Chapter 207: Agitation and Fabrication (4)

Choi Hwang-Cheol continued to check his surroundings during his meeting with Hong Ju-Tae after a long time. Anyone could tell that he was on pins and needles, worrying about people trying to find out who he was. Ju-Tae chuckled from seeing his fretful junior.

“You don’t have to be so on edge. There’s not a single person here who’s interested in us.”

Neither of them was famous like Kang Ra-Eun, so there wasn’t a single person who recognized them. Despite that, Hwang-Cheol continued to be on edge.

“Celebrities sure are amazing, sunbae.”

“What’s up with you all of a sudden?” Ju-Tae asked.

“It’s just... I’m sure they would feel like this in their daily lives. I don’t think I could handle it.”

“That’s true. The celebrity life isn’t for everyone.”

Ju-Tae shrugged. They decided to leave the chit-chat there and got straight to the point.

“GNF hasn’t really done anything in particular besides their first official statement.”

Ju-Tae had continued to keep an eye on Ra-Eun and her agency’s reaction, but they had not yet done anything significant.

“Situations like this can be a result of one of two instances,” he mentioned.

“What are they?”

“One is that they’re silently acknowledging the other party’s claims. The other is...”

Ju-Tae took out his smartphone and told Hwang-Cheol to wait for a moment. Hwang-Cheol had thought Ju-Tae was either taking a call or a text message, but he had come to realize that he had been wrong after Ju-Tae set down his phone on the table at an angle horizontally.

“You saw the article too, right, Hwang-Cheol?”

“Which one?”

“The one about Kang Ra-Eun holding a surprise press conference today.”

Ju-Tae positioned the smartphone so that the screen would be visible to Hwang-Cheol sitting next to him as well. He then spoke about the other instance as he pointed at the live feed of the press conference.

“The other is that they’re collecting materials to reveal all at once.”

“Could Ra-Eun really have gathered such materials?” Hwang-Cheol asked.

There had not been a CCTV camera present when Hwang-Cheol and his posse had been beaten up by Ra-Eun, which was why he had thought he had the advantage against her. He had proof that he had been beaten up by her, or in other words, the photos.

Although no one knew whether or not those injuries had been caused by Ra-Eun, Hwang-Cheol was not the one who needed to prove that; that was solely up to Ra-Eun. She herself needed to prove her innocence, and Ju-Tae and Hwang-Cheol simply needed to sit back and watch her struggle. That was their plan.

Ju-Tae finished what was remaining of his iced coffee and snickered.

“It doesn’t matter how hard she struggles. We’re bound to win in the end.”

There was no such evidence that Ra-Eun hadn’t been the one to cause those injuries. This was why Ju-Tae was so sure of their victory.

Ra-Eun showed herself at last to the reporters. The moment the press conference began...

“...!”

Ju-Tae and Hwang-Cheol’s faces began to turn pale.

***

Evidence to flip the situation around did not exist; like Ju-Tae had said, Ra-Eun was at a disadvantage. Ra-Eun also knew this very well. Although she had told Ma Yeong-Jun to bring as much evidence as he could, that would help to prove her innocence...

‘It still won’t be enough.’

She needed a stronger weapon to turn public opinion her way. Ra-Eun put on a female suit and called to Chief Jung before standing in front of the reporters.

“Chief Jung.”

“What is it, Ra-Eun?”

“You won’t go anywhere during my press conference, will you?”

Chief Jung softly smiled. He had thought that Ra-Eun was considerably anxious.

“Of course. I’ll be right here watching, so don’t you worry about a thing.”

Ra-Eun was only in her twenties. Although her career as an actress was top-notch, she was far too young to endure the violent storm that was society by herself. Hence, Chief Jung was planning on protecting Ra-Eun as an adult.

However, Chief Jung had been sorely mistaken. Ra-Eun had not asked Chief Jung about his schedule because she was afraid to stand before the reporters.

“That’s perfect. Come up with me, then.”

“Huh? Come up with you? Up where?”

“The press conference stage.”

“...???”

Chief Jung had a hard time understanding. He thought ‘Why me?’, but Ra-Eun smiled at him meaningfully.

“I’ve come up with a brilliant idea.”

A trump card that would most certainly turn public opinion to her side. She didn’t like it, but she decided to use the one weapon that she had never used until now.

***

Ra-Eun had finally shown herself on the press conference stage. The press conference was being broadcasted live on multiple TV channels. She had asked for it to be broadcasted because she was planning on burying the school violence allegations right here and now.

Ra-Eun stood before the podium, and next to her was Chief Jung standing awkwardly. The reporters were dumbfounded to see him since his appearance had not been planned. Ra-Eun opened her mouth a few moments later.

“I have gathered all of you here today to give clarification on the rumors about me being complicit in school violence. As I have already stated through my agency’s official statement, the rumors of my involvement in school violence are nothing but malicious rumors. As proof...”

Ra-Eun began to open the materials that Yeong-Jun and the others had gathered one by one. She opened with materials on Choi Hwang-Cheol, the one who was claiming her to be a perpetrator of school violence.

