I took a deep breath and read the post in front of me again.
Nothing had changed. It was exactly what I’d read at first.
Exemptions from group activities, special treatment I didn’t qualify for, a blown-up “bad character”...
I could guess why the study-room controversy had started: my internal class rank wasn’t astronomically high.
But at our school, the study room was assigned by looking at both internal grades and mock-exam scores.
So the writer either didn’t know my mock-exam rank in school, or knew it and cherry-picked what helped their case.
I skipped class trips and retreats because I couldn’t afford the fees.
Instead, I went to school as told and self-studied. I definitely wasn’t the only one staying home while everyone else did off-campus activities.
It’s not like we were that well off.
And even if the household was “decent,” so what? None of that money landed in my hands. I mean, look at me not being able to go on the trip because I couldn’t pay.
The part about not greeting classmates... is partly true. But if we needed players for soccer or they were picking cleaning duty, I never ducked out.
Because it included graduation-album proof, the post had hefty credibility. Thanks to that, a lot of people were copying it all over.
Half-true, half-false bits got distorted and blown up as they spread through comments and shares.
≫ Annals cast member K.I. controversy summary
And in the end, it reached this state.
The comments and related posts were no joke.
≫ Saw the Kim Iwol controversy roundup?
It’s nonsense on every level
If solo variety equals “push,” then how do you explain Choi Jeho shooting a music video pre-debut
≫ Couldn’t kick the habit of special treatment from school and waltzed into UA doing the same thing, got caught
└ Stuff like this makes me think “habits never change” is true
≫ And the quality of “those” fans caping for him
We all know, right? lol
≫ Parte’s fandom has been holding back a lot
Honestly it was always a matter of time
└ Right... they were blatantly disrespected, and we stayed quiet only because we didn’t want pointless noise on a show our kids appear on
≫ Didn’t he have a sociable, diligent image?
Kinda shocking
└ No idol shows their “real self,” okay? It’s all a product
└ Ignoring all the praise from PDs and members and believing only people claiming to be classmates lol
≫ If this isn’t a rolling stone dislodging the settled one, what is
If I were Jeong Seongbin I’d be seriously pissed
What’s the point of being leader if the company and members make you a pants leader
≫ But isn’t getting special treatment at school a huge problem???
Who knows if the student records were written to benefit him too?
└ Reasonable suspicion
└ Exactly... I’m a current senior and just hearing this gets me heated
≫ Being a creep around women is an instant deal-breaker fr
└ That’s below the floor, Overpass...
└ What’s the “creep around women” thing? First I’ve heard
└ Purposely loitering near all-women spaces to get attention
└ The OP already wrote in the main text that even the people involved knew Iwol was picking up trash. I’ll PDF it.
Whatever else, I couldn’t stomach the claim that I’d power-tripped on staff. I literally gag at the word power abuse, for ****’s sake.
“Hoo...”
I was boiling, but I had to keep calm. This wasn’t the time to think about Section Chief Nam’s power trips.
“How am I supposed to handle this?”
I’d been forced to write a statement of reflection before, but I’d never done a public explanation stream. My head throbbed. Out there, the sun was rising like it had no shame.
As soon as the morning alarm rang, the first thing I did was wake the members.
I sat them at the dining table, shoved a piece of bread into each of their hands, and asked:
“Be honest—do you think I treat Seongbin like a pants leader, run politics in this group, and monopolize the mic by cleverly gagging everyone else?”
“...Huh?”
Kang Giyeon stared like I was spouting nonsense.
“Speak freely. It’s important.”
“Hyung, did something happen?”
Jeong Seongbin asked, worried. These punks—ask them a question and they never answer straight.
I sighed and said, small:
“Yeah. I’m in a character scandal.”
“What?!”
Lee Cheonghyeon shot to his feet.
“Why? Because you snitched to PD Yu?”
“That and a grab bag.”
“Did they catch you yelling at us to smile even when our limbs were shaking...?”
“Juu, did that line really stick with you?”
“They say making all of us buy those heating pads on home shopping was ‘forced group purchase’ power trip?”
