In the middle of the courthouse parking lot that afternoon, the area was crowded with people and reporters. They gathered near the front gate, clearly waiting for someone.
Among the sea of faces stood a pink-haired man. He let out a soft whistle. Moments later, a pale violet butterfly fluttered down and perched on his wrist, as if delivering a message meant only for him. "Tearing up the contract?" He smiled faintly, revealing a hibiscus–mugunghwa tattoo beneath his right eye.
"Looks like he's finally figured out what he wants most." He rolled up his sleeve and ran his hand over the dragon tattoo on his right arm. In the blink of an eye, it vanished.
"Then I'll be taking back everything I gave him." He raised his hand and pointed toward a silver-haired young man standing on the courthouse steps, deep in conversation. But the butterfly darted in front of his finger.
"Hm?"
The butterfly circled repeatedly, as if trying to explain something. The man studied its markings closely and suddenly realized—it wasn't the same butterfly as before.
"No wonder your color's different… You want him to prove it himself, is that it?"
He lowered his hand, gazing at the butterfly with a softened expression.
"So you've grown fond of that boy, huh? Fine. But this will be the last time."
He brushed his left arm, forming a lotus-leaf tattoo—symbol of vipassana—before opening his palm and letting the butterfly fly away. It returned to its owner: the silver-haired young man, who pushed open the courtroom doors once more.
The butterfly settled on U Seokjin's shoulder.
Bang!
The gavel struck, announcing the start of the afternoon session.
I handed over a stack of documents along with a small recording device to my lawyer.
"Next, we will present another piece of evidence," he said, "to indict Mr. Na and his company on the charge of indirect homicide."
The opposing lawyer turned to me. "The autopsy has already been completed. Mr. Ji Sanghye's lungs were severely damaged, leading to total organ failure. Our company has already spoken with the attending physician."
"When you say you 'spoke with the doctor,'" my lawyer shot back, "was that before or after Mr. Ji Sanghye died?"
"Are you accusing us of being involved in his death?" Daejung's lawyer snapped. "Or am I suddenly deaf?"
"Then feel free to bring that doctor in as a witness—if he's available," my lawyer replied calmly. "Because from what I can see, this case is becoming far more complicated than expected. First, the manipulation of criminal information. And now, it appears we're dealing with intentional indirect murder as well."
He pointed at Daejung, and at the elderly man seated beside him.
"Please explain what you mean by 'indirect intent to kill,'" the judge said.
"I ask the court to listen to this audio recording," my lawyer said. "It was recorded by Mr. Cho Jinam on the night of the accident. A conversation—between two individuals. And to be clear, this recording has not been altered in any way."
He handed a phone to the court officer.
The recording began.
It was Li Hong's. He had left his ball-conduction mic inside the car of the elderly driver—the man who caused the crash. The mic had fallen face-down on the seat, so there was no video. Only sound.
A car door slammed shut. Seats creaked.
"Did you hit him?" asked a deep voice, belonging to a man in his forties.
"Yes… I didn't know what to do," the old man replied, panicked.
"How much are you worth?" the deep voice asked.
"W-what?"
"Do you know how much the guy you hit back there is worth?"
"I—I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"
"Trillions," Daejung's voice cut in coldly. "More than seven generations of your bloodline could ever earn."
"I'll pay—whatever it takes. Just tell me."
"With someone like you? You'll be in a coffin soon enough. Where the fuck would you find that kind of money? So here's what you're gonna do. Tell the reporters the black-haired kid was drivin' without his headlights on and caused the accident. After that, my people will take care of the rest. Got it?" The recording ended.
Daejung let out a small laugh. "Pfft—ah, sorry. Just sneezed a little too hard."
"Fake. Obviously fake," the defense lawyer objected. "AI can generate voices now."
The judge turned to the elderly man. "Defense witness—was that recording real?"
Sweat beaded on the man's face. He glanced at Sanghye's mother, whose eyes were filled with grief. Then he looked back at the judge. "No, sir."
The defense lawyer immediately followed up. "Exactly. I'm confident this recording was manipulated. Further forensic analysis will be required, which could take quite some time, dragging this case out even longer."
He paused, then added, "So how about this? We're trying to find the best possible outcome. Why don't we consider mediation?"
"In your dreams," I snapped.
