Nothing in the world was more terrifying than a cult feeling justified.
That was also the case for AQuinn.
It was a community that mostly kept to itself. Posting outside of their forum was prohibited by the mbers.
Thirsting over Averie was allowed only on their forum. Anyone who did it on the other platforms could not beco a mber.
These isolationists had seen the internet trying to burn their lord and savior.
Deranged as they were, they had kept screenshots of everyone who took part in accusing and saring Averie. One of them had made a list of nas, which was posted in their community.
Now that Averie’s innocence was mostly proven and the internet was busy discussing the flow of new information, the deranged numbers of AQuinn were out in droves, retaliating against the enemy.
They bullied, cursed out, harassed, and doxxed left and right.
If the word unhinged were a group of people, it would be the AQuinn community.
They were like a militia. Being led by their mysterious leader, they were organized and efficient.
Anyone who had so much as made fun of Averie was targeted. They cyberbullied teenagers and adults alike. It was a one-sided bloodbath fueled by insomnia and fanaticism.
Internet clowns feared opening their DMs. They were afraid of the number of ssages that were rapidly rising by the minute.
It was a phenonon so intense that multiple articles were written on it. Most of them stated that the waves of retaliation appeared prearranged.
AQuinn had been planning it for a while.
At exactly 11:59, a famous SilkTuber, who had no connection to Loret Entertainnt, uploaded a video to his channel.
’Conspiracy against Averie Quinn Auclair.’
After reading the transcript of Averie’s interview, he had managed to connect the dots between him and a certain company.
In the video, he talked about Averie’s feuds with Jin Bae, Jiwon Kim, Min-Ho Kim, and Ha-Joon Chae.
All were contracted with Loret Entertainnt, who were known in the industry for being ill-natured.
With the excessive outcry against Averie, their involvent did not seem like a coincidence.
He noted that the reaction from the dia had been a little too fierce for sothing unconfird.
The video received a great deal of attention.
Soon, other SilkTubers began uploading their own thoughts on the matter.
From a simple speculation, Loret Entertainnt’s hand in the affair had turned into a conspiracy theory.
Lying on Hyerin’s bed, Averie was enjoying the show.
He was impressed by AQuinn’s president.
’Who are they, anyway?’
Hyerin had tried to arrange a eting before, but they had refused.
’I hope it’s not soone weird.’
Everything had gone perfectly so far, but he wasn’t planning to end it all with a few laughs and a pat on the back.
He had bigger plans, scarier plans.
Lost in contemplation, he heard muffled sobs coming from the toilet.
He sat up, agonized over it for a mont, and banged on the door.
"Rin?" he said, placing his ear against the door.
The sound of hurried movent was heard from the other side.
"Yeah—yes?"
Hyerin’s voice sounded weak.
"Are you crying?"
"No? Why would I cry?"
"Don’t cry, Rin."
"...I am not."
"I know you are." He leaned his back against the door. "Co on, tell ."
There was silence for a minute.
Averie could feel her leaning against the door.
"I was scared."
It wasn’t as if Averie hadn’t noticed it.
He had gotten so many death threats that his friend had spent the last few days scared for their life.
She had kept a kitchen knife on her bedside desk in case soone broke in at night.
The nightmarish thought of losing her friend was not new to her, but it was just as scary as the first ti she felt it.
She sniffled.
"In the end, I could do nothing."
She had been hopeless, like in the days of Averie’s severe depression.
Averie did not know what to say.
Being sensitive and empathetic wasn’t in his nature. That part of him had died when Gene Conti died.
"Are you sad, Rin?"
"...I think so."
Averie looked at the beautiful night sky outside the little window. It was full of distant stars. It attracted Averie’s pensive gaze.
"You need to toughen up," he whispered. "We are going to be in this industry for a long ti."
"Yeah."
"It will be alright, Rin. Soon, no one will dare to do anything against us."
’I will burn into their retinas the image of Hell’s twisted rcy.’
***
In the dark corner of an underground parking lot, by the elevator, two cars were parked adjacent to each other.
"He doesn’t seem fazed."
One was a costly sedan, and the other was a luxury sports car.
The woman sitting in the sports car had sunglasses covering her face. Her voice was undoubtedly that of a middle-aged rich lady.
"He must be hiding it," the man in the sedan uttered. "No celebrity goes through a sar campaign without enduring a river of tears and a few bottles of vodka."
"He is strong-willed. Clearly, your preparations weren’t good enough." She slightly lowered her glasses to stare over them. "Think carefully before you speak, Mr. Walter Dean. I may have to appoint soone more capable as the Head of Managent Team 1 if you cannot prove your abilities."
"Forgive , madam." He gritted his teeth. "I will use other thods."
"Good." With a push of her finger, the engine of the car ca to life. "I don’t care if this little company gets exposed for harassnt or whatever, I want him to co to of his own accord. Break him thoroughly enough."
"I will."
As the sports car drove off, he adjusted the rear-view mirror and turned on the engine.
The digital clock on the dashboard indicated 2:15 in the morning.
"These are the consequences of your actions."
Averie’s eyes jerked open.
It was the middle of the night.
Hyerin was still asleep, and his tattoo was burning with black flas.
"Found you," he muttered.
In the light of his laptop, he spent the rest of the night researching Loret Entertainnt but not Walter Dean.
This information wasn’t easy to dig up, but Averie found just enough to give him a good idea about his enemies.
One thing was clear.
Their history wasn’t clean.
The Isshin group, a yakuza with a rich history, was the one that founded Loret Entertainnt.
It was ford to exploit the budding artists of a recovering land. That was the story of most entertainnt companies in East Asia.
As the country and the industry grew, the company prospered alongside it.
It was the Weisin Conglorate who saw potential in the business and bought the company.
’Not just monetary potential. In a world where masses admire celebrities, it is beneficial to own the celebrities.’
Not wanting to waste cheap labor, the Weisin Conglorate employed many of Loret’s forr yakuza staff.
It resulted in their notoriety as a rough group.
Eventually, this relationship surpassed the bounds of the entertainnt world. Whenever Weisin needed so dirty work done, they would employ the Isshin group.
They were two evils co-operating well.
’Did he talk about the consequences of my actions, that Mr. Dean? Let show you the consequences of yours as well.’
Yakuza or not, Averie was not afraid of anyone. He was prepared for war.
’In the end, Hell is where they cry.’
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