BRF Chapter 2

No matter how brightly the sun shines, shadows will always exist.

To illuminate the dark corners where even nature’s fair blessings fail to reach, they boarded the eleven-seater van once more.

“Reporter Kang, did you stay up all night again?”

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Sungchan, sitting in the passenger seat, looked back. Eunseong, in the seat behind the driver, simply nodded with her eyes closed.

In fact, her movement was so slight that it was hard to tell whether she was nodding or just dozing off.

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“You’re going to collapse, Reporter Kang! How many days in a row have you been pulling all-nighters?”

Sungchan’s voice, laced with concern, was full of worry. Compared to her trainee days running the mawari, Eunseong’s sleeping condition was actually quite good.

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As if the loud voice was disturbing her light sleep, Eunseong slightly furrowed her delicate brows and mumbled a reply.

“I did get some sleep today.”

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Sungchan’s tired voice was just as hoarse. It was obvious he had also been pulling all-nighters for days.

Who was worrying about whom?

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Perhaps, to look after the harsh lives of modern people struggling in a cruel world, God had bestowed benevolence in the human form of Hong Sungchan.

How are you going to survive in the news department, a collection of the most difficult people in this already difficult world, with such naive kindness?

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Just as Eunseong was contemplating whether to say something,

“Hong Sungchan, being an AD must be your calling.”

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Taeyoon got into the seat next to her, slamming the car door shut. The impact rattled the entire van. Of course, Taeyoon hadn’t slammed the door on purpose to wake Eunseong. His arms, as a video journalist, were simply too strong, and sometimes he just couldn’t control them.

They couldn’t tell him to carry a camera around all day, and it was a problem that he couldn’t control his strength when he wasn’t holding one.

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“Reporter Gong Taeyoon, isn’t that a bit harsh? Saying being an AD, walking a tightrope between being a dispatched worker or a contract worker, is my calling?!”

Sungchan’s face flushed red as he vented his pent-up frustration.

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“Sungchan, you know I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Even if you didn’t mean it that way, words can be interpreted differently!”

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“You have to listen to the whole sentence!”

“Didn’t you see the recent statistics? A characteristic of Koreans is that they don’t listen to the end of what someone’s saying!”

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It was deafeningly loud. Like typical broadcasting station employees, they couldn’t stand silence. Eunseong slightly opened her eyes due to the two men chattering incessantly.

Taeyoon, meeting her gaze, grinned and tilted his chin.

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“Go on, go on. Sleep some more.”

Taeyoon’s attitude, looking down at Eunseong like a mother dog caring for her puppy, was completely different from how he treated Sungchan.

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Like an obedient child, Eunseong nodded and closed her heavy eyelids. Sleepiness clung to each of her long eyelashes.

“You look like you haven’t slept either. Don’t worry about Kang Eunseong and get some shut-eye yourself. That’s what I meant. Take care of yourself before worrying about others.”

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Sungchan’s meddling concern, as an AD who left his footprints everywhere in the news department while juggling various tasks, was an incurable disease that composed half of his innate personality and half of his occupational hazard.

“I was planning on getting some sleep on the way.”

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Though he sounded sulky, Sungchan’s tone was softer than before. In truth, it was rare for an AD to talk back to a veteran video journalist. It was only possible because Gong Taeyoon was energetic and good-natured enough to indulge an AD’s whims.

A faint smile touched Eunseong’s lips. They say even a dog wouldn’t touch the mess a reporter makes, but she felt a renewed sense of gratitude for having such humane colleagues at the broadcasting station. It was truly a heartwarming scene.

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“Kang Eunseong, why are you smiling?”

Taeyoon asked gently, as if he had been watching her the whole time. Mixed with the engine noise and the radio news, his voice didn’t reach the front seats.

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Eunseong softly moved her plump, red lips and whispered,

“Because I’m excited.”

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As she fluttered her long eyelashes and opened her eyelids, her sleep-laden black eyes sparkled languidly. Taeyoon, meeting her gaze, seemed to lose his words, his thin lips parting slightly.

Eunseong could confidently say she had no romantic feelings whatsoever for Taeyoon. And she was certain he felt the same way.

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“Kang Eunseong, are you crazy?”

See? They didn’t see each other as man and woman.

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“You know, sunbae, I’m most excited when I’m in front of your camera.”

Eunseong clasped her hands together as if in prayer, her expression dreamy. It wasn’t a lie. She was most thrilled when she was in front of a news camera.

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“You’re full of it.”

Despite the harsh words and the deep frown on his face, a smile played at the corners of Taeyoon’s lips.

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“I’m serious, my heart beats the fastest when I’m in front of your camera.”

“That’s because I take everything you throw at me, even when you’re practically devouring the camera.”

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A good result couldn’t be achieved without teamwork. As a reporting team, Taeyoon, the video journalist, and Eunseong, the reporter, were perfectly in sync.

“By the way,”

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Sungchan suddenly turned to the back seat and looked back and forth between Eunseong and Taeyoon. He had clearly been eavesdropping while pretending to organize the press materials.

“Are you two really dating?”

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Eunseong and Taeyoon, who had been playfully looking at each other, simultaneously turned their heads toward the passenger seat. It felt like they were turning their heads with a creak like some possessed doll.

Though both of them were smiling, their eyes burned with the kind of intensity that suggested the poor AD was about to be skinned alive.

