Speaking of the former Zhongnan Sect member, Shin Tae-eul.
He was the member called the 2nd Generation Zhongnan Sect, one of two who passed through Gupailbang.
And he was the member who, after leaving, did a U-Live broadcast exposing member discord and the CEO's power abuse.
"Brother So-ui, it's been a while."
Shin Tae-eul, whom I ran into at the entrance of the private room, greeted me first.
I was momentarily stunned because I hadn't expected Shin Tae-eul to greet me first.
Shin Tae-eul laughed awkwardly and added.
"Have you been well?"
If he had stopped there, I would have ignored Shin Tae-eul and entered the private room where the Heavenly Demon was waiting.
The Heavenly Demon didn't seem particularly pleased with the molecular gastronomy, but it seemed to suit his palate better than the calorie-restricted diet.
I had stepped out for a moment to take a call from the CEO, and when I was heading back in, Shin Tae-eul appeared as if he had been waiting.
Shin Tae-eul shamelessly asked the following.
"…Is Jaha doing well?"
I was so dumbfounded I let out a short laugh.
"Tae-eul, I didn't know you'd be curious about that."
Compared to the 1st Generation Zhongnan Sect, who had at least been active for about 3 years, Shin Tae-eul had left in less than a year.
Immediately after that, he switched to acting, which sparked controversy about whether he had just used Gupailbang to gain recognition.
In truth, working as an idol to get famous is so common that I didn't think much of it at the time of his withdrawal.
The problem was the U-Live broadcast Shin Tae-eul did right after leaving.
On U-Live, Shin Tae-eul falsely exposed that he had been persistently bullied by one member, and that the CEO had paid him a large sum of money to pressure him into leaving.
He didn't specify the member who bullied him, but naturally, Jaha, who had often been seen arguing with Shin Tae-eul, was brought up.
If Shin Tae-eul had said he left because he couldn't stand the member's bullying, if he had only said that, people would have believed him and turned their arrows on Jaha.
But Shin Tae-eul said the direct reason he left was that the CEO paid him money and pressured him to leave.
However, common-sensically.
Where in the world is there a CEO who would go so far as to pay a member to leave?
People believed that Shin Tae-eul, who didn't want his image to worsen for using Gupailbang, had made a false exposé.
As is widely known, our CEO has a suspicious amount of money, so the video was taken down quickly.
Thus, Shin Tae-eul's U-Live passed as an internal K-tsch issue and didn't blow up into a big incident.
But a controversy, once started, tends to remain like a tag, even if it's proven to be untrue.
If Jaha acted even slightly mischievous, malicious comments disguised as jokes, like 'Ju Jaha's bullying experience coming out~', would invariably be posted.
Jaha pretended not to care, but he would come to me for counseling, asking if his jokes were too harsh.
And seeing how he couldn't control his expression whenever Namgung Jun took his jokes seriously, it was clear he was still affected.
And now, after all that, he asks if Jaha is doing well?
Shin Tae-eul himself looked puzzled, as if asking what the problem was.
"That's strange. Jaha and I were quite close."
"Shin Tae-eul. What's the reason for this, all of a sudden?"
"There's something you need to know, Brother."
"What do I need to know? Do you even know how much Jaha struggled after you left like that?"
"Jaha struggled? Why?"
"What do you mean, why? You said on U-Live you were bullied. Jaha thinks his jokes were too harsh. Did you really call him out for that reason?"
Shin Tae-eul's expression crumpled bizarrely.
He made a face as if he'd realized something, then clicked his tongue shortly.
"…Anyway, Ju Jaha is certainly stupid."
"Shin Tae-eul!"
"That wasn't about Jaha. No, of course not. Why did Ju Jaha think it was about him?"
"What?"
I was quite flustered.
It wasn't aimed at Jaha?
No, that means he was bullied, just not by Jaha.
"You… were you really bullied?"
At my question, Shin Tae-eul smiled gloomily.
"Brother So-ui, you're a good person."
"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
"Normally, people would say, 'There's no one among the members who would do that,' or 'You must have misunderstood.' But I felt like you would say that, Brother. That's why I came looking for you."
I couldn't help but frown at the words "came looking for me."
"You, were you waiting for me here?"
"Yes."
"Crazy… No, how did you know?"
"The newbie posted it on SNS. Did you not know?"
"What?"
I pulled out my phone, feeling an ominous premonition.
When I searched the hashtag 'Heavenly Demon' on Insuta, the photo the Heavenly Demon had posted showed up boldly on the first line.
#HeavenlyDemon #MolecularGastronomy #NotBunmoja #AdministratorNextTimeIsAnyangMalatang
…In the photo uploaded with these bizarre hashtags was a selfie of the Heavenly Demon, a well-set table behind him.
And beyond that, my side profile was captured.
A chill went down my spine.
It wasn't because the Heavenly Demon had broken Gupailbang's rules and started SNS activities on his own.
A former member who had already left.
Stalking a new member's SNS.
To find his former manager.
There could only be one reason, couldn't there?
Revenge.
