You Promised Me, Mr. Lee San-ha - Chapter 70



Only Noblemtl

Episode 70 Not all weak people are weak (5)

Several months have already passed.

The season has already entered the beginning of winter.

Kim Tae-kyung, Lim Hyeon-ji, and I sat in the living room without saying a word.

The air in the living room was as cold as outside.

In a heavy silence where no one can open their mouth.

“… … .”

Lim Hyeon-ji has a blank expression on her face, as if she has lost her mind.

Thud- thud- thud- thud-

The sound of footsteps coming down from the second floor breaks the suffocating silence.

In the place where tense eyes were gathered, the nation’s little brother had returned.

“Se-yeol-ah!”

Lim Hyeon-ji hugged Lim Se-yeol with tears in her eyes.

Compared to the past, I have a thin body and flaky skin.

But he came back anyway.

I ended up coming back.

Kim Tae-kyung also spoke with reddened eyes.

“Brother-in-law… … You did it.”

Then he hugs Im Hyeon-ji and Im Se-yeol all at once.

Lim Se-yeol said, tapping Kim Tae-kyung’s thick arm.

“Brother-in-law, I’m dying! I finally finished my treatment, and it’s so unfair that I’m being strangled to death now!”

The psychological counseling and examination I received on the second floor today was the last.

After going through all of this, Im Se-yeol’s pronunciation became incomparably clearer than before.

The occasional interruption in conversation has also completely disappeared.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

‘Fortunately, it seems there was no serious brain damage.’

The long and arduous treatment was showing definite results.

Although it had been quite some time since he had used his ability to keep promises, Im Se-yeol stopped taking the medication of his own volition.

I cannot help but celebrate this joyful moment.

“Thank you all for your hard work.”

It is a pure heart without any lies.

If Ms. Lim Hyeon-ji had not helped me in both material and spiritual ways, my mental recovery would have been impossible.

Because she was the one who continued to provide counseling and medication even when I was away.

Kim Tae-kyung also played a big role.

Not only did he become my daily workout buddy after work, he even took care of my diet.

… … But the person who suffered the most was probably Im Se-yeol himself.

With the will to change.

In hopes of getting better.

With the intention of not being a burden to my family.

He accomplished the near impossible.

Lim Se-yeol comes toward me.

He said, holding both my hands tightly.

“Thank you. You are the benefactor of my life. If you weren’t here, I would have broken down again. I might have made another extreme choice… … And I wouldn’t have been able to continue treatment because my sister and brother-in-law wouldn’t have trusted me.”

He added, bending at a 90-degree angle.

“thank you so much.”

I lifted him up.

“I only believed in you as much as you believed in me… … .”

Lim Se-yeol looked at me and smiled silently.

It is a gaze that feels slightly burdensome and sparkly.

When I tried to avert my gaze, Im Se-yeol said.

“Oh right, by the way, I have prepared something.”

What he took out of his back pocket was a small notebook.

“Brother, take it.”

A worn-out, old notebook.

After receiving the notebook, I carefully opened the first page.

Palang-

A piece of paper that had been stuck in the notebook fell out.

Just before it hit the ground, Lim Se-yeol, who had regained some of his athleticism, quickly caught it.

Kim Tae-kyung looks at the sight and lets out a fuss.

“See? Faster than my brother-in-law Light? You’ll be able to spar with me soon. Hahaha-”

“Haha, brother-in-law, you’re joking too.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“……yes?”

While the two were talking, I checked the contents of the notebook.

After flipping through a few pages.

“!?”

I could fully appreciate the value contained in this notebook.

“This, this… …! Is this real?”

I asked with wide eyes.

Lim Se-yeol answered with a bitter smile.

“Yes, it’s all true.”

I faced Im Se-yeol while holding my notebook.

This notebook was filled with evidence of the abuse that Lim Se-yeol had suffered from the CEO of his agency, as well as the bribes and entertainment that he had been forced to give to advertisers, directors, and sponsors.

I couldn’t believe that my younger brother, who had seemed so frail in his early 20s, and a person with a pure smile who seemed to have never known the hardships of life, had gone through such hardships and gotten back on his feet.

“Se-yeol, you―”

“… … .”

Instead of answering, Im Se-yeol picked up the paper that had fallen on the floor earlier.

The counselor Lee San-ha will not disclose any information about the client Im Se-yeol that he or she learns while conducting counseling. If he or she fails to comply with this principle, he or she will be subject to any punishment equivalent to defamation.

Signatory: Lee San-ha

That was the memorandum I wrote when I first met him.

Jjiik-

The paper was torn in half.

Lim Se-yeol said.

“There is no need for this memorandum anymore.”

The promise to keep this matter private has now been shattered.

That means… … .

“Brother, please write an article based on this diary.”

“If you write something like this as an article, what will become of you?”

“It doesn’t matter what happens. I know what I’m asking for, but I’ll do it first.”

I can’t answer because of my complicated feelings.

If this becomes public knowledge, Lim Se-yeol will once again be attacked by the public.

And that’s not all.

It is also clear that the upcoming legal battles and all kinds of scandals will continue to torment him.

I didn’t want to make Im Se-yeol walk such a thorny path.

But Im Se-yeol’s thoughts seem to be different.

“It would be better to publish the article quickly. If I file a full-fledged complaint and confess to using drugs, other reporters will be the first to get excited and rush over.”

“I was thinking of doing embroidery too.”

“To be honest, it’s a bit unfair… … but I promised you from the beginning. I’d pay the price when I got better.”

I didn’t notice because it was hidden by his drug-ravaged appearance.

