/
4:1,
4:2,
4:3,
4:4,
Bang!
and 4:5.
The results were turned around in an instant, like flipping the palm of a hand.
“Th-the results of the arm wrestling match is four to five; the concept hunter team wins!”
The scoreboard in the centre of the studio shone brightly. It was not just the audience, but the cast and even the staff had their mouths wide open, jaws dropping to the floor.
‘4:5.’
After confirming the score, Eunha got up from her seat and leisurely returned to the concept hunters’ seats. The concept hunters waiting in their seats only stared at Eunha, their pupils dilated like startled rabbits.
“Uh
 Miss. Were you always that strong?”
Mr. Clown smiled awkwardly and spoke to Eunha respectfully. There was slight admiration in his eyes, which were quite different from before.
There was still silence in the studio. Eunha picked up her bottle of water and looked around. During the recording, a signal had not been dropped yet.
“Director
 What should we do?”
“What do you mean?”
A low-pitched conversation could be heard from somewhere. It was the place where the staff were gathered.
Looking at their eyes, the other hunters didn’t seem to hear it. Eunha concentrated her focus on her ears without changing her expression.
“Continue with the shoot. Change the table to a new one.”
“Is that really okay?”
The PD’s gaze seemed to point towards Eunha’s direction. Eunha did not avoid their gaze.
“It’ll be enough to use the interesting parts and edit out anything problematic.”
A signal to continue the shoot was sent, and staff began to rush around the recording site. In the midst of the crowd, Eunha saw the youngest screenwriter carrying a first aid kit and running around the regular hunters’ seats.
Although there was a rule for everyone to control their strength, Windmaker’s hands swelled like rubber gloves submerged in water. It was like a clown’s, no less.
Eventually, the youngest screenwriter who closed the first aid kit was returning to her staff seat. Eunha stood in front of them.
“Here, too.”
“Ah, yes
!”
The youngest screenwriter tried to open the first aid kit on the spot. Eunha grabbed her hand.
“Not me, over there.”
Ah

The youngest screenwriter’s eyes turned towards Mr. Clown. Eventually, she approached him and handed him an ice pack.
“Miss? You don’t need it?”
Mr. Clown didn’t use the ice pack that was handed to him and suddenly offered it to Eunha first.
“It’s okay.”
Nod. Eunha slightly bowed her head once. She wasn’t just being considerate. Eunha’s hand, which had faced five hunters one after another, was still intact.
“Don’t overdo it. Like other broadcasts, there is a script anyway, so there’s no need to overdo it and win.”
Mr. Clown was still smiling, as if his right hand didn’t hurt. He said that it was okay and gave Eunha the ice pack.
Perhaps that was why clown was his nickname.
* * *
Swoosh!
“W-what an incredible speed
!”
Whoosh! Swish! Thump! Thump!
This match was Whac-A-Mole. The game would be won by the person who whacked the most moles that appeared on the screen within 30 seconds.
Brown moles were +10 points,
Black moles were -20 points,
And golden moles were +30 points, as stated by the rules.
“Th-the Princess of Dark Flare! 4,120 points in total!”
Bababam!
An unbelievable score flashed on the huge screen. Even the noisy audience became quiet, as if everyone had been doused with cold water.
‘4,120 points
 Is that even possible?’
Windmaker was speechless at the unbelievable score, even after seeing it with his own eyes.
4,120 points.
In other words, Eunha had caught 25 brown moles and 129 golden moles in 30 seconds.
The second-ranked Windmaker had scored 2,990 points, which meant that Eunha had widened the gap and topped the list.
The mindblowing showdown between the two teams continued, including a 100m dash, a Hunter’s Common Sense Quiz, and a basketball shooting game.
Overturning everyone’s expectations, the concept hunter team was frighteningly able to tail the general hunter team’s score.
[The divine beast ‘Cat Wandering in Darkness’ is waving a signboard. Way to go! Way to go! Way to go!]
And then.
At last, the final match, hide-and-seek, had arrived. Here, the true winner would be decided.
“I think this is going to be a hit.”
“Isn’t that something you have to make a promise to, director?”
“Hahaha. It’s not even on air yet, so it’s too early to predict ratings.”
Eunha stared at the staff carrying shooting equipment on their shoulders.
