The Front (2)
“When did you awaken, specifically?”
“I don’t know exactly… about three months ago? “
“If you’ve been awakened for three months, why did you hide your ability from the people around you and didn’t start working in the field immediately?”
“Then, I had no intention of being an Awakener. I awakened at a late age and simply thought it was a great ability to have.”
The reporter nodded to Il-hyun’s response.
Many people were awakened but inactive. In some cases, people were satisfied with their normal lives and did not want to get involved in dangerous things.
Others have awakened at a late age when their old bodies are incapable of handling the physical demands of an Awakener’s job.
The reporters continued the onslaught of questions.
“If so…”
“Have you been sent right away to Russia?”
“How did you connect to Aegis?”
“Uh… Please ask the questions one after the other.”
Il-hyun felt overwhelmed by the avalanche of questions.
Immediately after he answered one question, other reporters raised their hands to ask more.
He had not expected that this would happen right away for him.
It was natural for reporters to focus on an Aegis newcomer, but Il-hyun did not expect that the interest would be this much.
The reporters’ looked stressed and seemed like they were about to blow up. They had a good reason. It’s a very hot topic, and it means that they are pressed for time.
Unlike those who often face the media, such as entertainers, athletes, and politicians, the Awakeners were not precisely the sort of people that required public attention.
Their income comes from the ether core. It was enough for them to hunt monsters and earn profits, and the public opinion and popularity were just an additional issue to handle.
A low-level company would need recognition to get more jobs, but if in a company like Aegis, even the hiring of an unknown name becomes big news, as was in the case of Il-hyun.
Il-hyun looked around and saw other teams being interviewed like him. Reporters spend time with each team, but they favor Team A because they are the most frequently exposed.
Il-hyun organized his thoughts and replied calmly.
“I didn’t expect much, but I got myself tested with Aegis. I was considered good enough and was able to blend in with the team’s talented members.”
“Who exactly considered you good enough?”
“Oh, it was Lee Soo-yeon, the team leader.”
As he gave out this answer, the reporters who were in front of him blushed.
“Huh…”
“Oh my…”
Il-hyun turned his head involuntarily. He saw Lee Soo-yeon sitting cross-legged casually behind him.
The reporters knew that Il-hyun’s ability would not have been normal if it caught Lee Soo-yeon’s eyes, and if he was recruited even as a late-age beginner with no experience.
“What kind of abilities did you have to get signed up at Aegis?”
“Please tell me about your level of performance.”
“I can’t tell you that.”
When a question about his ability came out, Il-hyun tried to avoid the question.
However, the reporters did not give up easily; they were persistent.
“Why? Do you have any reason to hide it?”
“The public wants a more convincing answer.”
As the reporters pressed him to answer, Il-hyun panicked and hesitated. Lee Soo-yeon grabbed the microphone and interrupted.
“Of course, we can’t tell you about his ability. We don’t need to expose his power to criminal organizations out there.”
Overseas crime organizations were increasingly becoming a big problem along with the Gates’ monsters.
When the demand for ether core exploded on the black market, it became the criminal organizations’ main objective.
It was not uncommon for criminals to try going through control sites to get ether cores, and as a result, there were frequent conflicts with companies and the government.
Of course, criminals avoided clashing with a company like Aegis, but there was often friction. There were even teams in Aegis assigned to deal with criminals separately.
Reporters nodded in understanding after Lee Soo-yeon’s answer.
Il-hyun was a little sorry for not knowing the reason.
Thanks to Lee Soo-yeon, Il-hyun, he sighed.
The questions being asked are now directed to Lee Soo-yeon.
“Since he’s already a member of Aegis, can he be considered a great talent?”
“I saw his potential and let him join the team. I think his ability is still lacking, but his potential is great.”
“Kang Il-hyun awakened at a fairly late age. Do you think that he could still reach his potential?”
“It’s not a common case, but sometimes a person who woke up late has explosive growth. I am hoping it would be the case for him.”
“Then…”
“Now, can we move on to another question?”
