Kill the Lights (Chapter 15 Part 1)
Kill the Lights by Jangryang
Proofreader/Editor: Kaima, Hwarang
“Huh? No, they were doing it in front of me like they wanted me to see it.”
Joy explained the situation again to her uncle, Jason, who didn’t believe her and had asked, ‘How can that be?’
“There was also a couple who tried to take a picture of the same thing. But they seemed like rookies, they couldn’t get a proper picture just hovering around the door.”
Joy laughed at them for a long time.
[So? Where are you gonna sell them again?]
“I’m still bargaining. I’ve asked the Sunday and the INSIDER, if they wanted to buy them exclusively, and they all had positive responses. There’s only adjusting the price left.”
Joy said in a triumphant voice. Of course, this is how it should be. The pictures that she took were worthy. They were of the kind that any newspaper will desire. People wanted to see the Hollywood child actor, who shined, fall. They might think that they are better, but articles about the Hollywood child actor escaping from a rehab had sold more copies; much more than the article about the same Hollywood child actor going to the rehab.
This article would definitely be a big hit.
The other party concerned was Noah Raycarlton, who had publically shown him mercy. And exploiting it, Haley was trying to make a comeback. If the article gets released, people will attack Haley as if he were a trash, without any pity.
Jason, Anna, and others were all excited, waiting for the article’s release. Joy complimented herself for not leaving there at that moment and snickered.
“Ah, I’m getting a call. The Sunday is calling first.”
She checked her phone and put Jason on a hold.
“Hello. Did you think of a price?”
Joy asked in an arrogant tone, and the other person said, [Ah, that is…]
[I don’t think our side can buy those pictures.]
“Huh?”
Joy was expecting to hear 100 thousand or 200 thousand dollars, but she was taken aback by the unexpected reply.
“What did you say?”
[I’m sorry. That is, I think you should look for another newspaper.]
The Sunday’s female reporter, who always gave her a good price, replied in a slightly perplexed and urgent tone. And before Joy could say anything else, she hung up.
“Hah?”
Joy frowned and stared at the phone.
“Wha, what is this? Do they think I don’t have options other than them?”
Joy was full of annoyance, when the phone rang again. This time it was the INSIDER.
“Ah, reporter? Did you think of a price?”
Joy asked in a slightly gentler tone this time.
[Price? No. I called to tell you that we’re not gonna buy them.]
“What are you saying? You’re not gonna buy these pictures?”
You are not gonna buy this incredible article, which is gonna sell all your magazines in two hours? The article is about Raynoah, whom people like and Haley’s downfall. You think they are not gonna buy that?
[Joy. You should get a hold of yourself. Stop thinking about sucking all the juice out of your younger cousin who had paid for your living expenses and a Ferrari. Don’t you think Haley is pitiful?]
“Wha, what did you say?”
Joy asked, at a loss for words. What did he say? When she called an hour ago the same reporter had said, ‘Wow, Haley? Ah that trash…. He doesn’t change.’ But suddenly he has taken on a preaching tone? Joy could feel her blood pressure going up.
[Anyway don’t live like that.]
After saying so, the reporter hung up on her. Joy held the phone and stood there, with her face all red for a while.
‘What’s happening?’ Joy bit her lips at the situation’s absurdity, at the turn of the tide.
[How much are they paying? A 100 thousand? 120 thousand? …Don’t tell me, 200 thousand?]
When she answered Jason, who was on hold, he asked excitedly.
“No. Neither Sunday nor INSIDER are willing to buy the pictures! How could they….?”
[What?]
Jason asked in disbelief, and Joy scratched her head.
“Why? Haley did such a crazy thing… and the other party was Raynoah!”
'You know it, right? Everyone’s dying to know that man’s private life.’ –Joy’s voice was rough. Jason replied, [Does that make any sense? Did you call it too high?], he started to blame Joy, but she wasn’t at fault.
“I couldn’t even mention the asking price. They all said that they were not gonna buy it, right after I answered their calls.”
[What? Does that make any sense?]
“The chief reporter of the INSIDER even told me to not to live like this.”
Joy murmured as if she couldn’t believe it, and Jason screamed, [Not buying the ‘Uncovering of Raynoah’s private life’, are they all crazy?]
