Han Yujin Risk, Idol Gate (2)

How should I define this person?

Ally? Secret supporter? Secret friend?

Whatever it is.

I waved happily, putting my hand in the sleeve of my long padded coat.

“Hello, Reporter Nam.”

Reporter Nam Euibeom.

We exchanged numbers at the semi-pro selection tournament, and the last time we met was at Kang Yohan’s preliminaries…

It’s been a month.

We’ve been in touch occasionally via KakaoTalk during that time.

In the time we hadn’t seen each other, Nam Euibeom’s complexion looked somewhat haggard, as if he had contracted an incurable disease.

Cracks appeared on his dry lips like weeds, and his dark circles looked like they were about to reach his knees.

As soon as he arrived, Nam Euibeom started examining my face with sunken eyes.

“Wow…”

At first, he let out a sigh,

“Hehe. Amazing.”

Then came a dry laugh,

“It’s really crazy!”

“…?”

And finally ended with a curse.

This guy…

He seems to have lost his mind a bit?

Nam Euibeom smiled pleasantly and said,

“You must have been to the salon?”

“Ah, right.”

Look at me.

So that’s why he was scrutinizing my face like a physiognomist.

“Even under the merciless streetlight, Han Yujin is, well…”

Nam Euibeom gave a hollow laugh and continued,

“Did you come from a shoot? Maybe it’s because I’m not from the entertainment department, but I’m always surprised when I see Han Yujin.”

“I’m a pro gamer, you know!”

“Ah, right, of course.”

Nam Euibeom sat down on the wooden bench with a groan.

“Oh, I’m dying here.”

As soon as he sat down, he started rapidly spitting out his frustrations.

His voice was dull and gloomy, as if at least five sweet potatoes were stuck in his throat.

“The industrial department was heaven, but the social affairs department is hell, absolute hell. I did my internship in the social affairs department, but I never thought I’d come back here.”

His bitter words pierced a corner of my heart like a needle.

Why?

Nam Euibeom’s career as a journalist had taken a bad turn.

In a way, because of me.

The whole story was this.

I had once revealed the collusion between SUC and Ingame.net during a live broadcast.

At that time, Nam Euibeom had persistently dug into the bait I had thrown out in anger.

SUC, which felt like this junior reporter who had just gotten rid of his trainee label was poking around everywhere like a thorn in their side, chose retaliation instead of tolerance.

And their method was…

Exclusion.

They started intentionally excluding reporter Nam Euibeom from press events and the distribution of press releases.

“Who would have thought SUC would cut off my arms and legs like this.”

Considering that SUC, a major corporate team, has a significant influence in the game sports industry.

Being passed over by a mega team was essentially a death sentence for an e-sports journalist.

In the end,

The punishment handed down to Nam Euibeom by Gukson Ilbo was reassignment of his beat.

Transferred from the industrial department to the social affairs department.

Essentially a demotion, you know…

Nam Euibeom habitually took out a cigarette from his pocket and our eyes met.

He looked at me and put the cigarette pack back, saying “Ah.”

…You could have smoked.

“Sigh. Now I can’t even hope for promotion, let alone protect my rice bowl.”

The industrial department is called the ‘flower of the newspaper’ and has the most influence.

Because it makes money.

It was said that in economic or general newspapers, you couldn’t become a desk chief without going through the industrial department.

Having lived in a flower garden like the yolk of an egg, and suddenly being pushed into the 3D department called social affairs, how great must his sense of loss be?

Moreover…

The fact that I had a share in that fall.

I felt so sorry about that.

“In this rat race, my supervisor hates me, I have to please the editor-in-chief, check proposals. The future looks so bleak, I’m going crazy.”

“……”

“What should I do?”

It feels like sitting on a bed of thorns.

Even if you flip the feast table at an important meeting with in-laws, your bottom wouldn’t sting as much as mine does now.

Nam Euibeom said in a deflated voice.

“I’m thinking of quitting. Being a journalist.”

“Why, why are you saying that…”

Aaah, I feel terrible!

If I could, I’d want to kowtow on the pavement and beg for forgiveness.

Is it because I know this person will become a star journalist in the future?

I felt doubly sorry.

I should take responsibility too…

But how should I do that?

“Are you not hiring any more managers? I worked in the PR team when I was in college, so that would be fine too.”

“No way!”

I hastily raised both arms to form an X.

“Who else but Reporter Nam with his strong sense of reporting could be a journalist!”

