Chapter 70 – I Wish I Was on TV (2)

Year 11 of the Gate Era.

A new age had dawned, yet many people still knew only fragments about Hunters.

The public perception of a Hunter was simply that of a glamorous profession bathed in the spotlight.

In front of the eight-story guild building.

This was the hottest guild these days.

This guild was home to a special Hunter.

A national hero who defeated a dragon during a state of emergency. The Deliveryman, Lee Hyunbin.

His day begins at 5 AM.

-Do you always wake up this early?

“Of course. I’ve lived like this my whole life, so I automatically wake up at this time. Haha.”

Indeed, are heroes not simply made?

Could it be that his diligence was what allowed him to become an S-Rank Hunter?

Just then, someone emerged into the Hanul Guild’s lobby.

It was Kim Tae-yang and Kim In-ho, members of Hyunbin’s Team 3.

Kim Tae-yang saw Hyunbin and the camera in front of the guild lobby and spoke.

“Huh? Team Leader. What are you doing up at this hour… Mmph, mmph!”

-Just now, Hunter Kim Tae-yang…

At the cameraman’s words, Hyunbin asked with a look of confusion.

“What about him?”

-…Nothing. I was just wondering why you were covering Hunter Tae-yang’s mouth.

Hyunbin gave an awkward laugh at the cameraman’s question.

“It’s a unique greeting in our team. We check each other’s breath like this. To see if they’ve brushed their teeth.”

-Brushed their teeth?

“Yes. Training is important, but you can’t go around without brushing your teeth, can you? It’s basic social etiquette. Hmm, our Hunter Tae-yang has definitely brushed his teeth well today.”

The team member said nothing in response to Hyunbin’s words.

Hyunbin smiled awkwardly and opened his mouth.

“Looks like these two came out for a run as well. Let’s go together.”

The three of them ran the jogging course side by side.

“It’ll be tough to keep up. Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

-Yes, I’m trained for this.

Hyunbin laughed at the cameraman’s reply.

“Oh, is that so? It’s been a while, but I guess we can do a hell run.”

-A hell run?

“Haha, try to keep up if you can.”

Quoting a line from an old commercial, Hyunbin began to run.

The three men started sprinting at full speed.

The most basic of basics.

Running is the best way to build stamina.

Several minutes had already passed, yet the three ran without slowing down at all.

The cameraman began to pant, his tongue hanging out like a dog in the summer heat.

After joining Hanul Guild’s Team 3, Hunter Kim Tae-yang and Hunter Kim In-ho were ranked among the top 10 most anticipated rookies and have shown the steepest growth curve.

It is said that Hyunbin’s assistance is what makes such growth possible.

After finishing a 5km interval run, the three returned to the team training facility and showered.

Kim Tae-yang, who finished his shower first, was pulled for an interview.

-The training seems intense right from the morning. Are you okay?

“I have to do it… if I want to live.”

Kim Tae-yang’s reaction was a bit odd.

So the cameraman continued with a smile.

-Hunter Kim Tae-yang, your rise has been steep since joining Hanul. What does Hunter Lee Hyunbin mean to you?

“The Team Leader? Hmm… I can be honest, right?”

-Yes, of course.

Kim Tae-yang’s gaze was somewhat strange.

He glanced around nervously for a moment before finally opening his mouth.

“Our Team Leader is truly an amazing person. Strong, brave. But, honestly, they say no one is without flaws…”

As he was speaking, Kim Tae-yang glanced at his phone screen, which had vibrated. His expression changed.

“…is what I was thinking, but our Team Leader is different. I believe he’s the very ideal of a perfect hunter.”

-…You weren’t about to say something else just now, were you?

“Not at all. I truly respect our Team Leader.”

Kim Tae-yang’s interview concluded with a somewhat stiff tone.

After mealtime, the hard training began.

The film crew let out unconscious sounds of admiration at the sight of the three men’s solid bodies, packed with practical, condensed muscle.

-Wow, this training is really hardcore.

-I know, right? Other Hunters just work out at the gym for an hour or two.

The training facility was filled with the heat generated by the three men.

Just when it seemed the training was over, Hyunbin, wearing fighting gloves, climbed into the ring.

“Tae-yang first today?”

“Yes…”

The sparring match between Hyunbin and Kim Tae-yang began.

*Pow, pow!*

Kim Tae-yang’s one-two combination landed. But Hyunbin lightly parried the punches and simultaneously snatched his wrist.

Kim Tae-yang stepped back to create distance, avoiding being caught.

*Thwack!*

A low kick from Kim Tae-yang. But Hyunbin raised his leg to guard and closed the distance.

*Wham!*

Kim Tae-yang’s body lifted into the air, struck by Hyunbin’s swift middle kick.

Having been hit so many times before, Kim Tae-yang’s guard was solid, and he avoided a follow-up attack.

-Wow, you’re not actually fighting for real, are you?

The sparring was so realistic that even the onlookers were swallowing nervously.

It was like watching a swift tiger stalk a deer, with the deer using its wits to evade for its very survival.

“Our Team Leader emphasizes that we should train as if it were a real battle. That way, we can perform at our best even in critical moments.”

-Train as if it’s real. That certainly sounds like an expert.

Kim In-ho smiled at the impressed cameraman, wiping under his nose with his index finger.

“If it weren’t for our Team Leader, we—no, Hanul Guild—would not have been able to change.”

-It seems like a truly precious relationship.

