Chapter 148: The Truth
The real deal, no beating around the bush.
Kim Arong froze in shock, completely caught off guard. Junho, who had been watching from the side, was the same.
Despite her frozen voice, Muyoung just kept smiling, which somehow made the situation even more intense.
“Is it you?”
One more confirmation.
Kim Arong stammered and waved her hands.
“Huh? No, I… why?”
“So, why did you do it?”
Her tone was almost certain. Kim Arong slowly backed away, gripping the door handle.
Then Junho quickly stepped in to block her.
Thud-
“Why are you running away? I’m just asking.”
“I… I need to go. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I told you, I’m here to collect the album. By the way, I’m really curious. What were you thinking? The album in the photo, it looks like the one Chang-sik sold. Of all things, you had to take a picture of the cover and get caught? What bad luck.”
What is she talking about?
Junho looked at him, confused. But knowing there must be a reason, he kept quiet.
Muyoung continued nonchalantly.
“Chang-sik, who sold the yearbook, was the vice class president, right?”
“Huh? Yeah, right. The class president was Dong-ho. Chang-sik was nice but not a great student.”
“If you check inside, there’s a one-line letter from friends, so you’ll know.”
Kim Arong, on high alert, retorted.
“So what?”
What does it matter if Chang-sik was the vice president or not? How is that relevant now?
“The kids got normal albums, but the class president and him got the ones with dented leather covers.”
“What?”
No way.
Kim Arong’s mouth slightly agape in surprise.
She tried to recall the album she received, but only a vague outline came to mind.
She couldn’t remember if there were any marks on the cover. She wanted to go inside and check—
“Uh, can I just—”
“No way. What if you destroy the evidence inside?”
“I’m calling the police!”
“Great, call them. We were going to anyway.”
Panicking, Kim Arong let go of the door handle. Hadn’t she posted the album on a bookshelf with other items, afraid of the agency’s lawsuit?
‘Were there marks on the cover? No, I didn’t see any dents. No way. It’s a lie—’
“Otherwise, how would we have found you?”
Muyoung drove the point home.
The thoughts swirling in her mind shattered like glass.
All from one photo, leading to Kim Arong’s house, where she had made the secondhand transaction.
Little did she know, it was thanks to Smog and Junho’s connections.
“So, we’re here to check the album. To compare it with the one in the photo. And to collect it. At this timing, you bought a graduation album, and it just happened to appear in the post? No way. Right?”
“If you’re innocent, show us.”
Even Junho chimed in, pressing Kim Arong.
She just stood there silently, fidgeting with the doorknob. Her pupils wildly dilated, frozen in place.
“…?”
“What?”
Breaking the long silence.
“You should be thanking me.”
Kim Arong muttered, biting back her frustration. Her unusual fervor made Junho flinch and step back.
What the hell? Never expected this crazy talk.
“You should be grateful, Ha Muyoung. Thank me.”
“Why? What for?”
“I showed you who’s really on your side. Is love something that fades at the first sign of trouble? How can you know someone’s heart? If it weren’t for me, would you have had this chance?”
Oh my God.
Junho was speechless at this bizarre rant.
Muyoung just stared at her, dumbfounded.
“I truly love and support you. I want only sincere people around Muyoung. Like me. Who else would take such a risk? And who else would be by your side through all this?”
“Are you fucking kidding me? Did you get shot in the head or something?”
“I love you the most, Muyoung. So you should be grateful, not angry. Right? Everyone around you is fake. Only I’m your true fan.”
“Lady, shut the fuck up!”
Her voice was so fervent that a stranger might have mistaken it for a heartfelt love confession.
But to Muyoung and Junho, it was pure, irrational nonsense.
“The police can’t catch me. If you report me now, it’ll only make things harder for you. Just leave.”
Kim Arong smirked bitterly, shaking her head in pity.
“Muyoung, you look even more amazing in person. Beyond my imagination. But I look like a mess right now.”
She’s completely lost it.
Totally gone off the deep end.
Junho shook his head, looking at Muyoung, who just stared down at her before asking again.
“So, you’re admitting that you posted the false school violence accusation, Kim Arong?”
Muyoung smiled.
Is he actually finding this funny? While Junho was shocked, Kim Arong confessed, entranced.
“Yes, so—”
“Got it, Kim Arong. Go inside and wait.”
Muyoung cut her off, waving his hand.
He pulled out his phone from his inner pocket.
The screen showed a blinking icon, indicating the voice recording was still running.
“Save the rest of your nonsense for the police station. I hear IP tracing takes time, but reverse tracing to catch someone is easy.”
Finding a criminal among many is hard, but identifying a specific one is easy. Kim Arong blinked, clueless.
“My voice is recorded too, so it’s more than enough evidence. You know that, right? I trust you do.”
Junho snapped out of it and called the police station. Kim Arong tried to rush inside, but Muyoung grabbed the handle.
“And of all the people who love me, only Kim Arong is fake. Don’t like me. I don’t want your kind of attention, unlike anyone else.”
Slam-
As Muyoung loosened his grip, Kim Arong bolted inside, locking the door tightly. Junho looked at Muyoung, flustered.
“What if she destroys the album?”
“It’s fine. We have the transaction record.”
