How to Seduce S-Class Hunters with Bungeoppang - Chapter 17

—————

This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

—————

Chapter 17
Someone trudged through the darkness and collapsed onto a bench with a heavy sigh. Beneath the moonlight, distinctive pink hair gleamed with a soft luminescence.
His name was Kang Min. He had come out here because he couldn’t bring himself to focus on writing the report for the Gate he’d cleared recently. Deliberately walking to this secluded bench, he turned on his phone and navigated to YouTube with practiced ease.
A few days ago, he’d stopped by a cafe after visiting the Hunter Market and run into members from the Idol Group he’d debuted with—the video of that encounter had been uploaded. Since the official broadcast hadn’t aired yet, these were raw, unedited clips shot by people who’d been at the cafe that day.
‘So hey, would you do a challenge with us?’
‘A challenge?’
The moment he’d asked “A challenge?” played over and over in slow motion. The video helpfully zoomed in on each member’s expression one by one. The eerie sound effect layered over it all was just the cherry on top.
-lol this guy thinks he’s something special
Is he saying he’s not an idol but a noble Hunter or something? lol
-our kids are just too kind, still treating him like a member
-ugh i still hate the pink hair concept
His expression completely hardened the moment you mentioned the challenge lol
That part is seriously intense lol
└he didn’t used to look like that…
└after he left, his eyes changed too
The comments kept flowing endlessly. Though the short video had only been up for a few days, it had already surpassed a million views.
Kang Min bit his lip hard.
Hundreds of comments, all of them attacking the same person. After taking a deep breath, he scrolled down again with trembling fingers.
The Hunter Watch didn’t even go off lol, but you’re contacting me anyway
└wait, you’re right…
└wow, he just lied on camera?
Kang Min, lol, did you really hate the challenge that much?
-i always thought something was off about this guy
└physiognomy is real science
└i knew from when he was the oldest but acted cute
-the Watch thing is genuinely creepy why is he like that
Look at all the other members being so cautious… it’s so sad.
In the video, he glanced at his Watch in panic and claimed he’d received an urgent call. But if you zoomed in on just the Watch portion, you could clearly see that no call had come through at all.
Kang Min’s <A Class A Hunter's Shocking Lie? I smiled helplessly while watching the video with the title, “A scene that caused an uproar as it gave me goosebumps.”
"…I didn't think about being filmed. Stupid of me."
Back then, I'd only wanted to escape that situation. The members' expectations. Countless cameras. People curious about how I'd react. My stomach churned, and suddenly the room seemed to spin.
So I'd hastily used the call as an excuse to leave, and of course it got caught on camera.
"I'm really pathetic."
How had I become like this?
Ever since I was very young, my dream had been to become an idol. Pale skin, large eyes, a personality unafraid of strangers—even before I could walk, people around me would say, "This kid absolutely has to become an entertainer."
Perhaps because of that, I'd gone through five years as a trainee without ever considering any other path. There was no future for Kang Min that didn't include being an idol. And luck had been on my side.
―This week's number one is… Beyoud! Congratulations!
With a thunderous boom, flower petals scattered from all directions. Good members, a good song, and a company that supported us.
Beyoud, the Idol Group that debuted under the title of 'self-produced,' had claimed the number one spot on the music charts the moment we debuted. It was impossibly fast.
'Back then, it felt like the whole world was mine.'
But the world was decidedly not on his side. Ironically, not long after claiming first place, he Awakened as an A-rank Hunter.
Everyone else dreamed of Awakening to a high-rank Hunter, but Kang Min was different. Unfortunately, he did Awaken, and his rank was far too elevated to continue his idol career.
'Shop Owner, I'll really work hard. I can make sure it doesn't affect the group.'
'Min-ah… I understand your feelings, but I don't think that will be possible. I'm sorry.'
He had to undergo Hunter training, and his group had to manage an increasingly packed schedule. Balancing both was physically impossible.
In the end, he withdrew from the group and embarked on his path as a full-fledged Hunter.
'The public opinion wasn't bad back then, I'm sure of it.'
Kang Min was the leader and center of Beyoud. He possessed the kind of face anyone would find attractive, a spotless past free of scandal, and genuine love for his fans.
