It was likely a story she had never told honestly before.
Harin had never even imagined revealing her family’s disgrace or her parents’ shameful behavior.
— Ahem.
Harin paused for a moment as if catching her breath, clearing her throat to steady herself.
She didn’t shed tears of sorrow, nor did she protest out of unfairness; it was merely a calm regulation of her breathing, but in that gesture, one could see just how much resentment she had bottled up.
— It was a year after I debuted with Luna Prism and received my first settlement. I wasn’t even twenty yet, so I entrusted all my earnings to my mother. Now that money was appearing where there had been none, my parents’ expressions brightened, and the shouting matches at home stopped. However, the more money I earned, the poorer my home became. This was because my father used the money I earned to gamble.
Anyone with a gambling addict in the family would know. That gambling problems are not something that can be solved with money.
Gambling is an addiction and a disease that requires treatment. Harin realized this fact a year after receiving her settlements, which is why she left her parents.
— In the year I turned twenty, I canceled the credit cards my parents were using and changed my settlement account. Anyway, none of the money I had earned remained; instead, there were only gambling debts. After realizing that the more my settlement account filled up, the poorer my family became, I severed ties with my parents. I changed my contact information and blocked my parents’ numbers. I spent five years without contacting them. Then, a month ago, I began receiving threatening messages from a stranger demanding that I pay off my parents’ gambling debt of 800 million won.
Harin’s confession was plain, but it was honest and felt sincere.
It carried a very different atmosphere from the typical celebrity press conferences where tears are squeezed out excessively.
“You have just seen Harin’s interview. However, some may argue that this could be a one-sided claim. To address this, our reporting team met with Harin’s parents directly to hear their side of the story.”
Following my comment, the voices of Harin’s parents, whom I had met recently, played on the screen.
— Reporter, you really have to write this part. Did that brat Harin only block the cards? The settlement account was in my hands, but she went and changed that account too. She debuted at eighteen. What would she know at that age? I had to manage the money for her. But as soon as she turned twenty, she changed the account, cut the credit cards, and turned her back on us, that brat. Do you know how hard our lives became from then on?
Their faces were blurred and their voices distorted, but the content was not edited in the slightest.
It was exactly as they were, lamenting while sitting on a wooden platform with makgeolli in front of them.
— Receiving 100 million? What kind of big money is that? You could say the 800 million is the price for the sin of abandoning us. My god, where is the child who abandons their parents?
I wonder if Harin’s parents are watching this news.
At this point, I wanted to awaken them to just how warped their thinking was.
“Harin did not sever ties with her parents simply because of money. It was because they held an attitude that they would not hesitate to engage in illegal acts if it meant making money.”
— Reporter. By any chance, do you know how to contact Harin’s fans? If we set up a sponsorship account and announce it, wouldn’t that help pay back the 800 million? We could use some of it too. I wonder if we can get tickets for Harin’s fan meeting? I heard that selling those as scalped tickets brings in a decent amount of living expenses.
While there are parents who are careful not to ruin their child’s future, there are rare people like these who seek to smear their child’s name.
At this point, anyone would agree that Harin was justified in severing ties with her parents.
“Harin realized that her parents were people who targeted not only her money but also the money of her fans. It wasn’t something she could stop or block on her own. Therefore, she decided she would no longer be dragged around by her parents, and that is why she cut ties five years ago.”
I paused for a moment and stared into the camera. Then, I spoke again.
“But here is the question. Why is the story of Harin’s family history coming to light only now, after five whole years? Why have negative rumors about Harin suddenly erupted now, when nothing similar had been mentioned for five years? In fact, the source of the 800 million won that Harin was threatened with is full of questions.”
Now it was the turn of the person who threatened Harin to be nervous.
— I know that someone came and handed over a large sum of money a month ago.
— A large sum? A month ago… Ah, the 100 million I received? What kind of big money is that?
— Do you happen to know who the person who gave the 100 million was?
— I only met them briefly in the middle of the night, so I don’t know the name. They just said they were delivering the money because Harin felt sorry for not being able to contact us, and then they left.
— What did that person look like?
— Tall and looked masculine. Oh, right. That ponytail didn’t really suit him.
“The screen you just saw is a scene where Harin’s mother answers my question regarding the source of the 100 million won. In reality, Harin’s parents received 100 million won from an unidentified person who approached them in Harin’s name, and they described the person who gave the money as having a ponytail.”
SOME Entertainment used despicable methods to renew celebrity contracts.
I had heard about it through various channels while working in the Ministry of Culture in my past life, and I had also picked up on it through intuition after joining Kim Dusik’s line and becoming close with CEO Choi of SOME Entertainment and Assemblyman Jin Woo-il.
There were people who knew of such tactics, but the reason they weren’t reported in the news was thanks to their meager power.
‘I’ll report it for you now!’
I wondered how Kim Dusik would react when the screen returned to the studio after my report ended.
It was likely a situation he had never considered. Because whenever Kim Dusik drank, he would brag that the line he had caught was always a sturdy rope.
