Chapter 1009: Project I.O.A Finals (5)

-Chief Jung. Who's that son of a bitch?

In response to Go Joon-Taek's icy question, I answered in an even tone. "It's Park Han-Jong, SBC's director of Entertainment Programming."

-What? My wife sent gift sets of dried yellow corvina to Director Park's hometown every holiday without fail, and that bastard stabbed me in the back?

At that moment, Park Han-Jong, whose face had gone deathly pale, spoke up in a hurried voice. "Sir! I-I was wrong!"

-Is Director Park standing next to you?

"I lost my head for a moment and did something I never should've done! Please forgive me just this once!"

Park Han-Jong kept bowing repeatedly, as though my speakerphone were Go Joon-Taek himself. However, a chilling voice came from the speakerphone.

-Do you have any idea how many people have staked their lives on this election? And after you even dragged my daughter into it, you're asking for forgiveness?

"Well..."

-Shut up and start cooperating! Tell us every last detail—who ordered you, who was involved. Spill everything, and I'll at least write you a letter of leniency.

Believing there was no path left to forgiveness, Park Han-Jong suddenly shouted in a sharp voice. "Sir! Why? Why are you only being this cruel to me? I'm the one who was loyal to you, not Chief Jung! Then why am I the one who has to end up like this?!"

Go Joon-Taek replied in disbelief.

-Did you just say you were loyal to me?

"Yes! Don't you remember? Director Han Tae-San and I were originally going to make a team for Eun-Seo and help you! Yet why? Why am I the one getting scolded after working so hard for you?!"

On the day the members of Project I.O.A first gathered, Go Joon-Taek had shown up in person to exert outside pressure. At the time, SBC Director Han Tae-San and Park Han-Jong had followed behind him and pressured me in an attempt to carry out Go Joon-Taek's wishes.

I had brushed off that pressure with ease and had even gone so far as to deduct twenty points from Go Eun-Seo. Yet when Go Joon-Taek showed no dissatisfaction toward me afterward, Park Han-Jong had fixated on that point and grown resentful of him.

-So you joining hands with my enemies and stabbing me in the back is all my fault?

"Yes. You should've protected Director Han Tae-San and me, the people loyal to you! If you had, none of this would've happened!"

-Unbelievable.

"And to be honest, it's true that you tried to exert outside pressure on Project I.O.A, isn't it? I still have all the evidence from back then. If you don't want that getting out, save me. Otherwise, I'll expose every last detail about that incident!"

Park Han-Jong was actually threatening Go Joon-Taek. It was the worst move he could have made. The thing people in power feared most was votes, and the thing they hated most was being threatened.

-So now you're saying you want an all-out war with me?

"If I want to survive, what choice do I have?"

-You should've come at me like that from the beginning. Fine. Thanks to you, I can cut your throat without the slightest bit of guilt!

Rather than sounding flustered, Go Joon-Taek's voice became even firmer.

Realizing something had gone terribly wrong, Park Han-Jong shouted, "Didn't you hear me? I said I have proof of the outside pressure! Save me!"

A mocking voice came from the speakerphone.

-Tell me, Director Park. These days, do people call failed pressure attempts outside pressure too?

"...What?"

-I showed up at the set hoping to make a simple request, and my daughter ended up getting hit with a twenty-point deduction from Chief Jung right from the start. Have you forgotten already? What outside pressure? A weak man can't exert pressure on a strong one!

"That's ridiculous—"

-Ridiculous? Everyone knows Chief Jung's authority on that program was greater than the network's. And did you say you were loyal to me? Hah, don't make me laugh. You weren't loyal to me. You were loyal to your own selfish desire to borrow my power and get yourself promoted. That's why this time you lined up with the other side and pledged yourself to challengers who fought their way up the hard way. So how dare you speak of loyalty!

Faced with Go Joon-Taek's calm, methodical rebuttal, Park Han-Jong could no longer find anything to say.

I took that opportunity to speak to Go Joon-Taek. "Sir, I'm sure you're busy. Leave things here to us and focus on planning your response to the other candidate's lawsuit."

-Understood. I'll send the police over, so make sure you secure his phone. There should be records of every call he's made to outsiders.

"Yes, sir. We're in the first lounge you see after leaving the performance hall."

-Got it. I'll have them head there.

The moment the call ended, I moved to block the lounge entrance with my body to make sure Park Han-Jong couldn't escape.

Then CP Kang Dae-Woong folded his arms and stepped beside me, blocking the doorway as well. "I'll stand with you, Chief Jung."

Meanwhile, Director Lee Gi-Do called SBC's president. "Sir. At the scene..."

Thud.

With nowhere left to run, Park Han-Jong collapsed into his seat in a daze. A short while later, someone knocked on the door.

Knock, knock.

