SWNOVELXO Chapter 7: Chapter 7: Fire in Silence
Chapter 7: Fire in Silence
That morning, the front yard of the Gevran family home was swarming with reporters' cars. Camera flashes lit up at every movement behind the gates of their luxurious mansion. The morning's headlines shook the business and political world:
> "Korindro Group's Dark Transaction Scandal — Were Funds Secretly Funneled into Political Projects?"
In the family dining room, Jido—Gevran's father—stared at the newspaper, his jaw clenched. Yi-Ana, his mother, said nothing as she slowly poured coffee.
Gevran sat in silence, reading the news on his phone screen. Though his expression remained calm, his left hand was tightly clenched on the table.
"Do they really have our internal documents, Dad?" Gevran finally asked.
Jido nodded slightly. "Some of them. But what they don't know is... the data they leaked—was planted by me two years ago to trap a traitor inside the company."
Gevran raised an eyebrow. "You set a trap within a trap?"
Jido gave a faint smile. "This world is full of poison, my son. You must know when to be the prey—and when to become the hunter."
---
Elsewhere in the city, Korindro Group's headquarters was filled with auditors and legal teams. Some investors began considering a temporary freeze on assets. Political questions arose: would Jido step down from his presidential ambitions because of this scandal?
But Jido remained firm. He contacted his legal advisors and ordered the launch of "Operation Redback"—a transparency initiative involving a public audit of the company.
Meanwhile, Gevran wasn't sitting idle either.
He called Han Jimin and two other trusted friends. That night, they gathered on the rooftop of one of their HotSoul Pot restaurant branches.
"I can't stay silent," said Gevran. "This isn't just about my family. It's about those trying to destroy us for power."
Jimin looked serious. "You want revenge?"
"Not revenge. I want to reveal the faces that seem clean to the public—but are stained with blood behind the scenes."
---
That night, the plan began. One of Gevran's friends, Yoon Tae-ha, who had connections in the IT startup and data mining world, managed to track news dissemination patterns and identify the source of the hoax-spreading bots.
"Most of these accounts are linked to the media office owned by Park Ji-seok," Tae-ha reported.
"He's an old player. But this time, we're playing on our turf," Gevran replied.
Then, Gevran uploaded a short 40-second video on social media. No clarifications, no drama.
> "I know who lit the fire. And I won't put it out with water—but with a truth that burns even hotter."
The video went viral. Within two hours, it was the number one trending topic in Korea.
---
The next day, the public release of Korindro Group's audit turned the media storm on its head. It was revealed that the suspicious transactions leaked were actually part of an internal investigation targeting an old corrupt employee—who now worked… at the media company owned by Park Ji-seok's father.
The boomerang came back fast.
---
At home, Jido looked at Gevran, who was casually editing a podcast video in the living room.
"At this rate, you'll become president before I do," he muttered.
Gevran turned and chuckled. "Not yet, Dad. There are still a lot of bullies I need to crash through."
---
The media chaos didn't die—it transformed. With the truth out in the open, the narrative shifted sharply. Pundits who had once criticized Jido and Gevran now struggled to cover their tracks. Influencers praised Korindro Group's transparency, and journalists dug into Park Ji-seok's connections. Hashtags like #TruthOverLies, #RedbackEffect, and #SonOfSteel trended across platforms.
Meanwhile, at Seoul University, Gevran's name was no longer whispered with doubt—but with awe.
Still, the fire hadn't burned out. It had only moved underground.
---
Inside a dim, upscale lounge in Gangnam, Park Ji-seok sat across from a man whose face was rarely seen in public—Cain Seo-Jun.
"You're not handling him well," Cain said coldly, sipping his wine. "Every time you swing, he strikes back harder."
Park gritted his teeth. "I underestimated how fast he'd grow."
"No," Cain corrected. "You underestimated what a scarred mind is capable of. Especially one with nothing to lose."
He leaned forward.
"But I don't make the same mistake twice. From now on, I will handle Gevran."
Park blinked. "…You know him?"
Cain's smirk darkened. "Let's just say… we were both born from silence—but he chose light. I chose fire."
---
Back at Seoul University, Han Jimin walked through the quiet hallway of the student council building. She found Gevran alone in the media editing room, headphones on, face glowing from the screen light.
"You haven't slept, have you?" she asked gently.
"No time to," he replied, not looking away. "This is the moment. If we stop now, they'll regroup."
Jimin walked closer, then paused behind him.
"You've changed," she said.
He finally looked up.
"I had to."
"But don't forget… You're still allowed to laugh. To rest. To feel." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't let the fire consume you."
Gevran gave her a tired but genuine smile.
"Thanks, Jimin. I won't."
---
Later that night, while the city buzzed with debates and shifting loyalties, a soft notification pinged on Gevran's phone.
It was a message request—from an unfamiliar name.
> [Im Seri]
"Your words gave strength to someone who thought silence was safer. I'd like to meet you—if that's okay."
Gevran stared at the message for a long moment.
Then, slowly, a small smile formed.
He tapped reply:
> "Let's talk soon. I think we both have stories worth sharing."
---
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