#15
That was enough to know about the external information.
Jo Tae-su was effectively using Seo Yi-young for promotion, and the reason was obvious. Seo Yi-young was the most successful among normal Awakened Ones, and he was also S-Class. According to Seo Yi-young’s findings, the Seo Yi-young of this dimension had acted in a way that accommodatedJo Tae-su.
He actively participated not only in official events but also in promotions, and the relationship between the two seemed inseparable. It was so evident that there were even YouTube channels covering fake news about suspicious relations between them. As soon as Seo Yi-young discovered this, he unconsciously threw his phone.
“Ugh,” Seo Yi-young gagged and hurriedly got up to pick up his phone, then froze in place.
Though he dismissed it as nonsense, looking at today’s events alone, he couldn’t say there was absolutely no basis for it. Considering they had a secret meeting place outside.
No way, no way, no way.
“…”
Seo Yi-young rubbed the goosebumps on his forearm and shook his head.
No matter what, he couldn’t believe that the Seo Yi-young of this dimension had a sexual preference for men, and even if he did—Jo Tae-su? That was even more impossible.
Seo Yi-young exhaled with a “Ha” and flopped face-down on the bed.
There was a lot to figure out.
The desire to run away crept up on him.
But that wouldn’t be possible. There was no way he could escape without anyone noticing.
Seo Yi-young’s face was known not only throughout Korea but worldwide. Wherever he went, wherever he hid, if someone recognized him and posted just one message online, it would be over.
He had thought that moving to this dimension would simply be enjoyable, but that wasn’t the case.
Here, there were human relationships unique to this place and intertwined interests. And untangling them was his responsibility. That was obvious, of course.
Still, if he was going to be consumed by the same worries, it was better to shed tears while drinking expensive alcohol with fancy side dishes against the backdrop of the Han River’s night view than to be crouched in a tiny room drinking soju.
Nothing would immediately change if he didn’t take action right away.
Seo Yi-young concluded that he should keep his distance fromJo Tae-su and better understand the situation.
*
Seo Yi-young was as busy as he was famous.
He even had a management team to adjust his schedule, which said it all.
That was fine too.
Except that the management had branched out fromJo Tae-su’s Awakening Counseling Center.
Expanding business by reaching out everywhere was exactly like what Han-young did in the previous dimension. The name of the Awakening Counseling Center was “Hayan.” He disliked that it even sounded similar to Han-young.
Moreover,Jo Tae-su was deeply involved in everything from the trading market for items from dungeons to the simplified registration system for Awakened Ones, and so on.
He understood that in a capitalist society, it was natural to aim for business expansion to gain greater profits, but the problem was that the person in question wasJo Tae-su.
Though he knew that he was different from theJo Tae-su of the previous dimension, he still hated seeing that face.
But there was nothing he could do. He was already deeply entangled withJo Tae-su through what was called a contract. The cost of terminating the contract far exceeded Seo Yi-young’s total assets, so that wasn’t easy either.
With a long sigh, Seo Yi-young shifted his gaze from the ceiling.
He had simply replied “Understood” to the message about today’s schedule, but he couldn’t help but be surprised when he saw the outfit brought by the management staff.
“My fate…”
He had heard it was a regular exchange meeting for Hunters, but he seemed to have taken it too lightly. The clothes prepared for Seo Yi-young were a tuxedo.
A tuxedo.
Not just a regular suit, but a tuxedo.
The nature of the gathering was easy to guess.
Seo Yi-young didn’t particularly like noisy events. No, they made him uncomfortable.
Moreover, as someone who hadn’t fully adapted to this dimension yet, he was reluctant to attend even small gatherings, and now the counterparts were Hunters.
In this dimension, Hunters who entered dungeons inevitably attracted attention, whether they liked it or not. Furthermore, given this attire, he could guess what kind of exchange meeting it would be. There would surely be many people from the media.
…Should he make an excuse that he was sick and skip it?
He felt that urge, but he really couldn’t do that. Setting aside the fact that Seo Yi-young was a Healer, it probably wasn’t an event he could easily miss.
Seo Yi-young’s lips parted as he thought that far.
That meant there was a high possibility that Choi Do-jun would attend as well. If they met at the event without having to set up a separate appointment, it would be an opportunity to greet him.
Though Seo Yi-young’s contact information would clearly be in Choi Do-jun’s missed call list, he hadn’t called back, which made Seo Yi-young a bit miffed, but he wasn’t in a position to say anything.
