Chapter 64

“Hello, teacher. I should tell you in advance that the article I sent you is something we were completely unaware of. It has nothing to do with me. I was surprised when I saw it and contacted you right away.”

“…Ah, yes.”

As soon as I answered the phone, Gu Ji-yeh’s first words were a form of self-defense. I didn’t particularly suspect her. I just wanted to ask about the situation. It seemed she was aware that my impression of her had taken a turn for the worse.

“What… exactly is the situation? What is this?”

Gu Ji-yeh paused, as if to catch her breath. After a moment, she spoke.

“First of all… I’d like to ask something as well. What is this situation?”

“Even if you ask what the situation is…”

I really didn’t know.

“To be honest, I don’t know much about either article. No information has come to us. Well, I’m aware that I’m not exactly a conscientious journalist. But I’m not malicious enough to stab someone in the back two or three times.”

“So you were aware of being stabbed in the back.”

“Let’s just set that aside for now… I have a question. The person mentioned in that article, is it you, teacher?”

“Is this going to be published as an article?”

“Don’t you trust me…?”

“No, how can I trust you after what you did?”

Does this girl have no conscience?

“Ahem. Even I wouldn’t think of turning this personal conversation into an article. You can record it if you want. And anyway, Ji Kang-hyeon’s agency has already started addressing this issue.”

“What do you mean by ‘issue’?”

“For the time being, we are likely not going to take any special actions. Of course, a few trivial articles might come out, but they’ll just copy and paste the initial article anyway.”

“At least you’re not saying you won’t publish anything.”

“I can’t help that.”

Well, at least there wasn’t any continuation from that point.

“I think Ji Kang-hyeon’s agency will soon release an official statement. We need to know how it’s going to come out so we can prepare accordingly.”

“…Well, yes, that’s correct. However, it’s not like we were on a date or anything. He had helped me before, and I just hung out with him as a favor. The doll wasn’t a gift either; he left it behind when he had to deal with something, and I just took it for a moment.”

“I thought that would be the case. The article was far too explicit.”

“So what happens to me now?”

“Um…”

Gu Ji-yeh fell silent for a moment. It felt like she was choosing her words carefully.

“As for the publisher, there’s nothing much I can advise since it’s a legal issue. However, regarding the latter… my advice would be to move. Discreetly.”

“Pardon?”

“To be cautious, I haven’t told anyone your address! And I’ve made sure that our people who know your address aren’t privy to this information. There’s a chance that I’m lying, but it didn’t seem that way.”

“What do you mean?”

“You were photographed returning home. If the paparazzi are that persistent, they might follow you home, right? Then your address… at least that paparazzi would know, right? This means reporters could show up at your place as soon as tomorrow.”

I felt chills run down my spine.

Yes, I had indeed been photographed. Gu Ji-yeh’s words made sense. This wasn’t the first time either. The very woman I was talking to right now was the first.

“Are you saying they’ll do something like that again?”

“…That’s a bit blunt, but yes, I guess? Still, I doubt they’ll cause trouble outright. Showing up at your house would be pushing it a bit too far.”

“Are you the one saying this?”

“Ah, um… I’m sorry. But it did turn out alright in the end.”

This girl was devoid of a conscience. It was, to be honest, something one shouldn’t expect from a woman. But certainly, if what she said about the outcome being positive was true, I should stop here. After all, she was trying to help me.

I let out a deep sigh and spoke.

“Still, moving is difficult.”

“I don’t think it’s a good choice.”

“I don’t have money.”

“Pardon?”

“I said I don’t have money. I’m currently borrowing this place for free from a friend. If you’ve read the article, you’ll know that I’m involved in a lawsuit, and I’m not particularly wealthy. Since my contract has ended, it’s also impossible for me to release a new work for the time being.”

“Hmm… I see.”

For some reason, Gu Ji-yeh seemed a bit hesitant.

“Still, honestly, I think it’s best for you to move regardless.”

“Why?”

“It stinks.”

“It stinks?”

“This is just a hunch, without any evidence. Please consider that.”

“…I doubt it’s just a hunch, but let’s go with that.”

“Don’t you think it’s a little suspicious that all of this is happening at once?”

“…That’s true, but the latter article wouldn’t have come out had I not gone out or anything.”

The news of my incident with Ji Kang-hyeon couldn’t have been manipulated. So, the coincidence that the lawsuit article came out just as it happened wasn’t just luck. However, Gu Ji-yeh’s next words denied that idea.

