IJLMT 41

Chapter 41

Ahn Jung-min, 43 years old.
He ran a small rice-bowl restaurant near KBC Broadcasting Station — and right now, his stomach was boiling with anger.

“I trusted her completely… How could she betray me? No, no… my wife wouldn’t do that. I’ll just check once.”

He was suspicious of his wife. During her afternoon break, she would always say she was going to rest, but one day he saw her walking in the park with another man.

That park was odd. Calling it a “park” was generous — it was basically a wasteland. Because of a land-ownership dispute, the government couldn’t even redevelop it. Apart from a few people using the toilets or parking lot, nobody went there. So why was she meeting a man there?

Now, Jung-min was checking his car’s CCTV footage. He had deliberately parked in the park’s lot the day before and even replaced the camera with a new high-sensitivity model with an audio mic.

Yesterday too, his wife had gone toward the park during her break. Was she meeting that man again? Jung-min watched the footage carefully.

“Huh?”

Man: “You’re the one from Carrot Market, right?”
Wife: “Yes. My daughter really likes these things.”

His wife was buying some kind of doll from a stranger. He couldn’t see clearly, but it was pink and had chubby cheeks…

“Isn’t that… Hearty-Ping?”

His daughter Dayeon had loved that character — past tense. She’d already “graduated” from those toys and was now obsessed with idols. So what, his wife was buying it for herself?

“Right, she’s always liked cute little things.”

No wonder — when he suggested selling Dayeon’s old toys, she’d said, ‘How can you sell our daughter’s memories?’ Turns out, it was her who couldn’t let go.
He sighed. “So she wasn’t cheating… I was overthinking.”

Feeling relieved, Jung-min fast-forwarded through the CCTV.

Then—

“What the…?”

That evening, something strange appeared on the footage.

Man 1: “Why… why are you doing this now? What’s your problem? Did we ever do you any harm?”
Man 2: “You people tried to mess with Im Yu-ju.”
Man 1: “That’s it? Just that?”
Man 2: “Just that?”

“Wait… that guy is…?”

*

JM Entertainment’s CEO, Lee Jong-mook, was reading a report from the finance division.

Valhalla Studio — market cap ₩8.4 trillion
JM Entertainment — ₩3.2 trillion
Ladoremi Entertainment — ₩1.2 trillion

“Wow… that’s insane.”

Just a few months ago, JM’s valuation had been ₩1.4 trillion — barely ahead of Ladoremi.

But after Yoo Hyun-jae’s success with Nova Girls, the stock had gone wild — more than doubling! If it were just hype, it wouldn’t last long. But sales and operating profits were skyrocketing too.

“It took me fifteen years to beat Ladoremi…”

JM Entertainment had once been called Jungyang Entertainment, a gangster-run agency. He had bribed, negotiated, and fought to drive those thugs out — fifteen long years to turn it into a real company and finally surpass Ladoremi. A true slow-and-steady climb.

And now, suddenly, it felt like a cow had sprouted wings.

Lee’s heart pounded. Maybe this was it — maybe with Yoo Hyun-jae, JM could become a giant in the entertainment world within ten years… or even sooner.

Valhalla was still a huge company, sure. But if JM absorbed Ladoremi’s share of the market?

Last week, Yoo Hyun-jae had called him out of the blue — for the first time ever. Lee had been pleased; his efforts to build a friendship were finally paying off.

But Hyun-jae’s question was strange.

[Hyun-jae:] “CEO, what would happen if Ladoremi’s entire management was suddenly removed from power? What effect would that have on JM?”

It sounded absurd — like a child asking, ‘What if a praying mantis were human-sized?’

But Hyun-jae wasn’t the type to joke. Lee replied seriously.