Shin Tae-eul switched to acting afterward, but his image had gotten so bad from the sincerity of his idol activities and the false U-Live exposé that he couldn't continue his acting career for long.
It was his own fault, but humans are animals that naturally blame others rather than themselves.
Looking at him again now, Shin Tae-eul was still handsome, but the hollows under his eyes were deep and sunken.
"…You."
As I hesitated and took a step back, Shin Tae-eul watched me with gloomy eyes and smirked.
"I think you're having strange thoughts. I didn't come to harm you, Brother."
"Then why did you come looking for me?"
"..."
Shin Tae-eul stared at me silently for a moment.
"If you have something to say, say it quickly."
"…Brother, do you trust the CEO?"
"What?"
Ah, is it about that U-Live broadcast?
"To be honest, I can't believe the story that the CEO-nim paid you to leave. No, would you believe it? After Zhongnan left, how much money did he spend to find a name worthy of that spot? Why would the CEO-nim pay you to kick you out?"
"Brother, have you heard any news about the members who left?"
I couldn't immediately answer the question Shin Tae-eul tossed out.
In truth, I had no reason to look up news about the members who left.
If anything, I only learned Shin Tae-eul had switched to acting because he caused a disturbance with U-Live.
"Do I need to know?"
"You do."
Shin Tae-eul's answer was firm.
So firm that I felt a faint guilt for not looking up news of the members who left.
"…Why?"
But the answer that came back to my question of why was so absurd.
"You have to, to live."
Shin Tae-eul's expression was dead serious.
I couldn't help but ask.
"Were you on drugs?"
"I wasn't planning on stepping up either. But the gap between the CEO picking Namgung Jun and the next member was too short. At this rate, it's dangerous."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Come with us. We can explain everything from the beginning. It won't take long."
This is dangerous.
No matter how I look at it, this guy's eyes are gone right now.
He seems to be lost in some strange conspiracy theory.
Should I run to the private room and then call an employee?
As soon as I glanced toward the private room, Shin Tae-eul let out a small sigh.
"As expected, you don't believe me. In that case, I apologize, but I will have to take you by force."
"For...?"
What did I just hear?
Shin Tae-eul suddenly disappeared from my vision.
I didn't think further and shouted.
"Wi Hwajin!!!"
"Aye."
The reply came from right beside me.
In an instant, something like a fierce wind brushed past my head, and when I briefly closed my eyes and opened them, I saw the face of the Heavenly Demon, smiling with one corner of his mouth raised.
The Heavenly Demon's hand was gripping something.
It was the hand of Shin Tae-eul, who was behind me.
…Was he just trying to chop my neck and knock me out?
The next moment, the sleeve of the Heavenly Demon's other hand swelled.
The Heavenly Demon gently struck Shin Tae-eul's chest with his palm.
The button on his shirt sleeve burst off, and Shin Tae-eul flew to the end of the hallway, crashing under a decorative painting.
My brain's processing capacity reached its limit, and I stood there blankly.
A former member trying to kidnap me, the manager, only to get beaten by the Heavenly Demon—is this real?
The Heavenly Demon, who had just dished out a palm strike to an unknown opponent without hesitation, asked.
"So, who is this wretch?"
"…Did you kill him?"
"Don't joke."
Seeing him smirk, it seemed he really hadn't killed him.
As long as he wasn't killed, it would be fine.
The CEO has a shit-ton of money, so he'll clean it up.
In the first place, Shin Tae-eul was the one who rushed in.
Shin Tae-eul also let out a groan and began to pick himself up, so I was relieved and finished answering the Heavenly Demon.
"He's a former Zhongnan Sect member who left Gupailbang."
"Zhongnan?"
The Heavenly Demon stood with his hands clasped impressively behind his back and questioned Shin Tae-eul, who was slumped at the end of the hallway.
"Righteous Faction wretch, why do you bully a powerless, ignorant peasant?"
It seemed he hadn't considered the feelings of the listening ignorant peasant.
Shin Tae-eul glared at the Heavenly Demon, struggling to stand up.
"…You, you're the one who debuted yesterday..."
"Hooh. The power of that 'music show' thing is truly great. Correct, this master is indeed an idol."
"…Heavenly Demon?"
"That is also correct."
Shin Tae-eul dropped his head with an expression of defeat.
"Am I already too late..."
"Shin Tae-eul. Explain yourself properly, why are you doing this?"
Shin Tae-eul kept his head down for a moment, then looked straight at me and said.
"As you said, Brother, I came to harm you. I thought K-tsch intentionally interfered with my acting career and took down my U-Live exposé, so I came to take my anger out on you, the manager. Do you understand?"
"What the hell are you?"
"Make sure to tell the CEO exactly that. And act as if nothing happened, if possible."
As I was dumbfounded by the incomprehensible change in attitude, I felt a presence from the hallway where Tae-eul was slumped.
If ordinary people saw this, there would definitely be talk.
Just as I was about to shove the Heavenly Demon into the private room, I stopped when I saw the two people who appeared from beyond the hallway.
"You guys..."
