Chapter 42

42

"What?"

"I've never worried about the team members. What if something happens, you know, some accident or incident, what would I do?"

"Well, I'm probably the biggest troublemaker myself..."

I do know. Once he gets into a relationship, it’s bound to cause a big mess, and that’s exactly who Joo-seong is.

Joo-seong crossed his arms and pondered deeply.

"Generally, the kids are all good, so nothing like that has happened. Oh, but there was one time when someone loudly declared they were going to do a musical and ended up failing miserably. They came and drank soju until they were completely wasted."

"You didn’t stop them?"

"I didn’t. I thought they’d handle it well. If I had stopped them, they would have just lost their spirit. At least they tried something new."

"Isn’t success more important?"

"Without that, you can’t achieve success. If you’re too scared to try, the opportunity will fly away."

Joo-seong was surprisingly giving some senior-like advice. I thought he would be more realistic. It’s not easy to talk about taking challenges when you’re in his position.

As I listened to the story, I tapped my fingers on the desk.

"Are you saying trust is important?"

"Anyway, we’re all in the same boat."

Joo-seong muttered.

"But why? Is something wrong?"

"Because of the school violence allegations against Kim Sung-hyun."

"…Really?"

"I’m not sure if it’s true."

Joo-seong rolled his eyes, looking uncomfortable.

"Sorry, I don’t really have much to say about it. It’s a very sensitive issue."

"It’s okay."

"We’ve had similar controversies among our members. Smoking and all that… It was a group thing, though."

Joo-seong sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"Seo Ho-yun, you’ll understand as you work here. Really, all sorts of things happen. You’ll wonder why people hate me so much. The higher you go, the more people try to bring you down."

"…."

"Sometimes smoke comes out of a chimney even when there’s no fire. So… don’t act rashly."

Joo-seong chose his words carefully. Given the sensitive nature of the issue, he was being cautious.

I slowly reflected on Joo-seong’s words.

He looked more serious than ever since I met him.

"At least trust him once. No matter what others say, he’s in the same boat as you."

"…."

He was right. I accepted his advice.

Just as I was about to stand up to clear my thoughts, I suddenly froze.

Ding!

[Surprise!

Oops, mistake!! >//< The school violence controversy involving Kim Sung-hyun has erupted sooner than expected.

Clarify the controversy to prevent it from spreading.

Kim Sung-hyun Controversy Prevention 0/1

Success: Main scenario progresses

Failure: If not resolved before the end of Shining Star, The Dun’s popularity will plummet]

The situation had blown up.

*** As my expression hardened, Joo-seong seemed to sense the atmosphere and left.

I rushed to the practice room, where the others were already on edge, having caught wind of the incident. I snatched the phone from Kim Sung-hyun, who was staring blankly at it.

"Wait."

The phone displayed a community site. I slowly read the title.

[Title: Exposing The Dun’s Kim Sung-hyun for School Violence

Hello, I am exposing The Dun’s Kim Sung-hyun for school violence.

I am a graduate of the same high school where Kim Sung-hyun attended.

I tried to forget about it, but seeing Kim Sung-hyun brazenly appear on TV again, I couldn’t bear it and decided to post this.

Kim Sung-hyun and I were in the same class. Kim Sung-hyun brutally bullied a classmate, Hwang Mo. He extorted money, insulted, and occasionally physically assaulted him. Everyone was too afraid to stop him.

One day, when Hwang Mo refused to give him money, Kim Sung-hyun assaulted him, resulting in a two-week injury. Kim Sung-hyun left school without any remorse but was eventually suspended due to the victim’s testimony. He later dropped out a month later.

High school certification is provided below.

I cannot forgive Kim Sung-hyun for appearing on TV as if nothing happened and acting so brazenly.]

"Huh."

I quickly scrolled down. There was a high school yearbook, but no other verification. The post was full of vague statements and not from a direct victim.

The only thing that stuck out was the claim that Kim Sung-hyun was suspended due to the victim’s testimony.

"Bro."

"Hey, just a moment…"

Kim Sung-hyun looked pale. I held onto his phone and asked him.

"Kim Sung-hyun. Tell me everything about what happened in high school."

Everyone looked at me as if I had gone crazy. Kim Sung-hyun furrowed his brow.

"What?"

"First, tell me if it’s true or not. I need to know to come up with a plan."

Everyone’s mouths dropped open at my sudden directness.

"Bro, what are you saying?"

"Ho-yun, are you doubting Sung-hyun?"

Everyone looked at me as if I were sick.

Kim Sung-hyun must have worked hard. No one seemed to think he was capable of such things.

Kim Sung-hyun’s face was now pale and green.

"Tell me quickly. If I didn’t believe you, I wouldn’t ask."

"…."

"It’s already out in the open."

"Bro!"

Jeong Da-joon’s eyes widened even more.