“Teacher, let’s think logically. Not long ago, dating rumors with Kang Chae-eun broke, and now Ji Kang-hyeon is under significant scrutiny. In such a situation, if actor Ji Kang-hyeon secretly went out with a woman on his birthday, which paper would take its time and bring this out?”

“What you’re saying is…”

“If this were a coincidence, that article should have come out the night of Ji Kang-hyeon’s birthday or the very next day. The delay implies that there’s something going on here.”

“….”

“Someone is targeting you.”

Something clicked in my mind. My whole body froze.

“…I tried writing a little novel.”

Gu Ji-yeh concluded her story with that statement. Her final remark was this.

“Since we have a connection, as long as nothing major occurs, we’ll ensure that nothing harmful comes to you. Ji Kang-hyeon’s agency will also respond, so you should discuss it with them too. Take care of yourself, and I’ll contact you again if anything happens.”

After hanging up, I stood there dazed, like a statue. My thoughts were in disarray.

Gu Ji-yeh called it a hunch, said it was a novel, but it couldn’t be. She probably said that merely to warn me while keeping herself safe. She must have gathered information from somewhere, but couldn’t disclose it directly to me. Perhaps the source of the information was illegal.

Someone was after me.

Who?

While there were people I’d wronged, it would take someone significant enough to cause this level of trouble. Only two names came to mind.

Jin Seo-hye and Lee Cheon.

But Jin Seo-hye wasn’t particularly formidable. I had no idea how she had been living since the end of the show, but I doubted she had such power.

That left only one person: Lee Cheon.

However, labeling it as a grudge felt unjust.

All I did was push him away and throw a drink at him. Would he really go this far over something so trivial?

I was the victim here.

He was the one who had touched me first. After initiating the trouble, would he really do this to me over such a minor grudge?

I couldn’t comprehend it.

I felt dizzy.

At the same time, I was terrified. I was so frightened that I couldn’t even think how pathetic it was to say I was scared. The memory of that firm, calloused hand came rushing back.

Just a moment ago, I’d been happily writing, and in an instant, everything had plunged into chaos.

I looked at my smartphone again. Normally, I would have received more messages from others, but right now, Muk Ha-neul, Hwa-won, and Ham Yejin were all busy. Kim Sung-kyu didn’t respond at all, and the only additional contacts came from Jae-Ah and Ji Kang-hyeon.

Jae-Ah was savvier with the internet and would have caught the news almost instantly. Ji Kang-hyeon was the one involved after all.

I mumbled something vague to Jae-Ah, who asked what was going on while linking the article. I planned to tell her later; it wouldn’t do for me to speak before deciding on a course of action.

Ji Kang-hyeon’s messages began with an apology.

“I’m sorry. I thought things would settle down gradually, but I failed to keep an eye on everything and caused you to get caught up in this. I believe an interview article will be published soon, but we’ve decided not to deny the fact that it has come out. However, it will definitely state that we’re not in a romantic relationship, just friends. During this process, I naturally won’t reveal your personal information; everyone seems to have their suspicions though. If reporters come to your house, please do not respond to them and just ignore them. That’s the best course of action. For now, it seems we’ll likely take legal action against the malicious manipulation of those article photos. This is the current situation. And I’m really sorry. My agency has told me not to maintain contact with you. It seems I won’t be able to meet for a while.”

So that’s how they decided to respond. It was indeed an unavoidable policy. He seemed to feel that the incident was his fault, apologizing more politely than usual. I sensed my involvement in this issue too, but I didn’t mention it. I didn’t want to escalate matters unnecessarily.

I understood why the agency suggests not meeting again. It seemed like they believed there wouldn’t be any positives in doing so, and I agreed. There was nothing good coming from being associated with me. My reputation wasn’t exactly shining.

“Alright, I understand. The doll will probably attract attention, so I’ll keep it at my place for now. I’ll send it to you once things settle down. I’m sorry for causing unnecessary controversy.”

The conversation ended there. Unless there’s more trouble brewing, I probably won’t have any further discussions.

Suddenly, I recalled the day we unexpectedly went to the aquarium. We had struggled to find what to call each other without a title.

“Just take the doll. It’s a token of apology.”

In the end, we never did come up with proper forms of address.

I didn’t respond.

I unwrapped the packaging of the doll placed next to the living room sofa.

A whale shark bigger than me was gaping wide, in a daze.