THE SURVIVORS dubbed the day the Cracks appeared all over the world as the 'Outbreak.'
It happened nine years ago.
Back then, Wonhee was only a sixteen-year-old high school freshman attending a prestigious arts school.
[Year 1:]
It was pure hell.
People lost their lives, families, homes, and everything they cherished.
The economy collapsed, the country was in ruins, and the government could barely protect and feed its citizens. People soon turned out to be scarier than monsters because of the lengths they were willing to go through to survive.
Needless to say, the crime rate in the country had hit an all-time high.
Only the 1% of the 1%, aka the top 0.01 of the rich or the wealthiest of the wealthiest, continued living in safety and luxury even after the Outbreak.
Fortunately, the government recovered its power quickly.
Their country had lucked out because the president of the time and his grandson both awakened as A-Class Hunters. Moreover, the daughter of a
The government and that chaebol family worked together to stabilize the country.
Plus, it helped that the First Generation of Hunters was composed of different types of Awakened People that contributed to their country's quick recovery.
First, the Culinary Hunters. As its name suggested, these types of Hunters had the skills and the equipment to cook monster meat and turn it into edible food for humans. The Culinary Hunters saved people from starving.
Second, the Alchemist Hunters who could make all kinds of potions (and poisons). Thanks to the Alchemists, the mortality rate in the country had lowered significantly over the years.
Last but, definitely not the least, were the Blacksmith Hunters. The Blacksmiths could make weapons that worked against monsters. Hence, effectively making them the backbone of the country's military power.
These three types of Hunters, along with the Big 4, helped Korea recover faster than the other countries in the world.
[Year 2:]
The 'new normal' began.
By this time, the Big 4 had already established their private agencies. The Winter Guild, the Summer Guild, the Autumn Guild, and the Spring Guild– collectively known as the Four Seasons– had become bigger and more powerful than the government.
The government had no choice but to allow certain privileges to the Big 4 because the country would collapse again if the Big 4 refused to cooperate with them.
It was a small price to pay anyway.
After all, it was the Big 4 who put their lives on the line every time a Crack appeared.
Thanks to the frequent successful raids that the Big 4 led, the number of times the Cracks appeared had lessened quite significantly. It was also the Big 4 who invented a device that could detect if a Crack was about to open nearby.
This allowed the Civilians to slowly rebuild their lives safely.
But not everyone was directly affected by the Outbreak.
As much as it was embarrassing to admit, Wonhee's life remained comfortable during those hellish years– and she felt so guilty about it.
[Year 3:]
Order had been restored and new laws had been implemented.
It was the year more Awakened People had awakened.
And it was also the year the government's new agency was established: The Awakened People Association (APA). It was an agency built to accommodate the newly Awakened People, but it was also meant to keep the Big 4 and their guilds in check.
Despite the tension between the APA and the Four Seasons, the industry revolving around the Awakened People had begun to thrive– opening more opportunities and jobs to both the Awakened People and the Civilians.
[Year 4:]
This was the year people had adapted to the new world.
Instead of face-to-face classes, schools offered online classes to their students. Companies then gave their office workers the choice to work at home. Most convenience stores, restaurants, and even cafés remained closed but offered delivery services.
Online stores and online shopping became prevalent since most Civilians were still too afraid to leave the house, even though it was still relatively safe now because of the Hunters that patrolled the streets.
It was hard to overcome trauma, after all.
This was embarrassing to admit, but Wonhee hadn't suffered for the past four years since the Outbreak began– not as much as the others, at least. After all, she was able to continue her studies in the comfort and safety of her own penthouse.
[Year 5:]
Maybe this was the year people could say that the country had finally stabilized.
Schools were opened again– as well as churches, malls, amusement parks, restaurants, and other establishments that used to be locked down.
The Vice President of APA– the grandson of the former president who was also a First Generation Blacksmith Hunter– even established an entertainment agency to support his younger sister who was an actress pre-pandemic.
Apparently, the APA Vice President thought people needed the entertainment industry back to get them distracted from the new normal even for just a while.
And it worked.
Even people who didn't like celebrities before suddenly became invested in the entertainment industry, while those who had always liked showbiz became even more engrossed in it once Awakened People began dominating the glamorous world of stars.
Thus, the country's entertainment industry thrived once again.
And, thanks to that, Wonhee was able to make her comeback as an actress. She only accepted small roles and commercial films at her family's request, though.
But it was still an eventful year for her because it was the year she met Lee Seodam.
The first time they met was when Wonhee ordered pizza delivery to her penthouse. She thought Seodam was cute then, so she started ordering pizza from his workplace every weekend just to see him.
Unfortunately for Wonhee's manager
Why?
