As they stepped into the car, they saw a woman seated in the driver’s seat, her sleek ebony bob cut sharply along the jawline. She turned her head slightly toward the three buckling in, offering a curt greeting.
“Hello. I’m Shin Eun-hye, Chief Secretary directly under the Chairman of the Guide Corporation.”
“Ah, nice to meet you.”
Something about her voice carried a cool, cynical edge, making her seem strictly business—and cold.
Thankfully, the band music playing over the radio kept the atmosphere from sinking further. True to her no-nonsense tone, the secretary spoke only about the shoot throughout the ride. Not a single personal comment.
“I didn’t even think about getting makeup done.”
Kim Se-hee, voice brimming with excitement, couldn’t hide her glee. Ryu Yoon-jae also absentmindedly touched his bare face, caught up in the moment.
According to the schedule the secretary laid out, a makeup artist and hair designer were already waiting in a studio prep room in Namyang.
It was technically a public awareness shoot, so dolled-up hair and makeup seemed a bit much. But since the two seemed to be enjoying themselves, Ho-eun figured there was no point in ruining the mood and stayed quiet.
“Are the people filming us all civilians?”
“Yes, that’s right. We’ve gathered trustworthy individuals, so there won’t be any leaks of your photos or any sensitive information.”
Ho-eun was relieved by Shin Eun-hye’s assurance. The guilt he’d felt about dragging Kim Se-hee and Ryu Yoon-jae into a shoot they didn’t technically need to attend—thanks to Chairman Baek Woo-gyeong—lessened slightly.
They’d prepared sunglasses that matched the costumes to keep their identities private, but in South Korea—the ultimate digital-savvy country—completely hiding their faces felt nearly impossible.
The best strategy would’ve been to not appear at all. Unfortunately, as a newbie employee, Ho-eun didn’t have the authority to make that call.
“We’ve arrived.”
The vehicle came to a stop in a vacant lot next to a building, and the door beside them opened automatically.
Once the trio stepped out one by one, security staff in protective gear took their positions to block the view from outsiders. If they’d just exited the car like normal, no one would’ve batted an eye—but the whole spectacle only drew more attention.
Scratching the back of his head in mild embarrassment, Ho-eun muttered, “Isn’t this a bit much?” Kim Se-hee and Ryu Yoon-jae agreed, lowering their voices to criticize the wastefulness of assigning so many bodyguards.
With all eyes on them, the three managed to scramble into the waiting room. Thankfully, only two guards followed them inside—the rest remained posted outside.
“You can sit over here.”
They were directed to makeup chairs with large mirrors and brilliant lights. The three quietly underwent their makeup and hair sessions. The soft brush against his skin felt unfamiliar, and Ho-eun occasionally forgot to keep a neutral expression, furrowing his brows and earning a scolding from one of the staff.
“Wow, this is amazing. I need a selfie!”
Once her makeup was complete, Kim Se-hee squealed in a high-pitched voice, snapping selfies in the mirror. Ryu Yoon-jae also smoothed down his styled hair a few times before shyly taking a photo and sending it to someone.
Ho-eun, now in costume, stood before the mirror to take it all in. The loose waves in his hair softened his sharp eyes, making his overall expression appear gentler.
“Hello. I’m Park Woo-chan, the director for today’s shoot. We’re doing two concepts. For the first video, only Kwon Ho-eun will appear. For the second, all three of you will be in it together.”
Following Director Park’s briefing, Ho-eun reviewed the storyboard again.
The first shoot was in a familiar public service announcement style. His outfit was plain—a white t-shirt and jeans—meant to evoke a natural, friendly image.
After changing into black sneakers as well, Ho-eun stepped into the studio space outfitted with lights and cameras. One wall was covered in green screen fabric, likely for CG effects.
“Action!”
So many eyes watched from beyond the camera. Bright lights beamed in from every angle. It felt nothing like filming his YouTube videos.
So this is what TV production is like…
Ho-eun forced himself to relax and recalled the lines he’d rehearsed dozens of times.
“Just a moment of your attention!”
He raised both hands near his face and instantly blushed as his ears turned red.
“Have you heard about the guide health screenings starting in October? When you compare the number of Espers and Guides in Korea, we are considered a Guide-deficient nation.”
In the storyboard, this video was supposed to feature others besides him. It showed Espers in various field scenarios, exhausted and struggling. It was unclear whether actual Espers would be used or if actors would fill in and be edited in later with CGI. But for now, none were present. It seemed today’s filming was exclusively for the Guides.
“Please give this initiative your full attention and support!”
He wrapped up the prepared lines and flashed a soft, radiant smile. Only after that did Director Park call out, “Cut!” Thankfully, his flushed cheeks were hidden under the makeup.
“I’m going to change real quick!”
As the staff announced a break, Ho-eun bowed politely and hurried back to the waiting room. Kim Se-hee and Ryu Yoon-jae, having seen his performance, were already teasing him—mimicking his lines and gestures.
“‘Just a moment of your attention!’ Oh my god, that was adorable.”
“That’s the brightest smile I’ve ever seen from you.”
“Cut it out! I’m dying of embarrassment here.”
Waving his hands as if swatting their teasing away, Ho-eun ducked into the changing room to switch clothes. His face still radiated heat. Someone had given him a portable fan, and he pointed it at different parts of his body, trying to cool down.
