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Chapter 47 - If You’ve Done Wrong, You Should Be Punished, Right?
Chapter 47 - If You’ve Done Wrong, You Should Be Punished, Right?
Chapter 47: If You’ve Done Wrong, You Should Be Punished, Right?
TL: Aniea
“······.”
“······.”
A heavy silence descended over the table. Since Kang Woo-ju had rented out the entire place, there were no other guests present.
The employees who had been waiting nearby quietly retreated, sensing the tension, which only made Choi Ji-hwan and his colleagues feel more uncomfortable.
It felt like all the gourmet food they had stuffed themselves with until their stomachs were full was about to come bursting out.
“Hm. It seems you’re not pleased with the special course I prepared. Or is it that dining with me is uncomfortable?”
“…Not at all!”
“Please, speak freely!”
Those who had been eyeing each other warily quickly raised their voices at Kang Woo-ju’s chilly tone.
They were excessively polite, like freshmen who had just entered school meeting a senior student.
“Is that so? If you think about it, I haven’t even graduated yet. By graduation year, you all are actually my seniors.”
Grit-
At Kang Woo-ju’s words, one person tightly closed their eyes, another bit their tongue, and yet another bit their lip.
Although their expressions differed, the thought that came to their minds was chillingly the same.
‘···He heard everything!’
It wasn’t clear how he had overheard, but that wasn’t important now.
When gossip reaches the subject’s ears, it should only be in the form of ‘rumors’. The origin must remain untraceable.
Occasionally people deliberately let someone overhear gossip about themselves, talking behind their back to their face, but that only happens if the target is deemed truly insignificant.
‘···Shit. We’re really screwed.’
‘···Looks like we’re in serious trouble.’
‘···How did it come to this?’
Of course, Kang Woo-ju did not fall into that category. Perhaps in the past, but certainly not now.
He was currently the hottest new actor in South Korea, someone with enough influence to affect the broadcasting networks directly.
“Ahaha… You joke well. Who cares about graduation years in this field? Once a senior, always a senior!”
“Of course! Please, speak comfortably. It’s actually more uncomfortable for us if you don’t.”
“Yes, sunbae-nim!”
The juniors, who had been badmouthing Kang Woo-ju earlier, completely changed their attitude. They put on desperate smiles, showcasing their lifelong honed acting skills.
Since they couldn’t undo what was already done, they had to get down on their knees and lick it up if necessary.
“If that’s the case, then go ahead and finish your meal.”
“Huh?”
“I haven’t done anything for my juniors so far. We might not get another chance to gather like this. I’ve prepared plenty of food, so enjoy as much as you want.”
“······.”
At Kang Woo-ju’s words, everyone exchanged wary glances again. They swallowed their nausea, remembering their already full stomachs.
They had stuffed themselves, thinking they wouldn’t get to eat such delicious food again anytime soon.
“Sunbae-nim, we’re fine···.”
“Ah, are the menu names a bit unfamiliar?”
“Did you call for me?”
When Kang Woo-ju raised his hand, an employee who had been standing far away quickly ran over with a menu.
The employee even opened the menu wide, making it easy for him to order.
“Hm. What should we get···.”
Gulp-!
Watching Kang Woo-ju ponder over the menu, everyone swallowed nervously. He looked like the King of Hell scrutinizing the Book of Life and Death.
They desperately signaled towards the dishes on the table, but it was useless.
“Give us everything on the menu.”
“Cough, cough-!”
Unintentionally, someone gasped at the word “everything”. However, Kang Woo-ju and even the staff who had witnessed the earlier meal ignored them.
“We’ll prepare it quickly.”
Ignoring the juniors’ desperate glances, the manager respectfully addressed Kang Woo-ju.
As soon as he disappeared, other waiting employees swarmed in and cleaned the table spotlessly, making it look brand new.
“I’m not sure about my juniors’ tastes. At least one of the dishes should suit you.”
Smirk-
Kang Woo-ju smiled kindly. His juniors, facing him up close, trembled all over.
They had no doubt that if a devil existed, it would look just like him.
However, they couldn’t possibly confront him in this situation. Their misplaced anger turned towards the colleague who had led them to the executioner’s block.
‘···Choi Ji-hwan!’
‘···It’s all your fault!’
‘···How dare you betray us?’
