#90. Red Flag in a Relationship (5)
“It doesn’t simply mean being removed from this debut group.”
Bae Jonghwi muttered in a stunned voice as he looked over the document contents.
“‘Will not participate in entertainment industry activities in any form in the future’……”
It meant removal from the debut group, furthermore termination of his contract with Midnight Entertainment, and even that he shouldn’t set foot in the entertainment industry itself anymore.
No matter how rotten a person is, it seemed he did have something called dreams. Bae Jonghwi, whose complexion had turned pale, shouted at me.
“This is too much!”
The person who answered that wasn’t me who had proposed those conditions, nor Na Jihan who had been glaring at him with hostile eyes the whole time, nor even CEO Han Seonggyeong who was maintaining his position as the person in charge.
“Too much?”
Bae Jonghwi’s seat next to him. Bae Dojin, who had come as his guardian, opened his mouth.
“What’s too much about it.”
“No…… I just made one mistake, but you’re saying I can’t debut anywhere in the future, not just here.”
“Of course. It means don’t even dream of having a job that puts you in front of cameras for the rest of your life.”
Bae Jonghwi, who had been hesitating for a moment, said as if making excuses.
“Then what am I supposed to do to make a living……”
“Jonghwi. Why are you looking for your future from other people.”
Bae Dojin’s low voice cut off his words.
“Even if you turned around for a moment and did something ridiculous, you should start coming to your senses now.”
People’s heads turned sharply at the sharp criticism delivered in a gentle voice. Even I looked back at Bae Dojin, thinking it was a bit unexpected.
“Do you feel wronged because it seems like Yoon Seowoo hoobae ruined your future?”
“……”
“You should know it’s the opposite. He saved the future you pushed away with your own hands this much.”
Na Jihan nodded and chimed in.
“You can’t call it a mistake. Mistakes are things like messing up choreography a bit, getting lyrics wrong – that’s a mistake. Pushing someone down the stairs isn’t anger or a mistake, it’s a crime. Attempted murder.”
Na Jihan’s voice was particularly sharp, as if he had been saving up these words.
“Did you think I’d let a bastard who almost killed me shamelessly stick his face in front of cameras and eat from the same industry?”
“……”
“Even if you have no thoughts, you should have some shame. We’re covering up a crime with one piece of paper – don’t you know how cheap this is.”
Perhaps because Na Jihan had poured out the words I wanted to say instead, my heart, which had been sharply on edge inside, felt a bit calmer.
I tapped his hand lightly to convey that I was okay, then calmly opened my mouth.
“I can’t force an agreement. If you don’t want to sign the pledge, then it can’t be helped.”
“Then……”
“We’ll do it the original way. I’ll sue Bae Jonghwi, and I’ll publicly reveal all the criminal circumstances and evidence.”
This industry was noisy even with just rumors floating around. If someone actually got involved in a crime, and if they were even the perpetrator, they’d have to face public judgment in addition to the punishment they deserved.
“Even though I’ve shown consideration, if you insist on going to court, there will naturally be no leniency.”
“……”
“Choose.”
If it was just a matter of personally disliking me and saying nasty things somewhere, I would have just avoided it. No matter how much I try to see the good side of people first, I didn’t want to show bravado trying to be loved even by this kind of person.
But this was a matter beyond personal preference. Bae Jonghwi had tried to harm me, and what I was demanding was the minimum value of responsibility he should bear.
The representative of Frame Label looked at me and asked carefully.
“Are you okay with this, Yoon Seowoo?”
“Being okay with this means……”
“I’m asking if this level of just letting it slide is sufficient.”
She hesitated and then added.
“For us, we can maintain our other debut groups as they are, and it’s more than grateful that we can quietly get through this without controversy. But Seowoo, you were seriously injured in this incident, and it’s a fact that it also interfered with Arcus activities.”
“That’s right.”
The pain was something I could endure, but I did dislike having our precious promotional period shortened. Because of that, I remembered feeling resentful and sorry when not only the members and managers but also other staff were troubled day after day.
