The veins in CEO Seo Guseop's eyes stood out so vividly that they looked ready to burst at any moment. His face was wrinkled as though it had been wrung dry, and those folds made him look like a bulldog.
And the color of it—
it was as if all the blood in his body had rushed straight to his face, leaving it blazing red. Seo Guseop, seated on the sofa and flailing his hands and feet, had long since lost his reason. At this point, nothing remained in him except instinct and rage.
"Damn it!! What the hell is this?!"
His usually logical thought process had collapsed into total confusion. Why had something this horrible happened? Who? When? Why? Grinding his teeth, he stared at the article on the tablet screen, but it did not disappear.
[[Exclusive] "I Was Summoned to a Karaoke Room at Dawn"… An Actress Speaks Out About GGO Entertainment's Seo Guseop, "It Wasn't Just Me" — Part 1 of 5] / Power Patch
Power Patch, famous for its exclusives, always ranked among the top three major entertainment outlets whenever something big broke in the industry. That naturally meant Power Patch had a clear connection to CEO Seo Guseop.
'Have these bastards lost their minds? No matter how filthy the press can get, how do they pull this kind of insane stunt without so much as a heads-up or warning?'
In the entertainment industry, the relationship between media outlets and agencies was nothing but appearances. It was just a mask worn for mutual benefit. They smiled together in public, but behind the scenes, they were always ready to stab each other whenever the chance came. Even so, this was something he had never expected.
At that very moment.
"Grrr—"
Finally forcing down his rage, CEO Seo Guseop let out a hot breath and spoke to the executives in a cold tone.
"Are you idiots just going to stand there?"
The two executives beside him, who had been staring blankly at the tablet screen, flinched in shock. The reason was simple. Seo Guseop, usually as cold and sharp as a bulldog, had just given them a low, clipped order.
"Call those damn Power Patch bastards."
At once, the two executives fumbled for their phones.
"We're sorry, we're sorry! We'll handle it right away!"
"Y-yes, yes, me too!"
The two executives hurriedly placed calls somewhere. Interestingly, while both of them had their phones to their ears, Seo Guseop was watching them the entire time.
Whoosh.
They quietly slipped out of the CEO's office. It looked as though they were simply stepping outside to make their calls more comfortably, but that was not the truth. It was an escape. Who would stand still in front of an erupting volcano? Loyalty to a master only worked while that master still had power.
The moment they stepped out of the office, the two directors looked at each other and began whispering.
"Doesn't it feel like we're the ones cornered now?"
"Then what other reason would there be? That's why he should've known when to stop."
"What do we do now?"
"What can we do? We need to find a way to survive."
The two executives understood each other perfectly. It was betrayal. In an instant, they turned their backs. Instead of making the calls they were supposed to make, they hurried away.
Meanwhile, back inside the CEO's office—
"..."
Seo Guseop, his eyes bloodshot, kept reading the article Power Patch had published. It was Part 1 of a five-part series. In other words, there were still four articles left to come. As the title suggested, the article was full of provocative information.
[Power Patch = Reporters Gu Taeyun, Kim Jingi, and Hwang Soyeon]
Before the interview began, actress A, who had gathered the courage to come forward, let out a long sigh. But eventually, as she recalled the past, she began to speak.
"It happened quite a while ago. Late at night, after my shoot ended, I got a call from CEO Seo Guseop."
Actress A's voice trembled as she showed the message Seo Guseop had sent her.
'Done filming? Come to the karaoke room in Cheongdam-dong right now!'
Even though she had clearly refused, CEO Seo Guseop began threatening her.
'Do you want to be buried in this industry? Everything here was arranged for you. Just come. If you don't, I'll start canceling your schedules one by one starting tomorrow.'
Back then, just as now, the power Seo Guseop wielded in the entertainment world was overwhelming, and actress A could not overcome that influence. The place she ended up arriving at was crowded with CEO Seo Guseop, his acquaintances, PDs from the entertainment industry, and other related figures.
.
.
.
.
The first article in the five-part investigative series that caused such a sensation dealt with the entertainment industry. It covered the practice of recruiting actresses as hostesses, effectively creating sponsor-like arrangements, and using celebrities as bait. The article was meticulous and detailed, and it felt as though it rested on solid evidence.
