LIGHTNOVELONLINE
Chapter 61:
Finding the whistleblower who posted about the corruption on the blog and then deleted it turned out to be not as difficult as expected.
Of course, it was not difficult for Brion.
It took as much time as confirming that Lee Hyejin is a heavy user of BlueChat.
Yooil was curious about how Brion managed to find it, but he decided not to ask, as knowing the details might only burden his heart.
Anyway, it was fortunate.'
Following Brion's advice, Yooil contacted the former employee of Kedu who had written the post anonymously.
Truthfully, I intended to publicize the issue when I wrote the post. But the company has connections with the media it was impossible for me to find a reporter who wasn't connected to them. At that time, I was scared as I planned to continue working in Korea.
The writer was soon going to work abroad and felt fortunate to be able to talk about it like this. JJ Entertainment, in exchange for receiving all the materials from the whistleblower, agreed to keep their identity strictly confidential.
Jang Jaehyun took the responsibility for contacting the journalists to publicize the issue.
After that, everything moved swiftly.
Kedu Group's Golf Course Bidding Corruption' Becomes a Known Fact Small Shareholders in Tears
Golf Course Corruption' Multiple Kedu Subsidiary CEOs Summoned Investigation Speeding Up?
Prosecutors Conduct Comprehensive Searches of Kedu Group, etc.
The investigation led to WW Entertainment.
KWM (formerly WW Entertainment) Slush Fund Detected CEO Lee Seokwoo Summoned for Investigation
And slowly, Kim Suna's story began to emerge as well.
* * *
"Hey, you crazy b*tch!"
As soon as Kim Suna stepped into the office, she was greeted by a shrill scream.
The office looked as if it had been bombed. Suna, scanning the office, spoke calmly.
"I was worried."
At Suna's words, the manager closed his mouth. Seeing the faint hope on the faces of Lee Seokwoo and the manager, Suna smirked.
"Seems like the raid went well."
At her casual words, Manager Kim was furious.
"How could you, how could you do this to us?!"
The manager, always wearing heavy makeup and a high bun, looked different today. Smudged eyeliner and disheveled hair. There was no leisure in her smile, which always revealed her teeth.
"Do you think you climbed up there all by yourself?!"
"Suna."
Lee Seokwoo, sitting like a statue in the black leather chair, spoke.
"We're not in such a relationship, are we?"
He continued with an exaggeratedly sad tone.
""
"For your mother's sake can't you reconsider just once?"
Kim Suna looked at him squarely.
The scars deeply engraved in her heart over the past ten years couldn't heal easily. That man was still a frightening presence to her.
Kim Suna clenched her trembling hands.
"You didn't know."
"What?"
"It was all for my mother."
But now, Kim Suna was certain.
Her mother would have wanted her happiness.
"You should have not mentioned my mother. Just say you're sorry to me."
Kim Suna's gaze dropped, and one corner of her mouth lifted.
A mocking smile full of ease.
"What, what?"
Lee Seokwoo's eyes wavered.
To anyone looking, Suna appeared calm now. The trembling in her voice, once faint, had subsided.
"I wish you a lifetime of misery."
Kim Suna hid her racing heart behind a cold facade as she continued.
"May you suffer every single day, just like you tormented me and others. Every single day."
She had always been confident in her acting, after all.
* * *
Three-Day Empire' KWM (formerly WW Entertainment) on the brink of delisting What's the inside story?
Slush Fund Creation / Embezzlement Suspicions' KWM in crisis, what happens to its affiliated actors?
Threatened for re-signing,' Joo Sihyun speaks out Gaslighting suspicions against KWM CEO
Jang Jaehyun, his face expressionless as he scrolled through the articles, turned off his monitor as he heard a knock on his door. At the same time, a practiced smile appeared on his face.
The person behind the knock bowed immediately upon entering.
"Thank you."
Jang Jaehyun quietly observed Kim Suna's long hair, which reached down to her calves as she bowed.
"Ms. Kim Suna, you may straighten up."
