Embedded Files
Psst! We're moving!
“Are you ready?”
Before the evening news began, Seol-Yoo came to the waiting room. Her face was solemn, like a general preparing for battle, and her bright red lipstick stood out sharply.
“I’m ready.”
Joo-Hyuk adjusted his tie while checking his reflection in the large mirror and responded confidently.
Today, he had to look more perfect than ever. He couldn’t appear defeated or overly arrogant—balance was key.
He was a general stepping onto the battlefield with a resolute determination.
“If you regret this, tell me now. We can still make it as if this never happened.”
“I don’t regret it.”
“Once the broadcast airs, there’s no turning back. You understand that clearly, right?”
“Seol-Yoo.”
Joo-Hyuk called her name in a low voice.
“Hmm? What? Should we cancel?”
“I’m Choi Joo-Hyuk.”
“Huh?”
“The man who brought Korea Morning Standard this far. Me.”
Through the mirror, Seol-Yoo’s face suddenly crumpled. Joo-Hyuk could see tears welling up in her wide eyes, something he had never seen before.
“Yes, I know. You’re the one who built KMS and brought it this far. I know, I know…”
Joo-Hyuk turned around and slowly approached her.
“You don’t need to worry. I’ve been preparing for a day like this.”
“But why prepare for a day like this when it didn’t have to come? Why go through all this trouble?”
“If I backed out now, wouldn’t you be disappointed in me?”
“I wouldn’t be disappointed.”
Seol-Yoo shook her head, denying it.
“Yes, you would. Choi Joo-Hyuk isn’t someone who gives up once he says he’ll do something. If he says he’ll do it, he follows through.”
“Right.”
“Don’t show any weakness. Just focus on preparing to face the world that will shake after this broadcast.”
“Right, that’s what I need to do.”
Seol-Yoo wiped away the tears clinging to her eyelashes with her fingertips and answered in her usual cold, decisive tone.
“Mr. CEO, standby starts in 10 minutes.”
The youngest PD knocked and entered to inform them of the time. It was time to begin the battle.
“Well then, shall we start this war?”
With the solid support of a trusted ally at his back, Joo-Hyuk strode confidently toward the news studio.
As he arrived at the studio, he could still smell the faint scent unique to newly constructed buildings. He noticed the restless movements of the staff.
What was going on? Why had the former CEO appeared in the news studio?
Ignoring their puzzled faces, Joo-Hyuk took his seat next to the anchor during the mid-commercial break. The anchor, who had an impressive career before joining KMS, gave him a slight nod.
Only Seol-Yoo, the anchor, and the PDs knew about this special segment today.
Amidst the quiet murmurs, Joo-Hyuk adjusted his microphone. The numbers on the clock mounted on the studio wall ticked down steadily.
When the red light on the camera lit up, both Joo-Hyuk and the anchor were fully prepared for battle.
“Continuing with KMS Evening News. Today, we have a special investigative report. We’ll be discussing this with former KMS CEO Choi Joo-Hyuk. Good evening, Mr. Choi?”
“Good evening.”
From the reactions of the people gathered in the studio, Joo-Hyuk could imagine how the viewers watching live might be reacting.
Though everyone held their breath, worried about a potential broadcasting mishap, they looked at him with concern, wondering what kind of investigative report this could be.
“You’re the one who scouted me to KMS, but we never had a proper chance to greet each other.”
“Yes, somehow things turned out that way.”
“Do you plan to return to KMS?”
“Well, that’s out of my hands now.”
“Understood. Then let’s talk about the story you’ve prepared for us today.”
As the anchor asked the question, the broadcast screen zoomed in on Joo-Hyuk.
He took a deep breath and began reading from his prepared script. Thanks to Seol-Yoo’s meticulous editing and his own memorization, he delivered the article flawlessly without missing a single word.
“So, Mr. Choi, are you accusing your father, Choi Ki-Ho, Chairman of Korea NextOne, of these allegations?”
The anchor cautiously repeated the question, as if confirming what he had just heard.
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“You’re saying he lobbied politicians while running a defense contractor and pocketed the profits?”
“Not just Korea NextOne. For over 20 years, he has illegally connected the political and business worlds as a lobbyist.”
“If this is true, it will come to light during the ongoing prosecution investigation. But if you have evidence, why publicly accuse your father like this instead of handing it over to the authorities?”
“I do have evidence.”
Joo-Hyuk tapped his suit lightly with his hand. Inside the inner pocket of his suit was a USB drive containing the painstakingly gathered evidence of his father’s corruption.
“But I can’t hand it over to the prosecution.”
“Why not?”
“Because Choi Ki-Ho, Chairman of Korea NextOne, has bribed the Chief Prosecutor.”