Worse still, there was not just one victim. There were many.
Even so, CEO Seo Guseop could not identify the victims mentioned in the article. In frustration, he hurled the tablet to the floor.
"Damn it! Damn it!!! You fucking bastards!!!"
He could not pinpoint any specific person. The reason was simple. The incidents mentioned in the article were only the tip of the iceberg. There had been far too many similar cases. If even the smaller incidents were counted, the number would be impossible to measure. It did not matter whether the victims had been men or women. That was exactly why the anonymity of the victims in the article worked so perfectly.
Soon, as CEO Seo Guseop paced the room in fury—
Whoosh.
His trembling hand unsteadily raised a cigarette to his lips as he tried to calm himself. After barely managing to light it, he turned his gaze toward the door.
"Were phones invented just so those bastards could pretend to make calls?! Hey!!"
But when he called the executives who had already run off, no one answered.
"..."
That silence ate away at CEO Seo Guseop, a man who had always projected ironclad confidence. It felt as though a noose of despair had tightened around his throat, leaving him unable to breathe.
Still, the bulldog-like Seo swallowed his curses with a sigh.
Right then.
Bzzzzz.
The phone lying on the table beside the sofa vibrated briefly. The problem was that it did not stop after one vibration.
Bzzzzz.
Bzzzzz.
Bzzzzz.
As if it had broken down, the phone kept spitting out one notification after another. Whoever was on the other side had clearly seen the article.
And eventually—
Bzzzzzzzz.
The ringtone started blaring. Only then did CEO Seo Guseop begin to fully realize the reality of his situation.
"Damn it, I'm finished."
Later.
On the morning of the 22nd, the entertainment world took a huge hit from Power Patch's attack, and the news was more than enough to attract the attention of a pack of hyenas.
[[Breaking News] GGO Entertainment CEO Seo Guseop Accused of Using Contracted Actresses as Hosts]
[[Major Issue] Countless Victims, Even Audio Files… The True Face of CEO Seo Guseop Has Been Exposed]
From lunchtime into the afternoon, what had begun as a single article multiplied into hundreds, enough to fill the pages.
["Come to the Karaoke Room" — CEO Seo Guseop's Entire Life Was Entertainment]
If he had been nothing more than an ordinary figure, a few more articles might have surfaced and that would have been the end of it. But CEO Seo Guseop of GGO Entertainment was no ordinary man. Considering GGO Entertainment's reputation and the many top stars signed under it, he was a heavyweight among agency CEOs.
As a result, media outlets everywhere bared their teeth and rushed to cover the story.
"Hey, hey! Reporter Kim!! Did you call GGO Entertainment?!"
"Yes! But I can't get through!"
"Ah, damn it, then just keep pushing it out and tweak the wording or the headline!"
"Ah, got it! But won't Seo Guseop completely lose it later?!"
"Who cares!! Look at how fast these articles are dropping! Even he can't stop this now! Just throw everything out there and squeeze as much as you can!"
But Power Patch, the outlet that had launched the first attack, remained quiet, as though conserving its energy for the next strike. Even so, articles continued being mass-produced.
[GGO Entertainment CEO Seo Guseop Scandal… But There Are Still 4 More Rounds Left?]
By late afternoon, Seo Guseop's name had completely swallowed up entertainment news. Once the situation reached that stage, it was not only the press that moved. Activity also began within the industry itself.
That evening, Seo Guseop's name appeared on the nightly news.
"This is breaking news. Allegations have surfaced that Seo Guseop, CEO of the major entertainment agency GGO Entertainment, used actresses as hosts for entertainment gatherings. Reporter Gong Changhyun has the story."
Countless videos were uploaded to platforms like YouTube.
[[Exclusive] Audio Message Containing GGO Entertainment CEO Seo Guseop's Verbal Abuse… "Damn it, you're not even listening to me properly" | IssueMan TV]
[In-Depth Analysis of the Audio Message Said to Be Seo Guseop's Voice!!! | RacaMan Reporter]
Public opinion was brutally cold.
