Chapter 107. Press Conference (3)
“It seems we need to postpone the press conference. It’s impossible to make a statement like this.”
Esther appeared to be brainstorming new strategies after checking Jeong Ha-seong’s interview, but I didn’t have the luxury to think.
This situation was far too sudden for an F-Class like me to handle.
“Right.”
In the end, we scrapped our original plan to gather friendly reporters and manipulate public opinion.
But it seems there’s no need to refund the clothes just because the press conference was canceled.
The guild master of the Magic Tower had finished paying without a word, leaving a signature on the card reader.
“Mr. Gi-ryeo, could you please give me your address?”
“Address?”
After that, Esther made a series of requests that made no sense to me, but I listened patiently as it was explained that this was part of the payment process.
“Should I give it as a street name address?”
Well, the closet was sorted, so now I needed to think about how to navigate this situation…
*
Was there even a chance that a sharp idea would pop up in a short time?
“Ha.”
A while later.
I stepped out of the taxi all dressed up.
Oh, and the old clothes I had taken off? Where were they?
– “Mr. Kim Gi-ryeo, I have a question. How much is this sweatshirt?”
– “I think I got it for free somewhere.”
– “Then, one more question. Does this hold any important memories for you?”
– “Not particularly?”
Just so you know, those worn-out clothes were disposed of by the Curse Mage.
Esther inquired again if the item was important, and soon enough, she ripped up the promotional top.
– “Oh no! My bad! I’ve been so tired lately that my strength control is off!”
Of course, it wasn’t something to fuss over.
In any case, I only needed something to wear right now.
‘It’s thin, but surprisingly warm. I guess I’ve got a new tooth from an old one?’
I buttoned up the gifted coat and scurried down the street.
“Hmm?”
However, just as I was about to return to Kim Gi-ryeo’s Studio, I felt an eerie discomfort at the alley’s entrance.
– Murmur…
The vibe of the neighborhood was different from usual.
This area had a rather weak commercial scene, so why was there such a whispering noise?
‘Did something catch fire?’
I tilted my head and moved forward.
However, the mysterious murmurs got clearer as I approached Kim Gi-ryeo’s House.
Thud.
Before I knew it, I reached the path in front of the house.
– Click!
As I turned the corner, I was caught off guard by an unidentified flash.
– Click! Click!
– Sparkle.
Yes, all the commotion had indeed spread from this very spot.
“He’s here!”
“Mr. Kim Gi-ryeo!”
“Hey, hey! Turn the camera over there!”
“Shoot, shoot!”
Damn, what the hell happened…?
‘How many people are there?’
I was startled and stumbled back at the sight of the crowd in front of me.
There were at least twenty people packed into this narrow alley, all carrying large cameras on their shoulders.
They were clearly from the broadcasting station.
“Hunter! Could I ask you for a quick interview?”
“Bring the microphone over here!”
But how did the reporters find their way here?
Even though Earth is an information society, can people’s residences be pinpointed so easily?
‘Information leakage is way too fast!’
Thinking back, something felt off ever since lunch.
It had barely been a day since the rumors started spreading, yet most of my personal information had already leaked.
‘This is strange…!’
This speed made me suspect that someone might have intentionally leaked information.
Then who could the spy be?
Esther, who suddenly asked for my address at the clothing store?
No way. I’d just parted ways with her, so the timing wouldn’t add up.
Then what could I consider as a potential suspect?
Somewhere that could leak a Hunter’s address, name, and even their rank…
‘Huh.’
I quickly recalled where to start looking.
I had been facing this kind of problem consistently before.
‘Now that I think about it, every time I went through an incident at a Gate, the news would reach Kang Chang-ho instantly.’
Korean Hunter Association.
Right, that national organization has always been loose-lipped.
So, there was no reason to trust them in this situation either.
‘Could it be there again?’
Various speculations about information leakage swirled in my head, but I couldn’t dwell on the thought for long.
“Hunter!”
“Mr. Kim Gi-ryeo!”
In almost no time, the pack of reporters surrounded me.
“Ugh.”
Click, click, click.
Pushed back by the eagerness of those charging at me, I was driven to the end of the alley. The cool temperature of the wall against my back felt unsettling.
Yet the reporters didn’t care about the frightened subject and shoved microphones in my face.
Thus, an impromptu press conference unfolded against the backdrop of the red house.
Though it was a bit sudden, what could I do?
“Please say a few words!”
“I’m Lee Ji-young from YTV. Is it true that you single-handedly dealt with an A-Class Gate in the past?”
“Everyone, please don’t shove forward; it’s dangerous inside!”
They were determined to not back down until they got an answer.
I took a deep breath and scanned the noisy crowd before me.
What emerged was a few sentences from someone wearing the skin of a corpse…
*
Finally.
A long, long…
Flashback came to an end.
‘Ha.’
On a winter day when flurries were falling.
I had tightly closed my eyes against that wall, reminiscing about the past.
What mistakes had I made that brought me to this state? I wanted to identify the cause myself.
‘Looking back, there were so many events since my reincarnation.’
Slowly, I lifted my closed eyelids.
And concluded.
