I Became the Eldest Daughter of 10 Siblings - Chapter 101

That was close. I almost let out a laugh from my chin.

I tried to think of the saddest thoughts possible and sang the national anthem up to the fourth verse, but this laughter demon refuses to leave like a stubborn ghost.

Only after pinching my thigh with my index finger did the trembling of my lips finally subside.

I took a deep breath and turned my head.

Yeon Sangho's cheek twitched. His fierce face appeared. It was his true self that couldn't be hidden even with makeup.

How should I put it, that look is just...

An eyesore.

"Ah, shit, what kind of dog-like...!"

Yeon Sangho, who was about to say something, swallowed his words. Because our eyes met.

"...I'll call you back later."

-Sangho-ya!

Ignoring the reporter's cry, Yeon Sangho quickly hung up.

Looking at his face, he's the picture of gloom. His expression shows he's terribly uncomfortable. Seeing how he can't manage his expression, today's filming is probably ruined.

"Ah, this is so annoying..."

Now he's even openly letting out sighs.

This bastard, his mental fortitude is weaker than I thought.

He's already crumbling like this when it hasn't even started?

There will be mountains of ups and downs to come, so what is he going to do later?

Desperately suppressing the sneer that had risen to my lips, I asked.

"Looks like something happened?"

"What do you mean something happened. Do you think this is the first or second time I've heard such things?"

Yeon Sangho said, swallowing a rough breath.

"It's just trash reporters trying to kill an innocent celebrity by using every trick in the book to spread targeted articles. Just a passing wind."

Innocent celebrity? Who? You?

If you're innocent, then I'm Florence Nightingale, an angel without wings, and a Nobel Peace Prize winner!

Moreover, "passing wind" is also wrong nonsense. Because it will take everything away.

Like a tornado.

I said nonchalantly.

"Isn't Gukson Ilbo a famous daily newspaper? If it's being published on the front page in big letters, with an embargo too, it seems like it might be a serious matter."

"Then my company or I would have already known."

"Gukson Ilbo might have kept it tightly under wraps. Like a secret trump card, a ultimate killer move to KO the big star Yeon Sangho..."

"That won't happen. I'm clean."

"Is that so? Then that's good. But in movies, villains always say that before they fall."

"Hey."

Yeon Sangho glared at me with bulging eyes.

"Are you crazy?"

"It's a joke, a joke."

"You think you can do whatever you want because I've been treating you nicely? You've been getting on my nerves since earlier. Do you want to see what happens when I blow my top?"

I exaggeratedly waved my hands.

"It's not like that. I was just trying to lighten the mood... Pfft!"

Ah. It finally burst out.

The laughter that burst from my mouth broke the tension in the waiting room. The laughter that had been bubbling up in my stomach finally escaped my control.

Once it started, the laughter grew uncontrollably. A chuckle turned into a guffaw, and the guffaw turned into roaring laughter.

"Ah, sorry, hic, I'm sorry. This is crazy. What's wrong with me today? Did I catch mania or something?"

Only after wiping the tears from my eyes did the laughter finally subside.

The waiting room was frozen solid.

Yeon Sangho had an astonished expression as if wondering what kind of crazy bitch I was, and Moon Jaehyun was watching us both with an anxious look.

"Are you really trying to go all the way with me?"

Yeon Sangho asked, glaring fiercely.

Now, how should I answer here.

Should I confront him head-on with fierce eyes, or should I deliberately lose and play with him to my heart's content until the very end?

"...Alright."

After thinking for a few seconds, I decided to give a carrot instead of a stick this time.

This was more interesting.

"I'm sorry, oppa."

I gently touched Yeon Sangho's arm and put on the most apologetic act I could.

"...Did you just call me oppa?"

"Noona, what did you just say?"

Yeon Sangho and Moon Jaehyun asked simultaneously with wide eyes like bells.

Yeon Sangho cleared his throat and blinked rapidly. His unclean gaze scanned my body up and down.

"Are you really sorry?"

