No Christmas Hiatus! – Blue Falcon's Tease and the Darkened Broth
Filming had begun.
"Alright, we're rolling! Get a little closer, you two! Act friendly!"
"Yes, yes!"
Blue Falcon replied and immediately plastered herself against my arm. Even through my sleeve, I could feel the smooth texture of her suit.
"I-isn't this a bit too close?"
I whispered softly, but she didn't even pretend to hear, just turned her head toward the camera. If anything, she made a show of it by leaning her head on my shoulder.
"Uh... could you back off just a little?"
"Pardon? Oh, sorry! I'm just so nervous..."
She apologizes, but why isn't she moving away?
"........."
"Heehee."
The corner of her mouth, visible below the visor, curled up slightly. No doubt about it. That girl was definitely smirking.
What the hell.
Was she messing with me? Even as filming continued, Blue Falcon's odd behavior persisted. She'd rest her hand on my shoulder while pretending to explain something, or lean into me under the guise of adjusting for the camera angle. And then...
"Agent, you're so handsome."
"......Pardon?"
"Ah, haha! Just saying."
"We're filming, so let's focus."
"Yes, yes..."
Blue Falcon finally shut her mouth. But she was still smiling. It felt like she was thoroughly enjoying this whole situation.
What a weird girl.
.........
Thankfully, the shoot itself didn't take long. It was a short promo video heavy on public service vibes from the start. A quick agency intro, emphasizing the partnership between heroes and the Special Security Management Bureau, and a few pose cuts. The script was short, and there were hardly any NGs. Especially since Blue Falcon was so used to being on camera—she just played along perfectly and carried the scene.
"Cut! Cut! Great work!"
The director's shout rang out, and the camera light finally went off. Only then did I let out a long-held breath.
"Phew..."
I can't handle this crap. No embarrassment pay on top of my salary and hazard bonus?
I quickly grabbed my stuff, ready to bolt from the set, when someone tugged at my sleeve.
"Um, Agent?"
It was the blue-twintailed female hero, Blue Falcon. She was still riding the filming high, her voice oddly bubbly.
"Leaving already?"
"Yeah. Work's done, time to head home."
"Aw, you're so stiff! The footage came out great—won't you join us for drinks after?"
She grinned brightly and took a step closer to me.
Hmm.
Her face was partially hidden by the visor, so I couldn't see her full expression, but her vibe and tone were overly chummy. Like we were old pals of a decade or something.
Why the hell was she acting like this? A young lady toward a middle-aged guy itching to clock out. It was seriously burdensome. Especially since I was already mentally drained from one disaster piling on another.
Think about it. Friday: workout, dinner, drinks, movie with Lee Jin-ah, ending in an intensely passionate night. Saturday: stopping Han Sol's self-harm, then... mixing bodies, catering to my ungrateful daughter's whims all weekend. Monday morning: grilled by Lee Jin-ah over Yeom Hana's pregnancy test prank photo. Monday afternoon: meeting Yeom Hana and accepting her apology for the stunt.
Bottom line: my Sanity was nearly depleted. Sorry, but I had zero energy left to humor this hero girl. I just wanted to wrap up dinner with Yeom Hana—my prior commitment—and crash at home. Hard.
And above all...
Han Sol.
My daughter, with the exact same hairstyle as Blue Falcon—the kind you could poke your eye out for, not that putting her in one felt good. She'd said she did internet streaming too. And made good money at it. If word got out that I was grabbing coffee with a celeb like Blue Falcon, Han Sol might catch wind immediately. And if she found out...
Nothing good would come of it.
"Sorry, but I've got prior plans."
"Prior plans?"
Blue Falcon tilted her head cutely.
"Yeah. Dinner appointment. And—"
I paused, choosing my words. My "prior plans" were just treating Yeom Hana to a meal, but telling this girl young enough to be my daughter "off to see a woman" felt off. Brushing her off bluntly might just invite prying questions. For some reason.
So, I went with the surefire, legitimate excuse.
"My daughter hates it when Dad stays out. Gotta head home early."
It implied we lived together, but I hadn't outright said it, so no lie. Blue Falcon had no way of knowing anyway, and even if she did, it wasn't problematic.
But her reaction to my answer was surprisingly unexpected. No disappointment or grumbling.
"......Ah."
She let out a dazed exclamation, her lips softening into a smile. She looked... pleased?
"What a good daughter."
"Pardon?"
"Right? How much must she love her dad to hate him wandering outside? Such a filial girl these days—really."
Blue Falcon clasped her hands, gushing like she was touched. Her voice was practically dripping honey.
"Uh, yeah... something like that."
