CH 9

Episode 9, The Destruction Ending (3) 

「Yes. The helicopter belonged to the SBC channel and was withdrawn after we threatened legal action.」

“What about drones?”

「One is the drone of a famous UTuber related to Hunter. It’s illegal, so if they don’t take it back within 5 minutes, I will ask UTube to delete the account and said they would go through various legal procedures so they take it back.」

“The other one?”

「It’s a personal drone, but it can’t be confirmed. I thought it would be better to track down the owner while trying to destroy it as it is, so the Tak Inae Hunter was just dispatched. It will be retrieved soon.」

“What do you mean you can’t confirm it? is it from overseas?”

「We don’t know yet, but it is highly likely.」

“Tell them to do it as quickly as possible. And also tracking the owner of the drone.” 

「Yes. I will.」

“If you find out an important fact or if another problem arises, deal with it with aide Lee Parkhee, but report it to me and Vice Minister Kim Changho immediately. It’s fine even during the press conference.” 

「Yes.」

Hunter Lee Beomjin ended the call. 

As Hunter Lee Beomjin said earlier, the car moved through the secret road of another building.

After entering the underground parking lot of the Department of Ability, it stopped.

Right in front of us, there were four people waiting for us, dressed in suits and wearing earphones in our ears.

“Wait a minute before we get off. Nahyun-ah, hold out your bracelet.” 

Hunter Lee Beomjin lightly placed his hand on my mom’s bracelet on her right wrist.

A pure white light rose and disappeared as if absorbed by the bracelet.

Then my mom’s face changed as well as her body. 

My mom is 39 years old this year and was a beautiful woman who looked much younger than her age.

But now she looked like an ordinary person in her twenties. 

“Wow! That’s amazing.”

“Right.”

My mom also looked very surprised when she checked through the mirror in the car’s front seat.

“My voice is the same.”

“Yes, so don’t speak in front of others.”

“Okay. And—”

Mom took a deep breath, opened her eyes, and strongly demanded from Hunter Lee Beomjin. 

“Heesun-ie, protect her.”

“Of course.”

It sounded more sincere because it was a calm voice.

“Hunter Lee Heesun.”

He called me by an official title, but there was concern in Hunter Lee Beomjin’s eyes.

“Do you want to get off now?”

“Yes.”

“Kim Changho, please protect Nahyun-ie.”

“Yes.”

Hunter Lee Beomjin got off first and then opened the door on the back seat.

I stepped outside.

The eyes of the people waiting immediately caught my eye.

‘Greetings to those who are seeing it for the first time!’ 

“Hello.”

I said with a smile.

The eyes of the people who were already shining brightened even more. 

“Yes! Hello!”

“Hello!”

“The press conference hall is the main hall on the first floor. I’ll take the lead.” 

I followed Hunter Lee Beomjin. 

The elevator was so large that the four of us could ride it, as well as Oh Chajung and Lee Geonhae, who came in the car behind, and the four bodyguards we met outside the car. 

Mom was behind me.

I turned around a little and looked up at my mom.

It was a very unfamiliar face, but I could see that she was full of worries about me.

I smiled. 

It means that mother and daughter are okay and that they can do well. 

“….”

Mom nodded her head without saying a word with a slightly relieved look. 

Tang. 

The elevator opened, and Hunter Lee Beomjin took the lead. 

‘It’s a hard atmosphere.’ 

It was like that because it was a government building.

However, it could have been the most expensive place in Korea in terms of price.

It was because it was a place made by mixing the by-products of monsters from the first dungeon, Lake Park. 

That’s why I said it’s incredibly sturdy.

“This is the place.”

It was the waiting room where I walked past the long hallway.

It was full of broadcasting equipment that I saw for the first time, including laptops and monitors.

There were more than ten people of various ages, from their 20s to their 60s.

Everyone looked at me as if they had found an oasis while suffering from thirst.

“Are you okay?”

Hunter Lee Beomjin asked very little.

He seemed worried that I might feel burdened by the gaze.

“I’m okay.”

To be honest, it was good.

‘It’s much better to look with anticipation and envy than with fear.’ 

I liked it because it was completely different from my previous life.

“Hello.”

I greeted them with a smile.

“Hello!”

“Welcome!”

“It’s really nice to meet you!”

They ran as if they were competing with each other and were blocked by Hunter Lee Beomjin.

“She is the only SSS∞Class  hunter in the world, so treat her according to her abilities.” 

“…Infinity?”

“That’s right.”

“It’s not an SSS class, but an SSS infinity class?”

“That’s right.”

“….”

For a moment, they all froze.

Then they clenched their fists and cheered.

“Whoaaaaa!”

“It’s so amazing!”

“That ninja punk will die!!”

The last sports team that everyone had been cheering for a long time exuded more joy than winning in decades.

There were some people who couldn’t control themselves and jumped on the floor and hit their heads on the ceiling (I guess it’s a hunter?), and there were people who danced while shaking their whole bodies.

Oh Chajung, who was serious at home earlier, shook the cell phone and tablet PC in both hands like a cheering stick for idol singers.

“….”

I looked at Hunter Lee Beomjin. 

Then I closed my eyes tightly as if I couldn’t bear to see this.

But I wasn’t particularly surprised.

‘No way, did they do this often?’

The Department of Ability of our country was stern, sophisticated, and had a very cool image.

‘They’re actually like this—?’

“It’s not always like this.”

