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“Alright, we’re stopping here for today.”

– ???

– Are we done already??

– It’s still broad daylight.

“I started early, didn’t I?”

– Ah.

– Just a little longer, please!

– Please, only until dinner.

“Thanks for all your hard work, everyone. See you later.”

– What a heartless woman…

The broadcast ended around the afternoon.

It felt like we had been at it for quite a while, but I guess starting early made it seem longer.

There was still a lot of day left.

At least the good news was that we had somewhat quelled the dating rumors during the broadcast.

However, there were still plenty of explanations to be made.

Just take a look now.

“Is this real?”

During dinner, where even Manager Kim had joined us for the first time in a while, Mrs. Jang showed me her phone.

There was an article about me and Moon Chang-sik’s dating rumors.

“…That’s a false report. A correction notice has been issued, so take a look.”

Seriously, why did she bring that article instead of the correction notice?

“Uh, isn’t the correction notice out?”

“…Why do you sound disappointed?”

When I asked Mrs. Jang to read the correction, she unashamedly wore a disappointed expression.

“Isn’t it sad that your son-in-law could have been actor Moon Chang-sik?”

“….”

“You should have a daughter…”

I was so taken aback that I couldn’t find words.

Huh? Isn’t my opinion supposed to matter?

“When are you going to get married and become independent…?”

“Can’t I just be a kangaroo for life?”

“You might get kicked out for real.”

In any case, the whole conversation ultimately ended in scolding.

I’m the one who feels wronged with these dating rumors!

Well, of course, that’s how Mrs. Jang always is.

In these situations, Manager Kim, quietly fulfilling his role as the head of the household, feels far more reliable…

“Was it really not a thing? What a shame.”

“What?”

… I expected that to prompt her to argue against it, but she also seemed disappointed.

“I’m glad I kept quiet when the company started talking about it.”

“The company talked about it?”

“Right. Today when I arrived, they had so many questions for me.”

It seems that Manager Kim’s daughter being me had already become an internet rumor.

So recently, he had been strutting around like he’d just gained the world.

It must be that if the dating rumors were true, he’d feel even more triumphant.

“But are you really not seeing each other?”

“Just a bit friendly.”

“Oh really? Friendly, you say?”

“Uh, I really didn’t mean it like that.”

In any case, even though I told her it wasn’t true, it looked like she hadn’t given up hope yet.

“…If you do end up dating someone, you should bring him home.”

Moreover, after dinner, it seemed like Manager Kim grew more skeptical as he casually dropped these words.

Hmm…

This really shows how people tend to focus more on the first article rather than the correction notice, huh?

In fact, it’s not just one article.

After the very first report, a slew of others had followed suit.

As a result, it spread far and wide, so not only the community but also regular folks were aware of it.

How did ordinary folks catch wind of it, you ask?

Well…

[Is this real?! I heard it from a friend!]

“It’s not true…”

Now, I was even getting contacts from Hyejeong, who’s long since graduated from being a fossil, to confirm the facts.

And I starkly realized just how incredible Moon Chang-sik truly is.

When a dating rumor surfaces about a celebrity, it’s indeed a colossal deal that the entire nation knows about.

While I’ve grown somewhat numb to it, Moon Chang-sik is still indeed a great actor.

To think I have connections and familiarity with someone like that.

Others would probably envy my situation, but…

[Soohyun! Is it true?]

Receiving a call from a friend living in Japan regarding a false dating rumor would surely feel different.

“Of course not…”

[Huh, right?]

“Where did you hear that from?”

[It’s famous even in Japan!]

“Huh? Why is that?”

[Hehe, you don’t realize how popular K-dramas are!]

Especially if the rumors reached Japan, of all places.

[I even heard those cute JKs talking about Soohyun’s dating rumor while I was at a convenience store!]

“….”

…The thought of Japanese JKs chatting about my dating rumors with Moon Chang-sik at a convenience store makes my head spin.

“This is just… troubled.”

[Misunderstandings are the fate of popular people!]

“That’s true, but…”

Isn’t this stemming from my popularity in the first place?

Ahh, is this some kind of responsibility due to a lack of popularity?

Well, my recognition will definitely rise significantly because of this incident.

But then again, being labeled as a young rookie actress who had a scandal with Moon Chang-sik feels… peculiar.

…I suppose there’ll be an influx of broadcasts for a while.

[By the way, the concert is coming up soon, right? Is everything going well?]

While I was clutching my throbbing head, Tenshi asked about the concert.