[What a truly disgusting bastard.]
[Someone like that, ruining the lives of kids young enough to be his daughters and still living shamelessly, belongs in prison.]
[Wow... Seo Guseop... but weren't there rumors about this guy for years already?]
[I feel so sorry for the celebrities who trusted someone like that enough to sign with him.]
[lol another exposé??? Reality is harsher than drama lol]
[Seo Guseop is basically just a thug lol. Everybody pretty much knew, didn't they???]
[Even just the entertainment gatherings and sponsorship stuff should be enough to slap cuffs on him lol and Power Patch still has four more left lol goodbye]
[Perverted trash!!! Ugh, spit!!]
[Boycott GGO Ent.]
.
.
.
.
But this was only the beginning. The next day, on the 23rd, Power Patch fired its second bullet.
[[Exclusive] "Interest-Free for 3 Years After Debut"… GGO Entertainment CEO Seo Guseop's Luxurious Lifestyle Was Built on Money Taken from Deceived Rookie Actors — Part 2 of 5] / Power Patch
The situation was spiraling out of control, yet neither GGO Entertainment nor CEO Seo Guseop gave any response. Then, around noon on the 24th, Power Patch's third bomb exploded.
[[Exclusive] Former GGO Manager Reveals, "I Was Assaulted Three Times in One Year While Working at GGO"… CEO Seo Guseop Wielded Not Only Power But His Fists — Part 3 of 5] / Power Patch
At last, the prosecution and the police began to move. It was late morning two days later, on the 26th. The person who had first triggered this entire incident was on the phone with Power Patch.
"Hmm, I saw it. The timing isn't bad."
It was Choi Sunggeon, in Buyeo. Even while the world was in chaos over CEO Seo Guseop's scandal, filming for the drama Island of the Missing continued. Choi Sunggeon stood a short distance from the set, talking with a phone pressed to his ear.
"Let's proceed with the rest just like we discussed."
A familiar male voice came through from the other side. It was an editor Choi Sunggeon had met before.
"Don't worry about that. Could you send the rest of the material now?"
"Come on, why would you say that? I'll hand it over once I see our agreement being kept. Like I said before, anonymity and timing are extremely important."
"All right, all right. Then don't give it to anyone else."
With a faint smile, Choi Sunggeon replied,
"Let's not state the obvious between professionals."
Friday, November 27.
Even while Seo Guseop was climbing aboard the train bound for hell, Kang Woojin's daily life did not change much, despite the entertainment industry being shaken to its roots. He remained fully absorbed in filming Island of the Missing while keeping up with his relentless schedule. Naturally, he heard the news about Seo Guseop, but he did not pay it much attention.
He did not feel any need to.
Hatred was something that could only even be discussed when there was some degree of connection. To Kang Woojin, Seo Guseop was simply another lunatic.
What did it matter whether he was the CEO of a famous entertainment agency or not?
Even Director Ahn Gahbok felt to him like little more than an old man next door, so he had no idea that Choi Sunggeon, the one who had orchestrated all of this behind the scenes, was watching from afar.
Regardless.
Whoosh.
Kang Woojin had just stepped out of the bathroom after showering. He was in a resort hotel room in Buyeo. After drying his wet hair, he changed into comfortable clothes and checked the time.
"Hmm, it's eight."
It was 8:10 in the evening. Woojin had finished filming Island of the Missing for the day and was finally waiting for some rest. After drying his hair, he picked up the script for Beneficial Evil that PD Song Manwoo had given him.
Plop!
He jumped onto the bed.
"Ah, this is heaven."
After rolling around on the bed for a while, a sudden thought occurred to him, and instead of the script, he picked up his phone. What Woojin accessed was his own YouTube channel.
[Channel name: Kang Woojin's Alter Ego]
[Subscribers: 6.61 million]
[Videos: 23]
The Kang Woojin's Alter Ego channel was now racing toward seven million subscribers. And just a few hours earlier, a new video had been uploaded there. But unlike usual, it was not another song cover video.
