episode_0018

It’s good to create an alibi, but…

It shouldn’t be dragged on for too long.

Because the production team, under tight schedule, may have no choice but to make the decision to have you leave.

What’s important for broadcasting stations and production companies is to match the broadcast schedule.

Not getting a puncture.

Hwang Hye-jin’s innocence is not important business to them.

So I only stayed in the local neighborhood where the middle school where the incident occurred was for three hours.

To make it look like we were moving with an acquaintance, we each ordered two coffees.

And three hours later, I reported to Team Leader Jo Woon-seok while going up to Seoul.

I also sent you a video file extracted and edited from Hwang Hye-jin’s memories.

As expected, Team Leader Jo Woon-seok was very happy.

-Okay! Okay! This is it! This video is so straight that anyone who sees it will admit that our Hyejin is innocent. No, how on earth did you get this?

“I don’t know either.”

-No, if Doyoung doesn’t know, who will?

“My friend did it on his own. My friend told me that. He said that if you do this on your own, it will never be good, so just use the results well.”

-Hmm… It seems a bit odd, so I’ll just ignore it. I’m just a commoner who doesn’t like opening Pandora’s box.

I stopped at a rest stop on the highway to check the internet response.

It was indeed a quick turnaround.

The entertainment sections of most media outlets were filled with stories about Hwang Hye-jin’s innocence.

[Innocent Hwang Hye-jin, her only crime was to show courage for her friend]

[Hwang Hye-jin fights 4VS1 for her friend who is being bullied]

[Not innocent and pitiful, but innocent and peerless?]

Oh, this is a bit off.

I tried my best to edit the video to maintain the innocent and pitiful image.

Since distortion is impossible, is this the limit?

But the way he fought against four people while protecting his friend was so brave.

This is completely different from Hwang Hye-jin’s usual image of her bursting into tears at the slightest touch.

‘I’m sorry, Hyejin. I tried my best to maintain my image, but 30th century ethics say that it shouldn’t be like that.’

Come to think of it, this might be better.

It’s unlikely, but what if someone else has the recorded footage?

What if the distorted video was released as evidence using a video app in that situation?

It’s going to be a messy mud puddle.

It’s not like the video app will be pushed out in the manipulation judgment, but it’s better to do it for sure.

[Brave Hwang Hye-jin]

[Musang Hwang Hye-jin]

[4VS1 Hwang Hye-jin]

[Projector Hwang Hye-jin]

[Pure and Invincible Hwang Hye-jin]

No, really.

Why are the related search terms suddenly like this… .

***

“Doyoung oppa, this looks like a manipulated video.”

I thought Hwang Hye-jin would be happy to prove her innocence.

But as soon as Hwang Hye-jin saw me, she immediately said that.

“Manipulated video? Why do you think so?”

“There’s no way I would have fought with girls so ignorantly. I remember getting beaten up by 4 of them, then closing my eyes and fighting back, and it ended with me getting seriously hurt in the face… .”

Yeah, no.

That’s a memory that your brain has embellished and distorted.

In my memories, you were the epitome of a brave warrior who never backed down and knew how to hurl insults at bullies without hesitation.

“Hyejin, your memory must be wrong.”

“That can’t be true… I’m telling you, I can’t really fight. I faint just from seeing blood.”

Hwang Hye-jin covered her cheeks with her hands in confusion.

Looking at how red all the way to the tip of her ears, she must be so embarrassed that she wants to hide somewhere.

It’s a good thing you only extracted the highlights and muted the sound.

What if the full version was released?

This would have been an opportunity to make Hwang Hye-jin’s name known to the public.

Maybe I’ve gotten the nickname of dopamine pumping machine. The number of people who like me has also increased.

Instead, the image of a pure and innocent high school girl actress will forever fall away.

“Anyway, everything went well, so let’s just focus on acting now.”

“… Yeah.”

Still looks gloomy.

Cognitive dissonance is like that. It’s hard when you face it.

Not everyone adapts easily to red pills.

Team Leader Jo Woon-seok, who had just finished talking on the phone, came in with a big smile on his face.

This is the first time I’ve seen that gentleman have such a bright expression since I joined the company.

“Oh, our Doyoung is here. You worked hard. You really worked hard. The CEO praised you for doing a great job.”

“No, I just did what I had to do as an employee.”

“Hey, it wasn’t Doyoung’s job. It’s something no one can do.”

Come to think of it, I wonder what happens to innocent criminals.

Even before I could ask, Team Leader Jo Woon-seok opened his mouth.

“I got a call from an innocent criminal. He was explaining the situation.”

“Would you mind letting me see it?”