"Bro, I… I think it’s ridiculous. You wouldn’t do that."

Kim Sung-hyun let out a hollow laugh, and I looked at him with my arms crossed. Sung-jae-won calmed down the agitated Jeong Da-joon.

"Let’s hear him out first."

Sung-jae-won and the others have known Kim Sung-hyun for about 2-3 years. But they’ve practiced together every day and lived closer than anyone else, so it’s natural for their trust to be one-sided.

Kim Sung-hyun sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"…No."

"…."

"What’s written there. It’s not true. I swear, I’ve never bullied anyone. I never extorted money or assaulted anyone."

I tried to gauge if he was being sincere. As usual.

At that moment, Joo-seong’s words echoed in my mind.

Since we’re a team, we’re in the same boat, and I should trust him.

"Suspension?"

"…It’s true."

"It doesn’t add up."

"Ho-yun."

Sung-jae-won cautiously intervened. I was already formulating a plan in my head.

"Soon, the manager and the CEO will be involved. We need to clear everything up by then. Tell me the truth, everything. If there’s even a bit of a lie, I can’t help you."

"…Seo Ho-yun."

Kim Sung-hyun pressed his temples as if he had a headache. Then he sighed and slumped down.

"I know, it doesn’t add up. How could I be suspended if I didn’t assault anyone?"

Kim Sung-hyun muttered, sounding defeated.

"But it’s not true. How could I do that to him?"

To him?

"The person they claim is the victim was my friend."

Kim Sung-hyun looked bitter.

After hesitating a few times, he finally began to speak, slowly and hesitantly.

"I might have thought we were close, but at least we talked. One day, he suddenly got picked on and bullied. I was scared and just watched. One day, I saw him being beaten in an alley next to the school, so I ran over and called the police to help him."

I decided to believe everything Kim Sung-hyun was saying from now on. It was the best compromise I could make.

I organized the details of Kim Sung-hyun’s story in my mind.

"But when the police arrived, the bullies laughed and said I did it. My friend, the victim, couldn’t handle the pressure and pointed me out as the perpetrator. I was suspended, and after that, I was too scared to go to school. So I dropped out. My family couldn’t afford to send me to college anyway…."

"…."

"Since then, I’ve been wasting time like a loser, then started dancing again, did a lot of part-time jobs, and even tried being an idol."

Kim Sung-hyun laughed bitterly.

"That’s how it happened."

[Quest Success!

'Investigate Kim Sung-hyun’s Past.' Kim Sung-hyun’s Trust (Very) Slightly Increased, Main Scenario Progresses]

Even with the quest success, I felt uneasy.

At that moment, Jeong Da-joon suddenly started crying.

"Bro."

"Why, why are you like this."

"I’m sorry. I didn’t know… I was always complaining to you."

"Hey, hey. Don’t cry. Stop it."

Kim Sung-hyun, flustered, threw a nearby coat at Jeong Da-joon. Jeong Da-joon caught it and wiped his tears and nose.

"Hey, why are you blowing your nose on it?"

"It’s hard to breathe with a stuffy nose…."

"Really, on my coat?"

"Ah, I, ugh. I’ll buy you a better one when I make more money."

Jeong Da-joon grumbled, still teary-eyed. The atmosphere lightened up. Sung-jae-won patted Kim Sung-hyun’s back gently.

"Good job."

"…."

"Bro, you’ve really been through a lot."

Kang Eun-jae also comforted Kim Sung-hyun. Kim Sung-hyun, with a stuffy nose, suddenly fell silent.

As he bowed his head, I committed the entire incident to memory.

"We need to issue a clarification…."

"Kim Sung-hyun, are you in touch with that friend?"

I asked casually, and Kim Sung-hyun shook his head.

"I haven’t been in touch since I dropped out."

"Then, do you have any witnesses from the incident?"

"None that I know of."

Kim Sung-hyun said gloomily.

I compared the current post and the maximum clarification Kim Sung-hyun could provide. After calculating, I made a decision.

"Then, let’s not clarify it now."

"Wh-what?!"

Jeong Da-joon jumped up.

"Bro, we can’t do that. People are so misinformed! Sung-hyun is so kind, we need to clear this up quickly."

"It will backfire if we do it now."

"…I agree."

Sung-jae-won, who had been quiet, spoke up. He looked apologetic towards Kim Sung-hyun.

"If we say we’re not covering it up and can’t contact the victim, we won’t be able to do anything."

"Sung-jae-won is right. If we give a vague explanation, it won’t be a proper clarification and will only increase the backlash."

"Shouldn’t we act quickly and clarify later?"

"No, if we do that, people will forget. Then the school violence stigma will stick."

I thought quickly. The manager was about to arrive at the practice room. I grabbed Kim Sung-hyun’s shoulder.

"Kim Sung-hyun."

"…Yeah."

"I believe you."

Kim Sung-hyun’s eyes wavered.