Cheat day

Ha-chan (4)

“It’s definitely strange.”

After explaining the situation to Muk Eun-ji, she reacted similarly to me.

“I don’t know much about classical music, but I’ve heard of Himura Sho-u. Even before he worked with Bae Do-bin, he was known as a genius producer and a person of integrity. I’ve never heard rumors of him doing anything unethical.”

“Is it a problem with Jeong Mun-il?”

“The payment issues existed before Saebyeol acquired APOP. There’s no other way to speculate.”

I thought the same.

“Considering what Park Ha-im has publicly shown on social media and the clothes he usually wears, it seems suspicious that he has never received a payment until now.”

“I found it hard to believe too, so I asked him, and he said all of it was bought by Jeong Mun-il.”

“How has he been living?”

“He said his manager keeps track of things and that he occasionally receives an allowance.”

“…If he lives too frugally, it could lead to unnecessary suspicions, so he might have chosen that way.”

I couldn’t help but be astonished that Park Ha-im, a singer at the top of his game, was receiving only about 1 million won a month as an allowance.

“Anyway, if this continues, he’s going to get hurt. The fans are already in an uproar; it seems like a good time to publicize this issue.”

Although I had managed to calm him down, returning to normal life in that state could lead to disaster.

We needed to put a stop to Jeong Mun-il and APOP’s wrongdoing as soon as possible.

Muk Eun-ji paused for a moment in thought before speaking.

“The payment issues with APOP will definitely become a big issue. The fans will likely support us. But there’s no evidence.”

“What if Ha-im makes his account public?”

“They could just say that the payments were made to a different account, or that bank statements can be manipulated, which would only give APOP a chance to spout nonsense.”

As I pondered whether there was any other way, Muk Eun-ji stepped forward.

“It would be better to report this to Himura Sho-u.”

“Why?”

“Saebyeol, which is in the midst of business expansion, won’t let this matter slide. Especially since it’s tied to their reputation, particularly Bae Do-bin’s.”

This year, Bae Do-bin had achieved an overall victory at the orchestral competition, establishing himself as the best conductor and composer.

He was compared to Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven.

“Do you think they will handle this properly, considering it’s an internal issue?”

“Bae Do-bin, who has done countless good deeds, wouldn’t just sit by for something like this. He has always been proactive in protecting the rights of musicians.”

“Hmm.”

“Another reason is…”

Muk Eun-ji hesitated, which was unusual for her.

I trusted her, whatever she was about to say. She trusted me too, so she would eventually share it.

“Do you remember Kim Seo-jin’s incident?”

“Of course.”

“Back then, they limited the issue to Kim Seo-jin’s personal misconduct rather than implicating Hong Dang-mu. Do you know why?”

“They said they didn’t want to make Hong Dang-mu an enemy.”

“That’s correct. They believed they could keep it as leverage for future use.”

Muk Eun-ji let out a small sigh.

“Strictly speaking, that incident had nothing to do with Hong Dang-mu. The person who conspired against us was Kim Seo-jin.”

“Right?”

“But how Kim Seo-jin could carry out such actions is clear. It was thanks to the companies he had dealings with through Hong Dang-mu. So it means Hong Dang-mu was also involved in that kind of business.”

I was aware of this from what Muk Eun-ji had shared with me back then.

“That’s why if the Kim Seo-jin incident became public and drew media attention and investigation, Hong Dang-mu could get implicated. If that happened, Hong Sung-il’s wrath would fall upon us.”

“It’s Kim Seo-jin’s fault, though.”

“Yes, it is Kim Seo-jin’s fault and Hong Sung-il’s fault. But people aren’t that rational. Instead of reflecting, they would probably blame me or Chan-yong, who exposed the incident.”

“Hmm.”

“While Hong Sung-il isn’t perfect, he has built connections throughout the entertainment industry. I didn’t want to create unnecessary obstacles for Chan-yong by alienating someone like him.”

I nodded.

“That said, there was no need to become complete allies. It was enough to remove the elements of uncertainty while resolving the issue and gaining something in return.”

Muk Eun-ji’s cautious approach at that time became clear.

She knew more than anyone about the illegal activities Hong Dang-mu had committed, but there was nothing to gain from attacking him then.

The root cause of the problem lay with Kim Seo-jin, and if both Kim Seo-jin and Hong Dang-mu had been dealt with simultaneously, Hong Sung-il might have protected Kim Seo-jin instead.

Moreover, there was a possibility of backlash from Hong Sung-il, who had connections with media outlets.

Thus, Muk Eun-ji had meticulously separated Hong Dang-mu and Kim Seo-jin to resolve the incident.

“Phew.”

Muk Eun-ji exhaled deeply.

She seemed to feel ashamed about that incident.

The reason she hesitated a moment ago was likely because she felt guilty about condoning unethical behavior.

“Thank you.”

Muk Eun-ji tilted her head.

“You did something you didn’t want to do for us. Thank you.”

“I chose to do it because I thought of us.”

In the past, she would have apologized for making such a choice because of me.

But now, she couldn’t separate herself from me like that.

We think together about our work for our sake.

“Keep going. Hong Dang-mu and APOP are no different.”

“……”

“Even if everything seems to be crumbling, we cannot ignore the connections that have been built over the years. There’s no need for Chan-yong to take the lead and provoke them.”

But we couldn’t just leave it alone.

“We probably can’t ignore it.”

“Yes.”

“If we’re going to fight against someone in the mud, we have no choice but to jump into the mud ourselves. You might think it’s cowardly, but my top priority is our safety.”

“Isn’t there another way?”

“No.”

“……”

“We don’t have a way, but Himura Sho-u does. He has both the will and the power to act. Trust Himura Sho-u and take a step back. There’s something only Chan-yong can do.”

