I was sitting across from Ms. Baek, the mood of the room heavy with unspoken tension. The small, amber light of the wall sconce above me was the only thing cutting through the darkness.
"Here, you're off the record," I said, trying to set a clear boundary. "Now, please just tell me what you came here to say, Ms. Baek."
She leaned forward slightly. "What is this information that you thought I'd be interested in? Do you by any chance... know someone named Seonghee Shim?"
The name caught me off guard. "What...? Oh, silly me, of course you don't know who she is." Ms. Baek took a slow sip of her drink and continued, her voice taking on a narrative quality. "When I was in Grade 12... a classmate of mine just hated my guts. She spread rumors about me, did some other things that got her in big trouble, and had to transfer to another school. Though she ended up taking it down quite quickly, she even wrote a post on a forum with false accusations about me."
"So what...?" I countered, my impatience growing. "Did you really ask me here just to tell me that?"
"Of course not. Listen carefully, because this is important. Mr. Lim..." She paused for dramatic effect. "...She's never been able to do a thing against me... so I'd advise not getting involved with her."
I was getting tired of the games. "You're the only person I'm letting in on this quality information," I told her, my tone dry. "Think of this as a gesture of good faith. Though our first impressions of each other were bad... shouldn't we try to end this on a high note?"
"What a waste of my time," I thought to myself, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. "It's obvious that she's trying to bait me, but there's no way I'd fall for that." I saw her foot move, a deliberate 'BUMP' against mine under the table.
"I should get going..." I announced, pushing back from the table. "There's something urgent I have to attend to."
SLIDE.
As I moved quickly toward the door, I felt an unexpected shift.
"WHOA...!"
THUMP.
I stumbled, my head hitting the wall beside the door, the small lamp above me shaking from the impact.
I fell to the floor after hitting the wall, and I instinctively grabbed the person who had caused me to stumble, a mix of pain and fury rushing through me. I was practically kneeling over Ms. Baek.
"My, I'm terribly sorry..." she said, but her voice was laced with a strange, unnerving sweetness.
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK--" I began to snarl, but she cut me off, her eyes wide with what seemed like genuine concern, though I was starting to doubt everything about her.
"ARE YOU OKAY?! I swear it wasn't on purpose! I was trying to get up as well, and I..." She stammered for a moment, then composed herself. "I'm really, really sorry. Would you like me to help you to your feet?"
I pushed myself up and glared at her. "Are you kidding me! I'M FINE! GET OUT OF MY WAY!!"
She picked up her handbag and something small from the floor. "Please don't be angry. Here's your bag," she said, holding it out to me. "Oh, and here. I think you dropped your car key."
I snatched the key from her hand, my mind racing. Her deliberate actions—the bump, the stumbling, the car key—it was all a setup.
I walked out into the cool night air, the entire exchange replaying in my head. I looked down at the car key and then back at the door I'd just slammed behind me.
Confrontation with Rena Lim
Later, I was standing in a different room, looking at a flyer pinned to the wall. It was a picture of a blonde woman with a red circle above her head and a large 'X' over her face: RENA LIM - MMI ENTERT.
I was confronting Rena Lim. She had a desperate look, tears streaming down her face. "So you're admitting that you two timed them..." I stated flatly.
"You're going to stop those articles from going out, right? I beg you! You have to help me this was years ago! I've never cheated on anyone since then!" she pleaded.
I remained unmoved. "But you never stopped having feelings for Inkang, did you? You even came to the funeral home to see him."
Rena burst into fresh sobs. "What did that get me? I got called an obsessive stalker... I'm over him now. What more could I do at this point? I've apologized to him several times, but he never even listened. I was going to treat him like a king if he came back to me, but because of Ajin that b***h--"
I hit the "Stop Recording" button on the voice recorder I had placed discreetly. "Why do you hate Ajin Baek so much, Rena...?"