"Of course. My joke went too far."

"It's hard to believe when you just say it."

"What should I do then?"

Yeon Sangho pondered, then smiled suspiciously.

"It's my birthday tomorrow."

"Oh my, really? Then give me your phone number."

"...What did you say?"

I held out my phone without hesitation.

"I said give me your number. So I can give you a present."

Yeon Sangho revealed a dubious look.

"It's suspicious how you suddenly went from standstill to full acceleration. You were treating me like a mortal enemy just earlier."

"It's like a change of heart. Hearing your proposal, it doesn't sound so bad."

"I'm still suspicious though."

Though he said that, Yeon Sangho's face had already melted like butter.

"You don't want to? If not, forget it."

"Hey, hey!"

Yeon Sangho quickly grabbed my phone and punched in his number. His hand returning the phone was light as a reed.

"Wow, I'm so curious what kind of present our Yujin will prepare?"

"You can look forward to it."

"Wow, I'm dying of curiosity. I don't think I'll be able to focus on filming like this, can't you give me a hint?"

What else could it be? It's a ticket for the hell-bound express train that I'll be driving myself.

"You'll see later, later."

"Later? When later?"

"At dawn."

"At dawn...?"

"Yes."

"Just the two of us...?"

"Yes, well, just the two of us."

The corners of Yeon Sangho's eyes curved sharply.

"Alright. Let's meet later. I have something to give you too, to settle everything that's happened so far."

"Wow, really?"

At that moment.

There was a knock on the waiting room door. An FD wearing a staff cap poked his head in and announced the start of filming.

"We're about to start shooting, okay? Please standby."

Yeon Sangho let out a faint sigh and got up from his seat.

I asked quietly.

"I heard your nickname is Yeontsubi?"

"You even studied my nickname in that short time? Looking at it now, you were interested in oppa from the start."

"But what does Yeontsubi mean?"

Yeon Sangho smiled and answered readily.

"You don't know The Great Gatsby? My life motto is to live gloriously and without backing down like Gatsby. That's why I'm Yeontsubi."

"Ah, I see."

I nodded and twirled my hair with my finger.

Then I raised the corners of my mouth slightly and said,

"But Gatsby ends up falling, doesn't he?"

Yeon Sangho stopped in his tracks and turned around at my words.

"...So?"

I opened the waiting room door wide. The cool breeze from the corridor swept across my nape.

"I'm curious if Yeontsubi will fall too."

CSA building.

Unlike the empty sky without stars or moon, the ceiling of the PR team's office was bright with fluorescent lights.

8 PM.

In the middle of haggard appearances due to overwork, PR team leader Yoon Taeri collapsed onto the chair backrest.

"Ah, look at how stiff my shoulders are. It's chilling that tomorrow's wave hasn't even hit yet when we couldn't even go home."

"Team leader."

A young male employee with vitality still in his skin handed Yoon Taeri a coffee. It was an iced Americano, cold like the weather outside.

"Please do it while recharging on caffeine."

"Oh, thank you."

Yoon Taeri drank the coffee like an elixir. As the caffeine recharged her, color quickly returned to her haggard face.

"Now I feel a bit more alive. But how come you look so fresh, is the work suiting you?"

"It's tough, but I still have to work hard. I'm still a newbie after all."

Yoon Taeri nodded enviously at the rookie's enthusiasm full of spirit.

"These are the good times. When I was a fresh maknae like you, I had infinite energy and stamina too."

"To be honest, it does feel rewarding to work."

"Why?"

The male employee hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Actually, I'm a fan of Player Han Yujin..."

"Kack!"

Hearing Han Yujin's name, Yoon Taeri choked and spat out coughs like firecrackers.

"Team leader, are you okay?!"

"Hey, then you can look forward to tomorrow."

The male employee's head tilted.

"Why? Is something happening?"

"There is. Something extremely dynamic at that."

"Uh... what is it? I didn't see any special schedules on the fan cafe or gallery either. I'm curious, could you tell me... CEO, hello!"