At my words, Nam Euibeom smiled faintly.

A pale sigh escaped his lips and scattered in the winter wind.

“Thanks for saying that, at least.”

An unintended,

Victim of my butterfly effect.

Thinking that someone who was destined to become a star journalist later had their career seriously derailed because of me made my heart heavy.

“By the way, why did you call me?”

Nam Euibeom looked at me quizzically.

…Why did I call him?

To take responsibility!

But that doesn’t mean I’m asking him to register our marriage or anything.

I want to give it to him directly.

Star journalist.

“What are you doing for Christmas?”

“…Pardon?”

Nam Euibeom flinched at my question. His expression asked, ‘You’re not suggesting we spend it together, are you?’

But his expression quickly changed.

To a deadpan look.

“For a social affairs reporter, Christmas is a day when a lot of work comes in. Incidents and accidents always happen then. I’ll probably be glued to my keyboard and monitor, let alone Kevin.”

He then whined that he had just come back from volunteering for the Salvation Army’s charity pot collection.

I smiled softly and said,

“I want to give you a Christmas present, Reporter Nam.”

“A present?”

“Yes. A gift as wonderful as the stars.”

I opened my mouth, then got to the point.

“This Christmas…”

“This Christmas?”

“Spend it with me!”

“…Cough!”

Hearing my words, Nam Euibeom coughed, his chest heaving as if he had choked.

Why are you so surprised?

It’s too early to be surprised.

Nam Euibeom’s face turned red like a tomato.

Words poured out of his mouth like a machine gun.

“If, if Han Yujin feels any guilt because of me, you really, really don’t need to! I’m just a puppy who didn’t know tigers were scary and dug my own grave!”

“…Huh?”

Oops, I omitted the object.

I corrected my words.

“I don’t mean spend time together, I mean let’s send someone. To hell.”

“To hell? Who?”

“Yeon Sangho.”

At the mention of Yeon Sangho’s name, Nam Euibeom’s brow furrowed like a washboard.

Frowning his eyebrows,

Pulling down the corners of his mouth.

A typical expression of disgust.

I recited in detail what had happened at the party earlier. Mixing in some lies.

Nam Euibeom, who was listening, slowly shook his head.

“I’m sorry to say this to Han Yujin, but I think you just stepped in dog poop.”

“Why?”

“He has very strong backing. Senior reporters have been digging into his background for years, but he always cuts off his tail and escapes like a lizard. There’s even a rumor that the police chief is behind him.”

Nam Euibeom clicked his tongue.

“Among social affairs reporters, his nickname is ‘The Final Final Boss’.”

The Final Final Boss? What kind of nickname is that?

“Just when you think you’ve caught him, he escapes. When you really think you’ve caught him, he escapes again like a rat. When you think you’ve caught him for the final final time…”

Nam Euibeom shook his head.

I held my stomach and laughed out loud.

“…Why are you laughing?”

“Because it’s so funny.”

I tightened my stomach and stopped laughing.

I looked straight at Nam Euibeom and said confidently,

“If he’s that hard to catch, doesn’t that mean the reward will be big when we do catch him?”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

“Alright then. If he’s been the final boss so many times, let’s catch him this time as the final final boss.”

Nam Euibeom wiped his nose bridge and asked,

“Do you have a good method?”

I wiggled my finger.

Nam Euibeom leaned in and put his ear close.

I whispered the process of Yeon Sangho’s downfall into Nam Euibeom’s ear.

After listening to everything, Nam Euibeom put his hand on his chin and pondered.

“Is he really that careless?”

“He is. He’s clearly not the meticulous type who checks every stone before crossing a bridge.”

“That’s true. He drinks so much every day that even his group leader is said to be worried.”

“He’ll definitely try to fix his phone first thing when he wakes up tomorrow.”

That’s what happened in the future too.

Nam Euibeom muttered to himself with an incredulous expression.

“To leave physical evidence intact on his phone… This is beyond stupid.”

He really is stupid, that guy.

I licked my blood-stained lips. The blood tasted sweet, like biting into fruit flesh.

Confident words sprang from the tip of my tangy tongue.

“Please help me. I have a strong feeling about this.”

“If it’s Han Yujin’s feeling…”

Nam Euibeom slowly nodded.

“Alright. I’ll give it a try. I’ve already lost everything, what more is there to be afraid of? The worst that can happen is getting fired, right? And…”

Nam Euibeom stood up and looked at my face, raising the corners of his mouth wide.

