As they neared the event venue, traffic began to slow.
Kwon Taehyuk glanced at the line of cars outside the window and gave a reminder.
“We’ll be getting out at the front entrance of the hotel. The reporters are already waiting, so as soon as we step out, photos and videos will be taken. Best to keep that in mind now.”
Hmm. I figured as much, but so they are waiting.
“They’re just photographing the entrance, right?”
“Yes. But there’ll be more of them than usual today. Two Hunters representing the Circle Guild—already surrounded by plenty of rumors—will be attending. And you, the SS-rank Supporter, are coming as well.”
“Haha...”
I gave a hollow laugh and shifted my gaze toward the hotel, which was now drawing closer.
As expected, this kind of thing is uncomfortable.
I’ve never liked being the center of attention, and receiving all those expectation-laden gazes is genuinely burdensome.
Last time I called the press to fake an illness, it was only to kick out the Association President.
But now, just showing up at an event means I have to smile for the cameras?
No way I’m coming next year. I ground my teeth.
I finally understood why Ryu Sunghyun, before his regression, tore up the invitation in disgust.
‘This is all because my rank got too high.’
Back when I was a B-rank, I desperately hoped my rank would rise so I could be more useful to my guild. But now that it had, there was too much to deal with—and it wasn’t exactly something to celebrate.
‘...Maybe it’s a problem that I got too high.’
The world’s first SS-rank Supporter. Able to heal and buff.
I never asked for something like that. Well—if I want to stop those cult bastards properly, I do need this kind of power, so I can’t really complain.
Kwon Taehyuk gave me a look of understanding as I visibly hesitated about facing the reporters, then carefully spoke.
“Were this another occasion, we could’ve used the back entrance... but as you know, this event is extremely high-profile, and the guest list has already been made public.”
“Oh, this much is nothing. I’m not the type to stubbornly refuse or make a fuss, am I?”
Sure, I was annoyed, but Kwon Taehyuk had bought me an expensive suit and even gave me a ride. No point acting prickly.
I answered half-playfully, trying to hide my discomfort. Kwon Taehyuk visibly looked relieved.
‘What is he, a dog who only watches his master or something?’
I couldn’t help but be a little taken aback by how obvious his emotional shifts were. But rather than dwell on it, I looked away. I didn’t know anymore either.
Before long, the car reached the hotel and came to a stop. Even before the door opened, the sound of camera shutters exploded around us—clearly, people already knew who was inside.
Kwon Taehyuk stepped out first, then held the car door open and reached out a hand to me.
“Hunter Cha Seohu.”
“...?”
I hesitated mid-motion as I prepared to exit the car, a little thrown off by the sudden gesture.
What the... do guys normally hold hands like this?
I’ve never been to this kind of event. I was unsure, but I couldn’t exactly leave him hanging in front of the cameras. So I grabbed his hand and got out.
As Kwon Taehyuk and I headed toward the hotel entrance, the waiting security guards rushed to follow behind.
Camera flashes lit up from every direction, and the reporters’ shouting voices made my eyes and ears spin.
For the sake of maintaining my hard-won “kind Supporter” image, {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} I forced a strained smile as I struggled to keep up with Kwon Taehyuk.
Just then, past the guards, I caught sight of a group of women clustered together. Their outfits and overall vibe clearly didn’t match the reporters, which made me glance toward them as we walked by—and I locked eyes with one of them.
“Oh! Gasp!”
She covered her mouth with one hand, cheeks flushed red.
Then, as if in a trance, she began fluttering the opposite hand in a soft wave. So I waved back.
Her eyes went wide and she stumbled backward. Then she frantically looked between me and Kwon Taehyuk.
‘Ah, I get it.’
Naturally, S-rank Hunters—especially those with power and rarity—attract attention no matter what they do. And among them, the ones who are also handsome? They’re bound to have lots of fans.
I gave a small, amused snort as I looked toward Kwon Taehyuk’s broad back, walking straight ahead.
‘A Kwon Taehyuk fan, huh.’
Anyone in Korea knew just how popular the Yesung Guildmaster was.
If you stopped someone on the street and asked, “Who’s the hottest S-rank Hunter?” the name Kwon Taehyuk would come up by default.
Well, I’ve always been a loyal Ryu Sunghyun fan, even before the regression, so I never paid much attention. But if they’re even coming to events like this to sneak a peek, their dedication must be serious.
As I reflected anew on Kwon Taehyuk’s influence and kept walking, we finally entered the main hall where the event was being held.
