By Zephyria Ripple Effect
After the Day of Change, people lived with unresolved anxieties.
The color of the Black Hole changing overnight, white ashes scattering like snow, Gates and Rifts appearing more frequently than before, and Monsters. Even though the hero J had appeared, everything seemed to hint at the arrival of a new disaster. People still couldn’t forget the loss etched by the Day of the Rift.
Sometime, people shouting that Doomsday would come were commonly seen on the streets. People waving flags with flames drawn on them on the main streets attracted attention even if you didn’t want to see them.
“We must prevent Doomsday with the power of humanity!”
They shouted about Doomsday, whether anyone listened or not. Could the power of words really exist? Doomsday, which they heard every day. Even those who initially scoffed couldn’t laugh it off anymore. People who ignored them now glanced and passed by once or twice. The anxiety that appeared in a corner of their hearts gradually grew in size.
“…….”
Yoon Ga-eul was no exception. Ga-eul glanced at the fluttering flag and hurried her steps. Those bizarre Doomsday theorists had set up shop on the way to school, so she couldn’t help but run into them. Even if parents filed complaints, it was only temporary.
Moreover, she was the one who had directly seen the world where Doomsday had arrived, so she couldn’t help but pay more attention.
Do they even know what Doomsday is? Is that group Jung-bin Uncle mentioned those people?
All thoughts led to Doomsday. It felt like a huge stone called Doomsday was pressing down on her. Every time Ga-eul passed by them, she turned up the volume of her earphones for no reason. That was the best she could do.
However, for the past few days, she hadn’t had the leisure to pay attention to them. Whether that was fortunate or unfortunate, she didn’t know.
Lunchtime. A corner of the classroom erupted with exclamations. Every time a finger pressed on the tablet, a different photo appeared. The people in the photos were all Lee Sa-young. The screen stopped at Lee Sa-young’s profile. Someone exclaimed.
“Wow…. He’s so handsome.”
“I always thought he was crazy because he always wore a Gas mask.”
“Hey, watch the old interview videos. That’s the real deal.”
“Yoon Ga-eul! You should watch it too. He’s really got something.”
A photo suddenly appeared in Ga-eul’s view. The people in the thin photo, as if cut out from a newspaper, were people Ga-eul knew very well. A photo of Lee Sa-young looking at the camera while holding J preciously. The corners of Lee Sa-young’s lips were curved as if smiling.
I’ve seen it 50 times since this morning, no exaggeration. Ga-eul mechanically nodded and accepted the photo. Da-yeon muttered with an excited face.
“Aren’t they really dating?”
“Definitely. A princess carry from both sides? This can’t be anything but dating.”
“I’m expecting at least a fling.”
“They’re both guys?”
“Yeah, that’s why it’s good.”
Ga-eul bit her lip tightly. She couldn’t pour cold water on her excited friends’ chatter. And in the first place, the atmosphere of the photo was too suspicious!
‘Why are you holding him so preciously….’
Even Yoon Ga-eul, who had actually seen them, couldn’t deny that their own world was unfolding. She carefully clutched the photo and swallowed her tears.
‘J, Guild Leader. I’m sorry.’
The Doomsday that had been messing with her head had long been cleanly erased.
「[Exclusive Report] Rank 1 and 2 Captured Again… The Biggest Scandal Since the Day of the Rift!」
It hadn’t even been a few days since the scandal of the 1st and 2nd ranked Hunters in Korea was reported, but Korea was once again turned upside down because of them. This time, it was a photo of Lee Sa-young holding J that was released. Moreover, it was taken from a closer distance than the last photo, so it was clear! People cheered at the clean image quality.
So, the Hunters of Hunter Net, who were debating whether J was stronger or Lee Sa-young was stronger, couldn’t come to their senses with the new bait. It was like pouring an entire bottle of gasoline on top of the previous debate that hadn’t even been concluded!
Lee Sa-young held J, so isn’t Lee Sa-young stronger? J held Lee Sa-young last time, didn’t he? They must have established dominance once each, J was being lenient to Lee Sa-young this time, there’s no way they fought at the seafood market, maybe they’re just putting a mask and wig on anyone and pretending to be J….
People who were debating with two photos went back to the root of this discussion.
‘In the first place, why are these guys holding each other?’
‘What are you two?’
They, who were exploring the source, soon branched out towards new opinions.
―Did they fall in love while fighting!
A somewhat distorted but pleasant opinion.
But when they put on a distorted filter, there were too many strange elements.
―240 What’s with that showing-off expression?