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“Are you crazy?”

Eunseong retorted with the same line Taeyoon had thrown at her earlier. A beat later, Taeyoon quickly shot back.

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“Do you think shouting makes you right?”

What was that subtle tremor at the end of Gong Taeyoon’s words?

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Sungchan turned his gaze forward and let out a small, knowing smile.

Even if Reporter Kang Eunseong was oblivious, Sungchan thought Reporter Gong Taeyoon must harbor at least 0.03% interest.

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What’s so significant about 0.03%?

Under the current law, a blood alcohol content of 0.03% is considered drunk driving. Therefore, Reporter Gong Taeyoon’s blood interest level of 0.03% meant his heart was beating faster for Kang Eunseong.

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“Yes, yes. Let’s just say I’m the crazy one. I’m only a lowly AD who thinks shouting makes it right.”

Sungchan muttered in a voice devoid of humor.

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“Hey, I think we’ve been caught. What should we do?”

Taeyoon’s ears were slightly red as he joked.

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“We should get our wedding invitations printed soon.”

Eunseong’s face was as smooth as a rice cake as she responded with an even bolder joke.

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Sungchan was worried about Taeyoon’s heart after Eunseong’s indifferent remark. As always, worrying unnecessarily was Sungchan’s incurable disease.

“Driver! There’s somewhere I need to stop by. Could you pull over for a moment?”

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Eunseong, who had been staring out the window, asked the driver politely.

“Why, do you need to go to the convenience store? Coffee? I’ll get it.”

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As Taeyoon made a motion to unbuckle his seatbelt, Eunseong firmly shook her head.

“I’ll go, sunbae.”

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She had received a call around 5 a.m. from someone claiming to have quit Chageon Electronics three months prior. Chageon Electronics was under investigation for violating the Severe Accident Punishment Act.

The person had refused an interview for personal reasons but offered to provide contact information for someone else who would be willing to be interviewed regarding Chageon Electronics.

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The man had requested a meeting at a cafe before the morning rush hour, when there were fewer people around.

The van carrying the reporting team stopped in the underground parking lot of the building next to the cafe.

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“The source who refused the interview contacted me about an hour ago, saying they would introduce me to a current Chageon Electronics employee. I apologize for not telling you sooner. I was worried about word getting out if I mentioned securing an employee interview in advance.”

“Are you going alone?”

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“Please wait here for now. I’ll contact you if the situation changes.”

There were many people who ran away at the sight of a broadcasting camera, even after promising an interview. Taeyoon nodded as if he was used to it. Sungchan, sensing the suddenly heavier atmosphere, kept his mouth shut.

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Eunseong got out of the van and walked briskly towards the cafe where she was supposed to meet the man.

The cool autumn morning air seeped through the opening of her jacket. Despite being a reporter who covered the news faster than anyone, she couldn’t predict the weather. It had been so hot yesterday afternoon that she was sweating profusely, but this morning it was chilly enough to see her breath.

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Pushing open the glass door, she quickly scanned the cafe. There were only two customers inside. A tall, bulky man stood at the counter with his back to the glass door, and a pale, thin man sat at a table.

The thin man, sitting at a corner table, seemed to recognize Eunseong. His eyebrows twitched slightly, then abruptly stood up and strode towards her.

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“Reporter Kang Eunseong?”

“Yes, I’m Kang Eunseong. Thank you for your time.”

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“Did you come alone?”

The man glanced at the glass door of the cafe. He blinked rapidly, as if nervous, and licked his dry lips.

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“Yes, I came alone. Don’t worry.”

At her gently spoken words and faint smile, the man suddenly scowled and sneered.

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“You reporter bastards are fearless.”

The man, smirking crookedly, reached into his back pocket. Pulling out a sharp utility knife, he lunged at Eunseong like a mad dog.

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Survival instincts kicked in at the sight of the weapon before her, and Eunseong hastily raised her right arm. Lowering her body, she intended to duck under his arm and throw him to the ground.

“Please calm down. I think there’s been a misunderstanding.”

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The atmosphere froze over at the source’s sudden action. Social affairs reporters lived with all sorts of threats, but physical threats involving weapons were rare.

“Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding!”

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The man waved the knife haphazardly in the air, threatening Eunseong with crazed eyes.

“Today, you die, and I die. The world only pays attention when someone dies.”

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Although she had learned self-defense just in case, this was the first time she had been faced with the danger of being attacked empty-handed and alone in the field. Eunseong widened her eyes, determined to stay alert.

“You must be feeling very wronged and frustrated. I will help you.”

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“Shut up!”

Just as the tip of the knife was about to lunge towards Eunseong, the man standing at the counter stretched out his arm and took a large step forward. The movement was elegant yet menacing, resembling an eagle gracefully spreading its wings.

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As the disoriented Eunseong tried to step back, the scene before her spun. It wasn’t dizziness from the sudden threat, but her perspective had shifted. The first thing that caught her eye was the man’s broad chest.

The large man’s body shielded her protectively. Eunseong felt as though she had been enveloped by the wings of a benevolent sky king. Her heart pounded in her temples. Her gaze slowly traveled upwards.

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The thick chest, easily discernible even beneath the soft knit and cashmere coat, the masculine neck and sharp jawline, and finally, the man’s face, which was almost excessively beautiful.