Besides, these events weren’t one-time occurrences.
He didn’t know if he would return to his original dimension or not. If he was going to live in this body, if he was going to live as “S-Class Healer Seo Yi-young,” he needed to adapt to such things anyway.
Having decided to conform to the situation, Seo Yi-young began to undress with the clothes brought by the stylist in front of him.
This was the first time since his job interview that he’d worn a suit.
A tuxedo was a bit more cumbersome but still somewhat similar. When Seo Yi-young, fully dressed, went to the living room, the manager greeted him.
She complimented him, saying his broad shoulders and narrow waist made the outfit suit him very well. Though he knew intellectually that she was saying nice things because she was employed to do so, it still didn’t feel bad.
The manager said they needed to go to the reserved salon, and there, Seo Yi-young was once again astonished.
“Let’s head out quickly.”
“By salon, do you mean… I’ll be wearing makeup?”
“Of course. This is the salon you said you liked, so that’s where I made the reservation.”
It was real. Makeup? He felt like some kind of celebrity.
“…”
Unable to find words, Seo Yi-young remained silent for a moment before entering acceptance mode and started walking. It wasn’t like he could refuse by throwing a tantrum. A schedule was undoubtedly a promise, so he thought he should just get through what was planned and then gradually reduce such activities in the future. With that in mind, he let out a light sigh.
For the first time in his life, Seo Yi-young received a professional’s touch, with makeup on his face and styled hair, and he stared at his reflection in the mirror.
“Oh my goodness. I was so surprised when Hunter Seo Yi-young specifically requested me. You’re already very handsome, so it was really rewarding to style you. May I take just one photo, if possible?”
“Ah, yes…”
The staff member in charge of Seo Yi-young today couldn’t hide her delight at his permission to take a photo.
Whether it was self-consciousness or not, he definitely looked better styled than just as he was.
Well, what would be the point of spending time on it if it didn’t make him look better?
To begin with, the Seo Yi-young of this dimension already had a slightly better appearance than himself.
While Seo Yi-young was being styled, it seemed the public relations representative had arrived.
Just as Seo Yi-young had previously suggested, he came wearing glasses comfortably and greeted him.
“It seems you’ve made up your mind today. Actually, the night before you entered the dungeon this time, when you called to cancel all schedules except the dungeon raid, I was at a loss for what to do.”
At his now more comfortable words, Seo Yi-young paused for a moment before laughing aloud.
“Ah, well, yes, a bit.”
“I was worried you might be very tired. I’m glad that’s not the case.”
His words answered why Seo Yi-young hadn’t been styled like this on the day he entered the dungeon. But what could have been the reason? Though he hadn’t met the Seo Yi-young of this dimension directly, he seemed to enjoy being in the public eye, and it was clear that he valued appearances considerably.
Wouldn’t the dungeon entry site be the optimal place for the S-Class Healer Seo Yi-young to advertise himself?
What could it be?
There must have been something that caused a change of heart. That was the only conclusion he could draw.
“That’s right. I’ve always shown a polished appearance, but last time I wanted to present a more natural side of myself.”
“The public’s reaction wasn’t bad either. There were opinions that your natural look as a Hunter felt more approachable.”
While searching YouTube for information onJo Tae-su, he had discovered that Seo Yi-young’s different appearance when entering the dungeon last time had become a topic of discussion.
In other words, the Seo Yi-young of this dimension had been styled like this every time he appeared in public.
“Should I go out like that occasionally?”
“Uh, hmm…”
The man who heard Seo Yi-young’s words seemed to be searching for something to say as he pulled up the corners of his mouth.
When he spoke again, he explained that although Hunters risk their lives entering dungeons, it’s good to build public goodwill in various ways because of the enormous amounts of money involved each time a dungeon is conquered. So image-making is a very important matter.
It was definitely a convincing answer.
Seo Yi-young knew very well how important public image was, having experienced it firsthand.
Anyway, now that preparations were complete, it was time to head to the venue where the exchange meeting was being held.
As expected, there was even a photo zone set up near the entrance.
It was no joke. He wondered if all this was really necessary. It seemed that Hunters were similar to the hero characters that appear in foreign franchise movies.
“…Hmm…?”
Come to think of it, they weren’t just similar—they were exactly that. When watching movies, Seo Yi-young himself had thought that if a hero came to his neighborhood, he would drop everything and run to see them, and he supposed others felt the same way.
But movies are movies. When he was the subject, he couldn’t have the same perspective.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
