Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All-Chapter 799: School Bully Rumor (3)

['ANTI Na-Ra' – No sleep until traitor Sung Na-Ra is eliminated!]

[Club tier: Cherry Tomato (5 levels below Ripe Tomato)]

[Members: 5,239]

[Post by: (Admin – Lucifer)]

-Today, Run Na-Ra showed up at school and picked a fight with third-year sunbaes.

She bumped into one of them coming out of the school store and didn't even apologize. She just tried to walk off.

When the sunbae called her out, she started cursing like crazy.

What a mess of a personality!

We already knew her sweet smile was fake, but seeing it in person? Next level.

Even during her time with FIVE Angels, she acted like she was the only one who mattered, hogged the camera, and made the rest of the members look like nobodies.

And now she's back to that same old behavior.

Oh, and she even dragged in first-year Go Eun-Seo to help gang up on the sunbaes.

Guess she's pulling Go Eun-Seo to her side already because her dad is an assemblyman.

Do they really think they've already made it into I.O.A?

And that's not all.

She brought her talent agent and the vice principal into the school, and they turned the third-year victims into the so-called attackers.

(Hanil Arts High School proof shots 1, 2, 3)

This week, we'll use this to spark an elimination scandal.

Also, she's doing a livestream at 10 p.m. tonight.

Everyone, get on your alt accounts and spam the chat with screenshots of Run Na-Ra's nasty personality.

(Comments)

-(Mammon) Okay. Got it.

-(Satan) Let's go.

-Knew it. Ever since she left FIVE Angels, I knew she had a rotten attitude.

-All that just because she's pretty? Unreal.

-Wait, is Lucifer a Hanil Arts student too?

-Said they got a tip-off.

-Wasn't Sung Na-Ra originally from Hanjeong Arts?

-Yeah, but she transferred.

-The fight after the second period at Hanil really happened. The whole school knows.

-Admin, can you adjust the post visibility? It's public right now.

-Yeah, even if we're not taking in new members, there are still ghost members. Adjust the access settings ASAP.

-Views aren't even hitting 50. Better change the tier—maybe to at least 72-Demon or First-Class Demon?

-(Admin) Got it. Access level updated.

(This post is no longer available.)

Thanks to Lee Doo-Oh monitoring the forum in real time, we managed to capture a post from the site admin, even if it was only up for a brief moment.

The post was detailed and specific, complete with photos, and clearly aimed to paint Sung Na-Ra as the perpetrator in a school violence case. What stood out was that Lucifer included information that only someone near the school store at that moment could have known.

That was how I became certain that Lucifer had to be a student at Hanil Arts High School.

'I need to track down Lucifer immediately.'

Originally, the fan club for FIVE Angels was called Angelion, named after their fandom. But after Sung Na-Ra's departure and the group's disbandment, the site morphed into an anti-club, mocking her with the nickname Run Na-Ra. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

All the admins of the fan club website who once went by names of the seven archangels stepped down, and new admins took over. The lead admin was Lucifer, and the sub-admins used names representing the seven deadly demons: Mammon, Leviathan, Satan, Asmodeus, Beelzebub, and Belphegor. No one knew who they really were.

What used to be a massive fan club website with over a hundred thousand members in the Ripe Tomato tier had dropped to the Cherry Tomato tier with just over five thousand members. With the fall came a complete change in management.

Just then, another Kk Talk message came in from Lee Doo-Oh.

[Lee Doo-Oh: Hyung, did you see the screenshot file?]

[Chief Jung Yoon-Ho: Just checked. Looks like Lucifer's a Hanil student, doesn't it?]

[Lee Doo-Oh: I think so too.]

That's when it started. Posts began appearing on the app forum for Project I.O.A.

[PROJECT: I.O.A]

[Fan Board]

-Heard Sung Na-Ra beat someone up at school.

-Her attitude's always been nasty, huh?

-This is our No.1 pick for Project I.O.A?