Their eyes, filled with murderous intent, focused on one spot. But Choi Ji-hwan accepted all their glares calmly.
Because their stares only made the suspicion growing in his heart blossom.
‘···I’ve been mistaken all along.’
He thought everyone here was his friend. No, he was sure of it, at least until he met Kang Woo-ju directly.
‘There’s no one to blame but myself.’
Everything was his fault.
It was his jealousy that made him act cocky towards Kang Woo-ju. He called his colleagues to this place knowing what could happen. Everything was his doing.
An adult should take responsibility for their actions. Choi Ji-hwan humbly accepted this fact.
“The food you ordered is here.”
Right then, the table started filling up with various top-tier dishes.
Choi Ji-hwan’s stomach was already uncomfortably full, though perhaps not as much as his colleagues. Yet he picked up his fork and knife without hesitation.
He immediately started cutting into his steak. It seemed to be ordered rare, as the knife revealed bright red flesh that looked like blood.
“······.”
His colleagues watched in a daze.
Despite being the center of their attention, Choi Ji-hwan didn’t waver. He even boldly put the freshly cut meat into his mouth.
The texture, as if he were chewing raw meat, and the juices bursting forth stimulated his senses.
The unfamiliar texture of the rare steak and the discomfort in his stomach made him want to spit it out.
But Choi Ji-hwan ignored all signals from his brain, chewing and swallowing the meat thoroughly.
“Sunbae-nim.”
Having completely gulping the meat in his mouth, he slowly turned his head to meet Kang Woo-ju’s gaze.
“Thank you for giving us this opportunity.”
Seeing Choi Ji-hwan not averting his gaze, Kang Woo-ju raised an eyebrow as if surprised, while his colleagues widened their eyes as if realizing something.
Opportunity.
No one here failed to understand the meaning behind those words. It implied that if they finished the meal in front of them, they would be forgiven.
‘Are you both out of your minds!?’
‘There’s no way that’s possible.’
‘We’re not food fighters. Even if we were hungry, it would be impossible. He’s just doing this to screw us over!’
Of course, the immediate thought in their heads was rejection. These days, if a senior treated a junior like this, it would be considered harassment and could even lead to prison.
Nom nom-
However, seeing Choi Ji-hwan constantly shoveling food into his mouth right in front of them, they couldn’t bring themselves to voice their objections.
Despite his expression showing no signs of enjoyment, his mouth didn’t stop.
Watching him eat with a desperate resolve to survive, his colleagues’ thoughts began to change gradually.
‘Opportunity, huh···.’
‘Is he really going to forgive us?’
‘If what he said is true···.’
Even so, they couldn’t bring themselves to touch the food. At that moment, one colleague, as if making a decision, picked up a knife.
“Thank you for the meal, sunbae-nim!”
Nom nom-!
With a voice filled with desperation, she started shoving food into her mouth.
“Hey, Jang Hee-jin! Why are you doing this too!?”
Gulp-! Whew-
Whether it was because of the food she had forcibly swallowed or because she was uncomfortable bringing up the truth she had buried for so long, Jang Hee-jin’s throat kept feeling parched. She quickly downed the remaining wine in her glass. Then, with eyes now sharper, she looked around at her colleagues.
“···Now that we’re talking about it, honestly, I knew that sunbae-nim Kang Woo-ju wasn’t that kind of person.”
“What!?”
Ignoring the confused looks from her colleagues, she bowed her head towards Kang Woo-ju.
“···Back then, I was grateful. And I’m sorry. Even though I knew everything, I still badmouthed you behind your back with the others. I’m truly ashamed.”
“What are you talking about···.”
“You all vaguely remember, right? At the freshmen welcome party, some of the girls couldn’t refuse the drinks the seniors were giving them and ended up completely passed out, almost being taken advantage of.”
“······.”
A heavy silence fell over the group at Hee-jin’s words. Those hearing this for the first time widened their eyes, and some of the girls bit their lips and turned away.
“I don’t remember exactly because I was also out of it, but… I recall someone trying to drag me away and then getting into a serious fight with someone else. When I came to, I was in a room with the other girls.”
“······.”
“At the time, I was too dizzy to understand what was happening, but thinking back on it, I believe sunbae-nim took care of us drunk girls. Am I right?”
“······.”
