Online communities where people gather are bound to have arguments, but there are still relatively peaceful hours. For example, the early dawn when office workers and students have all gone to sleep.
Everyone was peacefully wasting time, spouting nonsense, when suddenly, a bomb dropped.
Title: Guys, I think I found a weird video (related to Jeong Daon)
Content: I was browsing overseas communities out of boredom and saw people talking about something, so I found this. Doesn’t seem to be on YouTube yet—anyone want to watch it together?
— Huh? Jeong Daon?
— What kind of video?
ㄴ Looks like a new Jeong Daon battle video… maybe? Not totally sure.
— I thought it was obviously bait at first, but there’s actual content. I’m kind of shook.
— Is that link legit?
ㄴ Click it. It really connects to a foreign forum lol.
— Battle video? What happened all of a sudden?
— Would there even be a new Jeong Daon battle video? It’s only been a few days since she was lost in a dungeon and then found in the U.S.
— Did she clear a dungeon in the U.S.? Like, maybe the government requested it?
ㄴ No matter how urgent it is, what kind of insane schedule is that, making a Hunter who just returned from being missing go straight into a raid? She’s not a slave… Unless… wait… is she?
ㄴ Lmao Korean distrust of the government ㅠㅠ
ㄴ Just look at how Yu Hanul was worked to the bone since he was a minor…
ㄴ Thinking about Yu Hanul makes me tear up.
— Maybe she did some kind of test in the U.S.?
ㄴ What are you even talking about?
ㄴ Rich countries are famous for poaching talent lol. China’s been doing it with money lately, but the original brain drain king was the U.S.
— Still, she’s in basic military training. There’s no way the U.S. would test her ;; makes no sense.
— Let’s just watch the video first and then talk.
— The forum went dead. Did everyone go watch?
— No… wait a second.
— What did I just see??
— ???????
— What is it, guys… I haven’t watched yet, you’re scaring me… It’s not one of those jump-scare ghost bait videos, right? I’ll wake my mom up, I swear.
— Nah, not a horror clip. I’ll re-upload the video here. Hold on.
— ?
— What is this?
— Isn’t this a deepfake?
— What is even going on here?
— Who’s that foreign woman with Jeong Daon?
— Why is Jeong Daon fighting another person there?
— She’s slicing up a person, not a monster lol.
— She’s attacking a civilian with magic? What kind of situation is this?;;;;
— U.S. Hunter gossip channels picked this up. Apparently the opponent isn’t a civilian but a pretty famous A-rank Hunter in the U.S. Ever heard of James Chen?
ㄴ Huh? I searched and he’s affiliated with the Hunter Association? Must be pretty well-known.
— If you follow foreign Hunters at all, you’ve probably heard of him once or twice. He gets dispatched all over the world, does interviews and lectures.
— Yeah, seems super famous. That’s probably why overseas forums are going even crazier.
— But why is that famous Hunter getting completely wrecked by Jeong Daon like that?
ㄴ No one knows, that’s why everyone’s breaking out in cold sweats.
— Is this… national pride hype? Looks like the Korean is winning at least.
— Th-this doesn’t even feel like a patriotic hype video. It’s scary. Jeong Daon is beating up a person. She’s absolutely destroying him.
ㄴ Show some respect. Call her Ms. Jeong Daon.
ㄴ Yes, Ms. Jeong Daon.
— Wow… Just like that graduation video, her personality seems intense… scary…
— We don’t know the full context, so it’s hard to say anything.
— No, guys, the issue isn’t just the fight… Didn’t that rumor just turn out to be true?
ㄴ What rumor?
ㄴ The one about foreign Hunters targeting Jeong Daon. There was a lot of talk about how she kept getting dragged into incidents, and James Chen is affiliated with the Association…
ㄴ Oh.
ㄴ Should we censor this just in case? Won’t it get regulated once morning comes?
— People overseas are saying that if this gets uploaded to YouTube, it’ll be taken down within 10 minutes like magic.
— Holy crap.
— So you’re saying it’s true that other countries are targeting our S-rank talent?? This wasn’t just a conspiracy theory?