Lucifer had told everyone to attack during Sung Na-Ra's personal livestream at 10 p.m. tonight. But some members of the anti-fan club were already spreading the photos and posting content across platforms.

I immediately messaged Lee Doo-Oh on Kk Talk.

[Chief Jung Yoon-Ho: Doo-Oh, is there any way to figure out who Lucifer is?]

[Lee Doo-Oh: The ID is fiveangels_04, so I think they were born in 2004. Judging by the tone and content of the posts, it's definitely a teenager. Oh, and I cross-referenced the website post with the list of students you gave me from Hanil Arts High School, plus the social media and email addresses of the former FIVE Angels members... and there's exactly one match with a similar ID.]

[Chief Jung Yoon-Ho: Who?]

[Lee Doo-Oh: Park Ji-Hye, a third-year at Hanil. Her Instargem account is angels_04.]

[Chief Jung Yoon-Ho: Wait. If she was born in 2004, wouldn't she be in her second year? Park Ji-Hye's a third-year, isn't she?]

[Lee Doo-Oh: She's an early 2004-born. January 7.]

[Chief Jung Yoon-Ho: So you think Lucifer might be Park Ji-Hye?]

[Lee Doo-Oh: I can't say for sure... but her social media shows she was one of the website admins a month before the group disbanded. And back then, her admin ID was angels_04. So maybe she created a new one—fiveangels_04.]

I considered going to the police right away, but police investigations took time. It was Friday afternoon, so even if I filed a report now, the investigation wouldn't start until after Monday. If we waited that long, Sung Na-Ra could be eliminated in the first round over the weekend.

So instead of relying on the police, I had to handle it myself.

That meant the first step was to meet with Park Ji-Hye. If she turned out to be Lucifer, the whole issue would be solved. And even if she wasn't, her past as a former website admin might be useful.

[Chief Jung Yoon-Ho: A similar ID alone isn't enough. Try to find something more concrete.]

[Lee Doo-Oh: Got it. I'll update you the moment I find anything.]

[Chief Jung Yoon-Ho: I'm heading back into the school.]

I ended the chat with Lee Doo-Oh.

Woo Yeon-Hee, Sung Na-Ra, and Go Eun-Seo were still standing there, clearly hesitating, waiting for my cue.

"Guys, how about Sang-Bong picks you up and takes you to Ilsan first?" I suggested.

Woo Yeon-Hee tilted her head. "You're not coming with us, oppa?"

I hesitated for a moment as I was unsure whether to explain, but I already knew the answer. With school violence rumors spreading, there would be chaos once we get to the Project I.O.A set. It made more sense to explain everything here and reassure them that I would take care of it.

"I've got to sort something out first."

I held out my phone. The screen showed the screenshot Lee Doo-Oh had sent.

Woo Yeon-Hee's eyes went wide. "What? We were there! How can they make up something like this? Who even is this Lucifer person?"

"We're still tracking them down, but based on the post timing and details, I'm sure they're a student at Hanil. We'll find them soon, so don't worry."

I didn't mention Park Ji-Hye, since a similar username wasn't solid proof yet. President Kang Gam-Chan always said, 'It's not over until it's over.' That didn't just apply to the stage. It meant staying cautious and deliberate before drawing any conclusions in life.

Sung Na-Ra leaned forward from the back seat to look at the screenshot herself. "Lucifer goes to our school?"

"Yeah. Only someone who was actually there would know about this level of detail. But don't worry. I'm going to find this jerk and end it."

Sung Na-Ra hesitated, unable to answer right away.

That's when Go Eun-Seo spoke up firmly. "Na-Ra unnie. You said it wasn't your fault that FIVE Angels broke up, right? So why are you just sitting there, taking this kind of abuse?"

"Because I still feel bad..."

"Why feel bad? This is way over the line. And more importantly, you're not a FIVE Angels member anymore. You're the leader of Team 1 on Project I.O.A now. You represent us."

Go Eun-Seo didn't hold back as she gave Sung Na-Ra a sharp reminder of where she stood.