“For some reason, I trust what Han Yujin says. You’ve never disappointed anyone so far, right?”

Nam Euibeom hurried home, saying he would prepare for tomorrow.

I remained sitting on the wooden bench like a statue.

What if…

What if, I mean.

What will happen if things go well?

First, let’s think about Nam Euibeom.

This incident that will soon be called the ‘Idol Gate’.

It was probably one of the most socially notable incidents in South Korea.

And Nam Euibeom, who will publish an exclusive article on the Yeon Sangho scandal with the future information I provided, will surely become a star journalist.

Of course, he still hopes to be an e-sports journalist, so he’ll smoothly return to the industrial department from the social affairs department.

Good. This side is taken care of.

Then what about Sung Dojun?

If left alone, he would surely become an infamous unknown model who hit a senior in the entertainment industry.

But what if Yeon Sangho’s misdeeds and true face are revealed to the world?

The public will change their stance and praise Sung Dojun, calling it a well-deserved lesson.

If things go well, he might even receive good offers from the broadcasting industry.

Good. This side is taken care of too.

Then…

What about me?

I mean me, who sent the despicable Yeon Sangho and his gang to hell.

What will happen to me?

My mouth opened automatically.

Am I really going to…

Become like Joan of Arc?

I can’t gauge how much my social image will rise.

But can I really do it?

It seems like a different scale from the incidents so far.

…No, I have to do it!

My brother was hit by that bastard, and if I do nothing, Sung Dojun might get buried because of me!

I had so many thoughts that I couldn’t even feel the cold.

…Let’s put it aside for now.

Let’s leave it to the dice of fate.

I looked at my phone again.

[11:50 PM]

Only 10 minutes until Christmas.

[7%]

Not much battery left either.

Just as I was about to go home,

I decided to turn on the broadcast for a moment.

Since I went all the way to Cheongdam-dong to get dressed up, wearing a dress and jewelry!

If I don’t show off my current glamorous appearance, I’d be neglecting my duty as a streamer and would be disqualified.

[Christmas Eve Waiting Room,, Everyone Come In,,]

[HaYoo]

Crazy. I’m turning it on after just a day, but why does it feel like it’s been so long?

It feels strangely unfamiliar.

Like that mixed feeling of excitement and fear when I first started broadcasting.

“Hello, solo Christmas friends.”

-You’re solo too lol

-Same goes for you

-The pot calling the kettle black

-Don’t poke where it hurts.. It hurts..

-lol

…Suddenly it feels shitty.

Both male Han Yujin and female Han Yujin.

Always alone on Christmas…

-This guy picking fights as soon as he comes in

-Welcome, Yujin Ham

-HaYoo-ping vs HaChoo-ping, who would win?

-Wow look at that smooth skin

-Who’s higher rank, Warrant Officer or Sergeant Major? <Deleted message>

-Huh? Full makeup? Why? Suddenly? Out of nowhere?

-If my monthly salary is 3 million won, is it okay to give 200,000 won as a wedding gift to a friend? <Deleted message>

-Taking a break on Christmas Eve + full makeup… You know what that means, right?

-A grown woman can turn on her broadcast late on Christmas Eve too lol (hmm..)

Today there are unusually many trolls and suspicious glances.

It’s understandable, female streamers have one iron-clad rule written in blood.

Even if your arm is cut off, you get gastroenteritis, or North Korea invades.

You must turn on your broadcast on Christmas.

Looking at the chat, it seems everyone is suspecting I was with a man.

‘Santa Claus’ has donated 1,000 won!

-If HaYoo did something good with Golden Sun and turned on briefly in front of her house, I approve lol

I asked out of genuine curiosity.

“Golden Sun? What’s Golden Sun?”

‘Nose Man’ has donated 1,000 won!

-It means Golden-haired Tanned Punk oo Think of someone like Yeon Sangho

“Ah.”

I understand the meaning immediately.

I feel like throwing up, damn.

“I went to a private party, so don’t misunderstand. I went with my brother and manager, so it’ll be up on YouTube soon.”

I cleared my throat and continued.

“Ahem, and I’m already married to my viewers, why would I look elsewhere?”

-Queen HaYoo Elizabeth I lol

-Who decided that?

-Virgin Queenwwwww

-How many kids?