— Jeong Daon officially certified as premium-grade talent.
ㄴ That certificate was issued during the Queen Ant raid video already.
— Damn it, then maybe all the previous incidents weren’t accidents either? Reinvestigate everything.
— More importantly… Jeong Daon is one-sidedly crushing a veteran A-rank Hunter like that?? Even if she’s S-rank, she only awakened a few months ago…?
— Is this what they meant by “innate talent” or whatever?
— Unpopular opinion: I don’t know about Jeong Daon’s personality, but her skills are the real deal… In a world ruled by the law of the jungle, strength excuses everything… So what if her personality’s a bit nasty?
ㄴ Unpopular opinion 2: At her level, it’s honestly better to have a strong personality than a soft one.
ㄴ Unpopular opinion 3: Jeong Daon kept getting dragged into weird incidents, and if someone was really targeting her, then it makes sense her personality would get rough.
ㄴ I agree
— It’s dawn, so no news articles yet, but once morning hits it’s going to explode. I can already hear Jeong Daon’s stock rising.
— Yeah, honestly she’s good-looking too… Should I grab a fan café early? I’ll sell supplements or something.
ㄴ There’s probably one already.
— Honestly, instead of pretending to be nice for no reason, I think doing it like Jeong Daon is way more satisfying LOL
— OMG guys, reporters just started a YouTube live—Jeong Daon’s arrival broadcast. Looks like she’s entering at dawn hahaha
ㄴ The timing is insane lol
It could only be described as perfect timing. People who had already been bored flocked to the live channel to see Jeong Daon’s face. Of course, as a bonus, they also carried over the freshly posted overseas news that had just surfaced.
When someone thinks they’re the only one who knows something, their lips inevitably start itching to share it. Whether it was true or not didn’t really matter.
"Look at this."
The news spread in an instant to the reporters and clickbait YouTubers who were waiting for Jeong Daon and the other Hunters to return.
“People are talking about some video… Huh, is this real?”
“That’s James Chen and Leila Lopez, isn’t it? Wasn’t there some issue with Lopez?”
“Has this video been fact-checked? Where’s the source?”
“It just came out, do you think that’s been done already?”
Since they were reporters, they identified the people in the video faster than ordinary netizens, but that was about it. None of them could understand why a video of Jeong Daon attacking James Chen even existed in the first place.
“We can just ask her directly. That’s one more question to add.”
“Nice. The more questions we throw, the better.”
“It’d be even better if we could catch a shot of her looking flustered.”
Quite a few reporters were already hammering out articles on the spot. For the sake of views, speed and volume mattered more than fact-checking. And after all, wasn’t the subject none other than the headline-making Jeong Daon, the girl who had received an S-rank in the Supernatural Test and had been caught up in all kinds of incidents ever since? Her return alone after being declared missing was already big news and now, perfectly timed, this kind of video surfaces too!
To reporters, it was nothing short of mouthwatering material.
“Oh, she’s here!”
And then, when the arrival gate doors opened and the waiting figure came into view—
“Hunter Jeong Daon!”
Click, click, click! Flashes exploded so intensely it was hard to keep one’s eyes open.
Jeong Daon stepped out of the arrival hall without so much as a suitcase or a single bodyguard, her face tightening into a frown. Every bit of it was, of course, captured in photographs.
Reporters holding microphones swarmed her like a hive of bees.
“Hunter Jeong Daon, you’ve returned safely after the incident, could you give us a comment?”
“Are you aware of this video that’s circulating right now? Is that really you?”
“What kind of relationship do you have with James Chen that led to a fight? Who filmed this video?”
“Did you intentionally spread the video yourself?!”
The reporters’ words poured toward Jeong Daon like arrows. From her perspective, it must have sounded no different from the buzzing of a swarm of bees. But no matter how loudly they shouted their questions, Jeong Daon showed no reaction. Perhaps this was where her youth showed, she simply stood there without even parting her lips.
That only made the reporters more impatient.
At least get flustered and lash out!
For a kid, she’s got no charm. Should I just smack her in the face with the mic?