-This is Sergeant Choi Ill-Jun from Ilsan Police Station. We received a report that someone spread false information regarding Mr. Go Joon-Taek's election campaign.

"One moment please."

Click.

When I opened the door, four uniformed officers entered and asked for Park Han-Jong. "Which one is Park Han-Jong?"

I pointed toward Park Han-Jong. "He's over there."

Two solidly built officers moved to either side of Park Han-Jong and informed him that he was being placed under emergency arrest.

"Let go! I'm innocent! Let me go!" As he was dragged away, Park Han-Jong twisted his head toward me and pleaded. "Chief Jung! Chief Jung! Please save me! I-I was wrong!"

'Yeah, right.'

I didn't have the slightest shred of mercy for a man who had used children for his own success.

Coldly turning my gaze away from him, I checked Everyday's schedule entry. At last, the entry was disappearing.

[Everyday V13]

[Date: June 1, 2021]

-11:30 p.m.: <Schedule Entry Deleted>

(Deleted Schedule Entry: [NEW. Woo Yeon-Hee]

[Weekly Star] Daughter Go Eun-Seo voluntarily withdraws from the competition, while her father, Go Joon-Taek, ultimately loses the election amid suspicions that he exerted pressure on Project I.O.A. However, special judge Woo Yeon-Hee strongly insisted that no such pressure had ever existed.)

***

[Current Incheon Mayor Yoo Sung-Joon. Political manipulation attempt exposed. Spread false information regarding a candidate's daughter on Project I.O.A.]

[Candidate Go Joon-Taek: "Candidate Yoo's actions were not only a smear campaign against a candidate's family, but also an attack on all Project I.O.A fans."]

[Candidate Go Joon-Taek: "Outside pressure on Project I.O.A is absolutely impossible. Since it is a program selecting idols for Hoop Entertainment, not even SBC's president could interfere, let alone me."]

Go Joon-Taek immediately launched a counterattack against Candidate Yoo Sung-Joon through the media. At the same time, he made it clear that outside pressure simply could not work on Project I.O.A. As a result, public criticism poured down on the current Incheon mayor, Yoo Sung-Joon.

While the situation was being brought under control, PD Ji Yung-Sik, SBC's production staff, and Hoop Entertainment's executives gathered for a meeting because one issue still remained. That was whether Park Eun-Chae should be allowed to stand on the final stage.

The first person to raise the matter in the meeting room was Chief Lee Dong-Min. "Now that Director Park Han-Jong has been arrested, the story about Eun-Chae is bound to come out. We need to cut ties before that happens."

At that moment, Lee Gi-Do, who was attending the meeting, spoke up. "From what I've confirmed, I don't think we need to worry about that. Through the president, I verified that Director Park has no intention of telling anyone that Eun-Chae was involved."

"Even so, it's still true that Eun-Chae tried to manipulate the rankings."

Most of the staff agreed with Lee Dong-Min's position that Park Eun-Chae should be removed.

At that moment, President Kang Gam-Chan, who had been listening quietly, finally spoke. "I think Chief Jung's opinion is the most important one here..."

As he spoke, Kang Gam-Chan looked at me and asked, "What do you think, Chief Jung?"

The moment everyone's attention turned toward me, I answered calmly, "When I received the note from Eun-Chae, I already promised that I'd let her stand on the final stage. I think we should give her penalty points, but still allow her to compete in the finals."

"Really?"

"That's my opinion. However, I think the final decision should reflect Eun-Seo's wishes."

Kang Gam-Chan glanced around the room. Those who had opposed the idea fell silent for a moment before nodding.

"If Chief Jung made a promise..."

"I'm still against it, but I think we should hear what Eun-Seo has to say."

As some of them began to soften their stance, Kang Gam-Chan turned to Ji Yung-Sik. "I think it'd be best to call both Eun-Seo and Eun-Chae in and make the final decision afterward."

"Yes, sir."

Using the intercom, Ji Yung-Sik instructed the staff to bring the two girls over. "Bring Park Eun-Chae and Go Eun-Seo to the first-floor meeting room right now."

Crackle.

-Yes, Mr. Ji!

A short while later, the meeting room door opened with a clunk, and Park Eun-Chae entered with her head lowered. Still wearing the tracksuit she had worn during rehearsal and unable even to change clothes, she walked in with her shoulders slumped. She looked like a convicted criminal awaiting judgment.

"You... called for me?"

Kang Gam-Chan nodded. "Yes. For now, just stand there and wait."

"Yes, sir."

At that moment, the door opened again.

Bang.

Go Eun-Seo burst in right behind her, speaking in her usual energetic voice. "You called for me? Huh?"