“In high school, Mr. Choi was what you would call a “school bully”. As proof, I have the testimonies from my former classmates. Additionally, I have also secured testimony from the teacher who had been my homeroom teacher at the time.”

In short, Ra-Eun was trying to say that the one who would assault their classmates was not her, but Hwang-Cheol. There even existed many students who had been assaulted and had their money taken by him, which Ra-Eun also revealed to the reporters.

“I even have audio files, which I will play for you all.”

Shin Yu-Bin, who was below the stage, nodded once Ra-Eun finished her sentence and played the file. The sounds of Hwang-Cheol swearing while threatening his classmates filled the venue.

- Fucking hell, this is nowhere near enough. Didn’t I tell you to bring 50,000 won? Did I not? Huh?

- I-I’m sorry. I swear I’ll bring it tomorrow...

- Tomorrow, my ass, dipshit. Sigh, fuck. I won’t be able to go to karaoke today because of you, motherfucker!

Hwang-Cheol was actually far more of a problem child than Ra-Eun in school, hence the students as well as all the teachers who had worked at the school at the time, all took Ra-Eun’s side.

“A teacher, who had taught math at the time, had asked Mr Choi how his face had ended up like that when it had occurred, and Mr. Choi had simply answered that he just got hurt. If he had really been assaulted by me, wouldn’t he have just told the teacher off on me?”

Ra-Eun added one more point.

“And one more thing, how could a woman like me beat up several men far stronger than me?”

It was logically extremely difficult to do. Leaving her experience as a man aside, Kang Ra-Eun, as a woman, had never once learned martial arts. Hence, her words couldn’t help but be more believable.

The reporters began to believe Ra-Eun more and more as the credible claims continued. However, there was one more question left unanswered. A reporter raised his hand to ask Ra-Eun the question that everyone wanted to know.

“Why did this Mr. Choi target you specifically, Miss Kang?”

They were curious about Hwang-Cheol's motive and what he would get out of targeting Ra-Eun.

“Because it’s me.”

Ra-Eun herself was the reason. Hwang-Cheol had been dying to make Ra-Eun his woman for a long time, and that obsession of his had not changed after all this time. He would have absolutely no reason to target her if that was not the case. The venue stirred from Ra-Eun’s shocking statement.

‘Very good.’

Ra-Eun smirked in her head.

‘It’s time for the finishing touch.’

Her eyes suddenly teared up. A single tear trickled down her cheek, making the reporters stir even louder. They pressed their camera shutters even more as they witnessed a woman’s tears.

“He’s too cruel... He blackmailed me using my oppa during my high school days, and now he’s trying to hurt me again in such a way after all this time... Urgh...!”

Ra-Eun hated shedding tears in front of others, but she had no choice this time.

‘Just think of it as a shoot.’

Ra-Eun’s crying show continued. As she was unable to continue, Chief Jung took over for her.

“Allow me to say once again that we will retaliate through legal means if anyone goes after any of our agency’s talents using fake news. The same goes for Mr. Choi and Reporter Hong Ju-Tae, who first published the article.”

Chief Jung wrapped up the press conference. Meanwhile, Ra-Eun continued to put on a performance by wiping her tears with the handkerchief that Yu-Bin had given her. Ra-Eun left the stage while being supported by Chief Jung and Yu-Bin.

“How was my crying performance?”

Her attitude made a complete 180 once the cameras disappeared from sight. Chief Jung couldn’t help but laugh in bewilderment.

“It couldn’t have been any better.”

As expected of a pro actress.

***

Like Ra-Eun had expected, public opinion had completely shifted in her favor. Hwang-Cheol decided to meet Ju-Tae once again to plan their response. However...

“Why can’t I get in touch with him...?!”

They had planned to meet in a deserted cafe, but Ju-Tae had not shown up even after thirty minutes had passed.

“He couldn’t have turned tail and ran after all we’ve done, could he?”

Hwang-Cheol had not been able to sleep ever since the press conference. After the tears that Ra-Eun had shown, members of the public were doing whatever it took to find Hwang-Cheol’s personal details. He was about to pay the price for making Ra-Eun cry, and it would not be light.

“Fuck, this might actually ruin my life...!”

As he was waiting for Ju-Tae while shaking his leg, a man with a large build approached him.

“Are you Choi Hwang-Cheol?” the man with a terrifying face asked.

Hwang-Cheol flinched. “I-I am...”

Other men that were standing by grabbed hold of Hwang-Cheol with a single nod from the man. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Wh-Who the hell are— Mmph!”

“There’s someone who wants to meet you, so just shut up and follow us.”

It was more akin to kidnapping than following.

***

Hwang-Cheol had been dragged somewhere without even knowing why. He couldn’t even tell where he had been dragged to because of the hood that had been forced on his head by the men. Thirty minutes later, Hwang-Cheol was forcibly seated on a chair and the hood covering his head was removed along with his mouth gag.

“You sons of bitches! Do you have any idea who the fuck I am?!” Hwang-Cheol cursed to conceal his fear.

Just then, a woman responded, “Do I know who you are? How could I not?”

“...!”

Hwang-Cheol froze from hearing a familiar voice.

“It’s been a while, you incorrigible thug. How have you been?”

Kang Ra-Eun was smiling wickedly at him.