Childhood Friend Who Sees the Future Utters Nonsense

105 – Turning a crisis into an opportunity

It was a moment of carelessness.

Because I was completely convinced that everything was over and that there would be no more opportunities to catch others’ attention, I ended up allowing the last blow to be dealt.

I can still vividly see the back of that reporter, holding a cannon camera, getting into his car and speeding out of the parking lot before anyone could chase him.

【Yuna from the popular girl group ‘Armo’ caught in a touching scene with a man at an acquaintance’s wedding】

I gritted my teeth as I looked at the words that appeared on the portal site’s main page. All of this happened less than 10 minutes after I got home.

The photo contains a precise two-shot of Yuna embracing my arm and me looking down at her. Only my face was mosaic-colored, but the rest is so clear that anyone can tell it’s Yuna.

thud!

Is it directed at the reporter who digs into other people’s private lives and calls it journalism, or is it directed at me who failed to take care of Yuna?

I slammed the table unconsciously, as if expressing my anger, which may have been directed at someone. Although all the adults from both families were gathered around me, I was not mentally rational enough to realize it.

“I’m sorry, it’s because of me… .”

A voice mixed with resentment came out of my mouth cracking as I was overcome with guilt.

Thinking back, I still shouldn’t have taken Yuna to the wedding. Even if Yuna had been begging and wanted to go with me, it would have been a safer choice for me to go alone somehow. Why couldn’t I have done that?

“Siyoon, this didn’t happen because of you.”

“Yeah, Yuna and I definitely don’t think that way. So let’s just relax and wait until things settle down.”

“… … .”

Yuna’s uncle and aunt patted me on the back to comfort me, but honestly, it didn’t really comfort me. Instead, it just made me feel more guilty.

“So, Mom, did your sister just go to work?”

Meanwhile, Han Yu-jin, who had been swearing at the reporter for a long time, asked the woman about the whereabouts of Yu-na, who was not present.

That’s right. Yuna returned home and as soon as the article broke, she received a call from the company and rushed out. Han Yujin didn’t see the scene because she was playing with her friends for a while and came back.

“I guess so. I got a call from the manager earlier, and I thought we were chatting for a bit, but he quickly changed his clothes and left.”

“What, nothing will happen, right?”

“I’m not saying that out of anxiety. I trust that your sister will figure it out.”

Somehow, the way the old lady spoke seemed more like she was mind-controlling me rather than trying to urge Han Yu-jin, so I glanced up at her. Only then could I notice that the old lady’s hands were shaking slightly.

Even if you say that, both the man and the woman are probably anxious. It’s natural.

To begin with, for celebrities, especially idols, dating rumors are a huge event that can almost directly affect the lifespan of their careers. Even for idols who are not mid-level idols with years of experience, but rookie idols who have just debuted, the fandom reaction would be enormous.

If the explanation is not properly provided, it could lead to Yuna leaving the group.

Of course, the company doesn’t want these big-name rookies to suddenly fall apart, so they’ll try to recover somehow. For now, we have no choice but to rely on them.

“Son, how about telling Yuna to call you her cousin like last time?”

“It wouldn’t matter. Even if other people don’t know, Yuna’s company president knows that we’re not cousins.”

My mom gave me some wise advice, but it didn’t seem like a very effective choice.

In the first place, there is no way that reporters would have handled such a scoop so clumsily. Even if they make excuses like that, it is obvious that they will dig into the interpersonal relationships and find out that there is no male cousin.

If that happens, it will be irreversible because the explanation was false. It would be more likely to explain it as a cliché, saying that they are just friends, not lovers.

By the way, I’m really sorry to President Yuna.

At that time, he seemed very impressed when he heard what I said and even asked me to take good care of Yuna, but in a way, I guess I was the one who betrayed those expectations and caused this.

If we ever meet again, you can punch me in the face and I’ll have nothing to say. This is what it feels like to be a sinner.

“ha….”

There were many emotions contained in the deep sigh, but the biggest one was, of course, helplessness.

At this moment, I feel helpless, thinking that there is nothing I can do for Yuna. All I can do is silently hope that Yuna will talk things through in the background.

Maybe that’s why I keep glancing at the phone on the table. I wonder if Yuna will call or text me right now, telling me that things have been resolved well. I have such a foolish hope.

But despite my earnest wishes, the phone remained silent and only showed a black screen. As if it were being painted over, I felt like my insides were burning black.

I wonder what Yuna is doing now.

***

As soon as I got home, I got a call from my manager, Jiwon, and got in the car the company sent and started walking. As expected, the atmosphere at the company was quite cold.

I felt like people passing by were all staring at me, but I didn’t really care. However, I felt a little uncomfortable while waiting for the manager in the lobby.

From noble mtl dot com

It’s like the feeling I had when I got into a fight with a friend in middle school and got called to the principal’s office.

Thump, thump.

While I was wandering around like that, not knowing where to look, I heard the sound of rather dull and hurried footsteps from far away. When I raised my head, as expected, there was my older sister Jiwon.

And that too with a face that looked like it was about to blow out steam in all directions, just like in a cartoon.

“Han Yu-na! What on earth happened to you…!”

“I’m sorry, sis.”

As soon as I met her, I apologized to her without saying a word, because it was my fault. Because of that, innocent people were hurt, and the company was in an emergency situation.

Jiwon, who was looking at me as I lowered my head, let out a rough breath, saying, “Whoa…!” with an expression as if she had a lot to say but was holding back. It felt like she was trying hard to cool down the boiling heat.

It was also the first expression I saw after I started working with my older sister.

“… Okay, let’s go up and talk. The boss is waiting for you.”

“yes.”

Perhaps Jiwon Unnie’s thoughts were that she would probably get completely upset in front of the boss anyway, so she didn’t want to get angry and get her mouth wet.

So I followed my sister into the elevator, pressed the button for the floor where the president’s office was, and held my breath for a moment.

My heart is beating faster today than usual. I don’t think I’ve ever been this nervous, even on my debut stage. My heart is beating so hard that I feel like it’s going to burst.

“Yuna.”

“Yes, sister.”

“I’ll tell you in advance. No matter what the truth is, you must absolutely say no in front of the boss.”

“… … .”

In the elevator with just the two of them, Jiwon gave some heartfelt advice.

Perhaps, deep down, my sister believes that the dating rumors that broke out today are true. Whether there was a specific trigger or it was just her intuition, she must be convinced of that.

And in order to protect myself and the group as a manager, I think the first thing I should do is keep this fact from being known to the president.

If I admitted to my boss that the dating rumors were true, the worst that could happen is that I’ll be fired, so he’ll probably try to cover it up somehow.

The moment I realized the deep meaning, I realized that Jiwon was a person who cared for us enough even outside of just our work relationship.

So on the one hand, I felt sorry for myself for not being able to live up to those expectations.

“I’m sorry, sis.”

“… …! Han Yuna!”

When I bowed my head and offered a brief apology, Jiwon glared at me as if she was going to eat me.

I looked up at that figure calmly and pictured Shiyoon’s face in my mind. Of course, I also know how foolish this is. The best way to deal with this is to explain that my relationship with Shiyoon is just a friendship, and turn my back on the media for the time being.

For Si-yoon, the most rational choice would be to ask for a five-year grace period and to secretly share love in a corner, avoiding everyone’s eyes as much as possible while just deceiving others.

But that’s not the most rational choice, it’s not the one that will make you happiest.

OMG.

Soon the elevator doors opened, and I stepped through the doors first, leaving Jiwon behind, who was just standing there blankly.

To take a once in a lifetime gamble.