Chapter 7
Chapter 7
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Gossip Rag
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Hiding from the reporters, the three of us spent the day in Hyun-woo's office, chatting about this and that, sharing meals, and sticking together until evening.
The main topic of conversation was mostly my life story in Elantara.
"Oh... so the Emperor of the Entara Empire begged and begged, and you had no choice but to teach his son?"
"Mm. Yeah. I'd just finished my training, and he pleaded so much that I had to give in."
"But why is your name Entara too, and the empire's name also Entara? Did they plagiarize it?"
Hearing a word I never expected, I felt my eyebrow twitch.
"Tsk— Plagiarism? It's the same Entara. 'Ar' is the name I received from the Goddess, 'Shi Ri' means chosen by something. So my full name, 'Arshirientra', means 'Ar chosen by Entara'."
"What a ridiculously complicated name. Just go by Ar."
As we traded idle chit-chat like that, the secretary outside the office flung open the door with an urgent voice.
"Master! You need to see this right away."
All our eyes turned to her at once.
The secretary thrust the tablet she was holding toward us the moment she came in.
The screen showed an article that looked like it had just been posted.
Even a quick glance showed it was from some yellow journalism rag that specialized in sensational bait.
Hyun-woo took the tablet and silently scrolled down, reading the article slowly.
It summarized Hyun-woo's press conference, included a photo of me being carried by him yesterday, and one from today of him handing me a cupcake.
These must have been the sneaky shots from downstairs earlier.
The long silence was broken by Jeong-woo's voice, laced with fury.
"What the hell? Are those bastards insane? They nitpick even over handing out freaking cake?"
"Kang Jeong-woo, watch your language. There's a kid here."
Hyun-woo's scolding toward Jeong-woo made my brain freeze for a moment.
"I'm... not a kid. I'm older than you two..."
The two, who had been staring at the tablet and reading the article, looked up and stared blankly at me.
"Uh... yeah. That's right. Yeah, she's got a point."
"Ahem— Anyway, we need to take action fast. If we let it slide, weird gossip rags will start circulating."
Behind Hyun-woo, who cleared his throat awkwardly, elegant classical music flowed from the phone on the office desk.
A quick glance at the screen showed 'White Wolf Cha Seo-yoon'.
"Got the call. Yeah, I just checked the article. We'll do a follow-up report right away. Ar? She's here with me. Mm, got it."
Hyun-woo ended the brief call, then held out the phone to me and nodded for me to take it.
"Mm, Seo-yoon? Hyun-woo handed it over."
"Ar! You saw the article too? You didn't look at the comments, right?"
Taking the phone, I heard Seo-yoon's urgent voice mixed with electronic static.
"I checked the article. Haven't seen the comments yet. Should I?"
"No!! Absolutely don't look. The stuff people are saying to the kid..."
"Seo-yoon... as I told these two earlier, I'm not a kid. I've lived exponentially more years than you all."
I reminded her once more of my true age, even as she spoke in a distressed tone.
If they didn't know my real age, it might make sense, but these guys all knew full well, so why were they reacting like this?
I pondered for a moment, but couldn't figure it out.
"Uh... yeah, of course I know! Still, don't look! Promise...?"
"I'm upset, that's all. Can you hand it back to Hyun-woo oppa?"
"All right, I'll keep that in mind."
I handed the phone back to Hyun-woo.
As I did, both their faces bore faint smiles for some reason.
"Back on. Did you wrap up the meeting with Hwayeon okay? Mm, yeah, got it. We'll talk about that tomorrow then."
Hyun-woo finished his call with Seo-yoon and immediately dialed somewhere else.
Wondering who he was calling, I lightly tapped Jeong-woo's arm as he sat there quietly.
"Who’s Hyun-woo calling now?"
"Ah~ The media response team. Our guild's been dragged into crap like this more than once or twice. We set up a dedicated team recently."
"Mm... I see."
Poor guy, must be tough.
As I crossed my arms and leaned back on the sofa upon hearing Jeong-woo's answer, he suddenly yanked my cheek.
This was the umpteenth prank since the photo incident earlier today.