Now that rope is rotting; I wonder what his anchor comment will be?
Whatever it was, Kim Dusik had to say the comment I wanted.
‘Will you take my bait obediently?’
“The fact we must note is that someone approached Harin’s parents, lied to them, and handed over 100 million won, and that 100 million won grew into a total of 800 million won with 700 million won in interest over a month, returning as a debt used to threaten Harin. Who could understand such an irrational financial transaction? This has been Lee Hyeonwook for Prime Focus.”
The red light on the camera turned on.
As soon as Kim Dusik saw that red light, he knew he had to say something.
The rumors of Harin’s sponsorship had already gone down the drain.
‘Lee Hyeonwook, you son of a bitch.’
Lee Hyeonwook had completely changed the frame of the news. From Harin’s sponsorship rumors to the illegal funds that ensnared her.
The man who handed over the money was likely someone acting under the orders of CEO Choi of SOME Entertainment.
To anyone watching, it seemed Harin was the victim.
No, even to Kim Dusik, Harin’s parents were appalling, and the loan-shark-like bastard who harmed Harin was far too suspicious.
As an anchor, it was impossible to deliver the next piece of news without any comment on such a story.
He had to make a choice.
In a situation where he couldn’t remain silent, he had to decide who to pin the blame on. Exactly which tail he had to cut off.
He didn’t need long to deliberate.
Because the answer was obvious.
It was the bastards who handed over the money to create a debt and then threatened her to pay it back with enormous interest.
Since they were CEO Choi’s subcontractors, if he just cleanly cut off the tail, CEO Choi wouldn’t have any major problems.
Didn’t Lee Hyeonwook say it at the end?
That he couldn’t understand such an irrational financial transaction.
In the span of about one second, Kim Dusik didn’t have the capacity to realize why Lee Hyeonwook had ended the segment with those words.
“This is truly shocking news. The threats Harin, a member of Luna Prism, faced are debt collections corresponding to illegal high-interest rates. Our reporting team will continue to investigate to uncover exactly who they are.”
Kim Dusik had promised further investigation with his own mouth.
Now, he was no longer free from this incident. He had essentially taken the responsibility for the direct investigation and reporting onto his own shoulders.
In that short time, Kim Dusik probably thought he had maintained his dignity as an anchor.
‘Pfft. He really took the bait.’
For the first time since my regression, I was able to wear a smile of joy upon seeing Kim Dusik’s face.
Because he was so admirable for willingly crawling into the trap I had set.
“Anchor Kim, today’s news was truly incredible.”
Kim Dusik flinched at the praise from PD Ji Minsu, who approached him after the live broadcast ended.
Although it had flowed in a direction he hadn’t intended, the news itself had become a massive issue.
“I’m telling you, when Anchor Kim first mentioned the item about Harin, I didn’t know it was such a huge case.”
“I told you it was an exclusive scoop.”
“Exactly. I see you in a new light, Anchor Kim. Anyway, regarding the loan shark who threatened Harin, I’ll leave the further investigation to you. The viewer board is in an uproar right now. They’re saying the case will be solved once that person is caught, and they want Anchor Kim to resolve it quickly.”
“Yes. I understand.”
“This time, don’t use kids like No Seungsik; I want Anchor Kim to go to the scene personally. Let’s go for an impactful ENG shoot. Just imagine Anchor Kim storming into a loan shark’s office. That’s what you call a boots-on-the-ground anchor. What do you think?”
Kim Dusik found himself nodding unconsciously. He had naturally imagined the scene based on PD Ji Minsu’s kind explanation.
“Yes. Let’s do that.”
After gulping down some ice water, PD Ji Minsu vented his anger.
“Hey! I barely managed to hold back from swearing at that man Kim Dusik and gave him praise instead, all because of your request.”
“You did well, senior.”
“If you hadn’t intervened, our <9 O’Clock News Prime> would have been swayed by some thug entertainment agency and almost sent an innocent kid to the slaughter. And in cahoots with a guy who’s supposed to be an anchor!”
“Since Kim Dusik took my bait today, that won’t happen again.”
“So what happens now?”
“Kim Dusik said it on air, didn’t he? That he’d do further investigation to catch the loan shark. You said he promised you that too.”
“He did.”
“The moment Kim Dusik reports on that loan shark, he’ll become a kite with a severed string. Kim Dusik probably thought that loan shark was a tail he could just cut off, but in reality, he’s someone you shouldn’t touch.”
The ponytail.
The moment I heard those words from Harin’s mother, I instinctively knew it was the opportunity to blow Kim Dusik away.
Because I had met that person when I rose to the position of Head of the News Bureau.
He was a voice-phishing scammer who handled the collection line for Assemblyman Jin Woo-il.
‘Seeing as Jin Woo-il himself stepped forward to catch Harin, there must be something there… For now, let’s drag Kim Dusik down and step on him piece by piece.’
Kim Dusik may have decided to target the loan shark to protect CEO Choi of SOME Entertainment.
But he will soon realize that was an even bigger mistake.
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