Chapter 145: Rebuttal
Muyoung glanced at the chat window.
There was nothing but question marks.
Had word gotten out that Ha Muyoung was doing a live broadcast? The viewer count kept climbing, quickly surpassing 6,000.
“Why? What did you just say?”
“What do you mean you don’t have parents?”
“You mentioned it at the awards ceremony. That was an omission (heavenly)? I had no idea, wow.”
“Wait, what did you say? I just got here.”
“Ha Muyoung doesn’t have parents.”
“So, he’s an orphan? Doesn’t seem like it.”
“Seems like he’s lived receiving all kinds of love, both real and not…”
“Hold on, that doesn’t match the post. There, the parents were fixing things and coming to school and all that.”
“If he’s an orphan, maybe he considered the orphanage director as his parent?”
“Joking? If it was that important, he would have mentioned it.”
“Right, kids in orphanages tend to have rumors spread about them.”
Their debate reignited. Muyoung smiled and continued speaking.
“I wasn’t trying to deceive. I just didn’t say anything. My biological parents both passed away before I became a high school student. I don’t lie about things like this. It’s a matter of human decency.”
“So, you lived alone as a high schooler?”
“No, I had a stepfather.”
“Right, so the parent mentioned was the stepfather, huh lol.”
“The poster doesn’t know if it was a stepfather or not.”
Suddenly, Muyoung found amusement in the comments.
These people seemed more interested in tearing Muyoung apart than in the truth. He responded firmly.
“No, anyone who went to school with me would know about the stepfather. Because, before graduation, in the winter… my stepfather died of alcohol poisoning. It was a snowy day. As usual, I was beaten and felt the fear of death. Running away, I didn’t know he was freezing to death in the cold.”
Muyoung calmly recalled that day.
It was only two years ago. Yet, surprisingly, it felt like it had been twenty years, faded and devoid of emotion. It was like talking about something from a storybook. It didn’t feel like it was his own experience.
The two years since then had been his sunlight.
“It was a pretty big incident, even making it into the local newspaper. Everyone at school knows. They know why I came to school so early and left so late. They know the situation that left me able to do nothing but study. For three years, I kept it together without showing anything, but I was afraid my stepfather wouldn’t send me to school if there were any problems.”
The chat count noticeably dropped.
Everyone was at a loss for words.
Facing Muyoung, who cautiously confessed to being a victim of domestic violence, they didn’t know what to say.
“So, the situation of ‘A’ in the post doesn’t apply to me at all. I didn’t have parents to protect and shield me. And I didn’t have the luxury to bully anyone—not the time, the mental space, or the money. I lived in a semi-basement, everyone.”
Muyoung smirked. Now he lived in a duplex officetel with a view of the Han River, but back then, it was really tough.
“I know the pain of violence. So this situation is absurd to me. I’m not a bad person who would inflict the hell I know on someone else. At first, I felt a little sorry for the poster. I know that pain, in case they were a real victim. But not anymore.”
“Oh my God. What did I just hear?”
“Tlqkf, you bastards who were talking trash earlier, come out, I’m gonna smash you with a sledgehammer.”
“Are you saying a victim of domestic violence is a perpetrator of school violence? There’s nothing more cruel.”
“I’m screenshotting all these comments, just so you know.”
“Wow, Muyoung. You’re amazing. You’ve been through a lot.”
“Muyoung, I believed in you…”
“Let me say it again, clearly. It wasn’t me. I don’t know how that person got the yearbook. But if they’re an alumnus, they should know my situation. Since they wrote that, it seems like we have no connection?”
Muyoung rolled his eyes and muttered.
“I’m curious about their intentions, but I’ll hold back for now. I’ll hear it through the police station. I’m not Actor A, I’m Ha Muyoung. And B isn’t Bora either. We’re really close friends, and I’m proud to say we were pretty decent students. Please stop the speculation and assumptions. The company is activating the radar, and they’re going to sue everyone who says bad things.”
“Off to jail!!”
“People really need to watch what they say, tsk tsk tsk.”
“Muyoung, no mercy, got it?”
“Honestly, they must feel guilty, deleting the post right after posting it; what a coward.”
“Yes, of course. No mercy.”
He made it clear. If caught, they’re done for.
“Everything in that post is unrelated to me, and nothing—absolutely nothing—was true. Oh, except maybe that I was good at studying? Not bad, I guess.”
The playful comment sparked a flood of replies.
With the mood slightly easing, fans sighed in relief.
“You’re also good-looking! Why didn’t you mention that?”
“So, Muyoung’s really never dated,,,? A unicorn,,?”
“I want to find the poster and beat them up.”
Just as expected, fans flooded the comments with relief.
Clearly, just minutes ago, the posts accusing Muyoung had vanished without a trace.
What else could they do when he put everything on the line to deny it?
“Especially, I’m really sorry to Bora. She’s just sitting there, getting misunderstood because of me. Anyway, everyone, Muyoung has never done anything like that, so don’t worry. Thanks for joining this sudden broadcast.”
“Don’t go!”
“Don’t cry, my baby,, only hear good things and see good things,,, I’m gonna kill all the bad people,,,”
“Haha, I’m not crying. Why would I cry?”
Muyoung slowly wrapped up, waving his hand.
“It was sudden. I’ll see you next time, looking even better. Bye-bye, take care! Thank you.”
Despite being sudden and short, the broadcast reached 13,000 viewers. That’s how much heat this ongoing issue has.
Muyoung took a short breath and turned to Junho.
“What are you doing?”
