[Video of Famous Female Reporter’s Arrest]
Views: 7.31 million
A video uploaded to South Korea’s Newtube instantly drew explosive attention.
Filmed by a user with the nickname LifeIsReal, the video showed the arrest of the hottest figure in the news lately — reporter Yoon Jihee.
In the footage, Yoon Jihee, dressed in plain clothes, was surrounded by Hunter detectives and had handcuffs slapped on. That’s when she suddenly went berserk.
One detective got knocked down after being kicked by her, and another beside him got a nosebleed after being punched in the face.
To top it off, the video clearly captured her glaring as she attempted to use her Mystic.
The video lasted barely a minute, but the impact was enormous.
At the end of the video, the reasons for Yoon Jihee’s arrest appeared in bold letters—there were six charges in total, shocking many viewers.
The mass media went wild.
News quickly reported that she had been arrested by Hunter detectives from the Central Police Agency, and every detail of her crimes was exposed.
*****
First, illegal filming.
She had filmed a family without anyone’s consent, acting on her own, and the evidence was clear.
Next, murder threats.
There was video footage showing her threatening someone’s life.
It wasn’t clear who the other person was, but the bodycam recorded the conversation as they sat side by side.
‘…Neither you nor your parents will ever live comfortably. It’s not hard to make someone disappear, you know that?…’
The video captured Yoon Jihee’s threats in her own voice, undeniable and uneditable.
Third, impersonating a public official.
That was clearly shown in another video shot from the same angle.
‘…I’ve got connections with the police and high-ranking officials all over. If I ask for an investigation, everything will come out…’
Technically, it wasn’t direct impersonation, but claiming she could mobilize police or officials for personal matters was enough for the charge.
Next were the heavy charges of sexual harassment and spreading false information.
That evidence was discovered by a detective during the arrest itself, stored on a video chip.
The chip came from a drone they had been using, and inside were numerous videos of naked men and women.
Upon inspection, every video was a secretly filmed voyeur video.
She had used a drone to spy on other people’s homes, collecting nude footage and even selling it.
What’s more, nearly all of the exclusive articles for which Yoon Jihee had gained recognition as a reporter turned out to be fabricated, and she had deliberately spread false reports as fact.
With that, Yoon Jihee was completely finished.
It turned out she was the child of a powerful figure in politics, and she had committed countless evil deeds under the protection of her family’s influence, earning the scorn of the public.
The news couldn’t stop covering the scandal, and it was reported with certainty that she would face severe punishment.
As a result, a national petition appeared on the Blue House website.
It was an earnest plea that Yoon Jihee, who had sucked up taxpayer money as a Hunter, played at being a reporter while producing fake news, secretly filmed people illegally, impersonated public officials, and even used violence against detectives, needed to be made an example of with the harshest punishment.
Within a single day, over 300,000 people agreed to the petition, forcing the government itself to take direct action.
*****
Saturday morning.
Kim Seojun boarded the subway headed to Samseong-dong to meet Joo Gwangsik, reading through every news article related to Yoon Jihee with care.
‘Thankfully, not a single person seems to doubt Yoon Jihee’s crimes.’
Kim Seojun was pleased.
He had played the decisive role in dragging Yoon Jihee down.
The day before, right after Yoon Jihee had visited the Academy, Kim Seojun had called one of the Hunters he fought alongside during the Jeungsan Station rift, someone who possessed a Mystic related to information.
That Hunter’s Mystic allowed him to judge the accuracy of information he came across and analyze it according to the situation, providing a support effect.
But Kim Seojun knew that the Mystic had another, additional ability — information manipulation.
Kim Seojun explained everything honestly to the Hunter.
He told him that the reporter named Yoon Jihee was threatening him and his family, taking them hostage, and digging through all sorts of information to find something to use against him.
At that, the Hunter immediately agreed to help Kim Seojun.
First, he manipulated the CCTV around the Academy and near his home, overwriting the footage from the day of the 57th Rift Raid with videos from a different day.
Next, he created an illegal filming video, uploaded it to a video chip, and stored it in a glass orb that Kim Seojun kept with him.
He then found an opportunity to throw that video chip into the drone.
The tip-off to the Central Police Agency detectives had also come from that Hunter.
As soon as he got Kim Seojun’s call, the Hunter contacted the Hunter detectives, who were able to storm the scene at just the right moment.
Lastly, the Newtube video had been filmed by Kim Seojun himself, from a different location.
Knowing that the most certain punishment for Yoon Jihee would be media exposure, he deliberately filmed sensational footage and uploaded it online.
Everything proceeded just as Kim Seojun intended, and it was now all but certain that Yoon Jihee would be severely punished.
‘Yoon Jihee… You’ll have to spend the rest of your life repenting behind bars.’
While he had used the Mystic to make the information more sensational and add a little extra, not a single detail was entirely false.
Yoon Jihee genuinely enjoyed secret filming, collecting videos of naked men and keeping them hidden for her own enjoyment.