Ah, sit, now I really see it that way because of you That’s definitely showing off lol
I’d make that face too if I took a picture holding J
I just want to see him in person once
Automatically makes the face of a concubine who just gave birth to a son lol for real lol Not only Lee Sa-young’s expression, who was looking straight at the camera lens with a smiling face, But isn’t 240 a Poison user? Is J immune to Poison? 240 is taking off his Gas mask and he’s still fine, even though he’s so close └Yeah, seeing that he’s perfectly fine, it doesn’t seem like he’s been poisoned, so what is it?
└Maybe he has a Gas mask artifact
└I’m curious about J’s equipment, how good must it be └No, but why is he holding him so tightly? Enough to wrinkle his jacket?? So preciously??? Ah, I think I’m going to have a qi deviation └You need to stop thinking
└Turn off Hunter Net
A hand that was closer and tighter than necessary,
―But 240 is handsome, why is his smiling face so bewitching? It’s creepy └He looks like a gigolo, what’s so handsome about himㅡㅡ Hunters should have a sturdy taste like Shield Guy └Yeah, Shield Guy is 11th and 240 is 2nd, good luck~
└They’re both on the path of waves, so why are they fighting??
Lee Sa-young’s face being re-evaluated.
―I’m a current Hunter and this is a public opinion war. Don’t get caught up in it, 240 can’t beat J with strength, so he’s doing a mental attack, and we’re being affected by it.
└What the hell are you talking about?
└Don’t you remember the public service advertisement? He’s a master of mental attacks └Wow
└Why does it sound plausible?
└How much stronger are you trying to get, 240!!
Even the mental attack theory, which raised its head again.
Kang Ji-soo, a dopamine Addict who browses Hunter Net whenever she’s bored, couldn’t stand the overflowing stimulation and kicked down the door of the Vice Guild Leader’s office.
“Vice Guild Leadeeerr!!”
Kwaang! The door swayed as if it would fall off, but she didn’t care. Her red hair and the newspaper in her hand fluttered wildly. But Bae Won-woo was quiet. Normally, he would have nagged about compensating for the door, but. Kang Ji-soo looked around the office and saw the sofa.
“I didn’t see you there. What are you doing! Did you see the photo?”
“Ji-soo, don’t talk to me….”
Bae Won-woo was lying sideways on the sofa with a blank face, munching on a protein bar. He looked pathetic for some reason. His chewing muscles moved mechanically, chewing and swallowing the bar. There was no Soul in his eyes. He began to mutter.
“I… I’ve cleaned up all sorts of things since I followed that Sa-young bastard.”
“Yep.”
“Aren’t we actually an entertainment agency?”
“Are you crazy? How many Dungeon raid schedules are set?”
“No, but seriously…. Why do I have to clean up love scandals? If a personality controversy breaks out, I’d think, ‘Finally, it’s here! It’s later than I thought’…. But this isn’t it. Huh?”
Ddiriri, the unplugged phone rang softly. Bae Won-woo covered his ears and curled up.
“That Sa-young bastard isn’t even answering the phone! And why did he get his picture taken at the seafood market!”
“About that.”
Kang Ji-soo unfolded the crumpled photo and tilted her head.
“Isn’t it taken on purpose?”
“What?”
“No, look. The background is the seafood market. He’s staring straight at the lens. Would Guild Leader not know that Mackerel was taking pictures?”
“…….”
“In the first place, wasn’t he going to the seafood market to confront him? Given Guild Leader’s personality, he would have made a fuss and told him to delete the photos. He must have condoned it, this.”
Bae Won-woo’s blank eyes groped the air. Come to think of it, when he went to Lee Sa-young’s house, Lee Sa-young’s behavior was strange. Coming out of the shower, sticking to J while only wearing a shower gown. J, who was so devoted to Lee Sa-young that it was strange.
His senses, which had been on strike for 364 out of 365 days, were working hard today. He felt like he had learned something he shouldn’t have.
Bae Won-woo staggered to his feet.
“…Ji-soo.”
“What?”
His face was filled with determination.
“I’m going into the Dungeon. Tell anyone who’s looking for me that I’m not here.”
“Ahahaha, it was worth not leaving the country~ I get to see photos like this.”
The lightly thrown newspaper fluttered and fell to the floor. The gray newspaper was dyed bright red.
A straight finger stained with blood picked up a takeout cup. The owner of the hand was sitting on top of a huge Monster’s corpse. White, disheveled hair fluttered. Gyu-Gyu, who had gulped down the coffee, looked down with a smiling face.
“Did the public official see this article?”
Jung-bin, who was standing a little away where the blood didn’t reach, raised his head.