Chương 65: Scandal

Ch 65 - Scandal Jamie Henderson tightened his grip on his phone as he scrolled through the endless stream of accusations flooding every post about Muse Tune Entertainment. A single documentary uploaded by some NovaTube content creator had thrown the company into chaos. Bam! His fist crashed onto the desk.

"What the hell is the PR department doing? Why is that video still up?!" His secretary lowered his head.

"Sir, it's not that simple. The person behind the channel is the daughter of the Ruiz family."

"So what?!" Jamie snapped.

"Does that give her the right to slander us? I built this company from the ground up. I'm not about to let some brat tear it all down! Where are the girls? Tell Stellaris to go live and clear this whole thing up!"

"Ms. Morgan is trying to contact Ms. Lim and persuade her to get the others to reconsider," the secretary replied.

"But it may take some time."

"Time?!" Jamie barked.

"We don't have time! Tell Legal to prepare a lawsuit against that Ruiz girl immediately. And see if we can file a copyright claim to get NovaTube to take the documentary down."

"The legal team is already working on both, sir." Jamie's expression darkened.

"Damn that girl!"

Yeon-ah's head was spinning. Everything had happened so fast that part of her still couldn't believe it was real. First, the man had crashed the fan meeting. Then Ines and Olivia quit. Now Carmen had released a video exposing Muse Tune Entertainment. Alone in her room, Yeon-ah clutched her phone as she scrolled through the flood of reactions from fans and the public. The video had been uploaded only a few hours ago, yet it had already exploded across Chatter, becoming one of the platform's hottest topics.

Thousands of comments poured in beneath it, with fans demanding answers and calling for the company to be investigated. Muse Tune Entertainment had already responded with an official statement, denying every allegation raised in Carmen's video. But judging by the reactions online, the company's denial had done little to calm the backlash. Was this Carmen's response to her turning down the Ruiz family's offer? She doubted it, or at least hoped that was the case.

A documentary like this would have taken weeks to produce, from gathering evidence and interviewing sources to editing everything together. There was no way Carmen could have prepared it all in just a few days. More than anything, Yeon-ah felt lost. It was as though she had been standing aboard a ship that had sailed into a storm, with waves battering the hull and dark clouds gathering overhead, leaving her with no idea which direction to steer. She already knew where all of this was heading. Carmen hadn't lied.

If anything, some of the information in the documentary had been completely new to her. Muse Tune Entertainment really was a black company, and if the allegations were investigated, the agency could face serious legal trouble. The scandal alone could cripple it if not bring it crashing down altogether. Could this be her chance to finally free herself from the contract that had bound her ever since she chose to become an idol? But did she really want to? She had devoted years of her life to chasing this dream.

Walking away from it wouldn't be easy. Could she even stay if she wanted to? With Ines and Olivia gone, there might not be a future for Stellaris as it was. Her thoughts were still in turmoil when shouting erupted outside her room.

"Yeon-ah! Yeon-ah!" Morgan yelled.

"Come out! I need to speak with you!"

"Ms. Morgan, is there really a need to shout like that?" her father asked.

"I need to talk to your daughter! I know she's here!" Yeon-ah hurried out and found her father standing between Morgan and the hallway. The manager looked frazzled, and the moment her bloodshot eyes landed on Yeon-ah, she shoved past him.

"There you are!" Morgan seized Yeon-ah by the arm and yanked her back into the bedroom, then slammed the door shut. Almost immediately, loud knocks echoed from the other side.

"Hey! What are you doing to my daughter?!" her father shouted.

"I'm fine, Father!" Yeon-ah called back.

"It's okay. I just need to talk with Ms. Morgan."

"Fine... but yell if anything happens," her father said. Morgan paced back and forth across the bedroom, chewing on her thumbnail.

"What is it that you want, Ms. Morgan?" Yeon-ah asked. Morgan spun around, her hair whipping across her face.

"What do I want?" she snapped.

