LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 201
Chapter 201
The exposé post was long, as if the writer wanted to vent all the accumulated resentment towards the Gyun siblings in this single opportunity.
It was so lengthy that most people gave up reading it halfway through and scrolled down to read the comments instead.
To summarize the content:
Gyun Ha-ram not only spread rumors about fellow actors whenever she came to school but also used her celebrity status to create a hierarchy within the class.
Moreover, it was stated that Gyun Seong-ha, who was known as a delinquent a grade above, found the writer and used physical violence.
Due to these events, the writer’s friendships were destroyed, leading them to become what is known as a ‘hidden outcast’ in elementary school and later a victim of severe bullying in middle and high school.
The exposé post and its related threads garnered countless comments.
– Wow, didn’t Gyun Ha-ram have a good image? This is shocking.
– I know Gyun Ha-ram, but who is Gyun Seong-ha? Never heard of him.
– Whoa, isn’t Gyun Seong-ha that athletic guy from Ajou University???
– The details in the post are so specific that it seems real…
– If this is true, Gyun Ha-ram has been bad-mouthing her seniors since her child actor days;;;
– I always felt something was off about her.
– People who look cold and rude but have fans making a fuss about their supposedly different real personality never turn out to have good character. Physiognomy is a science.
– There’s no concrete evidence, and a diploma alone can’t prove anythingㅠㅠ Let’s stay neutral.
– I liked Gyun Ha-ram since she acted well from the start, and I was interested in Orca too. What’s going on here..
– I feel bad for the kids who debuted with her.
– This reminds me of Whisper, who had a bullying scandal before.
– Is the writer a girl?
┗ Seems like it from the context.
┗ So, Gyun Seong-ha went and pushed, yelled at, and dragged a girl younger than him to threaten her?
┗ Wow, seeing it like this, he’s such a loser..
– The siblings are really something else.
– They were known in the neighborhood as terrible people.
┗ If you’re going to say stuff like this anonymously, at least verify it with a graduation photo.
– Didn’t both of their parents work as elementary school teachers? What a mess with their kids, lol.
The sensational combination of the words ‘delinquent siblings’ had already filled the real-time search terms.
First, Joo Yeol-eum quickly grasped the content and the mood of the comments before turning his head and shooting a fierce look at Ban Ga-eul, who had stiffened.
‘You said their past was clean!’
A moment later, Ban Ga-eul, who had momentarily become dazed, quickly shook his head.
“He’s not that kind of person.”
Ban Ga-eul recalled the time two years ago when Gyun Seong-ha had been called separately to discuss what had happened to Seo Moon-gyeol. Seong-ha had cried and repeatedly apologized, feeling guilty.
Since the unpleasant incident that led to the departure of some trainees, they had lived like a real family with the current members.
It couldn’t be true. It shouldn’t be.
Suppressing a sigh as he looked at Ban Ga-eul’s face, Joo Yeol-eum asked,
“Is Seong-ha at the dorm right now?”
“Yes. He’s supposed to come for practice soon, but I’ll contact him to confirm.”
Gwak Sang-hyun, with a serious expression, responded.
“Let’s call him first and hear his side of the story.”
* * *
– Damn it, Seong-ha… Why didn’t you live properly… What about the other kids…
– Seong-ha, the image you’ve shown us so far is so kind and sweet that I can’t imagine you did this. If this is true, I’ll feel immensely betrayed and will support the victim unconditionally, but for now, since there’s no evidence, I’ll believe in you. Please tell me it’s not true.
– (Video) No way;; How could our gentle crybaby Seong-ha do such a thing;;;
┗ Exactlyㅠㅠㅠ
┗ I’m embarrassed and ashamed to be in the same fandom, so please delete posts like this…
– Seong-ha, you must be struggling a lot, but make sure to eat the food Ji-woo makes for you. We believe in you. Don’t look at your phone, turn on the air conditioner, cover yourself with a blanket, and just rest well. Don’t get sick.
– Just thinking about Seong-ha doing such things makes me feel sick and brings tears to my eyes. And what about Raon, who has to smile and host with someone who might be a bully..?
– (Photo) Selling my Orca photocards in bulk, preferred prices. DM me with offers.
Kang Ji-woo, Ban Yo-han, Seo Moon-gyeol, Gyun Seong-ha, On Raon, Winf, Lucid
– Buying Orca Seong-ha photocards, willing to take most. DM with photos, prices, and condition.
– Seong-ha puppy, Seong-ha fancam, Seong-ha at Ajou University, Seong-ha fan sign, Seong-ha physique, Seong-ha with black hair, Seong-ha selfies, Orca Seong-ha #Seongha
– If you really care about the members, don’t defend them irrationally. Stay neutral until solid evidence comes out.
– Should I stop being a fan now that I’m coming to my senses? Gyun Seong-ha is a real bastard.. It’s obvious Seed will handle this slowly, which makes it twice as frustrating.. Don’t become a fan of male idols ㅠㅠ
– Gyun Seong-ha is like that. I’ve heard stories from his child actor days, but I overlooked it because he was young. But this isn’t something to be dismissed because of his age…
– Maybe it’s better it came out early. If it had been 1-2 years later, I’d have lost my mind ㅠㅠ
– Seong-ha, you’re not just going to issue a statement denying it and then continue your activities after some time passes, right? If you do, I’ll feel too uneasy to like you anymore. Please say something yourself confidently, then I’ll believe you. Please, Seong-ha, Gyun Seong-ha, you’re reading all this, aren’t you?