He glanced briefly at Han Yooil's profile pinned on the wall as he added,
"And it's Yooil who deserves more gratitude than me."
"I heard you took efforts to prevent sensational articles from being published under my name."
Jang Jaehyun continued with a smooth smile,
"Going forward, Ms. Suna will also be working with us. It's only natural."
"Still, thank you, CEO."
After terminating her contract with WW Entertainment, many agencies sent love calls to Kim Suna. A good actress in her early twenties was a rare find, after all.
But among the myriad of agencies, Kim Suna chose JJ Entertainment.
Kim Suna's brown eyes drifted to the floor.
"I intend to thank Yooil personally"
Kim Suna had only passed on the accumulated evidence to Yooil without knowing the full details of the situation. But it was clear that Yooil was directly involved in everything.
Once, she had tried to understand why he would go to such lengths for her, but now she no longer sought answers.
It was clearly a gesture of goodwill.
Though she still couldn't quite believe it.
Kim Suna sighed lightly as she gazed out the window.
* * *
That same afternoon.
Yooil, entering the company after a long time, opened the white door.
Kim Suna and Park Younghyun were already sitting at the round table. Yooil took the remaining empty seat and began,
"Have both of you been well?"
Warmth returned to the once silent conference room.
"We've been well."
"Me too."
Though both were typically reserved, the atmosphere felt different from their first meeting.
After all, today was the day JJ Entertainment was shooting a short promotional video with its actors for O'Tube.
"It'll be over soon, so don't be too nervous!"
As the staff said, the shoot wasn't difficult.
The three of them followed the script for a short conversation and then faced the camera to offer New Year's greetings and share their plans for the year.
"Hello, I'm actor Han Yooil. Honestly, I still feel shy to call myself an actor but I will work hard to show you better performances. I wish you all a happy new year and a joyful year ahead. Thank you."
Yooil was the first to finish his greeting.
Looking around after finishing, Yooil felt a bit puzzled.
What's going on?'
For some reason, the expressions in Park Younghyun and Kim Suna's eyes had changed since a moment ago.
"As much love as I've received so far, I'll return it through my acting. I'll show you a new, different Kim Suna than before."
"I'll be an actor who leaves good memories for everyone who has known Park Younghyun, whether it was from 20 years ago or someone who's just getting to know me now."
It definitely wasn't the greeting they had practiced initially.
"Wow, such passion, actors!"
The unsuspecting PR team member clapped her hands with a cheerful face.
"Well, as long as it turns out well, that's all that matters."
Satisfied, the PR team member gave a thumbs up.
"Great work, everyone~"
"Thank you for your hard work."
After a round of light farewells, just as everyone was about to stand up, it happened.
"Ah, Yooil, could you stay for a moment?"
At the employee's request, Yooil nodded and sat back down. Soon, including the employees, everyone had left the meeting room.
"I'll be right back, so please don't go anywhere and just stay seated!"
"Yooil! I also have something to take care of, so I'll step out for a moment!"
With even Min Woojin, who seemed more tense than usual, leaving the meeting room, Yooil was left alone in the now-quiet space.
About 10 minutes must have passed.
Yooil continued to sit alone in the empty meeting room, waiting.
Meanwhile, Brion was calculating probabilities unasked.
Probability of an unexpected accident occurring after leaving the meeting room 15.9%, probability of forgetting Mr. Yooil 0.5%
Enough. They'll be back soon.'
That's when it happened.
Suddenly, the lights in the meeting room went out.
As Yooil blinked and tried to look around, a projector beam hit an empty wall.
"?"
As Yooil looked around in confusion, a video started playing on the white wall.
[JJHan Yooil]
Chubby and adorable letters appeared in large size.
[Already a year!]
Yooil was still unable to grasp the situation, merely blinking.
Meanwhile, the video projected showed various still cuts of Yooil from filming sites.
With each transition of still cuts, the cute font continued to pop up and dominate the center of the video.
[Works tirelessly like an ox!]
[Born to act!]
