Chapter 41
Chapter 41
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: Streaming Success and Interviews
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"Don't move."
Siwoo sat with his arms crossed, staring at the monitor on his desk.
On the screen, Lee Chae-i—who was live streaming—looked extremely tense as she desperately tried to read the flood of chats pouring in.
[Current Viewers: 101,531] The viewer count had already surpassed 100,000 in just a few minutes, multiplying several times over.
110,000, 120,000.
The numbers were climbing at an unreal pace.
The sight of Lee Chae-i floundering to read the chat window on screen brought a smile to his face unbidden.
All the charisma people imagined hunters possessed was nowhere to be found—only the fresh awkwardness of a total beginner on her first stream filled the frame.
After fumbling around for a while, the words she finally blurted out were completely unexpected.
"Would you... like to hear me sing?"
She whispered it shyly, as if embarrassed to even say it.
That was all it took.
But the ripple effect was enormous.
💬 Live Chat — Viewer123 Whoa, voice is melting me!! — Fanboy88 Yes pls!!! — UnrealBeauty Face is straight-up unreal — TruthSeeker For real tho; — Anonymous Donor [User 'ㅇㅇ' donated 20,000 won.]
> From today, you're my wife.
— Anonymous Sponsor [Anonymous donor sponsored 10,000 won.]
> Who else is gonna stream now?
Money poured in for all sorts of reasons—jokes, thirst, whatever.
Siwoo watched the screen, the corner of his mouth twitching upward.
His eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
"This is why we do business."
Siwoo leaned back in his chair.
Lee Chae-i's first broadcast was a resounding success, and the last viewer count he checked before closing the monitor was 155,076.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The next day, Miracle Management's headquarters was packed from the first-floor lobby to the third-floor hallways with men and women in suits, lined up.
They were all muttering nonstop, preparing for their interviews.
The air was thick with tension.
They were scouts, agents, and retired hunters who had come hoping to join the company.
Just two months ago, Miracle had been little more than a one-man operation.
But now, countless people wanted an employee badge around their necks.
In the third-floor interview room, Siwoo sat waiting.
And right behind his chair stood Kim Yaeun in a black tracksuit, arms crossed and leaning casually—like a bodyguard.
"Hmmm—"
She stared down the interviewee with a bored expression.
"We'll contact you with the results via the contact information you provided."
"Yes! Thank you!"
The interviewee bowed 90 degrees and stepped out.
The next one strode in with a confident face, crossing the threshold—only to jolt in shock upon seeing Kim Yaeun.
"S-Sword Ghost?!"
An S-rank hunter in the interview room, standing behind the CEO no less.
What the hell?
'No, seriously, why?'
He couldn't wrap his head around it.
It was public knowledge that Miracle had three S-rank hunters under its banner.
But standing there like the CEO's personal guard? That meant something else entirely.
His mind filled with question marks.
Didn't someone like that have better things to do?
'No way.'
So why was Sword Ghost Kim Yaeun standing there glaring daggers?
That was when it happened.
"Have a seat."
"Y-Yes, sir!"
The startled interviewee scrambled into the chair.
Kim Yaeun's unrelenting glare turned his mind blank.
He couldn't recall a single line of his prepared spiel.
"H-Hello! I-I'm..."
"...Could you wait a moment?"
"Yes, sir!"
Siwoo turned to look at Kim Yaeun.
She immediately started pretending to look elsewhere.
"Yaeun."
"..."
"Keep it up, and I'll have you wait outside."
"...Okay."
Only then did Kim Yaeun stop glaring at the interviewee.
Her sulky expression was puppy-like.
Siwoo let out a sigh before turning back to the interviewee.
"Relax and speak freely. Would you like to start with a self-introduction?"
"...Whew. My name is Oh Jinseong. I worked as a scout for three years at a major guild and most recently for four years at Caliburn Management."
Siwoo skimmed the resume nonchalantly.
'Seven years of experience. Judged as a C-rank Awakener but pivoted to scouting early on.'
This happened sometimes.
People who realized they weren't cut out for combat and quickly chose a side path.
Some might call them cowards, but to Siwoo, it looked like quick thinking.
'Smart guy.'
"I was drawn to CEO Han Siwoo's track record and applied to Miracle Management. My goal is to raise an S-rank like you someday."
Oh Jinseong was now looking only at Siwoo.
He wasn't tense anymore; his eyes held pure admiration.
Heart's Eye.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ 📛 Name: Oh Jinseong 🏷️ Rank: C-rank ⭐ Potential: C-rank 📝 Special Notes: None "Understood. We'll contact you with the results at the provided number."
"Thank you!"
After Oh Jinseong left, the interviews continued one after another.