Although it was just an entertainment show, it was too cruel and heartless for the world to simply dismiss it as such.
In other words, you shouldn’t just sit around and enjoy it.
All the cast members moved to an outdoor studio to shoot hide-and-seek. When all the staff and cast members gathered, a lighting fixture in the centre shone, as if to announce the start.
The rules for this match were simple. If the tagger found all the people within the time limit, the tagger team would win.
In other words, the key point of victory was deciding on who would be the tagger.
“Who would be better?”
It was discussion time. The concept hunters who gathered to decide the tagger collectively looked at one person.
They had realised it by now. They knew who the ace of their team was very well.
At the moment when all of their anticipation-filled eyes were focused on Eunha.
“
Wait.”
Satgat Hunter raised his hand.
“It’s not good to rely on her too much. She’s already done a lot, so why don’t we take care of the last one ourselves?”
“I agree with that opinion.”
Mr. Clown also supported his opinion.
“I know that Stocking Hunter’s unique ability is a physical strengthening one. Right?”
A hunter wearing a dinosaur-shaped doll mask opened their mouth.
Hunters each had their own unique abilities. The best way to win was to make use of their unique abilities according to the type of each match.
The opposing team, the general hunters, must’ve been well aware of that. That was why they made Windmaker go first for arm wrestling.
“A-actually
 I’ve had a stomach ache for a while now
”
Their face was white enough for it to be noticeable even through their stockings. In addition, she saw them leave their seat in the middle of the recording.
“I’ve been trying to somehow put up with it, but I think running is going to be difficult. I’m sorry.”
Grabbing their stomach, they groaned and said. Their stockings seemed to be drenched with cold sweat.
“Then what do we do? I’m not confident in my athleticism
”
“And Mr. Clown is injured.”
The concept hunters started buzzing.
“I’ll just—”
The moment Satgat Hunter opened his mouth, Eunha took a step forward.
“I’ll do it.”
The concept hunters looked at Eunha anxiously.
“Will you be alright? You don’t have to strain yourself
”
It wasn’t because she wasn’t dependable. She’d already proved her strength beyond all doubt.
“You’ve already done a lot. You can rest now.”
“It’s not a problem.”
Regardless of their voices of concern, Eunha loosened the ribbon on her waist. With it, she tied her long hair up. A thin nape was revealed when her waist-length black hair was lifted.
‘This is the last match.’
Her dark eyes that were once desolate were now lit by a bright light. This was an opportunity that wouldn’t appear again, so she wanted to finish it to the very end.
Beep!
A whistle signalled the start of the match. The time limit given was 10 minutes.
Eunha stood tall and silently closed her eyes. A few seconds later, the moment she opened her eyes—
“Sh-she’s gone
?!”
The MC’s confused voice rang throughout the outdoor studio.
A small black shadow flickered between branches that were intertwined like a large cobweb.
It was so fast that the camera couldn’t keep up.
< COUNTDOWN ☞ 9:32 >
“Whoa!”
Less than 30 seconds into the game, someone was heard yelping from not too far away. And then

< COUNTDOWN ☞ 7:15 >
“Wahh, I got tagged
”
< COUNTDOWN ☞ 5:44 >
“H-how the hell?!”
< COUNTDOWN ☞ 3:38 >
“Ack, you scared me!”
Even the hunters who had been hiding in proper places appeared with their hands bound tightly.
‘Is there a radar on the top of my head?’
It was ridiculous, but they couldn’t help but think that. That’s how quickly Eunha caught the hunters.
The outdoor studio was not a small place. The whole small forest behind the studio was being used.
Moreover, the view was dark due to the thick broad-leaved trees. It wouldn’t be strange if one tripped on a stone and hit their head if they weren’t careful because of the time limit.
[Passive ▾ ‘One Who Reads the Night’ is activated.]
Eunha’s eyes gleamed with gold. As if experiencing a second awakening, her senses were able to notice the chirping of birds or the rustling of leaves.
‘The last one is northeast.’
At the same time, Windmaker had completely hid their body between some roots and silently looked around.
The place they hid in was in the deepest part of the forest. If his previously-hidden colleagues could use up the time, no one would be able to reach this point of the forest, whether it was the Princess of Dark Flare or not.
Crackle.
He heard footsteps from somewhere.
