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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Behind the Camera
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Waking up at dawn for a business trip was tough. My back already made it hard enough to sit and host the news, and now I had a trip all the way to the Ulsan area.
If Producer Park hadn't volunteered to drive, saying he didn't want to be crammed into the liberal arts team's van, I would've been forced to take a taxi.
“Aren't you tired, Anchor Yoon?”
“I'm fine.”
Of course, that's how I answered Producer Park. I'd rather die than complain to others. Besides, this was work. Now that I was back, the best thing to do was work without making excuses.
What good was there in frowning and making others uncomfortable while on the job? That was the kind of person Se-heon was.
He could have slept during the long drive, but Se-heon spent the entire time in the car preparing for the interview. Still, he felt a little anxious. He didn't know Ha-ra well, but he remembered her reaction when they first met in the studio to film the broadcast on magic stone management.
Ha-ra had looked extremely uncomfortable back then. People who were awkward on camera were always difficult to work with.
But once the documentary filming began, Kang Ha-ra did better than expected. Sometimes, he had to ask deliberately foolish questions to get the desired answers, and Ha-ra responded to even those with pretty decent replies.
The most interesting part was when they talked about the amethyst in Eonyang. In the middle of talking about magic stones, Ha-ra suddenly leaped up.
The producers let out sounds of admiration. Ha-ra had flown up as if it were nothing, plucked a crystal from the ceiling, and handed it over.
She sliced the crystal with her sword as if it were a radish, then held it out to Se-heon. "Look at this. They say magic stones keep appearing like this," she said.
Se-heon blinked, then asked.
“You seem more used to it than before.”
“Oh? Yes, I am. That's right. You had a hard time because of me back then, Anchor Yoon.”
Ha-ra laughed, embarrassed. Se-heon found himself smiling as well.
It had been baffling when Ha-ra had left him behind and shot into the air in the Yeouido dungeon. Strangely, looking back on it now, he found it amusing.
The producer filming Ha-ra signaled for him to ask more questions, finding it entertaining.
“Is flight the only skill you've acquired?”
“I'm still in training, so I can't tell you everything.”
As she said this, Ha-ra naturally placed the magic stone in Se-heon's hand. It was a casual gesture, but Se-heon felt a little dazed as he took the stone. It felt as if she were giving him a gift.
However, as soon as the filming ended, Team K's Rae-young came over and took the magic stone from Se-heon's hand. Only then did Se-heon realize the magic stone was government property, and he felt a little awkward.
“Is it common for people to awaken only skills, like Ms. Kang Ha-ra?”
Rae-young, who had been chewing gum, popped a bubble and answered.
“It's not super common. But it's not unheard of, either.”
It was a pre-arranged answer. Of course, it wasn't entirely baseless.
“It can happen when you defeat a field boss. You learn the field boss's skill. Or you can get an item like Hunter Kwon Wook's Ring of Fire and use a skill by equipping it.”
“That's interesting.”
“That's how dungeons are. You never know what's going to happen.”
“Isn't it inconvenient that only the unexpected happens?”
Rae-young chewed her gum a couple of times and snickered.
“Mister, do you know everything that's going to happen in your life?”
It was a mature response, hard to believe it came from a 24-year-old.
It was the answer Se-heon had been aiming for, but it left a bitter taste. He recalled the rumors he'd heard about the young woman before him.
She had been a runaway teen, leaving home because she couldn't endure her father's abuse. If she hadn't turned out to be an A-rank Awakened at the community center she visited to get her resident registration card, no one would have ever looked for her. He'd heard later that all the local public officials had been mobilized to find her.
“And I like this job, where I get good rewards for the work I put in.”
For the work she put in... But weren't there people who could work their whole lives and never receive a fair reward? Se-heon found himself thinking of Ha-ra.
Just then, Rae-young glanced over at Kwon Wook.
“That guy, at it again.”
Wondering what was going on, he followed her gaze and saw Kwon Wook whispering something to Kang Ha-ra. His hand was on Ha-ra's shoulder as he pointed toward the werewolf, so it was probably about training.
“...The members of Team K all seem to be very close.”
Se-heon felt a little embarrassed as he asked. He wondered if he was being too conservative. Was it okay to just place a hand on a coworker's shoulder like that?
Rae-young scoffed at his question.
“I'm probably closer to her than he is.”
With that, Rae-young strode over. Se-heon went with her.
As they got closer, they saw Kwon Wook encouraging Ha-ra to take on the werewolf. The problem was that the staff, who had started their break, were setting up tables and handing out lunch boxes across from them.
Well, that part was more or less okay. But from Se-heon's perspective, Ha-ra looked a little uncomfortable.