Bizarrely, the two were the former members, 1st Generation Zhongnan Sect Yuk Jongnam and Emei Sect Yu Ami.
The two, who bowed their heads to me in greeting, soon helped Shin Tae-eul up.
"Why are you together?"
Jongnam and Ami were active at the same time, but Tae-eul was a member who joined after those two left. There's no way they could be friends.
Jongnam, who had Shin Tae-eul's arm over his shoulder, smiled awkwardly and said.
"Sorry, Brother. See you next time."
"Wait, wretches."
When the Heavenly Demon called them to stop, I could feel the three people's bodies tense up.
But I already expected it.
That the words to come out of the Heavenly Demon's mouth would be utter nonsense.
"Are you not going to get an autograph? I practiced."
"…Can't you read the room?"
"He is the first fan to recognize this master. I can bestow that much grace."
"Where did you get the idea that everyone who recognizes you is a fan? Besides, you just sent him flying."
"That is why I will give him an autograph."
I was dumbfounded and turned back to look at Shin Tae-eul's side, but the end of the hallway was already empty.
"They left because you were spouting nonsense."
"Your words grow more insolent by the day. After I went out of my way to help."
"Thanks for that."
"Calling my name as you please, too."
"Sorry about that."
"That speech is strangely king-bat."
The Heavenly Demon, clicking his tongue, went back into the private room, saying the food was getting cold.
It felt unsettlingly like the Heavenly Demon had bought them time to escape.
I glanced back once at the spot where Shin Tae-eul had been.
What a day of strange events.
"Ah, right! Hand over the phone. SNS is forbidden."
"I know not of such things."
"I saw that you posted a photo."
"I merely posted a photo. I know not of 'es-en-es'."
It was the miraculous logic that only a person from the Central Plains could deploy.
I went through the company to report the Heavenly Demon's account as an impersonator and got it suspended.
HeavenlyDemon (@jikbakguri123)
(Photo)
#HeavenlyDemon #MolecularGastronomy #NotBunmoja #AdministratorNextTimeIsAnyangMalatang
– FiveFactionsOneAlliance(5pa1bang): ?
– FiveFactionsOneAlliance(5pa1bang): Sir, are you the real Heavenly Demon?
└ HeavenlyDemon(jikbakguri123): Aye
└ FiveFactionsOneAlliance(5pa1bang): Seems like an impersonator
└ FiveFactionsOneAlliance(5pa1bang): But it is a photo I'm seeing for the first time
└ HeavenlyDemon(jikbakguri123): I am the Heavenly Demon
└ FiveFactionsOneAlliance(5pa1bang): Isn't Gupailbang banned from SNS?
└ HeavenlyDemon(jikbakguri123): I know not what that is, but there is nothing that can be forbidden to me
└ FiveFactionsOneAlliance(5pa1bang): ;;Is he real
– K-tsch(K_tsch)(v): That looks delicious. But Gupailbang is banned from SNS.
– K-tsch(K_tsch)(v): It looks like you're using the auto-generated ID. You can change it in your profile. How about something like 1000manim?
– ShockHeavenlyDemonCultIsReal(mamen9191): Mamen, I believe
└ HeavenlyDemon(jikbakguri123): Aye
– K-tsch(K_tsch)(v): By the way, did just the two of you go?
– K-tsch(K_tsch)(v): If you had asked me to take you, I would have.
– K-tsch(K_tsch)(v): Did the food suit your palate?
– JahaYaLetsMarry(jujaha_wife): Real Heavenly Demon? What is Jaha doing right now?
└ HeavenlyDemon(jikbakguri123): I know not
– ILoveYouTheMost(No_1_mangju): Is the SNS ban lifted?
└ ILoveYouTheMost(No_1_mangju): Ah; the CEO commented above that it's banned;
└ HeavenlyDemon(jikbakguri123): Are you the Alliance Leader?
└ ILoveYouTheMost(No_1_mangju): No lol
└ HeavenlyDemon(jikbakguri123): I pressed your face, and it is all photos of the Alliance Leader
└ ILoveYouTheMost(No_1_mangju): lol I'm just a homma
└ HeavenlyDemon(jikbakguri123): Is that so. I am the Heavenly Demon
– K-tsch(K_tsch)(v): Ah, this is the CEO. In case you didn't know.
– Shin Tae-eul(Shin_Tea_Eul)(v): Where is this?
└ HeavenlyDemon(jikbakgVuri123): A place that serves molecular gastronomy
└ Shin Tae-eul(Shin_Tea_Eul)(v): The one with the fountain out front?
└ HeavenlyDemon(jikbakguri123): Correct
└ Shin Tae-eul(Shin_Tea_Eul)(v): Thank you
└ HeavenlyDemon(jikbakguri123): Aye
– Anyang Malatang(anyang_maratang): Cheonma-nim~ Thank you for the hashtag, we'll give you free service next time you come~
└ HeavenlyDemon(jikbakguri123): Aye
– K-tsch(K_tsch)(v): Why are you not replying to my comments??
– K-tsch(K_tsch)(v): You're not answering your phone… I will try So-ui.
*This post has been deleted.