Her face twisted with a mixture of resentment and sorrow. "She just makes me feel pathetic. My life is such a struggle compared to hers. She's not doing this because she desperately wants to, or because she likes acting... but she's doing well for herself because she got lucky with a good management company. I had to climb here, tooth and nail... but Ajin acts so laid-back as if it takes her no effort, and just keeps smiling."
I looked at the crumpled woman in front of me and spoke with a cold certainty. "When you've been in this field for a long enough time, you can tell by just looking people in the eyes."
The encounter with Rena Lim was the result of the information I had gleaned from my tense meeting with Ms. Baek. After leaving Ms. Baek's room, I was certain the seemingly accidental stumble was a setup, an attempt to throw me off balance.
I found Rena Lim, the actress whose crossed-out photo I had seen, and I pressed the voice recorder's button before I began.
I looked at her tear-streaked face. "So you're admitting that you two timed them..." I stated flatly.
She was beside herself with panic. "You're going to stop those articles from going out, right? I beg you! You have to help me, this was years ago! I've never cheated on anyone since then!" she cried out.
"But you never stopped having feelings for Inkang, did you?" I countered, my eyes unwavering. "You even came to the funeral home to see him."
Rena's composure shattered entirely. "What did that get me? I got called an obsessive stalker... I'm over him now. What more could I do at this point? I've apologized to him several times, but he never even listened. I was going to treat him like a king if he came back to me, but because of Ajin that b***h--"
I cut her off, reaching out and pressing the "Stop Recording" button. "Why do you hate Ajin Baek so much, Rena...?"
The anger seemed to momentarily drain out of her, replaced by a deep, bitter resentment. "She just makes me feel pathetic. My life is such a struggle compared to hers. She's not doing this because she desperately wants to, or because she likes acting... but she's doing well for herself because she got lucky with a good management company. I had to climb here, tooth and nail... but Ajin acts so laid-back as if it takes her no effort, and just keeps smiling."
I looked at her, then down at the recorder in my hand. "When you've been in this field for a long enough time," I said, my voice low and measured, "you can tell by just looking people in the eyes."
My confrontation with Rena Lim had been revealing. She'd exposed her deep-seated hatred and jealousy for a person named Ajin, claiming, "How could I not hate her? She has everything I've ever wanted spoon-fed to her!! I want to see her fall flat on her face!!" Rena believed that there are people who can be laid-back because they have everything, and then there are those who are laid-back because they have nothing to lose. She believed Ajin is, of course, the latter. I had a different take: Rena can only say those things about Ajin... because she doesn't know Ajin at all. Rena thought she could feel better about herself by seeing someone else in misery.
Later, I was sitting with a man, handing him a USB drive and a package. "This is a USB drive with the recording of Rena Lim and the article," I instructed. "Junseo Yun will call you before 2 PM. Send this to the broadcasting station as soon as you get his call. Don't send it as an E-mail because they can trace that."
I also handed him a box. "And this is a USB stick with a video and a few photos. The address is in the envelope, so ask them to deliver this as well. They're both super important, so don't lose them."
He grumbled, "Doesn't it take a while to get to the airport from here...?"
"Stop nagging at me and get going, kiddo," I shot back, though I knew he was just worried.
"I'm nagging at you because I'm worried! You always forget stuff! Also, about the thing I asked you to do on the side the other time--"
"UGH, stop it already! Don't act like you're going off to die. Now, get going!!" I exclaimed.
"Why are you getting mad at me? Alright, jeez... I'm going. I'm going!!" he relented.
He stood up to leave. "I'm not gonna see you off. Wasn't counting on it!!" He added, "Just stick it out for a year. I'll be there as soon as I close this operation down here."
"Mr. Ahn was practically begging me to come work with him. Jeez, what a bother," the man muttered as he walked out, leaving me alone to think.
I looked out the window, a flicker of doubt crossing my mind. "I don't know if I should be happy that... she isn't as great of a person as I had thought," I mused to myself.
Saturday, 10:45 AM
The day I'd set for the package delivery arrived. The hours ticked by slowly.
At 12:38, my phone rang: RRRING. I checked the caller ID and answered. "Hello, this is Heeguk Lim at Factcapture."
