I was really living the life these days, you know. I didn't even need to accept the money my parents offered anymore. I was earning more than enough on my own. And best of all, no one looked down on me at school anymore.
Though I'll admit, the attention was starting to get a little overwhelming. I had to make a run for it after every class break just to avoid being swarmed.
Still, I didn't hate it. Not at all. For the first time, I felt like I could express myself freely. I was honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed performing and singing. More than anything else, it made me feel alive. Every time I stepped on stage, I felt like a different person. It was the only place where I could let my emotions run wild and unfiltered.
I never imagined my life would come to this point.
But something still felt like it was missing. I didn't know what it was. Everything had been too hectic lately for me to even stop and think about it.
So I just continued with my day.
At the agency, I had just finished a photoshoot for an advertisement. I was heading to the dressing room when I overheard the makeup artist and the stylist gossiping.
"Did you see the update in the leaderboards?"
"Of course I did! I can't believe he advanced and made it to top one!"
"Oh goodness, how scary. What's going to happen now?"
They kept talking like the world was ending.
Leaderboards? They updated?
The leaderboard for rankers was displayed in the middle of the city. Every country had one. It was part of the mysterious system that supported hunters. It tracked the top individuals who gained experience points from slaying monsters, ranked based on level and contribution.
As far as I knew, the number one spot had always belonged to "The Sword Sage," one of the first people awakened when monsters first appeared. He had been dead for a long time, and yet no one had ever managed to surpass him.
So were they saying someone finally did?
Curiosity got the best of me. I leaned in closer to eavesdrop as they kept talking.
"Why, of all hunters, did it have to be him? He probably cheated his way to the top."
"I know, right? We only have six S-rankers in this country, and somehow it's him? I'm scared to even go out these days. People say he's been releasing monsters into public places, like he values them more than human lives."
"That's why they call him the Villain Ranker."
Wait. Villain Ranker?
Isn't that...
I quickly pulled out my phone and opened the news app.
And there it was.
Not this again.
I had completely forgotten about him. I had been so busy chasing this new life, caught up in schedules, appearances, and building my image, that I didn't even notice how much time had passed.
His public image had gotten even worse.
How could I let this slip away from me? I used to be so worried about him, about his mother too. Now, while I stood in the light, the world had turned its back on him completely.
The public outrage was terrifying.
While I had been away, Ezekiel's situation had spiraled. He was being accused of multiple murders, and of stealing rare and expensive resources during an official dungeon raid.
He hadn't been convicted, because the evidence was lacking, but people didn't care. The backlash was relentless.
I felt awful. Completely powerless. I knew that if I tried to speak up for him online, I would just be shouted down like last time.
But maybe now... maybe I could do something different. I wasn't just some faceless user behind a screen anymore. I had a voice. I had a platform. Even if I was still new to the industry, maybe I could help just a little. Maybe I could help people see him differently.
I sat alone in a quiet office room, scrolling through my feed. My hands hovered over my phone, then I opened my official account and started typing.
I wrote about the person I remembered. About how he saved me once. How I still believed in him, and that people shouldn't jump to conclusions without solid proof.
My hands trembled a little as I hit publish.
A few minutes later, while I was still resting in that office, the door burst open with a loud slam.
It was the vice president of the agency. She was older and well-known within the company for being strict and old-fashioned. She hadn't even been officially hired, but had been brought in through the influence of a high-ranking relative. And now, here she was, her face twisted into a scowl.
"You newbie! How could you be so careless!"
She stormed toward me, and before I could even process what was happening—
SLAP!
She struck me across the face.
"Do you not have the decency to ask permission from the agency or your manager before posting anything online? Do you even understand how much we've invested in you? And you throw it all away in a second."
I just sat there, holding my cheek. It stung. But what hurt more was how powerless I felt all over again. I could barely hold back my tears. It reminded me how my bullies used to beat me before, and I couldn't do anything but endure it.
Jhon appeared then, stepping between us.
"Madam, Viola is still new. Besides, there's nothing in her contract that forbids her from posting about her life, as long as it isn't scandalous."
"Even if it wasn't scandalous, she associated herself with someone the public hates. Do you understand the risk? What if the jeans brand we're promoting pulls out? What if sales drop? She has no idea what kind of damage she can do."
She turned to me with a final warning.
"This is why I told you we should have looked for awakened stars. Not some ordinary girl who doesn't understand the hunter world. People want heroes, not sympathy for criminals."
Then she stormed out.
Was the post I made really that bad? All I did was talk about how he helped me once. I said I still believed in him. I said people shouldn't jump to conclusions without evidence.
I let out a bitter laugh.
I thought I finally had a voice.
But in the end, I was just another pawn. Another pretty face used by a company that only cared about pleasing those above them and making a profit.
I felt powerless all over again.
A few days later, the post I made did get some hate at first. But soon enough, it was spun into something else. People started calling it an act of kindness, a show of compassion towards a bad person. Suddenly, I was a saint or something.
I guess the company had tried their best to fix it and turned the whole situation into an opportunity to boost my public image.
The internet gave me all kinds of names.
Pure and innocent Viola. The angelic queen. The saintess. And a bunch of other cheesy titles.
Saint? What a joke.
If I could punch everyone in the face for that, I would.
Maybe it was the same for him. Maybe they called him a villain just to make the story more entertaining. Maybe they needed someone to play the monster so they could feel better about themselves.