In the Press Conference Hall, numerous cameras and reporters were waiting for Kim Songcheol.

By any measure, the biggest topic in the Republic of Korea right now was Kim Songcheol.

Much attention was inevitably focused on this reporter’s conference, and reporters, who move according to public attention, also flocked in.

And this isn’t just happening here. It will be broadcast nationwide through cameras. It was truly a moment the Republic of Korea was watching.

Unlike the public’s anticipation of finally seeing Kim Songcheol, the reporters were not in such an enthusiastic mood.

One reporter, waiting for Kim Songcheol, quietly spoke to a colleague next to him.

“I heard rumors that it might not be the real Kim Songcheol…”

“You heard that too? Is it a fact, or just a rumor?”

“I don’t know. But if he’s been quiet all this time and suddenly scheduled a reporter’s conference… it could just be a smokescreen to hide.”

“He’s not the type of person who likes to step forward in the first place, they say. Normally, they’d force him out, but at this level, even the President is just a neighbor, right?”

“Exactly. Well… we’ll know when he comes out. Whether it’s real or fake.”

Most reporters knew Kim Songcheol’s face. This was because every media outlet had covered Kim Songcheol.

Although his traces couldn’t be found online, it wasn’t too difficult to catch a glimpse of his face if you put in a little legwork.

Just then, the door on the right opened, and a male staff member entered the press conference hall.

Just chino pants and a shirt. Neatly cut hair and an equally tidy face.

Surprisingly, it was the real Kim Songcheol.

“…The real one showed up.”

Reporters belatedly began to click their camera shutters.

Kim Songcheol slightly squinted his eyes at the bright lights and sat down.

Honestly, he came on impulse. He wasn’t sure if it was a good choice.

By the time he thought about it, the door to the press conference hall had already opened.

He could only guess that it must be a good thing, having seen a vision and changed the future, even if only a little.

After being pushed onto the stage and settling into the prepared chair,

How to put it?

Despite the countless cameras and reporters in front of him, he strangely felt a little lighter.

As the camera shutters, which had burst like celebratory fireworks upon his appearance, quieted down, Kim Songcheol slightly tilted the table microphone to align with his mouth.

“Hello? I am Kim Songcheol.”

He uttered his first words and slightly bowed his head.

No more shutters clicked. The press conference hall was as silent as if cold water had been poured over it.

This was because it was a reporter’s conference where questions were not accepted from the start.

There was no reporter brave enough to break that rule and ask a question.

They were well aware that if they upset Kim Songcheol in the Republic of Korea right now, it could affect their careers as reporters.

Thus, even with the real Kim Songcheol before their eyes, the reporters only swallowed hard.

Kim Songcheol broke the silence and spoke again.

“I don’t have a prepared script, and I’m not very eloquent. Please ask if you have any questions.”

It was unfolding differently from the scenario they had initially received. But these were not reporters who would miss this opportunity.

All the reporters raised their hands simultaneously.

There was no commotion. Like first-grade students who listen very well to their teacher.

Only the rustling of clothes filled the press conference hall.

“The one in the Rupture-colored clothes…”

When Kim Songcheol pointed to a reporter, he immediately stood up.

“First of all, I’d like to say it’s an honor to meet you. I’m Reporter Jo Youngtak from Dream News. I’ll start with a question. You haven’t appeared in the media until now. Is there a reason for this sudden change of heart?”

It was an appropriate first question.

Kim Songcheol began to speak without hesitation.

“Originally, I planned to use a stand-in. My stand-in is probably still out there, just outside the door.”

The reporters stirred briefly.

It was a shockingly honest answer.

The sound of typing on laptops quickened, and shutters clicked incessantly.

“Those officially involved probably don’t know what’s going on. I just came up here on a whim a minute ago. First, I’d like to apologize for that. I’m sorry. And… if you’re asking why I came up here on a whim…”

Kim Songcheol fell into thought for a moment. Even he didn’t know the reason.

Immediately after seeing the vision, that is, on the rooftop, he hadn’t even thought about changing the future.

He had come to the press conference hall on a complete impulse, as if a barely connected thread had suddenly snapped.

“I don’t really know the reason either. Should we try to find out? Next question, please?”

Once again, reporters’ hands waved in the air.

Kim Songcheol pointed to one person. He asked about the B-rank gate, which was officially a major crisis for the Republic of Korea, and how he felt about averting it.

“How do I feel? Relieved. Relieved, and I also think I need to get stronger quickly to secure points more stably. But… the heaviest feeling is the strongest. All hunters probably feel the same way. Gates keep appearing, and ‘we’ are the ones who have to stop them. I won’t say more, but being a hunter… it’s a heavier profession than you’d think.”

There would be no end to talking about the hardships of a hunter.

Every single day is a series of life-threatening battles, and many hunters literally die.

Kim Songcheol had endured well, but nevertheless, he had been experiencing certain symptoms since the B-rank gate was cleared.

While the symptoms couldn’t be defined, the cause was clear.

It was everything weighing down on his shoulders.

“I’m reporter Lee Dabin. I’m curious about how you felt when you were selected as a hunter.”

This time, the question went back to the past, asking about Kim Songcheol at that time.

“As some of you may know, I already had a very high score in Mana Affinity Swordsman. Because of that, the words of Education Director Kim Myeongju, ‘Please help for the future of the Republic of Korea,’ carried more weight. I felt bewildered, but I thought I had to do it. Even if I went back to that time, I would still do it. I can’t help it. It’s what I have to do.”

Kim Songcheol finished his answer that way.

After that, questions about his past followed one after another.

His age, his alma mater, his previous job, and so on.

As he talked, he even freely revealed where he served in the military or stories about his girlfriend from university.