-Stop talking nonsense and come stir-fry some pork

-(Basically means please donate since it’s Christmas Eve)

-She’s trying to get out of it this way

-Oh I’m married now too lol

-Snake-like woman

-My wife suddenly looked at me wtf;;;

-Please no religious solicitation, no weddings, no insurance, no guarantees, no multi-level marketing, no flirting

“Ah, and I’m not sure if I’ll be able to turn on the broadcast tomorrow.”

When I said this ambiguously, the chat went wild.

Not just riots and hell, now even special investigations and autopsies are coming out.

…These bastards, really!

This won’t do. I need to discipline them once.

“I even prepared a gift…”

I said as I slowly lowered the zipper of my long padded coat.

“Here’s a quiz. What’s inside this long padded coat?”

-?

-Me

-Special

-Hell

-Investigation

-????

-Suddenly?

-??

-Autopsy

-Investigation

-What are you doing, you punk

-Hey hey don’t lower it

“Number 1, pajamas. Number 2, bra and panties.”

The zipper went down slowly with a zzzip sound. Very slowly.

“Number 3, all nude.”

Then,

Contrary to the descending zipper, the chat went crazy. It was madness.

-3

-3

-3

-3333

-Death if not 3

-33333

-You crazy woman please 3

-Ah please 333

-3 < Doesn’t this number look like a butt if you look closely? <Deleted message>

-Three! Three! Three!

-33333

-3(====

I lowered the zipper of the long padded coat completely. As I took off the coat, a chill hit my body.

“Ta-da! The answer was number 4, a dress.”

-This bitch lol

-Go back to the army, you bitch

-Wow

-Whoa what’s that necklace??

-Is that a diamond?

-This is even better?

-So pretty

-Wow she really did go to a party

-HaYoo in a dress..

-This is a Christmas present lol

-She’s dressed up like never before

-Is this really a pro gamer wtf????

-Her face is so good it overshadows the jewelry and dress

…I feel strange.

My chest is tingling.

I’m strangely happy that everyone seems to like it.

I looked up at the sky and said softly,

“I wish it would snow.”

A white Christmas would be even better.

Then I looked at the screen,

[11:57 PM]

3 minutes left until Christmas.

3 minutes that feel long if you think they’re long, short if you think they’re short.

For those 3 minutes, I played with the viewers without any worries or expectations.

I twirled around holding the hem of my dress, shyly acted cute when a big donation came in, and received Rilme’s excessive affection with a frown when she came to the broadcast.

It was peaceful.

So peaceful that,

I even thought I wished time would stop like this.

However,

Time flowed mercilessly,

And finally reached 0.

[12:00 AM]

“Oh, it’s exactly midnight!”

It became Christmas.

And at the same time…

As if by magic, cotton-like snowflakes started falling slowly.

“Wow, everyone. It’s snowing, snow!”

I smiled broadly like a child seeing snow, not like a fish in water. Even though my nose was red from the cold, I was happy.

And though a bit tired, with the best smile I could muster.

“…Merry Christmas.”

I said shyly.

-MRCS

-MRCS

-MRCS

-Melly Klismas (I’m from American London so please understand my pronunciation)

-★☆★☆★☆

-Please let us see Han Yujin for a long time next year without going to hell

-Merry Christmas lol

-Ah solo this year too ffs

-Han Yujin Inner Thoughts Bot: Ah these bastards aren’t donating much even though it’s Christmas…

-Let’s go watch Home Alone marathon lol

It felt like a festival.

I looked around and then spoke.

“Um, there’s something I’ve wanted to say to my viewers for a long time.”

-?

-??

-What

-“That announcement” is coming

-Preg… nant…?

-This child has a talent for making people anxious just when you start to forget

“Thank you for always being on my side. I always lo… you all.”

The internet broadcasts I had gotten used to.

The viewers I found annoying and disgusting.

What I hated so much I wanted to quit has now become something I love so much.

Just as the viewers have seeped into me, I must have seeped into the viewers in the same way. Probably.

“Everyone, I lo…”

The battery was suddenly at 1%.

I have to say it.

I have to say it now.

Is it because it’s embarrassing? The words I want to say keep stopping at the tip of my tongue.

“Everyone, I love…”

I’m not a mute mermaid princess.

This is so annoying, really!

In my anger, I squeezed my eyes shut and blurted it out.

“Ugh, everyone! I love you…!”

I stuttered a bit, but…

I still said it. My true feelings.

I carefully opened my eyes and looked at the screen.

“Aaaaaargh, fuck!”

This damn battery, really.

My phone had turned off.

My face was reflected in the blackened screen.

Whether from the cold, or from embarrassment.

My face, bright red.