"Mediation?" my lawyer scoffed. "Are you admitting defeat in the face of evidence?"
"No, no," the defense lawyer said calmly. "I'm just wondering… whether all of this is simply Seokjin's delusion."
Every head in the courtroom turned toward me.
"For months prior," he continued, "Seokjin had been using strong sedatives. Such medication affects the nervous system—and possibly the brain. Hallucinations, paranoia… mistaking imagination for reality. Perhaps what you believe you saw never actually happened."
Na Daejung raised the pill bottle, along with CCTV footage of me standing in a bathroom, staring into the mirror as I opened that same container.
"As I said, this drug affects the nervous system. It can distort perception. So maybe," he said lightly, "you should take a moment to collect yourself first, Mr.Woo Seok Jin."
I kept my head lowered, sitting still without a word. Then I slowly looked up and smiled at Daejung's lawyer.
"That drug was melatonin," I said lightly. "The chance of it causing psychosis is about 0.1 percent—lower than the odds of having identical twins, you know."
I scoffed softly and lowered my gaze again.
"But that doesn't mean it's impossible, does it? All of this happened because you blame yourself."
The lawyer's voice suddenly shifted—turning into that of a man I had never heard before. When I looked up again, the defense attorney was gone.
In his place stood a pink-haired man in a white hanbok.
"You already signed a contract with me," he said calmly. "And now you think you can just take it back? Do you really believe you're lucky to be standing here?"
Every word echoed what Na Daejung had given me.
I stared at the man—no, the demon—who stood before me like Satan himself. Everyone in the courtroom sat frozen, as if time had stopped.
"This is my atonement," I said, meeting his gaze. "If you think I deserve hell, then come and take it back yourself. But what I'm doing now is laying the groundwork for something that'll grow in the future. Blaming myself—yeah, I do. Blaming myself for not being number one. And even when I finally became one, it didn't make me feel any more valuable. So I wondered—what would it feel like if I took everything you gave me and handed it out to others instead?"
The man in the hanbok raised an eyebrow, lips curling into a thin smile. The mugunghwa tattoo on his body began to glow with a brilliant white light.
"How unfortunate," he murmured. "Your heart died with his body that night. That's why I can't take it back. how irritating."
"Well, he saw through you," I sneered at the demon. "People with nothing left to lose tend to do crazy things, right?"
"At least you're different. Very well—I'll be watching."
His body dissolved into dust. And when it settled, Na Daejung's face was revealed, staring at me with anger barely concealed beneath his calm.
"Let me ask you something, Mr. Na," my lawyer said. "Did you speak with the doctors at the hospital that day?"
"I went to see Mr. White," Daejung replied. "Of course I did. When my artist is sick, I go immediately. As for Sanghye… it was already too late. The doctors couldn't save him."
He played the victim flawlessly.
"I would've done anything to save both of them. But I couldn't~"
"And what did the autopsy say?" I shot back. "Was his heart still beating at the time? Li Hong said my chance of dying was higher than Sanghye's—so why am I the one still alive? Was there intent involved? Or was my friend simply not valuable enough to keep alive?"
"What exactly are you trying to prove?" Na Daejung asked.
"What I want to prove," I said coldly, "is who ordered my friend's murder."
"...."
The Daejung side fell completely silent.
"Seokjin… calm down," Daejung said, raising his hand in a placating gesture.
"Do idols have hearts?" I snapped. "Or are we just products meant to boost numbers? If I could, I'd cut my own heart out and show it to everyone here."
I rubbed my face slowly.
"My friend died on that table. He deserves justice. Even if my fame crashes to the ground. Even if I'm never an idol again. I'll fight this through—for everyone who's stood beside me."
And then...
"Permission, Your Honor! The plaintiff's witnesses have arrived."
The judge nodded. "Bring them in."
The moment seven figures entered the courtroom, Na Daejung's face went pale.
"Holy shit…"
Every member of D8, dressed in black suits, walked in with quiet dignity. They took their seats on the plaintiff's side.
"Oh~," the CEO murmured, nodding slowly before turning his gaze back to me. "Well, well… a family reunion, huh?" Na Daejung said with a sly smile.
"(Like you don't already know~)" Tanny mouthed silently.
"Damn idiot! This side!" Li Hong smacked Mik on the back of the head.
