Goddamn Idol Chapter 142
* * *
As soon as Choe Daeho opened his eyes that morning, he called Team Leader Bak.
It was because he had seen the articles about Han Sion on the portal sites.
“Team Leader Bak. Was that you?”
Since it was a phone call, Choe Daeho omitted the subject, but his question carried puzzlement.
There were two points he found strange.
The first was that the article had broken far too early.
For something like this, it was better to set it off around seven or eight in the evening.
Reporters had a special sort of job, but they were still office workers.
Once quitting time passed, there was bound to be a gap in response.
In other words, even if Sedal Baegil tried to take action regarding the issue, it would have to carry over to the next day.
Media companies also avoided dawn articles that not many people would see.
Then what would happen?
All night long, third-rate media outlets would pour out urakkai—copycat articles—
and the issue would spread through the public’s social media.
What would happen if that swallowed up the morning news section the next day?
The public, exposed to the issue from the previous evening until that morning, would think this:
that they already knew everything there was to know about the issue.
Then it was over.
Most people would not look for clarification articles even if they were published, and even if they did see them, they would not trust them.
Even if, with the passage of time, Han Sion proved his innocence, the public’s reaction would not change.
‘Weren’t there some problems with them?’
By that point, content producers would not go out of their way to choose Sedal Baegil while bearing the discomfort.
If they had the support of a major agency, they might be able to turn the situation around, but Sedal Baegil was independent.
And yet, the article had broken too early.
Seven in the morning was an extremely early hour.
If that was the first odd point, the second was that the channel that had released the exclusive article was MBN.
Ryan Entertainment did not have any particular connection to MBN.
On top of that, though MBN was hardly clean, it was a public broadcaster, so it would not go along with small-scale things like this.
It would not be difficult to make a request to an individual reporter, but he could not see any reason to use MBN.
Sure enough, Team Leader Bak shook his head on the other side of the receiver.
—No, sir. It seems they investigated it on their own.
“The source didn’t leak?”
—I’m not sure about that much, but it has nothing to do with our line.
At Team Leader Bak’s words, which similarly omitted the subject, Choe Daeho fell into thought.
The timeline had gone awry, but it was not a bad thing.
No, it was actually good.
This way, since MBN had released the first article, it would not incur Lawyer Choe Jiun’s wrath.
On top of that, was this not when Sedal Baegil would be out of their minds because of Onsaemiro’s parents?
‘Their mental state might be shaken enough to ruin the stage.’
He had been a little flustered at first, but now that he thought about it, the timing seemed even better.
As long as one condition was met.
“Throw the stone. You know what I mean, right?”
Right now, MBN’s article did not include the fact that Han Sion had come to manage his parents’ money.
Nor did it say that he had obtained guardian status through a major law firm.
They had to let that be known first before they could throw out the suspicion that Han Sion might have intended the traffic accident for the sake of his parents’ money.
—I understand what you mean.
At Team Leader Bak’s answer, Choe Daeho nodded.
Bak Seungwon would do well.
After all, he was a capable employee who had started as a road manager with no experience and become a team leader in just seven years.
Because his promotion had been too fast, his rank had remained at team leader, but his actual treatment was at the level of a business division head.
After hanging up the phone, Choe Daeho began reading the comments on the news.
—Whoa, vegetative state...?
—No, for real? This isn’t tabloid gossip??
—ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠPoor thing.
—A trial has descended upon a talented young man. They say heaven only gives trials one can endure. I hope this smart young man overcomes it well.
—Wow, I saw that post a nurse uploaded last time; that was actually true??
—Today is Sedal Baegil’s first music show... Will his mental state be okay?
Naturally, the public’s reaction was shock and sympathy.
As far as Choe Daeho knew, the story of Han Sion’s parents had occasionally been mentioned on internet communities.
There had been patients who were hospitalized with him at the time Han Sion was admitted, and medical staff who worked at the hospital.
The Coming Up Next production crew had known as well.
But all such posts had been treated as nonsense, because the story was simply too hard to believe.
Now that MBN had released an exclusive article, it was only natural for the old posts to be reexamined.
—(Link) (Link) I looked it up and there were more mentions than I expected...
—Did Coming Up Next know too?
—Do the members know...?
However, that did not mean everyone stopped at sympathizing with Han Sion.
Even excluding the malicious comments being posted brainlessly, there were people who raised reasonable questions.
—Wait, then Han Sion appeared on Coming Up Next two months after the accident? Am I the only one who thinks that’s kind of weird?
└What are you talking about? Then was he supposed to just keep staying at home being sad?
└PTSD patients are supposed to meet people, even if they have to force themselves, you crazy bastard.
└Being alone is bad because your thoughts keep digging deeper. If anything, he overcame it by going on a survival program.
—Han Sion looked totally fine on Coming Up Next. Is he really an accident victim?
└Fucking hell, all these hate commenters need to be sued.
└If anything, I thought Han Sion had a gloomy air about him?
└Just go die. You psychopath bastard.
Of course, these were not opinions that would easily gain sympathy right now.
After all, this was the point when the public was pitying Han Sion.
When he looked at the clock, it was pointing to eight in the morning.
Since it was the time the day began, countless people would be commuting to work or school while exchanging messages expressing sympathy for Han Sion.
But Choe Daeho could guarantee it.
By the time they got off work, they would be sending messages not of sympathy, but of condemnation.
Once sympathy began to turn into condemnation, the public became exceedingly cruel.
Because of the feeling that they had been betrayed.
“Hmm.”
Thinking that, Choe Daeho closed the internet comment window.
* * *
[(Photo)(Photo) Real-time SNS from fans who went to cheer at Sedal Baegil’s prerecording.]
