I Became the Eldest Daughter of 10 Siblings - Chapter 108

[HaYoo Minor Gallery]

[Title: (Breaking) Han Yujin "I'm seeing someone".news]

(Round interview photo.jpg)

-Are you currently seeing anyone?

▶ Yes.

-Who is it?

▶ I'm meeting reporters. (Laughs)

-That's not what I mean, I'm asking if you're dating anyone.

▶ Yes.

-Who is it?

▶ I'm dating fans. (Laughs)

-(The female reporter sighed.)

She's apparently dating "us" simultaneously ㄷㄷ

HaBung-is who suddenly got girlfriends, let's give a thumbs up, starting with me lol

Likes: 452

-lolololololol

-Unnie I'm always waiting for you

-Massive orgy with 100,000 people ㄷㄷ

└Video code?

└HANYU-6974

└Her body won't last lol

-Crazy bitch...

-Was she Lü Bu in her past life, she's swinging her halberd every time I see her

-Is she a honey badger lol

-Why did Han Yujin come out like a mountain rabbit

└She's even cuter because she's plump

└Seems like she gained some weight?

└Huh she's still skinny.. She needs to gain more..

-She's totally my type of classic Korean beauty..

└For real her eyes nose mouth are all distinct and she has the kind of beauty that will always be trendy hohoho

└You're delusional she's had plastic surgery

└Baby photos and graduation photos of Han Yujin are all over the internet but you're still talking about plastic surgery lol

└Her face has changed from when she first started broadcasting but you're in denial, take off your rose-colored glasses

└She makes a living with her face so of course she takes care of it.. You should spend some money and get some treatments too.. How much is that Inmode thing..

└Auntie's inferiority complex is real

└Seems like it's her first time, clingy psycho girls are flocking

-Her unique socially adept young lady speech is so cool, I thought she was from Chungcheong-do lol

└She's actually from the Han clan of Cheongju so Chungcheong-do is probably her ancestral home

└Han Myeonghoe of Apgujeong, Han Yujin of Jamsil

└That bloodline really hasn't gone anywhere lol

-Goddess of euphemisms and subtle digs

-She doesn't discriminate in battles of nerves

-Yujin-ah.. Why are you angry again this time..

-Slightly paraphrased) I don't want to talk seriously with trash reporter word-wasters like you

└This is it lol

-I'm confident I could make HaYoo do everything I want in just 30 minutes..

└You crazy bastard lol

└HaPyeong..

└Feed gallery bans to bastards like this

-If you look at the full article the reporter is just a crazy bitch.

-The reporter who asked that is from Inspect

└Oh my

└Aren't they really nasty?

└She'll probably follow Han Yujin's shadow around shooting at her because she's pissed off

-It's hilarious how she's playing around throwing fishing rods while other celebrities are trembling in fear of Inspect lol

-That Inspect reporter is really unlikable. Looking at the previous interview content, she had already written her own delusional novel.

└What did she say?

└Something about being a celebrity created by intentional viral marketing of a certain group lol

└She has the same brain structure as political psychos tsk tsk

└Seems full of inferiority complex towards HaYoo

└She's the one who spread Sung Dojun's personal info too right

└Ah really? Then she and Han Yujin must have been like oil and water from the start

-Does that reporter have a delusional disorder? lol Why is her personality so messed up

-I'm good at reading people and seeing Cha Yoonju's empty words and explosive jealous bashing, her self-esteem must be really low

-The water buffaloes feeling pseudo-romantic emotions must be in a festive mood. If she's acting like that towards the Inspect reporter, it's basically the same as declaring she won't date for at least 5 years like an idol.

-HaYoo virgin theory to the moon lol

└It's not virgin theory but virgin thesis you idiot, do you call evolution theory evolution hypothesis?

└Okay virgin advocate don't get excited

└And since she graduated from an all-girls high school, the virgin side clearly has more weight

└Okay okay I said don't get excited

└Hey bastard just answer the question

└Alright alright she's a virgin so stop cursing

└You crazy bastards lolololololol

The round interview ended.

After finishing the photo shoot that will go up with the articles, I was about to return to the practice room when Jang Bonggyu called me to the conference room.

When I followed him, a late lunch was prepared. The menu was ordinary Chinese food.

I tilted my head and looked up at Jang Bonggyu.

"I thought you said you'd buy me something expensive."

