The Summer Special

The main source of income for tower and entertainment news is monthly magazines.

No matter how much smartphones and AI have advanced, making monthly magazines seem like relics of a bygone era, they still boast a dedicated fanbase thanks to their analog charm and highly suggestive pictorials targeted at adults.

So, once the model of the month is selected, the reporting department gets busy preparing the interview questions.

Well, it's mostly the entertainment department kids who get busy. The rest of us in the Hunter Department just get dispatched to assist them.

"By the way, lunch is almost over. Where did Kim Gayoung go?"

She usually passes out at her desk right after eating, but today her seat was empty.

Did she go to meet a boyfriend?

"Pfft..."

The thought of her acting all cute and speaking in a high-pitched, nasal voice instead of the beastly behavior she showed around me was so out of character that I couldn't help but chuckle.

Creeeeak.

Just then, the door swung open with a screech.

Speak of the devil.

Kim Gayoung stumbled in like a zombie, her face pale as a sheet.

"S-Senior, it's an absolute emergency..."

"What's going on all of a sudden?"

"I just heard from Manager Park... The director and the president are attending today's meeting... What are we going to do?"

A sudden chill ran down my spine.

While it wasn't unusual for Director Kang to drop by our department meetings, in my five years at the company, the president attending a meeting was a first.

"Why on earth is he coming?!"

"Exactly! I heard something from the entertainment department kids yesterday... They said our Hunter Department might get disbanded because of our poor performance!"

"Is... is our performance really that bad?"

"It's completely in the gutter... We don't have a reliable cash cow like the entertainment department does."

"Sigh, should I start looking for a new job right now?"

"Wait... if you leave, what about me?"

"Every man for himself, obviously. How do I have the luxury to look after you?"

"...I'm hurt."

"Hey, you know you're rubbing it in, right?"

After all, she had a four-year degree, and I was just a high school graduate.

What good was experience?

These days, high school grads couldn't even submit an application.

"Ah... I didn't mean it like that..."

"Don't apologize so sincerely. It only makes it sadder."

"Oops... But senior, if we really get disbanded, where will you go?"

"Who knows. I'll have to decide whether to go to college while I'm still a bit younger to get re-employed, or just work shift cycles at a factory. What about you?"

"I'll... follow you, senior."

"Hey, you can't follow me to college, and you wouldn't last in a factory."

"Huh? Maybe not college, but why not a factory? Quite a few of my friends work at semiconductor factories."

"No, I mean you lack common sense. You'd get scolded every day and end up quitting."

"...Drop dead!"

The meeting room was dead silent.

Manager Park, whose boomer energy was usually off the charts, and Assistant Manager Han, whom I hadn't seen in a while due to his dispatch to the entertainment department, both looked completely clueless about what was happening.

They merely darted their eyes around, walking on eggshells around the president and Director Kang sitting in the center.

"Director Kang, shall we get the meeting started?"

"Yes, sir!"

At the president's voice breaking the silence, Director Kang clicked his mouse.

Immediately, a PowerPoint slide ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠appeared on the screen.

The moment I saw the title of the slide, I leaped out of my seat without realizing it.

"What?!"

Seemingly pleased that his surprise had worked, the president chuckled.

"Just as the title says, Hunter Lee Yena has been chosen as our main model for July."

My mind went blank the moment I heard the confirmation.

After all, Yena was a hunter who had never shot a single commercial, let alone a pictorial.

And someone like her was doing a shoot for our company, which wasn't even a major media outlet?

Her intentions were so transparently impure that it was impossible to miss.

No matter how much she wanted to get involved with me... the level of exposure in our company's pictorials was notoriously high.

Even if it wasn't outright nudity like an adult magazine, it featured things like sheer dress shirts showing bras underneath.

Or skirts so short they barely covered their underwear.

On top of that, the Summer Special was the project our company poured the most effort into.

It made no sense for Yena to do a Summer Special shoot—something even B-list celebrities, let alone A-listers, often hesitated to accept.

Well... if this was Yena's plan, I had fallen for it hook, line, and sinker.

Forget the meeting; I wanted to call Yena right this second and stop her from doing the shoot.

