Remnants (2)

After the incident in Sillim, Shim Chun-hoo disappeared as if he were a ghost.

Because of his abilities, it was difficult to find any trace of him, and the investigation inevitably stalled.

"So, do we just have to wait until he shows up?"

"For now, that's all we can do. We need to determine his location before we can do anything."

The Awakener Crime Investigation Division contacted us regularly, but as of now, there had been no notable progress.

At least, thanks to the widespread news coverage about Shim Chun-hoo, the moment he reappeared, we would know immediately.

As a countermeasure against Shim Chun-hoo, the police would be patrolling the area periodically for some time, but it was unclear how effective that would truly be.

"Hunter Lee Soo-ah-nim, please come this way. Let's start filming!"

"Oh, yes!"

Soo-ah looked like she still wanted to say something to me, but had no choice but to hurry off when she heard herself being called. We were currently at the HSN broadcasting station for the filming of Soo-ah's public service announcement.

After the news about Shim Chun-hoo went out, HSN suggested that they quickly film and air a public service announcement at this timing.

"Wow, I was surprised too. Who would have thought Shim Chun-hoo would turn out to be a murderer? If it hadn't been for you, Soo-ah-ssi, there would have been another victim, right?"

As I watched Soo-ah strike various poses before the cameras started rolling, Bang Si-jun, the shooting director for this commercial, approached and spoke to me.

He wore a satisfied smile as he looked at Soo-ah.

"Really, it's a blessing for us to have Soo-ah-ssi with us."

Bang Si-jun had his reasons for saying this.

With the news coverage on Shim Chun-hoo, it was natural that talk of Soo-ah would also surface.

It had happened in a secluded alley, but with such a commotion, a considerable number of people eventually gathered afterward.

Thanks to this, news quickly spread that Soo-ah had saved someone from Shim Chun-hoo, and soon, this story was broadcasted.

Though it was unintentional, Soo-ah's actions made the news and this led to a significant improvement in her public image.

"Soo-ah-ssi, look at the camera and give us a bigger smile, please!"

"Okay, like this?"

At first, Soo-ah felt awkward in front of the camera, but she quickly adapted, posing naturally and delivering her memorized lines with confidence.

'Surprisingly, she has a knack for broadcasting.'

Shin Ah-yeon also handled broadcasting quite well, but that was due to her experience three years ago. In contrast, this was Soo-ah's first time, yet she was adapting more easily than I expected.

"NBT and KDC must feel unlucky. They probably brought their own A-rank Hunters, but once this commercial airs, they'll be completely overshadowed."

There was a good reason for Bang Si-jun's delight.

This time, the three main broadcasting stations entrusted PSA production, promising to allocate a significant budget to whichever network drew the best response.

'I can't believe the government is now encouraging Hunters to appear on TV.'

Just three years ago, there were very few programs for Hunters.

But recently, more Hunters were appearing on TV, and the public had become more open and accustomed to it.

It must be a result of the growing number of Awakeners.

"Oh, right. Manager Park, did you hear that the Shim Chun-hoo incident caused a problem for a variety show HSN was planning?"

"No, this is the first I've heard of it..."

"Oh, you haven't yet? Didn't PD Jung Jun-su contact you?"

"PD Jung Jun-su?"

PD Jung Jun-su was the one who had directed 'Dungeon Exploration', the show Shin Ah-yeon had filmed.

'Come to think of it, he said he was leaving Dungeon Exploration to take on a new variety show.'

It had been a while, so I had forgotten all about it.

At the time, the PD had asked me if I could take part in his new project.

"So, what does this have to do with Shim Chun-hoo?"

"Well, the thing is..."

Just as Bang Si-jun was about to explain—

Ding-ling~ ding-ding~!

A cheerful sound interrupted as Bang Si-jun's smartphone rang.

He checked the screen, and for some reason, smirked.

"Talk about speaking of the devil... Manager Park, do you have a moment after today's shoot?"

"Yes, I don't have anything else scheduled today."

"Perfect. It seems PD Jung found out you were at HSN."

He grinned and showed me his phone.

The name "PD Jung Jun-su" appeared as the sender of the recent message.

***

After Soo-ah finished her commercial shoot, we met PD Jung at a café near the station—since the meeting rooms were all booked.

"It's been a while, manager Park."

Jeong, who had arrived ahead of us, stood up and bowed when he saw us walk in.

"This is my first time meeting you, Soo-ah-ssi. I was very impressed by you on SHK. You know you made our network rise to the top thanks to you, right?"

"Oh, no. I was just lucky, really."

"Haha! You don't become an S-rank Hunter by luck. I heard you filmed a PSA today?"

"Yes."

As Soo-ah answered with a broad smile, producer Jeong nodded.

"Soo-ah-ssi, you're very beautiful too, so you'd definitely stand out on camera. As a variety PD, you're the kind of talent I'd love to have."

