Rockstar Again - Chapter 76



Only Noblemtl

Episode 76. Beat it (3)

In the car on the way back to work.

The old man with his arms crossed stared out the car window.

“It’s weird. Really.”

“Are you thinking of Dong-ha again?”

Gu Se-ryeong nodded more easily than usual at Hong Seon-ah’s words heard from the front seat.

“Yeah. It’s not just one or two things that are weird, it’s all of them. They’re all weird. Isn’t that right?”

“That must be so.”

“right?”

“Yes. As I said before, it started with him being on a team with members who are over 30 years older than him. It’s even stranger that he’s giving up his strengths by covering his face to stand on stage with those members. It’s also strange that Chairman Yoon Tae-joo started out as a singer. It’s also strange that he’s calling Chairman Yoon Tae-joo like a neighborhood older brother.”

Hong Seon-ah, who had been talking nonstop, stuck her face out from behind the passenger seat.

“At this point, people who don’t think this is strange are actually strange.”

“… … That’s true too. Something about the two of you keeps talking as if you’ve known each other for a long time. It’s not just about one person having a fight or not.”

“Um… … I also find that a bit strange. Oh, when the managing director went out to the recording studio to answer a phone call, he said something like that. Oh, back when I was a kid. Only the rich had computers. And among them, only the really rich had them. Even though Nureongi was rich, he didn’t have any interest in things like computers, which was a shame. Something like that.”

“Dong-ha said that?”

“yes.”

The Savior’s eyebrows furrowed.

It was settled after a fight. You can imagine how curious I must have been.

Using the company’s intelligence capabilities, we discovered the identities of Nureongi and Nostrils.

Even though it was a bit unfair that Cheong-ah, who was considered the richest of the rich, used her power in such a place, my curiosity was satisfied.

“If you’re yellow, you’re saying that to your dad, right?”

“……yes.”

“Ha… … What should I do with this kid? I guess the heavens are fair. They gave him everything from his musicality to his looks, but they didn’t give him even a single spoonful of nagging.”

“That’s right. It’s so… … fair, heaven. Even people who seem to have everything, when you look closely, you realize that they don’t really have everything.”

“Looking from the side… … ? It seems like he’s saying this so that I can hear it?”

Hong Seon-ah turned her body forward again and answered calmly.

“No. You misunderstood.”

“Ah, okay. Anyway, check the flight records. Dong-ha. And everything else. Find out everything you can.”

“We will investigate, sir.”

“say.”

“What would make a difference if I found out?”

Goo Se-ryeong pretended to be flustered by Hong Seon-ah’s question that hit the nail on the head.

“… … That’s right. Finding out won’t make a difference… … But I’m still curious. He’s the artist I have. Oh… … And about my accident.”

“Director, what happened…?”

“huh.”

While listening to Gu Seol-ryeong’s calm answer, Hong Seon-ah briefly glanced at the employee sitting in the driver’s seat.

It’s trustworthy.

The mouth is also heavy.

He’s one of our people.

But that doesn’t mean I can make you listen to everything.

Honestly, I wanted to ask why he brought up his past thoughts at this time, but I put that off until next time.

“Please give instructions.”

Hong Seon-ah answered in a stiff tone.

Speak as usual, not as you would have liked, but as you would have liked to have given instructions.

This means that there is no need to explain the content, so just say what you want to say.

“Find out everything. Everything about the accident, including the people who were on board.”

And then, in the car where there had been silence for a moment, the Savior opened his mouth again.

“That damn reporter must have arrived in Kota Kinabalu?”

Hong Seon-ah looked at Gu Se-ryeong’s expression, which was small and visible beyond the side mirror.

There is only one person who can make the expression “damn reporter” come out of the mouth of the old man.

Reporter Ko Kyung-je, who exposed the rumors of Gu Se-ryeong’s love affair.

Because of that, there was a rumor that a male celebrity who had only dated her and missed out on a big catch exploded with anger, but Hong Sun-ah knew that the rumor was true, but she did not tell Goo Se-ryeong.

He is a savior who acts viciously and tries to seduce everyone in the world. But like most people, he wants to be loved. Especially those who have a lot.

