They Touched What They Shouldn't Have

"H-hey, Shin-ah... Can't we just turn back now...?"

"Yeon-woo, what are you talking about?! You think I'm gonna sit back and let this bullshit broadcast air as is?!"

The girl with her sky-blue hair tied tightly in a ponytail, Shin-ah, was waiting her turn in the contestant lounge with Yeon-woo.

The reason Yoo Shin-ah and Yeon-woo had come to the MBS broadcasting station today:

"I can't tolerate a show that won't say anything good about Phantom and twists everything to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠make him look bad!"

It was to defend Phantom on the live broadcast program starting soon.

Of course, Yeon-woo had been dragged here against her will by Shin-ah. She was trying to shake off her anxiety by munching on sweet snacks.

"Nom nom... I-I know Phantom's a good ghost story and all, but this show's got a huge audience... And it's live. What if I mess up?"

"You're the girl with the 'Phantom Even Wiped My Tears' title—why are you so timid? Chest out! Back straight! And stop stuffing your face with snacks!!"

—Smack smack!

Shin-ah slapped Yeon-woo's chest, which stood out prominently on her frame.

"H-hyah...! Shin-ah, don't hit my boobs..."

"Seriously, Yeon-woo, all those snacks go straight there, huh? It's amazing every time I see it."

"It's just uncomfortable for me... Guys keep staring, and they're so heavy I end up hunching over."

"Yeah, I get it, but don't say that anywhere else. Girls will get jealous. And who knows? Maybe Phantom saved you first because of those boobs? Hehe."

"N-no way...! You're stacked too, Shin-ah, so don't pick on me. Then was it your big chest that got you saved last time?"

"Hehe, who knows? Phantom seems above that stuff, all noble and transcendent... But if he does like big boobs, I'd be thrilled to learn he has a human side."

"Shin-ah, you're totally hooked on Phantom too, huh? The girl who used to roundhouse kick any guy giving her sleazy looks, and now you're making eyes? Hehe."

—Knock knock.

Just then, a knock at the lounge door, and an assistant staffer poked their head in.

"Yoo Shin-ah and Lee Yeon-woo, live broadcast starts in 10 minutes. Please get ready."

"Got it."

Click.

After the staffer closed the door, Shin-ah straightened her clothes.

Today's live show was blatantly trying to paint Phantom as public enemy number one. Here, Shin-ah and Yeon-woo had to defend him and survive.

—Smack!

Shin-ah slapped her own cheeks with both hands to steel herself.

"You're right, Yeon-woo. Ever since Phantom saved me at the department store, I've been head over heels. I don't even know if he's some transcendent ghost story or not. But... if he has even a shred of human heart, seeing a broadcast trash-talking him would hurt. I want to repay what he gave me. Today, I'll defend Phantom with everything I've got!"

"I-I'm not sure I can help much, but I'll do my best too...!"

"Hehe, just having you here puts me at ease. And Phantom definitely remembers you. Imagine how happy he'd be knowing the girl he saved at the convenience store came out for him?"

"R-really? Hehe."

"Of course! Alright, let's go. Don't let go of my hand—stick close."

"O-okay!"

Shin-ah took Yeon-woo's hand and left the lounge.

Today's program was a calculated live broadcast by PD Park Jin-cheol, designed to maximize aggro on Phantom for sky-high ratings. The two girls were voluntarily stepping into a jungle full of hyenas.

All for the one man who had saved them.

"You fucker! How many times have I told you to set up the lights?! That's why you're stuck as a perpetual assistant director, you idiot!"

Thud!

"S-sorry! With all the prep today, I forgot...!"

"Sorry doesn't end the broadcast! Hurry up and get them!"

"Y-yes, sir!!"

Park Jin-cheol PD was nitpicking everything as usual, turning the set into a warzone.

Human trash. Worse than a ghost story.

Infamous among staff and directors, PD Park lived off unspeakable hate.

But the reason he was still main PD:

"Hey, brother-in-law, this broadcast's really gonna be okay? A ghost story as a special guest? Unprecedented, honestly."

"Aigoo~ Bro, trust me. You think I just started doing TV yesterday? This one's gonna explode. Ratings 10... no, 20%! Haha!"

His older sister's husband was the head of MBS.

And while his personality was filthy, his shows always generated buzz, so the station never lost out.

"The network president will be watching live. No screw-ups. Got it?"

"Hahaha, no worries! I'll guarantee the ratings boom—just prep that fat bonus!"

"If the results are good, even better stuff's on the table. No worries. But Phantom as a guest? Real deal, or another one of your tricks?"

"Bro, tricks? Nah, that's 'dramatic direction.'"

"Edited footage, maybe, but live? People won't buy it."

