Chapter 71

Chapter 71

The styling session Jin Sejeong had talked me into trying, on the theory that there was nothing to lose, was hell.

All day long I tried on one thing after another to see what suited me, hunted for the tones that worked with my face, and then got painted up.

At one point I wondered if she might be some nameless assassin sent by the League, but when Jin Sejeong cheered and Lee Sehee shouted "Excellent," I had no choice but to accept it in silence.

And so the event went ahead, almost as if I'd been conned into it.

For me, it was a day no different from any other—but the world had changed completely.

When I got home, Yunhee's reaction was even more dramatic.

"What the hell did you do? Wow, seriously. Are you actually my brother?"

"Who else would I be?"

"No, that's not what I'm talking about! My own brother was a universe-star idol?"

After muttering "universal-grade villain, universal-grade demon," Yunhee looked back and forth between my face and her smartphone.

Had it really been that strange? Honestly, after getting the makeup done, it did feel like I was wearing a thick mask.

By then I had already cleaned off all the makeup that had been covering my face.

Let me tell you, removing it was no small feat either.

"Hurry up and tell me what happened."

"I decided to hire a professional this time, so…"

When I explained that Jin Sejeong would be handling my image management going forward, Yunhee freaked out.

I thought she was sympathizing with my suffering, but that wasn't it.

"Jin Sejeong? Oh my god, it's the real Jin Sejeong! This person is the real deal!"

"You know her?"

"Of course I do! She's a super-elite director who made Super One, Blackkan, and even Carpe Diem all hits!"

Hearing Yunhee talk like that, her track record was clearly solid—so I couldn't figure out why, in my eyes, she looked like a predator about to devour me.

Then again, the results were undeniable, so I couldn't really complain.

Building a lore and promoting myself like an idol.

This was embarrassing enough that I couldn't bring myself to tell Yunhee the details.

Wait, but how does she know all this stuff so well?

"By the way, is everything you just mentioned idols?"

"Yeah, idols I used to stan."

"Just how much did you stan?"

"Oh, no, I didn't!"

Maybe I'd hit a nerve, because Yunhee started stammering.

You think you can just brush past this? Not a chance.

"What's Blackkan's lore?"

"Over a field where nothing exists but darkness, seven boys with the traits of beasts… Hngh!"

"What's Super One's lore?"

"Nine men who seek to destroy the world gather nine superpowers into one, tormented by anguish amid destruction and creation… Ah, no!"

Too late—she'd already said it all.

Carpe Diem was the last one left, but if I asked about that too, she looked ready to literally sew her own mouth shut, so I decided to stop there.

Just how much had this girl been stanning?

"…Don't tell Mom. These are the guys who made my school years beautiful."

"Got it."

I won't tell her—I'll just let her know via message. Mrs. Lee Young-hee deserves to know what kind of person her daughter is.

Yunhee must have felt she was on the back foot, because she tried to change the subject.

"Anyway! This time it's a real jackpot. The reactions have completely changed."

She showed me her smartphone, and—why was the news tab like this? Instead of current affairs, where my news usually showed up, it was the entertainment section.

"Why is there news about me here?"

"I don't know either. But the reactions are insane."

Yunhee said the highlight was when I wiped out the flying monsters that appeared in the sky during the event.

They were only Harmful-class Level 1 monsters, but they were making noise and disrupting the event, so I swung Nuri and spread Force to annihilate them all—and apparently the response was huge.

Nothing about me had changed, yet the reactions were poles apart, and I was having a hard time adjusting.

"You're going to keep going around like this from now on, right?"

"That's what she said."

Thinking about Jin Sejeong's comment that I'd need to change up my style periodically didn't put me in a good mood.

Yunhee, apparently, had different thoughts.

"Now you'll finally go around looking like a human being."

"What?"

"No, seriously—think about it. Is it normal to wear nothing but that charcoal-gray suit to every official event and only put on skin lotion? Looks are a competitive asset too!"

"Looks don't save your life."

"But they make you popular!"

"……"

Having gotten a taste of what popularity can do, I couldn't really argue.

Was that absurd plan Jin Sejeong talked about actually coming true?

"Apparently female fans were screaming for you? Weren't you fazed at all?"

"I almost drew my sword out of shock."

"…Never do that. Got it?"

Under that icy stare, I could only nod.

"If you keep dressing up like this from now on, your fans will grow and shield you, and public opinion will just flip on its own. What's next?"

"She says she's opening a channel."

Jin Sejeong said she'd film a few parts of my daily life to build familiarity and deepen understanding of my lore.

Would that actually help?

Who on earth would be curious about me eating a meal or going about an ordinary day?

But Yunhee, having heard the whole story, nodded and marveled all over again.

"As expected of the real Jin Sejeong. She knows exactly where to aim."

"Is this really the right way to do it?"

"Yeah, since the real Jin Sejeong is going to turn you into a universe-grade Hunter, just follow along quietly."

