Chapter 137

 

As soon as morning broke, a group of people arrived to prepare for interviews and filming. I couldn’t stop yawning as I moved around after waking up early.

“Yaaawn…”

Maybe it was because I had stayed up late talking with Seong San-ha last night, but I was definitely short on sleep. They said they canceled all the weird concepts and would just do simple hair and makeup, but it still took forever.

I should have been annoyed, but the occasional gasps of “Wow, he’s so handsome” and the gentle hands styling my hair made me feel pretty good. Eventually, I just stayed still, letting them work on my hair while I nodded off here and there.

Countless hands brushed past me, and finally, the styling was complete.

“All done. You’ve worked hard for three hours.”

“My goodness! So hand… no, cute! I mean handsome!“

When the people styling my hair stepped aside, the mirror they had been blocking was revealed. The face in the mirror looked radiant, as if a spotlight was shining solely on it. My skin glowed, my peach-toned cheeks looked soft, and my hair, naturally tousled as if by the wind, was perfectly styled.

Being handsome was nothing new, so I wasn’t surprised by that. But I was impressed by the happy and gentle smile I was unconsciously wearing. It was fascinating how it gave off that feeling without me making any effort. Out of curiosity, I touched my hair here and there, only to get scolded for messing it up.

‘I really look like someone who just drank an energy potion.’

After changing into the prepared clothes, I headed to the interview venue inside the hotel.

“We’ll be taking photos throughout the interview, so just focus on answering naturally. Don’t be too conscious of the camera.”

“Got it.”

As soon as I greeted the waiting interviewer, the interview began. The woman with neat bobbed hair spoke as if she already knew me, making it easy to respond comfortably, even though it was my first interview.

“This is your first time stepping out in front of people. It must feel emotional in a way. Are you nervous?”

I was about to simply say yeah, but remembered the guidebook Lee Cho had told me to read and managed to come up with a better answer.

“I’m not nervous. I just want to get back to the workshop and meet the customers.”

“You mean the workshop, No Name, right? It’s fascinating that what seemed like a small, remote shop was actually run by Potion Master Kang Eui-jin. It’s like something out of a movie. May I ask why you kept your identity hidden for so long?”

“I just wasn’t ready to reveal who I was.”

“I see. Was there a fun episode at the workshop you’d like to share? I imagine there were some lucky customers who unknowingly bought potions from a master without realizing it?”

The interviewer’s cheerful question made it hard to maintain a straight face for a moment.

‘There were no customers, though…..’

But I couldn’t exactly admit that myself, so I wracked my brain for a story and remembered Illimital. Since it wasn’t just about a simple potion but involved other guilds as well, I glanced at Lee Cho, who was standing to the side, and asked if it was okay to mention it. 

He readily agreed, saying it would be a good opportunity to clear up misunderstandings since it wasn’t caused by my potion. Feeling relieved, I started recounting the incident, and the interviewer’s pen moved rapidly across the notepad.

“… And, that’s how Seung-yeon, Ha-yan Noona, and I worked together to create an antidote.”

“That’s amazing! As expected of a Potion Master. I’m glad this gave you a chance to clear your name.”

“Yes , exactly.”

“Given your remarkable reputation, it’s not surprising that impostors tried to take advantage. How did you feel when you first found out about that?”

“It was just… so fuc—”

“Eui-jin nim!”

I quickly stopped myself from blurting out something vulgar at the interviewer’s sudden exclamation.

Caught up in talking about the Fake Eui-jin, I accidentally let my true feelings slip, forgetting I was in the middle of an interview. Lee Cho’s loud shout snapped me back to reality, and I quickly tried to recover.

“Sorry about that. I’m just humbly accepting it as proof that I’m amazing, you know?”

“Oh, haha. I see….”

The interviewer forced an awkward smile, clearly thrown off by my bluntness. As I waited for the next question, the photographer shouted from behind.

“Eui-jin nim, your posture is drooping. It might come off as arrogant!”

Potion Masters should be arrogant, though, right? What’s the problem? I wondered but obediently straightened my back slowly.

“Like this?”

“A bit more, and please take your arm off the armrest!”

The photographer continued shooting only after I fnally made a polite pose with my hands neatly resting on my knees. Meanwhile, the interviewer, who seemed to have steeled herself for something, flipped through her papers quickly and fired off short questions.

“I’m going to ask a few rapid-fire questions now, is that okay?”

“Sure.”

“What do you think was the biggest factor that made you a Potion Master, Eui-jin nim?”
“Born talent?”

“What’s the most important thing to you?”
“Potion.”

“Your ideal type?”
“Me.”

“What’s the secret to making good potions?”
“Having a Potion Master make it.”

Despite the brief answers, the interviewer kept scribbling furiously. She seemed to be recording the conversation as well, but I couldn’t help wondering what she was jotting down so enthusiastically. Her handwriting was a wild mess of cursive that I couldn’t decipher.

“You can take your time, I don’t mind waiting.”