Jang Bonggyu, with his pot-bellied figure, entered the PR office.

As soon as he came in, he gestured to Yoon Taeri.

"Taeri-ssi. Let's talk for a moment."

The two moved to a deserted corridor where no one was around.

Yoon Taeri spoke first.

"CEO. I still can't quite believe it, but is the Gukson Ilbo embargo breaking tomorrow about Yeon Sangho?"

"That's right."

"And the source who handed over the USB with evidence to the reporter is Han Yujin-ssi?"

"Yes."

Yoon Taeri let out a dry laugh.

"I thought I'd been through everything in PR, but this is on a whole different scale, so I can hardly believe it myself."

A shiver ran down her arm. She lightly brushed off the goosebumps and said,

"When I first heard that Yujin-ssi was hit by that Yeon Sangho kid, I was so angry I wanted to have it out with KG in the heat of the moment. Now there's no need for that."

Yoon Taeri rolled up her shirt sleeves.

"Then should I prepare the press release right away? This kind of good deed story needs to be spread quickly and widely."

"No. I called you out to tell you not to prepare anything."

"...Pardon?"

She raised her voice as if frustrated.

"But shouldn't we massage the media with something like 'Han Yujin-ssi was the key to uncovering Yeon Sangho's misdeeds', 'Her good deed rolled a warm snowball that melted the harsh winter'?"

Jang Bonggyu, who had been listening quietly, smiled faintly and asked,

"What do you think is the disadvantage of a good deed story?"

"The disadvantage of a good deed story, disadvantage... Is there such a thing?"

"It becomes extremely tacky when you talk about it yourself."

"Hmm..."

Yoon Taeri, lost in thought, nodded readily.

"Come to think of it, when celebrities talk about their own good deeds, it does look like they're showing off. It feels like a PR strategy too."

"That's right. Then when does a good deed story have the greatest impact?"

"When someone else talks about it while the person involved keeps quiet?"

"Exactly."

The conversation between the two flowed on pleasant waves.

"Wow, now that I think about it, it really is like that. Headlines like 'Turns out to be a donation angel', 'Revealed to be a good deed factory' had higher buzz, didn't they? I heard even presidential candidates used this strategy a lot in elections."

"That's right. There's no benefit in revealing your cards first. If you shout with a megaphone that your kid got into a prestigious university, what else will you get besides jealousy and envy?"

"So the strategy is to wait quietly until Gukson Ilbo volunteers to be the trumpeter and praises Han Yujin-ssi?"

"As expected, Taeri-ssi has good comprehension. We'll just support with Yeon Sangho's past slip-ups or party CCTV footage that we obtained in advance."

Yoon Taeri looked up at the sky through a gap in the window. A star had quietly appeared in the dark sky.

"CEO. To be honest, I thought Han Yujin-ssi was your worst mistake."

"Haha. Taeri-ssi strongly advised against it. You said bringing in a 20-year-old girl who's hard to control would be the death of CSA."

"But I think my thoughts were wrong."

She smiled softly and said,

"I think it might become your best achievement instead of your worst mistake."

Cold night. 11:50 PM.

Gangnam, the brightest shining city among Seoul's sleepless nights. Among them, Yeon Sangho's club was shining magnificently.

Moving lights shot out laser beams noisily, and psychedelic club lights flashed like thunder.

In the midst of it, numerous men and women enjoyed dancing and drinking, giving themselves over to frenzy.

And in the private room on the second floor.

Under the dim lighting, Yeon Sangho quietly looked at his phone.

Rumors that Gukson Ilbo was targeting Yeon Sangho were already swirling like a whirlpool on the internet.

"Damn, pathetic basement-dwelling Yeopos."

Yeon Sangho, who had tossed his phone onto the sofa, covered his face with his arm.

He had mobilized every means and method available, but in the end, he couldn't find out what trump card Gukson Ilbo had prepared.

