“Oh-ho-ho. Hello! Today, we are joined by none other than the recently promoted S-rank hunter, Chae. Soo. Hyun!”

Chae Soo-hyun nodded politely in response to the MC’s introduction. She was currently on a TV show.

“You became quite famous when you took the S-rank number one spot, beating out Lee Soo-ah. Instantly ranked first after becoming S-rank! Wow, how did you manage that?”

“Well, I was just so focused on my hunter activities that before I knew it, I was number one. Hoho.”

Chae Soo-hyun smoothly lied without missing a beat, her expression as calm as ever.

“Wow, hunting really must be in your blood. But, if I may ask a slightly touchy question~ Recently, Lee Soo-ah reclaimed the top spot as S-rank number one. How do you feel about that?”

The host asked carefully, aware that this was a delicate topic, given Chae Soo-hyun’s reputation.

“Well, I suppose after achieving the number one spot, all the fatigue and tension I had built up suddenly hit me all at once. I’ve been busy resting and recharging since then. It seems like while I was taking a break, Lee Soo-ah made her move.”

Chae Soo-hyun smiled, handling the question gracefully. She had decided that her best chance at survival was to make a name for herself in the media.

‘Hunting might not work out for me…’

She thought about Baek Ji-hoon.

She had assumed that moving to Blue Guild would make it easier to win his forgiveness, but things hadn’t gone as expected.

‘Is Ji-hoon oppa really that mad at me? Ugh…’

Cha I-seul’s face flashed before her eyes.

‘That bitch… If only she wasn’t around…’

Chae Soo-hyun wanted to fully understand her situation, but it wasn’t easy. She had no idea what Baek Ji-hoon was really thinking.

‘Oppa… you can’t forget me. Please, just give me one more chance. I’ll do anything you want, anything you ask. Just take me back…’

She was lost in thought, momentarily distracted by memories of Lee Soo-ah and Cha I-seul.

“Are you feeling alright?”

The MC asked with a concerned expression, noticing her zoning out.

“Oh! Yes, I’m fine!!”

“Actually, the reason we invited you today, Chae Soo-hyun, is because everyone’s curious about your relationship with Baekho Guild and now Blue Guild. We’d love to hear more about that.”

The MC continued cautiously, aware of the sensitive nature of the topic.

“Oh… sure.”

Chae Soo-hyun had already prepared herself for these questions, having rehearsed her answers carefully in advance.

‘Pfft. That trash Baekho Guild… Jin-hyuk… Ugh. I must have lost my mind, getting involved with a rich jerk like him…’

She pouted slightly as she thought about it.

“After you became an S-rank hunter last month, you joined Baekho Guild. Many people thought you and Hunter Jin-hyuk from Baekho Guild were dating. It certainly looked like that from the outside.”

The host tried to ease into a more personal question with a lighthearted tone.

“So, what’s the real relationship between you and Hunter Jin-hyuk from Baekho Guild?”

The MC emphasized the question as if it were the crux of the interview.

“Hoho. I know some people might have expected that, but I’m afraid there’s no relationship. Really, none at all. Hohoho.”

Chae Soo-hyun firmly denied the rumors, plastering on a confident smile.

“Oh… really no relationship at all?”

“Yes, I just wanted to appear friendly and approachable on camera. I thought being too stiff wouldn’t look good on TV.”

“Ah, I see…”

The MC smacked his lips in slight disappointment, having hoped to dig up some juicy information but coming away empty-handed.

“So, the next question is… you left Baekho Guild after only a month and quickly moved to Blue Guild. That’s something we don’t really see among top-tier rankers.”

The host’s tone sharpened a bit as they moved onto the topic of her guild switch.

“Yes.”

Chae Soo-hyun answered nonchalantly.

“Was there a particular reason for such a quick transfer? You said earlier that you have no relationship with Hunter Jin-hyuk, so it must not be related to that?”

“Well, Baekho Guild is certainly a great and prestigious guild.”

“Yes, yes.”

“But recently, I found myself becoming quite interested in a certain hunter.”

Her expression shifted slightly, becoming more serious. She seemed poised to make a bold move.

“A hunter you're interested in?”

The MC leaned in with interest, sensing something intriguing.

“Yes, there’s a hunter in Blue Guild by the name of Baek Ji-hoon. I’ve been quite interested in him. Hohoho.”

