VIII:

2020

Breaking: Rumors about Shin Hye Sun and Lee Je Hoon's relationship was all a play plus statement from the person claiming it.

"How can you let this happen?" The CEO of Hye Sun's management angrily demanded for explanation.

Hye Sun was called soon as the news reached to her management's head. It has been half an hour since the news broke out.

Hye Sun could only bow her head in dismay. A lot of things was running in her mind. What will her fans feel? What will happen to her career? How can she explain this to her family? Those were few of what has occupied her mind. She couldn't even care what the head was fuming right at the moment.

Her manager spoke instead. "I'm sorry, I thought we could talk it out with Mrs. Park," she too bowed her head as an apology.

"So you knew about this? You knew someone knows about the whole thing, and you didn't even dare to tell me?" He was angry. He was disappointed. "And you thought to handle it yourselves. Of all things, you tried to handle this big issue. Were you even thinking!" He exclaimed as he pointed to both woman seated in front of him.

"I was the one who didn't take this seriously and asked Unni to not make a big deal out of it." Hye Sun defended her manager in a very low tone.

"This was not a big deal to you, then what is?"

"Not until Unni found out who she was."

"And you still didn't tell me?"

"I was about to but she called me asking to meet." Her manager reasoned out.

Flashback

"What should we do now?" Her stylist asked now that she knew who was behind these act.

"Of course we'll forward this to the CEO." Her manager decided. "I'll go to his office later."

Not long after their discussion, a message was received by Hye Sun's manager. It said,

"Meet me at the coffee shop in front of Sky Hotel, 5pm. I knew you already know me by now."

"If you want to negotiate don't get your company involved."

The manager lightly gasped. "She has her eyes on us."

"What do you mean?"

"She asked to meet. She even got my number."

"I'll go with you," Hye Sun said firmly.

At the coffee shop an hour later. Hye Sun and her manager were waiting for the person who asked them to meet.

After five minutes a woman approached them and took a seat opposite Hye Sun's. She didn't wait for anyone's invitation and took the seat as she pleased. No one cared, it was not a friendly meeting in the first place.

"I'm not gonna lie and thank you for coming, because you should be the one thanking me for sparing you some time to try change my mind." She said arrogantly without a pause.

Hye Sun's manager crinkled her nose, "What do you mean?"

The woman's brow quickly perked up. She rolled eyes short after, as if saying are-you-dumb. "I'll give you five minutes to convince me to shut my mouth. Reasons or threats, be it."

"Why are you doing this?" The manager asked.

"You know very well why."

"What do you want?" Hye Sun asked sharply.

"Justice."

"And you think you'll get that by doing what you are doing?" Her manager fumed.

The woman scoffed, "Isn't it obvious? I'm hitting two birds with one stone. I release a statement, the public will hype up my story and I'll get the support I need to fight the bigger act behind it." She folded her arms in front of her before she continued. "And I could crash the career of those who tried to burry my incident by releasing a fake relationship that they knew people will buzz about." She said glaring at Hye Sun.

"That wasn't our fault. It just happened you released a statement at the same time as Hye Sun's news!"

"How much do you want?" Hye Sun butted in. "I could help you, just let me know how much do you need. I could get you the best lawyer, you just have to submit your claims."

The woman had straight face and her gaze was sharp. She took time to give a response, and she fake laughed at her. "Instead of apologizing, you what? How much do I need?" She grinned before she continued, "You could've used your time better." She stood up as she readied herself to leave. "Good luck, I guess I'll see you around."

When the woman has left, Hye Sun's manager spoke a little aggressively to her. "Why would you say something that will offend her?"

"Was that supposed to be a heads up?" She didn't reply but asked instead.

"What else could it be?" She sighed defeatedly. "Can you still go to shooting later?"

"Even if I don't want to, I still have to. I already had pushed back a lot of schedules since the scandal broke out." Hye Sun stood up from her seat. "I have a lot to catch up."

They drove to Hye Sun's filming site and when they arrived she was then met by her stylist asking how the meeting went. Hye Sun didn't speak a word and her manager only said, "Could have been so much better."

Twenty minutes on the middle of the filming, her manager received a call from their Entertainment.

"The CEO is asking for you this instant." The man from the other line spoke.

It turned out that an article was released against Hye Sun and Je Hoon, ten minutes ago.

Flashback End

* * *

At 4U Entertainment, Je Hoon together with Dong Hoon, sat silently at the CEO's office, listening to what the high ranking man has to say.

"It was all too sudden. I couldn't prepare enough for this. I can't assure your career's state but one thing is for sure. I'm not dropping a talent like you." He scoffed at his own words. "Actually, even if I wanted to, I can't. I was the one who asked you to have fake relationship with Hye Sun in the first place." He sighed as he continued, "I just didn't expect it to be this big of an issue."

"No one did." Je Hoon added in.

There was a moment of silence as everyone still hasn't absorbed everything that was happening. It was a huge backfire on their part.

"What should we do now?" asked Dong Hoon.

"For now, let's..." he was cut off when there was knock on his door.

It was his secretary. He slowly opened the door inviting himself in. He didn't want to interru