“Those people came here knowing what to expect.”
“Just because they came prepared doesn't mean everything is okay.”
Se-heon gently reached out and lifted Kwon Wook's hand from Ha-ra's shoulder.
At that, Kwon Wook's eyes widened. "Wow, a handshake," he said, naturally taking Se-heon's hand and shaking it.
*This guy's smooth,* Se-heon thought, looking at Kwon Wook.
“Everyone's eating lunch. Let's do this later.”
“That thing's a bit dangerous.”
“Isn't that a rather weak excuse for an S-rank Hunter?”
“Ah, when you put it like that, you're making me feel embarrassed.”
Kwon Wook smiled, his eyes curving.
Seeing his smiling eyes up close, Se-heon could almost understand why he had so many fans.
“Let's eat first.”
“Shall we eat together, then? To be honest, I've always admired you, Anchor Yoon Se-heon.”
*Admired me, my foot.* Se-heon resisted the urge to scoff and turned away. Just then, Ha-ra quickly followed him.
“Oh, speaking of which, Anchor Yoon, I have something for you...”
“What is it?”
“Um...”
For some reason, Ha-ra glanced at Kwon Wook and lowered her voice.
“I'll give it to you in a bit. It's nothing much...”
But Kwon Wook quickly cut in.
“What is it, what is it? Give me one, too.”
“No, it's not that. It's Anchor Yoon's.”
*Mine?* Se-heon tilted his head.
Ha-ra spoke again.
“Back then, you gave me your necktie...”
“Ah.”
Only then did Se-heon remember the necktie he had wrapped around Ha-ra's foot when she lost her loafer. He'd completely forgotten about it.
“What necktie?”
“Well.”
As Ha-ra explained the situation, Kwon Wook puckered his lips in an "ooh."
“So romantic.”
“...It wasn't like that...”
“What do you mean, 'it wasn't like that'? Anchor Yoon is so cool. I'm going to call you hyung-nim from now on. Wrapping a necktie around a woman's foot. Legendary.”
“...”
Se-heon didn't reply to Kwon Wook.
But Kwon Wook took it a step further, clapping his hands and humming a little "get together, get together" tune. If it weren't for the growling sound from behind them, he probably would have hummed his way all the way to where the broadcast staff was.
Kwon Wook glanced back, noticed the werewolf struggling and glaring at the people, and said, "Oops. I'll be right there," before walking back and kicking it.
With a yelp, the werewolf whimpered and collapsed.
*They definitely said that was a D-rank.* Remembering how he and Ha-ra had struggled with the carnivorous rabbit of the same rank, Se-heon felt a sense of futility.
In the end, Ha-ra couldn't give the necktie to Se-heon. An unexpected person had shown up at the meal site.
It was none other than Mapo Precinct Chief Jeong Yu-jin.
“Chief!”
“Hey there.”
Chief Jeong smiled, her thick eyebrows furrowing.
“Look what you've made me do, coming all the way out here. Bossing your chief around.”
“Oh my gosh, I'm sorry. But I didn't know you were coming.”
As Ha-ra hesitated, Chief Jeong ruffled her hair and let out a hearty laugh.
“I'm kidding, kid. One of my precinct's own is on TV; of course I had to come see.”
*Do precinct chiefs usually keep track of broadcasts?* Se-heon wondered, giving Chief Jeong a silent nod.
Chief Jeong said, "Oh, Reporter Yoon. Long time no see," and offered him a handshake.
“Do you two know each other?”
“We met back when Reporter Yoon was covering the Mapo Precinct.”
Producer Park, flustered by the precinct chief's visit, had rushed over late, but he relaxed upon learning she was just there to look around and went back to his meal.
Chief Jeong clicked her tongue.
“He came running, probably worried I was here to tell him to stop filming.”
Content related to Hunters was often classified, and sometimes broadcasts were canceled even after filming was complete, so it was natural for Producer Park to be startled.
From a distance, Producer Park kept glancing over at Yu-jin and Se-heon as he ate.
In the end, Chief Jeong gestured to Se-heon.
“I can't keep holding onto Reporter Yoon. Go tell him there are no issues with the filming.”
“I will. I'll see you around.”
“Okay. This?”
Chief Jeong made a motion of downing a drink.
Se-heon chuckled and moved toward the production crew. Chief Jeong watched him go for a moment, then crossed her arms.
“Hey, Ha-ra.”
“Yes?”
Ha-ra, who was holding two lunch boxes including Chief Jeong's, answered with a start.
“I've been thinking.”
“About what?”
“About that condition the Constellation mentioned, the one about dating. Does it have to be falling in love, getting a confession, and then dating?”
[The Constellation 'Cupid' likes this.]
