Chapter 156: Chapter 143

[Title: Is Seo Hoyun Smoking?]

The post uploaded to an anonymous community spread rapidly.

[Is this from last year? A screenshot from the rural self-produced content, lol. This is Seo Hoyun, right? Looks like a cigarette here]

The photo in the post appeared to be a screenshot from a scene in their past rural self-produced content video.

Jeong Dajun and Kang Ichae lay excitedly on an outdoor deck while Seong Jiwon unpacked bags beside them.

Through a slightly open traditional paper door in the background, someone appeared to hold something in their hand.

Below that, a photo captured Seo Hoyun in an outfit given by Kang Ichae before he changed into the T-shirt, uploaded alongside a speculated cigarette brand.

[Title: Seems Right

(Photo)

The manager took it away in a hurry, lol. Ah, it’s been a while since a blunder popped up~]

Frankly, considering they sold dreams and hope, becoming idols for children, caution was necessary; and as singers, they knew management issues could arise.

However, idols getting caught smoking wasn’t all that uncommon.

Those eager to drag someone down the moment they get a hold of something like this were thrilled and began throwing all kinds of shade.

[lololol Knew this would happen]

[Why are people so surprised…? lol. Doesn’t it seem obvious he’s been smoking since he was underage~]

[Aren’t you supposed to care for your voice? Aren’t you supposed to care for your voice? Aren’t you supposed to care for your voice?]

There were plenty of outright malicious comments, as well as those that pretended to be concerned while subtly provoking.

[Title: Seo Hoyun Smoking

I mean, it’s fine if he’s an adult, right?

But isn’t Seo Hoyun an idol and a sub-vocal..? lol. I liked him, but it’s disappointing if he’s not taking care of himself… ㅜ]

But the Noeul themselves didn’t mind at all.

How could they turn their backs on Seo Hoyun, who, despite his nasty temper, always did his best for his fans?

He regularly sent private messages and consistently uploaded selfies.

Even during filming for Shining Star, he always sported a gentle smile, saying, “Make sure to eat well” or “Hang in there today.”

[What????? Seo Hoyun smokes??]

So, when a post about Seo Hoyun smoking surfaced, Noeuls rushed over just the same, albeit for a different reason.

[Rushing over here]

[Hurry hurry hurry]

It was not out of anger over the smoking rumor.

[Quick, show the photo!!!!!]

They were eager to see it.

“The idol and his fans match” wasn’t just a saying.

They couldn’t publicly boast about it, but Noeuls, with hearts pounding in their private accounts and eyebrows raised, were let down by a blurry 144p quality capture of just a cigarette pack.

[Ah~~ What]

[Guys if you’re gonna make a smoking rumor, at least show him actually smoking, have some manners]

[I was getting excited to make it my phone wallpaper, but sigh… buzzkill]

The fans had overcome all kinds of hardships.

This was merely something they could scoff at.

Even when Seo Hoyun portrayed the smoker PD Lee Jeonghun, there was never an actual sighting of him with a cigarette.

As their inflated expectations deflated, Noeul began to chat among themselves again.

[First of all, if the comeback teaser comes out, I’m gonna smoke two packs a day out of sadness that this man isn’t mine

└That’s why it’s a national rule that one should crack open a soju every time this punk comes on air acting all innocent]

[Are we still calling this a scandal? Kids must’ve only tasted the mild flavor of K-pop]

[I might have been shocked if Jeong Dajun or Seong Jiwon were the ones smoking (Kim Seonghyeon said he hates the smell anyway) but Seo Hoyun doing it?

I’ve been waiting for you and rolling out the red carpet

└Kang Ichae: It’d be weirder if he didn’t smoke

└└lolololololol ah lololololololololololololol]

Yet, the Seo Hoyun smoking incident calmed down quicker than expected.

The atmosphere flipped when a netizen brought in another variety show footage shot at the same location where the self-produced content was filmed.

[Title: That cigarette isn’t Seo Hoyun’s, it seems.

Looked up Hometown Home-Cooked Meals variety show filming at the same place before the rural content

(Hometown Home-Cooked Meals_LP record with crumpled cigarette pack photo.jpg)

It’s hidden and hard to see, but if you capture the scene where they lift a few LP records to play music, you can glimpse it in the corner, isn’t this the same as the leaked photo of Seo Hoyun’s cigarette??

└Wow, really

└Crazy, how do you even find this???]

Shortly after this post, another post refuting the Seo Hoyun smoking rumor was uploaded.

[Title: Evidence that it’s not Seo Hoyun’s cigarette

(Photo Attached)

Comparing Hometown Home-Cooked Meals and The Dawn’s rural content photos

(Cigarette Pack_Enlarged.jpg)

Cigarette brand, location, and evidence exactly the same.

Hometown Home-Cooked Meals variety: July 19

The Dawn rural content: July 21

And after the rural healing, if you zoom in when The Dawn’s manager briefly appears, he’s holding the same cigarette. It was likely left by the staff or cast of Hometown Home-Cooked Meals, and Seo Hoyun was just passing it to the manager to avoid rumorsㅇㅇ

└Wow, full on delusion

└└? Seems right though

└└Upper comments just want to hate even when presented with evidence lol

└Guys, if this is true, Seo Hoyun would be seriously wronged ㅠㅠ]

And as this story spread fast, a staff from Hometown Home-Cooked Meals clarified on SNS that it was theirs, thus concluding the cigarette issue.

