Chapter 8: University Classmate (1)

Even if I expose the club, it might only become a temporary issue and will soon die down.

Who would listen to a new employee?

And the company will do its best to cover it up. Back then, it took nearly half a year from when the suspicions arose to when they finally broke.

In the end, to properly expose it, someone higher up needs to take action.

Currently, the only person who can take down Executive Director Yang Jeong-wook within the group is Executive Director Yang Ja-eun. She is the sister of Yang Jeong-wook.

In other words, I have to ask the sister to attack her brother.

Will she listen to me?

On the surface, there seems to be no problem between them.

"Even if siblings from a wealthy family appear close on the outside, they are not at all on the inside."

After becoming the chairman, Yang Jeong-wook completely ousted Yang Ja-eun from the group. If she is not a fool, she must realize that her position will be difficult to maintain once her brother becomes chairman.

First, I need to make contact with Executive Director Yang Ja-eun.

The problem is how to meet her. It would be difficult to have a private meeting if I just show up and ask.

If my actions are discovered by the company before that, it will be a problem.

Is there a good way to have a natural meeting? Or should I ask someone to set it up?

While I was pondering, my phone rang loudly.

I answered the call. The name on the screen was Park Seung-hoon.

He is a classmate from the economics department at Korea University and currently works at a portal site called Neotin. What's up with him?

As soon as I answered, Seung-hoon asked,

"Are you coming later?"

"Huh? Where?"

"Se-yeon said she's treating us today."

Who's Se-yeon? Oh! Jin Se-yeon.

Indeed, she is my classmate. She is very pretty and has a good personality, so she is popular in the department.

"Why is she treating us?"

"She passed the announcer exam."

"Really?"

"Don't you remember?"

"I think I do."

Jin Se-yeon joined Yuseong Electronics after graduation.

But for some reason, she quit her well-paying job and started preparing for the announcer exam. She passed it on her first try, to everyone's surprise.

I was about to say I wouldn't go, but then I remembered that day clearly...

"What time and where did she say?"

"8 PM in Gangnam. I'll send you the exact address via text."

"Got it. See you later."

After hanging up, I thought.

Jin Se-yeon.

I first met her in the second year of middle school.

She was incredibly beautiful even back then. Middle and high school students from nearby schools would loiter around the school gates during dismissal just to see her.

Many boys liked her, and I was no exception.

We were in the same class, but we only exchanged greetings occasionally. I never even considered confessing, and we naturally drifted apart when the class was split.

I heard she went to an all-girls high school.

I thought I would never see her again, but we met again at the Korea University economics department freshman welcome party. We both recognized each other and were both surprised.

Who would have thought that my middle school classmate would be admitted to the same university and the same department!

We quickly became close again and eventually started dating. We dated for a little over a year and then, for some reason, broke up.

But we continued to get along well after that.

We studied together during exams and had fun at festivals and after-parties.

We kept in touch occasionally even after graduation.

She had a successful career as an announcer, but after the Premus incident, she was removed from all programs and quit her job.

The cause was the man she was dating.

He was a member of the management team at Premus Asset Management, and she not only invested her own money but also introduced her acquaintances.

Her colleagues and close classmates also invested, and they all lost their money.

I smiled bitterly and muttered,

"Premus really ruined a lot of people's lives."

It's a good thing it happened.

* * *

The meeting place was an izakaya in Gangnam.

When I arrived, about ten people were already there. My classmates greeted me warmly.

"It's been a while."

"How long has it been?"

"We used to see each other every day in school, but it's hard to see each other after graduation."

"True. How have you all been?"

It might have been a few months for them, but it felt like much longer for me.

As I was thinking this, Jin Se-yeon smiled and said,

"It's been a while. How have you been?"

She is about 165 cm tall, slender, with a small face and large eyes, shoulder-length straight hair, and fair skin.

She is still very beautiful.

I greeted her after a long time.

"Congratulations. I should have contacted you earlier."

"It's okay. I'm just glad you came."

"Of course I had to come if you're treating us."

The girls asked from the side,

"Your friend is an SBC announcer?"

"Does that mean you'll be on TV now?"

"Ha, it's a long way before I appear on TV."

Jin Se-yeon raised her glass and said,

"Since I'm treating you today, eat and drink as much as you want."

"Congratulations on passing the exam!"

We all clinked our glasses together.

The atmosphere quickly became lively as everyone caught up on the past. I had lost touch with my classmates after the Premus incident.

That's why I felt even more excited to see them.

Ha Kyung-tae said with a grin,

"Let's all have a soju-mac first."

Choi Han-byeol said,

"What soju-mac?"

"I learned an amazing way to drink soju-mac from our senior."

"Just drink beer. Do you remember throwing up on my clothes after drinking soju-mac during the MT?"