"Oh—then say that from the start!" Mik patted everyone's shoulders, herding them over to my side. In the end, Sanghye's mother walked over and took a seat directly behind me—ready to testify as the key witness.
The main question is "Why were they all here?" That takes us back five days earlier.
At the D8 penthouse, everyone was gathered on the floor, sitting close, talking with their legs pulled in. I looked into each of their eyes. They all looked trapped—like parrots locked inside a cage for far too long.
"What has D8 even become?"
Mik muttered. "Am I really such a shitty leader?"
"Does this mean we're basically accomplices to murder now?" Tom said quietly, pulling Moon into a hug as Moon cried. Moon clenched a cigarette in his fist, crushed it, and tossed it away.
"What kind of idol ends up as junky anyway?"
"Daejung's going to push us out one by one," Tanny sobbed, covering his face.
"I don't want it to end like that."
Gong Minjun nodded slowly, understanding everything. "Or maybe… our era really is over."
"So we just pack our bags and go home?" Lucky Siwon said, knees hugged to his chest.
Everyone turned toward him at once. "Why would you even say that?!"
"The problem is the one holding our leash," Li Hong said, his eyes glowing red. I listened with him, nodding.
"Then I'll take responsibility," I said. "I started all of this."
"No," Mik shot back immediately. "Seokjin, you didn't do anything wrong. You only did what he ordered you to do."
"I want to prove that I'm capable of helping everyone—if that's something I can do."
"You can't fight this alone. Are you insane?" Tanny snapped—and slapped me across the face.
Smack! "…." Everyone froze. I touched my cheek, red as an apple, eyes wide.
"If you're going," Tanny said, voice shaking, "then I'm going too."
Minjun stood up. "We've got nothing left to lose anyway." He smiled crookedly.
"If we crash, we crash together," Tommy said, Moon rising beside him. "Let's take that mofo down!"
Mik burst out laughing and slapped his thigh. "Hey! I'm the leader, alright? Doesn't mean I can't follow my kids. Let's do it."
Li Hong raised a finger. "Our plan: knock Daejung off his damn chair."
"Sounds easy," Minjun replied, "but the investors will drop you instantly. Daejung has every one of them wrapped around his finger."
"Wow, you know a lot, unlike the college brat i knew back then" Li Hong muttered. "But you're not wrong. That bastard's kissed every board member's ass."
"The failure probability is 72.11%," Siwon calculated calmly. "I guess we need a backup plan."
"My plan," I said, "is to file a lawsuit against OPP4 and Na Daejung."
Everyone leaned in. "If we do that, his credibility with shareholders tanks, right?"
"And whether we win or lose…" Siwon's eyes lit up.
"…it drops that 72.11% to under 50%, muhuhaha" Li Hong laughed darkly.
"That's creepy, man," Tom said, chin tucked into his chest.
"Ya, whatever." Li Hong sighed.
"Deal," I said, snapping my fingers.
Everyone nodded. "Deal!"
And now
"Without further delay, the court calls the witness to testify." The judge gestured for D8's representative to stand.
"Your Honor," Mik said, "My name is Kai Yejin, representing all members of D8. On the night of the accident, we arrived at the scene before the body was moved—around 1:15 a.m. We saw with our own eyes that Seokjin was seated in the driver's seat."
"And Na Daejung arrived later—alongside emergency personnel," Mik continued, "but not in an ambulance. He arrived in a black sedan."
The pink butterfly fluttered onto Mik's arm, watching the memory unfold through his eyes.
That night—
We threw open the aircraft doors and ran to the wreck. Seokjin lay motionless in the driver's seat. "What happened…?" I asked Li Hong, panic clawing at my chest.
Tanny dropped to his knees, fists tangled in his hair, staring at both bodies in the car.
"We were just a few kilometers from my favorite dessert shop… If we'd gone that way, this wouldn't have happened." He pulled off his glasses and wiped his tears.
Lucky stood frozen, staring at the wreckage, then turned away. "We don't have time, Mik,"
Li Hong said as headlights approached. I watched Li Hong toss his ballphone into the backseat of the other vehicle—just as the black SUV door opened and Na Daejung stepped onto the road.
"What the fuck is this?" He stared at Sanghye's mangled car. "…Total fuckin' wreck."
