10 years later.
“Are you talking about that press conference?”
The interview was almost over. Editor-in-chief Gwak Myunghwan looked at the terrestrial current affairs PD who had asked the last question.
The desire to extract even one more piece of information was evident in the PD’s eyes.
“Isn’t that something that happened almost ten years ago? There should be a press release since it was broadcast live.”
“I wanted to hear from someone who was there. As you know, that press conference caused quite a stir. It’s still talked about even after all these years.”
“It seems like PD Kim came prepared today. But the interview time is already over. We’ve discussed a lot, from confessions of a priest to fan meetings.”
PD Kim’s face showed clear signs of disappointment. It was an interview he had secured after much effort.
Of course, there was even a public rumor that Gwak Myunghwan knew all the secrets of the Korean entertainment industry.
It was said humorously that interviewing Editor-in-chief Gwak was as difficult as interviewing actor Jang Youngguk.
Opportunities to interview Gwak Myunghwan were that rare.
“Are you disappointed?”
“…Yes! If it’s okay with you, Editor-in-chief Gwak, I’d like to extend the interview time a bit.”
“There will be another opportunity, won’t there?”
Kim PD lowered his head at Gwak Myunghwan’s words. There was no guarantee when the next opportunity would come.
At that moment, there was a knock on the editor-in-chief’s office door. A secretary entered and said something to Gwak Myunghwan, who then looked at his watch and added,
“Is it already that time?”
It was over. Kim PD tried to accept the disappointment. Letting go made him feel a bit better. He thought it was fortunate to have secured this much of an interview. But then, his heart started pounding again with the next words.
“Secretary Cha, could you postpone the next schedule for a bit?”
No way.
“It seems the interview will take a bit longer.”
PD Kim cheered internally. He didn’t forget to subtly signal the cameraman with a nod.
The cameraman, as if waiting for this, changed the tape in the recording camera. Gwak Myunghwan waited for him. When the cameraman signaled that he was ready,
Trickle, trickle.
Gwak Myunghwan poured more tea into the empty teacup. Under the stream of crimson liquid, the past flowed back in reflection.
Wrinkles around his eyes indicated he was recalling those days.
“At that time, it was a shocking direct approach. Even now, but especially back then, the romance of public figures was considered almost taboo. Given the status and name value of actor Jang at the time, everyone expected him to deny the dating rumors.”
PD Kim nodded vigorously. It was a press conference still talked about to this day. Never before in the history of broadcasting had a top actor faced dating rumors so head-on.
“The most surprising part is what happened afterward.”
PD Kim’s throat moved up and down significantly. The story he had been waiting for was finally coming.
Yeonsu’s eyes were welling up as she looked at the TV screen. The press conference was being broadcast live.
Reporters were bombarding Youngguk with sharp questions as if they had been waiting for this moment. She wanted to rush to the press conference right away. But.
“No.”
Kim Sujin, the CEO of SW Entertainment, shook her head as if she could read Yeonsu’s mind.
“Actresses are sensitive to dating rumors. If you step in at a place like this, it could backfire. It’s better to leave everything to actor Jang and observe the reactions later.”
“What if the reaction is not good?”
“Then we’ll claim it was Jang’s one-sided love.”
“What?”
CEO Kim Sujin spoke in a determined, sharp voice.
“The rule for actors is to always deny dating rumors! Even if you two are actually dating, considering the company’s interests and the public’s perception, denying is the right move!”
“Then why did you allow the press conference?”
“Because it was already agreed upon with Songwon. CEO Kim of Songwon couldn’t stop actor Jang either, so the press conference was a predetermined step. If the public’s reaction is not good after the press conference, we’ll release another article denying the rumors.”
Such was the world of adults. To CEO Kim Sujin of SW Entertainment, this press conference was almost like a unilateral announcement by Youngguk.
Even if she tried to stop him, Youngguk wouldn’t listen. After all, even the representative of his agency couldn’t persuade him.
“Yeonsu, do you think love lasts forever? A man’s heart can change at any time, and so can yours. If you two were at the appropriate age for marriage, I might have taken this dating rumor positively. But you’re both still young, especially you, Yeonsu. You’re just about to blossom!”
It wasn’t just about calculating profits and losses as a businessperson. CEO Kim Sujin genuinely cared for Yeonsu, her actress.
She had experienced many ups and downs in the entertainment industry to reach her position as a CEO. She knew how devastating it could be for an actress to acknowledge a dating rumor.
“If I deny it, what will happen to oppa?”
“That’s something actor Jang will have to endure. It’s not our concern. Actor Jang has already agreed. If the public’s reaction is cold, he won’t object to us releasing a statement denying the rumors.”
