As we entered Lee Ji-Yeon's living room, Kim Sung-Woon and Lee Ji-Yeon welcomed us.
"My goodness! Mr. Kang, it's been a long time."
"Good to see you, Writer Lee," Kang Gam-Chan returned the greeting.
"I heard you were on vacation, but you look so thin! Was the vacation not good? Or did you have too much fun?"
"Ha ha, Mediterranean food didn't suit me."
Only a select few knew that Kang Gam-Chan had undergone surgery, so he joked that the vacation wasn't great.
"Anyway, it's good to see you again. Please come on in."
Once inside the living room, we got straight to discussing the current situation.
After a short discussion, we reached a rough conclusion. We decided to reveal the true identity of Manshin Wol-Ah by bringing the MBS' This Morning! team on the site.
Lee Ji-Yeon reassured me with a disappointed expression. "It’s a bit disappointing, but this is the best we can do for now. You know that, right?"Kim Sung-Woon also agreed. "It might even turn out to be a bigger advantage than we anticipated."
I nodded while suppressing my disappointment. "Understood. Then when will the filming take place? Are they coming on the 26th?"
"Yes, it will be a live broadcast starting at 8:30 a.m. on the 26th, the morning of the 9th episode, to generate buzz," replied Kim Sung-Woon.
To maintain the element of surprise, Kim Sung-Woon only told PD Lee Heon-Jae of This Morning! that they would be doing an on-site interview about the general atmosphere.
I nodded. "Got it. I’ll be ready for that day, then."
Next, Kim Sung-Woon brought up the media response.
"Oh, I can handle the media..."
However, Kang Gam-Chan intervened before I could finish my sentence. "No, I'll handle the media."
Kang Gam-Chan continued to reassure us. "It's better if the press releases are meticulously prepared by our side for security. It's better if I take charge."
It was true that as a mere team lead, I might face resistance from some reporters. Afterall, it wasn't common to find reporters who published the articles just as provided by the company.
With Kang Gam-Chan stepping forward, it would be easier to manage the reporters' resistance.
Kang Gam-Chan glanced at me and said, "Don't worry. Whatever the cost, we’ll support it fully."
I felt an unexpected sense of relief like a child with a reliable parent, and my shoulders straightened without realizing it.
"Okay. Thank you, Mr. Kang."
Kang Gam-Chan smiled warmly and turned his gaze toward Kim Sung-Woon this time. "And I'll also handle the higher-ups at the broadcasting station. We've been drinking buddies for years, so my words will carry more weight than yours."
Kim Sung-Woon’s face brightened. "I'd be very grateful if you could do that. I owe you a big time, sir."
"Oh, don't mention it."
"No, really. I was worried about getting scolded by my CP."
Just like that, we finalized the plan to reveal Manshin Wol-Ah's identity.
As we were about to get up after finishing the discussion, I spoke. "Mr. Kim, I'd like to keep this plan confidential and only known to those present here."
We still didn't have concrete evidence against Lee Si-Yeon. However, since she was the prime suspect, I wanted to keep this from her.
Kim Sung-Woon tilted his head in confusion. "Even AD Lee Si-Yeon?"
"Yes. I think it would be better to keep the number of people in the know to a minimum."
Kim Sung-Woon furrowed his brow slightly. "Hmm..."
Lee Ji-Yeon quickly chimed in as she read my intentions. "I agree, PD Kim. He's not wrong, you know? The fewer people who know, the better."
I was concerned that Kim Sung-Woon might be angry about bringing up the suspicion about Lee Si-Yeon. But fortunately, he accepted it in a calm manner.
"Alright, let's do that."
Kang Gam-Chan lightened the tense atmosphere once again with a hearty laugh. "Ha ha. We must be extra careful to ensure all our hard work doesn't go to waste."
"Yes, Mr. Kang."
After the meeting, I started preparing to catch the two culprits.
***
It was August 25th, 2 p.m.
Kang Ill-Gu from Star Patch parked his car at Highway 6 near Paldang Bridge and anxiously lit a cigarette.
He had been tailing Team Lead Jung Yoon-Ho from Hoop Entertainment for the past few days, but had failed each time. In his long career as a paparazzo, this was his first time.
Frustrated by not getting a single shot, his anger boiled over.
Kang Ill-Gu yelled as he stepped out of the car. "Damn it! Why won't this lighter work now?"
At that moment, Reporter Choi Jae-Yoon in the passenger seat put down his camera and quickly got out. "Here, use this."
Tick, tick!
Kang Ill-Gu silently took a drag from the lit cigarette.