After all sorts of cheesy adjectives passed by, giant sky-blue letters appeared on a black screen.
[Han Yooil]
"Ah."
If he was feeling bewildered just a moment ago, now he was dying of embarrassment. Han Yooil covered his face with one hand and bowed his head.
It was very touching but overwhelmingly embarrassing.
-Clack!
At that moment, the lights turned on.
"Happy one year anniversary~ Happy one year anniversary~ To our beloved actor Han Yooil~ Happy one year anniversary~"
And there they were, the colleagues Yooil had been waiting for, peeking their faces in. They were holding a sky-blue lettering cake with a lit candle shaped like the number one.
"Congratulations, Yooil~"
Next to the cake, Director Jang Jaeyi cheerfully shouted.
Min Woojin was clapping enthusiastically, wearing a cute party hat. For some reason, Park Younghyun and Kim Suna were also standing behind him, wearing the same party hats. Even the cameramen, two of them, had followed in with cameras in hand.
Could it be.'
Only then did Yooil notice the small camera attached to a corner of the ceiling.
"You've finally noticed!"
"We were worried everyone would catch on too quickly since Yooil is so perceptive~"
"Ah, what a relief!"
The cheerful voices of the employees echoed in the meeting room. Yooil himself was completely overwhelmed.
"Um Thank you"
It felt like receiving an unexpected gift.
Perhaps like getting a Christmas present in the middle of summer.
The cake, with its background painted like an Impressionist oil painting in deep blue and sky blue, was adorned with cute whipped cream flowers. After blowing out the candle, he noticed the writing in purple cream.
[To the one and only Han Yooil, may you always walk on a path of flowers!]
"Yooil, we specifically chose sky blue because we heard you like it! How is it?"
A conversation with Min Woojin about a month ago suddenly came to mind.
Yooil, it's a bit out of the blue, but what's your favorite color?
Me? Hmm, I don't particularly have a favorite, but if I have to choose, sky blue?
I didn't expect it to be used this way.'
They were more thoughtful than he realized.
"Congratulations, Yooil."
"Congratulations."
Park Younghyun and Kim Suna offered their greetings with bright faces. However, Yooil couldn't feel entirely at ease.
"I couldn't even attend Senior Younghyun's first-anniversary party."
"That's understandable. You were filming at the time, Yooil."
Younghyun looked at Yooil as if it was the most natural thing.
An employee whispered to Yooil.
"We didn't plan to invite the actors, but those two insisted they wanted to celebrate with you."
It wasn't necessary.
But it did feel nice.
"Let's eat something delicious today!"
"Order whatever you all want!"
Seemingly more excited than Yooil, the employees shouted for expensive sushi!', expensive chicken!', expensive ribs!', expensive shaved ice!', and Jang Jaeyi willingly ordered every item.
* * *
When everyone's stomach was full, the small party came to an end. Before heading home, Yooil went to the office at the request of Director Jang Jaeyi.
"Thank you, Director. It was a real surprise."
"You looked surprised. It was worth the preparation."
Looking proud, Jang Jaeyi slowly began to speak.
"For Yooil's first anniversary, we're planning to start an official fan club. Along with an online fan meeting."
"What?"
A fan meeting.
As Yooil looked at her in surprise, she spoke with a firm voice.
"It can't be helped. The employees are having a hard time because of you, Yooil. We're flooded with requests to start an official fan club for you."
Seeing Yooil's bewildered face, Jang Jaeyi let out a small laugh.
"It's a joke about the employees. But we've been preparing this for two months already."
She showed a playful smile.
"How about it? Are you excited?"
"Yes."
Heart rate increase by 21bpm. Body temperature normal. Oxygen saturation normal. Slight nervousness or excitement is detected.
Yooil sipped his water, ignoring Brion's analysis. Drinking the cold water seemed to calm his slightly excited state.
"Oh, by the way, Yooil. We should also start preparing."
"For what?"
"The Berlin Film Festival. The Mysterious Garden. You know it's been invited to the Panorama section."
Yooil almost spat out the water he was drinking.