The Second Red Gate
Half a year after the Lee Seoyun disaster.
A press crew arrived at the Orion Guild building for an interview.
"Whoa. So this is the Orion Guild?"
Yoon Jiwon, a rookie reporter, looked around in open admiration.
"A major guild, all right. No wonder people call it one of the nation's top five."
"All right, all right. Save the gushing and get over here. We've got a rare interview with the Guild Leader, remember?"
At her senior's call from the waiting elevator, Yoon Jiwon grinned and nodded.
"Hehe. I'm coming too!"
Today was the day they would interview the Guild Leader of this powerhouse organization. Neither Yoon Jiwon nor the rest of the crew could afford to waste such a precious opportunity. Even inside the elevator, she still couldn't settle her excitement.
"Haa. I never thought I'd actually get to interview the famous Orion Guild Leader in person. Honestly, I was so hyped last night I couldn't sleep!"
"Haha. That excited, huh?"
"Of course! She's the hottest name among the top five Guild Leaders right now. Just look at the influence she's had on hunters — anyone else would feel the same."
As Yoon Jiwon poured out her enthusiasm with flushed cheeks, heads nodded all around. She wasn't the only one. The whole crew had poured everything into preparing for today; this interview had to succeed no matter what.
"And honestly, I've been a fan of hers for ages. I've bought all the merch, and I even got the book she just published and read the whole thing."
She shyly pulled out the book written by the Orion Guild Leader — brought along, of course, in the secret hope of snagging an autograph if the chance arose. The rest of the crew, well aware of her intentions, watched her bubbling excitement with fond smiles.
"Yeah, yeah. I get it. She's the one who pulled Orion Guild back from the brink not long ago. Hard not to admire that."
"Hehe. Right? That's actually when I became a fan."
"Still, don't get so worked up you do something rude. You know how important this interview is."
"Yes, sir!"
At her senior's solemn warning, Yoon Jiwon answered with a tightly wound expression. This was the Guild Leader's first interview since taking the position, and other media outlets were watching closely.
"All right. Let's go."
The elevator arrived, and the crew stepped out with tense faces. Waiting hunters escorted them to the Guild Leader's office.
"The Guild Leader has another appointment after this, so we'd appreciate it if you kept the interview to about ten minutes."
"Yes. That should be plenty."
Ten minutes. A little disappointing for such a hard-won opportunity, but she was a busy woman — nothing to be done about it. When they entered, the Guild Leader greeted them warmly.
"Welcome. Thank you all for coming such a long way."
"Not at all, Guild Leader Kang Hanna. We're the ones who should thank you for making time for us."
The entire crew bowed to Kang Hanna at once — and then quietly marveled. She was far more beautiful in person than she ever looked on television. At this level, she could easily stand beside even Yoon Seah, the nation's No. 1 hunter.
"Shall we begin right away?"
"Yes!"
Yoon Jiwon hurriedly set up their equipment. With only ten minutes to work with, the crew dove straight into the interview.
"Recently, Orion Guild has pulled significantly ahead of the other top five guilds. Most people credit Guild Leader Kang Hanna's leadership as the driving force. What would you say is the secret?"
"Heh. Secret? There isn't really one. It's far less about me and far more about our guild members pulling together."
"Hahaha. Truly humble. Exactly as the rumors say."
The interview continued in a warm, easy atmosphere. Around the ten-minute mark, a hunter approached her side.
"Guild Leader. Your next schedule is about to…"
"Oh my. Has it gotten that late already?"
The crew's faces fell with disappointment. Seeing their expressions, she offered a faint smile.
"It would be a shame to end it here. How about one more question, and then we'll wrap up?"
"Ah! Then how about letting our youngest ask one? She's a huge fan of yours, after all."
"W-what!? M-me!?"
The rookie yelped in surprise. Kang Hanna smiled and nodded.
"I'd be happy to. And your name is…?"
"Y-Yoon Jiwon!"
"Heh. No need to be so nervous. Any question is fine."
"A-anything…?"
Yoon Jiwon hesitated. The important questions had already been covered by her seniors, and she didn't want to waste this rare chance on something ordinary. In that moment, she spoke the thing she had been wondering about for half a year.
"Um. Then, Guild Leader… what do you think about Lee Seoyun, who was a member of Orion Guild half a year ago?"
"…What?"