"Hey, why are you still bringing up something that happened in our first year..."

I said to the grumbling Ha Kyung-tae,

"Are you dating Choi Han-byeol now?"

At my words, the two of them were startled.

"How did you know?"

"No, no!"

But it was too late.

The other friends were surprised.

"What? You two are dating?"

"Really? Since when?"

"Who made the first move?"

"You used to fight all the time in school."

"Who said we fought..."

They were the famous rivals in the department. They were even nicknamed Tom and Jerry. No wonder everyone was surprised to hear they were dating.

Choi Han-byeol pouted.

"I didn't want to say anything because of this..."

Then she turned to Ha Kyung-tae and said accusingly,

"Did you tell Mi-reu?"

Ha Kyung-tae quickly waved his hands.

"No, no. I haven't even talked to her. How did you know?"

"I just had a feeling and decided to test it out."

These two will get married next year for speeding. Everyone was surprised when they received the wedding invitation.

As we drank, I remembered something that happened at this event.

Didn't an entertainer come to this gathering? I can't remember who it was.

While I was thinking, Jin Se-yeon answered a call.

"Hey! Ji-yu!"

She talked for a moment and then said to us,

"Ji-yu wants to know if she can come."

"Really?"

"Really?"

The male classmates shouted in unison.

"Of course she can come."

"Tell her to come!"

I asked the nearby Park Seung-hoon,

"Wasn't there a Ji-yu in our department?"

"What are you talking about? Don't you know Ji-yu the singer? She's an entertainer from the journalism department."

"Didn't she retire?"

Park Seung-hoon looked at me in disbelief.

"She debuted last year. Why would she retire already? Don't you watch TV?"

"Oh..."

Right. It must be around the time she debuted.

Ji-yu.

Currently a second-year student in the journalism department at Korea University, she debuted last year.

She is a singer-songwriter who writes her own lyrics and composes her own music.

She started singing in high school.

Originally, she was relatively unknown, but with her beautiful appearance, outstanding singing skills, and the prestige of Korea University, she is gradually gaining recognition as a new artist.

Jin Se-yeon knows her because she is her cousin and, coincidentally, her high school and college junior.

About 30 minutes later,

Ji-yu really showed up.

She bowed to us.

"Hello, seniors."

She was dressed simply in jeans and a padded jacket.

She is about 160 cm tall with a round face. She has large, single-lidded eyes, a straight nose, and red lips.

Her figure was even slimmer than on TV, and her small face made her look even more proportionate for her height.

I thought the same thing when I saw her in the first episode: entertainers are truly different.

Everyone stood up to greet her.

"Welcome."

"Make yourself at home."

The izakaya had a sliding door, so we wouldn't run into other customers.

Jin Se-yeon held her hand and shook it happily.

"How did you manage to come with such a busy schedule?"

"No matter how busy I am, I have to congratulate my senior."

"Thank you."

A few of the female classmates greeted her warmly, as they had met her before.

Ji-yu sat next to Jin Se-yeon, and the classmates started talking to her.

"I've been enjoying your songs."

"I've been watching you on TV."

"I heard you're going to be in a drama soon?"

"Thank you."

Jin Se-yeon asked,

"Oh! I heard you might be featuring in Cilab's song? Is that true?"

"It's not confirmed yet, but it seems like it will happen. Cilab senior said he likes my voice."

I muttered to myself,

It would be better if she didn't do it.

Cilab is a rapper and songwriter from the popular seven-year-old idol group KDK. Every song he releases is a huge hit.

The song featuring Ji-yu was no exception.

"Your Photo" topped various music charts and won first place on all three major TV networks and cable channels. Ji-yu's popularity and recognition also increased significantly.

But soon, a problem arose from Cilab's side.

It wasn't just a simple scandal; it was a serious issue that led to the disbandment of KDK and the arrest of several related entertainers.

Although she had nothing to do with the incident, her image was severely damaged, and she was removed from a drama she was set to star in.

That drama later became a global hit, sparking a Korean wave.

Ji-yu was inactive for a while and returned two years later as a supporting actress in a drama and with a drama OST.

Her acting received good reviews, but the negative image from the past continued to follow her, and the online forums were flooded with hate comments.

The shock was so great that she stopped appearing on TV and only occasionally released music. Her songs were always well-received and ranked high.

But three years before I returned, even that stopped.

What would have happened if she hadn't done the Cilab feature?

From the perspective of someone who doesn't know the future, it would seem like a good opportunity. But from my perspective, I would want to stop her and warn her.

If I suddenly say, "Don't do it," what would she think?

"..."

She would think I'm crazy.

What advice could I give to someone I just met today? I should just keep quiet.

I shouldn't worry about entertainers in the first place.