“Yes, it is Raynoah….., Could it be that… perhaps his side had blocked it?”
Joy flinched and murmured. Jason asked again, [Does that make any sense?], but Joy rolled her eyes.
If she thought about it, everyone in the world was curious about Raynoah’s private life. What he eats, whom he meets and what kind of sexual preference does he have; they are all focused on his every movement. If there were a magazine about his sexual preference, even she would buy it.
Hollywood would buy and sell anything, even if it is the hair from a star that screamed, “I’m really going crazy!” and chopped it off. Raynoah was not a celebrity, but he was someone who had more popularity than a celebrity and obviously articles about him must’ve poured out every day. Yet, the only news about Raynoah was about his public appearances or about what happened in the presence of other people.
Joy knew how shitty the paparazzi were. They were crazy bastards, who in order to take one picture could jump in front of a car everyday.
But why didn’t those bastards take pictures of Raynoah?
“Hah….?”
Joy frowned. Perhaps, but it doesn’t even make…. There’s nothing in the world that can block a paparazzi bastard’s mouth. If there is, why couldn’t Princess Diana stop her car in the freeway?
[Joy?]
“…Does this make sense?”
But rather than being upset that the Sunday and the INSIDER had rejected her incredible pictures, Joy was more shocked about how she has never seen a single paparazzi picture of Noah. How can that be?
Noah wasn’t even a Buddhist monk. There was no way that he never met anyone of his age. No, even if he wasn’t seeing anyone, it was normal to have at least an embarrassing article titled ‘Why isn’t Noah seeing anyone?’ –Because, the public wanted to know such things!
[Did you contact any other newspaper? Should I try? Probably because you called the price too….?]
Joy, annoyed, hung up on Jason who still couldn’t get this incredible fact and talked about useless things.
She gnawed on her fingernails. She checked the picture of Haley and Noah that she had saved in her phone. She thought it was going to be a big hit, but she was at a situation where she won’t be able to make a single penny.
No, rather than the money, I thought I could totally bury Haley, and in front of that indifferent face, I thought I could say, ‘I told you to watch out, didn’t I?’ and smile arrogantly….
Joy gnawed on her lips and rolled her eyes. She couldn’t accept defeat like this. She didn’t want to. She had taken this incredible picture and yet couldn’t buy Haley. Himself was a rag, but he’d looked at her, who asked for living expenses, like a bug.
She wanted to tell Haley that if he didn’t pay for her living expenses, it’ll always be like this; that he’ll be hated by the world that he is a crazy son of a bitch who not only flirted with Raynoah, but also dragged him into a hotel room.
She gnawed on her lips and touched her phone. Exactly it was that moment,
-Ding dong.
Ding dong, Ding dong. Someone was there to meet her at her apartment. Joy frowned and checked the clock. 11:00 PM. It wasn’t the time for a casual visit.
“Who is it?”
Joy asked, a bit nervously. Could it be Haley? Last month, when she went to complain about the demand note, Haley had looked a little insane.
With glaring eyes, he’d pointed a gun at her and smiled dirtily. That scary face with which he said, “if you are going to ruin my life, you should hire a bodyguard first”, had appeared several times in her dreams and made her shiver.
It seriously isn’t Haley, right? She felt nervous and slightly opened the door. A very tall man appeared through the gap.
“I am sorry for this late hour. I’m Phil Hepson.”
He handed her his business card through the gap. On one side of the neat and luxurious card was written, ‘Raycarlton’ in an elegant cursive. When she flipped the card, she saw his name, ‘Personal Secretary, Phil Hepson’.
“I am Mr. Noah Raycarlton’s personal secretary. I came here to talk about the picture you were going to sell to the Sunday and the INSIDER.”
Joy swallowed her dried throat. She unlocked the chain and opened the door. It was indeed that famous secretary, who always was standing behind Raynoah. He had come to talk about the picture?
“Come in.”
Joy gave him her permission, and he bowed his head and entered. Joy made him sit on a sofa and asked.
“You came here to buy the picture? How much is he thinking?”