I often got angry at the fact that the cause of all those problems was nothing more than someone’s petty jealousy and malice.
“What can I do. It’s something that already happened.”
Just because something bad happened to me didn’t mean I wanted to dwell on it forever. Getting exact revenge for what I suffered wasn’t the kind of relief I chose either.
“It’s a bit awkward to call it ‘instead,’ but.”
I hesitated for a moment and then continued.
“Don’t publicly clarify things even if unfair situations arise.”
“……”
“That’s the meaning behind the second condition. Even if it’s to defend yourself, don’t mention me arbitrarily. I don’t want you to carelessly bring up even the fact that we reached an agreement.”
Then Bae Jonghwi replied in a stammering tone.
“But if false rumors spread……”
“You’ll have to endure that much.”
“……”
“If you think of it as receiving karma for creating false rumors about me, it won’t be that unfair.”
Bae Jonghwi eventually signed the pledge.
Just because the agreement with me was completed didn’t mean the paperwork was finished. Exclusive contract termination with Frame Label and confidentiality agreements with Midnight Entertainment followed one after another.
I stayed in my seat and watched Bae Jonghwi’s appearance. I watched him hastily clean up his own malice while observing that face that repeatedly turned red and blue, then pale white, then earthy again. I clearly remembered all those scenes while feeling a strange sensation that swept coolly through a corner of my chest.
After the meeting ended, the representatives of each label and Bae Jonghwi left their seats. Except for one person.
I raised my head to look up at Bae Dojin.
“Do you have more to say?”
Bae Dojin looked at me with a complicated expression.
“I have something I want to ask, Seowoo.”
“I’ll listen.”
“According to what I heard from the label representative, while you were injured and being moved to the hospital, evidence was secured first.”
Na Jihan spoke instead of me.
“Yes. I did it.”
I also nodded calmly.
“I asked Jihan to do it. Because he’s the person I trust most.”
“Usually, if it’s the person you trust most, you’d ask them to take care of you rather than gather evidence……”
But I didn’t do that. I had even specifically asked Bae Dojin, whom I coincidentally met at the time of the accident, to take me to the hospital. Even though traveling with him couldn’t have been more comfortable than being with Na Jihan.
Bae Dojin seemed to have just realized that it wasn’t a request for help in the pure sense.
“I’m sorry for suspecting you.”
Because he was Bae Jonghwi’s cousin. When I realized that he was the one who pushed me, I thought Bae Dojin might take his side. So I wanted Na Jihan to quickly find circumstantial evidence first while I kept him occupied.
“It’s a bit shocking to think that your trust in me was that lacking……”
“……”
“You did well.”
It seemed like he meant it sincerely.
“Thank you for showing leniency.”
When Bae Dojin left too, only Na Jihan and I remained in the conference room. He turned on the laptop he had prepared in advance and asked me.
“Are you okay?”
I answered in a calm voice.
“You know I hate anything involving lawyers. This is the direction I wanted.”
“Not that.”
He said while posting the statement he had prepared in advance on our SNS account.
“I’m asking if you’re feeling okay.”
“Hmm…… I’m better than I thought I’d be. Maybe it’s because you’re here.”
Worried that the atmosphere might become heavy for no reason, I added jokingly.
“Ah, what would I do without you.”
“Why would you worry about that.”
He replied in his usual tone while looking at the laptop.
“As long as you want it, I’ll be by your side.”
When I suddenly looked back, his cheek appeared white from the light coming from the screen, and also seemed flushed.
Whether our relationship doesn’t change even though I like you – is that something I should be relieved about? Or something I should be disappointed about.
I wanted to ask but didn’t have the courage to ask, so I just stared blankly at Na Jihan’s face until he finished his work.
And that evening. Having posted our statement, we resumed the live broadcast we had canceled not long ago.
It was a slightly late birthday commemorative live for Joo Lee Seon.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