He signaled his men—dressed as rescue workers—to handle everything. They rushed in and confiscated all our equipment.
"What are you doing?!" I demanded.
"Turn around! Don't look until we say so!" They shouted, forcing us to face away.
Li Hong stood there, fists clenched, tears streaming—unable to do a damn thing.
"Hey!" Everyone on the plaintiff's side shouted at once.
The pink butterfly flew back to its owner.
"Objection!" Daejung's lawyer shot to his feet.
"Your Honor, we assert that what Kai Yejin described is entirely untrue—#!@#$%!"
Voices erupted from both sides as the courtroom descended into chaos.
Meanwhile, Daejung and I stared at each other in silence.
His eyes were calm—confident he'd walk away untouched.
'You really think you can beat me?' His gaze sneered.
'You'll end up just like the others before you.'
Tan Jaehoon raised a dessert box, ready to throw it. "I saw it with my own damn—#!@#!!"
Bang! Bang!The gavel slammed down.
"Silence!" The judge's voice thundered. "This is a court of law, not a marketplace. Show some respect." He turned gently to Sanghye's mother.
"And you, ma'am. In your heart, do you truly believe your son was the one driving that car?"
She rose to her feet and addressed the court.
"Your Honor, my son Ji Sanghye was a very good boy. He was kind-hearted, generous, and diligent. He rarely drank, and even when he did, he was always clear-minded. Seokjin is a good boy as well. Sanghye talked about him all the time. He always hoped that one day, they would travel abroad together with their friends."
Juwon, Giyul, and Kangyu each lifted tissues to their faces, wiping away tears as they listened to a mother speak of the son she loved.
"I prayed every day that if heaven truly exists," she continued, voice trembling, "then at the very least, let my son come say goodbye to me. And I know—if my child were standing here today, he would never accept injustice. I am absolutely certain… that my son did not die from an accident."
My lawyer nodded slightly in my direction, as if to say that the court still had no clear conclusion—neither for the plaintiff nor the defendant.
"Do you know something, Seokjin?" Na Daejung stood and walked toward me.
"You're talented boy. I'll admit that. But I—"
"Shoosh, your breath stinks," I cut in, leaning back comfortably in my chair.
Daejung raised a finger and pointed at my face. "I just want you to know one thing—every piece of evidence you have is fabricated."
"Fabricated how?" I sneered. "Like how you wanted to grab my balls?"
Daejung recoiled, clearly disgusted.
"Hahaha—look at his face!" Tom burst out laughing.
"Shh! Quiet." Mik smacked his shoulder.
"I'm the reason you're standing here today!" Daejung snapped, glancing toward the presiding judge. "One moment, Your Honor—"
"Return to your seat," the judge said coldly. "I did not grant you permission to speak, Mr. Na."
Daejung sat back down. He knew full well that winning this case wouldn't be easy for me—but this alone was already enough to set our plan in motion.
"Your Honor," my lawyer said, raising his hand. "We would like to call Jaehoon to speak."
The bespectacled young man lifted his hand casually. "A shop near the accident site called me. They said they had important evidence. It's actually the place I go to buy delicious traditional snacks," he chuckled. "They told me they had just installed a new Charsung CTV.4 security camera that night—and happened to review the footage."
"What?!" Daejung spun around, his face drained of color.
The newly installed CCTV—located nearly one kilometer uphill from the crash site—had captured everything. Thanks to its high-end x100 zoom, the scene was painfully clear.
"Holy crap… x100 zoom and still 4K?" Tom whistled. "That tech's insane."
The footage showed Daejung's people swapping the victims. Worse—Ji Sanghye was conscious. Fully aware of what was happening.
What no one could stomach was seeing him dragged violently out of the car by plainclothes personnel.
I covered my face as his mother broke down in sobs.
"You bastard!" Juwon leapt to his feet, pointing at Daejung. "MURDERER!"
"That constitutes contem—" The defense attorney tried to intervene.
"Shut up, cock sucker!" Kangyu exploded. "You're corrupted, you fuckin' ass wi—#!@#%!"
Bang! Bang! The gavel thundered through the room. "Silence! This is your second warning—and there will not be a third."
Tommy leaned over and whispered to Moon. "But the fourth one's tempting."