"I was going to. But the timing is awkward now so it can't be helped. All the decent dining places are in their break time."

"Tsk, I was really looking forward to it..."

I barely endured while happily imagining what I would eat, you jerk.

"This is a delivery restaurant too, and I begged the owner to get a few menu items. Bear with this for today."

"Ah, this is really too much!"

When I shouted angrily, Jang Bonggyu's eyes widened.

"What, are you possessed by the ghost of someone who died from not eating expensive food? Are you that angry?"

"I wanted to eat jjamppong but why did you order fried rice! You should have asked before ordering!"

"...Come on, what a funny jjamppong."

Maybe because I've been starving all day, but I feel dizzy.

As soon as I sat down, I ripped off the plastic wrap.

The savory aroma and hot steam tickle my nose. I can't hold back any longer.

As I took a bite with my spoon, the chewy rice grains and crunchy vegetable textures embraced my tongue.

I don't know if the rice is going up my nose or down my mouth. Anyway, it's delicious. It tastes even better because I'm eating it after mental suffering.

"I deliberately ordered fried rice. You seem to have gained some weight lately, Han Yujin-ssi."

"My fans have been clamoring for me to gain some weight though."

Saying I need some meat on my bones to be voluptuous, or glamorous.

I've heard all kinds of gaslighting.

At my words, Jang Bonggyu shakes his head.

"That won't do. It's fine for personal broadcasts because there's editing, but even a little weight gain shows quickly on public broadcasts."

"That's petty, so petty."

"What's petty? This is all for your own good. I'm hurt if you say it like that."

"You didn't even order sweet and sour pork."

"...Ah, so that's what you meant?"

Jang Bonggyu smiled as he held out a bowl of dumplings instead of sweet and sour pork.

"Anyway Han Yujin-ssi, you really do love eating."

"CEO, you should sit down and eat quickly too."

I patted the chair seat next to me.

"If you don't pick up your chopsticks soon, I'll eat it all."

"That's fine. My appetite is completely gone because of someone."

"Oh my, I wonder what terrible person ruined our Jang ahjussi's appetite."

For someone with an elephant-like build, he must have been born with a good appetite.

As I was about to put a nicely browned dumpling in my mouth, Jang Bonggyu was staring at me.

While narrowing his eyes.

What? Don't tell me that terrible person is...

"Is it me...?"

"Yes!"

Jang Bonggyu pounded his chest with his bear paw-like hand.

"I can't live because of Han Yujin-ssi. I've never seen a client who battles reporters at press conferences in my entire life. And to make matters worse, the reporter you fought with is from Inspect, so it's like adding insult to injury."

Jang Bonggyu rubbed his oily nostrils and sighed.

"I asked a reporter I know, and apparently Cha Yoonju's nickname is Cha Leech. They say she follows people around with a hidden camera like a leech."

"Really? My blood doesn't taste good though."

I opened a can of cola with an indifferent expression.

Jang Bonggyu narrowed his brows and drummed the table with his palm.

"Listen, young lady. How can you talk like you're watching someone else's house on fire? This isn't someone else's business, it's your business."

"What can I do when it's already happened?"

"That's why we should have discussed beforehand... Ah, forget it. Does Han Yujin-ssi grow thorns in your mouth if you don't fight for even one day?"

"Are you curious? Want to check?"

I leaned in close and opened my mouth wide. I even stuck out my tongue to show him.

"Look. No thorns, right?"

"It's not thorn (kka-si) but thorn (ga-si)."

"Kka-si."

"You just can't let one word go, can you! Don't do this elsewhere. I'm embarrassed to say you're my client."

I said while lifting my cola glass.

"But at least I'm not doing drugs or illegal filming like Yeon Sangho. Let's have a drink."

"What drink, you're making me want to lament! It looks like lamentations are about to come out of my mouth!"

"Again, again with the nagging..."

I put a dumpling in my mouth while letting Jang Bonggyu's scolding go in one ear and out the other. As soon as I bit into it, hot juice burst through the dumpling skin.

I licked the soy sauce on my lips and opened my mouth.

"I'm sorry for worrying you, CEO. But I'm confident."

"You're saying that because you don't know their notoriety."

I know Inspect's notoriety well too.

A paparazzi media outlet that follows celebrities 24 hours a day, down to the second.

Rumor has it, they keep pestering until you slip money into their pockets.

Thinking of that notoriety, I can certainly think I've stepped in shit.