It was like a dog chasing a chicken only to stare at the roof.
Yeonsu couldn’t have imagined that such a secret agreement had been made without her knowledge. She stood up, looking at Youngguk’s press conference on the TV screen.
“Where are you going?”
CEO Kim Sujin asked in surprise, worried that she might be heading to the press conference.
“To the bathroom.”
As Yeonsu walked out of the CEO’s office, her shoulders drooped. CEO Kim Sujin licked her dry lips. Then she signaled to the manager who had been watching the press conference with them. The manager stood up and followed Yeonsu.
It was to ensure that Yeonsu didn’t wander off somewhere else.
“I had the authority to attend the press conference, but I had no intention of attending from the start.”
At Gwak Myunghwan’s voice, PD Kim lifted his head.
“It was because of the nature of the reporters at the press conference. They were all like hyenas, ready to tear actor Jang apart. Even now, but especially back then, he was an unmatched top actor among his peers. I knew how big of a scoop any blemish on such a top actor would be.”
“Hyenas, you say?”
“Exactly. Whether he denied or admitted the dating rumors, they were ready to tear him apart. Of course, the reporters initially expected him to deny it. But even if he admitted it, their mindset wouldn’t have changed. They would have been filled with thoughts of creating an even bigger scoop.”
Gwak Myunghwan nodded as he continued.
“I thought positively of their relationship, so I didn’t attend the press conference. Even if I had attended, I wouldn’t have been able to save actor Jang from the pack of hyenas.”
PD Kim nodded briefly. It wasn’t wrong. Even now, Gwak Myunghwan’s reputation was high among entertainment reporters. But even so, he couldn’t change the hearts of many reporters.
“I was watching his press conference on the TV when I suddenly got a call. It was actress Yeonsu.”
PD Kim’s eyes widened. It was an unexpected name.
“She asked me directly if I could save her.”
“Could you clarify what she meant by saving her?”
“For an actress, a dating rumor is like poison. No matter how famous the other actor is, it’s like a poisoned chalice. The label would follow her for the rest of her life. Her agency knew that too, so they were preventing her from going to the press conference.”
“What did you do?”
PD Kim couldn’t hold back his curiosity and leaned forward.
Then,
“I already told you.”
Gwak Myunghwan said with a wrinkled smile.
“I thought very positively of their relationship.”
The press conference hall resembled a political hearing. It was due to Youngguk’s unexpected response.
The reporters had expected him to deny the dating rumors. For a moment, the hall was silent as if cold water had been poured over it, but soon the reporters’ hands were frantically raised.
“From your statement, it seems you are acknowledging the dating rumors with actress Yeonsu. Is that correct?”
“Yes.”
“Then why didn’t Yeonsu attend today’s press conference?”
Youngguk hesitated briefly at the reporter’s question. Seizing the opportunity, ST Entertainment Magazine’s reporter Park Yongjin raised his hand high. Though he wasn’t called upon, he asked loudly anyway.
“A dating rumor requires acknowledgment from both parties! But right now, actor Jang Youngguk is only presenting his side. What will you do if Yeonsu denies the rumors?”
At Park Yongjin’s outburst, the press conference room buzzed again. It was a question everyone had thought but hadn’t voiced.
Continuing his momentum, Park Yongjin added loudly.
“In many cases in the entertainment industry, one person acknowledges the dating rumors while the other denies them! When officially announcing a relationship, both parties usually present it together. SW Entertainment, Yeonsu’s agency, has not made any statement. Please respond to this!”
Youngguk had to be cautious. He admitted to the dating rumors, but he knew that SW Entertainment’s stance could change depending on the public’s reaction.
If the public’s reaction was cold, he was prepared to bear the consequences.
“Since you can’t answer, can we consider your claim of dating rumors to be one-sided? If the rumors are false, can we see this as your selfish one-sided love?”
Reporter Park Yongjin smirked triumphantly.
“No―!”
At that moment, a loud voice echoed through the press conference room. Everyone’s eyes turned to the entrance. The broadcasting cameras also shifted.
A woman entered the press conference room, and everyone was visibly surprised.
“It’s not one-sided love!”
Reporter Park Yongjin, who had been smug a moment ago, was flustered by Yeonsu’s sudden appearance. Other reporters were also taken aback.
The broadcasting cameras captured both Youngguk at the podium and Yeonsu entering the room.
Their eyes met in the air. Looking into Youngguk’s eyes, Yeonsu spoke.
“I also.”
With a silence as if time had stopped,
“I like Jang Youngguk.”
The broadcasting cameras alternated between the two of them. Reporters stood up quickly to ask questions.
Surrounded by a wall of reporters, the two of them smiled at each other. Just like a scene from a movie.
