“Transfer to our Guild. I’ll take responsibility for you, Taekyung. I’ll turn you into a star Hunter.”
I blinked.
“A star… Hunter?”
“Yeah. A star Hunter.”
Won Myunghoon continued with absolute confidence.
“Times have changed. People go crazy for Hunters. They envy us for the abilities they don’t have. You know that too, don’t you, Taekyung?”
“That’s true.”
“Do you know what the kids around me wanted to be when I was in elementary school? President. Astronaut. But these days? Children and adults alike all want to be Hunters.”
Wealth and fame.
Those were the two words most people associated with being a Hunter.
Even now, decades after the Great Cataclysm ended, they don’t want to think about the fact that hundreds of Hunters still die in Gates every year.
“You have everything the public wants. Good looks, buzz, and a fresh character unlike anything they’ve seen before.”
Won Myunghoon’s face flushed with excitement. His heated voice continued.
“But how long will that last? The public gets excited quickly and loses interest even faster.”
“Hyung.1”
“If you let this opportunity pass, you won’t even become a flash-in-the-pan star, Taekyung. Fortunately, it isn’t too late yet. If you start getting professional management now, appear on television, and work on your image…”
“Wait, wait. Hyung.1”
“Huh? Oh. Right.”
Won Myunghoon fell silent, and I scratched my chin.
I hadn’t expected the conversation to go in this direction, but I might as well make things clear while I had the chance.
“You said you weren’t going to try to recruit me. You told Team Leader Choi that, too.”
“I did. But Taekyung, this is a really good opportunity.”
“Uh, I’m sorry, but I have no intention of changing Guilds.”
Won Myunghoon opened and closed his mouth as if he was about to say something, then nodded.
“Right. That’s understandable at your age. Then let’s forget about changing Guilds. How about signing with an entertainment agency instead? It’s pretty common these days.”
“An entertainment agency?”
“Yeah. I happen to own a major stake in one.”
Holding contracts with two Guilds was illegal, but there was nothing wrong with engaging in other kinds of work.
Just as he’d said, it was no longer unusual for high-ranking Hunters to sign with entertainment or management agencies.
But I answered without hesitation.
“No, I don’t need an agency either.”
“What?”
“I’m satisfied with what I have now.”
“…You’re satisfied?”
“Yes.”
Won Myunghoon frowned.
“Taekyung. You don’t seem to understand what I’m saying.”
“You’re saying I won’t become a star if I let this opportunity pass, right? That’s fine. I didn’t do any of this because I wanted to be one.”
“I know. I know, but think it over one more time. Just one regular television show and a few major commercials could bring in billions of won2—even tens of billions of won.3 Can’t you tell just by looking at me?”
Won Myunghoon spread both arms wide. From head to toe, he was dressed in luxury brands whose names and prices I couldn’t even begin to guess.
I suddenly remembered an Internet article I had seen in the past.
A-Rank Hunter Won Myunghoon Purchases Building Worth Tens of Billions of Won3 in Cheongdam-dong
The man from that article—the man I had admired and envied endlessly—was standing right in front of me.
“I saw your interview. You’ve been pretty busy. Isn’t it time you enjoyed life a little? I heard your dream was to own a building.”
“That’s true.”
It had changed a little, but it was still one of the goals I wanted to achieve.
When I nodded readily, Won Myunghoon flashed me a grin.
“Then signing with an entertainment agency would be much faster than focusing on Guild work. You wouldn’t have to fight monsters in dangerous Gates, either. All you’d have to do is spend a few hours working in a nice, cool studio. Though full makeup can feel a little stifling. Ha-ha.”
“Oh, really?”
“Of course. You just need to get used to smiling brightly and delivering your lines in front of a camera.”
“Then I’d probably prefer Gates. I’m more the physical type, and I don’t like feeling stifled.”
“…What?”
“I also swear a lot in everyday life. It wouldn’t pass broadcast standards. Even if I attracted attention for no reason, my family would just suffer like they are now.”
“T-Taekyung.”
I continued speaking as I watched his obvious bewilderment.
