By the time the murmuring voices of the reporters gathered in the briefing room the PR office had prepared were beginning to swell, an Ilhyeon Group employee stepped inside.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting so long. There will be an announcement shortly, so I'd ask you reporters to please bear with us just a little longer."

"What in the world is this announcement supposed to be?"

Reporter Kim, his voice thick with dissatisfaction, put the question to him on behalf of the assembled press.

The Ilhyeon Group employee understood the question had not been offered in good faith. Still, without losing his smile, he answered Reporter Kim.

"It's difficult for me to say at this point. I'd be grateful if you'd wait just a little longer."

"We can't wait forever. Do you take us for people who just hang on Ilhyeon's every word?"

"Exactly. You ought to at least tell us what this announcement concerns, shouldn't you? We can't just keep sitting here without even knowing what it's about."

"We're busy people too."

Having spent all that time trading unflattering talk about Ilhyeon, the reporters were in no mood for kindness. They kept spitting out their grievances.

The Ilhyeon Group employee raised a hand to calm them and said, "It'll only be a little longer. And there will be an announcement that will make you glad you came today, so I'm sorry, but please wait just a bit more."

"I can't wait any longer."

Several reporters shoved back their chairs and rose. Then one of them turned to the rest and said, "Isn't it obvious what Ilhyeon is going to say? We didn't deliberately hide the window dressing. It was all a misunderstanding. The misunderstanding will be cleared up through the prosecution's investigation, so please wait a little longer. Something along those lines, no?"

Rattling it off as though reciting words he'd heard somewhere before, the reporter shouted to the others, "Do we have to carve time out of our schedules to sit here and listen to this predictable drivel? Let's not be jerked around by Ilhyeon's shameless…