Lee Soo-yeon said after briefly glancing over at her wristwatch.
“Yeah? I still have a lot to ask.”
“The public’s interest is all…”
“No. I don’t want to talk anymore. Let’s end this interview.”
The reporters shut up.
* * *
The press conference was over. Lee Soo-yeon was talking to the staff, while the other team members left the building.
“Team, do you think there will be more work coming in today?”
“No. If you look at the status of other teams, there seemed to be no assignments today.”
Jeong Jin-sung replied to Seok Pil-jun, who had asked.
Ghost intervened at that point.
“I’m busy tonight. Don’t call me at dawn.”
Ghost and Seok Pil-jun immediately got on the waiting helicopter.
As the helicopter soared up and disappeared, Jeong Jin-sung quickly spoke to Il-hyun.
“How was your first press conference?”
“Huh, it’s crazy. Did I make any mistakes?”
“You did a good job. Oh, and you don’t have to answer every reporter’s question. Nothing is good about answering them.”
“Okay.”
Il-hyun nodded at his words.
After a few more minutes of talking, Jin-sung soon went underground.
While Il-hyun was waiting for another helicopter, Lee Soo-yeon approached him.
“You haven’t gone yet?”
“You aren’t going in, ma’am?”
“Leader Jeong must have gone down right away.”
“Yeah.”
“You did good for a first-timer, but you don’t have to answer everything reporters ask.”
“I heard it from Chief Jeong.”
“Okay? Anyway, it’s not like always that, but I’m sure we’ll encounter more of them in the future. You just have to keep them in line.”
“Well,” Soo-yeon continued, “anyway, you’re going to look good with that article. You might be able to get high-paying job offers for personal security.”
“Well… Will I like it?”
“No, it would be very annoying.”
Lee Soo-yeon said with a smile.
* * *
Jiing!
The cell phone rang in his pocket.
An overseas professional newspaper called him, asking for a solo interview.
Il-hyun politely declined the offer and ended the call.
How did they get my cell phone number? He wondered.
He was doubtful about the protection of his personal information.
Il-hyun went through the elevator of the apartment with a cake in one hand.
After getting off, he stood in front of 804.
He pressed the doorbell once and went inside without waiting for someone to open the door for him.
His mother met him with a look of surprise.
“I’m home.” Il-hyun laughed.
It was a face he had seen in almost a month. She hugged him from the front door. It was a warm sight, but then the punishment for his disobedience caught up quickly.
“Why can’t I contact you!” His mother hit him on his back.
“Ouch!”
It does not really hurt since he’d become an Awakener, but the part his mother hit felt a bit ticklish.
“Imagine turning on the TV and seeing your face like that. I was so worried about you doing something dangerous!”
“I’m sorry. I have been crazy these days.”
“Are you okay? How is your body taking it?”
“It’s fine.”
It was not just ‘fine’. He has fought and beaten the monsters with his bare hands.
Il-hyun and her mother, who were at the front door, walked in with an awkward attitude.
Nothing changed at all in the house, he noticed.
“Where’s dad?”
“He went out to work. Will you be staying here tonight?”
“Ah… I lost the concept of the days of the week these days.”
“Yes, how about the new job? Your teammates are all famous people. Tell me in detail about what happened.”
He started narrating what his mother was curious about but did not give out much detail.
“It’s too long to tell the whole story. First, slowly…”
He took out a thin envelope from his pocket. With the cake on the one hand and the envelope on the other, he stretched both hands out towards his mother.
“Oh really… Did you buy it for my birthday?”
His mother laughed as she looked at the large cake box. She took it and placed it down on the table.
Il-hyun nodded and forced the envelope in her hands.
“This is pocket money. I got a little money from my new job.”
“Thank you, son.” She then held the thin envelope without opening it.
Il-hyun took out some promotional brochures and laid it on the table. They caught his mother’s eyes, and she asked about them.
“What’s this?”
“It’s your birthday today. Just pick some houses or something.”