There Are Four Top Idol Uncles - Chapter 243

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Part 2, Episode 69
* * *
The next morning.
Yewon arrived at school with drowsy eyes.
Catching up on everything that had happened over the course of a single night was more than ordinarily exhausting.
They’d all kept it secret from her, perfectly hidden…!
She couldn’t bring herself to believe that friends she’d trusted so completely had actually committed what amounted to a minor crime.
It stung that they’d kept her in the dark, but knowing they’d done it all for her sake, she couldn’t say anything against them.
And….
The fact that was drawing so much attention was deeply unsettling in itself.
Especially the overwhelming interest being directed at Yoo Eun-o and Yu Jungseok.
‘…Eun-o isn’t the type of person who’d want this kind of attention….’
Would he be all right…?
Yewon let out a worried sigh.
That was when.
With a soft creak, the classroom door swung open.
It was Seo Gyeong-woo.
The moment the homeroom teacher entered, Yewon straightened in her seat.
‘…Gyeong-woo looks unusually worn out today…?’
Was it just her imagination…?
* * *
It wasn’t her imagination.
Seo Gyeong-woo was genuinely exhausted.
Since Monday morning, he’d been dragged into the staff room for one emergency meeting after another.
With three Hyunbong Art Middle School students suddenly receiving massive attention, an emergency meeting was unavoidable.
He’d spent the entire weekend fielding calls from parents—thought he’d die from it—but arriving at school proved to be even worse.
Especially since he was the homeroom teacher of Yewon, who sat at the center of all the controversy.
‘…Just kill me already. Seriously, just ban minors from social media altogether….’
How was he supposed to block private accounts that parents themselves couldn’t even stop…? Huh…?
Seo Gyeong-woo silently swallowed his tears.
The thing was.
Since he oversaw the Film Production Club, he knew very well what problems existed within the film club itself.
Especially the power struggles among the third-years, and all the subtle cruelty Baek Yuyeong had been directing at Yewon.
However, since Yuyeong had never done anything “directly,” and mostly just gossiped behind the scenes, it had been hard to intervene, so he’d simply been monitoring the situation.
Especially since Yewon, the person involved, knew nothing about any of it.
Of course….
Recently.
When he happened to run into the School Principal—
‘Oh my. Who’s this? Teacher Seo Gyeong-woo~? Nothing’s troubling you, I hope~?’
When he’d been asked like that.
Before he knew it….
‘…Well… nothing major… just something that might be my own overthinking, but….’
He’d ended up spilling all his worries.
But the way the Principal had grinned so widely just then—that had to be his imagination, surely….
‘I feel so reassured having a teacher like you, really~ Yes~ I’m very grateful~ I’ll keep that in mind~?’
…It somehow felt like he’d earned an unsettling amount of the Principal’s Favorability….
Anyway….
Seo Gyeong-woo glanced at Yewon visible beyond the monitor.
She seems all right….
Though oddly, her complexion looks even better than before… strange….
Still, his concern wouldn’t fade.
Of course Seo Gyeong-woo had seen all the articles and social media posts flooding in over the weekend.
He normally despised celebrity gossip articles like these, but when it involved one of his students, he couldn’t avoid them.
Having read through all the posts and comments, Seo Gyeong-woo had come to realize just how much attention and malice were being directed at this young child.
It was too much interest for a fourteen-year-old.
‘I’m in my thirties and this is already overwhelming for me—I can’t imagine how hard it must be for her….’
After morning assembly ended, Seo Gyeong-woo rubbed his face, then let out a sigh and gestured for Yewon to come over.
Yewon rose from her seat and hurried over.
“…You….”
“Yes?”
“Do you… do you know that schools have a system for reporting school violence?”
“…Yes…?”
At his expression—as if asking who wouldn’t know that—Seo Gyeong-woo felt even more ashamed of himself.
“I don’t think it’s always best to just endure things. If you’re struggling, you should talk to adults about it. Do that. And also, the Film Club….”
Seo Gyeong-woo scratched his head.
“Baek Yuyeong’s parents called. She’s planning to transfer schools.”
“!”
“Normally I shouldn’t tell you this, but since you’re the one directly involved—over the weekend, several students reported Yuyeong for school violence. It seems they found courage because of you.”
In truth, those students had found their courage after hearing from Mun Hyeok, but there was no way Seo Gyeong-woo could know that.
“So she’s transferring quietly. Still, they’ll continue with the school violence procedure. Of course, from your perspective this might feel like an unsatisfying resolution—”
“It doesn’t feel unsatisfying.”
“!”
“I’m fine with it. I just hope the hearts of the other people who were hurt by Yuyeong feel a little better….”
Seo Gyeong-woo stared at Yewon in surprise.
The child before his eyes wore a reassuring smile, as if to say she was truly fine—and her eyes held concern, not for herself, but for her teacher.
It was a smile he couldn’t believe came from a fourteen-year-old.
