#113

“……Hosu-ssi?”

After a long silence, I finally called the name of the person who had stepped in front of me. Jung Hosu slowly lifted his head. And I saw blood beading on his split lip.

“You’re bleeding……”

“Ah.”

At my dazed murmur, Jung Hosu touched his lip with his fingers. The blood that had welled up clung to his long fingers. The moment I saw that, my mind boiled over, and all thoughts vanished.

I glared fiercely at Director Lee Gilseon.

“Gasp……!”

Perhaps sensing the intensity of my gaze, Director Lee Gilseon, who had been dumbly looking between his own fist and Jung Hosu, turned toward me—and audibly gasped. With a face full of fear, he stepped back, one foot at a time. I tried to go after the fleeing director, but Jung Hosu stopped me by grabbing my arm.

“President.”

His usual calm voice called out to me. Jung Hosu was staring at me with composed eyes. It felt like those eyes were telling me not to get angry, that he was fine.

I looked quietly into Jung Hosu’s jet-black eyes and slowly took a deep breath. Gradually, the boiling emotions began to settle.

“……Are you alright?”

“Yes. I’m fine.”

Once I had calmed down enough, I asked about his condition, and as expected, he replied that he was fine. I let out a small sigh and called over Manager Ahn Siwon, who had already brought over a first aid kit and was waiting nearby.

“Manager Ahn.”

“Yes!”

At my call, Manager Ahn Siwon hurried over. He gently led Jung Hosu to a corner of the set. I watched to make sure Jung Hosu was seated and receiving treatment from Ahn Siwon, then turned my gaze back to Director Lee Gilseon.

He was still looking at me with eyes full of fear. What kind of guts did he think he had, trying to hit me in the first place? I couldn’t hide how pathetic I found him.

“Secretary Sung, please prepare to file the charges.”

“Yes, understood. I’ll start with collecting CCTV footage and witnesses.”

“W-Wait! Please wait a moment!”

At the word ‘charges,’ Director Lee Gilseon seemed to snap out of his panic and came striding back toward us, fear forgotten.

“It was a mistake! I just lost my temper for a second……! I’ve been so overworked lately, I haven’t even been sleeping properly! You know, that…… that thing! Diminished capacity! Yeah! I was in that kind of state! I wasn’t in the right condition to properly judge the situation!”

What the hell is this lunatic babbling about? I looked down at Director Lee Gilseon with eyes full of disdain and said,

“Diminished capacity? A passing dog would laugh at that. At least come up with a believable excuse.”

“It’s true, sir!”

“Save your nonsense. No matter what you say, I have zero interest in understanding the perpetrator’s excuses.”

“Sir!”

At my firm stance, Director Lee Gilseon reached out to me with a desperate look. I lightly stepped back to avoid his touch and opened my mouth.

“Leave on your own before we have you dragged out. And you better hire a very competent lawyer. Because what you’ll be up against is none other than the Haje Group. That’s all I can say to you.”

With those words, I gave a signal to Secretary Sung Yoojun, who was standing upright behind me. Receiving my signal, Sung Yoojun grabbed Director Lee Gilseon’s wrist with a slightly stunned expression. Fortunately, he left quietly without resistance.

I kept my eyes fixed on Director Lee Gilseon until he was completely gone from the set, then slowly turned to look at Director Do Seungwon. He looked at me with an expression that said he hadn’t expected things to escalate this far.

“Are you alright?”

“Huh? Ah, yes, yes. I’m fine. But Jung Hosu-ssi……”

His voice trailed off. I glanced over at Jung Hosu, who was sitting in a chair. The treatment seemed to be done, as Manager Ahn Siwon stood a few steps away while the other Tartarus members surrounded Jung Hosu. His expression darkened a little more with every word they said to him—it looked like he was getting scolded.

“I think it’s best to take the kids home for today. I’m sorry, especially since you’ve just arrived, but I’m worried about their condition.”

