《Shock! Lee Kangseok’s Power-Tripping Scandal Resurfaces》
《Patch Obtains Lee Kangseok’s Text Messages... The Star’s True Face》
《Rumors of Lee Kangseok’s Abuse Proven True》
Articles about Lee Kangseok spread instantly.
「[Exclusive] Texts Between Lee Kangseok and Staff A Revealed
‘Patch’ obtained Lee Kangseok’s phone and restored the messages.
Lee Kangseok: Do I really have to teach you every little thing? Want to showcase your incompetence?
Staff A: I only did it that way because you said you didn’t like it last time...
Lee Kangseok: So now you’re blaming others?
Staff A: No, I’m sorry.
Lee Kangseok: Just call the CEO yourself first. And quit quickly. Otherwise, I’ll make you quit...
(omitted)
....」
The endless stream of insulting, demeaning messages was enough to shock the public. It was the exact opposite of Lee Kangseok’s carefully built image.
[Lee Kangseok-ssi... shocking.
He was pushing that gentle, shy image, but wow, it’s shattered.]
[So it’s really true when they say there’s never a quiet day in the entertainment world... Guess I’m tearing down his poster from my wall^^;;]
[Ugh, exposing texts like this lmao.
It’s illegal and they’re acting like detectives, what the hell T_T Just leave the celebrity’s private life alone.
└Imagine counting power-tripping as “private life.”
└└No, but it is an invasion of privacy;;]
[Kind of pitiful, but still... If he’d treated people around him better, staff texts wouldn’t have blown up. In the end he exposed himself.]
Some argued even reporters had crossed the line, but the speed of Lee Kangseok’s popularity plummet was far faster.
「—‘Patch’ also found texts sent to rookie actor B, presumed to be Seo Hoyun.
Lee Kangseok: Seo Hoyun-ssi.
Lee Kangseok: It would be wise to admit your mistake and apologize, even now.
Lee Kangseok: I’m saying this as a life senior and acting senior.
The messages were marked read, but there was no reply.
Lee Kangseok: Excuse me.
Lee Kangseok: Excuse me?
After that, even the “1” mark never appeared.
Thus, ‘Patch’ concluded—Seo Hoyun must have blocked him.」
The follow-up article even published Kangseok’s texts to Seo Hoyun.
[lmao Seo Hoyun’s personality is hilarious]
[My actor really is one with his role—Kim Wooho and Seo Hoyun lolol]
[Not even replying is just too funny haha]
And so began the reevaluation of Seo Hoyun.
[Seo Hoyun’s got one hell of a temper..]
[Honestly, now I get why he ignored Lee Kangseok. If it were me, I’d freak out too if Kangseok clung to me haha He seems obsessed with Min Jiheon, though... pitiful..]
[Turns out there are more videos than I thought of Jiheon looking uncomfortable around Kangseok haha
└But behind the scenes of Dead after Hope he seemed really attentive toward Seo Hoyun... guess he’s shy.]
[But isn’t the whole “Seo Hoyun stole Lee Kangseok’s role” thing still unproven? Where there’s smoke there’s fire...
└Excuse me, just watch his acting.
└└A guy pulling millions of views on Kim Wooho clips, what are you even saying lolol]
Some still questioned unresolved rumors, but the posts quickly got buried.
[Title: I’ve Been Saying Seo Hoyun’s a Good Person All Along
Back then I got ignored or cursed out, so I’m posting again.
Seo Hoyun really is a good person.
I briefly worked part-time on Dead after Hope and he was always the one to smile and greet staff first.
I heard there was talk early on about him being some parachute recruit, but it’s all nonsense. Just look at Dead after Hope now... No one else could be Kim Wooho.
Never once saw him act cranky even with the tough schedule... He even helped staff carry equipment when they were struggling... (Ah, the only awkward thing was when he had to do smoking scenes. I did see him looking uncomfortable, and eventually the PD said they’d CG it all.)
Working with him made me respect him as a person. None of the staff disliked him. He’s genuinely a good man.]
[Seo Hoyun-ssi is seriously so nice~ ♡♡
And so good-looking~
He always sends coffee trucks for us!
SeoHoyun_signature.png
└Wow, Kim Wooho!!! So jealous lolol T_T~ How’ve you been??
└Eh? Is that his autograph? Why’s there a bunny drawing?
└└Yeah haha it’s a bit odd, but all of us got bunny-shaped autographs from him... anyway!]
Posts with proof from staff who’d worked with him began to appear.
[Why does he sign with a bunny?]
[lmao this actor’s impossible to figure out haha]
[Wasn’t Seo Hoyun pushing the kitty image?? Lolol sudden betrayal]
[Please note: that’s a cat with long ears, not a bunny.]
[Our baby kitty, kind to staff too.]
Even Seo Hoyun’s fans, who had been quiet, joined in, and public opinion turned increasingly positive.
[Looks like Seo Hoyun really is solid. Even when he was being trashed, there were always some defense posts, but now they’re flooding in.]
[If staff are posting under real names, he must really be confident haha His only “scandal”...
Making the CG team suffer because he doesn’t smoke.]
└lmaoooo that’s hilarious T_T
[Doesn’t it say everything that even shy Min Jiheon is close with him? Seo Hoyun’s really something.]
Right when public attention was at its peak, a new episode of Dead after Hope aired.
Kim Wooho learned his younger brother might be dead. On the night he was moving toward the Gangwon-do shelter—
Min Hanjun woke up and realized Kim Wooho wasn’t there. He followed the faint smell of smoke.