Chae Soo-hyun began putting her plan into motion, gradually revealing her strategy.

‘Ji-hoon oppa… hurry and forgive me. Otherwise, I’ll start playing this game in the media.’

Her plan was to use her social image, bolstered by the powerful media presence Baekho Guild had built for her. She had crafted a pure and transparent image in just under a month, appearing on several shows and solidifying her public persona.

The fact that she had dethroned Lee Soo-ah, who had been S-rank number one for quite some time, had brought her a lot of attention.

‘If I keep spinning this narrative…’

She planned to manipulate public opinion to the point where Baek Ji-hoon would have no choice but to accept her apology.

“Oh my, Baek Ji-hoon? I’ve heard it’s almost impossible to get an interview with him. Even getting in touch with him is difficult. But I’ve also heard he’s an amazing person. Is that true?”

The MC, who had seemed slightly annoyed by her earlier denials, was now visibly intrigued, eager to learn more about Baek Ji-hoon.

“Do you know anything more about him? We’d love to hear it.”

The MC blinked with curiosity.

“Well~ let’s see. Baek Ji-hoon is an incredibly generous and kind person. He’s always willing to help people in trouble. He doesn’t abandon people easily.”

Chae Soo-hyun began fabricating an image of Baek Ji-hoon as a hero on national television.

 

“What the hell? Is she insane?”

I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears as I watched the TV, and I couldn’t help but shout at Hyung-seok.

“Wow… Chae Soo-hyun Hunter is something else, huh? That’s some serious nerve.”

Hyung-seok shook his head, equally baffled.

“Is she saying all this for me? Does she want me to act like that?”

The situation was so absurd, I couldn’t help but feel frustrated.

‘Who does she think she is…?’

Chae Soo-hyun was blatantly making things up, spinning her own narrative as if it were fact.

“Fine. Let her keep playing this little act. If she wants to use the media like this, then I’ll just have to beat her at her own game.”

I had already planned to bring the media to our next dungeon raid. I would make sure she had no choice but to face the truth in front of everyone.

“Oh man. What is Chae Soo-hyun thinking, making up all these stories?”

“Exactly.”

Hyung-seok and I could only cluck our tongues at the absurdity of the situation.

 

“Oh my, does that mean you transferred to Blue Guild because of Baek Ji-hoon? I’ve heard that Blue Guild has been growing rapidly lately, and they say Baek Ji-hoon is at the center of it all.”

The MC was fascinated by Chae Soo-hyun’s words.

The event where six S-rank hunters had joined Blue Guild had sparked widespread speculation, and people were dying to know the real reason.

This was the first time anyone had openly spoken about it.

“Yes, that’s correct. I do feel a bit sorry for Baekho Guild, but I think it’s better for me to work with Baek Ji-hoon.”

Chae Soo-hyun continued crafting her image.

“Does Baek Ji-hoon have a romantic partner?”

“Well, I haven’t heard anything.”

She lied without hesitation.

“Oh my, so perhaps you and Baek Ji-hoon could…?”

“If things go well~ I’ll be sure to let you know.”

She winked playfully.

 

“Haha… This is insane. She’s absolutely lost it.”

I had agreed to watch the show with Hyung-seok, but I was utterly dumbfounded by what I was seeing.

Chae Soo-hyun was just making things up as she went along.

“Isn’t the guild going to stop her? Shouldn’t there be some sort of restriction on her broadcasting? She’s going to ruin my reputation at this rate.”

“Yeah… I didn’t think she’d go this far. Should I say something to her?”

Hyung-seok seemed even more irritated than I was.

“No, no. Let her keep running her mouth. When she starts thinking everything’s going her way, that’s when we’ll tear it all down.”

I had no lingering feelings for her, but watching her act like this on TV was enough to ignite a fire in me.

“Hey, Hyung-seok. Can you get all the broadcasters together this week?”

“Of course! They’ve been desperate to interview you. I’ve got tons of messages from them.”

“Good. Then let’s make the next dungeon raid a live broadcast event.”

“You’re planning to broadcast the dungeon raid live?”

“Yeah. Let’s get all the broadcasters there and make sure all eyes are on Chae Soo-hyun. She’s practically begging for it. I’m going to crush her image and expose everything.”

I couldn’t wait any longer. If I let this go on, I’d end up looking like the villain in this whole mess.

‘Poor I-seul probably doesn’t even know what’s coming.’