026. An Honored Guest
Those people are...
Assistant Manager Kim Seongju quietly watched the two women from inside his car and frowned.
One of the two Awakened definitely looked familiar.
She was better known for her excellent live-streaming and video production skills than for her abilities as an Awakened.
Her name was... Tsk. I remember her nickname, though.
The crease between Kim Seongju’s eyebrows deepened.
“Ah, seriously! Yuna unnie! Can’t we do this after lunch?! I’m starving!”
“Employee Choi Bareum. We haven’t gotten a single usable shot yet. You think you can eat right now? Hm? And you call yourself a creator?”
“Who cares about being a creator, I’m starving! And you only call me employee when it benefits you.”
“If you have complaints, become the boss yourself, Employee Choi.”
“I said buy me food, Boss!”
Right. Kang Yuna. I remember now.
Creator Kang Yuna.
She had once operated a small YouTube channel, then awakened as an Awakened.
After moving to the Awakened Network, she achieved moderate success as a travel and mukbang creator.
Compared to when she had been rapidly rising in popularity, she had quieted down a lot lately.
Her video patterns had become repetitive too.
Maybe it was because she had become much more cautious compared to the old days, when both her words and actions had been fearless.
Who is the student beside Kang Yuna? A local? Is there even a high school in a countryside village like this?
Kim Seongju quietly observed Kang Yuna and the student beside her from inside his compact car.
His eyes glowed yellow beneath narrowed eyelids.
Rogue Skill, Covert Search.
Flash!
A small Status Window appeared in front of him.
Information about Kang Yuna and the girl beside her rapidly appeared across the screen.
“Kang Yuna is a Bard Class Awakened. I already knew that. The student beside her is... So her name is Choi Bareum. Interesting. Scout? That’s a rare Class. She isn’t registered yet. Did she just not bother? Kids these days, seriously.”
I should request Choi Bareum’s registration later.
Kim Seongju quickly wrote down Bareum’s information in a small notebook.
Meanwhile...
Kang Yuna noticed that someone inside the compact car parked by the road was staring at them.
She called to Choi Bareum.
“Hey. Bareum. Hey, hey.”
“I’m telling you, let’s go to the Chinese restaurant, unnie. It’s the only decent place to eat around here.”
“Food isn’t the important thing. Someone in that car keeps staring at us.”
“Hm? Who? That car? Come to think of it, I haven’t seen that car before. They’re definitely not from the village.”
Kang Yuna and Choi Bareum slowly approached Kim Seongju’s compact car.
Noticing them, Kim Seongju hesitated for only a moment.
Then...
“Hello!”
He jumped out of the car with the practiced smile of an experienced office worker.
His movement was so fast and agile that even Kang Yuna and Choi Bareum were startled.
“You’re Kang Yuna, right? The one who does travel broadcasts on the Awakened Network and ViewTube!”
“Oh? You know me? Are you a subscriber?”
“I’m Assistant Manager Kim Seongju from the Korea Awakened Association. Nice to meet you!”
“Ah. The Association.”
Kim Seongju quickly handed them his business card and carefully watched their reactions.
The moment she realized he worked for the Association, Kang Yuna’s expression cooled noticeably.
Choi Bareum ignored the situation entirely and continued playing with her smartphone with a bored expression.
After carefully watching the two, Kim Seongju spoke first again.
“Did you come here to film new content, Ms. Yuna? Whatever else you can say about this place, the scenery is incredible, right? After being stuck in Seoul all the time, seeing this bright blue sea feels like my eyes are opening! Hahaha!”
“Yes. What do you need?”
She clearly did not sound friendly.
Kim Seongju did not seem bothered at all.
“Ah, I came here for something else. You know the person who’s really popular lately. Yang Suho.”
“Oh.”
“Oh? You know him?”
Kim Seongju noticed the sudden change in Kang Yuna and Choi Bareum’s expressions and quickly leaned closer.
“Ah, yes... Well.”
“Ten out of ten outsiders wandering around this village came to meet Uncle Suho, so of course we know him.”
Kim Seongju’s head immediately turned toward Choi Bareum.
“But it’s not like anyone can actually meet him.”
Bareum muttered while avoiding Kim Seongju’s gaze.
“So it’s the same for you?”
Kim Seongju nodded.
“Why do you think that is? Did Yang Suho create some kind of barrier?”
“I don’t think it’s exactly that.”
Bareum muttered without thinking.
“Oh? You know something?”
“The villagers visit Uncle Suho’s fish farm all the time. They bring him side dishes, and sometimes Uncle Suho gives them strange fish or other things in return. For some reason, only outsiders can’t enter.”
“Only outsiders... Are you from this village?”
“Yeah.”
Maybe it was because she was hungry, but Choi Bareum’s expression was extremely unfriendly.
Kim Seongju looked at her.
Then...
“Want some snacks?”
He quickly pulled a bag of snacks from his car and handed it to her.
Bareum’s expression visibly softened.
“Then, Bareum, have you met Yang Suho before? You call him uncle, are you relatives? Or close neighbors?”
“How do you know my name?”
“I work for the Association.”
“Is that so? Hmm... Uncle Suho is just a neighbor. In a tiny countryside village like this, everyone’s a neighbor.”
“Ah, I see!”
“I’ve gone to his fish farm alone sometimes. That’s why I’m acting as a guide so Yuna unnie can meet Uncle Suho.”
“And?”
“No idea. Whenever I try to go with this unnie, we get lost like some ghost is messing with us. Even when I know we’re taking the right road.”
“Oh.”
Bareum grumbled and offered some snacks to Kang Yuna.
Kang Yuna rejected them with a gloomy expression.
“That’s why I told you, unnie. Let’s leave all the equipment behind and try once.”
“What is a creator supposed to do after arriving without any filming equipment?!”
“Ah, why are you getting mad?! Is it because you’re hungry?!”
“I don’t know! Shut up! Seriously! We’re completely screwed!”
“I said let’s go to the Chinese restaurant!”
“What’s even good there?!”
Kang Yuna and Choi Bareum began noisily arguing among themselves as if Kim Seongju no longer existed.
Taking advantage of the situation, Kim Seongju quietly returned to his car and drove somewhere else.
Leave all the equipment behind?
Kim Seongju stopped his car again along an empty road.
“Hoo.”
Then he got out.
“Could it really be because of this?”
He began removing all the miniature cameras and recording devices hidden throughout his jacket, shirt, and pants.
He stared at the pile of equipment scattered across the passenger seat and clicked his tongue.
“I’m not even an industrial spy.”
This was not the kind of equipment a public organization employee should normally carry.
Everything had been prepared in case Yang Suho refused to reveal information about Fantasy Creature farming.
He needed to uncover the method behind Fantasy Creature farming.
It was a secret request from his direct superior, Manager Cha Wongyun.
Low salary.
Overtime without overtime pay.