[lol Where did all the trash-talkers go? lol]

[Seriously, it’s ridiculous..]

Everyone brushed it off as just another passing issue.

[Hoyun~ We’ll support you no matter what

└Even if he dates?

└└Seo Hoyun is already dating

└└Eh??

└└With me♡

└└Bold…]

However, not long after, another reaction surfaced.

[Hey, but where did that first cigarette screenshot come from? I can’t find it in any official video no matter how much I look??]

Despite scouring the rural self-produced content video on Youtube, that scene simply didn’t exist.

[….? Huh?]

That’s when Noeul reacted sharply.

They could coolly overlook a smoking incident, but if it was a leak, that was a different story.

[Is this screenshot private? Then, is it leaked from Daepaseong Entertainment?

└????]

No matter how much they searched the video, frame by frame, there was no match for the photo circulating online.

[Ah shit]

Noeul’s confusion gradually turned into anger.

[Looks like there’s a leaker in Daepaseong]

This wasn’t something to just sit back and watch.

Around that time, several dubious incidents among the fans began to surface.

[Ah ㅋㅋdamn, was the leak of Second Chance’s track last year done by the same guy?]

[The kids don’t show it, but they got a lot of sasaeng calls during their V-Live… Did someone sell their numbers??]

[This is so fucking annoying…]

The keywords “leaker” and “Daepaseong” were exposed on the real-time trend list in an instant.

Back during “Second Chance,” it could slip by due to low recognition and being virtually unknown, but not anymore.

Not only the support hashtags but also numerous posts demanding an official statement from Daepaseong Entertainment flooded in.

As the situation grew, Daepaseong could no longer stay quiet.

[The leaked of “Second Chance” is a copyright infringement… Daepaseong Entertainment “is requesting an immediate investigation”]

It was late, but it meant they were trying to do something.

While the scandal erupted outside, inside Daepaseong Entertainment, it was quite turbulent.

Especially the planning department.

And since they managed data at Daepaseong, it was even worse.

After the CEO had a go at them, the mood in the planning department was dismal.

“Hey, who recently checked the rural healing data?”

With that, Lee Jihyeon’s senior’s face turned pale, but Jihyeon was lost in other thoughts.

Crazy bastard…

It was not about the leaker.

Seo Hoyun, this crazy guy…

It was about Seo Hoyun.

He didn’t give details, but that day, Hoyun had asked Jihyeon to secretly pass on the rural healing data.

Then, he said to leave it be afterward and to pass the hard drive scrubbing task onto a few specific seniors.

“This isn’t some shady business, is it?”

“Of course not. Don’t you trust me?”

She didn’t trust him.

She clutched the hardcover book he passed to her, but her suspicious gaze remained, so Seo Hoyun, with a sly smile, tried to soothe her.

“Are you worried? Lee Jihyeon, all you have to do is pretend you know nothing.”

“…”

“Just take it easy, really easy.”

Then, he subtly leaned in.

“We didn’t see each other today.”

It was just as he said, to keep her mouth shut, eyes shut, and ears shut.

With those words, Jihyeon could guess without having to think hard.

“Ah, this is driving me crazy. What the hell….”

This was all Seo Hoyun’s doing.

He wanted to catch the leaker and press down on the planning department but bringing up past issues wouldn’t work, so he ignited a new incident.

In other words, it was all spread by Hoyun himself.

And on his own birthday, at that.

Of course, the company didn’t think he would set himself up, so Hoyun wasn’t even considered a suspect.

Who in the world would think an idol would flip their company over by spreading their smoking scandal, but here they were.

If it was Seo Hoyun, it was totally possible.

“I’ll report to the CEO and talk to you later. You got it?”

“…Yes.”

But Jihyeon couldn’t foresee what was ahead.

Even if the smoking incident and the leak of tracks and phone numbers were set to ignite, how would that lead to a restructuring of the planning team?

If the leaker wasn’t found, it would just damage the image slightly and wouldn’t even serve as noise marketing.

It would just ending up as a clumsy mistake.

“Then, I’ll also… go back to work.”

Jihyeon slowly looked around, cautious.

After all, she wasn’t supposed to worry about that crazy guy.

“Hurry up and give it to me quickly and cheaply.”

[Such a thug….]

At that time, I was furiously grinding away at the system window after a long while.

[Quest arrival! Finish 10 events in Japan!

Success: 5,000 points awarded

Failure: (None, I did my best)]

[You’re the bestㅎㅎ]

Before departing for Japan, that is, before meeting Lee Jihyeon, such a quest had arrived after a long time.

Reflecting on its past mischief, the system window brought forth a quest with favorable terms.

Yet, what truly captivated me was an item in the item shop.

[I Hope to See You in My Dreams

><

You can influence the dreams of a designated person. Hoping your fans will think of The Dawn more often—

—No.

Feeling a sudden reality check.