A while ago.

After hearing the story of Gu Seol-ryeong being abandoned as a child, Hong Seon-ah was even more convinced that it was right not to tell that story.

“Yes. Time-wise, definitely.”

“Hehe. I’m not satisfied with this, but at least it pays me back a little.”

* * *

Same time.

Beach in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.

Even though it’s the end of December, the sun is strong. So, it must be a place that most people, including Lee Dong-ha, visit for vacation.

A man wearing a Hawaiian shirt and shorts looked at the cell phone in his hand.

“This is it.”

I looked up and checked again, and it was correct. It was the same place where Lee Dong-ha was taken in the photo on my phone.

I never used social media before, but as December began, a lot of photos and eyewitness accounts were uploaded, making it easy to track my movements.

Joo Hyo-eun, who was checking her cell phone next to Go Kyung-je, opened her mouth.

“Senior. Is it really necessary to come all the way here to check?”

“You have to come and check. It’s the job of reporters like us to go out and check with our own eyes.”

“I thought it was because my senior wanted to go out and play.”

“Am I you? But don’t you feel something strange?”

“What is it?”

Looking at Joo Hyo-eun smiling brightly… … I barely managed to hold back the emotions that were about to well up inside me.

“There are so many sightings coming in. Why is it that we can’t find even one person who looks like it, let alone moving, even though we’ve been walking around all day? What’s more, we even go as far as comparing it to photos.”

“well?”

“… … Don’t you have any thoughts?”

“Hey, you’re saying such sad things again. Why don’t I think about it? You caught something big because of me?”

“Hey… … That’s… … Right… … But… … Ha… … It’s so big… … I’m scared to chase it. I don’t even have the confidence to publish it as an article… … .”

“Is that so? Well, if it’s the affair of the CEO of Jaemin Group… … it’s a bit much, isn’t it?”

“… … .”

At Joo Hyo-eun’s words, Go Kyung-je bit her lower lip.

It’s been a long time since the days when journalists were the intellectuals of the times.

Rather, it is a time when the derogatory term ‘rag’ is more familiar.

There are more than one or two reasons why the status of journalists has declined, so I did not intend to mention them all.

But Ko Kyung-jae was confident that he was not a piece of trash.

Although Ko Kyung-jae wasn’t a journalist with an unusual zeitgeist, he did have his own principles.

Urakai doesn’t hit.

Therefore, my articles are written through my own research.

Even if you include emotions in your reporting, you should always rely on facts when writing articles.

finally.

Don’t compromise with your articles.

By my own principles, I chased the savior for a long time.

I didn’t want to compromise with the article, but I was angry that I had to compromise with the company. I focused on my emotions and fixed my reporting goals. And I started tracking on foot.

However, due to the high economy, once a dating rumor breaks out, security is so tight that they can only take pictures from afar using a zoom.

As summer passed and the number of celebrity visits decreased, tracking became a major problem.

The two people were caught on Joo Hyo-eun’s camera while she was lying in wait at the place where Lee Dong-ha frequented every day. It was the result of Joo Hyo-eun’s independent action, as she could not let go of her attachment to Lee Dong-ha.

Judging from the photo, a hypothesis of my own emerged with great persuasive power.

Yoon Tae-joo, who comes and goes from wherever Lee Dong-ha is as if it were his own home.

Even Goo Seol-ryeong, who frequently visited spaces with artists who were not under contract with her.

“The secret meeting between Chairman Yoon Tae-joo and Koo Se-ryeong… … If this gets out, I won’t be able to do journalism in the Republic of Korea, right? Probably.”

The wrinkles between Ko Kyung-je’s eyebrows deepened at Joo Hyo-eun’s words.

“It’s not like it was a secret meeting. Let’s not jump to conclusions.”

“Shouldn’t we do follow-up reporting to avoid jumping to conclusions?”

“I can’t handle this. Just bury it for now.”

“Yes. I’m sure my senior will take care of it.”

Go Kyung-jae looked blankly at Joo Hyo-eun.

“Do you have any bones?”

“Just like that? Isn’t that what a senior should be like? I liked the fact that my senior didn’t have to look after me, but now I see my senior looking after me too, is that what it feels like?”

