Mr Mermaid | LK Adaptation

Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Stimulants and Flowers

When that man tossed out this question, the resulting uproar lasted for only a moment before being abruptly strangled into stillness. The reporters surrounding Jaehyun also picked up on the strange silence over on this side, and all of them turned their heads to look over in confusion.

Like the others, Lisa had also been shocked dumb by the word 'stimulants'. What this term meant with regards to an athlete was self-evident. It was synonymous with deception, darkness, and shame — things all athletes tried their hardest to avoid.

And yet, it was also one of the words the media was most excited about. Reporters loved to dig up anything that could instantly capture the eyes of the public. It didn't matter whether it was wholesome or evil, true or false. Thus, when this question was tossed out, after the uproar and resulting calm due to shock, almost all of the media representatives there had some measure of a glow of excitement on their faces. They stared hungrily at Jungkook, like starving jackals faced with fresh juicy lamb.

In that instant, Jungkook was the focus of everyone's attention. The gazes of these people were weighted, compressing the surrounding air. This invisible force pressed down on the people's chests, causing everyone's breathing to slow. They all stared at him with bated breath.

In contrast to their eager impatience, Jungkook's expression was placid, appearing leisurely and calm. His gaze swept lightly across the crowd to land on the questioner. Jungkook stared at him, his gaze as clear and tranquil as ever. He had just opened his mouth to speak when he was interrupted.

A clarion female voice rang out, tone brimming with anger, "How can you be like this? What proof do you have to accuse someone of using stimulants?"

All at once, all eyes were drawn to her. Everyone fixed their gazes on this girl who had spoken. Which media company was she from? She was very young, and very pretty. A small and delicate oval face, framed by thin, curved eyebrows which were currently locked in a frown, and her eyes were the exemplar of almond-shaped eyes, currently wide and round from anger.

The reporters at the scene exchanged looks; this scene was rather refreshing in its novelty. Reporters often went overboard with their questions, pushing the lower boundaries. However, no matter how underhanded the questions were, the person being questioned was always the one left to handle them. Today was the first time they had seen a reporter jump out to rebuke another reporter. What was this? Peers outright undermining each other? This girl seemed rather uncaring of the unspoken understanding reporters had ...

Lisa was not thinking much at all about any unspoken understanding or whatnot. She was very angry right now. An athlete, so diligent and hardworking ... having the label of 'stimulant' tacked onto them with just a flap of a reporter's gums ... despicable!

Teacher Taeyang quietly tugged on Lisa's sleeves. "Leave it," he said. He truly regretted not stopping her earlier. Ah, the young are always so impulsive!

That male reporter was a bespectacled middle-aged man. Seeing a little girl rebuke him on the spot like that — not at all respectful of her elders — he too became somewhat annoyed. "I brought up the question for Mr. Jungkook to answer. Who are you to butt in?"

"Who am I? I am just an ordinary reporter. Precisely because I'm a reporter, I always remember to be objective and honest. All discussions should be based on fact. You sir, may I know what basis you have to accuse Jungkook of using stimulants? Do you have any proof? If you have no proof, then this is slander. Not only does that violate professional ethics, it even violates the bottom line of human decency."

Said to this extent, the crowd knew that a lack of evidence was untenable, and so they all turned to look at the middle-aged reporter, hoping that he would be able to produce some strong evidence for this grand exposé.