First Filming (1)
"Looks like the news spread even to Upstream, huh?"
I had already appeared on TV several tis, and as Shin Ah-yeon's manager, I had also been in contact with other managent agencies several tis. Naturally, if we were talking about major managent agencies, they would have already finished looking into
to a certain degree.
However, in response to my reaction, Yeon-ji's face turned sullen.
"You're not even surprised. That's no fun."
"Honestly, I'd be more surprised if you hadn't looked into
at all."
The rift incident three years ago was an event that rocked the country for a while.
No one died, and only one person went missing, but it was a huge incident that could have beco a national disaster.
On top of that, since it led to the downfall of Shin Ah-yeon, who was both an S-rank Hunter and widely considered the country's top mage, it would not have been hard for anyone to dig up information about .
"If you search Naver, you can see right away who went missing back then."
To be precise, I showed up as Manager Park from Grand Nova.
Of course, other managent agencies wouldn't have investigated
through Naver News, but it was obvious that most of them knew I was the one who had gone missing.
"Still, has no one tried to approach you all this ti?"
"I've been contacted before, but it wasn't from the managent side."
Naturally, after returning to this world, I had to report my survival.
So, I'd been in and out of governnt offices several tis, and received quite a few calls as well.
"I don't rember anything after getting sucked into the rift."
That one line neatly closed out most matters.
The governnt wanted to make it public that I was the first survivor of the rift and let everyone know, but I refused.
I just didn't want to be bothered by sothing like that at the ti.
Honestly, I still prefer not to beco famous by such ans.
Still, as long as I was in this industry, it was inevitable that word would get out soday.
"To avoid getting bothered then, I need a strong fence."
That was one of the reasons I had first sought out Shin Ah-yeon.
Being the manager of an S-rank awakener was a business card no one could ddle with recklessly.
On top of that, now that Soo-ah was around
too, people would be even less likely to try anything against .
"And there's Ji Yeon-hwa, no, Yeon-ji too."
She hadn't yet realized her full potential, but I wondered if she would be able to achieve great growth.
In Yeon-ji's case, her situation was so unique that even I couldn't guess how far she might go. With so luck, she might reach a similar level as Ah-yeon or Soo-ah, but she could also end up as just an ordinary S-rank.
Well, in truth, just reaching S-rank was already far from ordinary.
"But you actually believe information like that? Most people don't."
I hadn't gone around blabbing about being a returnee, but even if I let it slip, most would pass it off as a joke.
By contrast, Yeon-ji seed almost certain.
"Of course, I don't believe everything, but if it wasn't that kind of case, there's no way you'd know things like this, right?"
As a mage, Yeon-ji seed to imdiately sense that what I had taught her wasn't just sothing one person could co up with—it was knowledge steeped in a long history.
After all, circle magic and dark magic far surpassed modern magic.
"But aren't you being a little careless, telling
things like that? Even if you put a shackle on , you haven't done that with others, right?"
"Honestly, I hadn't planned on putting any special asures on you either."
"... Thanks, even if it's just lip service. Not that I like you."
The ones I taught my knowledge to kept it to themselves.
Neither Ah-yeon nor Soo-ah would ever recklessly share what I taught them.
And Yeon-ji—aning, Ji Yeon-hwa—was the sa, though the reason was a bit different.
"For , it's easier if there's a shackle."
Yeon-ji touched the choker around her white neck, hidden under her hoodie.
It looked like an ordinary accessory, but it was, in fact, the shackle placed on her.
It wasn't simply a taphorical collar—it was a magical contract that "Ji Yeon-hwa" had personally set on herself.
"I just can't trust myself anymore."
Yeon-ji's gaze was still fixed on the passing scenery outside the car window, so I couldn't see her expression.
But I could see her small hand, gripping the seatbelt tightly as if it were a lifeline, trembling.
What happened during Super Hunter K's third mission had also left a deep scar on 'Ji Yeon-hwa'.
She had lost control of herself, and it had nearly led to disaster.
She'd pretended to be composed this whole ti, but that was just a front.