But even if I had tried to appease them with a submissive attitude and carrot tactics, would Reporter Cha Yoonju have been favorable to me?

...Absolutely not.

There's nothing that breeds as much resentment as having a fully prepared meal taken away.

If nothing changes no matter what choice I make, I should at least take care of my mental health.

"CEO Jang, don't worry. It's not like I mindlessly charged in."

"Since you brought it up, let me ask. What confidence made you think of crossing Inspect?"

I said while brushing off dumpling crumbs.

"Because I have no intention of dating."

"...What?"

Jang Bonggyu made a dumbfounded expression.

"What do they do? They follow people around and take hidden camera footage to dig into people's private lives, right?"

"That's right."

"But I'll be safe because from now on, I won't have any reason to leak outside except for the practice room, home, and studio."

Jang Bonggyu, who had been listening, demanded.

"Can you take responsibility for those words?"

"Yes. I won't date."

"You won't date for your whole life? Like a Buddhist nun?"

"That's a bit..."

Even if not for life, I'm confident now. Confident that I won't date and will close the doors to my heart.

Coincidentally, my gender has changed so my identity is in chaos. It's a kind of dating inability period.

"I thought Han Yujin-ssi was an adult, but at times like this, you're just a baby, a baby."

Jang Bonggyu shook his head.

"Han Yujin-ssi, you've never dated before, right?"

Hearing those words, my busy mouth stopped abruptly. My appetite fled too.

Why is this ahjussi suddenly picking a fight?!

"...I have."

"You clearly look like you haven't."

Ugh, it feels like I've been deeply stabbed in a vital point.

"Still, as a senior in life who's lived more than twice as long as Han Yujin-ssi, let me give you one piece of advice."

His thick finger points at my chest.

"The human heart doesn't move according to logic. Love is not a law of physics but a chemical reaction. There's a saying that love is a guest that comes without warning. When eyes meet, skin meets too."

It feels like I've been hit by a fact bomb.

To the point where I can't think of anything to refute.

"S-still, I won't do it! Not now!"

"Not now? Then tomorrow? The day after? Two weeks from now?"

"I won't. I won't. I absolutely won't."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure!"

Jang Bonggyu, with his arms folded, slightly twisted the corners of his mouth. He still has a disbelieving face.

Then he suddenly asks.

"Is there anyone you're interested in?"

There are plenty of people around me that I'm interested in and my hand keeps going to.

But that's separate from affection!

"There isn't."

"I'm asking out of concern, but you're not a lesbian, are you? If you are, you need to tell me now. The scale is completely different from a regular scandal."

I almost spat out the food I was eating.

"...I-I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I could be, or I might not be."

"This isn't Schrödinger's cat, how can you not know your own heart?"

"There are circumstances..."

"What kind of amazing circumstances."

You try changing genders!

You'd be the same as me!

Jang Bonggyu clicked his tongue as if frustrated.

"Isn't there anyone who immediately comes to mind? Excluding family."

"There isn't. I don't want to think about it."

"Don't be like that, just think for 5 seconds as a simple test. I'm worried. Isn't there anyone flickering in your mind?"

I put down my spoon at Jang Bonggyu's urging.

As I start thinking, countless people of all genders flash through my mind.

Then, one person's face is clearly drawn.

"5 seconds over. Did someone come to mind?"

"For now, yes."

"Who is it? A woman? A man?"

"...Well,"

Just as I was seriously considering whether I should really say this or not.

Knock knock-

There was a knocking sound and the door opened.

"Hello!"

It was Reporter Nam Euibeom.

"I wanted to say goodbye before leaving..."

"Oh my! Reporter Nam!"

As if he had never acted otherwise, Jang Bonggyu welcomed Nam Euibeom with a bright smile.

Nam Euibeom asked sourly.

"I'm not interrupting your meal, am I?"

"Of course not. Come on, ignore our little Han Yujin and sit down quickly."

This ahjussi really...

"I only have two daughters, but when I see Reporter Nam, he's like the lost son I never had."

Oh really?

Anyone watching would think he's greeting a son who just got into a prestigious university.

Well, I'm just glad the topic of conversation has moved over there.

Jang Bonggyu kept praising Nam Euibeom, giving him a thumbs up.

"I watched your interview today. 'The one who made it possible to uncover the truth was thanks to Han Yujin-ssi', whew! Your comment had such a good flavor."