Kim Changho looked at me and whispered next to me as if he were making an excuse.

“The Vice Minister also shouted at the office to leave early this morning! After that, he just punch in the air!”

“That’s right! You did it, too!”

The staff glared at Kim Changho.

Kim Chang-ho covered his ears as if he couldn’t hear anything.

“Wooo~~!”

The staff booed.

“Stop.”

As soon as Hunter Lee Beomjin’s words rang out, everyone shut their mouths and took a formal position with discipline.

“The Planning and Coordination Office re-sends a restraining order to overseas hunters in Korea for Hunter Lee Heesun. The digital communication team, together with the legal officers, notify the portal and community once again that if they violate the Hunter’s privacy, they will be subject to legal punishment, and please report defamatory posts and comments. Public Affairs Team, are you ready for the broadcast?” 

“Yes.” 

“Test it.” 

A staff with glasses came running up to me, full of happiness.

“I’ll put the mic on!”

“Yes.”

The employee quickly attached a microphone to the collar of my uniform while shaking his hands.

“Would you like to come this way? You need to see how it looks on the screen.”

I went to the broadcast camera.

Other employees, Hunter Lee Beomjin and my mom watched closely the monitor connected to the camera.

It seemed fine when I saw my mom nodding.

However, Hunter Lee Beomjin frowned slightly as if he were seeing something he didn’t like.

I asked.

“What’s wrong?” 

“It doesn’t look better than the real person.” 

“It’s fine.”

This was my mom’s opinion.

Hunter Lee Beomjin shook his head and said seriously.

“You look less cute than you look in person.”

“….” 

The employee around me said, ‘What did I just hear?’ and ‘Did my ears go bad?’ 

One employee said, ‘I must have heard it wrong,’ with a bright eye.

“Would you mind saying anything to test the mic?”

“Um, hello?”

“It’s coming out well. I’m done checking. Three minutes to go.”

Hunter Lee Beomjin approached me and bowed to meet my eye level equally.

It would be uncomfortable for a big, muscular 192cm person to stand next to a skinny, small 153cm person, but it wasn’t that kind of face at all.

He was worried as if he were putting a child on the water. 

At the same time, his eyes were so sweet.

‘It’s a bit embarrassing.’

My face suddenly becomes hot. 

It felt like my hands and feet were also shrinking, it was like that.

But I didn’t hate it.

I was happy.

But everyone in the waiting room now had a very odd expression on their faces, so I couldn’t leave it like this. 

“…The eyes.” 

I whispered a little.

Hunter Lee Beomjin hurriedly washed his face with one hand. 

He quickly returned with a cold expression.

“One minute to go.”

Kim Chang-ho hurriedly said, pointing to the door on one side.

The sign said [Conference Hall].

The spokesperson, Oh Chajung, disappeared there. 

“Hunter Lee Heesun, come in when there’s a signal.”

“Yes.” 

“Then I’ll go first.”

After me, Hunter Lee Beomjin looked at my mom behind me, nodded his head, and walked to the conference hall door.

There were five monitors by the door.

All of them were illuminating the large conference hall beyond the door from various angles.

Over a hundred reporters were crammed into their seats as if a hungry bear had been living there all winter.

“This monitor, please turn on the sound.”

Kim Changho asked an employee.

The sound began to flow from the largest monitor facing the podium.

「The Minister is coming.」

Oh Chajung, the spokesperson who went out first, spoke solemnly next to the podium.

He didn’t look like the person who shook his cell phone and tablet PC like a light stick earlier.

‘….’

The camera shutter sounded tremendous, and the flash exploded so much that the monitor instantly turned white.

Hunter Lee Beomjin had a casual look on his face. This could be because he is a high-level hunter or because he is used to being caught on camera all the time.

Without a blink of an eye, he stood on the podium for a moment, giving reporters time to take pictures. 

「Hello, fellow citizens, I am Lee Beomjin, Minister of Ability of the Republic of Korea. Yesterday, on November 18, 20XX, the highest class of hunter was confirmed as a result of the ability test at the Hunter Center in Nambu, Gyeonggi-do.」

Hunter Lee Beomjin couldn’t relax and be calm, so he was cold.

But it gives more credibility. 

「However, it is not SSS-class, as is known.」

Even during the press conference, the reporters groaned and suffered at the same time. 

A few people ripped off his hair or stomped his feet on the floor.

As the conference hall became very noisy, Hunter Lee Beomjin had no choice but to pause for a moment.

It was then.

“….!!!” 

Kim Changho, who was right next to me, suddenly shook his whole body as if in shock.

It was right after he saw the phone.

Kim Changho quickly raised his head with a serious expression and stared at the monitor again.

Hunter Lee Beomjin, who was staring at the reporters, looked down.

It looked like he was looking at his cell phone placed on the podium.

Just like Kim Changho, Hunter Lee Beomjin’s eyes widened as if in shock.

Soon, Hunter Lee Beomjin disappeared from the monitor.

Bang! And the door leading to the conference room opened like a burst, and a strong wind blew.

And,

Something touched her cheek.

It was a hot liquid.

She inadvertently wiped her cheek with her hand.

“…Hyun-ah, avoid it.” 

Hunter Lee Beomjin’s voice came from behind him.

I looked back.

Hunter Lee Beomjin stood in front of my mom like a shield.

A sharp ninja sword was stuck in the middle of Hunter Lee Beomjin’s chest.