"……"

This was bleak.

* * *

In Lee Sehee's office sat three people who had no connection to one another whatsoever.

Lee Sehee, General Operations Team Leader of the Shinseong Guild. Jin Sejeong of Choi Junho Team. And Go Yejin, reporter for Media Force.

Go Yejin, who hadn't expected to be summoned here, kept stealing glances around before trying to lighten the mood—or so it seemed—by greeting everyone in a booming voice.

"Hello! I'm Go Yejin from Media Force! It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"I'm Jin Sejeong, and I'll be leading Choi Junho Team. I don't have any team members yet, so please bear with me."

"Oh no! Please, don't say that! If anything, I was so surprised to learn that the director behind Transcendent Choi Junho's latest work was you, Director Jin!"

"Oh, you saw it?"

"Yes! It was deeply moving. As expected of the real Jin Sejeong!"

Jin Sejeong burst out laughing at the over-the-top response. That hearty laugh softened the mood considerably.

"I invited you here today, Reporter Go Yejin, because I asked Transcendent Choi Junho for a favor. I was hoping we might be able to work together?"

"Yes! I'm aware. That you have work for me."

"More precisely, it'd be a collaboration, wouldn't it? Transcendent Choi Junho said that among reporters, no one writes as provocatively as you, Reporter Go Yejin. So I looked you up, and… the phrase 'worthy of the reputation' just came out on its own. I could tell from the headlines alone. I knew I had to bring you on."

"Th-thank you!"

Gratitude welled up on Go Yejin's face at having her talent recognized. Online, she was routinely voted onto lists like "Reporter You Should Filter Out No. 1," "Reporter Whose Headlines Make You Want to Punch Someone," and "Report-Trash Who Was a Master Angler in a Past Life"—but in the real world, to be recognized like this?

Meanwhile, Jin Sejeong continued.

"We're opening Transcendent Choi Junho's channel, and I need your help, Reporter."

"What should I do?"

"Thumbnails that people can't help but click. That's what I need."

"C-can I really be the one to handle that? Given Transcendent Choi Junho's stature and reputation…"

"Hmm, first, I'm aware of what you're thinking."

"Yes, I'd love to lend my strength, but I can't help feeling you may have come to the wrong person."

"That's not it."

Jin Sejeong denied it flatly.

"What Transcendent Choi Junho needs right now is approachability. He's in his twenties—the youngest-ever—and he has the elements to appeal to younger audiences, but he hasn't been making proper use of them. So the most important thing is lowering the barrier to entry. The person who can do that is you, Reporter Go Yejin."

"Won't I be a liability?"

"I'll say it plainly. Ah, and let me mention this in advance—I can't give you a stake in the channel, but I'll pay you per commission."

"Leave it to me! I'll do it!"

Just as Go Yejin was burning with motivation, a voice cut in.

"Before that, I'd like to run a little skills test."

It was Lee Sehee, who had been sitting quietly until now.

Go Yejin, who had been blazing with enthusiasm, shrank like a turtle the moment she heard Lee Sehee speak.

"You don't need to be so startled. It's just a simple test to see whether you can do well, Yejin."

"Yes, yes! What should I do?"

"How about writing a simple thumbnail for the Big Bang Series? How much time should I give you? An hour?"

"Five minutes is enough!"

Go Yejin said, her eyes gleaming as she turned serious without warning.

* * *

'Honestly, I'm not on board with this…'

Lee Sehee clicked her tongue inwardly as she looked at Go Yejin. She seemed to have lived fiercely since childhood, but when you got down to it, she was the type of reporter who churned out provocative headlines.

When Choi Junho was at the National Guard Bureau, she'd mass-produced articles with a critical undertone, and recently she'd been pouring out praise so cringeworthy it made you squirm.

Lee Sehee herself had been burned by the press a few times, so she had her preconceptions.

'Even if provocation matters, that reporter?'

Couldn't they go about this with a bit more class?

But according to Jin Sejeong, there was something more important than class: clickbait headlines that made even one more person click.

So she'd accepted it, but a lingering doubt remained.

Honestly, that was the full extent of the restraint she could exercise.

Jin Sejeong had proven her ability beyond question. She'd succeeded in creating tremendous synergy with the unlikely combination of Choi Junho and an idol lore.

The fact that public opinion had completely changed between yesterday and today was a miracle Lee Sehee was seeing for the first time. The worry that opinion might get even worse, which she'd had just yesterday, was no longer necessary.

Would Jin Sejeong's magic really show its power in the use of Go Yejin?

"It's done."

Go Yejin had said five minutes, but she finished the headline in one.

"Let me see…"

Lee Sehee's expression hardened as she took the tablet.