“Oh, no, not at all. In this situation, of course they should rest. I was going to spend some time meeting with the staff anyway, so don’t worry—go ahead and take them.”

“Thank you.”

“I should be thanking you, sir. I’ve been wanting to knock that guy down a peg for ages, and you gave me the perfect opportunity.”

Director Do Seungwon gave a mischievous smile as he spoke.

“Honestly, I can’t stand people like Director Lee Gilseon. What good is talent if your character is garbage? I bet he said those rude things to Tartarus to break their spirits a little before pretending to offer them help. That’s his signature move.”

“That’s disgusting.”

“Right? The worst. But what’s even worse is that it works. Like I said, he’s talented and well-connected, having been in the industry so long. A lot of people have been screwed over by him, but no one spoke up because they were afraid of his influence.”

I frowned at Director Do Seungwon’s words. After thinking for a moment, I cautiously asked.

“Do you happen to know how many victims there are, or what they’ve been through?”

At my question, Director Do Seungwon looked at me as if to ask why I wanted to know. I responded with a crooked smirk.

“Since we’ve started this, might as well clean up thoroughly.”

“Oh……! Of course! I’ll ask them directly, and if they’re willing to come forward, I’ll let you know right away.”

“Yes, I’d really appreciate that.”

It was obvious that Director Lee Gilseon’s misdeeds didn’t end here. If we dug deep enough, I was sure we’d find things that crossed legal lines. I planned to gather the people he had hurt and file a collective lawsuit against him.

I hadn’t originally planned to take things this far, but I couldn’t just let it slide after Director Lee Gilseon threw a punch at Jung Hosu. I knew I wouldn’t be able to let go of the anger unless he was driven out of the industry he took such pride in.

“Then I’ll be going now. I’ll contact you as soon as there’s any news.”

“Take care.”

I exchanged parting words with Director Do Seungwon. As he returned my farewell, he walked toward the staff while pulling out his smartphone from his pocket and calling someone. Probably one of Director Lee Gilseon’s victims.

I quietly watched his back for a moment and exhaled slowly. Then I walked over to where Jung Hosu was sitting. As I approached, the members of Tartarus surrounding him gently stepped aside to make way. Bruises were starting to form on his cheek, a bluish hue rising beneath the skin, and his lips were covered with a thick layer of white ointment. I looked at him, sadness in my eyes.

“Hosu-ssi.”

“I’m not hurt.”

He hurriedly blurted out the excuse the moment I called his name. I knelt down on one knee and reached out to cradle his face. The area he was struck was burning hot. Just how hard did that bastard hit him?

“Why did you do that? You’re hurt.”

“My body moved on its own because I didn’t want you to get hurt. I’m sorry.”

What was I supposed to say to that? That I could’ve blocked it even if he hadn’t stepped in? That I knew I wouldn’t get hurt? While true, none of those words considered how Jung Hosu must’ve felt. So in the end, all I could do was offer my gratitude.

“……Thank you for worrying about me. Thanks to you, I didn’t get hurt. But please don’t ever do something like that again. If you get hurt, it pains me more than if I were hurt myself.”

Of course, I had to follow that up with a firm warning. I never wanted to see anyone throw themselves in harm’s way for me again. As I spoke firmly from that place of deep emotion, Jung Hosu hesitated for a moment, then slowly spoke up.

“But…… It’s the same for me.”

“……What?”

“It hurts and saddens me more when you get hurt than when I do. So I’m sorry. I can’t promise I won’t do it again.”

This was the first time Jung Hosu ever disagreed with me—he always used to say ‘okay’ no matter what, whether the words were kind or harsh.

Stunned by his unexpected stance, I widened my eyes and stared at him. He immediately lowered his head like he’d just done something terribly wrong.

“I’m sorry.”

He looked calm, as if he were ready to accept whatever scolding was coming his way. But…… I had no intention of being angry. Why was he acting like I already had been?

Still cupping his cheek, I gently lifted his head and scrambled to say something.