‘If I had known it would be like this, I shouldn’t have been born on Earth.’
Yeah. Why should I bother picking apart all the details wrong with the situation?
From the start!
This reincarnation was simply!
Screwed from the get-go!
The fact that I had entered this messed-up body was a mistake in itself. And now I was trying to figure out what I did wrong?
Get a grip, you fool!
“No, no comment?”
“Are you denying the allegations of rank manipulation?”
The reporters seemed quite taken aback by what they’d just heard, but still, I maintained my stance.
‘S-Class or F-Class, either way, I’m dead…!’
Given the circumstances, I hadn’t even decided on a position yet, so did they expect me to have something to say?
I maintained silence against all their questions.
Besides, once I started to push back, everything became easier.
I realized that they were all Non-Awakened, and my confidence grew slightly.
Indeed, the suspicion that I could be an S-Class Hunter seemed to hold considerable power.
“Ugh.”
I put my hands in my pockets and silently observed the reporter in front of me.
Then the reporter slowly scooted to the side, clearing a path.
‘Pretending to be S-Class really does scare them.’
In that case, why waste time in this noisy spot?
I headed straight home.
Once I entered the barrier and locked the door, at least I wouldn’t have to worry about intrusions.
– Click, click, click.
But when I heard those shutter sounds from a distance…
I felt like things might not go so smoothly after all.
.
.
.
Thirty minutes later.
– Ding-dong!
The doorbell echoed with a clear tone from outside.
It was utterly annoying.
I thought it would quiet down once I got home, but those crazies were now bothering me at any moment.
– “Mr. Kim Gi-ryeo, are you inside?”
If it were the old days, I would have punished anyone daring to invade a Great Mage’s abode by hanging them in the marketplace…
But now, I had no power to punish them.
Would the police even take anyone away for merely ringing the doorbell?
“Ha.”
So, I decided to retreat temporarily, tired of being tormented by reporters.
However, finding a safe place wasn’t simple.
Given my lack of understanding of Earth’s residential structure, I couldn’t select a lodging with high security.
‘Alien handicap.’
All that was left was a somewhat simple solution.
I picked up the phone on the desk.
The recipient was already decided.
[Ah Yoon-seung☎]
Yeah. I’d done him a favor not too long ago; if not now, when would I use it? An A-Class residence would surely be better than a cheap place lying on the street.
“Hello?”
Soon enough, the call connected.
I marveled at Ahn Yoon-seung’s quick response and laid out my situation.
Due to the current circumstances, I asked if I could stay at his place for a few days.
“Yoon-seung, I’m counting on you.”
Of course, the reply I got was predictable.
Someone as tender-hearted as Yoon-seung wouldn’t ignore my difficult situation, tormented by noise.
– “Understood.”
As expected, Yoon-seung replied positively soon.
‘Huh?’
Wait, but upon further listening, describing it as positive seemed a bit off.
– “I just need to prepare the room for you, right…?”
A slumped voice.
A feeble tone.
‘Why does he sound like that?’
I raised a short query as I listened to Yoon-seung’s voice coming through the speaker.
Moreover, this sense of discomfort remained even after changing locations.
“Um, please come in.”
A few hours later.
I arrived at this A-Class Hunter’s residence with caution against being followed, but the other person was blatantly avoiding eye contact from the start.
“This is the guest room for you, and the bathroom is down this hallway.”
“…”
“Oh, and my parents have gone to a relative’s house and will be back in two days, so… You don’t have to worry too much. I’ve already explained everything.”
His stiff face and subdued voice.
I continued to observe him closely while keeping my suitcase in hand.
‘Reading expressions in Earth-style is still difficult.’
Of course, just piecing together expressions doesn’t reveal someone’s true feelings, so conversations are definitely necessary.
I rolled my eyes and said a word.
“Am I being too much of a burden?”
“Pardon?”
“No, it just feels like your reaction has been a bit off since the call earlier.”
“…”
“If you don’t want to do me a favor but are forcing yourself to say it’s okay…”
But the truth was a bit different from my assumptions. When Yoon-seung heard those words, he flailed his hands in panic.
“Not at all! I absolutely never thought that!”
“Then?”
“W-well…”
As I pointed out his pale complexion and pressed him, Yoon-seung began to provide a brief explanation.
“… Actually.”
In a whispering voice.
*
Two days ago.
Ahn Yoon-seung fell into shock upon hearing the news of the Unavoidable Malice’s emergence.
But his shock wasn’t the same as everyone else’s.
It wasn’t the monster’s grade or the ruined city.
[At around 4 PM, the Unavoidable Malice has finally been defeated.]
It was the timing of its appearance that hit him the hardest.
“…”
On the 11th, the day the Unavoidable Malice appeared, Ahn Yoon-seung had been inside a Gate.
And by the time he had completed the raid and came outside, urgent news was streaming from the building’s electronic signboards.
The news was about some Unknown Hunter slaying an Imugi.
“…”
The protagonist of the incident was captured on a small screen by a drone cam, making his face unrecognizable, yet who wouldn’t recognize that distinctive golden hair?
Ahn Yoon-seung stared blankly at the news flowing on the electronic signboard for quite a while.