“And as for owning a building, I can become a building owner without doing television or commercials. It’ll take some time, but still.”
“What are you talking about? A-rank Hunters make a lot of money, sure, but do you have any idea how expensive land in Gangnam is?”
“Gangnam?”
“Yeah. Do you even know the current price per pyeong4 there—?”
I blinked blankly, then let out a quiet laugh.
“Why Gangnam? I can just buy a building near my house.”
“Huh?”
“A three-story neighborhood commercial building would still make me a building owner. I’ve never even considered Gangnam.”
“…A neighborhood commercial building?”
“Yes. It’d be close, so it would be easy to visit, and the rent would come in like clockwork. If Mom says she’s bored after quitting her job, I could set her up with a little snack bar5 or something.”
“A snack bar?”
The more I said, the more Won Myunghoon’s expression twisted. Had I said something wrong?
“Hyung?1”
“…”
“Myunghoon hyung.1 Are you all right?”
Won Myunghoon’s lips moved soundlessly before he let out a trembling breath.
“Taekyung.”
“Yes, hyung.1”
“Can you—can you really be satisfied with that?”
“You saw my interview. Until a few months ago, I was an F-rank Hunter. Now I make dozens of times more without having to work myself to death like I did back then. What’s the problem?”
I had no debt, and I had gotten my house back.
Public attention? Fame? I’d already had more than enough of both in the Murim and the modern world.
More than anything, I’d learned just how exhausting and unpleasant the spotlight could be in real life.
I’d also realized what kind of life would make my family and me happier.
“So this is enough for me. Team Leader Choi already showed me a huge pile of commercial offers. There were too many, so I’m planning to pick a few, film them, and then focus on the Guild again.”
I could make plenty of money without entering the entertainment industry.
Won Myunghoon remained silent for a long time after I finished speaking. Finally, his lips parted.
“I see. I understand.”
“You’re not offended because I turned you down, are you?”
“…Of course not.”
Just then, the phone on the table vibrated. I didn’t even need to check who was calling. It was Team Leader Choi.
I looked at the time and realized that we had gone well past the thirty minutes we’d agreed on.
“Hyung,1 I think I should get going.”
“Already? You must be busy.”
“The Association contacted me and asked me to get my rank reassessed today. I got your number today, so I’ll contact you again soon.”
“Then I’ll see you next time. It was nice meeting you.”
“Let’s go to a coin karaoke room6 next time. I’ll practice your song before then.”
“A coin karaoke room?6 Sounds good.”
Just thinking about hearing him perform the original version of Coward, my signature song, live already made my heart race. Maybe I should ask Jinho hyung1 to come along, too.
“Then I’ll be going. Don’t forget your promise.”
Won Myunghoon nodded with a faint smile as I left the café.
The black sedan parked by the roadside honked.
“Sir, may I clear your cup?”
Won Myunghoon didn’t answer the part-time worker’s question. He stared silently at the empty coffee cup before abruptly speaking.
“Do you perhaps not know who I am?”
“Pardon?”
“Won Myunghoon. Haven’t you heard of me?”
“Of course I have. You released a few famous songs, didn’t you?”
The part-time worker gave an awkward smile and continued.
“Actually, I just looked you up. You’re much more famous than I thought. I only saw you on television a few times when I was young, so I didn’t remember you very well…”
“You looked me up.”
His voice was as dry as sand.
The smile slowly vanished from the part-time worker’s face.
After nervously watching him for a moment, the worker quietly returned to the counter. Some time later, a familiar melody began playing throughout the café, and the corner of Won Myunghoon’s mouth twisted.
It was his own song, released ten years ago.
All of it had become a relic of the past.
“Who does that bastard think he’s mocking…?”
His low voice was buried beneath the music. Won Myunghoon rose from his seat.
His thoughts were consumed by a single person.
Jin Taekyung—a dayfly Hunter who, until only a few months ago, had scraped by going from one F-rank Gate to another.
But now he was someone who received the public’s attention and affection.
“A coin karaoke room,6 my ass… Some lucky bastard gets one flash of fame and forgets his place.”
Muttering under his breath, Won Myunghoon put on his sunglasses.
