Ju Woo-seong.
“Woo-seong hyung, what time are you free today?”
By then, Ju Woo-seong’s eyes had turned sharp and full of spite.
What. Why. Stop glaring.
* * *
[Holy crap, Ju Woo-seong dating scandal]
The dating rumors between Ju Woo-seong and the actress spread instantly.
[LOL f*ck I knew it. You should’ve hidden it better, Woo-seong. You media-played so hard about being a homebody, but you actually had your girlfriend living with you? Legend behavior ㅋㅋㅋ]
[Fangirls are seriously the masters of over-immersion ㅜㅜ It’s pathetic seeing them insist it’s photoshopped..]
[While you guys are out here being human shields, your oppas are using your money to go on ♡dates♡ with their girlfriends~~]
[Looking at the photos, it’s undeniable. Ju Woo-seong is grinning like an idiot.]
The photos used in the articles were all perfectly timed. However, if one looked closely, there was a strange awkwardness to them.
Fans suspected they were composites, but they couldn't find the original sources anywhere.
[Ah f*ck, it’s really not Woo-seong.]
[This is so frustrating. Even if we explain, people just dismiss it as 'delusional shielding.' How are we supposed to prove this?]
[It’s so hard to find the originals, damn it. This looks like a witness photo.]
Just as the Bloys were losing hope, unable to quell the ridiculous rumors—
[Ho-yun: (Photo)]
[Ho-yun: Noeul, hello.]
[Ho-yun: Have you eaten?]
As usual, a Pop-Pop message from Seo Ho-yun popped up for the Noeuls, who were active as ever.
[Seo Ho-yun’s photos are top-tier.
└ Looks like someone took it for him?? It’s shot so well.
└└ Yeah, it has that trendy Starstagram vibe ㅋㅋ]
[Ho-yun’s black clothes are covered in cat hair.]
And among those who saw it, a few who had been fans of the WH Entertainment lineage for a long time recognized the location immediately just by looking at the wallpaper and sofa cushions.
They immediately logged into their private accounts to exchange information.
[Wait, isn’t this JWS’s house?]
[Oh, looks like he’s with Ju Woo-seong.]
Until now, Seo Ho-yun himself had rarely revealed personal friendships first through SNS, Pop-Pop, or lives.
[Seo Ho-yun and Ju Woo-seong are actually really close.]
[There were hints before. Sometimes during Seo Ho-yun’s unofficial schedules, he’d show up with white fur on his clothes, and everyone was like 'what is that?'
└ Yeah, because of that, there were rumors that Seo Ho-yun was seeing a girl, but people said it was just Nyang-nyang-i from Ju-seong’s house ㅋㅋㅋ]
However, on this day, as if he had a specific intention, Seo Ho-yun didn't hesitate to mention his relationship with Ju Woo-seong.
[Ho-yun: Oh, the lint?]
[Ho-yun: It’s cat hair It shows up easily on black clothes...]
[Ho-yun: Sorry. I should have cleaned it off before taking the photo.]
The Noeuls were just happy to see Seo Ho-yun acting cute, but the Bloys, seeing the circulating screenshots, sensed something suspicious and their eyes lit up.
[Wait a minute... If you look at SHY’s photo, he’s covered in cat hair, but Shim Jeong-yun isn’t. Isn’t that weird? Whenever I go to a friend’s house who has a cat, my clothes get covered in fur.
└ Gasp, you’re right;;
└ True. If she had actually gone to his house, Nyang-nyang-i’s white fur should’ve been visible on her clothes... Why didn’t I think of this?]
[Forget digging into Ju Woo-seong, we need to dig into Seo Ho-yun.]
From then on, Black Call fans began to scour everything—from The Dawn’s official Nutube channel to their Twitter accounts, SNS, and Pop-Pop.
[Holy sh*t. Ju Woo-seong’s outfit in the article photo where he’s supposedly with Shim Jeong-yun... It’s the exact same outfit he wore in Seo Ho-yun’s workshop prep vlog on The Dawn’s Nutube channel.
That means Ju-seong was in the practice room ㅋㅋㅋ
└ Oh, right!!! Ju Woo-seong sent a Pop-Pop back then saying he was with Seo Ho-yun. The timing matches!
└ F*CK. If you look at the selfie Ju Woo-seong sent at the time, he’s in the practice room. You can even see the time on the wall clock ㅋㅋㅋ]
After organizing everything chronologically, they cross-referenced it with Black Call’s official account and the posts Ju Woo-seong occasionally uploaded.
[AAAAAAAH! I even found the original photo from before it was photoshopped. F*ck, as expected, these were all composites posted by international fans ㅜㅜ The editing is so good. What program do you guys use? Let’s use it together, damn it ㅋㅋㅋ]
When they even factored in fan sightings, alibis were created for every single timeframe mentioned in the articles.