Kang Woo-ju neither confirmed nor denied, but sometimes silence speaks volumes.
Choi Ji-hwan and the others felt the pieces of a puzzle they had stashed away in a corner of their minds falling into place.
“Then that rumor···.”
“Was maliciously spread by someone.”
She spoke indirectly, using the term ‘someone’, but everyone knew she meant the other seniors who tried to take advantage of the drunk juniors.
“Anyway, it’s true that sunbae-nim took the unconscious girls to a motel. Adding a bit of malicious embellishment to that wouldn’t have been difficult.”
“Why didn’t you say anything until now···.”
“Because I was scared!”
Jang Hee-jin bowed her head deeply. Trying to suppress her emotions, her tightly clenched fists turned white.
“You know too. In this industry, once you’re marked, someone from an ordinary family like mine has to give up on their career. I was afraid of being marked if I opened my mouth in front of you or other seniors. I was scared that my dream would disappear! I was so terrified···.”
Sniff-
Finally unable to hold back, a tear fell from her face.
But without thinking of wiping it away, Jang Hee-jin stabbed some food with her fork and shoved it into her mouth, as if trying to swallow all her emotions.
“That’s···.”
The group watching her lost their words. The things they had said and done until now flashed through their minds like a panorama.
Their gazes naturally converged in one place. There stood Kang Woo-ju, eyes closed as if deep in thought.
“Enough.”
When he finally opened his eyes.
Kang Woo-ju raised his hand, stopping Choi Ji-hwan and Hee-jin, who were still eating, and slowly stood up.
“Choi Ji-hwan.”
“Yes, yes! Sunbae-nim!”
“I’ve lost my mood. I’m leaving first. You clean up and come back.”
“···Sunbae-nim. I’m sorry!”
Choi Ji-hwan sprang up from his seat and bowed deeply. Seeing him, the others quickly stood and bent their bodies as well.
“We’re sorry!”
“······.”
Swish-
Kang Woo-ju glanced over his juniors briefly before turning away and leaving without a word.
After Kang Woo-ju left, and amidst the slightly chaotic atmosphere where everyone was just eyeing each other, Choi Ji-hwan stepped forward.
“···Let’s clean up and head back.”
“Hey, is that what you should be saying?”
“Yeah! You suddenly called us to an expensive restaurant, and now this. If you had given us a heads-up, this wouldn’t have happened! Trying to score points with the senior···.”
“Jang Hee-jin, you’re the same!”
“What do you mean···.”
As soon as Kang Woo-ju disappeared, the group began the blame game again. The first target was Choi Ji-hwan, who had organized this meeting, and the second was Jang Hee-jin, who had joined midway.
“Your acting was pretty good today, huh? Who in our department doesn’t know? You knew everything but kept quiet. But now you’re playing the victim with those fake tears.”
“It’s not like that···.”
“Shut up, fuck! Why do I have to deal with this bullshit even after graduation? Kang Woo-ju, that bastard thinks he’s something because he’s dating a chaebol. But he’s just···.”
“But he’s just what.”
“······!?”
The group quickly turned their heads at the unfamiliar voice. Standing at the end of their gaze was a woman radiating a sharp aura.
“Where have I seen her before···. Ah!”
Realizing who she was, they covered their mouths with both hands. Especially the one who had been badmouthing Kang Woo-ju moments earlier turned pale as a ghost.
“Go on, continue.”
“It, it’s not like that···.”
“If it’s not like that, then what?”
“I-I’m sorry!”
“I already heard that earlier.”
Swish-
Kim Eun-ha grabbed the trembling woman’s chin and lifted it. Forced to meet her gaze, the woman’s pupils dilated in fear.
A cold smile played on Kim Eun-ha’s lips, devoid of any warmth.
“Woo-ju is too kind-hearted. He even wants to forgive irredeemable trash like you.”
Swish-
Kim Eun-ha scanned the group, making eye contact with each one. Her piercing gaze made them freeze like statues.
“What can we do? An ideal couple complements each other’s shortcomings, don’t they?”
“I-I’m the one who’s wrong···.”
Shh-
Kim Eun-ha brought her index finger to her lips. The silent pressure from her presence kept everyone from speaking.
“If you’ve done wrong, you should be punished, right?”
The smile on Kim Eun-ha’s face deepened.
*****
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