They needed some kind of reaction to write an article. As a result, the level of the shouted questions quickly escalated.
“Do you have anything you’d like to say to the government after going missing due to an accident during basic military training?”
“You seem to get caught up in incidents unusually often, do you think you’re the cause?”
“What are your thoughts on Recruit Lee Seunghui, who died in the accident—”
“Alright, alright.”
Just as the questions were about to cross the line, Han Jaeyeong, who had come out behind her, pushed a suitcase and naturally parted the crowd of reporters.
“Hello, reporters. Please step aside a bit.”
“H-Hunter Han Jaeyeong!”
At the appearance of another S-rank Hunter, the reporters’ attention instantly shifted to Han Jaeyeong.
“Hunter Han Jaeyeong, could you also say a few words—!”
“We don’t recall receiving any official request for an interview. Especially since Ms. Jeong Daon is currently affiliated with the Ministry of National Defense.” As they spoke, Han Jaeyeong brushed away the microphones and cameras that had come close enough to nearly hit Jeong Daon’s chin. “Please show some consideration.”
They said “consideration,” but the reporters were helplessly pushed back by that single gesture.
Even if she was a potential S-rank, Jeong Daon was still young and had no backing to support her. Han Jaeyeong, on the other hand, as the head of the HP Guild, was an entirely different matter. Carelessly writing an article about them could cause serious trouble. It had already been difficult enough to even mention Han Jaeyeong’s name in connection with this disappearance incident.
Some reporters swallowed their disappointment and stepped back, while others’ eyes gleamed.
If Han Jaeyeong is looking after her like this, they must be thinking of recruiting her into their guild.
I should reach out to the HP Guild’s PR team.
But from the reporters’ perspective, they couldn’t leave empty-handed after coming all this way. Even with Han Jaeyeong trying to push through them, they showed little intention of clearing a path. They no longer threw the kind of harsh questions they had before Han Jaeyeong appeared, but a suffocating standoff continued.
Then, at that moment, a shout almost like a scream burst from one of the reporters.
“Oh, over there! It’s Yu Hanul!”
“What? Yu Hanul?”
“It’s Yu Hanul, Yu Hanul!”
Clatter! Crash!
Even the migration of birds wouldn’t look this ridiculous. The moment they spotted Yu Hanul’s white hair, every reporter who had been crowding around Jeong Daon and Han Jaeyeong rushed toward him instead.
“Q-quick, catch him!”
“The camera—where’s the camera? Get over here!”
The airport, already noisy, descended into complete chaos. After all, no matter how much of a rising star Jeong Daon was, this was Yu Hanul, a Hunter who represented Korea, a hero, and someone who rarely agreed to media interviews at that. To run into him here like this—
If they managed to snag even a single comment, it would be a guaranteed jackpot!
“Ugh, what disgusting people.”
Watching the scene unfold, Han Jaeyeong shook their head. In front of the two of them, the space had emptied out as if no crowd had ever been there.
Of course, this too had been agreed upon in advance.
First, Jeong Daon would go out and let the reporters take photos. Then Han Jaeyeong would step in and disperse them to an extent. If that still didn’t work, Yu Hanul would appear late and draw the reporters away. It was a structure where Yu Hanul took the loss, but he wasn’t the type to complain about something like that, and Han Jaeyeong was adept at making use of it.
“Let’s slip out while we can. You didn’t say a single word, just like we agreed, right?”
“I didn’t,” Jeong Daon replied with her usual blank expression, but Han Jaeyeong sensed a slight pout on her face.
In truth, Jeong Daon had wanted to respond to the reporters. According to the plan, the video of Han Jaeyeong—transformed into Jeong Daon—overpowering James Chen would be spreading everywhere by now, and she believed saying something would serve as an effective warning.
But Han Jaeyeong had stopped her. They had no idea what she might say, given her personality.
Still, seeing that she had remained silent, it seemed their nagging had paid off.
Or perhaps it was thanks to Lee Pyeonghwa, who had lectured her nonstop in the seat beside her for the entire flight from New York to Korea.