"What I want is for you three girls to stop acting so childish! I need all of you to deny those accusations against the agency. Call Ines and Olivia and tell them you'll go on a livestream together to address everything."

"You do remember that those two already quit. Besides... it's not as if anything in that video was false." Morgan let out a sharp laugh.

"Are you serious right now? You're actually going to follow those two?" She jabbed a finger toward Yeon-ah.

"Stop being so selfish! Don't you remember who recruited you? You were nothing more than ordinary girls living in the Outskirts. Muse Tune Entertainment found three rough stones and turned them into diamonds. We built your careers from the ground up, and this is how you're going to repay us?" Yeon-ah remained silent for a long moment. In a way, Morgan wasn't wrong. She, Ines, and Olivia had all been poor girls chasing the same impossible dream.

They had wanted to become someone, to prove to the world that they mattered. Even so...

"I don't think you can keep using that argument anymore, Ms. Morgan," Yeon-ah said with growing frustration.

"You trapped us in a black contract. Every time we wanted to leave, you threatened us with those outrageous termination penalties. Then there were the unfair revenue splits and the endless demands the company placed on us, while never letting us pursue the kind of idols we wanted to be. I'm surprised none of the three of us broke down sooner." Morgan barked out a laugh.

"Now you're complaining about the revenue split? You girls never once had a problem with it before." She swept a hand around the cramped room.

"And let's not forget your situation, Yeon-ah. Unlike Ines and Olivia, who can afford the termination fee, you can't. Just look at this place. Where did all the money from your idol career go? Even those two have moved to District 11, yet you're still stuck in the Outskirts. I'm doing this for your own good!" Yeon-ah turned her face away and clenched her fists.

"Please leave, Ms. Morgan. You've said enough."

"I'm not finished!" Morgan's voice rose even higher as she took another step forward.

"You think you can just walk away from us? The CEO has connections, you hear me? If you dare leave this company, we'll make sure no one in the entertainment industry ever hires you again. Better yet, we'll make sure you never even get a license as an Awakener. You're nothing without Muse Tune Entertainment. Nothing!" Bang! The bedroom door swung open so hard it struck the wall. Evan strolled into the room, applauding with an amused smile.

"Bravo. That was quite the speech."

"Did you guys hear that?" Carmen asked as she walked in behind him, holding a smartphone mounted on a gimbal. She aimed it toward Morgan with a grin.

"She just said Muse Tune Entertainment is going to make sure our dear Yeonie never makes it anywhere in life. I never imagined someone would say something so awful with a straight face."

"N-No, I..."

"Oh, we heard you loud and clear," Evan replied, pulling out his phone.

"You were shouting so loudly we could hear everything from outside." He tapped the screen, and Morgan's voice echoed through the room.

"If you dare leave this company, we'll make sure no one in the entertainment industry ever hires you again. Better yet, we'll make sure you never even get a license as an Awakener. You're nothing without Muse Tune Entertainment. Nothing!" If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Morgan's expression went deathly pale. She staggered back a step, her lips trembling.

"That's... that's not... I didn't say that!" She shoved past Evan and bolted out of the room. Yeon-ah could only stare at the doorway in stunned silence before looking back at the two grinning teenagers.

"What...?" Evan slipped his phone back into his pocket.

"Looks like we showed up at just the right time." Carmen lowered the gimbal with a sheepish smile.

"Oh, and I wasn't actually livestreaming. That would've been an invasion of privacy." She shook her head.

"How did you end up with someone like that as your manager, Yeonie?"

"I..." Her father hurried into the room, worry written all over his face. He gently gripped her shoulders and looked her over from head to toe.

"Yeon-ah, are you alright? What was that woman talking about?"

"Father..." Her voice trembled.

"I... I don't think I can be an idol anymore." He frowned in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" Carmen stepped forward.

"Sir, did you know your daughter has been trapped in a terrible black contract? She's been forced to work endlessly while receiving only a fraction of what she should've earned. It's all over the news now, and if the investigation keeps going, I wouldn't be surprised if the police get involved. Muse Tune Entertainment has been accused of multiple labor law violations." Her father's expression hardened as he turned back to his daughter.