He was frantically tapping away at the screen in the corner of the sofa. Talking to Bora?
“Asking the guys.”
“Asking? What about?”
“If anyone recently sold a yearbook.”
If it’s connected to his classmates, they couldn’t possibly not know about the stepfather. So, it’s definitely someone with no connection—
“Yearbooks come up a lot on Joonggonara.”
“Yearbooks? Why?”
“Because they’re fans. They want it.”
A yearbook containing a celebrity’s graduation photo. It’s rare, and there’s a sense of satisfaction in sharing something unique, so there’s quite a demand for yearbooks.
“I’m asking the guys, so just wait.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
Muyoung shrugged and lay down on the sofa.
Zzzz— zzzz—
His phone’s been really busy today.
Muyoung sighed and pressed the call button.
“Yes, this is Ha Muyoung~”
“Muyoung, you did well. Rest up today, and the company will file the lawsuit this afternoon.”
“Wow, that’s fast.”
“Dragging it out won’t help us.”
“Can I rest until the interview the day after tomorrow?”
“Yeah, I’ll keep you updated on the progress. Since you addressed it directly, the impact should be good. Anyway, good work. Rest up.”
Click.
Muyoung munched on the remaining chicken and glanced at the letter on the table. That letter, it’s really bothering him.
“What did the company say?”
“They’re filing the lawsuit today.”
“But if the post was from an overseas IP, they can’t catch them, right?”
“I don’t know.”
“It might take some time, I guess. Hmm.”
Given the nature of the case, the investigation will definitely proceed. And SJ will push for it too. Junho tilted his head and asked Muyoung,
“Can we release your high school photos?”
[I graduated from the same high school as Ha Muyoung + proof]
[I’m not sure if the photo will be enough proof. It’s my first time doing this. To sum it up, Muyoung is far from being a bully. He’s a really kind and gentle guy. Even when the guys were roughhousing, he’d be sitting quietly, reading a book. That kind of guy.
Asked to buy bread? No way. He’d happily follow if you said you’d buy him bread. Only later did I find out it was because of his family situation, not having enough to eat… Before that, he was just a really kind guy with no edges.
Why am I writing this? Because I’m ashamed of ignoring Muyoung at graduation. There was this weird hush-hush about the stepfather incident. Looking back, I wonder why, but not being able to ask if he was okay back then has been bothering me. Muyoung, I don’t keep in touch, but I’m always cheering for you. Thank you.]
Click—
[I’ll post too. Muyoung’s not like that]
[We were classmates but not close. He was so good-looking that he naturally drew attention even when just sitting there. Someone like that acting like the post? Of course, you and I would know, but nothing like that. He was quiet, always smiling. Liked sweets. Helped the class president with odd jobs. A really kind guy.]
Click—
[I was in the same school cafeteria as Ha Muyoung. Teacher told me stories.]
[During lunch, he’d pile his food high. Our school uses cards to enter, and he got caught trying to eat twice. The cafeteria ladies thought he was cute and pitiful, so they’d pack him extra food, haha.]
On that fateful day, testimonies from his classmates poured in.
Some were at Junho’s request, but most were voluntary. They knew the Muyoung from back then.
“What’s with the photo, lol.”
“Wow, it’s from two years ago; he looks the same. Muyoung in a school uniform is so precious.”
“A guy like that bullying? He’s lucky if he wasn’t bullied himself.”
“Hey… Muyoung was beaten growing up… Please take that back.”
“But just from the photos, he looks so pure. His personality shows on his face.”
And at the same time, photos of Muyoung’s past were released.
Everything from sports day and various events, to him sleeping during self-study, and silly photos. All from Junho’s gallery.
“Ugh, this one’s a bit much.”
“What? He looks great.”
Did they really need to release the photo of him drooling while sleeping? But the public’s reaction was overwhelmingly positive.
[Ha Muyoung, Kang Bora School Violence Controversy Dismissed, Absolutely No Truth to It (Comprehensive)]
[Ha Muyoung School Violence Controversy, Classmates Step Up to Clarify]
[Internet Real-Name System, Is It Okay as Is? The Problematic Site Where the ‘False School Violence Incident’ Began]
[Big Win Entertainment to Take Strong Action Against Rumors and Malicious Comments and Posts. Legal Measures Underway.]
[The Impact of Baseless Words on Society—Through the Ha Muyoung Incident]
It wasn’t just public opinion. The articles completely shifted tone.
Not a single article questioning Muyoung’s conduct remained. It was surprisingly clean.
“Speaking on the broadcast definitely had an impact. For real.”
Ko Gyeongmin scrolled through, muttering.
Of course, Muyoung’s performance was the biggest factor, but the company’s response was also clean.
Especially with SJ backing them, the media was favorable.
“They say the sooner you put out a fire or a scandal, the better.”
“Really? Is there such a saying?”
“I just made it up.”
Junho’s retort made Muyoung give him an exasperated look. But he nodded vaguely, acknowledging it. It was truly fortunate to have caught the rumor before it spread too far.
“What did the police say?”
“They just received the lawsuit, so they’ll start the investigation and let us know when there’s progress. I asked the company to handle it well, so it should move quickly.”
“Still, it’ll take a while, right?”
“That anonymous site, it’s based on an overseas server, they said.”
The momentum had shifted, but to completely end it, they needed to catch the ‘poster.’ Muyoung picked up the letter from the table.
“Hyung, about this—”
“Oh? Chang-sik!”
Just as Muyoung was about to speak, Junho’s call interrupted him.
“What? You sold the yearbook? To who?”