Chapter 3
Chapter 3
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Hero Yoon Seol (2)
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'I've seen her somewhere before...'
The hero's face on the screen looked oddly familiar for some reason. Dazzling golden hair and deep blue eyes like the ocean itself.
"I didn't pass out. I was just so tired I face-planted on the table. You get it, right?"
...Last night's customer started overlapping with the hero in my mind.
"Nah, no way."
I shook my head, chalking it up to a mistake.
Sure, she looked similar... but a customer who came to my bar and that hero? What could I even say? Their vibes were totally different.
The hero had this cold, icy impression at first glance, while last night's customer just didn't match up.
'...What was the name of that customer from before? It had a similar ring to it...'
Whatever, no way it's the same person. Someone like that hero wouldn't have any reason to come to a dump like my place.
'Still, just maybe...'
I was thinking I should look it up online when I got home, but right then—
"Excuse me. You open?"
"Ah, yeah, we are!"
"Sweet. Kids, they say it's open!"
Out of nowhere, customers showed up. Four of them, no less.
"Who knew there was a place like this out here. Lucky break."
"Kinda creepy vibe though... Hey, check on the guy next to you. He's staggering."
'What the hell is going on...'
More kept trickling in after that, and for the first time ever, the bar hit peak hours... which blew all thoughts of Yoon Seol right out of my head.
Living in this world, you're bound to hit those rage-inducing moments a few times—no, dozens of times.
Like running into some asshole in League of Legends asking about your parents' well-being. Or hopping on the bus only to find your card's short on funds.
Pouring cold water into cup ramen, or buying a new outfit that doesn't fit just right.
And one more.
Trrring.
...Getting woken up by the ringtone of a feature phone older than five years.
'What the...'
Spam text? I tried drifting back to sleep, but—
Trrring.
It rang again.
Trrring. Trrring.
"God damn it."
Brace yourself. I'm about to show you just how brutal someone can get when you interrupt their deep sleep.
I silently offered condolences to whoever was about to face my wrath and opened my phone.
"Who... oh."
The culprit who ruined my sleep was one of my few friends—the closest one, anyway.
He usually lived a bit farther out, so he must've had some reason to swing by this way.
"What time is it... oh, 11."
I normally wake up by 10 even if I crash late. This was later than usual. In a way, that text served as my alarm.
Maybe I'll let it slide this once.
Beep. Beep. I shot back a quick "Got it" to my buddy, then dragged myself out of bed, grumbling.
The mirror nearby reflected my hideous state. How long had it been since I last met up with a friend? If I went out like this, he'd never contact me again.
"Heh."
Not that I actually planned to.
"Urgh."
I stretched lightly to shake off the sleep, then forcibly hauled my sluggish body to the bathroom.
The meetup spot was a gukbap joint near my place.
Great value for the price—tons of chunks in the stew. One of my go-tos.
'Starving...'
Stepping inside, the savory aroma tickled my nose. Saliva pooling already.
As I scanned the room, stomach growling, a familiar voice called out.
"Hey! Over here."
A guy waving so I'd spot him easily.
His name was Kim Woo-jin. We'd been tight since high school.
Suit and tie—yeah, that business in the area was probably a work trip.
Drag.
I slid into the seat across from him and greeted.
"Long time."
"Man, it's been forever. Here I am seeing Do-han before he kicks it. Next time'll be my funeral, huh?"
"Haha..."
Nothing to say to that. He'd called me out plenty before today, but I'd dodged every time with excuses.
Most people would've ghosted by now, but this guy kept hitting me up without fail.
I was grateful for it.
"What're you staring at?"
"Nothing. Just noticed you shaved."
"Pfft. Looking good, right?"
"...You've gotten mouthier since last time."
Sorry, but it was tough to call him handsome, honestly.
"Asshole."
I asked Woo-jin, who was fake-crying like he was hurt.
"Let's order. What you getting?"
"Hey, I'll do the regular gukbap."
"Excuse me! Two sundae gukbaps!"
No choice on the menu for you, buddy.
"Dick."
"Thank me later. Saved you a buck."
A whopping thousand won difference.
"Yeah, yeah, thanks a ton. Nothing's changed, huh."
"Heh."
We shot the breeze with small talk till the food arrived.
Then, out of nowhere, my friend across the table fixed me with a serious look.
"..."
"What's up?"
Don't tell me he's about to ask for money. Guess I'd have to bail here and—
"Next Wednesday. You know what day that is, right?"
'Next week... oh.'
...Better that it wasn't a loan request. Or maybe not.
His words finally clicked why he'd come looking for me.
"...Guess I should show my face."
Woo-jin scratched his head with an awkward grin. Must've been tough for him to bring it up... but,
"I'll think about it."
"It's been years already. She probably misses you too..."
"Fuck. She's dead."
...I couldn't hold back the reflexive curse.
My friend across the table hadn't done a damn thing wrong.
And that guy who flunked the hero exam a few times and died? Probably nothing wrong there either.
The screw-up was me. Dumping my dreams on him like an idiot, feeling betrayed on my own terms, and skipping the death anniversary for years like a moron.
"...Sorry."
"Eh, fair to curse. Hey, check that out."
I apologized for the outburst, and Woo-jin awkwardly shifted topics.
The TV he pointed to was playing an interview with some hero who'd taken down a gang of bank-robbing villains.
Face looked familiar. Hero Yoon Seol, from yesterday.
'Oh right, forgot to search her online...'
"...Final question. Hero Yoon Seol's been making waves lately. Some are calling you the next-gen leader. What's your take?"
"Hm. I don't think I'm at that level yet... but I'll do my best to live up to the expectations of those who see me that way."
The hero on screen spoke in the same stiff, frosty tone as before.
Wait.
"Damn, she's gorgeous, right? Hooking up with a girl like that would be a dream... smitten or what? Cat got your tongue?"
The vibe was different, sure. But that voice? Confirmation.
"Gimme the strongest stuff you've got at this place. Something that'll get me blackout drunk. Can't think straight."
"...It was real?"
"What're you on about? Hey, food's here. Eat up."
Looks like a hero dropped by my bar after all.
After splitting with Woo-jin, I got home, tossed my clothes aside, and fired up my ancient PC.
Vrrr. It whirred to life. Cheap secondhand buy—boot time dragged.
I hadn't touched this thing in ages. Reason? Dig into Hero Yoon Seol.
Didn't really matter if the bar visitor was a hero or not... but it bugged me anyway.
In this era, post-ability awakenings, with villains everywhere.
Heroes handling what cops can't? Celebrity-level fame. Big names even more so.
...And one came to my bar. As the first customer. Wild, right?
Typed "Yoon Seol" into the familiar green search bar. Flood of articles and pics.
Fan cafes galore—the biggest had over 100k members. Insta followers? Two million.
But...
"Anti-fan cafe at 20k members? Damn."
Dug into it—scandals with some male hero I knew, power-trip rumors. Easy to find.
'Not easy being her.'
Kept browsing lightly, then spotted an article on that daytime interview.
Article was stuff I already knew, so skimmed it.
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