From Kim In-ho’s expression and words, one could feel his deep respect for Hyunbin.

“Ouch, I told you that text was a misunderstanding.”

“Hey, now. Why are you being like this? I told you I don’t misunderstand things like that. I know our Tae-yang is an honest guy.”

The scene of Kim Tae-yang being unilaterally beaten and bullied was being captured perfectly on camera.

After the first round of sparring, Hyunbin looked at the camera and smiled benevolently.

-Do you always engage in such high-intensity sparring?

“Yes. It’s tough at first, but Hunters are always fighting on the front lines. Only tough training can raise strong Hunters, so we have to treat it like a real fight.”

-I’m just worried you might get hurt.

At the film crew’s concerned words, Hyunbin continued with a bitter smile.

“We undergo intense training every single day, so we don’t get injured from this level of sparring.”

-Ah, I see…

For some reason, the sight of Kim Tae-yang testing his hearing behind Hyunbin’s back caught their eye.

His hearing test seemed to have no end.

The film crew moved to the next location.

It was time to cover Hyunbin’s patrol duties.

As a special Guarder, Hunter Lee Hyunbin takes the lead in helping his neighbors on days when there are no dungeon raids.

-It seems you don’t have much time to rest. Do you always conduct patrols yourself like this?

“Rest? Haha, I can get all the rest I want in a coffin when I’m dead. Just kidding. If I move around just a little more, I can prevent safety incidents, so I try to patrol as often as possible.”

-Wow, that’s truly amazing.

Although Hyunbin debuted not long ago, he was now a Hunter who had risen to stardom.

He was one of the few people who could earn a fortune just by sitting back and shooting a few commercials.

But he takes the initiative to move for the safety of the citizens.

-Patrolling this area every day, you must be close with the neighborhood residents.

“Of course. Since we see each other every day, we’re close with everyone. It’s a Guarder’s role to build intimacy with the citizens and always be by their side to prevent accidents. Oh, I see Mr. Kim over there.”

-Mr. Kim?

“Ah, yes. I grew up in a center since I don’t have parents.”

The fact that Hunter Lee Hyunbin came from an orphanage was already public knowledge.

But this was the first time he was confessing it on broadcast.

“He was someone who would buy us presents every Christmas and did a lot of volunteer work at the orphanage.”

Hunter Lee Hyunbin donated all the proceeds from the Earth Dragon to Gate orphans.

Because he knew the pain he had experienced, his actions of actively helping his neighbors served as a model for other Hunters.

Could it be that he was able to become a hero like this because he met good people and received good energy from them?

“Mr. Kim.”

Lee Hyunbin placed a hand on the shoulder of a man who was busily doing something in front of a house door.

The man jumped in surprise and turned around.

“…”

“……”

The man was wearing a ski mask.

-Um, Hunter Lee Hyunbin. You do know this person, right?

“Ah, of course. We’ve known each other for more than a year or two. I can tell just by looking at his back, just by the way he walks. He’s from my hometown, so he treated me like his own son.”

Lee Hyunbin smiled and pulled off the man’s mask.

“Come on, Mister. You’re being playful again. Wearing a mask like this in broad daylight…”

The man under the mask was Black. He stammered in bewilderment, his thick lips trembling.

-Uh, um. You said you were from the same hometown…

“Ah, we are from the same hometown. He said he’s been taking care of his skin lately. He must have been sun tanning.”

-By any chance, what’s in his hand…

At the cameraman’s observation, Lee Hyunbin looked at the Black man’s hand.

The Black man—no, Mr. Kim—was holding a set of lockpicks used by burglars.

Hyunbin’s pupils wavered slightly. But he quickly regained his composure, smiled, and put his arm around the Black man’s shoulder.

“Oh dear, Mr. Kim, you lost your keys again.”

-He lost his keys?

“Ah, he’s quite forgetful.”

-Uh, Mr. Kim is kneeling?

“Ah, he’s a very devout Christian. He must have suddenly felt the urge to pray right here.”

-Isn’t he rubbing his hands together and begging right now?

“No, no. He’s praying.”

-He just said he was sorry in English.

“Originally, all people are sinners before the Lord.”

Hyunbin is a busy man. Places that need his helping hand are everywhere.

-What are you putting on?

“Ah, this?”

Hyunbin smiles sheepishly.

“It’s a teddy bear mascot costume.”

-A bear costume? The kind part-timers wear?

“Yes.”

After putting on the bear costume, Hyunbin heads outside.

This time, he wasn’t heading to the neighborhood but to a busy rotary with a lot of foot traffic.

-Is there a reason you came out in a bear costume?

“Yes, of course. My face is pretty well-known, you see.”

In truth, Hyunbin’s face was not widely recognized despite his fame.

The photos and profiles usually used for his promotion were from the video taken during the dragon incident.

His face then, serious and solemn, had a different feel from his face now.

So, people didn’t recognize Hunter Hyunbin’s face as easily as one might think.

-Aren’t you hot?

“It’s fine. I do this every day, so I’m used to it now.”

In reality, what Hyunbin was wearing was the state-of-the-art Justice Armor in its transformation mode.

It might look hot to others, but thanks to its natural ventilation and temperature control system, it actually felt quite pleasant.

Hyunbin naturally held up a sign and walked through the city.

-But why are you holding a sign? Isn’t that an ad for a bar?

“Ah, I have to hold something like this to make the disguise perfect. And it also helps promote small business owners.”