Chapter Text
EP27
[Has anyone watched Murder to Fame? Kim Dokja is the son of a murderer.]
- I originally thought it was just the same name, but after checking, it really is him [screenshot]
- He is the son of contestant Lee Sookyung. She killed her husband and went to prison for it.
Kim's Diner's popularity brought them a huge number of viewers. Although the post had only been up for a short time, it had already caused a massive uproar and was spreading rapidly across Star Stream forums. Countless people were refreshing the forum. Not only was the original post being spammed with replies, but a large number of new discussion threads had also appeared.
Perhaps because the program had aired too long ago, netizens couldn’t immediately find a direct way to watch it, leading many to question its authenticity. But if something had existed, it would always leave traces on Star Stream. Soon, more program screenshots were posted, downloadable resources appeared, and viewers who had watched the show back then came forward to share their opinions.
- If you actually watched the program seriously, you wouldn’t summarize it like that.
- That man was an alcoholic gambler who also committed domestic violence. I think he died too late.
- Ms. Lee Sookyung is a respectable mother.
- Seeing that child from back then grow up to be who he is today, I’m genuinely proud of PD Kim.
- Wasn’t this trash program banned?
- I just want to know if the production team’s final reward was ever fulfilled.
In the screenshot, the boy stood beside his mother with his head lowered, staring blankly at the stage floor with lifeless eyes. Could this photo be edited? Or was it a prank? Han Sooyoung enlarged the photo and examined it carefully. She really wanted to convince herself it was fake, but her intuition told her that this thin, pale boy was indeed Kim Dokja.
But Kim Dokja had never mentioned any of this. If it was true… was this why he never appeared on camera in his previous programs? Han Sooyoung took a deep breath. “Hey, Yoo Sangah, what is Murder to Fame? Have you heard of it?”
Yoo Sangah, sitting opposite her, was naturally also following the situation. She nodded with a serious expression: “I’ve heard of it, but only during Star Stream TV’s internal risk warning meeting. I never expected Dokja-ssi mother to be a participant on that program.”
“Stop sighing. What exactly happened?” Han Sooyoung asked impatiently. Her main job was still freelance writing; she only held a nominal position at Star Stream TV and didn’t need to attend those troublesome risk warning meetings.
“Dokkaebi Paul, in order to make money and raise the channel’s level, bypassed the company’s program review committee and used its authority to privately air a paid members-only custom program.” As an excellent employee who never slacked off in meetings, Yoo Sangah recounted the case for her. “It used Star Stream TV’s name and money to grease the wheels, packaging the participation contracts as a sentence-reduction cooperation project, gathering a group of prisoners as reality show contestants.”
“I remember now! So it’s Murder to Fame!” Her words finally jogged the other production team members’ memories. “Survival shows were trending back then. The concept of this program was a murder show — packaging criminals as murder celebrities…”
“PD wasn’t even an adult at the time, right? What a disgrace to dokkaebis, dragging a minor into something like that.”
“Although the program was urgently halted, it still caused extremely bad influence. It’s said that it caused a huge internal shock at the TV station, which is why it became a warning case in the company’s training sessions… I never imagined PD was one of the victims.”
Kim Dokja, who had just pushed open the door, happened to hear this. Yoo Joonghyuk followed closely behind him. Upon seeing the person involved, the production team members in the room all felt a bit awkward, unsure how to react. Everyone turned to PD Yoo Sangah and Writer Han Sooyoung.
Yoo Sangah looked deeply worried, while Han Sooyoung’s gaze wandered. She rarely became hesitant: “So… this… it’s fine, right?”
“It’s fine. It won’t have much impact on the program.” Kim Dokja was calm, as if talking about something completely unrelated to himself. He reported his emergency measures in a professional tone: “I’ve already contacted the PR department. This program is also a scandal for Star Stream TV. The station is paying close attention and will handle it as soon as possible. From what I’ve seen, the current online public opinion is still heading in a good direction…”
“You’ve already looked at it?” Someone gasped.
Kim Dokja nodded as if it were obvious. Of course there were some mocking negative comments online, but compared to the things Kim Dokja had heard in the past, those remarks weren’t even worth paying attention to.
