Chapter 08: Gossip (2)
Muyoung’s lips trembled finely as he took a deep breath in and let it out. His fingertips still tingled as if blood wasn’t circulating properly through his body. With his eyes squeezed shut, he clasped both hands together and kneaded them, but the uncomfortable feeling persisted. Wondering if something was wrong with the chair, he shifted his hips and adjusted his posture in his seat.
The decision and execution hadn’t been difficult, but when the actual day arrived, his expression had hardened and wouldn’t relax no matter what, causing him trouble. The longer he sat in the waiting room, the worse it got.
“Here, excuse me, could I get a bottle of water?”
Then he heard Section Manager Kim’s voice asking a passing event staff member, having noticed Muyoung’s state. Muyoung, who had been sitting with his eyes closed while lightly fidgeting with his earlobes, obediently accepted the plastic bottle that Section Manager Kim handed him after opening the cap. As he took just enough water into his mouth to keep it from drying out and swallowed, his previously calm Adam’s apple bobbed.
“First, check the statement and expected questions one more time. You know you have to go up there alone, right?”
“……Yes.”
His eyes slowly took in the densely written letters on the white paper pushed toward him by CEO Choi. Muyoung, who answered in succession with light nods of his head, fixed his gaze on the paper he’d been given again.
“You don’t need to be too nervous. The articles probably won’t come out too badly either.”
“That’s unlikely……”
Muyoung, who smiled a little at CEO Choi’s soothing words, shook his head. Not only favorable articles would appear. But that didn’t mean he was worrying in advance about articles that hadn’t even come out yet. Of course, he might have for just a brief moment, but anyway, he wasn’t thinking about that now.
Rather, a faint thought of whether he really needed to go this far still lingered within Muyoung. There was also the worry that he might be making something trivial even bigger. However, now that the decision couldn’t be reversed, he wasn’t even doing that anymore.
After discussing thoroughly with Dowon for several days and constantly meeting with CEO Choi to coordinate opinions, they had concluded on holding a press conference. The matter had grown too large to be resolved by just releasing a statement, and both CEO Choi and Section Manager Kim were of the opinion that it would be better for Muyoung to appear before the cameras rather than just a few lines in an article.
CEO Choi was supposed to handle the overall process of securing the location and time and notifying the media, but Muyoung didn’t think there was no help from Dowon behind it. Both the fact that it would be difficult for his agency to accomplish renting this venue and gathering media outlets within a day or two, and the number of reporters gathered when he glanced outside, suggested as much.
But the biggest help had been Dowon’s caring words from the day before.
─ No matter what questions come up, you just need to be confident, Muyoung-ssi. What they’re curious about isn’t the truth. Since their goal is simply to extract something more provocative from this incident, it’ll be better for you to say everything you want to say.
Dowon’s realistic and firm advice had appropriately put the brakes on the negative imaginings that kept surfacing even after making the decision. Even now, his queasy stomach settled down a bit when he recalled Dowon’s voice.
Suddenly, he thought he wanted to see Dowon. He wasn’t even sure if it was right to miss him when there was such an important task right in front of him. As soon as he thought of him, he became conscious of the phone in his pocket. Should he have sent a message at least?
Muyoung, who had been keeping his eyes closed, opened them and looked around. The cramped waiting room seemed to be a place normally used for weddings or events, as there were only a few seats. Perhaps because of that, aside from CEO Choi and Section Manager Kim, no other personnel were visible. The event staff who had been coming and going until just moments ago seemed to be waiting outside.
“Why, do you need something?”
Noticing Muyoung looking around, Section Manager Kim approached, perhaps thinking he was looking for something.
“Ah, no. No, nothing.”
“You seem pretty nervous. Are you really okay?”
Muyoung, who had been pressing his fingers together, tilted his head.
“Yes, I’m okay, but…… it seems like there are too many cameras……”
“A reasonable number came. It’s not that many.”
When he vaguely deflected since he couldn’t explain his complicated thoughts in detail, CEO Choi glanced outside to gauge the situation and shook his head.
“Maybe it’s because it’s not like a filming set. I’m fine. I’ll do well.”
“Don’t try to do well, just do it comfortably, comfortably. How can you do any better than this?”
Section Manager Kim, who grumbled as he spoke, touched Muyoung’s collar once more and patted down his shoulders. The hand brushing away dust that wasn’t even there was clearly filled with worry. It seemed that the few words he’d strung together like excuses might have affected these two more than himself.
“I’m really fine. I think Section Manager Kim is more nervous than me.”
He realized from this that the current situation was placing quite a burden on everyone. Muyoung picked through what to say several times before just smiling at Section Manager Kim.
“It’s time to start now. Get ready, Muyoung-ah.”