Just use it as you please.

It’s definitely an item Seo Hoyun can misuse.

But it’s pricey, so I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re really serious.

Points: 20,000

*Additional points may be charged depending on the dream content.]

It meant I needed at least 20,000 points.

Having squandered points carelessly the last time I had to help Yoon Heeun, I couldn’t afford it right away.

[Why bother looking at this again?]

[You can’t buy it anyway.]

“Why can’t I?”

[…Excuse me?]

The system window seemed utterly flustered.

There had been a time like this.

Nonchalantly, I had grumbled about how hard it was to accumulate points through quest successes yet spending them happened in the blink of an eye.

Unexpectedly, the system window sincerely responded.

Though there would be a cost, it was possible to borrow points.

[No way.]

Then, suddenly realizing something, I frantically opened multiple system windows.

[Don’t take a loan.]

[Really.]

[Totally.]

[Overkill.]

[It’s a total loss.]

[You’ll regret it!]

“Yep, I’m doing it.”

I smirked at the system’s reaction.

Using Kim Jaeyeon’s hand to extend the game board had been a fairly good decision.

Just look at the reaction now.

See, there’s a use for everything.

At that time, cameras hadn’t been installed inside the room yet.

However, outside, the van captured the members’ reactions from the moment they arrived at the filming location.

Only the hawk-eyed editor of the content creation team had clipped the cigarette case footage, reporting it exclusively to the team leader of the planning team and Lee Jihyeon, who was almost entirely in charge of The Dawn.

Subsequently, a cut version was uploaded to Youtube after being deleted.

Recalling that moment, I quickly formed a plan.

After asking Lee Jihyeon to hand over the data, I sifted through the accumulated data to scatter screenshots of unreleased videos and successfully turned the tables with a rumor of a massive leak through Kim Jaeyeon.

It was time to kickstart the overhaul of the planning department.

All that was left was to go through with it.

I wanted to catch the leaker to complete the perfect picture, and this item seemed to have the best cost-performance for that purpose.

[How could you think of such a thing first?? Don’t people usually try to save what they have?]

“Minus bank accounts are a staple for office workers.”

I lightly retorted and was about to push the system window again, but the damn thing persistently asked.

[You do know you can’t use that item if you don’t know the target, right?]

“Do you think I’m doing this without knowing?”

[…How do you know then?]

“I threw a bait last year.”

I sprawled on the sofa, crossing my legs, and crunched on a lollipop.

From the moment the Second Chance tracks leaked (that is, when I was busily vomiting in the bathroom), I had suspected an insider was involved.[1]

My suspicion deepened after the stalking phone incident, so I deliberately threw the bait.

“I changed my phone number and shared the new one with only a few suspects.”

[What??]

“Soon after, I got a call. My information was sold.”

The leaker’s motives were not clear.

It was either someone enjoying spilling secrets or a wimp satisfied with a small amount of money.

And that wimp was in the planning team.

Finding evidence became difficult recently as the person seemed to be covering their tracks.

Even after receiving the self-produced content data from Lee Jihyeon to blowing up the cigarette incident to overcoming the leak of “Second Chance” and their phone numbers, it was still not enough.

The company wouldn’t budge easily.

Most companies were conservative, preferring to hide bad news rather than cut it off, knowing it would worsen later.

In other words, unless the leaker was caught and presented directly, the CEO wouldn’t easily shake up the planning department.

“Timing is everything.”

Instead of waiting for a sluggish investigation, now, with external pressure mounting, it was time to catch the leaker and restructure the planning department.

And while I was lost in those thoughts, the item that caught my eye was this.

[You’re crazy….]

[Are you really going to do it??]

“Yeah, you little shit. Don’t make me say it twice.”

Seeing that I had no intention of changing my mind, a slight noise interfered with the system window before it soon popped up something.

[…Then I’ll recite the side effects of the loan system for you.]

“Uh-huh.”

[High fever, muscle pain, chills.]

I had expected that much.

It was the same when there was a leak of the song.

Looking on with a nonchalant gaze, I momentarily lost my words to the continuously flowing list of side effects.

[A cough that makes you think you’re going to die soon, severe headaches as if someone is splitting your head open from behind, a loss of appetite so bad you’d feel nauseous no matter what you saw or smelled, coughing up blood due to bronchial mucosa bleeding, damage to nasal blood vessels bursting once every hour….]

“…It seems like the explanation is quite intentionally detailed.”

[Are you really going to do it? It’s incomparable to last time, you know?]

I lifted my gaze and scanned the list of side effects again.

Endless, just endless.

After a moment of contemplation, I nodded.

“Lend it to me.”

There was no turning back now.

[Ah, really… This is really fucking bad…]

The system window grumbled as it displayed a message.

I immediately used the loaned points to purchase the item.

[“I Hope to See You in My Dreams” has been purchased!]

[Really, don’t regret it.]

“Why would I regret?”

Though I said that, exactly an hour later.

“…Cough, cough! Ack!”

…That is, after throwing up blood in the bathroom three times,

“Shit.”

For the first time, I began to regret not listening to the system window.

[1] Just a reminder, this happened in Episode 16.