How Long Will Minjae Last?

At one of the high-rise buildings in Seoul, a man was seen leaning back against his chair while scrolling through his expensive phone. He was humming a soft tone as he savored a cup of iced Americano. 

The man looked as if he was having the time of his life.

He was alone after having just finished a meeting with his manager. His expression softened briefly when he read a congratulatory message from a fan about his upcoming drama.

"The perks of being me~" Sooyun uttered in a mocking tone. The corner of his lips slowly rose to the side forming a smug grin as he adjusted the golden rings on his finger.

He has been in a good mood for days. Well, he was especially in a brighter mood now as he refreshed the content of his feed.

All he could see were the articles about him and Minjae. 

Sooyun's fingers hovered over the screen as he skimmed through the growing engagement of the post. Pictures of Sooyun kneeling on the ground as he tried to get the gift when it fell surfaced on the internet.

The post accused Minjae of disrespecting him by refusing a gift and even throwing it on the ground during the shoot. 

Of course, it was his doing. 

Fortunately, his assistant was good at taking pictures and he got the shot at the perfect time. If he couldn't retrieve that watch, then might as well make it useful this way. 

When he remembered it, the feeling of annoyance surfaced in his heart. 

"That man!" Minjae growled in fury. His jaw clenched as he frustratedly shook his head. 

The watch was something he had been waiting for months to buy. It was also very expensive, so he had to think about whether to buy it or not. Now, he can't even use it since that shameless guy decided to take his gift. 

"Tsk. He was pretending to be nice and all by rejecting the gift. He must have seen the brand when it fell that's why he just suddenly wanted it." That thought made him even more annoyed. 

To ease his annoyance, he decided to read the comments under the post. 

@SixPackAbs: Who does that newbie think he is for disrespecting my idol? 

@CoffeeisLife: Tsk! So unbelievable. A senior is getting disrespected now?

@NoSuckingOfBalls: This guy is something. He had a lot of balls for sure.

@ILYPlease: My poor daddy Sooyun. Don't worry! Your babies are here to defend you.

@Justachillguy: Lol😂 

@SexyIsMyName: They should drop him off the project!

@User203829239: Replied to @SexyIsMyName. Ikr does this rookie think he's above Sooyun? Please 🙄

Sooyun chuckled softly. He sipped on his Iced Americano as he scrolled through the endless wave of hate comments towards Minjae.

Each comment made his ego soar higher. 

"My fans surely know how to handle this properly," Sooyun muttered in a satisfied tone as he reclined further into his chair.

"That's right, everyone. Just say more hate comments so that the newbie knows his place."

For the past hour, the comments had been a source of entertainment and joy for him. Watching how the internet exploded over such a thing was too satisfying. It made him feel important. It made him feel relevant. 

@Yum1234: We should demand justice for Sooyun!

@John_Mak: Minjae should apologize publicly. What a disgrace.

@Imnotstupidlikeyou: Poor Sooyun. He had to endure such humiliation. Ugh! I can't believe it.

@Mkncui_: 😤😤😤

@Sooyun#1Fan: We demand justice for Sooyun! 

@ImOnly: Replied to @Sooyun#1Fan. I agree! We should demand justice! Sooyun got humiliated and we can't just accept that!

Sooyun's smirk widened even more.

"Humiliated" He laughed softly, finding the comment unbelievable.

"If only they knew how little I care about that rookie."

"Hyung!" Sooyun's assistant, Kim Jihoon, entered the room hesitantly.

He saw the mischievous glint in Sooyun's eyes that he couldn't help but comment. 

"Sooyun hyung," Jihoon began cautiously. He didn't want to ruin Sooyun's good mood, but he was getting a lot of calls that it was getting out of hand. 

"You've been trending all morning, hyung. The agency's PR team is handling things, but they're asking you if you want to comment on the situation."

"And why would I do that?" Sooyun raised a brow, looking at Jihoon as if he was joking. His forehead creased as he placed his phone down. 

Jihoon shifted uncomfortably. He scratched the back of his head and swallowed hard.

Jihood had been working under Sooyun for quite some time now. He knew what the man was like when annoyed, and usually, it wouldn't be too good, especially for him. 

"The agency said it's getting big, hyung. Reporters wanted to know the whole story of it."

"Let it escalate first," Sooyun interrupted with an air of arrogance. "Tell the agency that it's free publicity. Besides, the narrative benefits me. Why would I ruin the fun?" 

Jihoon couldn't help but sigh secretly. He was the one who took the picture, but he couldn't help but be nervous. It was the first time that Sooyun acted like this boldly. 

"Still, it's risky. If anyone finds out you orchestrated this…"

"They won't," Sooyun disrupted Jihoon's words sharply, his tone laced with overflowing confidence. 

"Do you think I'm stupid enough to leave evidence behind? No one was there with us except that newbie's assistant. Also, I'm an established actor. People will believe me more than that newie. He's just a rookie getting what he deserves for trying to act high and mighty, you know."

"Yes, hyung…" Jihoon was still anxious. However, knowing that he wouldn't be able to do anything, he just nodded.

Arguing would be useless since Sooyun looked so determined right now. 

"But," Sooyun glanced at Jihoon, "keep an eye on the comments. If it looks like it's turning against me, which is impossible, but still... let me know immediately."

"Understood, hyung," Jihoon replied, bowing slightly before leaving the room.

Sooyun picked up his phone again, scrolling back to the post. The image of Minjae's confused face, as he glanced at the fallen gift, was almost poetic.

"I wonder how long it'll take for him to give up," Sooyun said out loud, his voice dripping with mockery.

"Let's see how the newbie handles the issue. I wonder if he can last for a day."

=====

A/N:

The fourth chapter of the day. Another one will be published in 7 hours.