Returnee's S-Rank Management Guide

Minerva (1)

"I've heard that, at Moon Halo, Kim Seung-hyun's manager is replaced at most every three months."

"... Within three months?"

"At most three months. There are countless others who couldn't even last a few days."

What Yeon Kyung-ho was saying was simple.

Contrary to Kim Seung-hyun's managed public image, his real personality wasn't that great.

'Not that he's the only one like that.'

Among celebrities and hunters, there were plenty who had shady rumors swirling around them.

There was even someone similar right near me, wasn't there?

"That makes me feel pretty uneasy right now."

"Why?"

"Oh, why do you think?"

It seemed I'd been caught sneaking a glance at Yeon-ji after seeing Kim Seung-hyun.

"Ahem, you're mistaken. He wasn't looking at you."

"Of course."

Strictly speaking, the person I was thinking about was Ji Yeon-hwa, not Yeon-ji.

Compared to Ji Yeon-hwa, Yeon-ji was a bit prickly but had a very diligent personality.

"I felt it since the first time I saw you two, but you're really close, aren't you? Like siblings. Especially Manager Park, you're not one to drop honorifics easily with others."

"Us? That's a misunderstanding."

As I quickly denied it, Yeon-ji narrowed her eyes.

"Aren't you denying it a bit too strongly? I'm still quieter than the other kids..."

Just as Yeon-ji started to speak—

"Over here, over here! Eugene Garland is giving an interview!"

Someone shouted in English, and we saw people rushing in a group.

"What was that commotion just now?"

Yeon Kyung-ho seemed puzzled, as if he hadn't quite understood the words he'd heard.

It had been so quick, and the accent was quite strong.

"Looks like Eugene Garland is nearby."

"Eugene Garland? I've heard that name somewhere..."

With a confused look, Yeon Kyung-ho muttered, and Yeon-ji explained, frowning.

"He's an S-rank hunter from America. Mainly uses dual swords, a Korean-American hunter."

"Ah!"

Only then did Yeon Kyung-ho seem to recall where he'd heard the name Eugene Garland.

Eugene Garland was a very famous hunter even in Korea.

'He hasn't been in the spotlight much lately, but he used to appear on Korean TV all the time.'

Eugene, a 'Korean-American', was active in the U. S., which had the most advanced awakener infrastructure, so I remembered the media making a big deal out of him.

With his handsome looks, he was extremely popular not only in Korea but also globally, and his mere appearance guaranteed ratings.

"But Yeon-ji, you seem to know a lot? He'd be pretty unfamiliar to people your age."

"Oh, um, I just happen to be interested in that field..."

Yeon-ji seemed flustered by Yeon Kyung-ho's casual question.

Considering when Eugene was most regularly appearing on Korean television, it would make sense that a teenage Yeon-ji wouldn't have known him.

Luckily, Yeon Kyung-ho just nodded, apparently not making much of her explanation.

"I see. Anyway, should we mention it to PD Jung? If Kim Seung-hyun appears even briefly as a guest, it could benefit us too..."

"That'll be difficult."

The one who answered was Pyo Ji-yeol, who had approached unnoticed.

"Didn't I tell you before? KDC is ambitiously preparing a special program on America."

"Don't tell me... Is that what's happening over there?"

"Yes."

I narrowed my eyes, turning my gaze toward the noise.

'So that's why they're filming in America.'

I wouldn't have thought KDC would even bring in Eugene Garland.

Well, among the S-rank hunters of Pandemonium's roster, he was the most approachable.

'But why hold the interview at Grand Central Station?'

If KDC had come to America to film with Eugene, there were plenty of better locations.

After all, the Pandemonium branch was in Washington, d. C.

Yet they'd brought Eugene all the way to distant New York?

There must have been a reason.

"I'm going to step out for a bit."

Saying that, I started walking toward the source of the noise.

There wasn't any filming scheduled for today anyway, so I could do as I pleased.

"W-wait! Where are you going alone?!"

Almost as soon as I took my first step, Yeon-ji hurriedly chased after me and grabbed my sleeve.

"You're just going to leave me here alone?"

"I want to check it out since I'm curious. Why did you follow me, though?"

"What do you mean, why? Are you going to leave a kid alone?"

You're not a kid.

You're in your thirties for real, how can you talk about being a kid?

As I stared at her, thinking this, Yeon-ji avoided my gaze.

"I get shy when I'm by myself, okay? I get prickly for no reason! Do you know how many rumors there were about my nasty personality before because of that?"

"You get shy? You?"

"M-mages are all like that, okay? That other girl's like that too, right?"

It felt like she was insulting all the regular mages, but honestly, Shin Ah-yeon and Yeon-ji did have similar traits. They both disliked crowds and enjoyed spending time alone...

'During your Ji Yeon-hwa days, you were always leading your own group around, though.'

So it's okay if it's someone familiar?

Hard to understand, but for now I decided to just go with it.

"So I'm okay?"

"... That's why I followed you."

Yeon-ji accepted it meekly, and I couldn't help but nod.

How could I leave her behind after she said all that?

"All right, come along. We're going to where Eugene Garland is."

