Cheon Yoonsung was eventually cornered.

Before either Yoonsung or Ko Sugyeol could notice, an order was issued by Cheon Kanghyuk, who had now perfectly established himself as the Chairman.

"Defective products cannot last long."

As the short sentence ended, a man in a suit left the Chairman’s office.

A black vehicle stopped in front of a gate in a remote residential area.

In a place where it was hard to believe many houses were still occupied, the homeowner, Ko Sugyeol, submissively opened the door for the unexpected visitor.

Perhaps submissively was the wrong word. The outsider was pointing a gun equipped with a silencer from behind the front door.

Ko Sugyeol did not resist.

As if expecting that reaction, the man didn’t even tie him up and simply aimed the gun at his temple.

But then Ko Sugyeol twisted the man’s arm and slammed him onto the floor. With a heavy thud, the gun slid across the ground. Despite the noise, not a single light turned on in the houses outside the window.

"How...!"

The man pinned to the floor widened his eyes, as if he hadn’t expected any resistance. Ko Sugyeol pinned the man’s neck down with his arm without answering.

Then, a metallic click echoed.

As the camera filming Ko Sugyeol’s face slowly panned to the side, it revealed a hand in a black leather glove pointing a gun at Ko Sugyeol’s head.

"Pointless resistance."

"..."

"You should know that this kind of behavior only reveals a weakness."

The sound of trembling breaths could be heard vividly.

"I’ll be sure to tell the Young Master. That Chief Ko fought hard for his sake."

At the threat that they would touch Cheon Yoonsung’s weak point as punishment for resisting, Ko Sugyeol sneered.

"The Young Master will never feel guilt because of me."

"Do you not realize that your actions now are proof of a special bond between you two?"

"Does anyone in the Cheonju Group even use the word ‘bond’?"

Ko Sugyeol’s eyes flashed.

"This is one-sided loyalty. Pity, guilt—the Young Master feels none of those things."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I asked him not to."

Having lost his friend and once resented everyone, but ultimately choosing Cheon Yoonsung’s side, the normally calm Ko Sugyeol flushed red.

"Because I told him I wouldn’t be a weakness, and that I wouldn’t resent him even if I died."

"..."

"You asked why I’m doing something pointless?"

Ko Sugyeol looked up at the man with bloodshot eyes.

"What kind of dog stays still when a rat sneaks into the house?"

Their gazes collided. Ko Sugyeol gave a small laugh.

"I have to bite it to death before the Master sees it."

With a dull thud, Ko Sugyeol disappeared off-screen. The man who had been pinned down stood up, having thrown the punch at Sugyeol.

The man in leather gloves handed a gun to his companion.

As the man turned to leave after telling them to "clean it up", he paused.

Ko Sugyeol’s hand was gripping the hem of his trousers. He was different from Cheon Yoonsung, who had ultimately failed to seize Cheon Kanghyuk.

Looking down at his former colleague, the man snatched the gun back.

A gunshot rang out, but the neighborhood remained pitch black.

Upon seeing the people who came for him, Cheon Yoonsung headed for his bedroom as if he had prepared for this. A well-maintained hunting rifle ended up in his hands.

How ridiculous, that even the owner of the hunting dogs was nothing more than prey.

Yoonsung’s black eyes blinked slowly. No joy could be felt from his lips, which curved into a smile.

With movements like a well-choreographed play, Cheon Yoonsung placed the muzzle of the gun under his chin. His shoulders rose and fell rhythmically with every breath.

He did not tremble. He was as silent as the night view seen from the highest point on earth.

Perhaps because he had moved too far from the ground.

He met his end in a world where he didn’t have a single person of his own.

At the same time, Ham Yiseo’s phone rang while she slept. Sequential email alerts lit up the room.

Checking her email half-asleep, Ham Yiseo bolted upright.

Though her hands shook in disbelief, «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» she ran to her desk and turned on her laptop.

"Heugh..."

Something between a gasp and a sob escaped her.

Unable to even wipe the tears covering her face, Ham Yiseo frantically began writing an article.

The last email that arrived from Cheon Yoonsung shone on the small laptop screen.

3791 <wlkvofjie8354@...>

To: Me

Don’t bother taking the time to come.