The pleasant atmosphere froze solid in an instant. Kang Hanna, the press crew, even the hunters standing nearby — every single person turned to stare at Yoon Jiwon for uttering that name.
"Hey — what the hell do you think you're—"
Only at her senior's scolding did Yoon Jiwon snap back to her senses.
"Ah, n-no, I'm so sorry! You said any question was fine, so I just…"
"…Heh heh."
Then came Kang Hanna's soft laugh. Everyone turned, tense — and found her smiling, as if she found the whole thing amusing.
"Lee Seoyun. Now that you mention it, there was someone by that name."
"I-I'm so sorry, Guild Leader!"
"It's all right. That's all in the past now. And he's someone who no longer exists anywhere."
She turned toward the window. Looking down at the place where he had once cut her, she murmured under her breath.
"That's right. You're nothing now…"
"Pardon?"
The crew asked carefully, but she only smiled and gave no answer — simply thinking of the man who might still be alive, or might already be dead.
Gangnam — the heart of South Korea's cultural trends. Even today, throngs of people gathered there alongside the hunters. Some were shooting commercials. Others held fan meetings. Still others filmed dramas or variety shows. The hunters went about their busy lives as always.
"Kyaaaaah! Sunwoo oppa!! Look over here!"
"Hunter Park Jinho, could you turn your head just a little to the left? Ohhh, perfect!"
"Seah! Hang in there with the shoot!! We're always rooting for you!"
The moment word spread that a hunter had arrived, fans swarmed in. Their cheers made it painfully clear just how popular these hunters had become.
Half a year had already passed since the Lee Seoyun disaster. No matter how enormous an incident, time eventually dulls its edge. People were slowly forgetting him, returning to their ordinary lives.
"Great work today, Seah."
But not everyone had moved on.
Yoon Seah offered polite thanks to the staff and her fellow hunters.
"Thank you, everyone. You all worked hard!"
As she prepared to leave after the shoot, a fellow hunter approached her.
"Um, Seah? I just wrapped my commercial shoot over there too. Maybe we could grab a little time together…"
"I'm sorry, Hunter Ji Sunwoo. I'm rather busy."
She was smiling, but she rejected him coldly — even attaching his full surname. Ji Sunwoo stood frozen at the absolute dismissal, but she paid him no mind and walked away.
"So that's the last of today's schedule."
Waiting for her manager, she scanned her schedule sheet. After a full week without rest, this was a rare chance to catch her breath.
"Haa. Still — hitting on me in a place this crowded? What if a scandal broke out? Is he out of his mind?"
She muttered a quiet curse, thinking of Ji Sunwoo. Raised stifled in a prestigious family, she always let her true colors show whenever she was alone.
"Or maybe a scandal was the whole point."
A ploy to get himself linked to her. The mere thought made her stomach turn. She sighed and glanced up at the blue sky.
Right. The weather had been just like this that day, too.
Where the hell is that man, and what is he doing?
When she first heard that Lee Seoyun had attacked other hunters, she had been delighted. After all, it meant his life was as good as completely ruined. But she never expected him to pull a stunt like that and then simply vanish.
To think he'd run off on his own before I even got a collar on him.
Since Lee Seoyun disappeared, everyone assumed he had either taken his own life or been murdered. She believed none of it. He was definitely still alive somewhere. Holding that conviction, she continued searching for him alone, in secret.
"Seah. Sorry to keep you waiting."
Her manager pulled up just then. She smiled sweetly and shook her head with perfect courtesy.
"Not at all. I know how hard you always work for me, Manager."
"Hearing you say that makes me happy. That's why the fans love you so much."
"Heh heh."
Of course, she couldn't care less about a million pieces of that so-called love. She gave no sign of it, only offering a shy little smile.
"Well then. Shall we head back?"
"Yes. That sounds—"
In that instant, she froze at the sight before her eyes. And it wasn't only Yoon Seah.
"Huh…?"
"W-what is that?"
Zzzt. Crack-crack-crack—
In the middle of Seoul, a crimson haze suddenly rose into the empty air with a hideous noise. It was a sight all too familiar to hunters — and precisely for that reason, utterly alien in the heart of a city.
"W-wait. Is that…"
With countless people gathered around them, every single person present witnessed it. Someone murmured in a dazed voice.
"…A gate."
The Republic of Korea. The center of Seoul.
There, the second Red Gate had opened.