“I don’t plan on suing. I will sue.”

So you’re saying you’re going to retaliate in some other way than suing?

I somehow like the meaningful smile that Team Leader Jo Woon-seok makes.

“And do you remember what Doyoung said was strange?”

“Huh? What is it?”

“I said the timing was too fast for a sniper shot.”

“Oh, that’s it.”

“An innocent person was falsely accused. Jung Soo Ji’s agency was behind it.”

“If it’s Jung Soo-ji… … Ah, did you compete with our Hye-jin over the child actress Han Yu-na?”

“That’s right. They had to get her off before the broadcast, so they just timed it right and blew it up.”

“Ha.”

“When I asked the PD, he said the writer said to wait exactly two more days. If Doyoung had found it two more days later, the role would have been passed over to the other side.”

“They are people without morals.”

“That’s just how the floor is. If I can just take the chair away, I don’t care if someone falls, breaks a leg, or gets a concussion.”

“Leave it alone?”

“What can I do? There’s no evidence. So you’re going to vent to the media about something that’s already over and you’re upset?”

It’s like walking into a dirty, muddy puddle.

And the public, regardless of who is right or wrong, hates the very act of getting dirty mud on their bodies.

A star should just shine brightly and brilliantly.

Without a single speck of dirt.

That’s why they’re called stars.

“Of course, I’m not saying we’re just going to let it go. We have no way to respond right now, so we’re just going to let it go, and we’ll remember this forever.”

“I will also remember forever. Jung Soo-ji, and her agency… .”

“Ah, just remember the manager and the agency. What does a kid under 20 know and what would he do on his own?”

“Is that so?”

“It would be a more pleasant revenge if we took it back later after the water level rises. Although the probability is low.”

***

Everything is back to normal.

The company mobilized all of its marketing capabilities to spread the word about Hwang Hye-jin’s innocence.

The public, who are sensitive to school violence, felt more favorable toward Hwang Hye-jin because she tried to protect her friend from school violence, and even because it was a 4 vs. 1 fight.

└I thought she was innocent and pitiful, but she’s innocent and peerless;;;

└I like it better

└I watched the video and it looks like you have talent for martial arts.

└But it’s a shame that it’s muted because it sounds like he’s shouting something

└The person reporting the video said that the phone microphone was broken at the time and so the sound was not recorded.

└But who reported it?

└Looking at the composition, it looks like a classmate took the picture without permission, but it’s better to just ignore it

└That’s right. There must be a reason why it was reported anonymously. Let’s not try to find out.

It is a bit unfortunate that a significant portion of the company’s marketing capabilities were spent on maintaining Hwang Hye-jin’s innocent and pitiful image.

“It’s okay, Hyejin. It’s all in the past. As time passes, people will forget.”

“No matter how much I think about it, that video doesn’t make sense. I don’t remember fighting that hard… I was getting hit all the time and then I got punched once.”

Everything is back to normal though.

If there is anything that has changed, it is that my eyes looking at Hwang Hye-jin have changed.

In the past, whenever I saw Hwang Hye-jin, I only thought of the innocent and pitiful female protagonist.

A tragic heroine, sad love, and a fresh and touching romantic comedy.

Things like this.

But these days, I sometimes get the idea that it would be nice to play roles like a narcotics detective, a spy, or the daughter of a mafia boss.

I guess my true feelings are reflected in my facial expression.

“Doyoung oppa, what did you think when you saw me just now?”

“Huh?”

“Is there something suspicious about the expression you just gave me? Tell me honestly.”

“I just thought that our Hyejin was so innocent and delicate.”

“Lies.”

“No, really.”

There is something else that has changed.

The harsh voice of Hwang Hye-jin, who opened her eyes wide in front of the four bullies and spat out thick curses while complaining.

Every time Hwang Hye-jin shows off her refreshing acting, that memory keeps popping up in my head without me knowing.

“Doyoung, I’m going to the bathroom for a minute.”

“Yes, have a nice day, brother.”

While Lord Hyung went to the bathroom for a moment.

I met Hwang Hye-jin in the van.

As usual, I was sketching out scenes from the script that would help Hwang Hye-jin’s acting.

Square, square. Square, square.

It’s always amazing to feel like a video app is using my hands to sketch.

I pretend to concentrate on the sketch and watch the image being drawn on paper.

“Doyoung oppa.”

“Yeah. You worked hard today too.”

“That’s not it, oppa, by any chance… .”

“What by any chance?”

I asked, my eyes still fixed on the paper.

“The video I saw the other day, did your brother erase the sound?”

Creepy.

It feels like someone suddenly poured ice on the back of my neck.