Han Yujin Risk, Idol Gate (1)

Every moment…

Seems like slow motion.

Sung Dojun throwing a punch. Yeon Sangho falling down, spitting out damp saliva. A few people covering their mouths and whispering.

My whole body tingles.

If there’s one thing I regret, it’s that I should have been eating omega-3 regularly.

This is too good even for 4K quality.

But my hearing seems fine.

The sound of the impact was sweeter than a heavenly prelude.

Dopamine and adrenaline filled with carbonation surge strongly.

This is why people are crazy about poetic justice.

The laughter filling up to my throat feels like it’s about to spill out from between my teeth.

…Let’s hold it in for now.

Even though Sung Dojun is beating Yeon Sangho savagely like a dog on a hot summer day,

Let’s hold it in.

Even though Jeon Gwangmin and his gang, who came out of the room hearing the commotion, are looking dumbfounded,

Let’s hold it in for now.

It’s not time to laugh yet.

I’m pressing down the laughter like a mound of rice, and when those guys are completely ruined,

That’s when I’ll laugh.

Like a crazy woman. Very brightly.

I moistened every corner of my dry throat with dry saliva. Partly because I was anxious.

You know, the butterfly effect is like that, right?

It always brings tragedy.

I wonder if my fluttering wings will change the ending of the fairy tale.

I wonder if Sung Dojun, caught up in the storm I created, will suffer undeserved harm.

Or,

If Cinderella will disappear into foam like the Little Mermaid.

It was as complicated as if a rough-surfaced pebble was rolling around in my head.

…What am I saying, Han Yujin?

Let’s not think too deeply.

Now is the time to quickly clean up this messy situation.

Comforting myself like that, I got up from where I had fallen.

I stroked Han Sejun’s cheek first.

I was relieved to see there were no wounds.

“Sejun, are you okay?”

“Yeah…”

A tired voice.

Han Sejun nodded, sniffling.

Seeing my younger brother with reddened eyes, my heart broke and anger boiled up.

Yeon Sangho, you bastard.

How dare you hit a minor?

How dare you…

Hit my flesh and blood?

I wrote Yeon Sangho’s name in the Death Note in my mind. About 444 times.

Of course, there are 444 ways to die too. In the most painful and slow ways possible.

When I get home, I should make a curse doll out of straw and drive some big nails into it.

If there was a Bible in front of me, I would have put my hand on it and sworn.

Even if I have to become Nongae and jump down with him, I will definitely send Yeon Sangho to hell.

By my own hands. Directly.

No matter what.

“Noona is…”

Han Sejun trailed off with a choked voice.

To reassure him, I gently stroked Han Sejun’s hair and said,

“Of course noona is fine too.”

I answered nonchalantly, but…

Actually, I’m not fine.

Because I twisted my left ankle when I fell, the affected area has been throbbing since earlier.

It’s a huge relief that it’s not my hands or face. If it was, it would be a disaster. My pro debut could be delayed, and advertisements or broadcast appearances could all stop.

But I’ll still get scolded by Jang Bongyu, right?

Why did you get involved with such trash, why are you making trouble for yourself…

My ears are already stinging.

“This fucking psycho bastard?”

The commotion started again.

“Did you eat rat poison? Who are you? Who do you think you are? What the fuck are you doing!”

Jeon Gwangmin, pale with fear, pushed Sung Dojun’s shoulder hard to separate him.

“…What? You want to get hit too?”

Sung Dojun’s bloodshot eyes.

I was startled because his voice was as cold as moss.

I’ve never seen him like this before either.

Jeon Gwangmin, with his hands on his waist, let out a hollow laugh as if in disbelief.

“Hey, are you out of your mind right now?”

“I see something. Your face.”

Sung Dojun threatened, ostentatiously rotating his wrist.

“……”

Jeon Gwangmin flinched and took a step back. Then he turned his head and requested SOS from his gang.

“Hey, where’s Sangho hyung’s manager?”

“They say he’s coming now!”

Jeon Gwangmin raised his eyelids impertinently. His vicious gaze swept back and forth between me and Sung Dojun.

“This is why you shouldn’t associate with street trash. They don’t know their place and act up, digging their own graves. You guys are fucked now.”

No, you’re the ones who are fucked.

“You guys don’t understand the situation, do you? You didn’t just mess with ordinary people. You laid hands on a top star, you idiots.”

Jeon Gwangmin sneered disgustingly.

“…This won’t do. You should get hit too.”

Sung Dojun, unable to hold back anymore, grabbed Jeon Gwangmin’s collar tightly.

Jeon Gwangmin, covering his hateful face with his palm, squawked unsightly.

“Hey, hey, w-wait! I have a CF shooting tomorrow!”