“… … Don’t look behind you. There’s a line. If you cross this line, it’s a demilitarized zone. What about Cheong-ah, Jae-min, and Chairman Yoon Tae-joo’s current wife’s house? They’ll shoot at us in three places. Even a person who has no back knows that. If you blow this up, you die.”

“Well, I admit it.”

“What about recognition? Even a newbie knows this. Anyway, just skip this. Absolutely not. Is Lee Dong-ha Vocal A or not? That’s the point.”

“yes.”

Anyway, this has made one thing certain.

The fact that Lee Dong-ha and Gu Se-ryeong were in contact with each other at an absurd frequency.

If you track down Dong-ha, a savior will appear, and if you track down the savior, Dong-ha will suddenly appear.

Even the places where the Savior frequented were the buildings where Lee Dong-ha resided.

That leads to one conclusion.

I came to Kota Kinabalu at my own expense to check the facts leading to that conclusion.

“Lee Dong-ha is Vocal A. That’s why we didn’t notice it. We confirmed it. The reason we asked for vocal analysis is because it showed that there is a high possibility that it is the same person. The fact is that Lee Dong-ha is not here.”

Without responding to Ko Kyung-je’s words, Joo Hyo-eun stares blankly at her cell phone.

“… … What are you looking at? What is your senior saying?”

“It’s a stargram.”

“You, Mr. Lee… … Even if you have no concept of justice… … .”

Ko Kyung-je’s words were interrupted by Joo Hyo-eun’s sonorous voice.

“Move on. It’s Switzerland. Fact.”

“……what?”

“Switzerland. So that’s why it wasn’t there. It’s on Stargram. Look. I heard you went to Switzerland by plane yesterday and are skiing?”

* * *

“All the matches have been decided.”

An Chi-seop swallowed dry saliva at the sound of Ohana’s voice coming from beside him.

“Heaven helps.”

“That’s right. What is this? Even if you tell me to do it, I can’t do it to this extent.”

Whether it’s an audition program or a competition program.

Editing is entirely the PD’s domain, and even in a survival show, the writer’s opinion is bound to be involved.

The common opinion among broadcasting station staff was that it was necessary not simply for intervention but to fulfill the production team’s intentions and direction.

But that’s why there’s something we need to be even more careful about.

Because he couldn’t do that, some PDs were even put in handcuffs.

“Yeah… … . The match-making itself was broadcast on YouTube. There shouldn’t be any noise.”

Utilization of media mix.

It is not possible to broadcast live just to decide on the main stage bracket. However, if they just aired the recorded part, it is very likely that it will be embroiled in controversy over fairness.

So, Ahn Chi-seop’s unique flanking instinct was triggered, and the choice was to broadcast the match-up schedule live on YouTube.

“Blue Porcelain and… Kim Dong Hyun Band. Those guys sound like they’d be better at fighting than singing. Make sure you never run into that guy before or after the stage.”

“I’m a fan of the guy who said… … human. But if I may give my opinion as a scriptwriter, wouldn’t it be better to have them collide when drawing pictures?”

“No. He seems like a crazy guy who’d go around picking fights with everyone, but he doesn’t. He doesn’t seem like he’d run into anyone… … but if he does, it’s a problem. The focus is off. You have to use one of Blue Porcelain vs. A-Fly’s moves, but that weakens the impact.”

“Ah… … As expected. The big picture… … .”

“It’s good for drawing the big picture.”

If Blue Porcelain beats Kim Dong-hyun Band, the next round will be between the winner of Hwanhon and DDS.

Next up is the semi-final match against A-Fly.

Of course, it is a matchup that is only possible if both teams advance, but the matchup has been completed so that both teams can advance without any problems.

One side is skill.

And with the vocal and guitar similarities with Lee Dong-ha, he’s sucking up all kinds of aggro.

The other side has a stable fan base.

Compared to top idol groups, they are weak, but they have fans who can chew up indie bands with their explosive power.

“It’s my first live broadcast next week, so make sure to tell him not to be late.”

“yes.”

“That… … No. Rather than saying… … Politely. Please… … .”

“Yes. Politely.”