⚡infamy (noun) /ˈɪnfəmi/
a reputation for something bad.

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HOUSE OF CARDS
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Ten years ago
July 13, 20xx

“Good morning, Korea! This is reporter Kim Ae-Cha reporting on behalf of KBS news, and as you can see, I’m here right outside the Aeon Entertainment Agency building along with a huge gathering of reporters and cameramen from various other media outlets,” a reporter from the Korean National TV channel screams into the mic that she is holding in one hand while she clutches tight onto her umbrella in her other hand and raises her voice to make it sound past the pouring sheets of rain. 

“The reason we’re all here today is to hear the final decision of Aeon entertainment with regards to soloist Kim Taehyung who has been caught in scandals of drug abuse, and has also recently been tagged in various other scandals involving idols from the same as well as from other agencies. The company stocks have hit rock bottom following the outbreak of these scandals, and it is anticipated that the idol would most definitely be blacklisted,” another reporter cloaked in a canary yellow raincoat speaks with full enthusiasm; his eyes peering and riveted onto the camera right in front of him that he is struggling to see past the heavy downpour. 

“As per our insider information, the meeting which commenced over an hour ago could conclude any minute now, and a public announcement regarding the same will be made in some time,” the journalist from a daily newspaper rambles on, speaking as loud as those around her and dramatically emphasizing her point with animated hand movements. 

An aerial view of the agency building and its surroundings right now would appear as nothing but a chaotic vast canvas of black umbrella tops, sparsely studded with bright yellow raincoats and an occasional sprinkling of umbrella tops of other colours. 

Even though it is just a little past 3 pm, the gloominess delivered by the dark skies and the pouring grey clouds makes it appear as if it is some time in the wee hours of night, and to Kim Taehyung’s staunch supporters, it definitely seems as though the skies are grieving the downfall of a mighty star that once seemed formidable and unbeatable. 

With a noisy crowd that comprises about two hundred reporters, photographers and journalists who are flocking the entrance to the Aeon Entertainment Agency’s main building, the air is thick with anticipation as everyone awaits a closure to the most talked about event of the past week. 

Fans and anti-fans who are gathered in front of the main building despite the torrential rainfall are barricaded at a safe distance from the reporters, and they keep screaming out loudly—some in support of the artist in question, and most bashing him with their hate slogans. The haters hold out rain-dampened banners scribbled with death threats and curses targeted at the soloist. 

The media had been kept in the dark about the exact juicy details surrounding the entire drug scandal, and other scandals that Taehyung had messily gotten himself tangled into in the past few months. And so, any small information at this point would serve as a feast to the starved media houses. 

A few minutes pass by with no end in sight for the heavy rainfall, and then a handful of bulky bodyguards hastily make their way from inside the building to the swinging glass doors at the entrance. As the press and media folks throng the area with their cameras, recorders and mics in hand—ready to shove the devices right into the faces of whoever appears at the doorway—the strong and tall bodyguards hold the doors open and stand by safeguarding the agency personnel who are heading outside to meet the journalists and reporters.

A group of about five tall men—all dressed in long trench coats overlaying their formal clothing—arrive at the entrance of the agency building, and as soon as the crowd lands their eyes on these men, the decibel level of the chatters and shouts grow exponentially, almost to the point of drowning out every other sound in the atmosphere. 

The reporters keep firing their questions and the camera flashes seem to be endless, and it is then that one of the bigger-built men in the group raises his arms to silence the gathering. It takes a few more seconds for the crowd to go quiet, after which he clears his throat and begins speaking into the line-up of mics that are arranged in front of him. 

“The agency’s management has just concluded the meeting with the artist and his attorney. The artist has tested positive for the use of extremely harmful narcotic drugs while performing on stage, and this has been confirmed through testing his blood sample at three different testing centers. Though it was a very hard decision to make, we have still decided to do it because upholding the respect and dignity of our agency, and that of the other artists associated with our agency is our foremost priority. So, we have collectively decided to blacklist soloist Kim Taehyung,” his cautiously uttered words are followed by a heavy uproar from the crowd, and no one is able to make out if those are hoots of joy or condemnation. 

The noises are further amplified by the sound of thunder rolling in the dark skies, and the constant clicking of camera shutters; the camera flashes at this point are almost outdoing the crack of lightning that illuminated the sky a few seconds ago. 

“This means that his contract with the agency has been terminated right away, and going forward, any public funding that the artist has been entitled to will also be canceled. He is banned from conducting any kind of concerts or fan meetings, and he is also forbidden from participating in any TV and radio shows, music shows and award shows, and any collaboration or association done with the blacklisted artist will put the collaborator also at risk for blacklisting, and this act will consequently incur a heavy fine upon them,” he adjusts his glasses and clears his throat before he continues to speak again in a more solemn tone. 

“The artist has also been asked to issue an official letter of apology to the agency and to the public in general, along with paying a fine of five billion won, failing which he will be subject to two months of imprisonment. An official statement regarding the same will be issued to the media and press, and the same will also be uploaded on our official website. No further questions will be answered in this regard, and we appreciate the understanding and patience of the media and fans who are gathered here despite the heavy rain. Get back home safe, thank you very much,” the man bows his head a little, forcing an uneasy tight-lipped smile as he walks back into the building, followed closely by the other men who accompanied him. 

The crowd still doesn’t fizzle out, and everyone in the gathering is awaiting the departure of Kim Taehyung from the agency building while they could try and click pictures of him in the process. Despite the unfavorable conditions for the artist, the bodyguards still stand by, waiting to perform their duty of ushering him to the safety of his car, just like they have always done in all these eight years of working round-the-clock to safeguard the idol. 

The outrageous howling of the crowd multiplies by many folds when the man in question himself steps out of the building; his head low, unlike every other time where he confidently flashed his charming smile for the shutterbugs. The hate slogans being hurled at him make him quicken his steps while he also simultaneously keeps wishing that the earth would split right under his feet and swallow him up. 

His face is ashen, and he pulls the ball cap further down to conceal his distressed eyes that reflect the panic he feels within his chest—the panic that grips his entire being, the fear of having to answer the questions to which he truly has no answers. 

He had fought, he had tried to prove his innocence, but nothing worked when his own blood was tested positive for the presence of harmful narcotics. Taehyung knows he doesn’t deserve any of this, yet, there is very little to nothing that he could do to escape any of it. 

His fate is sealed, his transient fame is breathing its last, and his tears of misery threaten to fall as his walk of shame seems to be extending forever. The usually short walk to his car suddenly seems too long, and every step he thought he took quickly seems to be slower than that of a sloth in reality. 

Finally, upon reaching his car, twenty-seven-year-old Taehyung does something which he always did—he turns around to thank the bodyguard who had shielded him from the rain. 

He looks up and shoots one last backward glance at the building where he had spent countless hours and nurtured all his dreams and watched his life bloom and flourish, the place that he thought was his destiny, and now everything had crumbled down to dust right in front of his eyes. 

Taehyung climbs into his car and slams the door shut; his distraught eyes avoiding all the cameras at all costs, and his anxious brain desperately trying to silence the deafening screams of the haters gathered outside. He wanted to leave a legacy and remain in everyone’s memory for as long as he and his craft lived, but this was definitely not how he wanted to be remembered. 

Today truly marks the end of an epoch; the fall of an insanely talented star.

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Coming Soon…
On 12/30/2022