Fan Service [Chan]

Chapter 72

The audio was out there now. Chan's reputation was on the line. It had been more important to try to break us up than to keep him in good public standing.

"I couldn't do it, Ella," he bawled again.

"I know, baby," I kissed his forehead and hugged him tightly to me. The fact that he had told Jessica that he didn't want to marry her, and she had still tried to force his hand made my blood boil. If I ever saw that bitch again...

"Chan, open the fucking door," Changbin shouted as his fist pounded against it.

I stood and opened it, and he looked at me worriedly until he saw Chan on the ground. Changbin had known the audio existed but not what it sounded like. Even he had thought it was real and had came to check on me.

"That was the blackmail audio?" he asked, realizing immediately what had happened.

I nodded.

"Shit," he mumbled and crouched down beside his friend. "Chan, are you okay?"

Other members gradually emerged from their rooms and came to ours. It was already morning. They'd all heard the leak.

I texted my family and Mana to let them know it was fake. The headlines were so...

Sexual Assault Hits Stray Kids

Maybe Ella Wasn't Lying!

Bang Behind Bars

...unexpected. It hurt that the media hadn't believed me when I had told the truth. It hurt that JYP had so much control. It hurt that JYP knew enough fans would rally behind him despite how badly the audio made him look that it wouldn't even affect the group that much. Under each article were hundreds of comments defaming me as a notorious liar. There was even a trending tag: #SaveChan.

I texted Agent Branson. They'd gotten access to the audio files a while ago but JYP still hadn't been arrested. I wanted to know why. I also wanted to know what audios he had that he could also use to make us look worse.

"Send me my files," I texted her, forgoing niceties in my frustration at her lack of progress so far.

"I can't release private property to the victim," she replied immediately.

The files were my own fucking voice.

"Then do something!" I texted her in frustration.

I opened Twitter.

The audio circulating is fake. We are working now to figure out who created it and how. It scares us to imagine that someone could be so cruel.

xx

I showed the tweet to Chan. He hit send for me, and I sat beside him against the wall.

"Not everyone believes it," Hyunjin tried to tell him.