"Yeon-ah... is that true?"

"Yeah. Ines and Olivia have already decided to quit, so..." Yeon-ah's voice faltered.

"I guess this is the end. Stellaris... is over."

The following days were absolute chaos. Not the kind caused by monsters tearing through cities, but the kind that unfolded online instead. Every time Evan refreshed Chatter, another post about Muse Tune Entertainment had climbed to the top of the trending page. Former trainees started sharing their stories, followed by stylists and backup dancers. Even a few former managers eventually came forward, painting an even uglier picture of the company.

Muse Tune's official account was buried beneath thousands of furious comments demanding answers. What had started as a single documentary had snowballed into the biggest entertainment scandal in recent memory. It didn't take long for the government to step in. The Labor Ministry announced an investigation into the allegations, while the police confirmed they were reviewing evidence of possible financial misconduct and other criminal violations.

Television crews soon gathered outside Muse Tune's headquarters, broadcasting live as employees hurried past the cameras with their heads lowered, hoping not to be recognized. Muse Tune Entertainment didn't take the accusations lying down. They released statements denying everything Carmen had said, insisting the video had been selectively edited and accusing her of fabricating evidence for views while threatening legal action. Carmen's response was a loud, delighted cackle.

"They're actually making this easy for me," she said as she uploaded another video exposing even more of the company's dirty secrets. Evan also got to witness firsthand just how protective Carmen's father could be. New waves of news reports soon followed, revealing that the Ruiz family had ordered companies under the Ruiz Group to suspend their sponsorships and review their ongoing business dealings with the agency. Less than a week later, Henderson appeared before the cameras.

Dressed in a dark suit, he stood stiffly behind a podium, bowed deeply, then read from a prepared statement. He apologized for the public concern, pledged that Muse Tune Entertainment would fully cooperate with the government's investigation, and announced an internal review into the allegations.

"So, what do you say? Great work?" Carmen asked as they finished another patrol around Southern Outskirts Zone 23. Evan let out a dry laugh.

"Great work. Remind me never to get on your bad side."

"As you should!" Carmen declared, thumping a fist against her chest.

"No one crosses the great Carmen Ruiz!" She flashed him a grin and nudged him with her elbow.

"So, are you going to talk to Yeon-ah today?" Evan nodded. The whole thing had taken far longer than he'd expected, and he barely had enough time left to get the confirmation he needed. He checked his System window and saw that the countdown was already dangerously low. [Quest!] [Objective: Convince Lim Yeon-ah to become a full-time Awakener.] [Time Limit: 04: 52: 20] [Reward: ■■■■■■]"Maybe you should send your brother instead," Carmen teased.

"I'm sure he could convince Yeon-ah in no time." Evan rolled his eyes.

"Don't joke around. Reid doesn't even know about this plan. And..." He trailed off for a moment.

"I'm technically the reason her idol group fell apart. The least I can do is talk to her." After parting ways with Carmen, Evan headed for Yeon-ah's home. The family restaurant was still open, and when he stepped inside, he passed a customer leaving after finishing their meal. Through the kitchen doorway, he spotted Yeon-ah helping her father prepare orders.

"Welcome—" she said, then stopped when she recognized him. Evan raised a hand in greeting.

"Can I get a bowl of black bean noodles?" She gave a small nod.

"Coming right up." Taking a seat, Evan pulled out his phone to pass the time. Soon, Yeon-ah returned with a steaming bowl of jajangmyeon, accompanied by the usual side dishes. What surprised him, however, was that she also set down a bowl for herself and took the seat across from him. She raised an eyebrow.

"What? I'm hungry too." Evan shrugged and dug into his noodles. The two ate in comfortable silence, broken only by the occasional clink of chopsticks against porcelain. Every now and then, he checked on Yeon-ah and found her eating with her usual appetite, slurping up the noodles as though she hadn't eaten all day. At the very least, it seemed the recent turmoil hadn't completely crushed her spirits. When they finished eating, Yeon-ah set her chopsticks down and turned her attention to him.