Yeon Sangho knew that major media outlets had been persistently digging into his background for years. Each time, he had managed to slip away skillfully.

But this time felt different.

An embargo was a method used to monopolize people's attention when they had secured definitive evidence.

A half-believing, half-doubting feeling swelled up in Yeon Sangho's stomach.

There were too many things he could be caught for.

Drugs. Hidden cameras. Bribes. Corruption.

If even one of these was firmly caught, there was no way his future entertainment activities could thrive.

Moreover, this club was built on prime real estate with the highest foot traffic in Gangnam.

He had scraped together all the money he had and didn't have, even taking out bank loans to set up this club.

"Those hyena bastards..."

Yeon Sangho got up and looked down at the first floor stage through the glass window.

Countless people crowded the massive stage over 260 pyeong in size.

And when midnight struck,

Birthday congratulation messages appeared on the club's electronic display, and champagne girls passed by in a line like a train along with fireworks.

The DJ cut the music and changed it to a birthday song. Then he shouted as if to explode the heated atmosphere.

"Our Yeontsubi, CEO Yeon is celebrating his birthday today! Every table is getting a bottle of champagne, so let's just eat and enjoy today!"

People's applause and cheers covered the inside of the club. Seeing this scene, Yeon Sangho smiled with satisfaction.

"Sangho hyung! Happy birthday!"

"What were you doing here alone?"

"You fucking bastard, were you jerking off?"

"Congratulations. By the way, this is custom-ordered from a hotel, you bastard!"

Jeon Gwangmin and the gang entered the room carrying a birthday cake. It was a tall and fancy pure white cake, like the Tower of Babel.

"Thanks, everyone."

Yeon Sangho blew out the candles.

Jeon Gwangmin's gaze fell on the shopping bag sitting alone on the sofa.

"Huh? What's this? It's Chanel."

Then he asked Yeon Sangho subtly.

"Hyung, what's this? Don't tell me you got a woman?"

"No. But I think I'm about to."

"Really? Who is it?"

"Someone you guys can't even dream of."

"Ah, so who is it?"

"Guess."

"Im Soyeon? Cha Jaehee? Choi Suji?"

"All wrong."

"Ah, I don't know, who is it?"

Yeon Sangho raised the corners of his mouth and boasted.

"Han Yujin."

"Han Yujin?"

"She got my number today."

The men let out exclamations simultaneously.

"Wow, are you finally going to lay Han Yujin?"

"Make sure to film it! Let us watch it too!"

"Phew, she had a face that could raise even a dead man's dick."

"It'd be fortunate if she only raised dead men's dicks. She has the looks to easily ruin an entire country."

Yeon Sangho shook his head with a serious expression.

"I'm not filming her."

Hearing this, Jeon Gwangmin grumbled and asked back.

"Why? Why aren't you filming?"

"I'm going to marry her."

"Ah, stop bullshitting. Didn't you say you were going to marry a foreign chick before?"

"She's different from other women somehow. Anyway, she might come later, so don't try anything funny."

A man who was about to put a piece of cake on a plate spoke up with an "Ah."

"Sangho-ya. There were rumors about us circulating on the internet, is it okay not to worry about that?"

"I was already calling reporters because of that, but they all said it was news to them. It's just some netizen with severe lying disorder spreading bullshit, so stop worrying needlessly."

"Right? Unless someone hacked our phones, there's no way it could leak outside."

Yeon Sangho raised his whiskey glass.

"Anyway, thanks everyone for celebrating. Let's party so hard today that we can proudly say we had the best time in the world."

The glasses clinked cheerfully in the air.

One glass, two glasses, three glasses.

Time in the room filled with revelry passed mercilessly.

And.

When 1 AM came,

When 2 AM came,

When 3 AM came,

The veiled Pandora's box opened.

The tightly locked Gukson Ilbo embargo was finally revealed.

At the same time, all the men's phones in the room rang at once.

The drunk men looked at their screens. And as if on cue, their faces turned pitch black.

It was an expression that said they were fucked.