“Thank you for your efforts.”
“Thankfully the distance was short.”
I’d heard that end-of-year parties like this were sometimes even broadcast on TV. I couldn’t imagine how exhausting it must be for someone like Kwon Taehyuk to attend all of them.
‘More importantly, I wonder if Sunghyun-hyung and the Guildmaster are here yet?’
I looked around, and just in time, a familiar voice called out.
“Hunter Cha Seohu!”
I turned toward the voice to see Ryu Sunghyun and Song Jiwoon approaching, both smiling brightly.
‘Whoa, suits!’
Just as I’d hoped, both of them were wearing well-fitted, sharp-looking suits.
They’d said they’d spend the money to dress properly for this event, and the results were impressive.
Even in the previous timeline, it was rare to see these two so neatly dressed. Seeing them now made emotion rise up in my chest.
I quickly raised a fist to cover my mouth. I could totally relate to how that woman earlier must have felt.
As I tried to force down the stupid grin tugging at my lips and waited for them to approach, I noticed their expressions growing more and more sour the closer they got.
“...?”
What’s up with them? Did something happen?
I stood there blinking dumbly until Ryu Sunghyun walked right up to me, skipped any greeting, and sighed deeply before asking:
“Are you going to keep holding hands?”
“...Ah.”
Only then did I notice the warmth in my left hand and flinched.
Kwon Taehyuk, seemingly also realizing it just now, panicked and let go of my hand.
“Apologies. I didn’t realize.”
“Ah, yeah. Me neither, so...”
I replied absently—then it hit me.
‘Wait... we were holding hands since I got out of the car, right?’
Then that means... the whole time we entered the venue, the cameras were clicking away.
“......”
Is this okay? Maybe it doesn’t matter?
What if, come tomorrow, a headline reads, “Yesung Guildmaster Holds Hands with Male Supporter... Something Going On?” or something equally ridiculous?
I broke out in a cold sweat, but it was already water under the bridge.
There was nothing I could do. All I could do now was hope Yesung’s PR handled it well.
“You look great today, Hunter Cha Seohu.”
Once Kwon Taehyuk and I let go of each other, Ryu Sunghyun returned to his usual cheerful smile.
“You used your tie as a focal point. It suits you well. I see Hunter Kwon did a good job picking out the suit...”
He began to praise the outfit with genuine delight—until he turned to look at Kwon Taehyuk’s suit and suddenly fell silent.
Narrowing his eyes, he examined the two of us, then raised a brow.
“Don’t your suits look... a bit too similar?”
Yeah. So other people see it that way too.
I shrugged as if to say I didn’t really have a choice, and Ryu Sunghyun and Song Jiwoon both narrowed their eyes and stared pointedly at Kwon Taehyuk.
Unable to deny it outright, he awkwardly avoided their gaze.
‘If I don’t step in, this’ll never end.’
Sensing the need to change the subject, I pulled my phone out of my jacket pocket.
“Would it be okay if I took a photo?”
Might as well indulge a little.
Even if they’d had tons of pictures taken at the hotel entrance by reporters, it was different when it came to me keeping personal ones.
Looking only at Ryu Sunghyun and Song Jiwoon—pointedly excluding Kwon Taehyuk—I asked.
Both of them beamed.
“Of course! Let’s take one together.”
“Ah, I meant just you two...”
“Hunter Cha Seohu, you can stand in the middle.”
“No, I was...”
“I’ll take it for you instead. Hand it over.”
Ryu Sunghyun snatched the phone from my hand, switched it to selfie mode, and slung an arm over my shoulder. Song Jiwoon quickly came to my other side and leaned in close.
Wedged squarely between them, I had no choice but to take the picture.
‘I wanted to be the one taking it while they stood together...’
Maybe that woman from earlier felt like this. Maybe she just wanted to snap a picture of Kwon Taehyuk, but some guy was holding his hand and sticking close.
“Wow, this came out great!”
“Look at you, Hunter Cha Seohu. You look super cute.”
“Y... yeah.”
The result was exactly what I feared.
Ryu Sunghyun smiling warmly on the left. Song Jiwoon beaming brightly on the right. And me, awkwardly stuck in the middle, wearing a half-smile that didn’t know what it wanted to be.
This wasn’t the photo I wanted. This wasn’t it at all...
Staring sullenly at the phone screen displaying the image, I heard a voice echo across the event hall.
— “The event will begin shortly. Guests, please follow the ushers and take your assigned seats comfortably.”

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