Right before I called Kim Jaeyeon to dig into Yoon Hee-eon, I'd done my own digging using just my phone, checking every corner I could.
[Seong Jiwon, just f*cking quit already, I'm so sick of you pretending you don't know anything ]
[Why didn't he enlist back when Today's leader did? After 6 years of training and getting nowhere, he should've just stayed a civilian instead of forcing his way in and causing trouble for everyone else.]
[Stans trying to defend "Saint" Seong… pathetic. Meanwhile, his fans are plugging their ears and eyes, LOL.]
People thought tearing others down would make them feel higher, and like animals that smelled blood, they pounced at even the slightest weakness.
And the fact that the target was someone as sincere and good-natured as Seong Jiwon? That was the most infuriating part.
Honestly, if anyone deserves to be praised for their character, it's Seong Jiwon.
Anyone who spent just a few days talking to him would feel it—that even the gunk stuck in their soul would start to wash away.
Especially now that I was living with him as a roommate, I was seeing it firsthand.
When I searched Prove next, there was nothing linking Yoon Hee-eon.
Probably the power of a major agency, or maybe just scrubbing the internet clean really hard.
Clicking my tongue, I started mixing different search terms, setting the search period further back—and that's when I found it.
[He's been manipulating people since trainee days, using gaslighting to fill his need for validation. Like he's ever gonna change.]
(This tweet is no longer available)
ㄴㄴㅇㅇ LOL. I just feel bad for the people who debuted with him.
I let out a small laugh as I finally started seeing some clues in tweets from a few years ago.
Yeah. Once you get dirty, you can never be completely clean again.
After confirming there wasn't anything else useful, I deleted "Yoon Hee-eon" and searched his agency instead.
I scrolled through articles, fan communities, and social media, and then finally a particular keyword caught my eye.
[Does Prove really have a blacklist?? LOL. I believed it after that leak. Their management is trash.]
[F*ck. Their agency's the king of freeloaders.]
Come to think of it, I remembered some agencies did maintain blacklists to monitor problematic fans and stalkers.
I changed keywords again and reset the search period.
Then I found it—an old post.
[Let's stop circulating this person's photos… let's respect our precious Prove members' privacy… It's about time we stopped bashing non-blacklisted fansites.]
[But f*ck, their photos are just so good.]
The venom was dripping from every word. Reading a few more, I got a general sense of what had happened.
Apparently, Prove's agency accidentally leaked the blacklist, causing a major uproar among fans.
But something didn't sit right with me.
The day before the leak, all the fansites who'd uploaded airport previews ended up on that list.
All of them… except one.
"Ah~. This is getting interesting."
I compiled everything and sent it to Kim Jaeyeon, asking her to dig further.
She was a paparazzi, after all—if anyone had a connection inside Prove's agency, or could coax it out of a part-timer, it'd be her.
Once we got our hands on the blacklist, comparing names would be simple.
But even after understanding my point, Kim Jaeyeon still had to ask a useless question:
[But why are you even doing this?]
[You don't really see them as rivals anymore, right? Prove's not even on top. Or… do you think Yoon Hee-eon's the one spreading those rumors about Seong Jiwon?]
Of course, I ignored her.
And just earlier, she called back with three key findings:
1. Yoon Hee-eon had dated several stalker-fans.
2. He was probably still meeting one.
3. But the specific person wasn't clear yet—she needed more time.
She grumbled that the blacklist was hard to get since it was sensitive information, and I responded with genuine admiration:
"How are you still making a living doing this?"
[...Somehow, I manage.]
I could even hear her grinding her teeth, but still, Jaeyeon laid out her findings in pretty good detail.
I hung up and took a shower to clear my head. At least Yoon Hee-eon's picture was slowly coming into focus.
Since there wasn't anything else urgent, I sprawled out on the bed and tried to sleep.
When I opened my eyes again, sunlight was pouring in. The others were already outside, their voices lively.
I casually grabbed a red ginseng stick, threw it into my mouth, and moved slowly.
"I think the A/C's broken!!"
"This place is a sauna!"
Everyone had gathered outside the pension. Turned out, the air conditioner wasn't working properly, so they'd all gone out in search of a breeze.
Just as I was adjusting my cap, I locked eyes with Kang Ichae he was poking Dajun's cheeks as the latter whined about the heat.
Ichae gave me a smirking grin.
I sat on a bench and waited for the van.
Then Seong Jiwon, who'd been near Dajun and Ichae, slowly walked over and sat down beside me.
"You really don't get hot, do you?"
He plopped down, completely limp.
He hadn't even been outside that long, but his skin was already red from the sun.
"Ah… I need to call my grandma."
"Then call her."
"Yeah, I know… Ah…?"
"What?"
"…Where's my phone?"
Without lifting his head, he started patting down his pockets. I sighed and asked where he'd been sleeping, then got up and headed inside the pension.
I opened the door to the room he mentioned, and sure enough—there it was, right by the bed.
And that's when I remembered: Kang Ichae had told me that the youngest of LeaPurple, the group Yoon Hee-eon kept messaging, had said he'd been contacting Seong Jiwon directly.
I considered holding back for the sake of a teammate's privacy.
That consideration lasted about three seconds.
You hold back. Not me.
I unlocked the phone like it was second nature.
Seong Jiwon and Kim Seonghyeon's phones were often used by the younger members as game event accounts, so I could unlock the pattern with my eyes closed.
Raising my eyebrow, I tapped into the messaging app.
At the top was a chat with Yoon Hee-eon, and just below that:
"Grandma, I miss you so much too!! hehe"
"Hmph."
I opened the chat with Yoon Hee-eon and scrolled to the top.
