SS - 38

“No, not at all,” Eun-Woo shot back, standing tall and glaring at Prosecutor Lee without backing down.

“Are you threatening a media organization right now?”

Joo-Hyuk, observing the exchange, stepped in between them and asked.

“What do you mean by ‘threat’?”

“Then is this suppression of the press?”

“CEO Choi, we are here to enforce the law.”

“Yes, I understand that. But to my knowledge, there has never been a search and seizure conducted on a media company before. This will be seen as an attack on the press, infringing on freedom of speech and freedom of the press.”

“Even media companies must face investigations if they’ve broken the law, don’t you agree?”

Behind the two, reporters began chanting loudly: “Press suppression!” “Violation of press freedom!”

The expressions of the prosecutors watching from the sidelines grew increasingly strained.

“To clarify, there have been no precedents for searches related to journalistic activities, but there have been cases involving unfair labor practices or illegal capital manipulation.”

Prosecutor Lee stood firm, refusing to back down.

“Hmm.”

Joo-Hyuk fell silent for a moment, deep in thought. Then he turned to Secretary Park.

“Secretary Park, contact Haeshin.”

“Yes, CEO.”

At Joo-Hyuk’s command to contact the law firm overseeing KMS’s legal team, Secretary Park quickly rushed back into the building.

“Alright. We’ll open the gates for you.”

“CEO!”

The union members surrounding them shouted in shock, turning toward Joo-Hyuk.

“This can’t be! How can you just let them in?”

“This is shameful for a media company!”

The air was filled with complaints and grievances, growing so loud it was impossible to make out individual voices.

Joo-Hyuk quickly turned to face them.

“Our company, KMS, has done nothing illegal. Therefore, we will cooperate with the search and seizure.”

“But—”

“We haven’t done anything wrong, so there’s no reason to resist. You’ve already expressed your concerns, so let’s open the gates now.”

Though frustration flickered across their faces, the union members slowly began to step back from the entrance of KMS. Some looked slightly relieved, reassured by Joo-Hyuk’s words that they had nothing to hide.

“Come in.”

Joo-Hyuk led Prosecutor Lee inside the KMS building.

From somewhere, camera flashes went off, and the sound of reporters delivering breaking news could be heard.

News about KMS should come directly from KMS.

Believing that whoever delivers the news first holds the greatest influence over public perception, Joo-Hyuk walked forward with a satisfied expression.

---

Her steps felt heavy as she approached her aunt’s house for the first time in a while. A string of explosive articles had left her aunt so distressed that she hadn’t even gone to the store and was lying in bed, according to her uncle.

She had wanted to show them how well she was doing.

Arriving at the gate, Sena hesitated before stepping inside, squeezing her eyes shut tightly.

But I have to go in. I need to tell them that Joo-Hyuk didn’t know anything, that he hasn’t done anything wrong.

Swallowing hard, she took a step through the gate.

Opening the always-unlocked front door, she entered the house, which was eerily quiet, as if no one were home. Her older cousin Hae-Na must have gone to work, and her uncle was probably managing the store alone, so it made sense.

For a moment, she stared blankly at the door of the room where she had lived until just half a month ago, before her wedding. Then, she turned away.

“Aunt, I’m here.”

As soon as she knocked on the bedroom door, it swung open hurriedly, revealing her aunt’s gaunt face.

“Sena!”

“Yes, Aunt. I’m here.”

Sena gave a faint smile.

Her aunt grabbed her hand and pulled her into the room, seating her by the bedside before gently stroking her face.

“Why have you gotten so thin? Are you not eating properly? Are you sick?”

“Aunt, why do you look so worn out?”

“Worn out? These days, I’m gaining weight and it’s becoming a problem.”

Though she spoke those words, tears welled up in her aunt’s eyes.

“Why are you like this? It’s so unlike you.”

“I can’t help it. Every time I watch the news on TV, my stomach churns. I should have realized something was off when your father pushed for this marriage and introduced that man to you.”

“Aunt...”

“No, how could I let you marry into such a family? And then, that person... is he really your father?”

Her aunt finally broke down in tears.

Those tears felt like sharp blades, mercilessly tearing at Sena’s heart.

“Mr. Choi too... if something like this happened, he should have postponed the wedding. What was so urgent that they rushed the marriage?”

“Aunt, Joo-Hyuk hasn’t done anything wrong.”

“Do you trust him? Even though his father is... that kind of person?”

The phrase “that kind of person” carried so much weight—someone who manipulated the media with money to control politics, someone who drove a friend’s family to ruin.

She couldn’t blindly criticize her aunt for thinking that a son might resemble such a father.

“But still, I trust Joo-Hyuk.”

