The Duke's team was already sitting at the same table, same seating. Seungho sat by the end, facing Sangmin. Sangmin spoke brightly with Sooyoung and barely acknowledged Seungho.
The Duke's seat was empty.
"Our captain is doing an interview in the lobby," said Yoo Jaeha-sunbae, from the seat next to him.
"Huh?"
"The Duke. Aren't you curious why she is missing today too?"
"Ahh, yes." Seungho felt embarrassed.
Are my thoughts so transparent?!
"Haha, don't be shy, I was curious too when I first started. Now no more because it has been too long."
"How long?"
"Almost five years."
"That long?"
"Yes, well my expertise is not exactly combat."
"What do you mean?"
"What other hunters are generally curious about is how come someone with low scores and aura is on the Duke's team. But I have this…"
He suddenly disappeared. Visually, but also it was like he had left a hole in his place. Like no one was sitting next to Seungho. Basically, his mana was gone too.
"How is that even possible?" Seungho blurted out naively.
He reappeared at will. "I can't tell you my trick or I would be giving out my most precious secret. Can I?"
"But," Yoo Jaeha continued "I will challenge you to defend your food."
"Sunbae, what do you..." Seungho still not sure on how to defend his plate.
The food disappeared from his plate at such a rate, he blinked and it was already all gone. Yoo Jaeha reappeared wiping his mouth with a napkin.
"That was delicious indeed," said playfully.
He can hide the things he touches. I see with such powers he can spy or penetrate behind enemy lines with ease.
Seungho was deep in his thoughts evaluating what Jaeha had just demonstrated. When he looked up he found Sangmin's eyes fixed on him. Then Sangmin quickly looked away.
Something is off.
Seungho hadn't messaged him afraid he might not respond. Then he would know for sure Sangmin was mad at him.
That look didn't sit right, so Seungho decided to stir the conversation towards other topics.
"I guess now I need more food."
Yoo Jaeha laughed and slapped him gleefully on his back, as if they had been best buddies for a long time.
When I get home I'll look up Jaeha-sunbae's stats and abilities. The system won't tell me how he does it. But the numbers will. If his were just the product of abilities, he wouldn't be able to keep it a secret. The gaps in the stats might tell me how he manages to do that.
"Not even I could hit you when you do that," Sooyoung said, pointing at him with an imaginary sling.
Jaeha smirked with satisfaction. He'd been doing this longer than most. That was the point.
Sangmin stayed quiet, letting the two Sunbae play.
Bae Ara glimpsed from three seats down from the middle of the table. She had a serious expression, but simply finished her food.
As they got up from the table Seungho received a message.
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[ NEW MESSAGE ]
[ MEETING WITH MANAGER HWANG ]
[ OPERATIONS OFFICE IN 40 MINUTES ]
[ ENTRE BUILDING ]
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A manager? For what? I guess that means I won't be training with the others again.
He thought about the message a minute longer.
I don't think I have met this person yet.
He wanted to ask Sangmin who Hwang-manager-nim was and what the meeting could be about. Out of curiosity, but mostly he wanted a chance to talk.
But Sangmin was already ahead talking to Sooyoung-sunbae.
So he is avoiding me...and I still don't know what is wrong.
Right then, Bae Ara pulled at Seungho's sides. She floated over the floor, her long skirt brushing the air. Her movements were always gracious. Up close her features were delicate.
"Don't get strange ideas from others on how to get through this. If you really want to get onto the team, do just what the Duke is telling you to do. It is that simple."
"Oh, I wasn't getting strange ideas…"
Seungho pulled his arms up, waving his hands in denial.
"I will tell her you are just doing that." She waved goodbye with her fingers, as usual in such a cute manner, Seungho blushed a little, mesmerized by her charms.
She was heading to the lobby to join the Duke for a pictorial.
Jaeha was in his forties, hunter age eight, and his aura was strong. He was magnetic.
But Bae Ara is very close with the Duke, just follow her lead.
That clarity brought a deep sense of focus. He knew then it was the right call.
With some time still free, he went to the lobby to take a peak at the Duke and what kind of work she was doing.
***
In the lobby the Duke and Bae Ara were behind a wall of screens, cameras, makeup artists, wardrobe change hanging off a rack, long microphones pulling down, and a sea of cables. He only got a brief glimpse of the Duke laughing while someone was fussing over her hair, spraying endless amounts of hair product.