Later, I was on the phone, a walkie-talkie beside me making a distinct "PZZZT" sound. "HAHA, I'm sorry for reaching out to you so late at night. My name is Heeguk Lim, and I'm a journalist at Factcapture. May I speak to Jiseon Hwang?" I asked.
I continued to make calls, the journalist's voice crackling on the line. "I was wondering if you could tell me a bit about your son, Junseo Yun," I inquired.
"Yes, yes," the voice on the other end responded.
"AH, yes. My schedule is quite flexible," I noted, my interview coming together.
The Unexpected Call
I was walking somewhere when my phone rang again.
"Hello, Mr. Lim. My name is Junseo Yun."
My blood ran cold. Junseo Yun?! This was the very man I had just been asking about.
"I heard you've been going around looking for information on me," he said, his voice flat and ominous. "Stop whatever it is you're trying to do, and nothing will happen to you."
I paused, my mind racing to process this sudden threat. "ARE YOU..." I managed to get out before the scene abruptly cut off. My carefully laid plans were already falling apart.
My investigation into the rivalry between Ms. Baek and Rena Lim had taken a sharp turn. Rena believed that there are people who can afford to be laid-back because they have everything they've ever wanted and then those who are laid-back because they have nothing to lose. She saw Ajin (Ms. Baek's rival) as the latter. I, however, suspected, "Rena can only say those things about Ajin... because she doesn't know Ajin at all". Rena thought she could feel better about herself by seeing someone else in misery. I thought, "I don't know if I should be happy that... she isn't as great of a person as I had thought," referring to Ajin.
Operation: Deliver the Evidence
I finalized my plans to leak the information I had gathered. I spoke to a man who was leaving, presumably for a new job after this task. "Mr. Ahn was practically begging me to come work with him. Jeez, what a bother," he grumbled.
I handed him two crucial items. The first was a USB drive with the recording of Rena Lim and the article. "Junseo Yun will call you before 2 PM," I instructed. "Send this to the broadcasting station as soon as you get his call". The second item was a small box. "And this is a USB stick with a video and a few photos. The address is in the envelope, so ask them to deliver this as well," I explained, adding, "They're both super important, so don't lose them".
He questioned me one last time: "Hey, will you drop these two things off at the broadcasting station? It's gotta be fast".
Saturday: The Day of the Drop
It was Saturday, and the time was 10:45. I was a journalist at Factcapture, and the operation was set in motion.
At 12:38, my phone rang. "Hello, this is Heeguk Lim at Factcapture," I answered, already in the thick of things.
I was working with a two-way radio to coordinate with someone. I reached out to a woman named Jiseon Hwang. "Haha, I'm sorry for reaching out to you so late at night. My name is Heeguk Lim, and I'm a journalist at Factcapture. May I speak to Jiseon Hwang?" I asked over the radio, the static crackling around the name.
I continued my investigation calls. "I was wondering if you could tell me a bit about your son, Junseo Yun," I inquired. The person on the other end responded with a simple, "Yes, yes." I followed up by saying, "Ah, yes. My schedule is quite flexible".
At 13:22 (1:22 PM), I was still coordinating. "Hi, this is Heeguk Lim. I'll be at your place in about half an hour," I said. The response came back: "Okay, I'll see you soon...".
Junseo Yun's Warning
My operation hit a sudden, sharp obstacle. I received a phone call.
"Hello, Mr. Lim. My name is Junseo Yun."
My eyes widened in surprise. Junseo Yun...?! This was the person I had just been investigating and whose name was central to my delivery instructions.
"I heard you've been going around looking for information on me," he continued, his voice heavy with menace. "Stop whatever it is you're trying to do, and nothing will happen to you".
"Are you threatening me...?" I challenged, but he simply replied, "I warned you. It's all up to you now." The phone line went dead with a soft "CLICK".
"Hey, wait! Mr. Yun!!" I shouted into the dead air, my mind reeling. "Ha...! How did he find my number...? Who the hell is this guy? Also, who the hell does he think I am...?"