Every five minutes, the door opened, and a new candidate entered.
Some flinched at the sight of Kim Yaeun, but others lit up with enthusiasm.
"I want to be Hunter Kim Yaeun's dedicated agent."
"Buzz off."
Of course, only Kim Yaeun's curt rejections followed.
But some even looked ecstatic at that.
Tastes vary.
It was around 3 p.m. when—
Knock, knock.
A cautious knock sounded, and the next applicant entered.
"Ex-Excuse me..."
She wore a hat pulled low over thick horn-rimmed glasses.
Her outdated suit hung loose on her frame, and her shoulders were hunched in insecurity.
She lacked confidence.
Siwoo glanced over the submitted resume.
It listed the name Park Jinseo and her history.
'Park Jinseo... Never heard of her.'
Siwoo looked up at her.
For some reason, the face shadowed under her hat felt familiar, like he'd seen it before.
'Where do I know her from?'
She sat in the chair, fidgeting anxiously.
'Another Kim Yaeun fan?'
Not the first or second to act like that, so he shrugged it off and said,
"Please start with a self-introduction."
"Y-Yes?"
"...Park Jinseo-ssi?"
"Y-Yes!"
'...?'
Something about it.
Her reaction didn't seem to be because of Kim Yaeun.
Siwoo fixed her with a stare.
"Your experience is intriguing. Three years as a freelance scout..."
He set the resume down on the desk and stared at her intently.
"Specifically, which Awakeners did you contract with?"
"W-Well... mostly in the provinces..."
"Which province? Three years means you have plenty of data. Even if not famous, just name one."
"Uh, w-well..."
Siwoo sighed.
As he considered using Heart's Eye since she seemed evasive—
"S-Sorry!"
She bolted from the room like she was fleeing.
Bam!
As the door slammed shut and silence fell, Kim Yaeun tilted her head from behind.
"..."
"What? Should I go kill her?"
"It's fine."
"...Kaboom."
"...And don't just threaten to kill people out of nowhere."
"...Okay."
"Next."
Siwoo tried to shake off his nagging thoughts about the fleeing woman and welcomed the next candidate.
'Should've used Heart's Eye sooner.'
"Hello! Number 172! Im Changgyeong here!!!"
'Still on number 172.'
Facing the number 172, he put the past behind him.
The road ahead was long.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ That evening, Siwoo was lying on the sofa in his CEO office.
After a full day of interviews, he'd meant to rest his eyes briefly—but ended up dozing until late.
"Mm..."
'What time is it?'
As he raised his hand to check—
He spotted the crown of a woman's head on his chest.
A faint shampoo scent tickled his nose.
'Chae-i?'
For some reason, Lee Chae-i had her head pillowed on his chest, eyes closed.
After pondering briefly, he reached to gently move her head.
That was when—
"Don't move."
He felt a mana-infused wave enter his mind, physically.
And just like that, he lost control of his body.
He couldn't twitch a finger.
"I... worked hard on today's stream too."
She lifted her head to look at him.
Her face, bathed in moonlight, was ethereal.
"Everyone says I'm pretty."
Lee Chae-i's finger traced his chest.
A ticklish sensation spread.
"Then I got curious."
Her finger paused at his jaw.
"What part of me does the CEO think is most attractive?"
Siwoo's pupils met her gaze.
"What do you think?"
Was it the mana still dominating him?
He began seeking an answer to her question.
Her beautiful silver-white hair sparkled as if absorbing the moonlight.
Her eyes seemed ready to suck him in.
He felt like he'd plunge into their deep abyss.
Her alluring red lips were tantalizingly close.
The face they formed was enough to draw gasps.
Her disheveled, just-woken look stirred something deep inside him.
The glimpse of her collarbone through her loose T-shirt was dizzying.
"Tell me."
Why?
Instinctively, his gaze drifted below her neck at her repeated urging.
'No.'
He suppressed the instincts he'd held back all this time, forcing his eyes upward.
They met hers, watching him.
'...'
He couldn't think of her head anymore.
The silver-white strands tickled his face, and her blinking eyelids seemed to open and close the doors to his heart.
Siwoo swallowed unconsciously.
At this rate...
'Snap out of it. She was an experimental subject not long ago. A wounded sou...'
But why was she doing this to him?
He knew.
He'd intentionally made her rely solely on him, and it had worked perfectly.
He knew what feelings that had bred in her.
He couldn't know how deep they ran, but for his goals, he'd ignored it.
As he always had.
Cracks were forming in the mask he wore for those goals.
Siwoo swallowed again.
Whether she sensed his tension or not,
Lee Chae-i brought her face close enough to feel her breath.
"...CEO."