"So make up your mind right now! Are you going to stay stuck as a former FIVE Angels member, or are you going to become I.O.A?"

After a moment of thought, Sung Na-Ra slowly spoke. "I... I'm going to be I.O.A."

Go Eun-Seo pouted. "Good. Then as a Project I.O.A member, first ask them to take Lucifer down. And next time, warn anyone who posts hate comments!"

Sung Na-Ra smiled and gently took Go Eun-Seo's hand. "Thank you, Eun-Seo. That really cleared my head."

Flustered by the sudden gesture, Go Eun-Seo's ears turned bright red. "D-don't thank me. I just said what had to be said!"

Sung Na-Ra chuckled at her.

"What's so funny?" Go Eun-Seo asked.

"Nothing... you're just cute."

Flustered, Go Eun-Seo turned her head sharply to the side.

Sung Na-Ra watched her fondly, then turned to me. "Mr. Jung, please catch this Lucifer person first. I don't want to cause any more trouble for the show or our team."

"Got it. I'll go talk to the vice principal. You girls wait in the car, and when Sang-Bong arrives, head up to Ilsan."

At that moment, Sung Na-Ra firmly shook her head. "No. Today's schedule starts a little later anyway. I want to see the face of the person who did this. I want to confront them."

Sung Na-Ra had been an outcast in FIVE Angels, and there were still traces of that timid side in her. But as the face of a major project like I.O.A, she was trying to be stronger. Go Eun-Seo, clear-headed and outspoken, was proving to be a big help today.

I nodded. "Alright. Then you come with me, Na-Ra. Eun-Seo and Yeon-Hee can head to Ilsan first—"

Before I could finish, both Woo Yeon-Hee and Go Eun-Seo cut in.

"I'm coming too."

"Me too!"

Woo Yeon-Hee's top pick was Sung Na-Ra, and Go Eun-Seo stepped up several times today. Both were firmly determined to stay by Sung Na-Ra's side.

"Alright. All of us, then!"

I turned off the car and called the vice principal.

"I know it's lunchtime, but would you happen to be available right now?"

-Ah, yes. Are you coming to the office? I'll return my tray and head down right away.

"Thank you."

I hung up and headed toward the vice principal's office with the kids to find Lucifer.

***

"I-it wasn't me. I swear!"

After a talk with Vice Principal Bang Seo-Hee, we called in Park Ji-Hye to the office. The vice principal questioned her straight away, and Park Ji-Hye denied being Lucifer.

However, Bang Seo-Hee continued pressing. "You were a FIVE Angels fan club admin, weren't you? And there's a record of you trash-talking Sung Na-Ra all over social media. Look here."

Bang Seo-Hee held up her phone. On the screen was Park Ji-Hye's social media account displaying hate posts.

-Ugh, so annoying. Na-Ra gets all the focus while Jin-Sil gets overlooked.

-Sung Na-Ra. She's always late for formation changes, so Jin-Sil can't stand in the right spot. I totally hate her.

-Sung Na-Ra bailed on today's schedule again saying she was sick. The agency treats her like the ace, so she's getting worse.

...

Reading the hate posts she had written herself, Park Ji-Hye started trying to explain. "This is...I only wrote those out of frustration because I'm close with Jin-Sil. But that's seriously all I did."

"You're still lying? The Lucifer account is fiveangels_04, and your Instargem ID is angels_04. You think we don't see the connection?"

"No, I mean it. It really wasn't me!"

She admitted to posting hate comments, and she also admitted to being a former Angelion club admin. However, she firmly denied being Lucifer, the current admin of the ANTI Na-Ra site.

Everything pointed to Park Ji-Hye, but I still wasn't completely convinced she was the culprit. After all, I had a way to find out for sure. But before that, I decided to clear up her misunderstanding about Sung Na-Ra. Once she heard the truth, I figured she would let her guard down.

"Park Ji-Hye, take a look at this."

