Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Death Anniversary
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Inside a public memorial park operated by Seoul City.
In that place, heavy with atmosphere, a man in black clothes spoke to the others.
"Hey. Woo-jin. Do-han's not coming again this time?"
"Yeah. I mentioned it was this Wednesday when we met last time... but I don't think he's coming."
"Cold-hearted bastard."
"...Don't say it like that."
Because he's probably hurting the most.
"Hey. Gonna step out for a smoke."
"Want me to come with?"
"You hate the smell of cigarettes. Just stay inside."
After that, Woo-jin fiddled with the cigarette pack in his pocket and headed outside.
.
The air in the columbarium is, of course, oppressively heavy.
It's already been three years. Ever since that guy took his own life, we've been meeting here every year. Except for one person.
"...Dude. It's about time to let him go."
I get it. He and Do-han had a pretty long history.
Since they came from the same orphanage, compared to me who only started hanging out with him from middle school, their bond was a little longer.
'...Should quit while I'm at it.'
I really should quit now. But a day like today should be fine.
I pulled out my lighter, lit up, and took a light drag... The red flame flickered briefly, and pale smoke rose up.
"... ."
Do-han was the first one to find his body.
...Then me, who got the call, and the guy still inside arrived.
'That was total chaos.'
There were no relatives to hold the funeral, so we had to step in and take care of it.
That's when I first learned there's a job called a funeral director.
That's when I looked at Do-han and realized it. That a person can cry without shedding a single tear.
"Sigh."
Today's cigarette smoke felt a little thicker, spreading a little wider.
After Hwa-young's first schedule of the day—drama filming—wrapped up,
she and I hopped in the car and sped along the road toward the next appointment.
Vroom.
'Wow.'
Riding in a luxury car for the first time in my life, I couldn't help but marvel at the smooth ride.
The supple feel of the steering wheel, the opulent yet tasteful interior, the unshakable comfort. Simmons bed-level... something like that.
"Yawn... I'm gonna catch a quick nap. Wake me when we get there."
"Got it."
Hwa-young, seated in the passenger seat, said that and promptly closed her eyes.
'...She must be exhausted.'
Even just looking at the schedule listed here—interviews, magazine photoshoots, drama cameos, fan signings...
Excluding the occasional patrols in between or being on call for villain subduals in emergencies, it was the full life of a popular celebrity.
'A power nap like this should help ease the fatigue.'
As I thought that and focused even harder on driving so as not to wake her,
"Oh. Got a question. Mind if I ask?"
Hwa-young, whom I'd thought was asleep, suddenly spoke up.
"No can do. Just sleep."
"Why'd you quit the force? To open a cocktail bar?"
She pressed on, unfazed by my curt reply.
It was a bit out of left field.
"Why the sudden curiosity?"
"Just saw a patrol car go by outside. Got me wondering."
Seemed like an offhand question with no deeper meaning.
'Why I quit the police... huh.'
The reason I left the force was simple.
A guy who couldn't even look after the people around him playing cop? Ridiculous.
.
Like most kids born around the time when ability users started appearing,
I too once dreamed of becoming a hero.
The trigger was simple.
I happened to see a hero movie protagonist on TV being cheered by crowds. That was it.
"Useless punks who can't help society anyway. Might as well not have been born..."
Maybe the orphanage director's words stuck with me even more because of that.
But I was powerless, and reality bent me—I soon gave up on the hero dream.
He was different, though.
"I want to be a hero. Protecting people—that's my dream."
A friend in the same boat as me. But not like me.
The friend who proudly voiced the dream I was too ashamed to admit.
"An orphanage kid as a hero. Cool, right?"
Irresponsibly, I left the dream to him.
"...Yeah. Super cool."
I hoped he'd show that even people like us could become heroes—become someone special.
Around then, I set my sights on becoming a cop.
I wanted to help others too, even if I couldn't be a hero.
...And then he died. On the day the results of his third hero exam came out.
.
"Next Wednesday. You know what day that is, right?"
"What's wrong?"
Ah.
"...My head suddenly hurts a bit. Sorry."
I remembered it.
The fact I'd forgotten... no, deliberately ignored.
—That today was the anniversary of his death.
'No.'
The moment I realized it, it felt like sticky bugs crawling up my body.
"Haa... ha..."
Sensing something off, I immediately pulled over to the shoulder, unbuckled my seatbelt, and started deep breathing.
But futilely, the number of bugs crawling up my body only increased...
"Hey? What's wrong?"
Eventually, those bugs crawled up my throat... and started choking me.
