Chapter 74
A week had passed since Hyeji's apology was made public.
If I had to pick the most dramatic event that occurred during that time, it was undoubtedly Hyeji's fall.
Before the public outcry, Hyeji had been one of the top five most recognized illustrators in the country.
After the public outcry, or more precisely, after she posted her apology, she completely plummeted.
And it was understandable, as Hyeji's main clients and fans were mostly men from male-dominated communities.
Although she apologized in her statement for her past actions of misandry, public sentiment ultimately couldn't be swayed back.
It was as if she had become a Voldemort-like figure; people wouldn't bother her since she apologized, but they wouldn't give her any attention either.
But did her popularity rise in Female-dominated communities? No, that wasn't the case either.
As evidenced by her popularity in male-dominated communities, Hyeji's illustrations were typically the kind men enjoyed: sexy, revealing, and featuring beautiful girls.
Furthermore, she seemed to have been branded a 'traitor' even in female-dominated communities, due to her actions of denying Feminism in her apology.
Thus, both male-dominated communities and female-dominated communities
Hyeji, having turned both factions into enemies, couldn't hold out for long, as I expected. She deleted her Twitter account and disappeared.
Well, there was a high probability she'd take a few months off, reflect, change her username, and start fresh, but I had no intention of interfering with that.
In any case, it was true that this controversy was resolved without much fuss thanks to Hyeji.
Moreover, this controversy also led to a significant increase in new users.
The clearest indication of this was the Sales Ranking.
Normally, the Sales Ranking would slip to 2nd or 3rd place without new character pickups during the off-season.
But this time, thanks to the influx of Newbies, we were firmly holding onto the number one spot, even in the current off-season.
At this point, I honestly had the frivolous thought that another Gender Controversy wouldn't be so bad, as I checked the incoming documents.
Just then, I heard a knock on the Office door, and it opened.
*Who is it?*
There was almost no one within the Company besides Suyeon who would open the door without waiting for my answer, so I looked up to check.
It was Department Head Jo Mingi waving at me, a Middle-aged Man from the PC Game Development Team with a genial appearance.
His way of speaking was a bit peculiar, but he was a well-connected person and genuinely kind, so we became close despite being in different departments.
“Hey, Director Ji. Got a moment?”
“Of course, Department Head. Please have a seat on the sofa over there.”
If anyone were to ask why a Department Head was speaking informally to me, a Director, it was simply unavoidable.
Regardless of rank, it was simply not proper to speak informally to a senior who was more than 15 years older than me.
Initially, the Department Head had insisted on Mutual Formal Speech, but I had dissuaded him, and this was the compromise.
Anyway, I took two cans of coffee from the fridge, handed one to Department Head Jo, and asked.
“So, what brings you here today...?”
“Oh, nothing in particular. I just heard that the game that Director Ji is in charge of almost suffered some damage this time because of our game?”
“It wasn't *Justice* that caused the damage; rather, we had some issues on our end.”
“Still, if it hadn't happened on our side, you wouldn't have had to go through trouble on yours, would you?”
“That's true, but... I actually gained something from it, so you don't need to worry too much.”
At my words, Department Head Jo took a sip of coffee with a relieved expression.
Then, with an expression that suggested he had a lot more to say, he asked me.
“So, Director Ji... may I ask you one question?”
“If it's a question from Department Head Jo... are you referring to the *Justice* matter?”
Department Head Jo nodded at my question.
“I've already informed the Team Leader of Team 3 about the solution to the *Justice* controversy... While it might have been different initially, any method other than the one I suggested would be useless at the Current point in time.”
“So that's how it is... I understand.”
“Are you leaving already?”
“I've finished my coffee, so I should get going. Thanks for your input.”
“Don't mention it.”
There wasn't really any advice given, but as if that were enough, he patted my shoulder a couple of times and left the Office.
Now that I think about it, Department Head Jo's expression seemed a bit stiff when he left... I guess there'll be some trouble today.
While Department Head Jo was scrambling to put out the *Justice* fire, I was also discreetly searching for someone.
That person was Moon Seonyeong, whom Hyeji called *Unnie*.
The reason for my search was simple: a clue Hyeji had given me on the day I confronted her.
She's probably a Company Employee who got a job in the Art Department — that b— no, Seonyeong (Unnie). Her activity times on Twitter were consistent.
Are you saying her activity times were consistent?