Joy asked, hiding her excitement. She thought she couldn’t touch any money because the newspapers weren’t buying at all, but if Raycarlton’s side was interested, she thought may be she could get some more. Of course, if that happens she cannot bury Haley, but she can take his picture again. That side will spill a lot again.
“We don’t negotiate. What we offer is, for recovering the data, we will not do anything to you.”
However Phil said something different from what Joy had expected.
“What are you saying? Recovering?”
Will not do anything? Joy was at a loss after hearing Phil’s cold words.
“Yes, Ms. Joy Clank. You will not be able to sell that picture to any newspapers. No newspaper will buy, sell, or even mention Raycarlton’s private life.”
“That is the rule”. Phil said calmly and took out a document.
“You guys are controlling the media? You guys are doing such a thing?”
“Yes. But only about his private life.”
He was saying as they could do more, but they weren’t. Joy crooked her lips and stared at him. Phil pushed the document forward, which he had pulled out earlier.
“This is the price for handing over all the data and remaining silent.”
'The price for handing over all the data and remaining silent: No harm will be done to Joy Clank.' That was the only sentence on the document.
Joy trembled and stared at him.
“Are you saying that you will take the data without any profit for me? Don’t flatter yourself, this is my picture!”
“Ms. Clank.”
Phil glanced at the watch on his wrist and said,
“I did not come here to negotiate. I came here to threaten you.”
His eyes were honest. Joy looked at him for a while; frowned and then stepped back.
“Hah-… Haha!”
“I can’t even say a word….” –Joy murmured. She fumbled and grabbed the phone, which she had kept next to the computer desk.
“You guys are that amazing….”
Phil eyebrows slightly creased. Phil stood up and watched her laugh like a crazy bitch, holding her phone. He tried to stop her, but her palely smiling was faster.
She leaned on the desk as if going to sit and showed her phone’s ‘sent list’ to Phil.
“These days, my relatives are pretty mad at Haley. Since I can’t sell it to a newspaper, it’s probably okay to watch and enjoy among ourselves, isn’t it? This is my private life.”
On her list of sent messages were the phone numbers of around seven people, who recently couldn’t get their usual living expenses from Haley. Especially Anna’s, who got arrested for acting violently, was on the very top of the list.
Phil frowned. Joy laughed at his slightly perplexed stare.
“These two people disgustingly like to write about their own private lives on the Internet.”
“Ms. Clank.”
“Oh my. Sandra has already left a Twitter post.”
Joy shouted excitedly after checking out her phone. One, two… the post was already spreading.
“Give up. Even if you have the power to block all the media in the world, it will be useless. Even the God cannot stop this.”
Through her messages and through SNS, 22 people already had re-posted the picture on their account. Joy definitely knew the picture would spread in a blink of the eye to the people all over the world.
At Phil's indifferent expression, Joy snapped her phone shut.
“And isn’t this not bad for Raynoah? He’s probably annoyed at Haley.”
Using this chance, he might be able to completely shake off Haley. She crooked her lips and smiled. Phil took out his cellphone and called someone.
“Yes. No. Yes. –Okay, I got it”. Phil talked on his phone, received some orders, and eventually hung up. He then stared at Joy,
“You were right, Ms. Clank.”
Phil agreed with her. The SNS (Social Networking System)- where hundreds and thousands of people could watch in instance, even Noah cannot control it. Sometimes he might have ended up doing things that even God couldn’t do, but still this was impossible.
“But you better keep this in mind. The God cannot stop your life from getting destroyed also.”
“So, there's no need to pray hard." He put the paper inside his bag and stood up.
“You, and the relatives who got your message, everyone will lose a lot for the price of a short chat. It could’ve been better, if you knew the reason why the media was keeping silent. It wasn’t because they loved Noah, but because they are afraid of him.”
“What-…”
“If you think you don’t have anything to lose, you will find out soon; that how much you had.”
Friends, family, wealth, and of course such as social status, pride, compassion, from all kinds of humane hearts to humanity – even the most basic awareness of being human. In the end, they will lose everything. Including their will to live. ...Phil, for the first time, smiled slowly at Joy, who was frozen. It was with derision towards someone, who picked the worst of all choices that a person could choose.