<Big Bang Series Shortage! The Inside Story of How the US President Raged at Congress and Requested Emergency FDA Approval After Seeing It?>

'What is this? The shortage will be resolved once licensed companies start producing, won't it? And why is the US President even in this? Was there a clash with Congress? And the FDA? They have nothing to do with Big Bang Series approval.'

It was a headline riddled with holes.

…The problem was that it was a headline that made you want to click. Why the Big Bang Series was suffering a shortage in the US, why the US President was angry at Congress, and why the FDA had suddenly popped up.

Despite its sloppiness, Go Yejin's headline had a flavor that stirred primal curiosity.

At this level, she had no choice but to acknowledge it. If it hadn't been a headline cobbled together on the spot, she would have clicked even knowing the content had to be absurd.

"What do you think?"

"…It's fine."

And Lee Sehee didn't dig in her heels—she accepted it readily.

"That said, please refrain from expressions that are too cheap. This concerns the Transcendent's dignity. Thumbnail copy must contain only the truth. That's my request."

"Yes! I'll use the most refined expressions possible and pack in nothing but the truth to draw attention!"

"With this, there'll be no problem securing views."

Lee Sehee could only nod at Jin Sejeong, who chimed in with a grin.

Was this really the right way?

But if it was about driving clicks, this would certainly do it.

It'll work out.

In the end, Lee Sehee gave up on thinking about it.

* * *

Because the changes over such a short time had been so dramatic, I'd been doing a lot of thinking lately.

Nothing about me had changed, so why were people so crazy about me?

Today was a day that made me feel firsthand how the world could change overnight.

Not long ago, public opinion about me had been split down the middle.

People who supported me because my actions carried out justice.

People who criticized me, saying my heavy-handedness was no different from the villains'.

Faced with those two sides, I hadn't paid them much mind. I believed that if I quietly did things by the standards I'd set, the results would follow.

But in one corner of my heart, a small unease existed too. The thought that if my actions ended up unrecognized, I could be written off as a villain.

When people pointed blades at me, could I keep from being swallowed by madness? Could I respond rationally without resorting to force?

But after meeting Jin Sejeong, much of my life changed.

With a bit of styling and an interview that hit the right points, my image flipped in an instant.

"I still don't get it."

Why did it flip?

The response to the videos posted on the channel especially was more than heated—it was fanatical.

Why is my introducing myself, the place where I work, and me eating a meal popular?

Among them, the video of me training apparently set a new Korean record for 24-hour views.

At Jin Sejeong's urging, I'd taken off my top and worked up a sweat—and just that one thing produced this much effect?

"That's something only Transcendent Choi Junho can pull off. I merely applied the right recipe to the finest ingredients."

Jin Sejeong said that, displaying humility.

One thing was certain.

Lee Sehee's advice to put together a Choi Junho Team had been exactly what I needed, and Jin Sejeong was a capable professional who had flipped the public opinion that had been closing in on me.

Today, after returning from a transcendent call, an interview about paying taxes was scheduled to take place.

A few days ago, the first settlement payment for the Big Bang Series had come in.

Out of that settlement, the tax I owed came to a little over 1 trillion won.

It was the same tax payment everyone else made.

I'd intended to just pay it, but Jin Sejeong said you can't let a good thing like this pass by. So we decided to bring in Go Yejin and turn it into an interview special.

Paying what I was going to pay anyway, and it's a good thing? I didn't understand.

No—maybe what I disliked wasn't the interview, but having to dress it up like this.

The interview was conducted through Go Yejin.

"Hello! I'm Go Yejin from Media Force! It's an honor to interview Transcendent Choi Junho."

"I'm Choi Junho."

"I've brought truly astonishing news today! My goodness, Transcendent Choi Junho has declared he will pay over 1 trillion won in taxes without any tax reduction! Is this true?"

"Yes, it's true."

"Is there a reason?"

I don't think tax reduction is a bad thing. It's just that the line between legal and illegal is unclear, and I felt there was no need to rack my brain over complications just to save a little more.

If you place more value on money, I respect carefully calculating things to pay as little as possible.

"I simply paid the taxes I owed."

"That's the generosity worthy of the Transcendent!"

"I only did what I was supposed to do. Paying taxes is a citizen's duty."

"Haha! Right, of course."

Why is she laughing so awkwardly?

"Still, don't you usually feel it's a waste?"

"I don't. I hope this tax money gets put to good use. That said."

Seeing her praise me for something anyone ought to do made me think there must be a lot of people out there not paying their share.

"From what I hear from those around me, resistance to taxes is no small thing. I'd like to see a society where people pay what they owe without hesitation."

But then, how should people who don't pay their taxes properly be treated?

They don't pay what they owe, so the money the country should be collecting shrinks, and administrative power gets wasted for nothing—isn't that basically gnawing away at the country? In that case, shouldn't they count as villains too?

As I was thinking that, I suddenly realized a heavy silence had settled over my surroundings.

"Did I say that out loud?"

"...Yes."

The people watching the interview were frozen stiff.