Because the mere thought of other people seeing Yena's fair skin made my stomach churn...

"Mr. Lee Eunwoo? Are you listening?"

"Ah, yes..."

I was so out of it that I hadn't even heard the president calling my name.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Hunter Lee Yena specifically requested you as ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her interviewer. The future of our Hunter Department depends on this interview, so prepare thoroughly."

She completely blocked off any escape route so I couldn't run away...

I suppose it was just like her to be so meticulous.

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"Yes..."

The future of the department might hang in the balance, but for now, I needed to meet her and talk.

"So he was childhood friends with Yena..."

As Kim Hyeonju scrolled through his information,

a pair of arms suddenly wrapped around her neck, sending goosebumps down her spine.

"Kim Hyeonju! If you're visiting for the first time in a while, you should greet me first!!!"

"Heh... Hana..."

"Our Hyeonju's neck is still her weak spot, I see."

Manager Kang Hana released her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠neck and patted her head.

She was the manager of Vanguard Leader Kim Ajin.

She had a nice personality, but Hyeonju wished she would tone down the physical affection.

"Oh? Why are you looking up this guy's info?"

"Do you know this reporter, Hana?"

"Of course. I know him. He's famous among the Vanguard. Though not for a very good reason."

"Huh?"

"You know most hunters are sexually frustrated, right?"

"I know that all too well."

Hunters never knew when they might die in the Tower.

Especially the Vanguard, who entered the Tower before the Attack Team. Since they had no idea what lay ahead, they tended to be very true to their primal instincts.

Men and women alike.

"Hyeonju, have you actually met Reporter Eunwoo in person?"

"Ah, yes..."

"Then this will be easy to explain. Reporter Eunwoo is pretty good-looking, right? There's no way those crazy, horny women would leave him alone. They've actually been betting on who can seduce him first."

"Wow..."

Is he really all that? Hyeonju tilted her head and scrolled down.

"I told you everything, so are you just going to keep your mouth shut? Don't tell me you've fallen for Reporter Eunwoo too?"

"N-No, it's not like that..."

She deliberately kept quiet about the fact that Yena seemed to like him.

Hana was friendly, but she had a loose tongue. If Hyeonju told her, it would only be a matter of time before the entire Shinye Guild found out.

"Hehe, good. Yerin really likes him. This is a secret, but there's a huge rumor going around the Vanguard that Yerin slept with him."

"R-Really?"

She definitely had to keep this a secret from Yena.

Since Yena didn't seem to like Hunter Park Yerin very much.

"Oh! Really? Thank you so much, President. I'll see you at the shoot then!"

Hanging up the phone, Lee Yena threw herself onto the sofa, kicking her feet in excitement as she tightly hugged Kuma.

"Kuma... Eunwoo won't hate this, right...?"

Even Yena knew this plan might feel like a burden to Eunwoo.

But... it had already been two weeks since she reunited with Eunwoo at the pork cutlet restaurant.

The Vanguard had already begun investigating the 20th floor, so for the time being, meetings were held on the 1st floor, meaning only invited reporters could attend.

Of course, with Yena's influence, she could easily get Eunwoo onto the press team if she wanted to.

But she could never bring Eunwoo into the monster-infested Tower.

She would protect him with her life, but it would be a disaster if he got hurt even in the slightest.

In any case... this was the only way to create a connection with him.

She was a bit nervous since it was her first pictorial, but if she could show him her pretty side in the same space, she could easily endure that level of anxiety.

Knock, knock.

At the sound of the knock, she gently set Kuma down.

"Come in."

At Yena's response, the door opened, and an office staff member walked in hesitantly.

"Um... Ms. Yena, a reporter is asking to contact you..."

"Didn't I say I wouldn't take external calls?"

"Y-Yes, you did... but this reporter threatened that I'd get fired immediately if I didn't pass this along..."

"Sigh... You shouldn't give in to threats like that. Reporters these days are so cunning... So, what did they say?"

"He said... if I mentioned the name Reporter Lee Eunwoo, you'd know right away..."

For a moment, Yena's thoughts ground to a halt.

But her body reacted faster than her mind, already rushing past the door.

"H-Hello...?"