“That’s your problem.”

As Sung Dojun raised his fist,

“No, Dojun!”

I raised my voice to stop Sung Dojun.

“No, not now…”

I agree that Jeon Gwangmin should be beaten to a pulp.

But if things get bigger here, it might be hard to clean up, so I hurriedly stopped him. The number of onlookers was also increasing.

Sung Dojun, who had been staring at me blankly, obediently let go of the collar he was holding.

Yeon Sangho’s big-bodied manager arrived. His face drained of color when he saw the half-dead Yeon Sangho.

The cold war atmosphere only subsided after the manager carried the fallen Yeon Sangho and ran away with the gang using the 36 stratagems.

And as if nothing had happened…

The surroundings grew chilly.

I limped over to Sung Dojun and said quietly,

“Thanks for helping.”

“……”

I don’t know if he heard me or not.

There’s no reaction.

“…Dojun?”

Sung Dojun was fixing his gaze on my blood-stained lips. With a hardened face.

That gaze, stuck like a sticker, was so blatant and stinging that it was embarrassing.

I slapped Sung Dojun’s forearm and hurriedly changed the subject.

“You idiot, couldn’t you have hit him a bit less?”

Only then did Sung Dojun’s icy gaze soften a little.

“What do you mean a bit less… My only regret is that I couldn’t hit him more, Han.”

“Why did you go that far?”

A steady answer came back immediately.

“Because you got hit.”

“…”

Hearing the answer, I smiled faintly.

Sung Dojun, you’ve grown a lot.

We’re childhood friends who’ve seen everything there is to see of each other since we were young.

I never imagined he’d look this dependable. It’s something I couldn’t have imagined in my previous life.

“What happened?!”

Jang Bongyu, who came running belatedly, dropped his jaw when he saw my injured lip.

“Th-this…!”

His expression was just like a curator who discovered a scratch on the Mona Lisa.

Jang Bongyu checked the whole story of the incident captured on camera.

His complexion and expression gradually changed. His face, which had been like a cute octopus bread, slowly turned into a Kraken.

Jang Bongyu, breathing heavily in anger, looked at me with a face like a furious guardian deity.

“Argh, Han Yujin-ssi!”

“Y-yes…”

The nagging king is angry.

Jang Bongyu’s cheeks puffed up darkly like a poisonous toad.

It’s obvious what words will come out of that mouth.

That my actions were unwise, that I’m a troublemaker, that I’m shortening his lifespan and making him lose hair…

He’ll probably shoot those words at me until my ears are full of holes.

I grabbed the hem of my dress tightly and lowered my head.

I said in a resigned voice.

“I’m sorry for causing you worry.”

The response was unexpected.

“Are you okay?”

…Huh?

Did I hear wrong?

I bit my lower lip and looked up at Jang Bongyu slowly. While reading his expression and fidgeting with my fingers, I asked.

“…Aren’t you going to scold me?”

“Why would I scold you?”

“…Aren’t you angry?”

“I am!”

Jang Bongyu puffed out hot breath from his nose vigorously.

“I’m angry at those bastards, not at you, Han Yujin-ssi! Where are those bastards?”

“They ran away.”

“I’ll just… those bastards!”

Saying he’d grind those thugs to death right now, that they’re not even fit to be pig feed…

Jang Bongyu spewed out curses viciously, the veins in his neck standing out stiffly.

“Sung Dojun-ssi did very well!”

And he looked at Sung Dojun, who had beaten down Yeon Sangho, with satisfaction and threw out empty promises generously.

Jang Bongyu said he would use all means and methods to provide legal support.

I’m dumbfounded.

I thought I’d get a good scolding…

But what came back was kind concern.

I really hate to admit it, but for a moment, Agent Jang Bongyu felt like my dad.

“Noona…”

Han Sejun, looking tearful, looked at me. With an expression saying he’s tired now and wants to go home.

“Yeah. Let’s go home, Sejun.”

For now…

Let’s go home and think slowly.

I’m a bit tired too.

Just as I was about to take a step to do that.

“Ow…”

I bit my lip. Because it hurt.

When I was clutching my clutch bag tightly and walking unsteadily while chewing on the pain.

“…Huh?”

My body,

Floated in the air.

“Hey, what are you doing?!”

“What do you mean, I’m escorting you.”

Sung Dojun lifted my body from behind.

But…

The position is a bit embarrassing.

You know, that thing.

That!

Because it’s the princess carry position…

“Hey, hey, hey!”

“What? Why?”

“P-put, put me down!”

I even stuttered because I was so flustered.

I floundered in Sung Dojun’s arms like a goldfish just scooped out of water.