Yes, she was free on weekends and usually started her activity around 7 PM on weekdays.
[*Hmm...*]
And there's a high chance she's at Enson, so you should investigate.
[*What do you mean by that?*]
<span class="docx-body">Seonyeong (Unnie) never talks about her real life, but strangely, she seems very knowledgeable when it comes to game industry matters. She seems to know internal affairs well, especially regarding Enson.</span>
[*Is that so...*]
Hearing Hyeji's story, I started searching just in case, but the results were fruitless.
Was Hyeji's statement that Seonyeong never talked about her real life true?
I thoroughly searched Seonyeong's Twitter account, but I couldn't find any specific personal information.
“This makes things difficult.”
If Hyeji had said she got a job at another company, I wouldn't have been searching so urgently.
Is a Feminist (derogatory) infiltrating another Company as an Original Artist?
From our perspective as a competitor company, this would undoubtedly be good news.
However, if that landmine was planted within *our* Company, then it was a different story.
But wasn't it called Murphy's Law?
Just like the theory that “anything that can go wrong, will go wrong,” the landmine truly exploded.
And with overwhelming explosive power.
[Newly created account for the exposé]@nonomiMoon
!!EXPOSÉ!!
Nonomi, currently working as the Main Original Artist for *Justice*, is the same person as Twitter Influencer Moon Seonyeong.
[Chat Screenshot of Nonomi confessing she is Moon Seonyeong]
Furthermore, despite her identity as EnsonGT's Main Original Artist, Moon Seonyeong continuously spread slander and False Information about the Company's other game, *Reverse Arcadia*, and Director Ji Hojin, inciting further agitation.
[Captured Screenshot of Moon Seonyeong's account containing Vulgar Insults about *Reverse Arcadia* and Ji Hojin]
Therefore, we expose the true identity of Nonomi (Moon Seonyeong), the current Main Original Artist for *Justice* and a Twitter Influencer.
[Replies: 899][Retweets: 15k][Likes: 7k]
It wasn't a landmine; it was a nuclear bomb...
My premonition that things would become incredibly troublesome hadn't been wrong, as my Smartphone immediately began to ring.
***
Honestly, I had no idea how the exposé came to light.
It could have been a meticulous exposé by a (former) acquaintance holding a grudge, like Hyeji.
Or perhaps it was a byproduct of the political infighting between cliques that often form when women gather.
What was important wasn't how the exposé came out, but its content.
Nonomi.
I had heard about Nonomi, *Justice*'s Main Original Artist, a few times, even though she was in a different department.
That's because she was one of the few Original Artists whom Yerin, who was usually stingy with praise, had complimented for her Drawing Skills.
Moreover, she had a good personality and was outgoing, so there were many reports that her evaluation within the Company was quite good.
So, an employee with such a good reputation and skill was actually the person operating a burner account, spreading slander and False Information about a fellow company employee and a game...
Shaking my head, I arrived at the PC Game Development Team 3 Office.
Given the chaotic atmosphere pervading the office, I immediately headed for the conference room where I had previously spoken with the Team Leader of Team 3.
My choice proved correct, as all the Key Figures of this controversy were gathered inside the Conference Room.
Department Head Jo, the Team Leader of Team 3, and Nonomi.
As I opened the Conference Room door and stepped inside, all eyes turned to me.
Among them, Department Head Jo was the first to greet me.
“You're here?”
“Yes, well... I came down after hearing Department Head Jo's words, but honestly, this is the first time in my life I've experienced something like this, so I'm not sure how to react.”
“I feel the same way.”
Nodding at Department Head Jo's words, I subtly glanced at the Team Leader of Team 3 and Nonomi, the Main Culprit of this controversy.
The Team Leader of Team 3, looking utterly aged as if he had reached a state of enlightenment, was sighing.
Nonomi... no, Park Iseo, was staring only at the desk with a dark expression.
“May I speak with the person involved first?”
“Do as you wish.”
With Department Head Jo's permission, I sat down on the opposite side of where Park Iseo was sitting and tapped on the desk.
“Ms. Park Iseo, this is the first time we've met One-on-one at the Company, isn't it?”
Only then did Park Iseo look at me, her expression still dark.
“Operating a burner account under the name Moon Seonyeong, not your real name, and spreading slander and False Information about a game from the same Company and a Superior...”
I asked Iseo with an unreadable expression.
“Why did you do it?”