I mumbled along awkwardly, suppressing the weirdness. A daughter whose love went overboard with knives, self-harm threats, and begging to be taken—but yeah, she did love her dad.
"With such a proper daughter—"
Blue Falcon leaned in close, her eyes sparkling strangely behind the visor, just a handspan away.
"You should live with her forever. Right?"
"Heh. Yeah, tell me about it."
What chilling well-wishing. Keep your grown daughter forever? No marriage either?
Heroes are all freaks, one and all.
"Anyway, good work. Catch you next time if we cross paths."
"Yes, definitely!"
Blue Falcon waved. After clinging the whole shoot, she backed off surprisingly easily, which threw me off. Was there some scheme? Nah.
No way.
What plot could a first-timer have against me? Just paranoia from dealing with Han Sol, Lee Jin-ah, and Yeom Hana.
Anyway, filming was done. Staff were packing gear, and the promo handler was chatting with Blue Falcon a bit away. Time for me to slip out. Still thirty minutes till quittin' time, but no need to drag back to the office. The promo shoot was legit cover for clocking out early—no one would complain.
I turned toward the cafe where Yeom Hana waited—
"Kyaaah—!!"
A scream. A sharp noise tore through the peace of the Han River park.
"V-Villain!!"
"Domhwangcha!!"
I whipped around. In the middle of the park plaza, people scattered in all directions.
.........
Ha...
Lord, why do you test me so? Not even a moment's peace.
As the crowd ebbed away like a receding tide, the villain's form emerged in the empty plaza. Scrawny build, messy hair, sweat-soaked hoodie. A grotesquely twisted man and the dark-red aura pouring from him.
This won't be easy.
My brow furrowed the instant I clocked his face. Darkened Broth. I'd seen him in the villain codex. Top-tier C-rank threat.
Used to be a totally ordinary, wholesome viewer—especially favored by some female streamers—who dumped his entire fortune into their broadcasts. Lived to donate every penny to his fave girlcam.
But on Christmas, his top girl announced a hiatus... and he caught her leaving a motel with a guy. Betrayal and rage fueled his awakening.
A monster born of modern society's ills, truly.
His bulging eyes locked on Blue Falcon.
"I smell slut on our Falconi... Rotten cock-water stench!!"
He wailed like he was sobbing.
"Who is it! What fucking bastard did you fuck! You're a virgin, right? Said you were single on stream! Do you know how much I've spent on you, you filthy cum-dump whore!!"
"......Heh."
This guy's gonna make me lose my mind. At that level, it's not even disgusting anymore—just pure ugliness overflow.
Darkened Broth, you shouldn't exist.
Part of me wanted to slice him with full-focus Sun Breathing. But sadly, no such powers here.
My daughter Han Sol streams online too. Imagining creeps like this watching her twisted my gut.
Definitely shoving him in a villain camp.
But charging solo was risky. Top C-rank was tough for one combat agent.
First, his abilities...
[Female Body Info Detection] and [Anti-Celebrity Specialization], right? The former was a precise detection ability to track female movements; the latter, an enhancement boosting physicals under special conditions against celebs.
Conclusion: Call in four or five male agents, swarm him—done.
Yeah. Time for group overtime.
I reached for my phone to request Special Security Management Bureau backup—
"Agent!"
Blue Falcon blocked my path.
"Fall back as far as you can! Stay away!"
"But that guy's—"
"It's fine. I'll handle it!"
She fiddled with her wrist device, and a whirring hum came from the sky. Drones. Not one or two—dozens in formation, descending.
All armed drones?
No time to marvel—Blue Falcon swung her arm.
"I'll shut that filthy mouth forever. [Fire]"
Papapapang—!!
Worlds apart from how she treated me, Blue Falcon showed no mercy to the villain. Dozens of micro-missiles swarmed Darkened Broth. Explosions kicked up a dirt storm.
Crazy. That's military-grade.
That could've taken a tank, not just a villain.
Smoke cleared, revealing Darkened Broth.
"Grraaah... Hurts, it hurts! You vicious bitch!"
His hoodie in tatters, blood trickling everywhere. But he didn't fall. Staggering on two feet.
Meanwhile, Blue Falcon's drones needed reload time. He wouldn't miss the gap.
"You... fucking bitches!"
He pivoted toward civilians. They'd been too far to flee properly, stopping to gawk at the hero-villain clash.
"Damn it!"
I yelled, drawing my pistol—but too late. Darkened Broth snatched a college girl snapping selfies amid the chaos, pressing his bluish claws to her throat.
"Disarm the drones! Or this ugly bitch dies!"
"Eek! Spare me! You stink! So ugly!"
"Shut the fuck up!?"
Hostage situation. The worst damn scenario.
...Guess I won't die peacefully.