Just have a bowl of yukgaejang with your incentive pay.

(TL note: yukgaejang means funeral soup.)

The sudden, instinctive feeling that someone you knew had vanished from the world overnight.

An unrealistic terror, a helplessness that surpassed it, and...

"Sob, ugh..."

...Agony.

Ham Yiseo, typing and editing while underlining data, dropped her head. Teardrops fell endlessly from the tip of her chin.

Won Chaehee watched Ham Yiseo, who had to accept Cheon Yoonsung’s death, through the screen.

So Saeyoung’s acting was enough to make viewers immerse themselves. Kim Iwol’s background made Cheon Yoonsung look like a living person.

Maybe that was why. Won Chaehee cried a lot.

She cried until her breath was heavy like Ham Yiseo’s, pressing tissues against her eyes until the tears soaked through as soon as they flowed.

Broadcast and reality were strictly different, Kim Iwol was not Cheon Yoonsung, and this was only a well-written story.

But the relaxed smile Cheon Yoonsung wore was too similar to the usual Kim Iwol, and because she knew Iwol had suffered the same rage and pain that the teenage Yoonsung felt—

Because Kim Iwol’s expression made the viewer sad—

Even in a situation pushed to the edge, she couldn’t help but think that Kim Iwol might be just as detached.

"It’s all because of the drama."

She made excuses, but Won Chaehee couldn’t turn off the screen and sobbed until the drama ended and the commercials came on. This was despite the fact that, since becoming an adult, she could barely remember the last time she had a reason to cry.

Some fans admire idols, and some love them.

Won Chaehee thought of Kim Iwol.

I hope you do well.

I hope you live well, without being hindered by anyone.

If they could meet him simply as one human being meeting another, every fan would likely feel the same as Won Chaehee.

The episode where Cheon Yoonsung died recorded the highest viewership ratings for Exclusive Report.

The development was highly praised: Cheon Yoonsung, who had treated Ham Yiseo and Gong Jichan as nuisances, handed over all the data to Yiseo just before his death; and Ham Yiseo, who was once an enemy but had become a fellow victim, reported the exclusive exposé without even having time to mourn Yoonsung’s death.

≫ The Best Actress award will definitely go to So Saeyoung.

And don’t you think Kim Iwol could aim for Best Supporting Actor?

└ He’ll definitely be nominated.

└ If Exclusive Report was his first work, he’d be a shoo-in for Rookie of the Year... Such a shame

≫ I felt this episode was especially intense.

Manager Ko reveals the hidden narrative at the start.

Cheon Yoonsung, who had a huge presence, dies so simply.

Ham Yiseo, who hated Yoonsung the most, grieves his death the most.

Attacking the audience with a triple hit...

The direction was so good: Cheon Yoonsung, who survived tenaciously in the Cheonju Group to expose it, left without regrets, while Ham Yiseo, who lived a normal life, sobbed while writing the exclusive article.

└ I cried too because Ham Yiseo cried so realistically.

└└ I was shocked seeing her wailing, unable to even breathe properly due to a mix of surprise, terror, and rage... Especially since Yoonsung died like a painting right before that...

└ I wondered why Manager Ko lived in such a run-down neighborhood, but after seeing the theory that it was the house where his dead friend lived, I’m crying like a dog

≫ (tlqkf)

I love you, Ko Sugyeol

└ ㅋㅋㅋㅋ큐ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

└ Chief Ko Forever

└ No, stop being a manager for the Cheonju Group. Don’t be "forever"

└ Ko Forever

└ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└ I was planning to get married to him, but I was widowed immediately

└ Who is this guyㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└ There are 1 million people who were widowed in a single night right now

≫ I feel like my heart will only be at peace once I roll Kim Iwol up in a microfiber blanket, feed him a warm meal, and lay him down on a heated floor

Iwol, they say roasted chestnuts are so delicious lately... Throw away all your family, whether in the drama or real life, and just peel roasted chestnuts with Chief Ko.

