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Episode 26
“…Wow, seriously? Our family really has an S-rank now?”
Even Han Sae-jin finally seemed to grasp the reality, his hand freezing mid-slice over the pork belly.
His recovery was quick, though. Shaking his head as if to fling away heavy thoughts, he went back to cutting the meat.
Meanwhile, Park Woo-jun and Saebyeok were still locked in eye contact.
The gaze was so clear, so firm, and so heated that Saebyeok’s heart nearly skipped a beat—
when something cold suddenly brushed against her arm, breaking her focus.
Turning her head, she saw Kang Su-ho tapping her lightly with a beer can. With a little lift of his brow, he seemed to ask if she wanted a drink.
“Ah, thank you.”
As she took the can, little Sihoo tugged at her clothes.
When she lowered her head, he popped a neatly wrapped bite into her mouth with his tiny hands, then grinned proudly.
Saebyeok smiled and ruffled the child’s hair.
The siblings’ care pulled her out of her daze, helping her regain her composure.
“It’s true. I am S-rank. That’s why I can’t promise to go to the Association.”
Saebyeok spoke calmly again.
Park Woo-jun’s eyebrows twitched slightly, and his gaze—tinged with challenge—shifted toward Kang Su-ho.
But as soon as Saebyeok lifted her head, his eyes softened at once.
“I get it. If you’re S-rank, the Association President himself would have to come to scout you… Wait a second.”
Park Woo-jun suddenly realized something, his eyes widening. He had just remembered where the President currently was.
“Hey, you… lightning…! Wait! No way…!”
Frantically, he pulled out his phone.
It didn’t take long to find what he was looking for. The news had already taken over every major portal and video platform.
“This!”
He played a video and shoved it right in front of Saebyeok’s face.
It was from ‘Awakening World’, a HunterTube channel with over a million subscribers, now closing in on four million.
The channel specialized in Awakener, Monster, and Gate-related news—mixing analysis and humor—making it popular with both Awakeners and ordinary viewers alike.
【(Video): Kwakwang! Kwagwang!】
【Awakening World: “Yah~! Do you see this, everyone? Look at how cleanly this lightning strikes the same spot twice in a row!”】
【(Video): Kwakwang! Kwagwang!】
【Awakening World: “Some people claim this is a natural phenomenon—but how could natural lightning come down in one neat line like this? And twice in succession, at that?”】
He went on to debunk fake information spreading online, backing his points with logic.
【Awakening World: “Then there are people saying this is a hoax by Japan or China. But seriously, does it make sense for ten million Seoul citizens to all stage this together?”】
Adding a touch of patriotic fervor, he spiced up the narrative further.
【Awakening World: “Now, look at Kim I-han’s sly smile in this interview. He’s holding back, trying to redirect the attention from the ‘mystery supporter’ to himself.”】
【Awakening World: “What do I mean? Simple. If that supporter was just B or A rank, they’d be giving interviews left and right by now.”】
【Awakening World: “Why? Because at that level, it’s not newsworthy enough to hog the spotlight. Public interest would cool fast.”】
The neatly dressed host sketched diagrams and arrows on a virtual whiteboard as he explained.
【Awakening World: “Of course, A-ranks are special. A Unique Title is good news. But it’s not enough to make people’s hearts race.”】
【Awakening World: “If that lightning belonged to a B or A rank, people would’ve just said, ‘Wow, cool skill,’ and moved on.”】
His tone was a mix of polite and casual—part of what made his channel so popular.
【Awakening World: “But Kim I-han keeps his mouth shut. Why? Because the moment he talks, all the spotlight will be stolen.”】
Finally, he leaned back, sighing deeply.
“Do you get it now? This supporter is someone who can steal all of Kim I-han’s spotlight… someone at this level—”
He scrawled a single large letter across the lightning image.
S.
And pointing a finger at the camera, he smirked provocatively.
【Awakening World: “Bookmark this video. I promise, this will become a pilgrimage site later.”】
Woo-jun snapped his phone shut and stared straight at Saebyeok.
“This is you, isn’t it?”
Saebyeok gave an embarrassed smile and nodded, making Woo-jun slap his forehead and drop into his seat.
“Wow… So Kim I-han was acting smug because you’re really S-rank?”
The conversation shifted to the Association’s chaos—how no one on-site knew anything, how all media attention was drawn to I-han, and how the villain cell leader’s death left investigators pulling their hair out.
Finally, Woo-jun groaned:
“Wait. When we met at Seoul Station… were you already awakened then?!”