Except for a few minor personal schedules, he was with Seo Ho-yun for most of it.
[Wow, Ju Woo-seong.....]
[He really doesn't meet anyone but Seo Ho-yun.]
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[Ah f*ck, what even is this friendship?]
[I just found out by digging through the Starstagrams of the drama staff ㅋㅋㅋ The actress he was rumored to be with was actually filming a drama in Bali at this time.
└ Wow ㅋㅋㅋㅋ This dating scandal is seriously absurd ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└└ The truth revealed by cat hair ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
As the situation shifted into a hilarious farce, Twitter’s real-time trends were taken over by 'Ju Woo-seong Dating,' 'Cat Hair,' 'What is this,' and 'Seo Ho-yun Pop-Pop.'
[Woo-seong-kun... Oi, oi... Looking at the route now, he just went to WH to practice every day....]
[Hah, they were just trash articles that picked up some random composites.]
[OK. I’m doing a chain block on everyone this time. I’ve saved PDFs of all these bastards, so let’s squeeze some money out of them with lawsuits.]
Thus, Ju Woo-seong’s dating scandal gradually died down.
On the other hand, Seo Ho-yun’s favorability and reputation among the Black Call fandom began to soar.
[Is the man named Seo... like some kind of guardian spirit for Ju-seong?]
The post was quickly deleted after receiving countless private account quotes in an instant, but the word 'guardian spirit' became firmly lodged in the hearts of the Bloys.
[Seo Ho-yun is 'God'....]
.
.
.
Having checked the reactions from Ju Woo-seong’s house in case of an emergency, I tucked my phone into my pocket after sincerely replying to messages from fans.
Then, looking at the still-pouting Ju Woo-seong, I tossed out a comment.
“So, how’s the junior who cleaned everything up in half a day?”
Ju Woo-seong, slumped in a single-person sofa, sneered.
“You’re soooooo amazing.”
“Aren’t you glad you have such a talented junior?”
Well, WH Entertainment isn't a major agency for nothing; they would have eventually fixed it even if I hadn't stepped in.
I had simply scattered a few baits to resolve the matter a bit faster.
In these situations, the longer things dragged on, the more disadvantageous it became. Even if an official statement was released, people who had been quiet would start doubting, wondering if there really was something to hide.
Regardless, even though I had stepped up to help, Ju Woo-seong was grumbling for some reason.
“Now, where is my thank you?”
“Thaaaaaaaank you so much.”
His heart was the size of a anchovy's. Shaking my head, I picked up Nyang-nyang-i, who was wandering around my feet.
I let out a small chuckle, feeling the warm temperature of the cat as it stretched like a spring and purred, rubbing its face against my neck.
“By the way, you said we’re going on a variety show together.”
“Probably? They said it’s not confirmed yet. They have to coordinate with the agency.”
“Ah… but Ju Woo-seong-ssi, do you have any ex-girlfriends within WH? It’ll be awkward if you run into them while filming.”
When I asked while gently scratching Nyang-nyang-i’s chin, Ju Woo-seong blinked rapidly.
“Well, I guess it’s fine as long as you weren't dating multiple people at once, right?”
“…….”
“It was fine when Ha Seo-yeon-ssi and Han Chae-ri-ssi were there.”
However, an ominous silence followed.
I narrowed my eyes and stared straight at Ju Woo-seong.
“…What. Are there more?”
But even to this question, Ju Woo-seong didn't answer.
“Don’t tell me it’s not two, but three….”
“…….”
“……Four?”
“…….”
I immediately stood up and headed for the entrance. Nyang-nyang-i, who had been 'making a loaf' on my lap, was startled and ran toward the dressing room.
Ju Woo-seong, who had been fidgeting with his fingers while avoiding my gaze, hurriedly chased after me.
“Seo Ho-yun, where are you going?!”
“I’m leaving because this is filthy.”
“Hey! Hey! No, it’s not like that! It’s not what you think! Don’t imagine weird things! I swear, I never dated them and I never brought them home!”
“Ah, sure.”
“It was just a… a bit of a strange vibe? But it’s not like I seduced them first, there were just a few people who had a one-sided interest in me, so I thought it might be a bit! awkward to see them again… You, you! Seriously! Stop looking at me like that! I’ve changed my ways and I’m living the single path of an idol! Is it a crime to be popular even when I’m just standing still?!”
Move, you crazy bastard.
“I really haven't met anyone for the past three years—.”
—Slam!
I pushed aside the guy who was endlessly spewing excuses and shut the door.
As I left the apartment, offering my silent condolences to Chae Jeong-woo and the Bloys, I muttered softly.
“Wouldn’t it be better if that guy just retired now?”
Ding!
[I agree for once.]
I brushed the cat hair off my black hoodie and made a fresh vow.
Even if I ever returned to being a PD, I would never cast Ju Woo-seong.