Chapter 42: Pity Me Instead

Even without saying it outright, the newspaper that could perfectly convey the nuance of ‘What exactly is their relationship?’ and ‘Don’t they seem a bit close?’ was precisely StarCatch.

Because you couldn’t entrust that to the newspaper handling Tifone’s apology announcement for the illegal restoration.

“I’d like you to weave the nuance that the two people in the message just now seem to be having an affair throughout the article.”

“…Ah.”

“Of course, there’s no clear evidence, so please write the article so that it appears that way.

I’d also like you to arrange the content as dramatically as possible.”

“…”

“I’ve attached additional material in the USB to roughly outline a storyline.

Specific details like when the two met and what their relationship is.”

“…”

“Since you’re going to write it anyway, you might as well do it right and make a killing.

Don’t you think so?”

At Jin-yeop’s words, Ah-reum nodded.

It was certainly worth a try.

The volume of messages exchanged between Jung-hoon and Soo-hyuk was quite substantial, and interspersed were also criticisms of Jin-yeop.

Whether to portray them as swindlers or lovers was essentially a hair’s breadth apart, so it wouldn’t be difficult to deliberately craft it in one direction.

“That would certainly have much more impact.”

“Right?”

“…”

“In addition, I’ll give you one more source.”

Saying this, Jin-yeop took out his phone, searched for something, and held it out to Ah-reum.

“What’s this?”

“You might have seen it.

It’s what happened at the department store two days ago.

I was there with Esper Noh Young.”

“Ah… this.”

“The video is circulating as if the man caught here was apprehended for illegally filming, but in reality, he’s someone Kang Jung-hoon hired to tail me.”

“I think I get the gist.”

“Yes.”

“So you’re going to do the same thing back to him.”

True to her reputation as a gossip journalist, Ah-reum immediately grasped why Jung-hoon had hired someone to tail Jin-yeop just from the video and a brief explanation.

“This man’s name is Park Se-hoon.

He’s twenty-eight years old.

Find out the rest on your own.

That will probably also be an interesting story.”

Jin-yeop turned off the video playing on his phone, put it back in his pocket, and stared at Ah-reum.

Meeting his gaze, Ah-reum suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.

‘Ah, I definitely don’t want to make this person my enemy.’

She muttered inwardly and nodded as if to say she’d do as told.

Jin-yeop, without hesitation, stood up and added.

“Where will you say you got this material?”

“Regardless of how, I won’t mention Esper Cha Jin-yeop’s name.

I can’t help being suspected, though…”

“You must keep that promise.”

Although his voice, tone, and expression were gentle, Ah-reum was frozen, unable even to crack a joke.

The man before her was someone who had lived for ten years, trampling ordinary people underfoot, burning monsters to death with his bare hands.

People forgot that fact and hurled insults at him anonymously on the internet, as if it were a sport.

“I will… keep it in mind.”

“Good.

I’ll contact you again.”

But as if possessed, Ah-reum shot up and grabbed the sleeve of Jin-yeop’s jacket as he was about to leave the conference room.

Even if this man threatened her with fiery eyes, she had something she wanted to ask.

Precisely because she knew Jin-yeop’s abilities, she had to ask.

“Why… did you endure this?”

“…”

“The volume of those messages isn’t something collected in a day or two.

I’m curious why you left it alone.”

“I don’t think I need to satisfy your personal curiosity.”

At Jin-yeop’s sharp gaze, Ah-reum quickly let go of his sleeve and bowed her head.

It was an impulsive act, but she rationalized that anyone who read all those messages would have to ask.

Jin-yeop looked at Ah-reum, who was half-bowed and silent, and spoke.

“It was probably because I loved him.”

“…”

“What other reason could there be?”

He wouldn’t have done it if he hadn’t been abandoned ten times.

For Jin-yeop, Jung-hoon was family, and the fact that he had loved him dearly was an unchanging truth.

Gaining nothing from denying it, he had to admit that he had loved with all his might to avoid hating his past self.

Jin-yeop looked at Ah-reum, who was staring at him, and smiled faintly.

“So, Han Ah-reum-ssi.

Pity me instead.”