[[Kang Woojin's Alter Ego Channel Reveals Its Second Content!!] (Avatar Cooking teaser) | Kang Woojin's Alter Ego]
[Views: 3.3 million / November 27, 2020]
It was a teaser for the second content category, cooking. Because it was such a different topic from usual, the teaser had already surpassed three million views in just a few hours. The teaser itself was simple. It combined an interview about the kind of cooking content Woojin would be showing in the future with scenes from the Avatar Cooking shoot he had done earlier with Han Yejung.
After checking the teaser, Kang Woojin looked down at the comment section. Comments were flooding in.
[No way!!!! Cooking??!! Cooking???!!]
[Waaaaah this is seriously insane? Oppa, oppa, oppa, I'm seriously a great eater]
[lol what? Kang Woojin can cook too???]
[Oh my god lol I never expected this? If oppa can cook too, then thank you so much!]
[Lee Sang-man's form is seriously insane]
[Isn't Kang Woojin also basically part of the kitchen team at Our Table?]
[Wow!! Oppa, this cooking teaser is seriously… so cool… especially the part at 1 minute 24 seconds!]
.
.
.
.
Of course, the comments were mixed appropriately with Japanese and English as well. Woojin smiled, looking satisfied.
"The response is good."
If official celebrity guests joined in later besides Hwarin, it was likely to explode even more. Naturally, the Kang Woojin's Alter Ego channel would keep growing along with it.
Right at that moment.
Knock knock knock.
There was a knock at the door. It was sudden, but Woojin calmly got up and walked toward it. At the same time, he hid his smile and refocused on his concept. As if he already knew who it was, when he opened the door, Choi Sunggeon and Jang Suhwan, broad-shouldered and sturdy, were standing outside holding shopping bags in both hands.
"You got here a little early."
"Hyung! We bought some stuff, and if you're still hungry, we can get more!"
Kang Woojin shook his head and let them in.
"Come in."
Soon, Choi Sunggeon and Jang Suhwan set their bags on the table. Inside were beer, drinks, snacks, and all kinds of things. Among them, Choi Sunggeon handed Woojin a can of non-alcoholic beer.
"This one's yours. It's non-alcoholic."
"Thank you."
"You didn't turn on the TV?"
"No. I was checking my YouTube channel."
Choi Sunggeon broke into a wide smile.
"The response to the teaser that got released was explosive, wasn't it?"
Jang Suhwan chimed in.
"It was seriously explosive!! I saw how insanely many comments poured in!"
Wearing a loose T-shirt, Choi Sunggeon turned on the TV and continued.
"I think people got this interested because it was revealed that Woojin is basically the main member of the kitchen team on Our Table*. We're leaving for the U.S. shoot for* Our Table around December 5, and once the official video goes up then, the attention should explode on both sides. It's good for everyone."
Departure on December 5. Since today was the 27th, that meant there was exactly one week left until Kang Woojin flew out for the American shoot of Our Table. Had it really already come to that? For a moment, Woojin's heart thudded.
'Wow, going to America really is making me nervous.'
After the three of them had spent the last while talking about Kang Woojin's Alter Ego and Our Table, Jang Suhwan checked the time and turned on the TV.
"It's time now!"
"Ah, right."
The channel Jang Suhwan switched to was KBC, and at that moment a commercial was playing just before the start of a new drama. Choi Sunggeon crossed his legs and lifted his beer can.
"Since Drug Dealer was such a massive hit, once viewers see The Mysterious Man Next Door*, they're going to be seriously shocked."*
Jang Suhwan gave a thumbs-up.
"Of course! Drug Dealer pulled in 7.5 million viewers, everyone praised Lee Sang-man, and they all loved Woojin hyung! And now he's coming in with a completely different character, a full one-eighty transformation, and he's even showing sign language!"
Woojin felt a little awkward.
'Why are you going that far? Hmm, that's kind of embarrassing.'
He kept his mouth shut and focused on the television.
Right then.
"Ah, it's starting."
The commercials ended, and the new drama's opening began. A lively OST layered with violin melodies played, and bright, cheerful animation featuring the lead actors appeared on the screen. Their names appeared below them.
♬♪
When the OST ended, the title of the drama appeared clearly in the center of a pale violet screen.
[Frozen love]
[Episode 1]