Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: Sudden Stardom
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The incident that went down in America spread far and wide.
No, like hell it did.
By the time I got back home, it seemed like there wasn't a single person who didn't know about it.
Calls came flooding in from all directions.
First up were my parents.
-Are you really okay?
"I'm fine, I told you. It's all sorted out."
-I'm still proud of you. You saved a ton of people, right? As long as you're safe and did something good, that's what matters.
My parents seemed relieved just knowing I was safe and hadn't done anything wrong.
I mean, they had every reason to worry—I'd gone off to deal with those horrific undead.
Anyway, once they confirmed I was unscathed and everything was fine, they hung up without a fuss.
Next came my classmates and juniors.
I stopped by the lecture hall for the first time in ages to catch a class, and Han-gyeol, Si-hyun, and Soo-yeon spotted me and lost their minds.
"Whoa, look who it is? I was about to forget your face."
"It couldn't be helped—something way more important than class came up. Hey, Han-gyeol. Got any notes from the lectures?"
"Yeah. Who do you think I am? I've got it all ready. But you're buying lunch."
"Sure, whatever. What do you want to eat? You guys too—tell me what you're craving. I'll treat after class."
My juniors' faces lit up.
"Yes! Hey, Si-hyun, didn't you say you wanted something?"
"I do, but... is it really okay? I've been mooching off you nonstop lately."
"When someone offers, just say thanks and dig in."
Once I said that, the slight hesitation on Si-hyun's face vanished.
After that, pretty much everyone I ran into showered me with stuff like "You're insane!" and "Epic!" before heading off.
Just how far did that video spread?
"Check this out. Video sites and all that are plastered with you right now. You're basically the mother of national pride TV."
"Ugh... I'd rather stay out of that stuff..."
"But what can you do? Think about it—the fate of America was on the line, and a Korean shows up, blasts one breath attack, and boom, problem solved."
"...Is that how it looks?"
"Our school folks are already used to you, so it's dying down here. But if you go out where elders hang out, it'll be nuts."
That sounded kinda scary.
Elders mobbing me for autographs?
I'm not some trot singer or anything...
Still, I could see it happening.
What I did wasn't exactly small potatoes.
I basically saved a whole country, right?
Honestly, it felt too easy, so I hadn't fully grasped it, but I'd stopped a massive massacre.
Enough for people to hail me as a hero.
...But still, it felt kinda cringey.
I mean, I was proud of it—hell yeah, me—but all the praise from everyone made it awkward.
I shared those feelings with my classmates, and they nodded along.
"That's just how you've always been. Own it. Give some autographs, maybe bust a move."
"What dance out of nowhere?"
"Kidding, kidding. But seriously, no TV invites yet? Those networks are sharks for hot topics—they'll be dying to book you."
"...TV stations want me? Why?"
"TV lives and dies by ratings, and right now, you're the hottest thing going."
"True."
"Exactly. Your press conference got tons of live viewers, right?"
"...Yeah, it did."
"See? You're way past 'regular guy' now. You're a public figure. A government celeb with the fancy hat. And it'll only get crazier as time goes on, so better get used to it."
She had a point. Going back to my old average-Joe Yoon Seo-hyun days was impossible now.
I was a Dragon-type Mutant etched into the world's memory, a one-man threat to national security.
Like Han-gyeol said, maybe it was time to quit playing small-time citizen.
"Is it bad if I get freaked out about being too famous?"
"As if."
"That's about right."
"They've all seen you this whole time, even your screw-ups. You think fame changes that? Oh, but if you play along, you'll cover friend fees, right?"
"Hahaha! You maniac."
Her ridiculous comment cracked me up.
Ever since I became a dragon, she'd been ramping up the banter like this.
She probably didn't want me stressing out.
I appreciated the thought.
"Speaking of, autograph me."
"Out of nowhere. Why?"
"TV's gonna latch onto you soon. Gotta snag one now. I'll treasure it."
"Ahaha!"
I laughed my ass off and signed five for her.
"Five? Why so many?"
"Sell 'em when you're broke. Like you said, if I blow up even more, those'll be worth something."
"You serious?"
"Sell away. That's why I'm giving 'em. Think about it—a worthless scrap of paper suddenly valuable? Kinda fun."
I'd signed for plenty of folks already.
Least I could do for a friend.
Though, who knows if anyone's actually buying.
* * *
Uh, um.
Why is this real?
"Uh, Deputy Bureau Chief. What did you just say...?"
"Broadcast stations sent appearance requests. Addressed to the Director."
"What shows?"
"There are, uh, too many to pick one."
"...Pardon?"
"A straight variety show, a talk and quiz show with two famous celebs as guests, a daily life observation show..."
"Hold on, hold on. That many all at once!?"
What the hell was going on? Han-gyeol's words had come true, and I was floored.
No, seriously, why?
"Because of what you handled in America—it blew up across video sites and the internet."
"I knew that, but variety shows?"
"You caught the public's eye at some tipping point. Guess it was time... and this incident lit the fuse."
"Seesh..."
"But if you want to turn them down, feel free. Not every invite leads to an appearance."
"True, but..."
"Even civil servants do these days, as long as they're not problematic. Could be good."
It was a bit daunting, honestly...
What to do? Go for it or pass?
Bailing entirely felt off.
My real goal was making Mutants seem approachable—this could be a golden opportunity.
Okay, if I do it, which one?
I pondered.
Daily life observation? Hard pass.
No way I want cameras in my routine, and it'd drag my sister or friends into it.
Variety show? Kinda tempting.
Loved watching celebs suffer through those formats as a kid.
And I probably wouldn't even break a sweat.
Why so confident? Variety shows run on the same schtick: starve 'em, make 'em work, chase 'em around.
None of that fazes me.
...Get to watch my fave celebs roll around up close? Could be hilarious.
Talk show? Eh, rehashing the same stories? Pass.
Alright. Let's try a variety show. New experience, whatever. I'm already famous as it gets—what's a little more?
"Ahem... I've thought it over."
"Yes."
"I'd like to try the variety show."
"Oh, really?"
The Deputy Bureau Chief seemed surprised. Makes sense—I'd never mentioned my hobbies, so no clue I liked variety shows.
"I've watched that one they invited me for. Felt like giving it a shot."
"Then I'll pass it along. Oh, for scheduling, we might need to visit the station together. Time okay?"
"Sure. But you? Aren't you swamped?"
It hit me—me doing this was dumping work on him.
Was this cool?
"Haha, it's technically work, so fine. Just worried about your image a bit."
"Too friendly might spike Mutant crime rates?"
"Right. But then again, probably not. That video of you handling the undead horde in America is everywhere."
"Ahaha..."
"You went full scorched earth. Gave me chills just watching."
"Had to—situation demanded it."
"Of course. Saw the original Dragon Fear footage on those corpses... Even after all the gore I've witnessed, that was next-level horrifying. Thousands slaughtered, more about to die—you had to step up hard."
"...Yeah."
"So no worries on the 'friendly' front. Just keep that zero-tolerance vibe for criminals. I'll contact the station now. Faster the better for coordinating."
"Yes!"
And with that, my variety show debut was set.