Harley’s Modern Diary (1)
Contrary to what I had prepared for, my first schedule at the broadcasting station finished without much trouble.
In fact, it wasn’t that abnormal.
It’s not like anyone would openly express malice face-to-face, especially not in the real world, as opposed to the internet where thorough anonymity and safety are guaranteed.
‘Especially not in front of someone who could harm you at any moment.’
After a large-scale terror attack had turned the capital into a wreck, life went back to normal, and most shops resumed business the next day, indicating just how accustomed society was to violence.
Although the vampires claimed to be shifting towards a more moderate stance recently, they are predators, after all.
One wrong move, and angering a vampire could spark a catastrophe, so it was only natural for the other side to be cautious.
“Of course, now and then there are friends who seem to have lost their minds.”
“Grrr…!”
In the underground parking lot of the broadcasting station, Harley looked down at the man struggling in his grasp, scratching the back of his head with his other hand.
Despite the man clawing at him and kicking, he didn’t budge an inch.
He simply added a tiny bit of force to his finger to keep the man subdued.
“Hmm, I kind of anticipated this might happen.”
It had been a few days since Lycoris had officially started their activities.
There hadn’t been any particularly noteworthy incidents up until now.
Just the regular appearances at various broadcasting stations as per the idol project’s intention.
‘To build familiarity, we must start by getting used to it.’
Given how sensational the group was, there was no need to worry about invitations.
In fact, sorting through the hidden malice among the flood of offers was more of a hassle.
It wouldn’t do to end up working with someone with ulterior motives and get the devil’s editing treatment, right?
At least I could somewhat filter it out by researching the program’s managers and their entourages…
But predicting that a low-level staff would cause trouble was unavoidable.
“Well, you’ve got to love it; I never expected someone would try to plant a bomb in the vehicle.”
And not just any bomb, but a special magic bomb reinforced with concealment functions.
Harley looked over at the unconscious man dangling in his grip.
No matter how you looked at it, he wasn’t an Awakened One.
He was merely a staff member taking on various menial tasks at the broadcasting station.
He looked nothing like someone who could get his hands on such artifacts from another world.
‘Guess a serious talk is in order.’
Ultimately, in resolving misunderstandings and working things out amicably, conversation is key.
Of course, even with that, there would be limits to what could be uncovered.
I didn’t think this man, who appeared to have been used, would possess much information.
‘Well, that can’t be helped. I’ll just have to take it slow and dig through things one by one.’
If I hadn’t sensed danger, it would be one thing, but now that I had, sitting idle wasn’t an option.
Having someone lurking around with the ability to acquire such items meant they were aiming for us.
‘Maybe the Buncheon Society is starting to make moves.’
Harley tossed the subdued man into the vehicle and turned back toward the area where the assigned idols were filming.
‘For sure, we need to strengthen our information network. It’d be better to have people with abilities related to that, like Andrew Weaver. But where to find such people?’
While the Blood Alliance ruled the nights in Korea, that was merely a figurative expression of being the largest underground force.
This was a democratic state, after all, and one of the major powers with a government that still held its control intact.
‘I’ll have to use Andrew more. Once he gets to work with others in the same field, he’ll be happier too. First, I need to bolster our numbers…’
Just then, Harley’s steps came to a halt as a sharp sense began to focus on one point.
His brow furrowed behind his sunglasses.
“Whoa?”
A chuckle escaped his lips.
What the heck was happening while he briefly stepped away?
He snapped his wrist and strode forward.
It looked like he would have to scrape together some drama today.
*
A chilly atmosphere lingered in the variety show filming site.
Yet, neither the broadcasting staff nor the PD, the captain of this place, could muster a word, merely pacing anxiously and staring at the center of the commotion.
“Tsk, what a bunch of monsters. Where are their eyes to challenge us?”
“It’s hilarious. Who knows how many people those demons might have devoured today, and they’re just strutting around the broadcasting station like they own the place?”
“Ha ha! Doesn’t that just mean they’ve got powerful backing? We might end up being ousted from the entertainment industry!”
“Hmph, if that’s the case, I can just move to another place. A country that bends to vampires isn’t where I want to be.”
“Oh, I might need to consider immigration seriously then.”
They had no choice.