I held my phone up in front of her. The video from the broadcast station showed Lee Jin-Sil bullying Sung Na-Ra.

As the footage played, Park Ji-Hye's eyes widened like a startled frog. "N-no way... Jin-Sil would never do something like that..."

"Jin-Sil lied. And Na-Ra was the one being bullied by the other members of FIVE Angels. I was the one who pulled her out of that mess. Honestly, I thought about releasing this video back then, but Na-Ra didn't want it out. She said it would only hurt the fans more. So tell me. Do you still think it's Na-Ra's fault?"

"..."

"Park Ji-Hye. This is your last chance before I call the police. Are you really not Lucifer?"

Clutching her chest in frustration, Park Ji-Hye protested, "I did write hate comments, but I swear I'm not Lucifer. No matter what the police say, I'm not."

As she spoke, I checked Everyday.

[Everyday V13]

[Date: March 29, 2021]

-01:00 a.m.: [NEW. Woo Yeon-Hee]

[Entertainment All Star] Cherry Blossom's leader Woo Yeon-Hee speaks out on Sung Na-Ra, who was eliminated this week over a school bullying scandal.

[Baro Star] Woo Yeon-Hee's bold statement: "Even if everyone turns on Na-Ra, I still believe in her!"

The schedule entry hadn't changed. That meant Park Ji-Hye wasn't the culprit. Right away, I shifted focus and turned to her not as a suspect, but as someone who might help us.

"Park Ji-Hye, are you still involved with Angelion as an admin?"

"When the fan club website turned into ANTI Na-Ra, I handed over my rights to the new admins. But I haven't been removed from the member list."

"What's your member grade?"

"I'm not sure. I haven't logged in since they started switching stuff around."

"Mind checking for me?"

"You're not trying to dig up old posts I wrote, are you?"

"No. I just need any clues that could lead us to Lucifer."

"S-So you're not going to sue me?"

I glanced to the side. Sung Na-Ra was silently staring at Park Ji-Hye.

"If you apologize," Sung Na-Ra said.

Without hesitation, Park Ji-Hye bowed deeply. "I'm sorry, Na-Ra. I really didn't know Jin-Sil was like that. She cried saying you ruined her life, so I..."

Go Eun-Seo snapped from the side. "You didn't even bother checking what was true, and now you're pretending to feel sorry?"

'Eun-Seo. Not now. We still need her to talk.'

Seeing Park Ji-Hye flinching, Sung Na-Ra sighed gently before speaking. "I'll accept your apology, sunbae. And as long as you help us find Lucifer, I won't press charges."

"O-okay. Here's my phone."

Park Ji-Hye logged into the website and handed over her phone. Thankfully, her rank as a former admin was still high enough to view restricted posts including ones from Lucifer.

That's when one post jumped out.

[Secret Notice]

Lucifer (Admin): If I don't respond to emails within 24 hours, contact me through my backup account.

Backup email: [email protected]

An email address was as good as an ID online. It was the biggest lead we had found so far. I sent the email address to Lee Doo-Oh via Kk Talk right away.

Buzz~

A moment later, my phone buzzed.

[Lee Doo-Oh: Hyung. I found it, but... are you sure this is really Lucifer's email?]

[Chief Jung Yoon-Ho: Why? Who is it? Someone you know?]

[Lee Doo-Oh: Yeah.]

[Chief Jung Yoon-Ho: Who?]

[Lee Doo-Oh: Jung Jin-Ah.]

'Na-Ra's closest friend? She was the one?'

Jung Jin-Ah was the girl who had been with Sung Na-Ra since middle school, who had auditioned for FIVE Angels by her side, and who had defended her earlier today.

'I was really hoping it wouldn't be her...'

If I told Sung Na-Ra her best friend was behind the anti-fan club, it would leave a deep scar. But now that we had the culprit, there was no turning back for Project I.O.A. and for Sung Na-Ra.

It was time for Jung Jin-Ah to learn that life doesn't pull punches.