"... I see."
After that, we didn't exchange any more words until we arrived at Unique.
And the next day—
【Breaking news. President Na Ji-hwan of Upstream has allegedly committed massive tax evasion. The Taekyung Group, a major player in the artifact manufacturing industry, is involved as well, and even bigger aftershocks are expected.】
As the tax evasion scandal involving President Na Ji-hwan broke out, Upstream wavered dramatically.
***
The news about Upstream set off huge ripples among managent agencies.
It wasn't clear exactly why, but it was obvious that they'd gotten on the wrong side of soone with real power.
"Now that Upstream is faltering, isn't this our chance?"
Grand Nova was far too high up, a league nobody else in the business could even challenge.
But the next tier, the "Big Three" managent agencies—Mirae Guild, Upstream, and Moon Halo—were a different story.
They were powerful, but the tier right below them had plenty of competition, and those companies were always watching for a chance to move up.
Among them was the Javelin Guild.
"To think it could be this perfect."
Kang Gi-hun, both President and Guildmaster of Javelin Guild, smirked as he watched the news.
He thought the Javelin Guild should always be among the Big Three.
The oldest managent shaped from a Hunter guild.
Their history outstripped not only the Big Three, but also Grand Nova.
"We just missed our timing, that's all."
Yes.
Javelin Guild had missed the turning point, failing to adapt to the culture shift where Hunters beca entertainers and managers.
By the ti they'd shored up their internal affairs, the gap had widened, and most key talent had already been poached.
"We need to act while those bastards are out of the way."
Though they'd accumulated powerful strength by borrowing from the demon, thanks to a certain 'deal', they couldn't move freely. But lately, there had been signs of trouble among the demon.
"That demon, did they say one went missing?"
Not just any, but one of the titled demons.
Because of that, Sebin—who had been acting in place of the forr leader—was rushing around trying to find the reason behind it.
The only information they'd managed to obtain so far was that the demon's last known location was the filming set for the Super Hunter K finals.
If that was true, it ant that soone had defeated a titled demon on the day of the Super Hunter K finals.
"If existing Hunters had done it, there would have been rumors."
You would need several A-rank Hunters to take down such a monster.
For sothing like that to appear in a hall filled with ordinary people and yet have things remain so quiet—it was odd.
"It makes
feel like the heavens are favoring us."
At the exact mont Upstream was shaken, even the demon was left unable to focus on Javelin Guild. They had to seize this opportunity to bring down Upstream and take their spot among the Big Three.
"But before that, shouldn't we find a raw gem first?"
That remark ca from Vice-Guildmaster Shim Chun-hoo, Kang Gi-hun's right-hand man and a top A-rank powerhouse.
"If we can find a raw gem superior to Ji Yeon-hwa, then yes."
"......"
Shim Chun-hoo fell silent at Kang Gi-hun's words.
Just as he said, it was nearly impossible to find a "raw gem" surpassing Ji Yeon-hwa in Korea.
Ju Ji-sang, whom they had set up as a backup candidate, had vanished recently, putting Javelin Guild in a difficult spot.
"... But there's sothing I have in mind."
"Oh? Have you found an awakened with talent?"
"It's a little different. If talent is what matters, this person has talent unrivaled in Korea."
Curious, Kang Gi-hun turned his gaze to Shim Chun-hoo.
"I an Shin Ah-yeon. It seems she's lost a lot of her strength since her mana hall was damaged after her pri."
He'd noticed this after watching the leaked video of the fight with Ji Yeon-hwa.
If she'd been at her peak, she and Baek Hojun would not have had such difficulty restraining the rampaging Ji Yeon-hwa.
"Shin Ah-yeon, who's experienced subjugating a Demonic Zone herself, wouldn't be ignorant of the dangers of the ultimate magic stone and the heart, would she?"
"But if she could restore her ruined body, wouldn't the temptation be strong?"
They knew that Shin Ah-yeon's mana hall had been damaged, but not to what extent.