“No, the cover—”
“Of course, it’s a lie.”
Muyoung smiled casually.
It was just a lie he came up with because Chang-sik was the vice president. To throw Kim Arong off. With the suspect identified, the investigation would be quick, and they needed objective evidence.
“…Damn. I see.”
Only then did Junho click his tongue and mutter. He had wondered how someone who never contacted Chang-sik would know that.
“You’re getting better at lying, huh?”
“Call it a talent.”
Muyoung said, sending the voice file to the investigator.
[Big Win Entertainment, “Arrest of False School Violence Post Author” (Full Statement)]
[Actor Ha Muyoung and Kang Bora’s agency, Big Win Entertainment, shared updates on the lawsuit against the false post author, stating, “No leniency.”
On the 7th, through their official account, they announced that the author of the false post was under police investigation, and evidence including the perpetrator’s confession had been submitted.
Kim (27, Dongjak-gu), known to have a history of mental health treatment, almost admitted to intentionally posting defamatory content.
According to the police, Kim purchased Ha Muyoung’s graduation album from a secondhand site and claimed to have attended the same school. The motive was reportedly, “I wanted Ha Muyoung to acknowledge my existence,” and “To prove that only I am the true fan, and the rest are fake.”
Big Win Entertainment, Ha Muyoung, and Kang Bora decided to proceed with the lawsuit without leniency, and the police charged the perpetrator with defamation and sought damages.
Additionally, they announced plans to take legal action against malicious comments, including insults and personal attacks on Ha Muyoung and Kang Bora.]
Click.
[Ha Muyoung, Kang Bora, “Grateful to those who believed, want to give back,” donate meals again to low-income children]
[Ha Muyoung returns to the Top 10 Most Preferred Ad Models]
-What the fuck did I just see?
-Almost like a modern-day Misery. Seems mentally unstable.
-Has a history of mental health treatment. Ha Muyoung must’ve had a tough time. Being a celebrity comes with these risks.
-Not something celebrities should just endure.
-Police worked fast this time. Heard Big Win was acquired by SJ, so maybe that helped?
-Saw yesterday’s ‘Entertainment World.’ Muyoung’s life has been so hard. Just when things were looking up, how did he end up with such a psycho?
-Feed her to the dogs. Fuck.
-Muyoung, only flower paths from now on.
-Bora must’ve suffered too because of that bitch.
-So many sexual harassment comments; they all deserve jail time.
-Makes me want to kill someone; there’s no reasoning with people like that.
-((((Ha Muyoung)))) I’ll protect you. Try anything again, and I’ll kill you all.
-In the interview, when he talked about his life, I couldn’t help but tear up. How did someone so young endure so much? And yet, he grew up so well^^… Adding myself as an aunt fan from today~^^
-From now on, any attack on Ha Muyoung is an attack on me. Fuck…
Muyoung sighed, slipping his phone into his pocket. The two weeks until ‘Entertainment World’ aired had been chaotic. Reporting Kim Arong, getting her investigated and indicted—how many times had the manager rushed to the police station?
“It’s finally over!”
“Yeah, good job.”
Lying back in the van, Muyoung stretched, relieved.
With the final article out, his work was done.
“The donation was a good call.”
“No, it was something we were going to do anyway.”
The company had suggested it. With the police investigation article coming out, they thought a heartwarming story would be a nice touch.
“Your name’s everywhere.”
“Hmm, looks good.”
Given the nature of the incident, his name was splashed across not just the entertainment but also the social news sections.
And yesterday’s ‘Entertainment World’ had record-breaking viewership. The indictment news and Muyoung’s interview reignited the fading interest.
“This week, it’s just ‘The Only Building Owner,’ right?”
“Yeah, and a photo shoot this weekend.”
Muyoung nodded, looking for his script.
The reading, delayed due to the incident, was finally scheduled. The production couldn’t start filming until the controversy was fully resolved.
Squeak-
They arrived at the Lorney production building.
Casually dressed, they entered to find Team Leader Kang Ok-kyung and the director deep in conversation.
“Hello, Team Leader, Director.”
“Ah! Ha Muyoung!”
“Long time no see. Sorry for causing concern.”
“Nonsense, you must’ve had a tough time. Every crisis is an opportunity. Think of it as a learning experience. Your public image has improved, right?”
The director’s words made Muyoung smile silently. Kang Ok-kyung patted his shoulder encouragingly.
“You’re clearly not the type for something like that. I wanted to proceed, but the higher-ups were too sensitive.”
“I understand, of course.”
“Thanks. This way to the meeting room. Almost everyone’s here. We’ll start in… about ten minutes.”
She checked her wristwatch and muttered.
Muyoung nodded, bowing and opening the meeting room door. The actors inside fell silent, staring at him.
“Ha Muyoung! Or should I say, Miracle?”
Jin-seo was the first to greet him, waving.
The other actors welcomed him with smiles.
“Welcome. We’ve been waiting for you.”
“Yeah, when are we shooting? I’m dying here.”
“Having you here puts me at ease.”
The actors, worried the project might fall through, weren’t as famous as Muyoung. If it failed, they’d have nothing to fall back on. Muyoung smiled brightly, taking his seat in the center.
“Thank you. I’ll work even harder. Really, really hard!”