Once he collected himself and changed into his second outfit, he returned to the others. The three of them, now in full costume, looked more ready for a zoo visit than a shoot.
“Ho-eun, what’s with this outfit choice?”
“I’ve never worn anything like this in my life…”
Wearing sunglasses to conceal their identities, Kim Se-hee and Ryu Yoon-jae fiddled with the strange fabric of their costumes in curiosity.
“We’re hunters. Tiger hunters.”
“What?! Are we going after Tiger?”
The second video was essentially a follow-up to the infamous Tiger video. The message was to report any non-government Espers spotted in public. While the wardrobe concept could’ve easily been a simple office look, Ho-eun had picked something different.
If he were just a civilian, this would’ve seemed oddly timed—making a video like this a month later? It wouldn’t leave much of an impression. And the Anti-Government movement wouldn’t so much as blink.
So instead, he’d chosen a bold adventurer-hunter look.
A provocative video would inevitably attract attention.
Dressed like this, it was basically a declaration of war. Everyone knew that “Tiger” was a codename for the Anti-Government Espers. And now, the government had donned the attire of hunters—their natural predator. It was a blatant, aggressive message.
“This is gold, I swear.”
Bursting into laughter, Kim Se-hee suddenly made exaggerated popcorn-eating sounds.
“Oh, this is gonna be so fun. Someone bring me more popcorn!”
“…Popcorn?”
Ho-eun and Ryu Yoon-jae glanced at each other, both confused by her slang.
“If you’re ready, come on in!”
Under a jungle-style sun hat, Kim Se-hee and Ryu Yoon-jae had their sunglasses on. The beige tactical jacket and pants hugged their figures like custom fits.
Leather belts at their waists held props like backup weapons, and walkie-talkies were strapped to their back pockets. Their black high-top boots made from rugged leather stood out strikingly.
Ho-eun gave the outfits a final once-over, confirming that both the Guide Corporation and Esper Association logos were clearly visible.
The red recording light on the camera turned on.
“For global peace and public safety!”
“We’ll chase them to the ends of the earth!”
Pretending to talk into her walkie-talkie, Kim Se-hee delivered her line. Ryu Yoon-jae, running around with handcuffs in hand, stopped and faced the camera.
“You’re already too late.”
Finally, Ho-eun aimed the prop gun at the camera, pulled the trigger, then blew on the barrel as if smoke were rising from it, grinning coolly.
It was like something out of a vintage spy PSA from the 80s—outdated, cheesy lines and all. They closed the shoot by shouting the critical emergency number in unison.
“If you spot one, call! Zero! Zero! Nine!”
“Cut!”
“Great work, everyone!”
Like being caught in a whirlwind, the shoot ended in a flash. Though it hadn’t been that long, the mix of tension and embarrassment had completely drained them.
“I just wanna crawl into a hole…”
“Same here…”
“Thanks for doing this, guys.”
The others looked absolutely wiped, too shell-shocked from only learning their lines on-site. They hadn’t fully recovered from the surprise.
“Excuse me, everyone.”
As Ho-eun led the dazed duo back toward the waiting room, someone called out to him. It was a woman in a black cap—one of the shoot staff who’d been there since their arrival.
She gestured toward a vacant room down the hall, holding a laptop.
“We’ve scheduled short interviews. Can we start with you, Kwon Ho-eun?”
“Oh, sure. Over there?”
Casting a quick glance toward Secretary Shin Eun-hye, who was on the phone, Ho-eun stepped into the empty room. Inside were just a table and chairs. The woman opened her laptop and recording device and asked a few short questions.
“Lastly, do you have any words for the future Guides who’ll come after you?”
“Hmm… I just hope they’ll be happy.”
“That’s an unexpected answer. Thank you for the interview.”
“Thanks. You too, ma’am.”
As Ho-eun stepped back out, Kim Se-hee—now changed—was waiting and went in as the next interviewee.
“Hey.”
Just as Ho-eun was about to go change clothes, someone quietly approached him. A slightly taller man in a black mask carefully avoided attention and offered him a notebook and pen.
“I’m a fan… Could I get your autograph?”
“Huh? Oh, sure, of course!”
Smiling as he signed, Ho-eun looked up—and met the man’s eyes. Something about the guy felt off. Familiar, maybe?
“Your outfit looks great today.”
“You think so? It’s supposed to be a hunter look.”
“Yeah. But… did you know?”
Behind his horn-rimmed glasses, the man’s eyes sparkled with mischief.
“Hunters get hurt a lot trying to catch tigers.”
He said it flatly, voice steady and unemotional, as he took the signed page from Ho-eun’s hand.
“Sometimes… the hunter ends up getting eaten instead.”
Ho-eun stared blankly, eyes fixed on the twitch of the man’s lips as he smirked.
“Be careful not to get eaten, yeah?”
His tone sounded like a warning, but his face betrayed a kind of gleeful excitement.
“…?”
Just as Ho-eun was about to look closer, commotion erupted from the interview room.
“Rrroar!”
The tiger sound the man let out made Ho-eun instinctively stumble back in alarm. The man cackled wildly at Ho-eun’s startled reaction.
And then it happened.
Kim Se-hee’s piercing scream echoed from inside the interview room.