A chilling realization settled over me. "Judging by his reaction, I think I've happened upon something big here," I thought, lighting a cigarette. "I'm going to go all the way and see where this takes me".
Meanwhile, Junseo Yun was talking on his phone, a walkie-talkie on his desk. "I see he completely ignored my warning," he said coolly, before issuing a new instruction: "This is Junseo Yun. Please deliver the item as soon as possible".
Heeguk Lim pov:
My investigation was reaching a boiling point. The confrontation with Ms. Baek had been unsettling. She had warned me against getting involved with a high school classmate who had spread rumors about her. She ended our meeting by causing me to stumble and then conveniently returning my car key, a move I instinctively felt was a setup.
Later, I met Rena Lim, an actress whose career seemed stalled. I confronted her about two-timing her partner. Crying and desperate, she admitted to the past infidelity. My focus, however, was on her bitter rivalry with Ms. Baek.
"Why do you hate Ajin Baek so much, Rena...?" I asked.
Rena confessed her profound envy, saying Ms. Baek made her feel "pathetic". Rena felt Ms. Baek was doing well only because of luck and a good management company, while Rena had to "climb here, tooth and nail". She wished to see Ms. Baek fall flat on her face, believing that Ms. Baek was "laid-back because she has nothing to lose". I disagreed internally, believing Rena didn't know Ms. Baek at all. I suspected Rena just wanted to feel better by seeing someone else in misery. The confession was an admission of an intense, bitter rivalry.
I, Heeguk Lim, a journalist at Factcapture, was now sitting in a room, reviewing the pieces of my investigation. "I don't know if I should be happy that... she isn't as great of a person as I had thought," I mused to myself.
The Journalist's Plan Exposed
My plan was to release the collected evidence. I arranged for two critical packages to be delivered to a broadcasting station before 2 PM, one containing Rena Lim's recording and an article, and the other with a video and photos.
On Saturday, at 14:04 (2:04 PM), my phone vibrated constantly. The news broke:
RENA LIM Admits to Two Timing!
Inkang Heo was blackmailed into a fake relationship for not paying off a journalist.
The article named me: "Who is the Journalist Behind the Blackmailing? Heeguk Lim, Journalist at Factcapture, Cousins With Rena Lim!".
I was accused of writing articles with the intent of making other celebrities look bad at my cousin Rena Lim's behest.
Rena Lim was branded a "Gold Digger," having allegedly demanded an anonymous man spend 70,000,000 Won (approx. $61,800 USD) on her during four dates.
The media explosion continued. The video I had sent was about Inkang Heo:
Video of Inkang Heo Physically Abusing Ajin Baek Surfaces.
Headlines screamed: [EXCLUSIVE] Ajin Baek, Victim of Dating Violence and Slapped While Kneeling! The Shocking Truth Behind the Break up of a Beautiful Couple.
Inkang Heo went from being a "Former Two-Timing Victim" to a "Dating Violence Perpetrator".
The hashtag #HEREFORYOUAJIN was trending in support of Ms. Baek.
My complex plan had backfired spectacularly, twisting my intended expose of Rena Lim into a public scandal that implicated me as a blackmailer working with my gold-digging cousin, Rena. The only success was the exposure of Inkang Heo's abuse of Ajin Baek. Now I had to deal with the fallout of the Junseo Yun call and the media firestorm I unintentionally created about myself.
An Unwanted Visitor
Despite the chaos, I continued my investigation into Junseo Yun. I visited his mother, Jiseon Hwang, whose phone call had been interrupted by his ominous warning.
At 14:04 (2:04 PM), I was sitting across from Ms. Hwang. She was wary.
"What brings you here?" she asked. "People rarely come see me about my son, since we're not exactly close."
Just then, my phone rang—it was Junseo Yun. I was speaking to him when a third person interrupted. The entire world was closing in on me. I realized that my investigation had inadvertently set up two powerful, interlinked narratives that had shattered multiple careers, including my own reputation, making me the ultimate villain in the eyes of the public.