“Me?”

“Saebyeol Entertainment will likely settle the unpaid money for Park Ha-im and adjust the unreasonable schedule. But they can’t restore his lost health. That’s something only you can do.”

“Oh.”

“You can get the money back slowly. Restoring his devastated mental and physical state is more urgent. It’s a more important issue.”

I couldn’t help but smile.

“Talking to you makes me realize what’s most important.”

“To find the core of the problem is to see the solution.”

“Yeah. Thank you.”

***

I thought I’d have to negotiate with APOP to ensure Park Ha-im could return to a normal diet.

Surprisingly, things resolved easily.

Park Ha-im, wearing a hat and hoodie, came into the office.

“What’s this? Did they just let you go?”

“Yeah. Hello, PD.”

Park Ha-im waved to Muk Eun-ji, who lightly bowed in return.

“What happened? I thought it wouldn’t be easy.”

“Seon-young noona came and organized everything, so she told me to rest for now. I asked if I could go on air, and she said if I wanted to, I could.”

“Who’s Seon-young noona?”

“An important person. I’m not sure.”

“You’re not sure, but you call her ‘noona’?”

“If it’s a woman older than me, she’s ‘noona,’ and if it’s a man, he’s ‘hyung.’”

That seems to be how the entertainment world works.

I let Park Ha-im inside.

“But can they really clear your schedule overnight? There must be penalties or something.”

“They said I have to start again in a week. Some have been postponed, and some canceled.”

Saebyeol Entertainment was moving much more swiftly and decisively than we had anticipated.

They must be aware of the public’s gaze on Park Ha-im.

“I’m hungry. Let’s eat.”

“There’s nothing to eat.”

“Huh?”

Park Ha-im’s eyes widened.

“Seriously, there’s nothing. The last food we had is all that’s left.”

I didn’t think my cooking skills were good enough for a mukbang, so I only had simple meals prepared.

“Hmm. I need to eat something, so PD, shall we go out for a meal?”

“I have things to take care of. You two go eat.”

Muk Eun-ji was still busy writing something.

The lively sound of her typing indicated she was in a good flow.

When she’s focused, she doesn’t like to be disturbed, so it would be better to just bring something back when I return.

“Do you two always speak so formally to each other?”

“What do you mean?”

“Aren’t you dating?”

We froze for a moment.

The sound of typing stopped.

“Was it a secret?”

“No. It’s not really a secret. How did you know?”

“You two are wearing couple rings.”

“Oh.”

As I remained quiet, Park Ha-im shrugged his shoulders.

“It’s okay. I can keep a secret.”

He might not know much about the world, but his long experience in the entertainment industry has made him quite perceptive.

The sound of typing resumed.

“Let’s go eat.”

“Wait. You should wear a mask.”

“Why? We’re just going to eat.”

“What if people recognize you? It’s already chaotic as it is.”

I handed him a mask, and he put it on without complaint.

“PD, I’ll be back soon.”

“Have a good time.”

Park Ha-im and I headed to my car parked underground.

“By the way, how did you get here?”

“I took a taxi.”

“Looks like it went well.”

“The adults don’t really recognize me. But what should we eat?”

“How about Daegu stew?”

The weather had turned chilly, so I was craving something warm. A soup dish would be easy for Park Ha-im to digest too.

“Is it good?”

“Yeah. It’s a place that PD Park Sang-cheol often goes to, and it’s delicious.”

“Okay. But you don’t have to wear a mask.”

“I’m fine.”

“I think you should.”

“I said I’m fine.”

“I don’t want to choke while eating.”

“I’d rather keep a low profile too. Just don’t worry and wear yours properly.”

As I drove out of the underground parking lot, my phone buzzed with a notification.

“Wow.”

Park Ha-im pulled out his smartphone and couldn’t close his mouth.

“What’s wrong?”

“……”

“What did the agency say?”

“Hyung.”

“Yeah?”

“I received my payment.”

Since I was waiting at a red light, I turned my head, and Park Ha-im showed me his smartphone.

The amount was quite large.

“……2.7 billion won?”

“Right? I’m not seeing it wrong, am I?”

“No, that’s impossible.”

The amount was so unreal that I was at a loss for words as the light turned green, and I couldn’t continue speaking.

“I’m rich.”

“How is this possible? How can they deposit such a large amount so quickly? Isn’t that the wrong amount? Shouldn’t you receive more?”

“I don’t know. Seon-young noona sent me the file, but it’s hard to read.”

“Let’s check it out at the restaurant.”

We arrived at the cod stew restaurant around 11:30 AM.

I had come here frequently last winter, but it had been a year. The store hadn’t changed.

“Owner, we’ll have two servings of cod stew.”

“Yes.”

The owner took our order and looked at us strangely.

I wondered if he had recognized that Park Ha-im was here and felt a bit anxious, but then a loud voice came from the next table.

“Ban-chan Yong! It’s Ban-chan Yong!”

“Who is that?”

“You know, the young man who appears with Han-sik Yeon and Baekban Dara. He’s doing good work.”

“Oh! That’s right! That’s him!”

“Chan-yong, is that you?”

I turned my head to see some older men greeting me with friendly eyes.

“Oh. Yes. Hello.”

“Wow, it’s nice to see someone from TV here. Nice to meet you.”

“Yeah! I thought I was seeing things.”

Now even the owner was greeting us.

I had planned to eat quietly, but that was ruined.

After managing to greet everyone around us and regain my composure, I noticed Park Ha-im sitting across from me, glaring at me.

“What’s wrong?”

“You said it was okay. That no one would recognize you.”

“Ahem. Hand me your phone. I want to see the Excel sheet.”