Everyone in the room stared at him blankly. Kim Dokja continued: “If we handle it promptly, we might even be able to convert this attention into viewership. We still have some stockpiled content, right? Let’s use this opportunity to release more special features. More people will subscribe to membership.”
“Damn it, where did this idiot come from?” Han Sooyoung ruffled her hair in frustration. “Who cares about that right now?”
“Do you need me to confirm it? Everything said in that program is true. What people are saying online is also correct. My dad was scum, my mom killed him, and I am the son of a murderer.”
“Dokja-ssi!”
“PD Kim, what are you saying?!”
Several disapproving voices immediately rang out in the room. Yoo Joonghyuk, standing beside him, grabbed his wrist. Biyoo simply jumped onto his face, using her fluffy body to stop Kim Dokja from saying anything more. Kim Dokja pulled Biyoo off his face and continued speaking on his own: “None of you had heard of this? Looks like the company did a good job with public opinion management back then…”
“Dokja-ssi, let’s set the program matters aside for now — what’s more important to us is naturally how you’re feeling.” Yoo Sangah looked at him with worry and concern, asking directly, “Are you okay?”
“Me?” Kim Dokja paused. “That was a long time ago.”
“So are you okay?”
Faced with his colleagues’ concerned gazes, PD Kim, who had been talking non-stop earlier, opened his mouth but found himself speechless. At that moment, Yoo Joonghyuk pulled him and asked, “PD Yoo Sangah, I’ll leave the follow-up to you. Is that alright?”
Yoo Sangah promised seriously: “Of course. This is our job.”
The regressor head chef nodded lightly. Without another word, he forcefully dragged Kim Dokja out of the production team’s workspace. Biyoo followed behind them. Kim Dokja kept protesting: “Wait, Joonghyuk, we haven’t finished talking.”
“That’s enough. The production team will handle it.” Yoo Joonghyuk said without looking back. “Go rest.”
“It’s not time to rest. I’m fine…”
Fine? Hearing this, Yoo Joonghyuk’s steps halted. The hand that had been gripping Kim Dokja’s wrist slid down and interlocked their fingers. Yoo Joonghyuk could feel that the hand holding his was ice-cold and covered in cold sweat. Kim Dokja instinctively tried to pull back, but Yoo Joonghyuk held on tightly and continued walking forward without saying a word.
Ever since seeing that post, Kim Dokja had been showing unusual excitement. His breathing was rapid, his ears were flushed red, and his whole body was trembling slightly, yet he seemed completely unaware of his own state. This looked very much like a stress response. This matter was definitely not a simple past event to him.
Yoo Joonghyuk naturally had many questions, but now was not the right time to ask.
They returned to the room. Yoo Joonghyuk swiftly snatched away his phone and pressed Kim Dokja onto the bed with one hand. To make sure he stayed lying down, the superstar even deigned to cover him with a blanket: “Sleep.”
Kim Dokja’s heart was still pounding. He tried to get up from the bed: “Something like this happened. How can I just sleep?”
“You’ve already done everything that can be done. Continuing to look at it won’t help.” Yoo Joonghyuk had his own reasoning. “You’re a program guest. We still have filming tomorrow. Leave the rest to the production team.”
Biyoo also came to his side worriedly. Her tiny hands held a tissue and wiped the sweat from his forehead, chiming in: “Baat…”
Kim Dokja stubbornly held out for a while, but eventually gave up resisting. He lay helplessly on the bed, letting Biyoo press down on his chest. Yoo Joonghyuk turned off the lights. In the darkness, the mattress sank as Yoo Joonghyuk lay down beside him. Kim Dokja could hear his breathing.
What will happen tomorrow? Kim Dokja closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind, but his thoughts remained chaotic. If he hadn’t held onto that sliver of luck and agreed to appear on camera, would this have happened? Or should he blame the production team for doing too good a job and making them too famous? But in the end, the internet had simply dug up long-buried facts again…
Listening to the steady breathing in the room, Kim Dokja’s consciousness gradually drifted away. He fell into a light sleep, but the anxiety and unease in his heart lingered for a long time.
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A/N:
I really want to release it all in one go…!!
(Also, I posted the Joongdok printed goods and retweet draw on Weibo. Friends who are interested can join 😋)