Reading Yoon Jihee’s downfall with a light heart, Kim Seojun arrived at Samseong-dong before he knew it.
He carefully put his phone away and headed for the Heir of the Emperor Academy, where he was to meet Joo Gwangsik.
*****
The academy occupied a 20-story building.
Heir of the Emperor was among the top three academies in Korea’s education scene, with a towering reputation.
Ten renowned instructors, famous for their top-tier lectures, were on staff, and there was a 70% chance of students Awakening their Mystics within a year.
Looking up at the building that resembled a major corporate headquarters, Kim Seojun waited for Joo Gwangsik in front of the entrance.
The meeting time was 11:00 AM.
It was now 10:52, so he still had eight minutes to spare.
Just as he was about to read more articles about Yoon Jihee, he sensed a familiar presence behind him.
Someone was approaching quietly, like a cat.
Kim Seojun spun around just as the person drew near.
“You’re here?”
“Ah, damn. You startled me!”
It was Joo Gwangsik.
Kim Seojun looked at the big guy—built like a bear—who was trying to pull a childish prank, with a pitying gaze.
“What’s with that look? If you knew it was me, you could’ve at least pretended to be surprised.”
“You’re twenty-one, and you still want to do stuff like that?”
“Age doesn’t matter! If you want to do it, you do it. Geez, mood ruined. Come on, let’s go. Hoseong-hyung’s still lecturing, so let’s wait in the lounge near the classroom.”
Kim Seojun entered the academy with Joo Gwangsik.
As expected of a famous institution, there were plenty of people bustling about inside.
Some were prospective Hunter trainees about to start new classes, and there were adults in their mid- to late-twenties who still hadn’t given up on their dreams of becoming Hunters.
The two took the elevator up to the seventh floor.
That’s where Yoo Hoseong’s classroom was located.
Originally, they planned to wait in the lounge on each floor and grab a snack, but Kim Seojun had an unexpected suggestion.
“Hey, think we could sneak in and audit the class?”
“What for?”
“It’s boring just waiting around. I’m curious what kind of style your brother uses when he lectures.”
“…Well, I guess there’s no problem. It’ll be over in about twenty minutes anyway. But if you disturb the class, I’ll kill you myself.”
“Try that threat on someone it’ll work on.”
“Yeah? Haha.”
Joo Gwangsik scratched the back of his head, then led Kim Seojun down to one end of the hallway.
A space that looked even bigger than the other classrooms — that was Yoo Hoseong’s private lecture hall.
The two snuck in through the back door like thieves.
*****
The neatly dressed man in the midst of his lecture couldn’t possibly miss their entrance.
But like the seasoned top instructor he was, he continued his lecture without a hitch.
He stood about 180 centimeters tall, sporting a pomaded hairstyle and suit. Pushing up his glasses with a finger, he tapped the chalkboard.
“…Therefore, thinking that everything is finished once you Awaken your Mystic is a grave mistake.”
Yoo Hoseong was only twenty-five, but his voice was gentle, rich, and his handsome, clean-cut appearance made him extremely popular with female students.
That’s why about 70% of the classroom was made up of women.
“I’ll emphasize again: rather than obsessing over the end result of ‘becoming a Hunter just because you Awakened your Mystic,’ what’s more important is what effort you put in and what process you went through to get here. If you blindly focus on results, one day you’ll find you’ve become a villain.”
Yoo Hoseong’s lectures weren’t just about simple formulas for Mystic Awakening.
He taught how those formulas were created, what flow they followed, and even what direction they should go.
“A Hunter always has duties and responsibilities. If you’re not ready for that, there’s no point listening to my lecture. You all know what I mean by duty and responsibility. Sacrifice, justice, eradication of evil. And respect for life. If you don’t engrave these deeply in your hearts, you’re not qualified to be a Hunter. Don’t think you can just develop these things after Awakening. You never know when you’ll Awaken your Mystic, so start polishing your mind and heart right now. Never forget this. Is there anyone who disagrees?”
“No, sir!”
The students all replied in unison, making the classroom ring.
“Loud and clear. All right, that’s it for today. Next week we’ll start intensive willpower training, so get plenty of rest over the weekend.”
“Yes! Thank you!”
As the students shouted their thanks, the bell rang from the speakers.
Everyone quickly gathered their belongings and filed out of the room.
Some of the female students crowded around Yoo Hoseong, chattering and trying to satisfy their personal interests under the pretense of asking questions.
*****
Joo Gwangsik watched this scene from the back of the room with a pleased expression.
Just then, a female student sitting at the very front quickly gathered her long hair, stuffed it into a baseball cap, and pulled it low.
She wore a mask featuring a popular anime character. Her face was so small that the mask covered everything but her eyes.
Hat and mask.
With her face perfectly concealed, she threw on a baggy bomber jacket, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and rushed for the back door.
Kim Seojun happened to be sitting diagonally in her path and moved his leg aside as she dashed by.
The girl glanced at Kim Seojun and gave a slight nod.