"But why are you looking for him?"

"I'm curious. If KDC went out of their way to bring Eugene Garland here, there must be a reason."

If I'm right, KDC isn't just trying to compete with HSN for ratings.

***

Eugene Garland was in a very good mood.

He'd been looking for a way to make money during his long break, and this job meant he could pocket a hefty appearance fee.

"Mr. Eugene, we look forward to working with you."

At the polite words of PD Heo Seong-man, Eugene nodded.

'All I have to do is escort Minerva and get filmed fighting in Redfield.'

A million dollars—about 1.3 billion won in Korean currency.

That was the offer the Korean TV station made Eugene.

'Not a bad gig at all.'

Clearing an A-rank dungeon usually earned about $100,000.

So this was equivalent to clearing about ten A-rank dungeons.

Considering the fatigue and competition those entail, earning 1.3 billion won through the show was practically free money for Eugene.

'Until they arrive in Los Angeles, the final stop for Minerva.'

Coincidentally, Eugene would have had to board Minerva and travel to Los Angeles anyway, even if not for this shoot. He had another job to take care of there.

'Lucky me.'

Thanks to this perfect overlap, it was quite literally a win-win for Eugene.

There was no way he couldn't be pleased.

"Mr. Eugene, I hear you've been on a long break. Is there a particular reason for your return?"

"Is it true you're planning to board Minerva?"

"We understand you'll appear on Korean TV—what do you think about the newly emerged S-rank hunter from Korea?"

Since Eugene had taken a break for roughly five years, many reporters were eager to ask questions.

Originally not fond of reporters, Eugene nonetheless gave earnest answers, since he'd chosen to make a comeback.

"If I don't start working again, everyone's going to forget about me. As you heard, I'm about to board Minerva. It's for a Korean TV project. And the S-rank hunter from Korea... Hmm."

Eugene hesitated, thinking about how to answer the last question.

He knew well about the newly awakened young S-rank hunter in Korea.

"In the past, there was also an S-rank hunter named Shin Ah-yeon in Korea. I never met her, but if I remember right, she also became S-rank at around twenty. Isn't that astonishing? For some reason, it keeps happening in Korea—people in their teens or twenties making S-rank. Ah, but I mean it, it's purely impressive."

As Eugene laughed, the American reporters around him chuckled as well.

Just as he said, only in Korea had people reached S-rank at the young age of twenty.

"Uh, Mr. Eugene, please be careful with statements like that. We'll have to edit that part."

"Oh, I meant it sincerely, that's a shame. The new S-rank hunter... Lee Soo-ah? Yes, I believe that's the name. She has skills rarely seen at that age."

"Uh, yes, yes."

At Eugene's words, KDC's PD Heo Seong-man wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Eugene's remarks were so strong that it was hard to tell how much he meant.

'Should we really have done this interview?'

PD Heo only brought in Eugene as a trump card to counter HSN's momentum.

Plus, by chance, he'd gotten a show tied to 'Minerva' and planned it with nearly identical plots.

If the shows had similar storylines, then the one with the bigger star—KDC—would surely win.

But Eugene was wild—untameable.

Despite PD Heo's warnings, once Eugene started talking, he didn't stop.

"But the Korean show really exaggerated some things. I mean, it's impossible to go from C-rank to S-rank that quickly. Wasn't it the same for Shin Ah-yeon back in the day? They made a big fuss about how she could have become S-rank even faster but, because of laws, only reached S-rank at twenty."

"Are you saying it was fabricated by Korean TV, Mr. Eugene?"

"No, not really. Just a little 'exaggerated', is all. In reality, Shin Ah-yeon did play a huge role at the demon world subjugation at a young age, didn't she? Her skill was real, I think. But why did they have to hype it up so much?"

"Indeed..."

Before we knew it, the topic shifted to Korea's S-rank hunters.

Especially, Shin Ah-yeon and Lee Soo-ah—who made S-rank at an extremely young age—were the main focus.

It may have been a light remark for someone like Eugene, an S-rank hunter, but for the reporters, it was gold.

Even worldwide, there were only a handful of cases of anyone reaching S-rank in their early twenties.

And the fact that the two youngest were both from Korea was rather odd.

"Oh my, I don't think that's true at all."

At that moment, a chilling voice cut through the noisy crowd and reached Eugene's ears.

'That's laced with magic power.'

Eugene noticed immediately.

Being able to make one's voice stand out so clearly amid this chaos was something only a very skilled hunter could do.

"Who was that just now?"

"Didn't someone interrupt Mr. Eugene?"

Apparently the reporters also heard it; they all turned to find the voice's owner.

There, amid the crowd, someone raised their hand.

"... A kid?"

Due to her short height, she had to stand on tiptoe with her hand raised high—surprisingly, it was a young girl with white hair and tan skin.

She looked to be in her mid-to-late teens and was glaring sharply at Eugene for some reason.

'Hmm...'

Watching quietly behind her, Jung-woo could only find this situation absurd.

'Didn't she just say she's shy around strangers?'

It seemed the dictionary definition of shyness would have to be reviewed.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
Yeon-ji got triggered.
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】