She looked briefly surprised when she saw Park Eun-Chae. Then she quickly broke into a bright smile and walked over to stand beside her. The difference between someone who had committed a wrongdoing and someone who hadn't was evident even in the way they stood.

Now that both girls were present, I addressed Go Eun-Seo first. "Eun-Seo. We called you here because we wanted your opinion on what should be done with Eun-Chae."

"What do you mean?" asked Go Eun-Seo.

"She tried to bring you down by spreading malicious rumors about you. So we're asking. Should we eliminate Eun-Chae or not?"

Apparently she had never expected that question to be directed at her. Go Eun-Seo looked momentarily flustered. After sneaking a glance at Park Eun-Chae, she looked back at us.

"What do you all think?"

Lee Dong-Min answered first. "Most of us voted to remove Eun-Chae. Everyone except Chief Jung."

Go Eun-Seo looked at me. "Except Mr. Jung?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I told Eun-Chae that if she wanted to stand on the final stage, she'd have to hand over the evidence. And she did. Still, you could've ended up suffering the most damage from all this, so I thought your opinion should come first."

At that moment, Go Eun-Seo stared straight at me and said, "I'll go with whatever Mr. Jung wants."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. You made a promise, Mr. Jung, and I don't want to be the reason you break it. But..." She paused. "I do have one condition."

"What condition?"

Go Eun-Seo's eyes sparkled as she spoke. "Please let me hit Eun-Chae just once!"

The condition Go Eun-Seo proposed instantly filled the meeting room with tension. Some people even looked horrified, as though the very idea of an idol committing violence was unthinkable.

Just as everyone was about to stop her, Park Eun-Chae stepped forward first and accepted the punishment herself. "Eun-Seo. If it'll make you feel better, do whatever you want. And I'm sorry. Really!"

Go Eun-Seo narrowed her eyes at her. "You're not planning to get hit once and then go around telling everyone about it later, are you?"

"No. If this gets out, I'm finished anyway. I'll take it no matter what. Hit me as hard as you need to. Seriously. Hit me hard!"

"Okay!"

Go Eun-Seo rolled up one sleeve.

As it began to look like this might actually happen, Director Ahn Ye-Eum hurriedly tried to stop her. "Eun-Seo, don't. Enduring it is how you win!"

Lee Dong-Min also jumped in. "Eun-Seo. I understand how you feel, but learning to hold back is important too. Important! Right? It's not like you're only going to be an idol for a day or two, huh?"

Everyone looked tense. They were clearly worried this incident could become a threat to Go Eun-Seo's future.

Go Eun-Seo wore an expression that seemed to say, 'Just as I thought.' "Yeah, I figured it'd be difficult. Okay then, I'll give up—"

That was when I cut her off. "Do whatever you want."

Go Eun-Seo's eyes widened into perfect circles. "R-Really?"

"Yeah."

She stared at me. "But you told me to hold back earlier."

"That was because we were in a situation where random people could see it. But everyone here knows how to keep their mouths shut. It'll be fine. Besides, Eun-Chae is the one who was in the wrong."

"I really am going to hit her."

"I said do whatever you want. No matter what happens, I'll cover for you."

Go Eun-Seo stared at me for a moment before nodding. "Okay!"

She rolled her sleeve even higher, all the way up to her wrist, and spread her right hand wide. Then she glared at Park Eun-Chae.

"Park Eun-Chae. I'm going to hit your left cheek with my right hand, so grit your teeth and get ready. Got it?"

Park Eun-Chae clenched her teeth and shut her eyes. "Got it."

The talent agents, visibly anxious, mouthed frantic words at me.

'Mr. Jung. You're supposed to stop her, not encourage her!'

'Chief Jung, that girl's got a mean swing! What if she gives her a bloody nose and it ends up on TV?!'

I ignored them completely.

Then Go Eun-Seo shouted, "Here~~ I~~ go~~!"

As she swung her right hand, Park Eun-Chae flinched and hunched her shoulders. At that moment, Go Eun-Seo's hand stopped right in front of Park Eun-Chae's face and merely tapped her cheek.

Whoosh.

Tap.

Everyone was stunned by her unexpected action.

Then Go Eun-Seo flicked her hand lightly and said, "Hey, Park Eun-Chae. Do I look stupid to you? I'm about to become an idol. Why would I do something that'll get me in trouble like you did?"

A chuckle escaped me. Just as I had expected, Go Eun-Seo had suppressed her personal desire for revenge because she wanted to become an I.O.A member. Her insistence on hitting Park Eun-Chae had only been her way of making it clear just how angry she was.

Looking thoroughly satisfied, Go Eun-Seo flashed a grin and looked at me. "I held back. I did good, right?"

Only then did I finally smile. "Yeah. Now you're finally acting like my kid."

Apparently pleased by those words, Go Eun-Seo broke into a bright smile.

