STAR, FALTERING | woosan

˚₊‧☆32. elsewhere☆ ‧₊˚

if it hadn't been for all the consuming thoughts about lumi's lullaby, wooyoung would have been gaping like a fool for the hundredth time at how handsome san looked while doing the most mundane of tasks.

wooyoung knew he should talk to him about the video game and how it was all about him. was there a need to confirm j.w.y.2606's theory? everything seemed to make sense now that wooyoung had time to think about it. how many hints and clues did he leave in the game? furthermore, why was wooyoung chosen as the source of inspiration rather than another idol? what made him the ideal candidate for this?

hana slowly set down the papers, returning her gaze to seonghwa. "this is good," she told him, as san leaned over to grab the papers and sort through them on his own. "but do you guys really think it will be that simple? that a few positive news articles will restore his good reputation?"

"exactly. a single article can ruin a celebrity's life, but a dozen good ones often have no long-term impact. that's just how people are," seonghwa acknowledged. he turned and looked at wooyoung. "wooyoung. you should have said something as soon as those articles appeared. this is defamation. you know that, right? the law takes situations like this very seriously. if you had raised an issue back then and filed charges instead of remaining silent, digital forensics or whatever wouldn't have been an issue." his eyes were sharp, and his gaze was firm. "you wouldn't be standing here right now if you had done that. you'd be right where you belong."

"i highly doubt that." wooyoung's words caused seonghwa's eyebrows to frown. "i think you're forgetting this, but even if i did raise an issue, i still have no company to go back to. everything happened way too fast and only a psychopath would have their confidence still intact after enduring all that. the reporters in your face, the hundreds of articles, the crazy things people still say about you online," wooyoung let out a deep breath. "even if i went back to that time, i would've done the same thing."

"most of us would've done the same thing," san said, staring at seonghwa with his arms crossed. "he never had a chance to explain himself. it's easier said than done."

wooyoung cleared his throat, feeling a pang in his heart as he heard san's voice for the first time that night. before he could even stop himself, memories of the video game and their previous interactions flooded into his mind, as if a dam had broken inside. even standing next to him felt painfully awkward now that they were both keeping the same information to themselves.

seonghwa pinched the bridge of his nose, slightly agitated because he realised they were being reasonable. "okay, then what now?" he pushed his hands into the pockets of his slacks. "what's your next step? get hold of a few reputable journalists and have them break the news to the world?"

"we have other things to worry about," hana muttered, aggressively searching through her contacts. "i doubt his stupid company will accept him back. even if they want to, i will never let him enter that place again."

"what about the kids who made the false allegations in the first place? aren't you going to press charges, wooyoung?" seonghwa raised his brows in hope. "i'll help you if you need it. the process isn't as scary as it seems."

wooyoung sighed, contemplating seonghwa's passionate plea. he rubbed his temples, attempting to relieve the growing tension within him. "i don't know. going through legal proceedings... it's too exhausting."

seonghwa's expression softened, but his resolve remained firm. "i get it, wooyoung. but if we don't take a stand now, they'll think they can do this to anyone. it's about justice, not just for you, but for others who might face the same."

yeonjin's agreement was sharp and unwavering. "he's right. they can't think they can ruin someone's life and get away with it."

hana interjected, her voice measured but determined. "let's think about that later. for now, focus on breaking the news. we need to be smart about this. we can't just throw everything out there at once."

san, who had been quietly observing, finally spoke up. "what if we start with a small leak? just enough to get people talking. we can control the narrative that way."

"small leak as in...?"

"that's a smart idea," yeonjin said, cutting off seonghwa. "should we start with the screenshots first? that will cause people to doubt what they've seen and heard, and the audio recordings will later confirm all of their suspicions." she bit her lip while deep in thought.

seonghwa nodded thoughtfully, his gaze shifting between wooyoung and the others gathered around the table. "starting with the screenshots could work well," he agreed.

"who wants to meet the journalists?" hana looked up. "i don't know if they'll see me as a reliable source. i'm wooyoung's sister, after all."

"i'll do it!" yeonjin jumped in almost instantly and looked up at seonghwa. "you'll join me, right? you're the lawyer here. you know, verification from a professional or whatever. we can finish it over the weekend."

seonghwa narrowed his eyes and pondered, slightly surprised by yeonjin's request for his company. "i'll be in seoul tomorrow for some work, anyway. how about we get it done in the morning? just find a location and i'm in."

wooyoung's mind was elsewhere as he flicked his gaze between everyone in front of him, who were preoccupied with something he should have been concerned about instead. despite his best efforts, his thoughts kept returning to the same person.

"san," wooyoung began, feeling another ache in his chest as san looked back at him.

"can i talk to you for a moment?"