└ Yoonsung’s end wasn’t beautiful, but I’ll make sure Iwol’s future is paved only with a flower path. Seriously

└ I thought our baby was finally living the high life because he was a chaebol in the drama, but why is he so unlucky even here T_T Spark is the only place for Iwol

≫ He turns all the attention he got from his private life into interest for the drama

If the work was boring or the acting was bad, people would have lost interest halfway through or complained about it being noisy because of some unknown celebrity, but this is amazing

└ In articles where the 40s-50s comment ratio is high, there are countless scoldings telling people not to block the path of a young man with a bright futureㅋㅋ Kim Iwol is the idol of the elderly T_T

└ Exactly. In the beginning, most of the civil complaints were to replace the actor... It’s amazing how public opinion has shifted this much

≫ Honestly, I’m f*cking pissed that his family business blew up like this

There’s a reason for the word "privacy", especially since he didn’t want to reveal it

But it’s a bit refreshing that Iwol got so much attention that it became an issue outside the idol world and became known nationwide

If the public didn’t know, many of those places would still be doing business normally.

It’s satisfying that the MeTube company’s PPL was cut, and the videos they uploaded were taken down early, forcing them to pay penalties. It’s also refreshing that the Chairperson couldn’t even go to work, took sick leave, and was then dismissed at a board meeting she wasn’t even at.

He won’t be 100% at peace, but I hope Iwol can feel a bit more relaxed.

Since it’s well-known now, I hope he finds his sister quickly too.

└ I think it worked out well if only for the sister’s sake T_T At least everyone knows she exists now.

└ If only there aren’t bastards trying to scam him by claiming to be the sister...

└ UA immediately posted a notice saying there will be no leniency if anyone tries to scam regarding the family matter.

└└ Typical of a company that sucks at everything else but is good at suing.

└ If they’re so good at suing, why couldn’t they take down the "Entertainment Detective Squad" videos all this time? T_T You bastards.

└ MeTube doesn’t really accept reports + they kept using "freedom of the press" as a shield.

└ It’s legendary how they tasted "freedom of the press" once, found it sweet, and immediately set up OnKo. Imagine how much they would have used media play to their own taste if OnKo had established itselfㅋㅋㅋ

└ But now they’re all out of business, right?

└ AH!!!! F*CK, THAT FEELS GOOD!!!!!!!

—

On top of this, Producer Jeon, who cherished and supported me, gave his support.

≫ [Exclusive Report] Iwol wrote the text for Cheon Yoonsung’s email himself.

During the audition, they shared only the early script and part of the position, then gave a task to write the last words Yoonsung would leave in [Scenario X]. They said they used what Iwol submitted exactly as it was.

Source is the Exclusive Report PD’s Instagram!!

└ Kim Iwol, the wizard of essay exams.

└ Even though he was actually a CSAT fighter

└ Omg T_T

└ The first comfort he offered to an opponent he’d been fighting with was telling them they didn’t have to come to his funeral. That’s too much.

I only found out about this when I received the script for that episode. I thought they were just trying to gauge my understanding of the character.

The writer reportedly liked this answer so much that she modified the scene she had originally written. It seemed the trust gained from that assignment contributed greatly to casting me—who was much younger than the role—and even removing the dragon tattoo.

I also received a package to coincide with Cheon Yoonsung’s final episode. It was a gift from Woo Yoonjae sunbaenim, who played Chief Ko.

As a return for the wine he received on a filming day, he sent six boxes of cabbage juice made from cabbages his parents farmed and he harvested himself.

Woo Yoonjae sunbaenim

[I heard cabbage is good for the body..]

It seemed he saw the article "Kim Iwol collapses from gastric ulcer..." The way he expressed concern without mentioning it directly was touching. Since he told me to share it with the members, all of us had been consuming one pouch a day since then.

"Shouldn’t we also express our gratitude to the sunbaenim? Thanks to you, we all get a share of juice..."

Jeong Seongbin pondered. No wonder the kid had been on a nutritional supplement recommendation site since morning.

"No, I’ll handle it."

"You, hyung?"

"Yeah."

I spoke while looking at a message I received from Manager Chanyoung.

Manager Lim Chanyoung

[Iwol, a proposal to appear on "Off the Story" came in. Are you interested?]

[You’d be going on with Actor Woo Yoonjae!]

[Your health comes first, so decide based on your condition!]

"Looks like I’ll have a chance to see him again."