“No need! It’s fine as is. I’m just thinking of ways to flesh out some of these lines. Thanks for your consideration. Moving on to the next question!”

“Sure.”

“The potions from Potion Master Kang Eui-jin have always been known to be difficult to obtain. But now that you’ve finally established your own workshop, No Name, I imagine all hunters will be eager to buy your potions. Could you give us an exclusive hint on how potion sales will be handled?”

“If you come to the workshop, you can buy them. Special potion development requests can be made separately.”

“So the workshop doors will be open — does that mean we’ll get to see you more often?”

“Of course! Come by our workshop anytime!”

Finally, it felt like I was doing some proper promotion for the workshop. Thinking about all the potential visitors made me smile as I cheerfully answered. The sound of a camera shutter clicking rapidly from the side caught my attention.

“Is the interview over?”

The interviewer pushed her glasses up and nodded.

“Yes, I think we’ve got enough. I’ll make sure to write it well.”

After the interview, I moved to a specially prepared location in the hotel to take some staged photos. The concept was simply crafting a healing potion using the materials laid out in front of me.

But the endless gasps of admiration at every little movement made me feel self-conscious for the first time while making a potion.

“Your stirring technique is something else!”

“Is that really just a healing potion?”

“…So noisy. You’re distracting me.”

“Oh no! That won’t do! Everyone, please be quiet! Eui-jin nim needs to concentrate on potion-making!”

Sigh…

‘If I were really making a potion, I would’ve kicked them all out. If only this weren’t a shoot.’

Even though I frowned, for some reason, the smile on my face wouldn’t disappear.

We had been shooting for quite some time, and just as Seong San-ha had mentioned, afternoon had arrived. As I continued hearing voices thanking me for my hard work, I suddenly turned toward the sound of gasps and saw Seong San-ha walking in.

Lee Cho, who had been standing beside me, immediately sprang to his feet.

“San-ha nim, you have arrived.”

“Is it all done?”

“Yes, we just finished.”

Seong San-ha walked straight toward me, bent down, and tapped my head with a bright smile.

“Cute.”

“…What nonsense.”

I ruffled my hair in irritation, but it was stiff from hairspray, so it didn’t mess up as much as I wanted. Seong San-ha chuckled at my futile attempt, then extended his hand toward me.

“Shall we go now?”

As soon as the car carrying Seong San-ha, Lee Cho, and me set off, several vehicles surrounded us for security. It finally hit me that we were leaving the hotel’s protected zone.

“Where are we going?”

“To Cheon Rang Headquarters.”

Cheon Rang? I’d never been there before, and I had no idea why they were suddenly taking me there. But the thought of leaving the hotel for the first time in a while was thrilling enough that I didn’t press for answers. Instead, I leaned against the window, eagerly taking in the scenery outside.

Before long, we arrived at Cheon Rang’s grounds. Stepping out of the car, we headed into the building. Everywhere I looked, people were wearing pristine white uniforms decorated with gold accents. The entire atmosphere felt like stepping into a temple.

It was my first time seeing so many Cheon Rang guild members in one place. Without realizing it, I began following a group of them, only to be pulled back by Seong San-ha, who dragged me toward the elevator.

“Are you on a field trip? Stay close.”

“It’s my first time here. Do the production teams wear those uniforms too?”

“Something similar but more comfortable. Are you interested? I can hook you up with one.”

“I’m not joining Cheon Rang, thanks.”

Following Lee Cho, we ventured deeper into the building. After passing through multiple security checks, we descended into a basement area that resembled an interrogation facility.

“Is there such a place underground? What is this place…?”

I looked around, my eyes scanning the transparent white room. Across a huge glass window that filled an entire wall, someone was lying unconscious.

For some reason, I felt a sense of déjà vu seeing the familiar face. Without being stopped by Lee Cho or Senong San-ha, I gathered my courage and approached. I confirmed the person’s face and screamed in surprise.

“It’s Fake Eui-jin!”

“Fake… Eui-jin? Hahahaha, were you calling him that in your head?”

Seong San-ha’s laughter didn’t even register in my mind. I pressed my face against the glass window to get a closer look at Fake Eui-jin, who was lying there.

“Did he always look like that?”

The person in front of me looked so different that it made me question whether I had mistaken him for someone else when we first met. I glanced at Lee Cho, thinking it might not be him after all.

“Can’t we go inside?”

“No, we can’t. The interrogation is still ongoing. If Eui-jin sees you, he’ll likely become uncooperative.”

‘His face looks different, but is it really Fake Eui-jin?’

I squinted, staring intently. Seong San-ha came closer and stood beside me.

“As expected, he’s from a cult.”

“I told you. Damn it. I told you not to trust that weird guy.”

“I never trusted him. But it was necessary to check.”

“Yeah, sure, but you still brought him a bouquet of flowers.”

“So you’re upset? That I was fooled by a fake?”

“Upset? No, I’m just angry because you’re so dumb.”

Seong San-ha snorted when I said this, but strangely, there was a satisfied smile on his face.