There, leaning against a half-broken wall, Kim Wooho was staring at the sky, smoking.
【Don’t you think your brother Kim Woohyung might already be dead? Based on what we heard today...】
Min Hanjun finally voiced the question buried deep inside.
【......Hanjun-ah, ever tried archery?】
The pale moonlight washed over Kim Wooho’s face. White smoke slipped through his lips, the ember glowing especially red at the seam.
【—Calm is crucial. Once it breaks, everything collapses endlessly. Like I once did.】
Then the smoke spread like dawn fog, veiling his pale face. Min Hanjun couldn’t bear to look, his trembling lashes lowered.
Afraid Wooho would sink completely into grief.
But then,
【On the flip side, it means as long as I don’t waver, that’s enough.】
His sharp gaze was calm once more.
【People always believe what they want to believe, spout all kinds of crap about me... screw it.】
No matter what others said.
His arrow would never shake.
【I’ll survive anywhere, stubbornly as ever.】
His grip on the bow tightened white, as if declaring his resolve.
【...You really believe that?】
【I do.】
He was speaking of hope in a place full of despair.
【Simple, isn’t it?】
His lips {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} curved faintly.
The OST swelled, the preview rolled, but viewers couldn’t escape the afterglow of that scene.
[Seo Hoyun just IS Kim Wooho...]
[If it were me, I’d have screamed from the start about how unfair it was, blaming Lee Kangseok, and ended up booted from the drama.]
[Seo Hoyun’s never released any statement, wow...
He’s answering with his acting, lmao goosebumps.]
[A real cat shows it through “acting”...
└Are you insane? LOOOLLLL
└└Our brave kitty, our Seo cat T_T sob sob]
Everything aligned perfectly, and rumors about Seo Hoyun quickly faded away.
***
Today was the day of the final, highlight scene.
I steadied myself and stepped toward the camera.
[They reached Gangwon-do, but instead of a shelter, countless infected awaited.
With Kim Woohyung unconscious from injury, carried on Min Hanjun’s back, Kim Wooho guarded them as they fled. They couldn’t stop to help anyone who fell; stopping meant death.]
Min Jiheon’s gaze wavered violently, but I ignored it and pulled him along.
[Blocked by rubble, Kim Wooho quickly assessed—if it continued like this, they’d all die.]
I muttered a curse, rummaging through my pocket for a lighter.
[Unless someone sacrificed themselves.]
Then I looked at pale Shin Heechan, unconscious on Min Jiheon’s back.
“...Hanjun.”
“Yes?!”
“Time to earn your keep.”
The meaning was obvious.
I tied rags to a bottle, filled it with fuel and Styrofoam, fixed it to an arrow. Our eyes met. As I lit the flame, Min Jiheon dashed forward.
The bowstring drew—explosion roared among the infected.
Through the black smoke, the camera closed in on my face.
“...Scary as hell.”
Even Heechan slumped on Jiheon’s back was gone from view. Clicking my tongue, I drew again.
Flames licked close, my bow hand trembled, sweat dripped into my lashes.
I shut my eyes tight; a droplet traced down my cheek like a tear.
Then—
“Kim Wooho-ssi!!”
Hearing Min Jiheon, I slackened my grip. The infected before me fell.
Startled, I saw Jiheon atop rubble, waving furiously, drenched in sweat and tears—he’d come back, with reinforcements.
Just like righteous Min Hanjun would.
“Don’t you dare die, bastard!!”
The infected still swarmed, fire still raged.
And I smiled.
“You’re insane, Min Hanjun.”
The blue sky reflected in my eyes.
.
.
.
Soon after, PD Jung shouted cut.
Applause erupted.
“Great work!!”
“Seo Hoyun-ssi, fantastic job on your last shoot!”
“Huh?! Last shoot already?”
“We filmed all the later scenes together before, remember?”
Staff with extinguishers rushed to put out the flames.
“He actually pulled it off in one take. Guess he’s good with his body.”
“Ahaha.”
I lowered the bow, smiling.
After that, Min Hanjun sought ways to save more people, Kim Wooho sought treatment for his brother—
And parted with only a farewell: “Let’s meet again alive.”
Thus ended Kim Wooho’s role in Dead after Hope.
“Seo Hoyun-ssi, how do you feel finishing the shoot?”
Time to return.
“Guess I won’t get soot on my face anymore.”
“Eh? Ahaha!”
The assistant director handed me a bouquet.
“...Um, I prepared something too.”
I looked to my manager as I accepted it.
Like with Bring Me the Camera, I had gift cards and small message cards ready.
“...Seo Hoyun-ssi!!”
“He’s too nice for his own good...”
“Ahaha.”
As I handed gifts to each staff member, cheers suddenly erupted.
“Our ratings are in! Highest rating, 21 percent!!”
“What?!”
It felt oddly like déjà vu from Tycoon of Nobodies.
Behind-the-scenes cameras caught the joyous cast and crew.
“Wow, to hear this right at the last Kim Wooho shoot.”
“Total MVP!”
PD Jung, flushed with excitement, came to me.
“Seo Hoyun-ssi.”
“Yes.”
“So much drama and noise, but thank god the parachute was you.”
He whispered, patting my back. I smirked, answering with a smile.
After greeting everyone, I headed for the van.
“Seo Hoyun-ssi.”
Min Jiheon called me.
He carried a massive bouquet for me, walking at my side as if to send me off.
Then he murmured in my ear.
“Unbelievable. How did you write letters for every single person? But why not me?”
“You and I have something to talk about separately.”
His face froze.
Before returning to being an idol—
It was time to dig into Min Jiheon.