Just like with Shin Ah-yeon, it was rare to find a Hunter who was visually stunning as well.

Especially since Soo-ah became S-rank like a Cinderella story—her disability cured as her body changed due to magic power differentiation—her revealed beauty shocked the world in a different way from Shin Ah-yeon.

"I think your fandom is called... Blue Flower, right?"

"What? I—I have a fandom?"

"You didn't know? Your fans would be disappointed to hear that."

Seeing Soo-ah's shocked face, it seemed she really hadn't known.

I was already aware, but I thought telling her would just make her uneasy, so I hadn't mentioned it.

'She would have found out sooner or later anyway.'

Judging by her reaction, she didn't seem to dislike it, so I was relieved.

"By the way, producer Jeong, may I ask why you contacted us through Director Bang today?"

"Oh, I should've explained earlier, sorry. I heard you were at the network and reached out in a hurry. Things have been pretty hectic lately."

"You've been busy because... of the variety show you've been planning?"

When I asked, producer Jeong gave a bitter smile and sighed.

"Yeah, that's right. Honestly, no one could have predicted Shim Chun-hoo would do something like this. At least the show wasn't announced to the public yet. If this had happened after a big promotion campaign, the project would have been dead."

Judging by his tone, it seemed Shim Chun-hoo was supposed to appear in the variety show Jeong was developing.

'What kind of program would cast Shim Chun-hoo, though?'

Shim Chun-hoo was an A-rank Hunter after all, so maybe it was a Hunter-themed show?

"So, you called us today to fill Shim Chun-hoo's role, is that right?"

"... You're sharp. Yes. I was always against casting him, but the higher-ups insisted. Now that things turned out this way... I'll go back to my original plan."

PD Jung took a sip from his coffee.

"So, what I want to ask you is... Manager Park, would you consider appearing on our show?"

"That would depend on what Shin Ah-yeon-nim and Hunter Lee Soo-ah here think about it."

"No, no."

When I said I'd wait for Shin Ah-yeon or Soo-ah's opinion and reply later, producer Jeong shook his head.

"I'm asking you, manager Park."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm asking if you'd consider appearing on our show, manager Park."

He meant me, not Shin Ah-yeon or Soo-ah?

It seemed I wasn't the only one caught off guard. Soo-ah's eyes widened as well.

"M-Manager Park, on a variety show? But you're not a Hunter..."

"That's why. This is a regular variety show."

PD Jung seemed prepared for our confusion as he continued.

"You may not be personally interested, but you've been a hot topic since the Jeju incident. Of course, a big reason for that is thanks to Hunter Lee Soo-ah."

"Oh..."

Since Soo-ah became S-rank, footage from the SHK days had been aired multiple times.

On top of that, with the stories about her drawing attention to save people in Jeju, waning interest in our story was rekindled.

'Director Cha Jae-seok's footage hasn't even aired yet.'

Just imagining how much attention that would bring made me anxious.

I had only given permission to help Shin Ah-yeon and Soo-ah gain exposure, never with any intention of becoming a star myself.

"The concept this time is to bring together people from various professions and have them travel overseas, experiencing all sorts of episodes on the way. Shim Chun-hoo was going to fill the "Hunter industry representative" position."

"So I'd be filling that Hunter industry spot, then."

"Yes."

Traveling abroad with a mix of different professionals, experiencing various adventures—it sounded like one of those typical travel variety shows.

'These days, it's common to cast non-celebrities in shows like this.'

In fact, popular internet streamers even got cast. One of the reasons was that viewers were tired of celebrities dominating TV.

"What will you do, manager Park? I think it sounds good."

"Well, obviously, I..."

Soo-ah seemed to want me on the show.

She must have thought it would be great for me—making money and getting famous.

But as I said before, I really had no interest, and was about to refuse immediately.

"Oh, by the way, the first shoot is scheduled to be in America."

"... What? America? But with the disaster in Mexico, aren't travel visas to America currently suspended?"

"We'll be going on business visas, of course. There was some concern, since it borders Mexico, but they say America is currently safe. And things should open up in two or three months."

Part of Mexico's territory was currently eroded by Demonic Zone, but the effects apparently hadn't reached America.

It seemed as though the Demonic Zone erosion had halted at some point.

'America, huh.'

I had no interest in the show itself.

But I was interested in going to America.

That way, I could at least get a brief look at the state of the Demonic Zone emerging in Mexico.

"... Could I think about it and get back to you? I have a lot on my plate right now."

"Of course. I know how busy you are, manager Park. But if possible, I'd like an answer by the end of the month."

PD Jung was considerate of my schedule and gave me quite a bit of leeway.

All the more reason, I guessed, because he really wanted me to appear on his show.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=Will he bring Soo-ah and Ah-yeon? Or will he bring Yeon-ji?【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】

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