"Eugh— Why do you keep doing that?"
"Ah, sorry. Did you hate it? It's weirdly addictive."
I grumbled at Jeong-woo, and he looked startled and sheepish, quickly letting go.
"I don't hate it, but could you hold off when I'm talking? My words keep trailing off."
As Jeong-woo and I bickered playfully, I turned to Hyun-woo, who had gone suspiciously quiet.
He had finished his call and was staring right at us.
"Mm? Call over already?"
"Yeah. They didn't even need instructions. They already have a response plan."
"That's a relief then."
As I nodded while chatting with Hyun-woo, I noticed his hand twitching repeatedly.
Is there something he wants to say?
When I asked, he looked flustered and continued.
"No, it's nothing. Oh, and if the reaction doesn't die down even after the correction report, you might have to make a statement yourself, Ar. That okay?"
"Mm. Of course. I'm used to that sort of thing. I was just a little surprised last time."
Remembering how I'd panicked when the reporters swarmed me suddenly, Hyun-woo asked cautiously.
Back when I acted as the Hero in Elantara, standing before crowds was daily routine.
I nodded firmly.
"We'll do our best to avoid that, so don't worry. It's just in case."
Afterward, the two of them griped about the reporters while discussing response plans.
From what I heard, it really wasn't their first or second rodeo, just like Jeong-woo said.
As I listened quietly to their talk, a small yawn escaped me unbidden.
Glancing outside to check the time, it was already pitch black out.
"Tired? Yeah, it's about that time. You got up early and dealt with crap all day."
"Mm... a bit tired."
"Can we head out now? Reporters probably cleared off by now?"
Jeong-woo said, looking at Hyun-woo.
"Yeah... should be fine. Still, to be safe, escort her to the dorm and head home yourself."
"Yeah, was gonna. You're not going home again, hyung?"
Rubbing one eye and peering ahead, I saw Hyun-woo nodding as he signed documents at the desk.
From Jeong-woo's tone, it seemed he pretty much treated the guild like home.
Come to think of it, I hadn't seen him step away from that desk all day today either.
"You can't do that... Go home and rest. It's bad for your health."
Forcing my drooping eyelids open, I gave him a stern word as the elder.
Hyun-woo paused his paperwork at my words, looked up at me, and met my eyes.
"Is it? Then I'll call it here for today. You're right, I should rest."
"Mm, good thinking..."
Had my dignity worked a bit?
Feeling proud, I glanced at Jeong-woo waiting by the door, only to see his face frozen in shock.
"No way... that guy never listens when I or Seo-yoon nag him..."
"Can't I get some rest? You should have convinced him better."
Hyun-woo shrugged and said.
"Hyun-woo's right. When a superior seems to be overworking, it's the subordinate's duty to stop them in time... You dropped the ball, Jeong-woo."
Leaving Jeong-woo fuming and indignant behind, I approached Hyun-woo and bid farewell.
"Yeah, sorry for the hassle. Good work today. Go home and get some real rest."
"Will do. If nothing comes up, tomorrow should be more relaxed."
"Mm. That's good to hear. See you tomorrow then—?"
As Hyun-woo smiled faintly and finished his goodbye, he lightly pinched my cheek as I turned to leave.
"Yeah, see you tomorrow."
Why was everyone so obsessed with my cheeks? Puzzled, I left the guild master's office with Jeong-woo.
Luckily, our idle chit-chat on the way back to the dorm didn't spot so much as an ant's shadow.
I parted with Jeong-woo at the entrance, then headed straight to the bathroom, washed with warm water, and used mana manipulation to dry off in an instant.
Back when my blessings were full in Elantara, I fought the Demon King's army for a week straight without rest and never felt fatigue.
But a little overexertion one day, and my eyes are already closing.
I clenched and unclenched my fist lightly, then flopped onto the bed.
I hadn't noticed living in the mountains, but people really need a proper bed to sleep well.
It had already been two days since returning to Earth? Time felt like it was flying by in the blink of an eye.
As I lay there replaying yesterday and today, my eyes slowly drifted shut.
Tonight, at least, I probably wouldn't dream of chasing the fleeing Demon King.