“…”

“Write the article while imagining how a man who seems to have everything actually clung to nothing but love and was cruelly discarded.”

“…”

“Who knows?

I might be deeply impressed by your article and give you a fortune.

Because all I have left now is money.”

This time, she couldn’t stop Jin-yeop as he left the conference room.

She just mulled over the material Jin-yeop had given her, again and again, preparing to return to the office immediately and break the scoop.

***

Jin-yeop drove home tiredly.

With the colder weather, the days had grown shorter, and even though it was only five o’clock, the sun was slowly setting.

After the sun went down, a storm was set to sweep across the world.

A storm Kang Jung-hoon had started, and Jin-yeop had finished preparing to give it a push.

In truth, he hadn’t planned to lay all his cards on the table so soon.

He intended to first release Tifone’s apology and then slowly open up about the rest.

Getting on the elevator and pressing the floor button, Jin-yeop sighed.

In those messages, he was truly a ridiculous figure.

He wasn’t thrilled about exposing that with his own hands.

Now that he had no family or anything left, after those messages were made public, he felt he would truly become a pathetic person.

The only thing he had to protect was his pride, and even having that thought was laughable.

He had lived trampling on that very pride with his own feet, so being concerned about it now was shameless.

His whole body felt limp.

His phone would probably be blowing up again, so he decided to turn it off early and get some sleep.

Yet, he still felt an inexplicable emptiness.

“I guess I should have eaten before coming.”

As Jin-yeop got off the elevator and muttered, lifting his head, the sensor lights in the hallway brightened, and beyond the light, the faint silhouette of a person standing ahead could be seen.

Jin-yeop slowly walked towards his door.

As he moved, the scattered sensor lights reacted and illuminated, revealing the identity of the silhouette.

“Lee Eun-ru.”

The person standing before his door was Eun-ru.

As if reacting to his name, Eun-ru strode over and stood tall before Jin-yeop.

“Who said we should eat together?”

Apparently having heard Jin-yeop’s muttering, Eun-ru asked, and Jin-yeop nodded.

“Yeah.

Director Im.”

“…”

“He said his wife would cook, so I should eat and go.

Why are there so many people wanting to cook for me these days?”

Jin-yeop chuckled bitterly.

Probably because he looked pitiful.

While it felt bitter, such kindness was also warm.

Just looking around, he realized there were so many people willing to help him.

If only he hadn’t just endured, but had reached out to someone just once during all those regressions.

Just as he thought that, Eun-ru’s sullen voice came through.

“I’ll do it.”

“…”

“Can’t you only eat what I make?”

“Did you think about it?”

Instead of answering Eun-ru’s question, Jin-yeop changed the subject.

Eun-ru, seemingly dissatisfied but still obedient, answered.

“Yes, very seriously.”

“Doesn’t seem like it.”

“Really.”

“If you thought about it seriously, you would have come after telling me.

You should have said you were coming.”

“That’s why I waited outside without going in.”

“…”

“I know the password, but you know I waited.”

For some reason, Eun-ru tried to put his arm around Jin-yeop’s shoulder, who was speaking without meeting his eyes, but then withdrew his hand.

“Yeah, you did.”

“…”

“So what do you want to do?”

Jin-yeop asked without looking at Eun-ru’s eyes.

Because he had a strong intuition that he shouldn’t look into them right now.

He was anxious.

He couldn’t tell where the anxiety came from.

It was he who had proposed the three-month condition to Eun-ru.

But suddenly, a thought occurred to him.

After everything was over, could he truly treat Lee Eun-ru sincerely?

Would he, who had obsessed over revenge and sent someone to the abyss, be worthy of being loved?

No, aside from that, could Lee Eun-ru, who had witnessed all of that, dare to love someone so cruel?

Someone who trampled on another so mercilessly?

Slowly feeling the fall from his very toes, Eun-ru spoke.

“It’s my turn.”

“Huh?”

Jin-yeop lifted his head in surprise, and Eun-ru was smiling.

“We said we’d take turns with conditions, didn’t we?”

“…”

“Not just announcing it, but let’s really date with marriage in mind after the divorce.”

“…”

“I want to marry you, Jin-yeop-ssi.

That’s my conclusion.”

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