The five men and women who suddenly barged in and froze the filming site were powerful enough to warrant such thoughts.
‘Famous celebrities who’d be hard to encounter usually!’
If they hadn’t come for bad reasons, I would’ve loved to at least try to scout them.
But the PD and the staff could only hold their breath and silently observe.
This wasn’t merely out of concern for their reputations; there were more practical reasons at play.
“Oh? What will you do if I glare at you? Why? Want to throw down?”
Leading the pack, a woman frowned and poked Lycoris’s leader, Yoon Seol.
Even though she was fully aware the other person was a vampire, there wasn’t the slightest hint of hesitation in her manner.
“…”
The members of Lycoris, including Yoon Seol, simply kept their mouths shut.
They weren’t holding back their strength; they just understood the situation.
Deep down, they knew they couldn’t win against even the one woman leading them.
‘Sword Saint Cheon Seol-hyang…’
A guardian who once hunted demons during the early chaos, she unexpectedly retired due to an accident and entered the entertainment industry, reaching the pinnacle as an actress.
She was far stronger than Yoon Seol, who had reached level six thanks to the blessing of a lord, having achieved the limits of a human as a returnee.
The appearance of returnees had a massive impact on society across various fields, and the entertainment industry was no exception.
Lycoris had made headlines when they declared their entry into the entertainment world as vampires framed within demon lore.
The number of Awakened Ones well-established in this field worldwide was by no means small.
Among them, Cheon Seol-hyang stood out as a representative with over a decade of experience.
With her stunning looks, exceptional acting skills, and overwhelming action adaptability, no need for CG or wires.
And now, an ex-guardian was radiating intense hostility.
‘Not just her, but everyone there is stronger than Yoon Seol… We stand no chance.’
Nahee, standing behind her companions, bit her lip.
The eldest sister, who had stepped forward to protect her members, was enduring the humiliation alone, and yet there was nothing she could do, anger welling up inside her.
‘I knew. I already knew this was how I’d be treated…’
No matter how successful their debut song had been, it would hardly change the perception of vampires.
It was, after all, a project born to tackle such difficult situations.
I was thoroughly prepared to face this antagonistic response.
“It’s unpleasant, so could you stop tainting the air and just disappear from this scene? Honestly, I’d prefer if you just died…”
“…”
The face of Jin So-Ran, who had always cared for her like an older sister during her time with the moderate crew, crossed her mind.
The dream they had nurtured, talking about the ‘world of stars’ little by little.
‘But I…!’
Until now, she had resigned herself.
Thinking it was absurd to be an entertainer as a vampire, she chastised herself for harboring excessive greed after having survived thanks to her father’s sacrifice.
“I’m quite disappointed with you, PD. No matter how thirsty you are for ratings, bringing in demons is just unacceptable.”
“B-but, I—”
“Hmm, I’ll need to discuss this with the department head… or rather, I should speak with the director.”
“Ah! C-Director Cheon!”
She hadn’t taken it lightly when she first volunteered for this project as an office assistant for Heterosis.
Memories of Jin So-Ran, who seemed to take delight in progressing this plan, and the members who had endured hardships with her flashed through her mind.
‘How did we come this far? Do you expect me to give up over something trivial like this?’
Memories of the past overlapped with the present reality.
And in that moment, something snapped in her mind.
“Whew.”
That was why.
With a deep sigh, Nahee stepped forward and boldly declared,
“…Auntie. We’ve got work to do now, okay? So could you please keep it brief and leave?”
Instantly, the air froze.
The crew members who had been bustling around, the brawlers, and even the other members of Lycoris turned to stare at her with wide eyes.
“A-auntie? You…!”
Cheon Seol-hyang’s eyes twitched.
Thanks to her ability, she maintained her youthfulness, but she was now well into her forties.
Being called that by a girl who looked like a middle schooler stung deeply.
“W-wait, Nahee? No matter what, she’s a senior…”
“Oh right, my mistake, my mistake. But, you see? Can’t you see the chaos around? All the seniors caused this full stop? If you have complaints, come to find me later when things wrap up; do you have any idea how many people you’re impacting? You’re a so-called senior, right?”
Even if her tone was off, it was undeniably the truth.
After all, it wasn’t common for them to cause such ruckus.