Small gasps echoed throughout the studio.
“Hmm, bribed?”
The anchor tried to hide his shock as he questioned further.
“Yes.”
“Do you also have evidence of that?”
“Of course.”
Joo-Hyuk gave a small nod toward the control room, and the broadcast switched to a prepared video clip.
A recording file appeared on the screen, and Joo-Hyuk’s voice and the Chief Prosecutor’s voice began to play.
[Chairman Choi. Perhaps you’re still unfamiliar with how this world works. Fabricating charges where none exist is a skill I possess. With just a tweak of a single word, I can bring you to ruin.]
[Of course, I’m well aware of that. My point isn’t that I’m unaware of your abilities. I’m simply stating that KMS and my father have no connection.]
After a brief pause, Chairman Choi’s voice followed.
[Chief Prosecutor, my son is being foolish. That’s why I’ve come to meet you personally and explain.]
[Hmm.]
[“Is this all our relationship amounts to? If I fall, it’s not just this administration—it’ll be a disaster for previous administrations too. You know that, don’t you?”]
[“Of course I do.”]
The recording ended there. The screen switched back to show Joo-Hyuk and the anchor.
The conclusion was brief.
Joo-Hyuk left the studio, and the news seamlessly transitioned to the next segment as if nothing had happened.
As he exited the studio, the staff parted into two lines on either side of him. Compared to the suspicious and worried gazes he received when he first arrived, now there were more looks of encouragement, admiration, and respect.
Vrrr—vrrr—
The phone in his pocket vibrated loudly. Seeing the name on the screen, Joo-Hyuk let out a long sigh.
Should he feel grateful that the caller waited until the interview ended?
Exiting through the emergency exit, he shook his head slightly before answering.
“Yes, this is Choi Joo-Hyuk...”
[“You’ve completely lost your mind!”]
Chairman Choi’s furious voice thundered through the phone, almost piercing Joo-Hyuk’s eardrums.
“I see you watched.”
[“Watched? How could I not watch?! My own son accusing me on live television—do you have any idea how many people are contacting me from all sides?”]
“Lucky for you, then. I was wondering if I’d need to contact you separately.”
[“You better know when to stop!”]
A sharp shout came through the line, directed at Joo-Hyuk’s sarcastic tone.
He wasn’t sure what Chairman Choi meant by “stop.” Until now, what he called rebellion hadn’t been rebellion at all.
“Stop?”
[“Yes, how much more of your childish tantrums do I have to endure?”]
“Do you really think this is childish behavior?”
[“If it’s not childishness, then what the hell is it?!”]
Chairman Choi ground out the words, trying to suppress his anger as he questioned.
[“You never gave me trouble growing up, but the moment you entered college, instead of studying like I told you, you went and started a newspaper company. And when I asked you to use that same newspaper to help your brother’s election campaign, you stubbornly refused, no matter what!”]
His voice grew louder with rising anger and frustration.
[“And now, now you’ve gone and made your own father into a news story?! Exposing corruption, no less?!”]
Finally, he exploded again.
[“What did I ever do to deserve this from you?! Tell me! So what if I profited from another country’s war?! Did I kill anyone?! Did I?!”]
“It’s not just about that.”
After listening silently for a while, Joo-Hyuk responded calmly.
[“Then what is it?! Is it because of your mother? Is that why you’re doing this?”]
“That’s how it started.”
[“Started?”]
“I founded KMS in place of my mother, who dreamed of becoming an announcer.”
A faint sigh came through the phone.
[“So? You founded it, and that should’ve been the end of it, right?”]
“But you tainted even that.”
[“I tainted it?”]
“You took everything away from my mother, and I fulfilled her dream in her place. But then you secretly invested in KMS without my knowledge.”
[“It was all for your benefit…”]
“I told you—I don’t need it!”
Unable to hold back, Joo-Hyuk shouted, his voice echoing loudly through the emergency stairwell.
“I don’t need your money or your help!”
[“So what? Are you telling me you caused all this chaos just for your mother’s dream?!”]
“To you, it might be insignificant, but to me, it’s everything.”
[“This could’ve been smoothed over! I already settled things with the Chief Prosecutor! If you had just stayed quiet, everything would’ve gone back to normal…”]
“Father!”
Overwhelmed by anger, Joo-Hyuk staggered and leaned against the wall. His head spun, and he pressed his free hand to his forehead.
“What about Mother? And what about Kang-Woon’s parents?”
[“What about Kang-Woon’s parents?”]
“Didn’t you also invest in their company through someone else, just like you did with KMS?”
[“...Hmm.”]
Instead of answering, Chairman Choi let out a groan—but that was answer enough.
Google Sites
Report abuse