They say the Sedal Baegil members finished the prerecording calmly. Judging from the reactions, it seems like all the members already knew.
I was just someone who listened to Sedal Baegil’s songs a little, but from now on, I’m really rooting for you, Han Sion.
I hope things go well for youㅠ
[Does anyone remember Han Sion’s Downfall Detector veto?]
Q: Han Sion. What past moment would you most like to change?
A: There was a time I overslept. That’s the moment I regret the most and want to change.
Q: What happened because you overslept?
A: I’ll use my veto.
At the time, I just thought he used the veto strangely...
But he had a reasonㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
It’s so sad because it seems like he thinks the accident happened because he oversleptㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
[News footage from the Gwanak IC accident at the time.]
It was a freaking huge accident...
I’m glad it seems Han Sion wasn’t badly hurt.
All sorts of stories related to Han Sion began pouring out.
Han Sion’s past remarks were reexamined, and eyewitness accounts flooded in.
In particular, eyewitness accounts from when he was hospitalized became a major topic.
The story was that for the first few days, he had seemed unable to recognize reality, but one day, he cried to the point of dehydration.
Titi’s reaction was, quite literally, intense.
Many shed tears over the pain of Han Sion that they had only belatedly learned about, and many called the media outlet to protest.
They filled the news bulletin board, asking why his personal privacy had been turned into an article at will, and why it had to be released on the day of his first music show of all days.
Around this time, new exclusive articles with new information began pouring out.
[
[What is the guardianship Han Sion obtained? The right to exercise authority over legal acts and property management on behalf of an incapacitated person.]
Up to this point, people considered it a matter of course.
Common sense said that if one’s parents entered vegetative states, their child should be the one to manage their property.
Of course, around this point, comments began appearing about Sedal Baegil’s activity funds.
—Could Sedal Baegil have been promoting with Han Sion’s parents’ money?
—Whoa?
—Wasn’t it kind of strange? No matter how much they entered the Billboard charts, filming a music video of that scale must have burned through hundreds of millions.
—Are Han Sion’s parents that rich?
—The article said they were both doctors?
—Whoa??
It was enough of a reaction to create an issue, but it failed to spread as one.
Because even more shocking news immediately followed.
[
[
Question marks appeared in people’s minds when they saw the article titles.
Looking at the titles, it seemed as if Han Sion had obtained “guardianship he originally could not have had.”
And through a major law firm, at that.
To exaggerate a little, the entire nation was watching the news.
Even those who were not in a position to do so were sharing the articles in countless group chats.
[Doubts raised over Han Sion’s actions in hiring a major law firm immediately after discharge.]
[Accident -> Discharge -> Hiring a law firm -> Appearance on a variety program.]
[Why did the Seocho-gu Family Court appoint Han Sion as guardian of both parents?]
The articles came out.
[Did Han Sion maintain his career as a singer with his parents’ assets?]
And came out again.
[Doubts raised over Han Sion’s appointment as guardian; some even speculate he may have intended the accident for the sake of property rights.]
And came out again.
[A civic group releases statement urging disclosure of the operation history of Han Sion’s parents’ assets.]
The speed at which the articles poured out was abnormally fast.
Of course, the public did not find this phenomenon strange.
Because it was such a shocking issue, they thought articles were being published as soon as information was obtained.
As the issue unfolded too quickly, the public’s way of thinking began to follow the article titles exactly.
At first, they felt sorry for Han Sion, who had suffered an accident. Next, they became aware of the guardianship. After that, they grew suspicious about how he had obtained guardianship.
Then they began to suspect the funds for Han Sion’s activities as a singer, and finally, they reached the truth or falsehood of the accident itself.
No matter what article came next, the public would believe it.
Even if it was an article with no basis whatsoever, saying, “Han Sion intended the traffic accident for the sake of his parents’ fortune.”
But the next article was...
[
It was Han Sion’s statement.
--------------------
Hello. This is Han Sion of Sedal Baegil.
I am writing this to clarify the exact facts of the matters currently in controversy.
In the chronological order of the situation as I remember it...
... (omitted) ...
Because there were also people who never once visited the hospital room, even while my parents had lost consciousness and were hospitalized.
Therefore, I thought I absolutely could not hand over my parents’ guardianship to my relatives.
Knowing nothing, I went to the law firm said to be the largest in South Korea.
I could have been turned away at the door, but fortunately, there was someone who listened to my story and sympathized with me.
It was Lawyer Choe Jiun...
Along with this statement, I will disclose the details of my parents’ assets.
Except for the fee I paid to Lawyer Choe Jiun, I have not touched even a single won of the principal.
Also, I will never use this money until my parents wake up.
If, by any chance, I come to need money and end up using it, I will somehow make sure to fill it back in without fail, and...
... (rest omitted)
--------------------
At the same time, new exclusive articles came out.
[
[What flaws in the potential guardians did the Family Court identify?]
[Han Sion, condemned through speculation, proves he never operated his parents’ assets.]
The media immediately changed its stance.
Some even quietly edited the articles that had raised suspicions.
The shift in attitude was so fast it left the public bewildered.
But the person most bewildered at this very moment was—
“W-what is this...?”
Choe Daeho.
Absurdly enough, Choe Daeho had no choice but to sit there blankly and watch this entire issue unfold.
Because the ones that had raised suspicions about Han Sion through exclusive articles were MBN affiliates, and the one that had resolved the issue with Han Sion’s statement was also MBN.
That was right.
All of this—
“With this much money involved, settling for a department head would be a scam. How about the director of the newsroom?”
—was a board Han Sion had already laid out.