Cleanup afterward would be a real pain if they disregarded their reputation.
However, they only pulled this stunt because they evaluated that the benefits of such chaos outweighed the costs.
Having built up their cards, they were confident they could appropriately dampen the fallout.
But aside from that…
“You’re being rude, kid.”
With Cheon Seol-hyang’s icy voice, Nahee felt her throat tighten as her brash words hung in the air.
Only then did she realize the gravity of her words, but it was too late.
Cold eyes scrutinized her like a predator looking at its frozen prey.
As the atmosphere shifted, silence enclosed the area.
“Wow, looks like that kid really pushed her buttons.”
“Hey! Take it easy, no need to kill her, right? That’d make cleanup difficult.”
“Whew, seems like things are about to get troublesome.”
Times had changed since the cataclysm.
The Abilities Management Bureau and Guardians worked tirelessly to maintain order in society, but with changing times, many things were bound to shift.
One of those changes was the disputes arising among Awakened Ones.
On Earth, there were no monsters to defeat, nor was there a Demon King threatening the world.
In that situation, unrestrained use of abilities by those with powers was impossible.
“Seems like you’re getting all high and mighty just because you’ve got a phantom backing you… You might need a lesson about how dangerous it is to be arrogant.”
The most vital aspect was individual strength.
The moment one unnecessarily unleashed it and harmed civilians, they’d be marked as a villain, but using it as a means to resolve conflicts between each other wasn’t frowned upon as much.
As long as they didn’t kill or inflict serious harm.
‘Since she’s a vampire, she should at least have basic regeneration abilities.’
Cheon Seol-hyang sharply raised her hand, slicing through the air with a calculated motion.
Of course, by her standards.
“W-wait…!”
“Nahee!”
A sharp wind whipped through.
As the Lycoris members encircled the frozen Nahee, the strongest among them, including Yoon Seol, gathered their blood magic to shield her.
‘This isn’t an all-out attack! At least a single strike…!’
The attack from a foe easily exceeding level seven was surely not something to take lightly.
Even if they managed to block it, they wouldn’t emerge unscathed.
Thoughts of “what would happen to filming if everything fell apart” crossed Nahee’s mind, resembling escapism.
“Geez, what’s with this grown man getting upset over a little kid speaking the truth?”
A now-familiar languid voice reached her ears.
Crack—
Suddenly appearing out of nowhere, Harley stood broad-shouldered, blocking their path.
He extended a hand forward, grasping at the air, and a sound akin to something cracking echoed.
““Director Ha!””
At the call of his name, the neatly dressed, sunglass-wearing figure turned slightly.
After glancing over them, he nonchalantly nodded.
“Everyone’s fine, right? Just need to tidy up a bit, and filming shouldn’t be affected.”
“…Director, are you crazy?”
A member blurted out, seemingly incredulous.
Why would filming even be possible in this situation?
“Ha ha! Well, that’s not entirely wrong, but it can’t be helped, can it? I have a next schedule, so wasting more time is not an option.”
“No, the filming’s definitely canceled…”
Ignoring their protests, Harley turned his gaze forward, staring at the five men and women with furrowed brows.
‘Are these folks also associated with those who wanted to plant bombs?’
His eyes scanned the guests before him.
The returnees who had just arrived were all somewhat older.
In other words, they belonged to a generation that had physically experienced the brutality of ‘demon’ vampires in some capacity.
They had legitimate reasons to step forth with a sense of justice.
‘Especially that woman…’
His focus landed on the actress in front of everyone.
Through Hesperon’s rapid information processing, he quickly transmitted the relevant data.
‘Cheon Seol-hyang, strong enough to be nominated as the next branch director of the Guardians, was highly respected…’
A decade ago, she had fallen into a trap set by the Blood Alliance, losing all her troops and barely surviving, suddenly retiring and entering the entertainment industry.
Given her abilities and connections, she was not someone to be treated lightly.
Of course, Harley was unconcerned about such trivial matters.
“…Who are you? You don’t seem like a vampire.”
“Enough, let’s just wrap this up! We can have one-on-one talks while filming.”
He shrugged off his suit jacket and tossed it aside, rolling up his sleeves.
A dazzling smile revealed pearly white teeth that gleamed under the filming set lights.