Gyun Seong-ha, who happened to hear the news a step ahead of the company staff, accessed SNS, which he hadn’t visited for a while, and searched his name as if hypnotized.
“Sniff…”
Tears flowed uncontrollably, soaking the neckline of his T-shirt in no time.
At that moment.
“Seong-ha.”
Startled by the voice calling from beyond the closed door, Gyun Seong-ha turned around quickly.
“Can I come in?”
“…”
The room was so stuffy that he felt like he was going to suffocate if he stayed like this.
Unable to breathe properly due to the hot sobs rising in his throat, Gyun Seong-ha couldn’t respond.
Instead of an answer, the faint, suppressed sobs seeping through the door made Kang Ji-woo blink in distress.
Although the door wasn’t locked, and he could have just opened it, Kang Ji-woo didn’t seem inclined to turn the knob.
Partly because he knew that manager Gwak Sang-hyun would soon come and pull Gyun Seong-ha out of the room.
And partly due to his own tender and gentle nature towards his particularly sensitive younger brother.
“Seong-ha, the president, the other staff, and I will all respond to this well. Can’t you trust us this time too?”
As Kang Ji-woo was trying to persuade Gyun Seong-ha while calming his head that felt like it was about to explode,
On Raon reached out between Kang Ji-woo and the door to grab the doorknob.
Startled by the sudden action, Kang Ji-woo tried to stop On Raon from turning the handle, causing the flimsy door to rattle.
Every time that happened, Gyun Seong-ha’s heart shook too.
“Raon, don’t do that.”
“Let go.”
“I know how you feel, but let Seong-ha come out on his own…”
“It’s the hottest part of the day right now. If he’s in there alone, he’ll cry himself to death.”
“Death…”
After a brief tussle between the two, the door eventually opened.
If Ban Yo-han, who had gone out with Seo Moon-gyeol for a personal schedule, had been there, the door would have been opened long ago without further ado.
As the door swung open wide, the stagnant air rushed out, and cool air poured in.
Perhaps because of that,
Gyun Seong-ha’s chest, which had felt like it was boiling, seemed to ease a little.
“Gyun Seong-ha.”
On Raon, who approached, looked calmer than Gyun Seong-ha had expected.
In contrast, Gyun Seong-ha’s face, which had once been handsome, was now a complete mess after what felt like only a short while.
“All you have to do is say you didn’t do it. Simple, right?”
If the contents of the post were true, Gyun Seong-ha would fall into the category of people On Raon despised the most.
Imagining the betrayal he would feel, On Raon sincerely hoped it wasn’t true, perhaps even more desperately than Kang Ji-woo, and waited for Gyun Seong-ha’s answer.
“I…”
Gyun Seong-ha recalled the events that had happened on a similarly hot day.
– Ahh!
The child was pushed away with less force than expected.
Books tumbled down following the pull of gravity, colored paper scattered and fluttered in all directions. Scissors, glue, a recorder, and various other items clattered and rolled away haphazardly. The shrill screams of the children who were watching.
– I-I’m sorry. Are you okay?
– Waaah!
His heart pounded uncontrollably. The rage that surged up to the top of his head in front of the child who sat down and cried loudly, as if for everyone to see.
Then came the chilling fear and the powerlessness that drained all the strength from his body, overwhelming the twenty-year-old Gyun Seong-ha once again.
“I… I…”
On Raon’s expression hardened slightly at the hesitant and delayed response.
“…did it.”
Gyun Seong-ha, who remembered his mistake, hated that he couldn’t just say no.
“Even so.”
At the same time.
“I never bullied anyone. Really.”
Seeing the faces brighten with relief and joy at his words, he thought,
Thank goodness I didn’t do anything I can’t be proud of.
* * *
Thanks to On Raon’s comforting words about finding and teaching a lesson to the bastard who told the unforgivable lie, and the warm tea Kang Ji-woo brought, Gyun Seong-ha managed to calm his anxious heart a little.
“Seong-ha! It’s not true, right?!”
“He said it’s not!”
Gwak Sang-hyun, who had rushed to the dorm with a face drenched in sweat after hearing the news, was greatly relieved to hear Gyun Seong-ha say that he had never bullied anyone.
Seo Moon-gyeol and Ban Yo-han, who came with him, reacted similarly.
“Seong-ha, you come with me to Baekdo. Considering the situation, we decided to talk with Ha-ram’s side there as well.”
Baekdo Entertainment was the actor-centric agency to which Gyun Ha-ram belonged.
“Hyung, can’t I come too?”
“Ji-woo, I understand how you feel, but there’s nothing you can do if you come. We’ll handle it from here, and we’ll let you know if there’s any news, so just stay at the dorm or the company for now. Also, don’t post anything on SNS or the fan cafe until the situation is sorted out. Take care of the other members.”
“Yes…”
“Yeong-min, you wait at the company too.”
“Understood.”
As On Raon’s eyes met with his obedient answer, he paused the hand in his pocket that was fiddling with the precious item, the Mouth of Truth, which he had saved to use against someone higher up in True Entertainment someday.