Sister of the Ranking 1st (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 11

Just then, the person who had answered the phone let out a voice barely suppressing hysteria. It was the guild member in charge of liaising with other guilds. It was obvious what they had just heard.

[(Special Report) Jeok Cheon Cheon Shin Woo Seen Meeting a Civilian?

Cheon Shin Woo, ranked number one in the country, reportedly seen meeting with a civilian…]

Yes, that’s the kind of article that had surfaced. Someone had published this piece using a photo of Cheon Shin Woo and me—though I had no idea where or when it was taken.

Shockingly, the story about Cheon Shin Woo’s terrible character conduct had been completely buried, replaced instead by a flood of articles solely focused on his private life!

Just thinking about it gave me a headache. When I first saw that article yesterday, I honestly hadn’t given it much thought—just clicked on it absentmindedly, thinking, “Who is Cheon Shin Woo meeting? Must be impressive—someone who managed to charm the rank-one player.”

Even while reading the article, I didn’t dwell on it deeply. When it mentioned things like, “Cheon Shin Woo affectionately stroked the other person’s head…,” I merely thought, “Huh, his hands really are big.”

But the moment I saw the photo provided by the informant—the girl in the picture wearing the same clothes and hairstyle as me, with Cheon Shin Woo gently stroking her head right in front…

That’s when everything finally clicked.

For about three seconds, my mind went completely blank. What kind of absurd, nonsensical article was this?! And when had that photo even been taken? The image quality was terrible, as if secretly snapped by a thief.

Thanks to that poor image quality, my face hadn’t been clearly revealed. Unfortunately, that was the only silver lining.

[(Comment) All those hardcore fans must be bawling their eyes out lol. Your oppa’s dating a civilian! I knew it back when you idiots defended that murderous, morally bankrupt guy. LMAO]

The comments beneath the article, and the resulting threads and follow-up pieces, were beyond ridiculous.

Me? The civilian allegedly dating Cheon Shin Woo?

It’d honestly be more believable if someone claimed a stray dog was playing a leaf flute while dancing the twist.

I couldn’t understand—who took that picture, who was the informant, and how could they publish an article without even verifying the facts? But there was nothing I could do about it.

Even if I said, “Excuse me, I’m the person in that photo, and I have absolutely no relationship with Cheon Shin Woo,” who would actually believe me?

By now, chaos had already erupted across every corner of the internet.

For example:

[(Title) I Actually Know JKK

I’ve seen that girl in person—she’s way smaller and more petite than you’d think. Her looks? Just so-so. Honestly, not someone JKK would normally go for.

(Comment) Stop lying lol. Why would CSW know you? Why do you brainless fangirls jump on anything related to him? Go study instead.

└Why’s this dude seething alone? Are you JKK’s personal AC unit?

(Comment) But wait—his partner’s an electric-type? How’s someone like that, a total moral wreck, even capable of dating anyone? His mom?

(Comment) Huh? I’m CL, and I think I know who she is. But she wasn’t that short…

└??

└└(Comment deleted.)

└└└Seriously??

└└└└Yeah, deleted to avoid identification.]

Cheon Shin Woo’s anti-search keywords and nicknames were casually scattered everywhere, as if it were perfectly normal.

But more unsettling was that someone from Cheonrang claimed to possibly know who I was… Who on earth could that be?

Now, I was consumed by an anxious fear—what if someone was watching me right now?

What if some anonymous person, hiding malicious intent, claimed to know me and posted something online?

It seemed too extreme—yet the mere thought that someone among them might be keeping tabs on me was unbearably stressful.

My work was suffering second to my spiraling anxiety, flooded with all kinds of wild thoughts.

Why on earth did Cheon Shin Woo’s assault on that host cause zero backlash, while I—an innocent bystander—had to endure this ordeal?

“Is he some kind of idol?”

Even an idol’s secret relationship getting exposed would be quieter than this.

Frankly, I was furious. Had Cheon Shin Woo gone mad to date a civilian—especially someone like me?

Since the information was unconfirmed and no new details emerged, I’d hoped the controversy would die down with time. Instead, it kept escalating.

On the fourth day since the article went live, while working, I absentmindedly checked an anonymous forum.

[(Anonymous) Seriously, what’s JKK lacking that he had to date a civilian? If I were her, I’d bow down and say, “Your humble servant, milord.” She must be seriously full of herself lol. Honestly, seeing that pic made me more embarrassed than her ugh.

(Anonymous) For real though—those were genuine “in-love” eyes. Damn, jealous. Wish someone like KKK could love me that deeply.

(Anonymous) How DARE she date my oppa! I’ll kill her—don’t even try stopping me. I swear I’ll show up with a knife. I’m A-rank too, you know? A civilian? I’ll slaughter her and go straight to heaven lol.

(Anonymous) ? You’d get wrecked by CSW before you even got close.]

Reading a death threat, I paused for a moment. If I reported this to the police… no, that’d just expose my identity.

By the one-week mark, Cheon Shin Woo still hadn’t contacted me, and Cheonrang remained completely silent about the dating rumors.

Just as I began to forget, someone would post another thread or news piece—mostly vicious attacks aimed at me, the civilian who dared steal Cheon Shin Woo.