‘Even after going through all these things, have you been able to continue your career in the entertainment industry with a smile on your face? … .’

There is no way to know how hard Im Se-yeol fought to maintain the title of nation’s little brother.

However, the factors that made it difficult for him are clear.

The agency’s CEO and the trash reporters who were churning out rumors.

The words that Team Leader Yoon Yeo-gam always mentioned come to mind once again.

‘If the pen is indeed mightier than the sword, then its responsibility must also be heavier.’

Someone’s life was almost ruined at the tip of a brush.

In some ways, I think I may have grown a little through this opportunity.

The experience gained was not as a ‘human Lee San-ha’ but as a ‘journalist Lee San-ha’.

I promised, clutching my notebook tightly.

“I will write a proper article. Definitely.”

“Actually, when I first received the memorandum, I searched for your name. And… … I found out while reading all the articles about you.”

Lim Se-yeol continued speaking, putting the torn memorandum in his pocket.

“My brother is the best reporter in South Korea.”

“… … .”

It feels different from being praised for bringing in a scoop or an exclusive.

Gratitude received from the person who is the subject of the article.

To give an example, I wonder if this is how a doctor feels when he successfully completes his first surgery and receives thanks from the patient and his family.

I thought maybe I became a journalist for moments like this.

Just then, Lim Hyeon-ji made a careful suggestion.

“Let’s go eat something delicious together to celebrate the end of treatment. Is there anything you’d like to eat?”

“I’m good at anything… … .”

The moment I was about to answer, Im Se-yeol intervened.

“Kimchi stew!”

* * *

After the article came out.

Once again, South Korea has been turned upside down.

The Im Se-yeol case.

It was a large-scale incident that could not be compared to the sexual harassment incident involving Lee Seung-won, the ‘reversible dog’ of the past.

I checked the news on YouTube on my way to work.

[This drug case was reported by TLT Times reporter Lee San-ha. Its aftermath is now spreading to key figures in the political world. Let’s connect with reporter Shin Young-ho, who is on the scene. Reporter Shin Young-ho?]

After the screen changed, a reporter was shown standing in front of an expensive-looking mansion.

[I am now in front of the house of Gangnam-gu City Councilor Park Sul-hae, who has been issued an arrest warrant on charges of drug distribution and sexual entertainment. City Councilor Park Sul-hae has now been revealed to be one of several political figures involved in this incident… … .]

If you touch another channel, another broadcast comes on.

The news on that channel was showing a data screen.

After a brief scene of Lim Se-yeol appearing in court, the video shifted to what appeared to be someone being arrested.

[Accordingly, the CEO of Im Se-yeol’s agency, Kim Iran, has been arrested. Im Se-yeol, who turned himself in, left a message saying, “I sincerely apologize to the fans who have waited for me. I would also like to express my gratitude once again to those who helped me with my addiction treatment.” After that, Im’s disposition… ]

There is no need to hear about Im Se-yeol’s future plans.

rustling-

Because I have his letter in my hand.

I read the letter again, even though I had already read it several times.

This letter will be the last letter I write in society ㅋㅋㅋㅋ큐ㅠㅠㅠㅠ

It’s a joke. Please don’t take it too seriously.

I’ve said this several times before… … but I wanted to tell you again that I’m so, so grateful to you, hyung.

I was able to live like a human again.

Literally dying and coming back to life.

This would have been impossible without my brother’s help.

I remember what my brother told me at the hospital.

‘It hurts me as much as you hurt. I won’t give up on you. So… … don’t give up on me either.’

Seriously, I thought this was a line from a movie.

Oh, and the trial results showed that I was charged with forced drug administration, so my sentence was greatly reduced!

The representative bastard will be subject to increased punishment until then.

That’s great, representative year ㅗㅗㅗㅗㅗ

Anyway, that’s what it is.

Stay healthy always!

PS: I still have a lot of connections in the entertainment industry, so I’ll throw some scoops at you later, hyung. ㅋㅋㅋ

PS2: When you get out of prison, eat kimchi stew

‘… … How serious are you about kimchi stew?’

Anyway, looking at it this way, it really is the speech of a man in his early 20s.

He seemed like a completely different person from the sharp-tongued person he was when we first met.

‘Well, to that extent, he really is a different person.’

Hoping that Im Se-yeol would always be like this in the future, I put the letter in my bag.

… … Ding dong!

The company elevator stopped.

The moment I was just heading to the office.

… … Boom! Pop pop! Kwakwakwakwang!

As soon as the door opens, firecrackers explode.

“Eww? What the?!”

When I raised my head in surprise, there was a flower palanquin that looked like it would be used in a historical drama filming set.

The seniors from the entertainment department who had been standing by the elevator the whole time grabbed my arms.

“I’ll explain later! Just get on!”

What are you talking about, explain first!

But there was no time to hesitate.

I was lifted up by the hands of my seniors and forced into the palanquin.

“The last king after King Gojong, your majesty! Please get into the palanquin!”

“Hey! Don’t you have a footstool?! How rude~.”

“I will be the human footstool!”

The flower palanquin began to advance along the flower path.

At the end of the flower path, Team Leader Yoon Yeo-gam was standing holding a cake.

Team Leader Yoon is singing a serenade in a foreign language.

The words [Scoop] are written in large letters on the cake.

I cried out, shivering.

“I told you not to do this at the company outing!”

Yun Yeo-gam accepted it with a smile.

“So, instead of a red carpet, we changed the concept to a flower path~.”

Even as the silence grew, the crowd of congratulatory messages continued to grow.

Now it seems like they’re coming from other departments too.

… … Ah, I have to leave work early.