He touched his own hair. The usual texture. Then he remembered the line on his forearm. He rolled his sleeve up. It was still there. He observed it for a while longer. He decided he was going to have it checked if it didn't go away on its own within a couple of days.
He covered it up and forgot about it.
Seungho was pushed to the side by people hurrying to get a better view. He tried to move forward. Someone promptly shoved him.
"Move. You're in the way." A staff member or a fan. More people in elegant suits pressed past. Sponsors?
Another push and, then, another. He was being pressed back, away from the pictorial.
Even the Duke getting ready for a pictorial was a spectacle.
Seungho wanted to see her in action, like in the documentary where he spotted the foot. The mistake he had used in fighting the Apelox. His mind zoomed in on the image with pure focus.
He wanted to learn more from the Duke.
A breeze tussled his hair. He blinked.
Another hallucination?
A TV screen was still on, tuned to a news channel.
They should turn this off. It's disturbing the pictorial.
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BREAKING NEWS
LEE JOON WINS MAYORAL ELECTION
GANGNAM DISTRICT
FIRST HUNTER ELECTED TO PUBLIC OFFICE
IN DEMOCRATIC ELECTION
MARGIN: 0.3%
TURNOUT: 52% | HUMANS: 88% | HUNTERS 12%
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Humans elected a hunter. In a democracy.
He looked around to see people's reactions.
No one was watching. Everyone was too busy watching the Duke.
Hunters are getting into all places in society. I guess that's good for me too.
The screen buzzed, he needed to hurry or he would be late.
***
When he got into the office, Hwang-manager-nim had already arrived, and was talking with Sangmin.
Seungho smiled. He thought all the others were doing training and he wouldn't be able to meet Sangmin until the following day.
With brief introductions, Seungho learned that Hwang-manager took care of the idol side of business for the Duke's team.
Being Seungho and Sangmin new to the team, they were both called for an early assessment.
"Let's look at your stats."
Seungho grabbed the bottom of his T-shirt nervously.
Buzz.
Locked.
Hwang-manager tried again a couple of times.
Seungho was looking at the floor awaiting the inevitable.
"They are locked," Hwang-manager declared.
Seungho blurted. "I am so sorry. Please give me one more chance!"
Both the manager and Sangmin were left speechless.
"Seungho-ssi, what do you mean?"
He tried to shake off the uneasy feeling, but couldn't.
"I don't want to be kicked out, I know my stats are low, please wait…." and then continued mumbling something.
Sangmin then burst laughing, a genuine good laugh.
"Your stats are locked because they are being reviewed. It doesn't mean anything. Reviews happen all the time, it is to help improve like Manager-nim is helping us now to select events to increase our fandoms."
His laugh lingered a little longer. His expression relaxed, like a weight had lifted off.
That was good enough for Seungho, even though he had embarrassed himself terribly.
"I have your idol stats here with me. It is not a big deal."
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[ NAME: Yang Seungho ]
[ AURA: 1 ]
[ IDOL RANK: — | COMBAT HUNTER RANK: UNDER REVIEW ]
[ E-CLASS ]
.
[ Performance: 0 ]
[ Charisma: 0 ]
[ Visuals: 0 ]
[ Fandom: 34 ]
[ Growth Potential: 78 ]
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They are reviewing me.
But the confirmation was short lived, when he looked down at his idol stats.
Seungho's mouth agape. He didn't remember his idol stats, be he knew they weren't this low.
But what hurt him the most was the charisma point he used to have. A zero replacing his precious one.
I lost my charisma point. That one point had given him so much pleasure.
He closed his eyes tight. Then looked again, and realized just how bad the situation was.
"Zeros! I've got zeros!"
The protocol hadn't been activated, but he needed to do something.
"What can I do to get my zeros up?"
Hwang-manager smiled, "you know why I am smiling?"
"No…"
"Because you know how bad having zeros is. It makes my life easier. I don't have to persuade to work. You know you have to."
And his smile got wider. Like a grin.
"Let's get to work."
"First things first. Seungho-ssi, why are you ignoring your fans?"
Seungho pulled his arm behind his head, scratching it lightly.
"I am not a people's person...actually."
They both stared at him in silence.
Seungho continued "I am sorry, I don't really know how to talk to people."
Hwang-manager pulled up Sangmin's stats too.
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[ FANDOM: 10,421 MEMBERS ]
[ ENGAGEMENT: 94% ]
[ MERCHANDISE: TOP 4 IN TEAM ]
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