Of course, he hadn’t intended to tell everything in detail.

Since he graduated from the university with the highest admission rate in the Republic of Korea, questions related to that poured out, and his girlfriend’s story was just lightly added in.

The added bonus was feeling a little embarrassed at the thought of his ex-girlfriend, who might be watching this press conference.

“Next question, please?”

Kim Songcheol quickly moved on from the topic. When he pointed to a reporter, she rose from her seat with a slight smile. The atmosphere had lightened because of the girlfriend story.

“I’m reporter Choi Seonjeong. I enjoyed hearing about your interesting college life. I’m curious about Hunter Kim Songcheol’s acquaintances. What was the reaction of your parents, who could be considered your closest people? When you became a hunter, that is.”

The reporter asked her question and sat down. The question itself was quite light. It wasn’t criticizing his continued disappearance, nor was it trying to delve deeper into his girlfriend.

But the moment Kim Songcheol heard that question, he realized something.

The reason he had specifically appeared at the press conference hall.

It was because he wanted to shed something.

The fact that he had to let go of at least one thing to move forward was realized by Kim Songcheol’s subconscious before his conscious mind, and it moved him.

…

Unexpectedly, Kim Songcheol’s silence lingered.

The reporters exchanged glances, wondering if perhaps his parents weren’t around.

Kim Songcheol adjusted the microphone once more.

Finally, he spoke.

“My parents don’t know I’m a Hunter. No, I mean, they didn’t know until just now. A few days ago, they called and asked if I was ‘that Kim Songcheol,’ and I tried my best to deny it.”

Kim Songcheol stared into the distance and fell silent. His mother’s sobbing and his father’s sigh echoed in his ears like an illusion.

“The reason I kept avoiding exposure was because of my parents. If my face was shown, they’d find out immediately. That’s why I decided to use a stand-in again this time. The plan was for me to go down to the family home while the press conference was happening…”

Kim Songcheol gave a bitter laugh, and the reporters quietly waited for his next words.

“It’s… a difficult thing. A Hunter is also someone’s child. Parents have their perspective, and children have theirs…”

Kim Songcheol paused again briefly before continuing.

“I suppose it’s unfilial. What parent would want their child doing such dangerous work? Knowing that, I kept it a secret until now. But it turns out… being a Hunter was harder. Always wondering when I’d be found out, that I couldn’t be found out. Even thinking about it was such a burden.”

Kim Songcheol’s gaze turned to the camera. He wasn’t looking at the lens, but at his parents beyond it.

“I’m sorry, Mother, Father. I didn’t want this either. I didn’t want to be a Hunter. It was like a sudden accident… I truly had no choice… So, what I want to say is… I hope you can support me. Without being sad, without worrying… If you could just support me, it would be wonderful. I know it’s a ridiculous request… but I’m still asking. Please give me strength so I can protect the Republic of Korea. I’m good at magic. I’ll never die, I’ll always come back alive and be a proud son… Please support me, Mother, Father.”

Kim Songcheol stood up. He bowed once to the reporters.

“That’s all. Thank you for your hard work.”

No one tried to stop him. They saw him off in silence.

And so, Kim Songcheol disappeared with a flash of light.

The place he reappeared was in front of a familiar entryway.

The entryway of the family home where his mother was.

Had she seen the press conference?

She must have.

Even if she missed it, his mother’s friends would have called her to tell her.

Kim Songcheol smiled faintly at the thought of those aunts, then his face hardened.

The press conference was a unilateral declaration of war. The real battle would begin now.

Whether his mother wailed or his father shouted, he would have to endure everything.

Kim Songcheol thought of the worst-case scenario and entered the house’s password.

And opened the entryway.

After taking off his shoes and stepping into the living room, he saw his father standing in a suit and his mother sitting on the sofa, wiping away tears.

His father’s workplace was close to home. He must have come home after hearing the news.

His parents looked at Kim Songcheol, who had suddenly appeared, with expressions that were truly indescribable.

“…I’m home.”

Kim Songcheol spoke a customary greeting. But he stood by the doorway, unable to move. Normally, he would have taken off his socks and gone to his room, but he couldn’t even lift his head or take a single step.

His mother rose from the sofa. She wiped away her tears and tried to smile.

“I’m not worried about my son at all.”

Those were his mother’s first words. The sound of her suppressing her sobs was clearly audible in every syllable.

“Hunter, what’s so special about it that you had to hide it all this time? I know my son will do well. He graduated from the best university and was the best son, so of course, he’ll be the best Hunter too. I’m not worried about my son at all.”

His mother quickly wiped away another tear and walked to the kitchen.

“Since you’re here, eat before you go. If you had told me you were coming, I would have prepared something. We don’t have many side dishes at home…”

Mother kept wiping away tears as she rummaged through the refrigerator.

Father quietly approached and patted Kim Songcheol’s shoulder once.

“You’ve worked hard. A male staff member can’t achieve great things if he worries about every little thing. You did well, you did very well. Our Kim Songcheol, you did everything perfectly. We don’t consider it unfilial. How can it be unfilial when you’ve done your duty, you rascal.”

Father smiled and lightly flicked Kim Songcheol’s forehead with his finger. It was Father’s unique expression of affection, which he often did when Kim Songcheol was young.

Father immediately went into the master bedroom, changed into his house clothes, and sat at the dining table.

Soon, rice was served along with homemade side dishes.

3 PM.

At an awkward time, neither lunch nor dinner, Kim Songcheol’s family of three ate.

And so, Kim Songcheol was recognized as a Hunter by his parents.

And so, Kim Songcheol felt a weight lift off his shoulders.

And so, Kim Songcheol gained the strength to confront the future that was to come.

And so, Kim Songcheol escaped his own danger zone.