"So... what brings you here?" Evan leaned back in his chair.

"Can't I check up on you?"

"Since when did you start caring so much about me? And don't worry about your request. I'm still going to make it."

"That's not why I came." Evan studied her expression.

"How are your friends doing?"

"Ines and Olivia?" Yeon-ah said.

"They've already made up their minds. We're planning to announce that we're leaving Stellaris sometime next week."

"I see." Evan let the silence linger for a moment.

"So... what are you going to do after that?"

"I don't know. I definitely want to finish that bracelet first, but after that..."

"Have you thought about becoming a full-time Awakener? You'll earn a lot more than you did as an idol, and Carmen told me her offer is still open."

"I..."

"She's not becoming an Awakener." The firm voice came from behind them. Seong-jin emerged from the kitchen, his eyes fixed on Evan.

"I forbid it." Evan frowned.

"Why? Yeon-ah just lost her job and her main source of income. Becoming an Awakener seems like the obvious choice, especially since she's an Artificer. She won't be fighting monsters on the front lines, so you don't have to worry about her getting hurt."

"That's none of your business," Seong-jin replied.

"What my daughter chooses to do is a family matter, and I won't have you trying to convince her otherwise." He gestured toward the empty bowls.

"You're finished eating. You can leave now. And don't worry about paying." Confusion crossed Evan's face. Why was Seong-jin so opposed to the idea?

"Yeon-ah," he asked.

"Is this really what you want?" Yeon-ah met his eyes, but Seong-jin moved to her side and rested a hand on her shoulder. After a long silence, she spoke.

"Yeah... I'm not going to become an Awakener." She forced a small smile.

"I'll probably just keep helping my father here. Besides, I still love singing, even if I don't want to be an idol anymore. Ines and Olivia are planning to start a NovaTube channel focused on music, and they invited me to join them. I guess... that'll be my next job." Evan stared at her in disbelief.

"You can't be serious." Seong-jin's expression darkened.

"Leave, young man," he said, his voice low and firm.

"Before I throw you out myself." Evan glanced between the father and daughter. The urge to argue rose within him, but judging by the resolve in both their expressions, he knew there was nothing more he could say. With Seong-jin's hostile gaze fixed on him, he left the restaurant and made his way back toward the Outer Zone Security Post. Running a hand through his hair, Evan grimaced. He had been so sure he had this Quest in the bag.

All he needed was a verbal confirmation from Yeon-ah, yet her father had turned out to be the final obstacle standing in his way. Damn it. There was nothing he could do now. It wasn't as though he could force Yeon-ah to become an Awakener, and although he wanted to understand why Seong-jin was so firmly opposed to the idea, finding out would take time. Unfortunately, time was something he no longer had. [Quest!] [Objective: Convince Lim Yeon-ah to become a full-time Awakener.] [Time Limit: 00: 01: 10] [Reward: ■■■■■■] Just over a minute remained. So this was it. For the first time since the System had appeared in his life, he was about to fail one of its Quests. What would happen when the timer hit zero? Would it drag him into some mysterious dimension and force him to fight to the death? Would lightning strike him from the sky? Or would the System just rip his soul from his body and toss it straight into the underworld?

With nothing else he could do, Evan sank onto a nearby public bench and stared at the countdown as it ticked toward zero. Each passing second made his heart pound harder against his ribs. [Time Limit: 5 seconds] [Time Limit: 4 seconds] [Time Limit: 3 seconds] [Time Limit: 2 seconds] [Time Limit: 1 second] [Time Limit: 0 seconds] [You've failed a Quest!] [Congratulations! You somehow managed to fail even this. And you know what they say... failures deserve to be punished!] [You have been cursed!] [New status effect acquired: Definitely the Villain Aura] Evan's jaw dropped.