Being cursed for something I didn’t even do was slowly making me dizzy with frustration beyond mere injustice. I didn’t understand why I kept checking despite knowing I should just ignore it.

Eventually, my team leader approached me with a concerned look and asked, “If it’s too hard, would you like to take sick leave?”

I had no choice but to acknowledge my condition.

“I’m fine. Sorry—I’ll make sure not to make any mistakes.”

“No, it’s not that… Ha Young, hasn’t it been only a short while since you went through the Gate? Even hunters starting their very first missions often take days off or seek counseling due to post-Gate trauma. I’m just worried—are you really okay? If it’s too much, please rest. I can recommend a good counselor.”

Hearing those words, something suddenly welled up inside me. Though some might see it as nosiness, the kindness felt warm. My issue wasn’t post-Gate trauma—but I was still grateful.

“Thank you, but I’m really okay. I won’t let it bother you.”

“…Alright, I’ll take your word for now. But if it gets hard, you absolutely must tell me, okay?”

“Yes.”

My team leader left with a skeptical expression. I forced myself to appear fine and returned to my work.

“It’s already been several days without incident—everything should be fine.”

Maybe I really was just being overly sensitive.

I let out a slow breath.

Once somewhat calmed, another question surfaced.

Now that I thought about it, it was strange. Most hunters—even without mental-type skills—suffered severe post-Gate symptoms. So why wasn’t I affected at all?

Ding.

My phone rang—distracted as I was, I wasn’t even working. On the screen appeared the name of someone who’d been persistently checking on me despite my lack of replies.

[BYH: Heard from Senior Min Young you got caught in a Gate recently. Are you okay?]

I barely replied once every four messages, yet this guy never gave up.

“Hmm.”

For a brief moment, I hesitated. If I asked to meet, he’d probably make time. Given my limited circle, my options for company were few.

Should I call him just to vent?

“Nah. I’ve got pride. Not Baek I Hyun.”

Just as I decided against it—

[BYH: Want to meet today if you’re free? My treat.] [Me: Sure. You’re buying fried chicken and beer.] [BYH: ?] [BYH: Who’s this?]

After my reply, he responded with “Who’s this?”

“What the hell…”

That was his response after I finally answered? I almost snapped—but then it hit me: this was just my karma. Words failed me. Silently, I typed back.

[Me: Park Ha Young has been devoured by me. If you want her back, bring half-spicy, half-original fried chicken and 900cc of beer to GGChuk.] [BYH: Haha, you scared me! Got it. Should I wait at our usual spot?] [Me: Yeah. I’ll be there around 7:30 after work.] [BYH: I’ll wait.]

We’d both gone through the same Returnee training—so why did he alone speak so politely? Was I just cheap in his eyes?

Still, having made plans to meet someone lifted my mood considerably. Even if he was an awkward presence for me, it was better than stewing alone in silence.

Since he was paying, I’d better ask for something expensive.

[This is the timeline separator]

During the bustling evening rush hour, I arrived at our meeting spot—already crowded with noise—and spotted a head of white hair in the distance.

He had a decently tall, well-built frame, snow-white hair, and sky-blue eyes—an exotic look that was unmistakably Baek I Hyun’s signature.

It really was fascinating. Awakening was said to alter one’s appearance to some degree, but few underwent such an unreal transformation.

Ever since his Return, Baek I Hyun had been an enigmatic boy with white hair and blue eyes—his charming, mixed East-West features had drawn plenty of admiration.

He seemed absorbed in his phone, clearly waiting for me. Seeing he looked exactly as he had the last time—with only his clothes changed—suddenly made me feel mischievous.

Time to prank him.

I slipped through the crowd, muffling my footsteps as I crept up behind him, ready to shout “Boo!”—

“Long time no see, Ha Young. How’ve you been?”

As if it were perfectly natural, Baek I Hyun turned around and greeted me with a smile.

“…Not fun.”

“Haha, I thought maybe you’d fall for it just this once—but it was obvious.”

With an angelic face and gentle smile, Baek I Hyun spoke warmly.

Of course, he hadn’t been fooled. He was, after all, a top-tier Awakened with sharp intuition.

Still, it wasn’t fun. Though admittedly, if he’d pretended to be fooled, I’d have been even more annoyed.

“I’ll react properly next time. Anyway, it really has been a while. Almost a year?”

“It’s been four months.”

“Nope, half a year. You haven’t changed a bit.”

“You say that, but neither have you.”

“Heh, really?”

Baek I Hyun chuckled softly and began walking slowly. Completely at ease despite our long separation, he radiated pure delight.

“How have you been lately?”

“Me? Same as always. Latest news—I entered an A-rank Gate for the first time recently.”

“Wow… impressive.”

“What about you?”

“Oh, nothing much. Just getting by.”

I’d actually survived an S-rank Gate he’d never even attempted—but I couldn’t bring myself to say it aloud, so I glossed over it vaguely. Baek I Hyun’s expression remained warmly cheerful.

“Heard you joined Cheonrang. Congrats.”

“Late to the party—it’s been a while since I joined.”

“You barely ever pick up my calls.”

“…”