…But then again. She must have been through things like this often since childhood.
The thought only made his heart heavier. He figured he should probably bring it up carefully at the parent-teacher conference coming soon—something like, “Your child seems to have been exposed to a rather harsh environment…”
Could someone this pure-hearted really survive in the entertainment industry?
“…Right. For now, don’t go anywhere near social media. Got it?”
“…….”
When Yewon turned away without answering, Seo Gyeong-woo’s expression hardened at once.
“Hey. Answer me.”
“Yes… yes. I won’t post anything like that!”
“No, I mean don’t look at it at all. You’re not managing your account yourself, right? Your guardian or the company is handling it, isn’t it? Don’t even look at your DM box. Understand? The world is a frightening place, do you know that?”
When Yewon turned away again, Seo Gyeong-woo launched into a very, very long lecture.
The kid clearly didn’t realize she was fourteen.
Just because she’d started middle school, she thought she was grown!
When he saw Yoo Eun-o later in the Film Club, he was planning to unleash a lecture on him too. ‘Even you, the one I trusted, using social media! No matter what, attacking a friend on social media is dangerous and wrong,’ he’d say.
The school really needed to implement comprehensive Cyber Ethics education across the board!
* * *
But contrary to Seo Gyeong-woo’s hopes,
the world didn’t flow that way, ethics or no ethics.
[[Exclusive] Director Yu Jungseok’s Eldest Son—Past School Violence Confirmed]
[Director Yu Jungseok’s Eldest Son School Violence Allegations… When We Interviewed Those Involved at the Time]
[“The Younger Brother Stood by His Friend”… Director Yu Jungseok’s Eldest Son—School Violence Allegations Confirmed?]
As Director Yu Jungseok and Yoo Eun-o drew attention, naturally interest poured in on his firstborn son, Seon-o.
The problem began when journalists started digging into rumors that had been circulating in social media and online communities.
[[Exclusive] Director Yu Jungseok’s Sudden Halt in Work… Was It Because of His Eldest Son’s School Violence Allegations?]
[“Coincidence?”—Director Yu Jungseok Stopped Working Right After His Eldest Son’s School Violence Incident]
[The Fallout from Eldest Son’s School Violence Allegations… Will Director Yu Jungseok’s Next Project Hit the Brakes?]
Director Yu Jungseok felt his heart sink as articles kept streaming in in real-time.
“H-honey!”
Director Yu caught his swaying wife.
In fact, the two of them hadn’t told Yoo Eun-o, but they’d been trembling with dread all weekend.
Director Yu and Yoo Eun-o receiving attention wasn’t a bad thing, but they’d been anxiously waiting for articles about Seon-o to break, using this as a springboard.
And sure enough.
Articles exploded within a single day.
Director Yu lowered his head. He couldn’t believe this opportunity, hard-won, had slipped away so easily.
He was certain that once CEO Hyeon saw these articles, his mind would change. He’d said it was fine, but no investor could withstand such controversy once it erupted.
With a desolate heart, staring out at nothing,
“!”
Director Yu’s phone rang.
[CEO Hyeon Yuseong]
Surely.
It was going to be a call saying the investment was off.
Director Yu closed his eyes tight and answered.
“…Yes, CEO.”
-I imagine you’ve seen the articles.
“Yes, I have. So the investment is—”
—We’ll handle everything on our end, so I called to tell both of you to go rest at the hotel I’ve prepared with your sons for the time being.
“?!”
—There will be reporters camping outside your house. The adults might manage, but there’s no reason to put the children through the exhaustion of dealing with those people. It’s a hotel our family owns, so please don’t feel burdened—just rest easy.
“……??”
Yu Jungseok found himself doubting his own ears.
What in the world was happening? Go rest at a hotel? Was this a final gesture of goodwill before tearing up the contract?
“Then, the contract….”
—?
“Isn’t that why you called—to tell us you’re canceling the investment?”
—Did I say that?
“No….”
—Director Yu.
Yu Jungseok sensed it.
—When something stands in my way, I don’t turn back….
There was a faint smile in the voice coming through the phone.
—I remove it instead.
“!”
—I’ve already arranged everything, so take your family and rest well. Eat plenty of good food too. For now, all you two need to do is confiscate the children’s phones.
Hyeon Yuseong said only that, then hung up.
“……?”
Unable to process what had just happened, Yu Jungseok could only stare blankly at his wife.
“What, what is it? Honey. What did CEO Hyeon say?”
“Well, it’s….”
As Yu Jungseok stood there flabbergasted, unable to utter a word.
Ding-dong.
The doorbell rang.
“……?!”
Wondering if a reporter had already found them, he pressed the intercom.
—Hello, Director. CEO Hyeon sent me. I’ll escort you to the hotel.
A man in a crisp suit smiled pleasantly as he spoke.
At those words, the couple could only stare at each other, blinking in bewilderment.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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