“
!”
His heart was pounding. He almost made a sound, but he managed to hold it in and calmly unfolded his fan.
He had never even imagined that he would use it for a variety show, but

[Active ▾ Do you want to use ‘Wind’s Blessing’?]
A green wind began to swirl around Windmaker’s body. Using this technique, he would be able to maintain a state of stealth for about 10 seconds.
No matter how fast a hunter was, they would never be able to find him if they weren’t good at detecting presences.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
The continuous sounds of the timer in the silence seemed to match his heartbeats.
The remaining time was—
< COUNTDOWN ☞ 0:01 >
At the moment when he was swallowing his laughter, convinced of his victory.
“Come out.”
Beep—
With the sound of the whistle, the birds hiding in the forest flew away.
* * *
“For the 2031 Onhunt Summer Special <Star Hunter Hotter than Summer>, this year’s victory belongs to the concept hunter team! Congratulations!”
Bababam!
Fanfare broke out, and the staff gave each of the five concept hunters a large flower garland.
“Now, let’s finally announce today’s MVP.”
tl/n: MVP stands for most valuable player
Badum badum badum—
The heart-throbbing drum beats stopped, and a huge fanfare once again erupted to the point where it was ear-numbing.
“Congratulations! The MVP is the Princess of Dark Flare!”
At the MC’s dramatic hand gestures, the staff approached Eunha and handed her a large panel.
<SR Department Store Gift Certificate ₩ 5,000,000>
Countless eyes mixed with envy flocked to Eunha.
“Thank you for your hard work!”
“Well done, everyone!”
The guests left the studio, and the staff started to clean up. Standing in the middle, Eunha tore off the back of the panel and took out the gift certificate envelope.
“
”
She could feel that the general hunters were looking in her direction. At the moment she turned her head away from the mixed gazes of resentment and awe.
“Excuse me.”
Someone came up to Eunha. It was the hunter dressed in stockings.
“Thank you so much for today.”
They took off their stockings and bowed their head. Starting with them, the concept hunters who were seated also began to flock to Eunha one by one.
“You don’t know how exhilarating it was to see those guys’ bewildered expressions.They looked like fools.”
Unlike the first time they met in the waiting room, they were all smiling and laughing.
“I’ll take a commemorative photo in 30 minutes! Good job, everyone!”
At the call of the staff, the cast returned to their waiting room. Just as Eunha was turning away, Mr. Clown suddenly approached her.
“Congratulations, MVP.”
Covering his sweaty hair with a towel, he smiled softly.
“I’m sure my Minji will be happy to know that Dad’s team won. Thank you so much.”
Mr. Clown’s even teeth were openly revealed. His daughter. After hearing those words, Eunha’s gaze fell to the gift certificate envelope in her hand.
‘What colour do you think would be good for my daughter’s padded jacket?’
Eunha stared intently at the gift certificate envelope and eventually raised her head.
* * *
It was approaching midnight.
After taking a commemorative photo with the entire cast, the concept hunters were starting to prepare to go home.
“Ahh, I’m so tired.”
“The recording took longer than expected.”
“That’s because a lot of things that weren’t in the script happened. Did you see the bewildered looks on the staff?”
Among the chatting concept hunters, Mr. Clown checked his cellphone.
[Princess Minji ♄] [11:53 PM] dad, I just finished school! can you come pick me up???? hahaha
Isn’t the road dangerous at night these days! Leaping up from his seat, he hurriedly picked up the bag he had left on the corner of the sofa.
Flutter.
Something fell through the slightly opened zipper. When he turned to the floor, he saw a white envelope at the end of his gaze.
“
?”
Was it a fan letter? That couldn’t be it.
He leaned over and picked it up. On the surface of the envelope, there were words scrawled on with a black felt-tip pen.
The moment he found it, Mr. Clown shook his head.
“Hey, have you seen the Princess of Dark Flare?”
“I don’t know. Didn’t you see them at the commemorative photo shoot?”
At that moment, the unnamed hanbok hunter who was about to leave the waiting room glanced back.
“Ahh. If it’s that person, her manager took her away as soon as the recording was over. Why?”
“N-nothing
”
As Mr. Clown’s words died on his tongue, he looked at the envelope in his hand with a puzzled face.
<Minji’s gift.>