“If they were all ousted, the company would collapse. The Yoo Jong-hwan family are the major shareholders and directors. If they’re cut off—well…”
[Hyun-jae:] “And what happens to their artists?”
“If the company dissolves, their contracts end. Though realistically, a company that size would get bought out first — giving the artists options.”
[Hyun-jae:] “Would you consider acquiring Ladoremi?”
“If the opportunity came? Sure, I would.”
[Hyun-jae:] “I’d advise against it.”
“Oh?”
[Hyun-jae:] “Instead, contact their artists directly and try to bring them over to us.”

Was he implying Ladoremi’s finances were unstable?

Still, the idea intrigued Lee.

“So, who do you think we should reach out to?”
[Hyun-jae:] “In my opinion… first, rookie actress Seo Yoon-woo—”

He started listing names. Lee jotted them down. The list didn’t seem based on fame or revenue — maybe potential? When had Hyun-jae even met these people?

Whatever the case — it sounded good.

“He’s finally awakened.”

Before, when they’d talked about company goals, Hyun-jae had seemed uncertain. But now? He was actively plotting to devour Ladoremi.

After that call, Lee had ordered his staff to reach out to all the names Hyun-jae mentioned — not to scout them (that would violate contracts), but to “say hello.”

He trusted Hyun-jae completely. If Hyun-jae told him lottery numbers, he’d have bought every combination.

Then a week passed.

“Ladoremi’s management collapsing…?”

What if JM absorbed Ladoremi’s market share? Combined, their valuation would be ₩4.3 trillion. With Hyun-jae’s touch — just two more hits like Nova Girls — they could surpass Valhalla itself.

Just as he was imagining that—

Knock knock knock!
“CEO! Sir!”

It was Director Park, sounding panicked.

“What’s wrong, Park?”
“Ladoremi… it’s collapsing!”
“What?!”

He’d just been thinking about slowly eating away at them — and now they were falling apart?

“There must’ve been a media embargo. Everything’s blowing up at once!”

Park turned on the TV. What they saw defied description.

[Breaking News] The biggest scandal of the 21st century! ‘Pale Moon Gate’ centered around Ladoremi Entertainment!
[Criminal charges exceed 1,300 counts — involving celebrities, tycoons, politicians, even police officials!]
[‘Is this even a country?’ Drugs, sex crimes, corruption—everyone looked away!]
[Comedian Park Bong-won’s shocking confession: “I’ll tell everything, just let me live.”]

On the screen was Ladoremi’s CEO, Yoo Jong-hwan — usually a man with a killer glint in his eyes, arrogant and cruel.

Now he was flailing on live TV.

“Do you have a warrant? Huh? You pigs of the people!”

But the police did have a warrant. He looked shocked — ‘How the hell did you find out?’ written all over his face.

“CEO, did you… know about this? You told us last week to reach out to Ladoremi artists—”
“No! I had no idea.”
“But you told us to skip the ones tied to the Pale Moon Club…”
“I’m wondering that myself.”

Park looked at him meaningfully.
Lee nodded grimly.

“Last week, Hyun-jae asked me, ‘What would you do if Ladoremi collapsed?’”
“You’re joking, right?”

A manager took down one of the Big Three agencies? It sounded like a drama plot.

“If Hyun-jae planned this… he’s not human — he’s a demon.”
“Hmm…”

They watched the news in silence. The scale was beyond comprehension.

[Councilman Kim Man-ho denies involvement, but his cousin provides CCTV footage.]
[Police chief caught drinking with mob boss — ‘only met a few times,’ he says.]

“They couldn’t even cut their tails off, huh?”
“Yeah. Usually the higher-ups vanish fast — but this time, everyone got nailed. Every weak link hit dead center.”
“Who could’ve orchestrated this…?”

Could Hyun-jae really have done it — just to destroy Ladoremi? To do what even prosecutors couldn’t?

Lee wanted to believe in him, but this was too much. Genius was one thing; this was godlike.

Then the phone rang.

“Oh, Manager Kim.”
[Sir, you need to see this. I’ve sent a clip on Daltalk.]