Taking a glance at Kang Ill-Gu, Choi Jae-Yoon spoke cautiously. "Mr. Kang, can't we just report the suspicion that the actor playing Manshin Wol-Ah is actually Jung Yoo-Jin? Even the suspicion alone should generate enough buzz."
Kang Ill-Gu exhaled smoke and replied, "Hey. Do you think people believe that Jung Yoo-Jin is playing that old woman?"
Choi Jae-Yoon scratched his head. "To be honest, not really..."
"See? Even you don't believe it. How can we convince people of something we don't believe in ourselves?"
Choi Jae-Yoon tilted his head. "Then what do we do? At this rate, we won't get a single photo. Are you planning to miss the deadline?"
Kang Ill-Gu scratched his head in frustration. "We have no choice. We need to use Lee Si-Yeon again."
Kang Ill-Gu, known as the Leech of Star Patch, had a handsome appearance that rivaled actors which made him adept at extracting information from female staff at broadcasting stations and agencies.
After finishing his cigarette, he called Lee Si-Yeon in a sweet voice. "Hi, honey~ it's me."
Lee Si-Yeon answered with a nasally voice.
Kang Ill-Gu chatted her up for a while before subtly pressing her. "By the way, what about the photos we talked about before?"
Lee Si-Yeon replied that she hadn't yet managed to get a photo proving that Jung Yoo-Jin was Manshin Wol-Ah.
Kang Ill-Gu got annoyed and pressured her further. "Si-Yeon, can't you do this much for me? If you get caught, just say I installed the hidden camera inside the car. Don’t you trust me?"
Under Kang Ill-Gu's intense pressure to install a hidden camera, Lee Si-Yeon finally agreed.
Only then did Kang Ill-Gu switch back to his sweet tone. "You're the best, darling. Just trust me. Let's go to Guam together for a trip after this drama ends. Okay?"
After exchanging words of affection, Kang Ill-Gu hung up and smirked. "She always gives in eventually..."
"Mr. Kang, are you really planning to go to Guam with her? AD Lee… she didn't look pretty enough to be your type," Choi Jae-Yoon remarked.
Lee Si-Yeon was an average-looking woman and Choi Jae-Yoon found it hard to believe that the actor-like Kang Ill-Gu would date her.
Unbeknownst to Choi Jae-Yoon, Kang Ill-Gu had a hidden girlfriend. He was dating Lee Seon-Ah, the leader of the recently disbanded girl group School Party, with marriage in mind. Pretending to date Lee Si-Yeon was strictly business.
Kang Ill-Gu grinned and joked. "Hey! If she gets me such a good source, it's only right that I need to treat her well for a while. Besides, I’m always sincere when I’m with her. What's wrong with that?"
Choi Jae-Yoon clicked his tongue in admiration. Despite Kang Ill-Gu’s tricks, he never seemed to get into trouble.
Kang Ill-Gu laughed and tossed his cigarette to the ground. "Alright, let's take a break today. I feel like my body is breaking down after days of stakeout. How about a sauna?"
"I would love that, Mr. Kang."
Choi Jae-Yoon followed Kang Ill-Gu's lead, also tossing his cigarette butt on the ground.
At that moment, a nearby police car suddenly slowed down and stopped about 50 meters away. Then the police car's speaker commanded Kang Ill-Gu to stay put.
-70O6387, do not move. I repeat, do not move.
As Kang Ill-Gu and Choi Jae-Yoon looked at each other in confusion, a police officer approached and handed them a fine notice. "You're being fined for littering with your cigarette butts."
Kang Ill-Gu feigned innocence. "Pardon? Me?"
However, the officer frowned and mentioned that the incident was caught on a dashcam.
Realizing there was no escape, Kang Ill-Gu pleaded while cursing Jung Yoon-Ho under his breath for causing this mess.
***
It was now August 25th, 6 p.m.
I parked my car at the set of In the Name of God in Yangpyeong and checked the messages from Lee Soo-Chan on KkTalk.
[Team A Day Shift (Reporter Kang Ill-Gu) > (Current Location: Highway 6 near Paldang Bridge, 22 km from the site), (Note: Fined for littering cigarette butts)]
[Team B Day Shift (Star Patch Team 2) > (Current Location: Staking out near Hoop Entertainment's entrance), (Note: Eating soft-serve ice cream)]
...
Thanks to the thorough surveillance, Star Patch couldn't come near me. However, the planner’s entry still remained unchanged. This indicated that catching Kang Ill-Gu or Lee Si-Yeon was necessary to resolve the issue.