At CEO Choi’s words, Muyoung stood in front of the entrance and let out a long breath. The light gray suit jacket, selected to create an atmosphere that was neither too dark nor too bright, was slightly big on Muyoung’s body. Though it had been adjusted by the stylist’s hands, it still felt a bit loose. He pulled down the hem, adjusted the cuffs, and lightly stomped in place to shake off stray thoughts. Even in that moment, Muyoung’s mind was pondering when would be the right time to contact Dowon after finishing the press conference.
“Let’s go.”
At CEO Choi’s words, Muyoung briefly made eye contact and entered the conference hall in time with his signal. Before crossing through the door, he pressed his palm firmly against the pocket containing the phone he hadn’t been able to use to contact him.
The press conference was being held in a moderately sized seminar hall. Except for the long table at the very front where Muyoung would sit, the carpeted hall had prepared simple chairs arranged like a lecture hall for seating. All those seats were filled with reporters. In preparation for any possible situation, security guards and event staff were waiting at the front and back of the hall.
As soon as Muyoung entered, shutter sounds rang out along with successive flashes of light. He knew it was something to endure due to the insufficient light indoors, but the bombardment of sound and light pouring out from the moment he appeared was severe enough to make anyone who was an ordinary person feel naturally intimidated.
Without wavering, deliberately composing a calm expression, he slowly stood at the center of the prepared table. When he finished bowing courteously and sat down, the shutter sounds began to decrease compared to when he had entered.
Without placing his gaze directly forward, he took out the manuscript he had prepared and spread it before him. In fact, the content to be announced was already all in his head. However, he had prepared it out of worry that sitting barehanded and speaking as if it were nothing might look too insincere, and to minimize mistakes on site.
Muyoung reached for the microphone placed on the table. He raised his gaze and stared at the lenses and reporters in front of him.
“Good day. I am actor Lee Muyoung. First, I sincerely apologize for causing concern to those who support and care for me due to the recent controversy. I have arranged this occasion to prevent the controversy from growing further and to convey the facts as they are.”
A low but firm voice penetrated the shutter sounds and filled the seminar hall. It was a plain tone without excessive appeal or emotion.
“As reported in the articles, I have continued my activities as an actor without revealing my trait until now. The reason I didn’t specifically reveal it would be the same as the reason all people with traits don’t reveal the facts and continue their activities. I didn’t experience manifestation during adolescence but rather during college, a late manifestation, when I acquired my trait. I had difficulty adapting to the sudden change and lacked understanding. The trait itself was much weaker than normal pheromone levels, and if I took medicine regularly, there was no major difference in daily life from before manifestation.”
It had been a period of constant deliberation with CEO Choi as well. But at that time, he had to continue activities more actively than now, and they had reached the consensus that if there were no immediate inconveniences, it didn’t need to be revealed. It was a time when they wondered if there was any need to dig up and announce something no one was asking about.
“Moreover, I have never once caused inconvenience at work due to my trait.”
Muyoung’s eyes were straight as he calmly finished his sentence and looked forward. His cheeks, taking a short deep breath, were pale to the point of being white, but he didn’t look anxious or frightened.
“And I am indeed an Omega trait holder.”
The shutter sounds increased again and flashes went off. But it didn’t continue for long. Muyoung looked at the manuscript briefly to continue with his next words.
“As is widely known, prejudice arises from merely having a trait. Currently, I not only have a trait but also have health issues related to it. I must regularly visit the hospital and take medication so that it doesn’t interfere with daily life. My current agency is giving me sufficient consideration for this, but I received separate help regarding my trait.”
This was how he explained the reason for being photographed with Dowon. Even without specifically adding that it was an explanation about the photo, the reporters who had already understood murmured quietly among themselves. Dowon also knew about this content but said it wasn’t burdensome, so he had written it. Above all, it was true that he had received help. Now wasn’t the occasion to reveal every detail about the two of them.
“The photo that led to the article was also taken when I first visited that hospital where I’m receiving treatment together.”
The atmosphere hadn’t been bad so far. The reporters were also waiting for what would come out of Muyoung’s mouth. Muyoung, who had been tracing the manuscript with his eyes, tried hard to suppress his anxious feelings. No, rather than anxious……
Do everything you want to do.
For a moment, it felt as if Dowon’s voice was right beside him. The hand that had been gripping the manuscript tightly relaxed a bit.
“I know that working as an actor means it’s difficult to escape people’s gazes. However, I don’t think it’s work that requires putting everything out into the world without any restrictions on every action and movement. The place exposed in the photo was in front of a hospital, but it would be the same if it were somewhere other than a hospital. If I’ve done something wrong, it’s that I didn’t manage my health properly, and if I should apologize for that, I think I should apologize to those who support and care for me. Because I know that the current situation, where talk has grown uncontrollably due to something I failed to reveal myself, is as much a source of worry and pain for them as it is for me.”