She seems oddly weak against someone with a personality like Lee Pyeonghwa’s. Maybe it’s because she treats her like a kid.
“Still, wouldn’t it be fine to say at least one thing…?”
“For now, it’s more than enough that the media sees you looking completely unharmed, not a single scratch on you.”
That was also why, despite knowing there would be reporters at the arrival gate, they had deliberately come out as they were. It was the perfect opportunity to show that both Han Jaeyeong and Jeong Daon were completely unharmed even after the dimensional stranding. As for Lee Pyeonghwa, there was no need for her to be subjected to unnecessary media fire, so she was directed to exit through a different arrival gate.
“In any case, we’ll have to coordinate with the Ministry of National Defense and probably do a formal interview later, so there’s no need to start at the airport. Come on. Your brother said he came to pick you up, right? You should hurry—”
Just as Han Jaeyeong was coaxing and persuading Jeong Daon, barely managing to lead her out of the airport—
“Hello, Hunter Jeong Daon!”
A reporter who had been standing at a distance with a notepad approached cautiously and followed after them. There was still a reporter left who hadn’t rushed over to Yu Hanul. Judging by the young face, it seemed an intern reporter had hesitated and ended up separated from the others.
Han Jaeyeong gave a polite smile meant to decline. “Sorry, but interviews are—”
“Oh, it’s not an interview. I’m just a trainee tagging along.”
“Then what is it?”
“I heard you were missing and just returned… Are you both feeling alright?”
Han Jaeyeong flinched in surprise. As someone of mixed fairy heritage, they were extremely sensitive to human intent. After dealing only with hardened reporters, it had been a long time since they’d heard such pure concern.
While Han Jaeyeong searched briefly for a response, the intern spoke quickly. “Ah, you don’t have to answer. I’m just a fan… Here, please take this!”
What was pressed into their hands were two small tangerines.
“Anyway, I’m really glad you both returned safely. You must be tired this early in the morning; sorry about that. Hunters, thank you for your hard work. Always. Thank you!”
With that, the intern gave a deep bow and ran off toward Yu Hanul, as if they had truly approached just to offer that one worried remark.
Han Jaeyeong glanced at Jeong Daon. There was no sign that anything had been done to the tangerines. Like Han Jaeyeong, Jeong Daon held the unexpected gift in her hand, her expression as blank as ever…
“She’s a strange one, right?”
“Why are you picking a fight?”
Even though there was a trash can right beside them, Jeong Daon didn’t throw the tangerines away. Seeing that, Han Jaeyeong felt they were starting to understand what kind of person Jeong Daon was.
“Ah, there he is.”
Thanks to tossing Yu Hanul to the reporters as bait, the two of them quickly made their way out to the parking lot.
As soon as they arrived, someone called out Jeong Daon’s name, “Daon!”
The moment she saw the young man who had called her, her gaze softened instantly to a degree almost unimaginable compared to her usual expression.
A young man who resembled Jeong Daon quite a bit was waiting anxiously for his family, holding a small kitten in his arms.
Han Jaeyeong gave Jeong Daon’s shoulder a light push. “Go on. We’ll see each other at the guild tomorrow.”
“That’s okay? I’m not heading straight back to the unit?”
“Back to where? The others were assigned to their units ages ago. Only you and Hunter Lee Pyeonghwa are left in limbo… We’ll talk about that tomorrow.”
Jeong Daon had gone through plenty herself, so letting her spend a day with her family wouldn’t hurt. The troublesome matters wouldn’t disappear just because they were postponed a little.
As Han Jaeyeong turned to go their separate way, they suddenly offered a piece of advice.
“And be careful when you come to the guild. You’re not a civilian anymore.”
“I know. I’ve already experienced enough.”
“No, you probably haven’t.”
What it really meant to become truly famous in a small country like Korea, Jeong Daon likely didn’t know yet.
With those final words, Han Jaeyeong got into the car. As they drove off, the last thing they saw was a black kitten, barely bigger than a fist, throwing a flurry of punches at a gray puppy that had appeared out of nowhere.