I put my phone away and turned to the back seat where Yoo-Jin was disguised as Jin Yoo-Jung. She was slumped over, exhausted from the tight shooting schedule that had started early in the morning.
Looking at Yoo-Jin partially removing her mask and cooling her neck with a handheld fan, I asked, "Are you tired?"
Yoo-Jin nodded. "A little bit, but it’s fine. We only have two more hours of filming left anyway."
"Hang in there a little longer. Here, drink this," I said as I handed her a milk tea in place of a meal since she couldn’t eat comfortably while in makeup.
Yoo-Jin stuck out her lips and eagerly drank the cold milk tea at once.
"Ah, that’s refreshing. Thanks, oppa."
Despite it being 28 degrees Celsius at 6 p.m., Yoo-Jin continued her performance without a single complaint.
At that moment, there was a knock on the car door.
"Excuse me, Mr. Jung. May I come in for a moment?"
It was Lee Si-Yeon's voice.
I immediately pressed the button to activate the pre-installed internal security camera in the car. We had set a trap just in case and it seemed like she was falling right into it.
As soon as she heard someone approaching, Yoo-Jin quickly adjusted her mask and Yang So-Ri hurried to fix Yoo-Jin’s special makeup.
Once everything was ready, I opened the door.
"Oh, come on~, I already know everything. Why hide it so much?" said Lee Si-Yeon.
Lee Si-Yeon acted overly friendly as she climbed into the car.
"What’s the matter?" I asked.
"PD Kim is looking for you, Mr. Jung. He wants to discuss tomorrow’s filming," Lee Ji-Yeon replied.
Despite being a sunbae to Kim Sung-Woon, Lee Si-Yeon held a lower position. It would have been better if she addressed him formally, but she always found ways to drop the formality subtly.
"Come on, hurry up. PD Kim seemed to be in a hurry," Lee Si-Yeon urged.
She gestured for me to go, saying she’d chat with Yoo-Jin.
'I guess this is my cue to leave,' I thought.
I nodded. "Then please take care of Yoo-Jin for me."
I stepped out of the car and remotely accessed the in-car security camera through my phone.
[See Everything VER 1.0]
The interior of the car was clearly visible from four angles. I could see everything in real-time and simultaneously record the footage.
From that moment, I watched Lee Si-Yeon closely to see what she was up to. She was chatting and laughing loudly with Yoo-Jin. However, when Yoo-Jin turned her head for a moment, Lee Si-Yeon secretly slipped something into the car seat.
'So their plan was to use a hidden camera,' I realized.
I finally had the evidence showing how the photos would end up in Kang Ill-Gu's hand.
I started running to Kim Sung-Woon as soon as I decided it was better to show this to him rather than confronting Lee Si-Yeon alone.
I sprinted 50 meters to where Kim Sung-Woon was monitoring the film set. Out of breath, I arrived and saw Kim Sung-Woon reviewing the cue sheet.
He looked up at me with surprised eyes. "Oh, Mr. Jung. What brings you here?"
"Mr. Kim, did you call for me?" I asked.
Kim Sung-Woon tilted his head in confusion. "Who said that? If I needed you, I would have just called."
'Bingo. Just as I suspected.'
I quickly added, "AD Lee is the culprit."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
When I showed Kim Sung-Woon the footage of Lee Si-Yeon installing something in my car, his face turned as hard as stone.
"Wait, but…No way..."
"This was recorded just now. She said you were looking for me and did this while I was gone," I explained.
Kim Sung-Woon’s face contorted in anger and seemed to be in disbelief of what Lee Ji-Yeon had done.
Kim Sung-Woon cursed loudly, which was a rare occurrence for him. "Fuck. Why is an AD acting like a third-rate tabloid reporter!?"
He usually refrained from cursing even when upset, but now he couldn't hold back.
"Let’s go," uttered Kim Sung-Woon who took the lead.
I followed while glancing at my planner.
[Everyday V10.1]
[Date: August 27, 2020]
-10:00 p.m. <Deleted Schedule>
(Deleted Schedule: [NEW. Jung Yoo-Jin] Emergency meeting regarding the article <The True Identity of Manshin Wol-Ah is Jung Yoo-Jin> by Star Patch. (Meeting content: Jung Yoo-Jin's makeup-free photo to be revealed.))
The schedule in the planner was finally disappearing.
Now, the only thing left was to make sure Lee Si-Yeon and Kang Ill-Gu paid for their actions.
Ristretto's Thoughts
"She didn't look pretty enough to be your type." HOW RUDE
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