Because Wonhee was too shy to confess her feelings for Seodam.
[Year 6:]
"Miss Chu, you can stop ordering pizza from our store now."
Wonhee, who was surprised by what Seodam said when she received the box of pizza that she ordered, almost burst into tears. "H-Huh?"
It was her high school graduation day, and the day she decided to confess her feelings.
But why did it feel like this was going to be a bad day for her?
"W-Why are you telling me to stop ordering pizza from your store?"
"Because this is my last day as a pizza delivery boy. I found a new job."
"I don't understand…"
Seodam tilted his head to one side, his face stoic but his eyes had a glint of playfulness in them. "Aren't you only ordering pizza from our store just to see me?"
Oh, he knows.
Wonhee blushed when she realized Seodam already knew that she had a crush on him, then she panicked. "I-I'm sorry for being creepy. If you only quit your job because I made you uncomfortable, then p-please don't. I won't bother you at work again, so…"
"No, it's not like that," Seodam said while shaking his head. "You didn't make me uncomfortable, Miss Chu."
"R-Really?"
"Really," he assured her. "I've saved enough for my tuition fee, so I no longer need to work full-time. I have a new part-time job, though. I'll be a barista in a café near Yeonwoo University starting next week."
"You go to Yeonwoo University?"
Seodam nodded shyly.
"That's a prestigious university," she said, amazed. "You're smart smart."
"Thank you," he said, smiling. "The café I work at is called Hopeful. I just learned how to make coffee. If you visit our café, I'll make one for you."
Okay, that made her heart race. "Is it really okay if I show up at your new work?"
"If I wasn't comfortable with it, then I wouldn't have told you about my new workplace."
"Ah, I see…" She trailed off, and then she blushed again when the realization hit her. "Oh. Did you tell me about your new workplace because you want me to continue being your customer?"
Seodam looked shocked by what she said, and then he laughed.
It was a pleasant sight.
Seodam often had a stoic look on his face, so it was nice to see and hear him laugh.
Especially when I'm the reason behind that big smile of his.
"Miss Chu, I like you."
Wonhee gasped at Seodam's unexpected confession.
OH MY GOSH!
"I'm not really familiar with celebrities even before the Outbreak, but even I know that you're a famous star," Seodam said shyly. In fact, his face was slightly flushed as he lowered his gaze to the ground and scratched his cheek. "That's mainly the reason why it took me this long to confess my feelings for you, Miss Chu. This is embarrassing to admit, but I only gathered the courage to confess when I noticed that you feel the same way towards me."
Wonhee let out an embarrassed laugh. "Oh. Was I being too obvious?"
He looked at her and nodded, a small smile plastered on his handsome face. "I began to notice every little thing about you ever since I realized my feelings for you, Miss Chu."
"I'm younger so you don't have to address me formally, Seodam-
"Then, maybe, you should also address me more comfortably, Wonhee
Hearing Seodam call her name affectionately made her blush again. "Okay, O-Oppa."
"Let me introduce myself properly, Wonhee-ya," Seodam said, straightening his back as he looked into her eyes. "I'm Lee Seodam, twenty-four years old, a sophomore university student. I have an older sister and a younger brother, and we were raised by a single mother. All of us are Civilians. I'm currently the breadwinner of the family, so I need to work as much as I can."
Oh.
Seodam was the middle child, and yet he was the breadwinner.
That's admirable.
"Wonhee-ya, I know that we have different social statuses," Seodam said, obviously nervous. "But if you're okay with someone like me, then please give me a chance and go out with me. I promise to treat you well."
Aww.
Wonhee burst out crying, but those were happy tears. "I'd love to go out with you, Seodam Oppa," she said between sobs, then she bowed to him lightly. "Please take care of me from now on."
[Year 7:]
It was a lucky year for both Wonhee and Seodam.
Wonhee finally accepted a lead role again after her long hiatus, and her new drama was a huge success domestically and overseas.
On the other hand, Seodam awakened as a B-Class Hunter.
[Year 8:]
This was a rough year for Wonhee.
Something happened at work that forced her to go on a hiatus again.
But she was happy for Seodam who quickly rose to fame for his talent.
Her boyfriend was only a B-Class Hunter, but he caught the eye of the President of the Awakened People Association (APA). The APA President took Seodam under his wing and introduced him to Park Ruda– a famous B-Class Guide.
Ah, right.
This was also the year SeoDa– the ship name of Seodam and Ruda, pronounced as 'soda')– garnered a lot of 'shippers' all over the world…
… and Wonhee became the most hated celebrity simply for being Seodam's girlfriend.
[Year 9:]
Wonhee's life was about to change drastically this year.
And the catalyst for that change was Seodam breaking up with her for his Guide.
***
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