"Hahaha, this 'actor' is next level. S-rank Awakener who can perfectly mimic Phantom's department store look, vibe, even the black aura. No sweat!"

PD Park boasted to the head before heading off—broadcast starting soon.

"Viewers across the nation, hello. This broadcast airs simultaneously on terrestrial TV and YouTube. Today, we'll deeply explore: 'What exactly is the enigmatic being known as Phantom?'"

With the host's intro, PD Park's scripted manipulation began airing.

About an hour into the broadcast. The anti-Phantom side was speaking.

"—He might seem like he's saving us now, but he's still a ghost story—a monster. You never know when he'll stab us in the back."

"Hold on! Once or twice, maybe, but he keeps saving us—dismissing him just because he's different is—"

"One moment, their side hasn't finished. Shin-ah, please sit."

The host cut off Shin-ah's rebuttal instantly.

Shin-ah trembled with rage, slamming the desk and standing.

—Bang!

"What the hell is this? You won't give me or Yeon-woo time to respond, but let their side ramble?!"

"Shin-ah, please sit. You're young, emotions running high—we're trying to accommodate both sides—"

—Crack.

Finally, the thread of Shin-ah's reason snapped.

"Accommodate? Bullshit 'accommodate'! You think I don't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠know this was biased from the start?!"

"Sh-Shin-ah...! Th-this is l-live...!"

"I fucking ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠know!! So what? I've held it in for an hour—that's the miracle!! Viewers see you making us look like idiots while propping them up! PD Park, that psycho—should've shredded his proposal when Grandpa showed it to me!"

Shin-ah unleashed her true fiery self, exploding on live TV.

But PD Park didn't cut her feed or intervene—just watched with glee.

'That's what I wanted. The sole granddaughter of Korea's defense pillar, Seo the Head, in full meltdown! Ratings gold.'

Phase one: Provoke her with unfair treatment.

Now, with the show ripe, time for his final ace: Fake Phantom attacks her side on air.

"It's staged as hell, but the masses are sheep. Even if they know better, seeing a Phantom double brutally beat people? Subconscious hate."

His ultimate reason for tarnishing the savior image: Beyond ratings,

"Incompetent higher-ups won't welcome a savior. They want to shatter powerful ghost stories for war use. A heroic Phantom? Roadblock. Needed a clean excuse to eliminate him without backlash. Hence this dirty job for me."

Government coveted his power—never harming humans. Tarnish the image for justified subjugation.

"I profit in the middle—no reason to refuse. And Phantom ignores humans. No retaliation even if he spots the fake."

PD Park radioed the junior staff: Deploy fake Phantom.

—Clap!

Host caught the signal, clapping to intro the guest.

"Everyone, calm down—eyes to the back! We've secured an unprecedented special guest! After the department store incident, through our thorough investigation, we found him: Phantom!"

Shin-ah had seen "Phantom" on the roster—knew it was PD Park's trick.

But even forewarned, the emerging fake shocked her—too identical.

—Whoosh!

Black suit, white mask. And the pitch-black aura enveloping him. Perfect match.

'Fuck, they prepped a doppelganger? Monster Countermeasure Headquarters and guilds chased him for months—no luck. A broadcaster finding him? Bullshit.'

But lies fool someone always.

'If just 10% of viewers buy it, the ripple's massive.'

Bad rep spreads faster than good. If people turn on Phantom, a disappointed savior might abandon them.

'Gotta stop that.'

Resolve firm to block the fake, Shin-ah stood—

—Flicker!

Crash!

Bright lights flickered, shattering one by one.

"What the fu—! Lights team, what the—"

"P-PD...! Th-the actor...!"

—Crunch!!

—Crack!

With grotesque sounds, PD Park's prized fake twisted and shattered without a scream.

—Splinter!

As if the space around him crumpled, it warped endlessly—fake Phantom reduced to mangled corpse chunks in seconds.

"Wh-what the hell...?"

PD, panels, staff froze in shock—then blood-red letters appeared before them.

Ding!

Once broadcast, not one conspirator lived.

—Crunch!!

Same time, a small sedan speeding down the highway.

Inside: Si-hyun driving to honeymoon with Luna, silver-haired princess dozing off post-morning intimacy.

"Mmm... Si-hyun's a perv, but... I like... Zzz..."

"Haha, Luna, you always crash out beside me when I drive. Guess that means I'm a pro driver, huh?"

"Yeah yeah, thanks. Keep me company while Luna sleeps. What's that on my phone? YouTube?"

The notification window had been glued to Si-hyun's phone for an hour, watching something.

—Crunch!

—Crack!

"Crushing sounds? Hydraulic press vids?"

'Did the notification window like crush vids? News to me.'

Focused on driving, Si-hyun missed the UI glowing an unusual crimson.