“I put that on the company card. There was a quantity limit. And I bought them for you, Jeho, and you, Giyeon—no, ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) wait. Do I actually have a character problem?”
“What are you even saying? Get a grip, hyung!”
Lee Cheonghyeon grabbed my shoulders and shook me.
Sorry. I’m a bit suggestible.
“...Is it serious?”
Listening quietly, Kang Giyeon cut in.
“We’ll handle it well, so don’t worry. But if I really am at fault, that’s not something to ‘explain away’—it’s something I need to fix. That’s why I asked.”
“...”
“Alright, if no one has complaints, I’m heading in first. Come later.”
“Huh? Let’s go together!”
Jeong Seongbin sprang up.
Sorry, but I don’t have time to wait. Imagine how much the UA staff are burning up inside.
I told them to finish breakfast and left the dorm ahead of them.
UA was exactly as serious as I’d expected.
But no one grabbed me by the collar or chewed me out first.
Because I looked like absolute hell after pushing through the sasaengs camped outside the dorm.
It was honestly rough. Going to work to a chorus of “Iwol, do you like girls that much?” and “You ****, stop causing trouble and get out!” is... not easy.
The manager got scolded for not picking up the kids. The heat let up only after I explained I’d left early on my own.
I laid out, in detail to Director Min and the CEO, that none of the claims were true. A stack of student record copies from a neighborhood PC café helped a lot.
So did the fact the company already knew my parents weren’t close enough to throw their weight around for me.
If no one believed me, I was ready to drop receipts myself, but thankfully they believed me easily.
“Still, I’m really sorry I created conditions for this talk to come out. I’ll take responsibility and clean it up.”
“No, Iwol. It’s better to respond through the company.”
Which, sure. A company statement goes out fully refined.
But...
“I think fans will be emotionally wrung out. It feels polite for me to explain directly.”
I promised I wouldn’t speak rashly and, if needed, I’d get advance review from the company—then left the meeting room.
Once I confirmed no one was around, I thought of the system.
‘Issue me one more piece of office equipment.’
▶ Didn’t you request supplies last time? You already need more?
I asked the system for my college entrance exam and mock-exam score sheets.
Then I ran off batches of messages I’d exchanged with staff on the office copier and slipped back to the practice room.
“What did the CEO say?”
“They’ll contact the Annals team from the company side.”
“I mean the explanation.”
“I’m doing that.”
Hearing my answer, Choi Jeho lifted a shoulder. He had thoughts, but apparently didn’t feel like saying them.
After that, we just practiced. Thankfully everyone focused well.
Until a phone vibrated.
“...Isn’t that a phone?”
“Sorry, it’s mine. They said I should keep it on me until this is resolved in case something urgent comes up.”
I excused myself and checked the screen.
Yu Hansu.
Figures. I was just thinking how quiet you’ve been.
“Guys, I need to take this.”
From behind me, Kang Giyeon asked who it was.
I didn’t answer and walked straight out of the room.
“Hello.”
— Hey, Iwol.
The returning voice oozed friendliness.
I didn’t have to see him to know: Yu Hansu’s face was in full bloom.
— You’re in big trouble, huh?
Not “you’re ****ed,” but this gentle turn of phrase. He must be clear-headed enough to assume I might record him.
To meet the expectation, I hit record and quietly listened to whatever he had to say.
— I told you to be careful who you deal with. This industry is small. Not even a year since debut and you’re already on the outs—what’s your plan?
I was careful with people, and the system crashed the car. You think that thing understands human speech?
I wanted to request IP traces for a few posts right this second.
But it would be useless. Even if I filed reports, everything takes time. From filing to investigation would take weeks at best.
The public won’t wait. Even now, the Annals board is filling with posts demanding I be removed.
Yu Hansu knows this ecosystem. So of course he slid his spoon in while he could.
In other words, he’s sitting pretty in the stronger position right now.
If I “exposed” that he’d power-tripped me, I’d only look like an idol countering a power-trip scandal with a power-trip victim plea.
— Don’t take it too hard, Iwol.
He said it kindly.
— This is how you learn.
Ha.
Maybe I should just go twelve rounds with this guy and plaster my face across the top of every entertainment news site...