“Oh, the concert preparations? They’re going well.”

…Thinking about it, this incident might actually shift more focus to the concert.

Is it a good thing that ticket sales had already wrapped up?

[Hehe, I can’t wait.]

“The guest segment turned out really well, so you can look forward to it. But really, are you sure you don’t want a ticket?”

I had once asked Tenshi whether she wanted to get a VIP seat for friends at the concert.

If she comes wearing sunglasses and a hat, she could still watch comfortably.

Besides, she wouldn’t be at much risk if she got caught.

However…

[Hehehe, I have some plans that day, so I’m really sorry.]

She declined outright, citing plans.

…She said it in a strangely excited tone.

Could it be she scored a ticket on her own?

No way…

Even if she was fluent in Korean, snagging tickets for a local concert as a foreigner is like pulling stars from the sky.

Anyway, after chatting a bit more, we ended the call.

“Ugh.”

After the call, I flopped down onto my bed.

When I turned my head slightly to look out the window, it was already dark outside.

…I had drained all my energy from hastily doing the clarification broadcast and explaining things to my family and friends since morning.

However….

Bzz- bzz-

There are still so many people curious about my news.

The most representative would probably be the members of the Celestial Realm.

I had already told them it wasn’t true in our group chat, but they must have many questions.

I bet everyone, from the first generation to the third generation, and even the fourth generation who had their debut postponed after my concert, is curious about the situation.

In a way, it could directly affect the survival of their group.

Well, honestly, even if I caused some trouble, I doubt the Celestial Realm would collapse.

Though I do hold a peculiar standing, each of them has their own concrete fandom.

Even if I’m not around, they’ll only be briefly thrown into disarray but would find a way to balance things out and keep sailing well enough.

Anyway…

“Sigh.”

I sat up and grabbed my phone, which I had thrown carelessly on my bed.

I suppose I need to clarify things again.

Clearly, it seems there’s still a ways to go before everything is settled.

**

The next day, late morning.

“Yawn…”

I stepped outside of my house, yawning.

Things have gotten noisier due to the dating rumors, and I’m more tired than ever, but I have to stick to my schedule.

That’s in the contract.

Well, the good thing is, although a big article came out, it’s not a breach of contract, right?

In fact, the advertisers might even appreciate it more.

With that in mind, I got into the van that was waiting outside my house.

“Good morning.”

“Yes, good morning.”

Once I was in the van, I greeted Park Kang-seok, who was behind the wheel.

Has it been two days since the last dinner?

I feel like time has flown by since the dating rumors kicked up the chaos.

“I’ll send you the list of variety shows we discussed with the president, so take a look during our ride.”

“Thanks.”

Earlier, just before stepping out, I got a call from the agency’s president.

After a day’s break, the president reached out, suggesting that it might be a good idea to appear on a variety show.

They think it would be a great opportunity to clarify things on a program with high viewership.

Considering there aren’t many filming schedules left before the concert, I readily accepted and now had the list from Park Kang-seok.

“Wow, there are quite a number of them?”

“Half of them were booked yesterday.”

“Wow…”

So they jumped on booking after the dating rumors blew up, huh?

It seems like the broadcasting station is quite sensitive to issues.

“There are quite a few popular shows as well.”

“Yes, almost all of them you will know if you turn on the TV.”

It’s truly amazing how popular Moon Chang-sik is.

Of course, I also have some clout right now, which would contribute to this level of interest.

Sitting in the smoothly moving vehicle, I began to scan through the list.

But…

“Hmm… Any recommended shows?”

Honestly, there are so many options that deciding on one felt difficult.

I could get a rough idea of what each show might entail just from their names, but still, the decision was tough.

“Well, I recommend shows you’ve already appeared on.”

“Oh really? Why’s that?”

“The filming atmosphere will be familiar, and since it’s your second time, they’ll likely show you more consideration.”

In response to my question, Park Kang-seok offered a solid answer.

Indeed, since I needed to clarify things as well, it’d be better to do so in a place I’m familiar with.

I lowered my gaze and looked back at the variety show list.

Since it’s a place I’ve already been to…

It needed to be popular too, and a show that would allow me to display a more normalized image amidst the current scandal would be ideal.

In that case…

“How about this one? Appearing here would be great!”

I pointed out a show that met all the criteria I had thought of just moments ago.

“Sounds good. I’ll accept the offer and set up a meeting date.”

Park Kang-seok glanced briefly at the show name I had shown him and nodded.

Thus, I had decided on the next variety show I would appear on.

 

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