"Shh!" Mik grabbed his shoulder. "Save it for after the end."
"Okay." Tom and Moon gave her a thumbs-up.
Time passed into the evening as the court thoroughly examined the evidence.
When the judge returned, the room fell deathly quiet.
"This CCTV footage has been verified as authentic," the judge declared.
The defense side collectively froze. "And I was the one who donated the camera,"
Tanny added cheerfully. "The shop kept getting robbed. Felt bad for them."
The judge continued.
"Having reviewed all evidence—including vehicle damage, eyewitness accounts, and verified CCTV recordings—the court finds that the defendant disseminated false information, accusing the deceased, Ji Sanghye, of being the driver. This caused severe harm to the victim and his family. The personnel involved, as seen in the footage, will be prosecuted accordingly on charges of intentional assault resulting in death."
The defense attorney jumped up immediately. "Your Honor! The defendant acted to preserve the victim's life! It was done with good intentions—not for personal gain!"
Bang! "The court finds," the judge said firmly, "that even if good intentions are claimed, the defendant distorted facts and violated the law to protect corporate interests. Which is unacceptable. The defendant is therefore guilty of defamation, dissemination of false information, and complicity in actions leading to another's death. The court orders OPP4 Entertainment to pay compensation of 98 million won to the victim's family. The defendant is sentenced to five years' imprisonment, with a two-year suspended sentence."
"Thank you, Your Honor," my lawyer said, bowing. "For restoring the truth to the deceased."
"Court is adjourned." Bang! Bang!
The room erupted into murmurs as people stood. I walked over and embraced Sanghye's mother. It wasn't much—but at least now, her son's life had been given justice in the eyes of Korea—and the world. "Ninety-eight million? Hah!"
Daejung scoffed. "You think pocket change like that can touch me?"
He turned to me, eyes blazing. "You're fuckin' dead, Woo Seokjin. The company will crush you. That mutt called White will vanish from K-pop history. I swear it! Suspended sentence? Two years?" He laughed wildly. "I got plenty of time to drag you down with me!"
"The company…?" I turned back with a smirk. "The lawsuit was never about beating you. I did it for Sanghye. But the bigger surprise?" I leaned closer. "Why don't you ask the guy?"
A notification buzzed from his ballphone.
"Oh," I laughed.
"Looks like it's here."
Breaking News: Na Daejung, CEO of OPP4 Entertainment, has been removed from his position by the board—
He lunged at me, grabbing my collar—
—but a firm hand knocked his arm aside.
Siwon wagged a finger calmly, warning him not to use violence in court.
"Seokjin!" Daejung snarled. "I made you famous. I saved your life, you ungrateful brat!"
I stared into his shaking eyes and sneered.
"You've got it wrong. I never asked you to save me. That was your mistake."
"And if Sanghye were in my place," I said softly, "he would've done the same."
"Fair's fair, right?" I smiled. "Don't forget to save up to pay your debts, Mr. former CEO. You've got a long road ahead."
"You pathetic piece of shit!" Tanny stuck out his tongue. "Bleh~"
"Woohoo!" Tom whooped. "Serves you right, bitch!"
Moon slipped a pack of cigarettes into Daejung's pocket. "For stress relief, old man. Don't pop your head."
"You little—" A heavy hand landed on Daejung's shoulder.
"Daejung," Yonggi and Iris Junho smiled at him. "Just so you know—this isn't over yet."
They left him with that thought. "Tch…!" Daejung ground his teeth as he watched us walk out of court—smiling. "Shibal, gaesaekki~!~" His scream echoed… then faded into silence.
Outside, I met Sanghye's family again.
"We won, Mom," I said gently. "Ninety-eight million. You don't need to share it with me."
"Is that really okay?" She asked softly.
I held her like my own mother. "Of course. I'm already full—from money and fame. Sick of it, honestly."
She smiled through her tears.
"Thank you," I said, bowing deeply. "Thank you for trusting me. I couldn't have done this alone."
The Wolves, D8—everyone gathered around her. We took a photo together.
That image would later become history—remembered for years to come.
HEADLINE:
Legendary Idol! Woo Seok Jin and Friends Defeat the Devi!
Na Daejung, Former CEO of OPP4 Entertainment, Sentenced to 5 Years!