Kim Seojun nodded back out of reflex.
She responded with a smile in her eyes and shot out of the room like a bolt.
‘Why does she look so familiar?’
He hadn’t seen her face—just her eyes—but for some reason she seemed familiar.
“Hey, it’s over. Let’s go.”
Joo Gwangsik gave Kim Seojun’s shoulder a light tap and stood up.
When Kim Seojun looked around, the girls who had been crowding Yoo Hoseong had all disappeared.
Yoo Hoseong approached, smiling as he looked their way.
Kim Seojun stood and walked over to him.
‘Hoseong-hyung…’
The face of Yoo Hoseong, who had died for Kim Seojun in his previous life, overlapped perfectly with the instructor in front of him.
Not a millimeter off—an exact match.
The gentle smile was the same, and the deep, inscrutable gaze hadn’t changed at all.
“So, you’re Kim Seojun? Nice to meet you. I’m Yoo Hoseong.”
Yoo Hoseong introduced himself first and reached out a hand.
“I’m Kim Seojun. It’s good to meet you too.”
It wasn’t just good—it was enough to bring tears to his eyes.
Even though he knew this man wasn’t the same Yoo Hoseong who had died in his arms, he didn’t feel the need to divide them so cleanly as if they were two separate people.
In Kim Seojun’s heart, the two Yoo Hoseongs were one and the same.
“Thanks to you, Gwangsik here’s finally warmed up to the Academy. Thank you. Honestly, I never thought there’d be a student strong enough to knock him down.”
“Thank me? I didn’t do anything… There was just some punk trying to start a fight, so I smacked him lightly, that’s all.”
Kim Seojun played it off as nothing, and Joo Gwangsik narrowed his eyes.
“What? Smacked me lightly? Did well in the Rift and now you think I’m some pushover? Want to go again?”
“The Rift…? Oh! Now I remember—you were that student who made such a splash at the Jeungsan Station Rift a few days ago.”
Yoo Hoseong finally recognized Kim Seojun.
Joo Gwangsik had kept quiet about Kim Seojun, hoping to surprise him.
“I just got lucky, thanks to my dad. You know how the media exaggerates everything.”
“Even so, when you took down that special-type monster at the end, I actually found myself clapping. It was an amazing technique.”
“It really wasn’t that impressive…”
Kim Seojun was embarrassed by the heartfelt compliment.
“All right, let’s talk over some food. Let’s go grab a bowl of gukbap and some soju—ahh~”
Joo Gwangsik slung his arms around both of them and led them outside.
*****
They took the elevator down to the first floor and were about to head out the back of the building when—
“Waaah!”
“It’s the Nation’s Fairy, Sei!”
“Sei! Sei! Sei!”
Suddenly, a huge crowd surged to the front of the building, chanting the name ‘Sei’ over and over.
Looking closely, a female student in a baseball cap and character mask, wearing a bomber jacket, was being hurried along under the guard of five solidly built men in suits.
They were running toward a large black van.
“Tsk. Looks like her identity’s finally been exposed. That’s going to be rough for her…”
Yoo Hoseong clicked his tongue knowingly.
“Hoseong-hyung, who is that? Wasn’t she in your class just now? Sei, you said? Don’t tell me that’s the Sei from Rosefinch?”
Joo Gwangsik realized her identity and was shocked.
At that name, Han Suho also flinched.
Rosefinch.
A four-member girl group that debuted with no prior warning two years ago and became explosively popular almost overnight.
Especially the youngest member and main vocalist Sei — her popularity soared to the heavens.
She’d debuted at just sixteen, with stunning singing ability and looks that put most actresses to shame.
But Kim Seojun only recognized the name Rosefinch; he didn’t know the faces of any of the members.
Back then, he’d always been downcast and preoccupied with his own problems, so he had no interest in girl groups or celebrities.
That Kim Seojun even remembered the name Rosefinch just showed how incredibly popular they were.
“That’s the Sei you know. She said she has to Awaken her Mystic to resume her entertainment career, so she’s been taking my classes. She kept wearing a mask during lectures to hide her identity, but I guess she’s finally been found out.”
“Wow. To think the famous Sei attends your lectures. Can I sign up for your classes again?”
Joo Gwangsik’s eyes sparkled as if he’d seen a goddess.
‘Why would a celebrity care about Awakening? Wouldn’t she be a burden to the Academy instead?’
Kim Seojun didn’t understand why such a famous idol would be so interested in Mystic Awakening.
Even so, he pulled out his phone and searched for Rosefinch Sei, curious about what kind of person she was.
Kim Seojun looked at the results.
The top result was a huge photo of Sei’s face, and seeing it, Kim Seojun involuntarily caught his breath.
Singer (Rosefinch), Talent, Actress
Real name: Han Se-ah
Age: 18
‘Han Se-ah? Sei was Han Se-ah?’
Han Se-ah.
She was one of his seven companions in his previous life — and the beloved woman Kim Seojun cherished more deeply than anyone else.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.