Labyrinth Exploration 101 - L.E Chapter 36 (Part 2): Hate You (3)

Kim A-rang smiled as she watched Seol Ha-woon’s interview.

A good program needed a narrative. Here, “good” meant ratings and buzz—and right now, Ha-woon’s story was building.

Sure, he was getting flamed at the moment.

But reversals made for great narratives. A brief dip into mud and criticism only serves as fertilizer for later growth.

In the end, skill and capability would overturn public opinion.

“…Looks like we’ve got more seasoning.”

Taking it a step further, Kim A-rang turned her attention to the dynamic between Seo Ji-woo and Seol Ha-woon.

Labyrinth Exploration NaN isn’t just some dating show. People didn’t suddenly develop crushes or vote based on first impressions. With cameras everywhere except the dorms, romance was practically impossible.

Yet, that kind of *chemistry* undeniably boosted the show’s impact.

From Kim A-rang’s perspective, Seol Ha-woon and Seo Ji-woo were shaping up nicely.

Seo Ji-woo appeared indifferent toward him, while Seol Ha-woo kept adding unnecessary fuel to the fire—literally, in the case of stacking firewood, and figuratively, in how he insisted on saving and nursing her back to health.

“It’s cold outside,” he’d said.

Thanks to that, Seol Ha-woon’s interview was currently being reconstructed in Kim A-rang’s mind.

In a much ‘better’ direction.

—

Q : You happened to find Seo Ji-woo-ssi right before her elimination. Was there a reason you went out of your way to save her?

A : A reason… for saving her?

Q : Yes. This is still a competition, right? Having a strong competitor fail would’ve been more beneficial for you. And yet, not only did you save her, but you even formed a team together.

A: …….

Ha-woon didn’t answer.

After a long silence, his voice came out softly, almost shy.

A : I… don’t really know.

His original, lengthy explanation—“At the time, I had food and shelter, but having an extra teammate was good preparation for unexpected situations”—was replaced with a single, fresh-faced line:

“I don’t really know.”

—

Q : After the blizzard cleared, we saw you teasing Seo Ji-woo. Did you do that because you’d grown close?

A :…Yes. A little.

For the first time, Ha-woon smiled warmly.

A-rang had edited out all of Ha-woon’s unnecessary muttering and trivial actions until now.

That’s why this one smile carried impact.

There was undeniable charm in his expression.

“…You.”

A-rang stared at the screen.

He seemed to grow more handsome with each passing day.

“Go climb as far as you can.”

At first, she’d thought making the debut cut—top 8—would be a success.

But now, ambition burned in her chest. An insatiable greed flared like wildfire.

‘If you’re thinking the same as me, Ha-woon…’

“I’ll make sure you get there.”

It wasn’t impossible.

A-rang picked up her phone.

“Call Seo Ji-woo back. We have more to interview.”

***

…Seo Ji-woo was a mage.

A genius who’d entered the magic school at 17 and had consistently been diagnosed with immense potential.

But she had never wanted to be a mage.

If anything, she vaguely despised them.

She hated the word ‘mage’ itself. The pretentiousness of people who acted superior despite being just like everyone else disgusted her.

It was probably because of her father.

Her father’s lifelong dream had been to become a mage.

A pitiful dream. His greatest aspiration was to earn a single title from the Magic Association’s old fossils.

Her mother grew tired of her father and left. Seo Ji-woo followed her mother, but soon after, her mother fell ill and passed away. Alone, Ji-hyuk brought her back home.

To Ji-woo, *he* was her father.

Her brother, her dad, her friend.

So when he decided to become a soldier, she felt betrayed. Soldiers belonged in the military, not at home.

But it was his dream. Not just to be a soldier—but to protect and save as many people as possible.

Seo Ji-hyuk did become a soldier. He endured brutal battlefields but came back to her on leave every year. As the years passed, he grew more admirable in Ji-woo’s eyes.

Perhaps, she had taken it for granted.

It was a delusion.

One day, he returned in a coffin.

As she touched his cold cheek, she realized too late that her brother had always been risking his life.

He’d walked the line between life and death countless times, but this time, he hadn’t made it back.

A single failure meant his death.

Ji-woo’s world shattered.

Her daily life crumbled into fragments. Reality felt like a dream. She desperately wished it was all a lie, but the death before her was absolute.

…No matter how much she mourned or suffered, the dead could not return.

Ji-hyuk wouldn’t have wanted her endless sorrow, either. He wouldn’t have wanted her to break under the weight of pain.

With that in mind, Ji-woo forced herself to move on—but a huge part of her heart had been torn out.

Maybe her capacity for affection had vanished entirely.

—

Q : After the blizzard cleared, we saw you teasing Seo Ji-woo. Did you do that because you’d grown close?

A :…Yes. A little.

That’s why she was so flustered now.

Kim A-rang showed her the edited version of Ha-woon’s interview. He’d smiled brightly when talking about Ji-woo—a side of him she’d never seen.

“What do you think? Seol Ha-woon-ssi seems to believe you two built an emotional connection in that cabin.”

PD Kim’s tone was polite yet direct. Ji-woo’s mind blanked.

“W-well… Seol Ha-woon-ssi just happened to save me…”

“The first time might’ve been coincidence, but not after that.”

A-rang played another clip.

—

Q : You happened to find Seo Ji-woo-ssi right before her elimination. Was there a reason you went out of your way to save her?

A : A reason… for saving her?

Q : Yes. This is still a competition, right? Having a strong competitor fail would’ve been more beneficial for you. And yet, not only did you save her, but you even formed a team together.

A :…I don’t really know.

—

His answer—“I don’t really know”—made Ji-woo jolt. The shyness in his voice made the least likely possibility suddenly plausible.

Was that why Ha-woon kept looking out for her?

Ji-woo struggled to form words.

“I… I didn’t—”

“You didn’t?”

A-rang pressed. Ji-woo scratched the back of her neck and forced a bitter smile.

“I-I wasn’t thinking anything.”

“Nothing at all?”

“…Yeah. We barely knew each other. And I doubt he does either…”

She didn’t even know what she was saying. She rambled before swallowing hard.

“We’re here to become explorers, right?”

She glanced at Kim A-rang, seeking agreement. We gathered here to become explorers, not for romance.

A-rang smiled and nodded.

“Yes. That’s right.”

“I… That’s all… Cough.”

“Good. Then let’s end the interview here. Go rest.”

A-rang grinned and waved her off.

Dangun

I'm currently Translating the following novels: "Labyrinth Exploration 101" & "The Monarch Who Levels Up by Devouring " If you want to support me and read more chapters please subscribe to my Patreon!

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