Seeing that, Sung Dojun laughed lightly through his nose.

“How long would it take you to get home with those legs? Even an earthworm or a turtle would be faster than you.”

“Whether I crawl or dig through the ground, I’ll get home just fine on my own, so put me down quickly!”

“Hey. I’m doing this because I’m pissed off!”

Saying that, Sung Dojun started walking towards the entrance of the party venue.

Carrying me.

It clearly wasn’t that far of a distance.

But it felt as distant as hopping from Earth to Jupiter in rabbit leaps.

My cheeks are stinging.

Every single party guest around is throwing glances at me and Sung Dojun.

Each with a different expression.

“Wow, I’m really envious of that guy…”

Hey, mister.

Why are you pursing your lips and glaring as if you’re envious of Sung Dojun!

“Oh my, they look good together in a two-shot?”

Excuse me, ma’am.

Get rid of that romantic delusion in your head.

There’s no way I’d ever have that kind of relationship with this guy!

“You seem bothered.”

“You’re saying that now?”

Of course I’m bothered, duh.

It’s fortunate there are no reporters. If there were, this would definitely be an undeniable scandal.

Headlines are already flashing in my mind.

‘Han Yujin, Pink Rendezvous with Childhood Friend of Over 10 Years’… Ugh.

Sung Dojun snorted with an indifferent expression and said,

“Then if we explain, everything’s okay.”

“What nonsense are you suddenly spouting?”

That’s when.

Sung Dojun made a non-explanation explanation to people in a loud voice like a candy seller.

“Everyone! You see how her high heel broke? She sprained her ankle like an idiot and was crawling like a worm, so I’m just helping her. Please don’t misunderstand!”

“Aaah, shut up, you crazy bastard!”

In my haste, I choked and shook Sung Dojun’s neck.

At these words that wouldn’t convince anyone, the guests laughed boisterously as if watching an amusing skit.

…This is really driving me crazy.

What’s the outside temperature? Below zero?

It’s so cold outside that snow could start falling any moment, but my earlobes are so hot they’d melt ice instantly.

“Ugh…”

I can’t even hit him because he helped me.

Because I’m embarrassed,

So embarrassed…

I could only hang my head low and cover my face with my clutch bag.

---

In the dead of night.

Suddenly, such a thought came to me.

That I’m like…

Faust from the classic novel.

A victim,

Who became a woman overnight, sacrificed in a bet between God and the devil.

A lamb,

Agonizing over self-identity inside and facing incidents and accidents outside.

So I thought my life as a woman was a tragedy.

When will this tragedy end?

In the novel, Faust received salvation after uttering the words “Stay a while! You are so beautiful!”

…Then what about me?

When will this pain end for me?

I lived each day endlessly thinking like that. Like a tragic protagonist.

But now it’s different.

The moment I acknowledged my precious siblings,

And faced the world.

My life felt like a fairy tale.

“…What am I saying right now.”

I shook my head with a smile.

Every time I breathe, my breath flows out. The pure white breath brushed against my cheek in the wind and disappeared into thin air.

I looked down at my phone screen.

[December 24]

[11:30 PM]

It was 30 minutes before Christmas.

I sent Han Sejun up first and sat alone on a park bench in front of the house.

To think a bit.

“…It’s cold.”

Burying myself in the long padded coat Sung Dojun gave me, I pondered slowly.

In the future, Yeon Sangho’s gang falls. Because of a sex scandal.

But I had dismissed it as something that had nothing to do with me.

Until Han Sejun and Sung Dojun got involved, that is.

And the moment I saw my brother getting hit by Yeon Sangho.

A command was entered in my head.

To kill Yeon Sangho’s gang.

Of course, it’s not a difficult task.

Because I knew all about how and through what process they would fall.

The reason I deliberately smashed Yeon Sangho’s phone was a setup for that.

However,

There’s one thing that bothers me.

Sung Dojun.

Sung Dojun beating up Yeon Sangho is certainly pleasant, refreshing, and satisfying.

But for Sung Dojun, who has just started his modeling career, it might act as a fatal side effect.

Well, if an unknown model severely beat up a first-class idol member, carpet bombing from Yeon Sangho’s fans is a default value.

It’s a situation where Sung Dojun’s career could go awry from the very beginning. Because of me.

…Because of me.

I let out a deep sigh.

The ripples of my fluttering wings.

If it only negatively affected me, I could bear it sufficiently, but I can’t stand by and watch the people around me get swept up in it.

So…

Since Sung Dojun protected me, this time I have to protect him.

Even if I have to twist the plot of the fairy tale,

Even if I have to become a princess on a white horse.

And…

“Player Han Yujin. It’s been a while.”

The person who would become my white horse approached.