When fans learned of his sudden Awakening, they grieved while simultaneously cheering him on.
Since he hadn't left under negative circumstances, many fans chanted '5-1=0' and urged him to return whenever he wished.
-Oh, I feel so empty without Min.
-Congratulations on becoming a Hunter, but… it's still a shame
-I miss Minㅠㅠㅠ He always said good night to me.
-I just cry every time I see them perform…
But the idol industry was merciless, and it couldn't dwell on departed members forever.
-Wow, did they really perform this well?
-With 4 members, the stage feels so full, the intensity is insane
-Wow ㅠㅠㅠ This size is so small.
-The concept is perfect, who designed it?
└Our puppy Do-yu designed it!
└As expected, it is a self-produced idolㅠㅠㅠ It’s so loud
Why didn't I do this sooner lol, that feels so refreshing
-They really are good at performing, why didn't I notice before
More than two years had already passed since he withdrew and began his Hunter activities. The fans who initially missed and lamented his departure gradually shifted their focus to the remaining members.
Beyoud continued their activities without replacing him. While Kang Min was closing Gates, new songs were released, variety shows were filmed, and nationwide tours were held.
At some point, his name disappeared from the comments, and he forcibly turned a blind eye to all of the group's activities. He even quit the social media accounts he no longer needed, and on YouTube, which he occasionally watched, he only viewed healing videos of animals and babies.
But this entire process unfolded so gradually that he didn't realize he was festering. He brainwashed himself into thinking he was simply too busy for social media and threw himself into befriending new people.
Fortunately, Hunters were the same kind of people, and they liked him for being handsome and outgoing. Yes, that was enough.
'If only I hadn't run into them that day.'
I recalled the day I went to the Hunter Market. Meeting the members at the Cafe was truly the worst kind of misfortune.
When the members, who had matured beyond my memory, approached and proposed a new song challenge, I realized I hadn't practiced dancing at all during this time. Of course not. I was no longer an idol.
Yet fear gripped me nonetheless. If I danced poorly here, it felt like the idol 'Kang Min' would disappear completely.
Behind the approaching members, I saw people holding placards.
[We love Beyoud]
[♡Do-yu/T.J./Kang Sun-woo/Park Moon-hyuk♡]
[4REVER BEYOUD]
Naturally, my name wasn't there.
My breath caught. I rubbed my aching chest discreetly.
'Their hair… turned green.'
One member had dyed their hair a striking shade of green, while another had braided theirs in a reggae style.
Even his fashion sense had completely transformed since his debut. He'd moved on from that fresh, youthful concept to something far more conceptual and avant-garde.
Among all the members, only I still clung to this pink hair. Only I remained trapped in the past—a past no one wanted anymore.
'Damn it. What do I do? I need to make a comeback.'
The moment that realization struck, my gaze drifted toward my watch without thinking. It never occurred to me that someone might notice the silence—that the watch never rang.
I praised a new song I'd never even heard before, then stumbled out of the Cafe in a daze. I wanted to tear out every strand of this pink hair right then and there.
The comment was right. Even while working as a Hunter, I hadn't let go of those days. The proof was undeniable—I was still sporting the same hairstyle from the day I won first place on the music broadcast, two years ago.
'…Is this really going to make my fans love me again?'
Some might call it a blessing to complain about, but I never wanted to be a Hunter in the first place.
No matter how painful or difficult it became, I wanted to remain an idol forever.
After that brief moment of reflection, I fixed my gaze back on my phone screen. I switched the comments to newest first, and fresh replies appeared.
-Honestly, Kang Min leaving really improved the group's quality
-Now that I think about it, awakening back then was a godsend lol
└Real talk; I've followed a lot of idols, and someone with that much ego doesn't fit the idol image haha
└Just look at how he hogged parts for himself haha feels good that he's gone
└Kang Min would probably be hurt seeing this
I scrolled endlessly, barely remembering to breathe.
"Kang Min Hunter?"
At the sound of someone calling my name, I jerked my head up. Ha-neul, who ran the Taiyaki Shop, was staring at me with wide eyes.

—————

This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

—————