His expensive, flashy outfit drew the eyes of people passing on the street, but not one of them recognized him.
“Congratulations, Mr. Jin Taekyung.”
The Bucheon Hunter Association president, a middle-aged man with hair more than half gray, handed me a card with a genial smile.
About half the size of my palm, the card gleamed silver from edge to edge.
Platinum.
The card was made of actual platinum, and everyone dreamed of possessing one, even if only in their sleep.
It means I’ve gained that much wealth and fame.
But perhaps because I’d fully expected this, I felt surprisingly calm as I accepted the card from the Association president amid the barrage of flashes from countless cameras.
I’m a Peak master. Becoming an A-rank Hunter is no big deal.
Still, I felt pretty good.
I grinned and waved at the cameras, and the Association president asked in a robotic tone,
“So, Mr. Jin Taekyung. How do you feel right now?”
Obviously, I feel fantastic.
I was just about to answer when—
Ding.
System
- You have earned the A-Rank Hunter achievement.
- Achievement Reward granted.
- Level Up!
- You have gained 20 Bonus Points!
- Fame increases greatly!
“Oh, fuck.”
“…!”
“…!”
“…Ah.”
Right. There are cameras here.
The Association president froze, his face stricken. The broadcasting staff looked as though they couldn’t believe their ears. Team Leader Choi lowered his head with the hollow expression of a man overcome by post-nut clarity.
I’m fucked.
This had to be one of the worst broadcast disasters in history.
Feeling my throat grow painfully dry, I whispered to the Association president,
“They’ll edit that out, right? You have to make sure they do.”
“Edit it out? Mr. Jin Taekyung, are you out of your mind?”
The Association president’s voice sank ominously low. He looked ready to grab me by the collar on the spot.
“Edit my ass. This is live. What do you call it? An iTube live stream.”
“What?”
“Can’t you see the monitors in front of us? More than fifty thousand people are watching right now.”
“…”
Shit. He’s right.
There had been so many people and machines around that I hadn’t noticed, but now I saw five or six monitors set up below the podium, each displaying the Association president and me.
The chat beside the video looked ready to explode from the sheer volume of messages.
“Uh, what do we do?”
“What do you mean, what do we do? Apologize immediately!”
The Association president snapped at me, his face bright red. Just then, the camera director at the very front mouthed something.
“The reaction is good?”
“Huh?”
“What?”
What is that supposed to mean?
I looked at the chaotic chat window. Dozens—no, hundreds—of messages had scrolled past in only a few seconds, but my extraordinary dynamic vision caught every little detail.
└ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ ㅋㅋㅋTaekyung the Lord, have you lost your mind?ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ Not Taekyung the Lord. He’s Lord Fuck nowㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ Best acceptance speech everㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Usually they start with religion or family, then finish with, “And thank you, Minsik, Changsu, Hyerim,” or somethingㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ Lord Fuck doesn’t do any of that. I knew what he was like from the moment he beat down an ogre on his way to work, dragging his slippersㅋㅋ
└ ??? : Oh, fuck.
└ Look at the Association president’s faceㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ The old man’s soul left his body.
└ Taekyung, nobody cares, so just do whatever you wantㅋㅋㅋㅋ I’d probably laugh it off even if you insulted my parents.
└ May your parents live long and healthy lives.
└ ? What the fuck is this guy?
It was a complete mess, but one thing was clear.
The broadcast disaster I’d caused by accident was a massive hit.
Footnotes
-
Hyung is a Korean form of address a man uses for an older brother or older male friend. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7
-
“Billions of won” here refers to roughly 2–9 billion won, or about $1.4–6.4 million and €1.3–5.8 million. ↩
-
“Tens of billions of won” here refers to roughly 20–90 billion won, or about $14–64 million and €13–58 million. ↩ ↩2
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A pyeong is a Korean unit of area equal to 3.31 m² (35.6 ft²). ↩
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The Korean term refers to a casual eatery serving inexpensive snacks and light meals. ↩
-
A coin karaoke room lets customers pay to sing individual songs rather than rent a room by the hour. ↩ ↩2 ↩3
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