“Sena, you don’t have to defend your husband unconditionally. It hasn’t been long since you got married, so no one would blame you even if you divorced now.”

“That’s not it.”

“This was a marriage arranged between families. You didn’t do anything wrong. Why don’t we get a divorce before it’s too late? Listen to me, please.”

“Aunt, I love Joo-Hyuk.”

Sena grabbed her aunt’s arms as she rambled on in agitation. By now, tears were streaming down her own face as well.

“I love him. How could I leave when the man I love is struggling? I have no intention of doing that.”

“I can’t bear to see you suffer.”

“I’m not suffering. I’m so happy by Joo-Hyuk’s side.”

“Sena...”

Sena shook her head firmly, cutting off her aunt before she could say more.

“If you keep saying things like that, I won’t be able to stay here. I’ll never come back to see you again.”

“I just... I just...”

“Joo-Hyuk is a good person. He has nothing to do with all of this. He’s also a victim. Just like my father and I are different people, he and his father are different too.”

With heartfelt sincerity, she repeated her plea to her aunt. Divorce? The mere thought of it was unimaginable. Though it had been an arranged marriage between families, during their preparations, they had grown to love each other more than anyone else.

In her heart, Joo-Hyuk occupied the largest space, and he was the person she trusted most. Betraying him was unthinkable.

“Please, for my sake, believe in Joo-Hyuk. Okay?”

“...Alright.”

As soon as she heard her aunt’s reply, Sena pulled her into a tight embrace.

The relief she felt knowing she had gained one more person on Joo-Hyuk’s side was immense.

Though all she could do for him was something small like this, it still meant something.

“Are you staying for dinner? I’ll tell your uncle and Hae-Na to come home early.”

“Yes, I’ll stay and eat.”

Feeling like she had returned home after a long time, Sena smiled brightly. In the back of her mind, she wondered if Joo-Hyuk had someone like her aunt’s family—someone who truly supported him.

If only that person could be her...

---

Public opinion was unfavorable.

The power of intellect and truth that Joo-Hyuk had believed in was buried under the sensationalism of false reports, and only voices condemning him echoed throughout society.

Even KMS employees no longer hid their suspicious glances toward him. Even those who still believed in him felt uncomfortable whenever he appeared at the office.

For days now, he had endured those uncomfortable stares while commuting to work.

“Are you okay?”

Sena asked worriedly, looking at him as he sat lost in thought, having stopped eating mid-meal. The fact that she couldn’t do anything for him weighed heavily on her heart.

“I’m sorry. I don’t have much of an appetite...”

“But you still need to eat something. Should I make you some soup so you can eat lightly?”

“It’ll be a hassle.”

“You like mushroom soup, right? Just wait a little.”

Sena cleared away the half-eaten dishes and began preparing mushroom soup, gathering the ingredients from the fridge.

While trimming the mushrooms, she glanced at Joo-Hyuk occasionally, but he remained lost in thought, staring blankly at one corner of the table.

“Here you go.”

A short while later, she placed two steaming bowls of fragrant soup in front of them, along with a few slices of baguette.

“I’ll eat well.”

Fortunately, this time he ate the mushroom soup without hesitation. It was clear that he was focusing on eating to avoid worrying her further, just as she had hoped.

“It’s delicious.”

“How are things going?”

She didn’t want to ask him about work if she could help it, but she couldn’t stay silent either. Seeing him so troubled made it impossible to pretend everything was fine.

Especially since reporters were now loitering not only in front of their home but also outside the Simahn Center—it was hard for even someone as calm as her to ignore the situation entirely.

“I haven’t been able to ask because you’ve been coming home late these past few days.”

“I’ve been busy with work…”

“I know. It feels like it’s been a while since we’ve sat down and talked face-to-face.”

“Yeah. A few days ago, the prosecution brought a search warrant.”

“Yes, I heard. Reporters intervened, and there was a standoff at the entrance, right?”

Sena asked, slightly puzzled. If there was truly no connection between Chairman Choi and KMS, why would they need to avoid a police investigation or search?

“It’s a matter of pride.”

“Pride?”

“More like… the pride of not wanting to set a precedent where prosecutorial power can be arbitrarily exercised over a broadcasting company. Or rather, it’s about protecting the hard-earned freedom of speech and press that journalists have fought for.”

“Even at the risk of public misunderstanding?”

At her question, Joo-Hyuk gave a bitter smile, as if he fully understood the doubts she harbored.

That self-deprecating smile pierced her heart.

Had she asked something unnecessary? Regret began to creep in belatedly.

“Even with those risks, there were reasons to assert our pride as a media organization. As a newly established broadcasting station, if we had simply complied with the investigation, we might have been labeled as traitors or cowards by other media outlets.”