"I just put a spoon on the table Han Yujin-ssi set, that's the least I could do."

"But why are you leaving in such a hurry? Stay and chat cozily for a while."

"I have a company dinner."

"Come on, don't be like that. You don't want to sit down now that you've become a star reporter? Can't we even have a cup of coffee between us?"

"I'll just accept your kind thoughts for the coffee. Well then, I'll sit down for just a moment."

Nam Euibeom's eyes met mine. He bowed his head slightly and sat down next to me.

"You're eating dumplings."

"...Would you like some?"

I said while hiding the dumpling bowl.

Nam Euibeom looked me up and down with a bewildered expression and shook his head.

"...No. It feels like I'd be stealing food, so my conscience is pricking me."

"Come on, don't be like that and eat. Then I'll eat it all."

Jang Bonggyu made a golf swing motion in the air and subtly asked Nam Euibeom.

"Does our Reporter Nam know how to play golf? We should go for a round sometime."

"I appreciate the offer, but unfortunately I've never even touched a golf club."

"Oh my, a star reporter can't be like that. You'll have a lot of golf meetings in the future. Don't say that and learn it at this opportunity. I'll help you raise your head."

Come on...

He's all excited about building connections with the star reporter, completely ignoring me, his troublemaker adopted daughter.

As I chew on the cold dumplings, I look at Nam Euibeom's expression, and for some reason it's dark.

He should have only good things ahead after getting his big scoop splashed across the front pages, so why the gloomy face?

I went ahead and asked.

"So now that you've become a star reporter, will you stay in the social affairs department?"

At my question, Nam Euibeom hesitated.

"Ah, well..."

Then he let out a deep sigh and said.

"No. I want to be a gaming reporter."

Right. He told me that before too.

That he wants to write articles about e-sports that he loves while feeling the atmosphere of the stadium.

"But I'm not sure if SUC will lift my press room ban."

His words tinged with lament made a corner of my heart uncomfortable.

Nam Euibeom received a press room ban from SUC for digging into a statement I made at the commencement ceremony on his own.

In simple terms, I have a large share in Nam Euibeom's demotion. A very large share at that.

Hearing Nam Euibeom's words, Jang Bonggyu was shocked as if struck by lightning.

"What kind of full-bellied talk is that? When an opportunity comes, you should charge straight to the political department and become an editor-in-chief, public relations special aide! There are reporters whose lifelong wish is to have their name in the byline on the front page of the newspaper!"

This scene looks just like that.

A father trying to dissuade his son who got a perfect score on the college entrance exam from giving up medical school to start his own business.

But, it is something to dissuade.

A young reporter with a secure path ahead suddenly saying he wants to be an e-sports reporter is like voluntarily walking into hellfire.

"Do you really want to be an e-sports reporter?"

I asked while wiping my mouth with a tissue.

"Yes. My heart is still set on it."

"Even if you give up everything you've built so far?"

"Yes. I won't regret it."

There's no wavering in his neatly shaped eyebrows.

"Alright. I'll try to do something somehow."

"...What?"

At that moment, Jang Bonggyu, who had been listening to the conversation, suddenly cut in.

He had an expression like his heart had jumped into his mouth.

"Wait, wait. What is Han Yujin-ssi going to do? Are you going to send gangsters to SUC for a sit-in protest?"

"No. I'm going to ask a favor."

"A favor? Who are you going to ask a favor from?"

"That's..."

I returned to the ELF building with a full stomach. I also bought some jelly to eat while practicing.

Before entering the practice room, I sat in the lounge and fiddled with my phone.

The name that appeared on the screen is unfamiliar.

[Jung Suhyeok]

If I can just sweet-talk this person and ask a favor, I think Nam Euibeom's press room ban could be lifted.

The problem is...

I'm not sure if this person, colder than permafrost, will docilely help me.

I racked my brains and agonized for a while.

Should I call or send a message?

But he's the ace of our team's rival team, so calling carelessly might be a bit much, right?

After much deliberation, I decided on KakaoTalk.

I boldly opened the chat window, but I don't know how to start the conversation.

Hello?

Hope you're doing well in this cold weather?

Do you know the Way?

Argh, I don't know how to break the ice with this snake-like person!

As I was repeatedly picking up and putting down my phone, writing and erasing, dozens of times.

My old, battered phone with a cracked screen finally acted up.

"...Huh?"

The typing went through on its own, regardless of my will.