'Don't think about it... don't think about it...'
My vision blurred. His final moments, which shouldn't appear, flickered before my eyes.
What if I'd paid more attention to him?
What if, instead of irresponsibly cheering him on, I'd told him to face reality?
"...The."
What if, when he failed the hero exam that time, instead of booze...
"Hey!"
As I sank into the past, something warm overlapped my hand gripping the wheel.
It was Hwa-young's hand.
"Hey. Does it hurt a lot? Wanna stop at a rest area for a bit?"
Her eyes, filled with worry—not her usual relaxed expression.
Feeling that gaze and the warmth of her hand, miraculously, the tightness around my throat began to fade.
'Good thing I pulled over while I still had my wits...'
Otherwise, it could've been really bad.
I thought I was over it since I'd been fine until now. But this mess.
"...Sigh."
I felt so pathetic, a sigh escaped on its own.
"Sorry. Must've been sudden motion sickness."
As I apologized to Hwa-young for the trouble and reached for the wheel again,
"...Panic attack?"
She asked softly, still holding my hand.
How to play it off? Just say motion sickness?—as I hesitated,
'She asked with those eyes. How could I lie?'
"...Yeah."
I nodded quietly in the end.
Her unexpected response followed.
"It's okay. I'm on meds too."
"...Pardon?"
As I blinked in surprise and asked again, Hwa-young replied matter-of-factly.
"Occupational hazard, y'know. Should be fine now—let's go. Tell me if it hits again."
Then she let go of my hand and turned her head forward again.
'Guess she doesn't want to talk more about it.'
Come to think of it, stories of celebrities dealing with panic disorders are common.
Heroes are in a similar spot to celebs, so not all that strange.
Just surprising that it's her.
'...Prejudice on my part.'
I had no intention of prying either, so I gripped the wheel again.
.
We arrived at the fan signing venue for the next schedule.
"Okay then, hey... I mean, Mr. Do-han. See you in a bit."
"...Yeah."
Maybe because she's about to meet fans soon, I liked that she switched back to a formal address.
'Wish she'd just keep calling me that.'
"As you know, if fans try excessive contact, the manager needs to step in. And strictly enforce time limits."
"Got it."
After getting the rundown on precautions, I headed to the fan meeting area where Hwa-young was.
Murmur murmur.
"Fans, please line up straight!"
'Whoa...'
The line of people filling the venue drew an exclamation from me.
At least 500 people, easy.
'Knew she was popular, but this much?'
Me managing someone like that. Living long enough to see it all.
The fan meeting began.
"H-Hwa-young unnie. I'm a f-fan! Wow... wh-what do I do!!!"
"Hehe. Thanks."
"I-I saw you catch that villain on YouTube last time! My heart was pounding..."
"...Um, sorry, but time's up. Please head to the exit—thank you."
"... ."
I'm just announcing the time limit. Why glare like you wanna eat me alive?
'What'd I do to you?'
So unfair.
After that, one after another, I had to intervene with fans attempting physical contact or lingering past time...
By the end of the signing, I was completely drained.
Manager work is way tougher than I thought.
"Hero Hwa-young! Always cheering for you!"
"Thanks. Bye."
...Seeing her maintain that steady smile through all those fans made her seem even more impressive.
'...About ten left?'
Anyway, the massive crowd was nearly done.
Then the next fan entered.
'Hmm?'
Unlike the others, this one had their face covered with a hat and mask—kinda unusual. Usually it's the opposite.
"Hwa-young unnie. This is a gift!"
"Oh? Thanks. I'll take good care of it."
'Cute.'
A fan handing over a delicately wrapped gift box. Looked like a teenager.
Pat pat pat.
The fan left the venue. After they were gone, Hwa-young opened the box and,
"Oh."
made a slightly surprised face as she greeted the next fan.
.
After the fan meeting wrapped up,
'How is there this much swag?'
As I loaded Hwa-young's fan gifts into the trunk,
"Oh. Hey, toss this one."
Hwa-young handed me one gift box.
The delicately wrapped one from the masked fan earlier.
"Pardon?"
"Don't look inside."
She said it casually, then got in the passenger seat.
'...Don't look inside?'
Like that red button you just wanna press.
Told not to check? Makes you wanna check even more. Human nature.
I confirmed she was in the passenger seat, then secretly peeked inside the box...
"What the hell."
...A reflexive groan slipped out.
And for good reason—the contents of the gift box were
'...She saw this and kept a straight face?'
—shredded photos of Hwa-young torn to pieces, along with corpses of cockroaches, centipedes, and countless other bugs.