Based on her current abilities, they concluded she'd suffered so damage at that ti, resulting in her current state.
Just under S-rank, she'd hidden herself away—so they thought.
"Indeed, not a bad idea."
People always want to get back what they lost, no matter the thod, even if it's improper.
Especially Shin Ah-yeon, who'd once stood at the top—she would surely want to regain her strength.
"Do we have a way to contact her?"
"We do."
Shim Chun-hoo grinned.
He had just recently learned sothing about Shin Ah-yeon: she'd been cast in a supporting role in a movie.
***
"Ah, th.is. is. Re.al.ly. da.n.ge.rous~~↗!!"
"......"
A chill filled the empty Unique practice room.
After all her hard work with acting lessons, this was the result when I told her to try once.
"Tch!!"
Thud!!
Ah-yeon flung the script in her hand with force.
Given how red her face had beco, she also realized just how amateurish her acting was.
"How about going with a character who just doesn't talk? That's trendy these days."
"You're being an, you know?"
Ah-yeon puffed out her cheeks.
She clearly didn't like how Jung-woo kept criticizing her.
"I heard you got up to a tolerable level recently."
"I did, but now that it's actually ti to film, I'm nervous..."
Maybe because she felt embarrassed, Ah-yeon averted her gaze.
After an altercation with Cha Jae-seok, the director of 'World of Superhumans', the first day of shooting was right before her.
Tomorrow, she'd have to go on set and perform with unfamiliar actors.
Just imagining her giving this kind of performance in front of others made even Jung-woo himself feel secondhand embarrassnt.
After all that trouble to gain the upper hand against Cha Jae-seok and win the role, it was starting to look like a misstep.
"Ah-yeon has to do well no matter what."
Even if the creator had made this character with Ah-yeon in mind, the audience wouldn't know that.
If you appear in a movie as an actor, you have to be the best at acting, period.
If not, Ah-yeon would just be soone hogging a role that should've gone to a proper actor.
It was like a codian or celebrity being cast in a voice acting role for an animation instead of a real voice actor. No matter how accomplished your career, if you couldn't fulfill the role, you'd only ruin your image and get criticized.
"Maybe I should just have her quit now?"
That's how desperate it was.
Even if she just did okay, it would make her the first Hunter to ever appear in a movie—a huge accomplishnt—but at this rate, she'd be lucky not to get roasted for it.
"Um... Oppa."
"What?"
"When are you going to tell
about that tattoo you ntioned before?"
The leaked video of the fight with Ji Yeon-hwa.
Though her mory was hazy, there was a brief scene not even she rembered.
The audio wasn't captured, but there was footage of her reaching out and apparently saying sothing while Ji Yeon-hwa delivered the final blow.
Ah-yeon thought it might be related to the "tattoo on her back"
Jung-woo had ntioned.
Though she didn't actually have a tattoo on her back, she really had felt a sudden pain there.
'But when I ntioned that, Jung-woo oppa's expression completely froze over.'
He definitely knew sothing.
Yet after that, Jung-woo had avoided the subject.
"Let's not worry about that right now. Focus on tomorrow's filming. I'll tell you once it's certain."
Just like now.
But Ah-yeon didn't press him further.
When Jung-woo acted like this, it usually had sothing to do with the other world.
'He'll tell
when the ti cos, I guess.'
Calmly, Ah-yeon returned to morizing her script.
At the mont, following Jung-woo's advice and focusing on her acting was more important than the mysterious tattoo.
Although, honestly, she wondered what good it would do to morize her lines now.
Once she was on set, she'd only get even more nervous, so doing a decent job would be close to impossible.
"Is it really necessary for you to act at all?"
At that mont, Jung-woo muttered as if to himself.
Hearing that, Ah-yeon was dumbfounded.
"Are you telling
to run away while there's still ti?"
"No, I an, if you just try acting now you'll only inconvenience others. Maybe you need to look at this differently."
"...?"
She stared at him, unable to understand, but Jung-woo quickly sorted through his thoughts and grinned.
"There's always a way unique to mages, after all."
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
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