It was a mess.
Messages about a 5PM curfew, how his roommate was too strict—
[Yoon Hee-eon: Come to this address, lol]
[Seong Jiwon: I'm sorry.]
[Yoon Hee-eon: Let's drink together, lol]
[Seong Jiwon: I'm sorry.
[Yoon Hee-eon: When are you free?]
[Seong Jiwon: I'm sorry.]
If he'd gone, he could've easily ended up in a photo that would've wrecked his entire career.
But Jiwon… he just kept copy-pasting the same reply like a wall.
Eventually, Yoon Hee-eon's tone got nastier.
[Yoon Hee-eon: Wow, are you seriously brushing off a senior like this?]
Jiwon still ignored him.
Seong Jiwon…
I couldn't help but be impressed by how stone-cold his responses were.
When he didn't reply at all, Yoon Hee-eon got even more aggressive.
[Yoon Hee-eon: You know what I might do, right? lol]
[Yoon Hee-eon: Word spreads fast—not just in the industry, but among fans too.]
[Yoon Hee-eon: Wouldn't want your family or teammates seeing these, right?]
[Yoon Hee-eon: Don't you feel bad for the people who supported you?]
Then, after hours of silence, Jiwon finally replied.
[Seong Jiwon: I hope this message history spreads too.]
…Savage.
That was the last straw. Yoon Hee-eon didn't say anything after that.
But the rumors had already started leaking—there were even comments popping up on the radio about Jiwon's previous agency.
Just as I was about to turn off the phone, I heard a breathless voice behind me.
"Seo Hoyun!!"
It was Seong Jiwon, red from the sun, panting in the doorway.
"What."
His eyes drifted toward the phone.
"…Did you see it?"
I wanted to play dumb, but it was too late.
"What, Yoon Hee-eon?"
Yeah. I read every last word.
>"You saw it, huh…"
Jiwon didn't even step in,he just clutched the doorknob and hesitated.
"Did you already know?"
He didn't even need the subject. I knew what he meant.
"You mean the rumors, right?"
Jiwon gave a small, awkward smile.
"It's hard not to know. Every time I walk onto a set, people whisper behind my back."
I crossed my arms, trying to keep my rising anger in check.
"And that doesn't bother you?"
"Saying it doesn't would be a lie… but this isn't the first time."
He trailed off for a moment, then said softly:
"…But it actually makes me feel a bit better, seeing you get angry for me."
My neck tensed.
This stupidly kind bastard.
"Why are you so soft?"
"…Huh?"
"If it were me, I'd be furious."
I wanted to grab him by the collar and shake him out of frustration, but I held back—because it was him.
"…Hoyun, you—"
He was about to say something, brow furrowed, when someone were interrupted.
"Guys!! All rested up?!"
That voice—clearly the manager.
I nodded toward the door.
"What?"
"Ah… nothing. Let's go."
Jiwon scanned me head to toe, then stepped out as soon as our eyes met.
I followed in silence any more conversation and I might've said something I'd regret.
"Why does Jiwon-hyung look like he's dying?!"
"If you shake him more, he will die."
The youngest was enthusiastically shaking Jiwon in the van. Watching them, I clicked my tongue.
Seong Jiwon, I'm not over it.
I always pay things back. Twice over.
Unfortunately for him, unlike Seong Jiwon… I hold grudges forever.
---
The next day, to my surprise, Kim Jaeyeon managed to get the blacklist. Even better—it wasn't just one list.
Seong Jiwon had a solo schedule, Kang Ichae was at his studio, and the others were loudly watching TV together.
I gathered everything—rumored fansite lists, old leaks, blacklists, gossip—and started comparing.
And there it was. One person kept being suspiciously absent.
[Kim Jaeyeon: This one looks like they're connected to Yoon Hee-eon.]
She had texted me under the photos, even pointing out the account I already had my eye on.
[Kim Jaeyeon: I found their public chat account too—not just Jiwon, but they've posted about other idols too. No solid evidence, though.]
[Kim Jaeyeon: A couple-y Instagram account would be the fastest way to confirm, but I haven't found one. Might be worth looking.]
[Kim Jaeyeon: It might take months, but I could try hacking it.]
[Me: No.]
[Kim Jaeyeon: …You really are consistent.]
I wasn't about to risk jail time just to crack someone's private account.
Even if I could get in, leaking a civilian's info just didn't sit right with me.
If I'm gonna do it, it better be pretty.
I opened the item shop and scrolled carefully from top to bottom.
Nothing useful.
Clicking my tongue, I summoned the system window.
"Hey."
[Kyu~~? (^.^)]
"I'm not joking. Talk properly before I get mad."
[Y-Yes…]
[Kyu~~? ^..^]
"I said talk properly before I get mad."
[Y-Yes...]
The little bastard instantly snapped back to normal. I kept going.
"Got any quests?"
Acting cute wasn't a big deal anymore. I was way past the point of feeling shame.
[Hmm… There is one that fits perfectly right now…]
"Spit it out. Just give it to me."
[You sure you won't regret it?]
Me? Regret?
[You really won't?]
I smirked and gestured for it.
The system window blinked a few times before finally launching the quest.
And as I read it, my expression slowly froze.
"…Seriously?"
Next to the system window, the quest screen glowed softly.
---
[quest received:]
'Show Affection to a Designated Close Individual.'
Show affection to someone close to you and earn their trust to deepen your bond.
Affection Attempts: 0/5
Success Reward: 'Pandora's Box' item
Failure Penalty: Rumors about Seong Jiwon will be leaked to the media.
※The 'close individual' is someone within your personal circle.]
…No matter how you look at it, this system was just trying to f*ck with me.