It was a 20-second YouTube video, from a burner account with only one subscriber — yet it already had 15 million views.

Title: “Aren’t these people who I think they are?”

Lee pressed play.

Man 1: “Why are you doing this? What’s your problem? Did we ever hurt you?”
Man 2: “You people tried to mess with Im Yu-ju.”
Man 1: “That’s it? Just that?”
Man 2: “Just that?”

The first man looked just like comedian Park Bong-won — unmistakable red nose and belly. He pulled a knife, lunged… and was instantly disarmed.

Lee checked the comments.

“What kind of fake is this?”
“Park Bong-won attacking Yoo Hyun-jae? Why would he?”
“At least make your fake videos make sense.”

Those were yesterday’s. Below them—

“Holy sht this is real??”*
“Confirmed. Park confessed himself — he attacked first.”
“So Hyun-jae knew he was part of the Pale Moon Gate??”
“How the hell did he disarm a guy with a knife?”
“He fought them knowing they targeted Im Yu-ju? Even knowing there were mob ties?”
“Wasn’t it the same with Jang Taek-jin? Does this man not feel fear?”
“When he said ‘Just that?’ — I got chills.”
“He’s a damn hero.”
“In this rotten world, thank god there’s someone like Yoo Hyun-jae.”

“Manager Kim… this video—”
[Experts verified it. It’s genuine — from a car’s CCTV, unedited.]

Lee fell silent. Kim continued.

[And, uh… I checked with Director Cho Min-soo. The Pale Moon exposure itself — it was Hyun-jae’s doing. He planned it with journalist Jung Sun-woo from Baekje Daily.]

Hearing that, Lee swallowed hard. Maybe he didn’t know Hyun-jae at all.

“You tried to mess with Im Yu-ju.”
“That’s it?”
“Just that?”

Yoo Hyun-jae wasn’t motivated by money — nor exactly by justice.

So why did he do it? Because someone targeted his artist?
Did he really nuke Ladoremi — and the political and corporate elite — over that?

“Maybe Park’s right…”
“Sir?”
“This guy… might really be a demon.”

*

“Just that?”

When Park Bong-won said that, I saw red.

Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever been this angry in my entire life.

I’m happy now.
That happiness comes from one thing — being important to someone.

To Nova Girls, to Im Yu-ju, to Lee Joo-ah, to Jang Hyung-gun — I matter.
And I can lift up the people who believe in me.

Maybe I just want to be like Onion — my teacher — to become a teacher for others.

And he dared to say “Just that?”

That bastard — if that’s not important, then what is?
Drugs? Rape? Is that what matters to you?
The more I think about it, the angrier I get.

“Oppa.”

Yu-ju, who always insisted on sitting in the passenger seat, spoke softly.

“Hm?”

I thought she’d ask about the music show offer.
Onion only ever showed me the distant future — and in that, Yu-ju succeeded.
So should I accept the show or not? Onion hadn’t given me a clear sign — maybe either way was fine.

But that wasn’t what she asked.

“Why did you do it?”

Her voice trembled.

“If something bad had happened… how am I supposed to live with that?”

I stopped at a red light and turned to look at her. She was crying.

“Please don’t do that again. It’s okay if I’m insulted or bullied — I can survive. But if something happens to you… I can’t.”
“…It’s okay.”

Then she broke down completely. I had to pull over.

“Thank you… but please, don’t ever do that again.”

She rested her forehead on my arm.

And then—

Huh?

A pink flower bloomed from my ring.
The future had changed.

Epilogue

[After the Pale Moon Gate scandal — “The Hero Who Stood Alone”: Why did Yoo Hyun-jae face Park Bong-won?]
[Singer Park Bong-won removed from Singer is Singer — replaced by his manager, Yoo Hyun-jae!]
[The manager more interesting than the stars — who is Yoo Hyun-jae?]
[Im Yu-ju and Yoo Hyun-jae’s chemistry — the whole nation watching!]