After nodding, I addressed everyone. "Since Eun-Seo has forgiven her, I don't think there should be any issue with Eun-Chae participating in the audition. However, Eun-Chae will receive a twenty-point deduction and continue in the competition."

Park Eun-Chae sat there blankly for a moment before rubbing her cheek and answering, "Yes, Mr. Jung. And... I'm sorry."

Just then, the excited Go Eun-Seo suddenly blurted out something unexpected. "Mr. Jung! Eun-Chae already got punished when I hit her, didn't she? Giving her penalty points too doesn't seem right!"

Just last week, Go Eun-Seo had ranked fifth in Korea behind Park Eun-Chae. Which meant that if things stayed as they were, she could fail to make Team Two and be eliminated. A twenty-point deduction was enough to alter the rankings. I couldn't understand why she was arguing against it.

'Eun-Seo... What on earth are you thinking?'

***

It was ten minutes before the start of the Project I.O.A finals.

The audience seats in the performance hall were packed to capacity, and excitement was written all over the faces of the spectators. It felt as though twelve weeks' worth of passion from the fans had gathered in one place, ready to erupt. Members of the fan clubs for all twelve contestants were already waving custom-made LED signs and cheering enthusiastically.

On stage, the main MC Kim Jung-Ju and the sub-MCs Woo Yeon-Hee and Yang Eun-Bi were conducting microphone tests.

From beneath the stage, I carefully took in the faces of the girls who would soon step onto the Project I.O.A finals stage. After twelve weeks of living together in isolation without contact with the outside world, every one of them looked tense.

Among them were Go Eun-Seo and Park Eun-Chae. Go Eun-Seo wore a confident expression, but seeing Park Eun-Chae standing there with her teeth clenched made me uneasy. At Go Eun-Seo's request, Park Eun-Chae had been allowed to compete without any point deduction. As things stood now, Park Eun-Chae actually had a higher chance of making I.O.A than Go Eun-Seo.

Crackle.

-First stage. Five minutes until standby. Countdown will begin one minute before.

Through the wireless intercom I had been issued, I could hear Ji Yung-Sik's instructions.

At that moment, AD Lee Tae-Eun, who was standing below the stage, called out to the three teams of twelve contestants, as well as Ling Ling and Seo Hee-Joo. "Girls, ready to go up?"

"Yes!"

"Then let's give it our best and head up there."

Lee Tae-Eun looked toward me.

I quickly gathered the girls together and held out my hand. "Everyone, put your hands on top of mine."

Go Eun-Seo immediately slapped her hand on top. "I'm first!"

Sung Na-Ra, Song Mi-Hee, Han So-Won, and all the others followed suit.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

As the girls stacked their hands together, the weight felt strangely heavy as though their entire futures rested there. With the final stage just ahead, even my voice trembled slightly.

"You've all worked hard these past twelve weeks. Let's make sure we leave this stage with no regrets. Got it?"

"Yes, sir!"

"All right. One quick cheer, then let's go up there and show everyone what professionals look like!"

"Yes, sir!"

The girls looked at one another, their eyes meeting. Then they shouted together in one voice, "I am! The one! True I.O.A!"

Filled with their desire to become I.O.A members, the girls ran toward the stage with their flared skirts fluttering.

At that moment, I grabbed Go Eun-Seo by the arm before she could go up. "Eun-Seo. Are you sure you'll be okay?"

Earlier, she had asked for Park Eun-Chae's point deduction to be removed as she said she wanted a fair fight. Even so, I couldn't help but ask one last time.

Go Eun-Seo responded with a bright smile. "Yes, Mr. Jung. Now it's your turn to trust me."

"Don't tell me you've prepared something?"

Just then, Lee Tae-Eun waved toward Go Eun-Seo. "Eun-Seo! Hurry up."

Go Eun-Seo spun around and dashed toward the stage stairs. "You'll see later!"

'So she is hiding something.'

I had no idea what it was, but I shouted after her retreating figure. "Whatever it is, make sure you do it right!"

"Okay~~!"

I was proud of Go Eun-Seo for wanting to compete fairly. Still, it was a little annoying that she refused to tell me what she was planning. And I felt a light resentment toward Lee Tae-Eun, who had chosen that exact moment to call Go Eun-Seo over.

'Did it have to be right then?'

That was when Kim Jung-Ju raised his microphone and called out in an excited voice.

"Good evening! I'm Kim Jung-Ju, the MC for the Project I.O.A finals! Through eleven weeks of fierce competition, we've arrived at our final twelve contestants across three teams. However, only two teams—just eight contestants—will become I.O.A! More than ever before, your choice matters. And now, let us begin the finals of Project I.O.A!"

At last, the Project I.O.A finals I had long been waiting for were finally beginning.