130
Ch.130 Aoooong
“You’re here.”
The door swung open, and Starlight walked in, looking exactly as she always did.
Her hero suit, her body still bearing traces of the battle she had just fought.
The fading supernatural energy settled completely, and her hair, dyed red from the energy’s influence, fell back into place.
“Hyena? Why are you here?”
“Sister…”
“What? Did you contact Hyena when arresting Mr. Park Deun-deun?”
“Well, during Mr. Han Mu-ryo’s identity verification…”
Starlight, slightly surprised by Yoo Hyena’s presence, turned a cold gaze toward me.
“Right, Mr. Park Deun-deun.”
That look in her eyes—perhaps because I was suppressing my monster core as much as possible.
Starlight hadn’t realized I was the Black Cat.
“Nice to meet you—well, not really. It’s been a while.”
“Huh?”
“You haven’t forgotten, have you? We saw each other in Guryongseong before.”
“Huh? Mu-ryo was in Guryongseong?”
Ah, that time.
Since I often met Starlight as the Black Cat, it took me a moment to understand what she meant.
The last time I encountered Starlight in human form was during the Guryongseong incident.
It’s been quite a while.
“I see.”
“My little sister has been relying on you every weekend. Thank you.”
“Hmm.”
They just give me food for being there—shouldn’t I be the one thanking them?
Feeling awkward at Starlight’s greeting, I shook her outstretched hand.
Her hand, half the size of mine and free of the ominous flames I usually saw, was so small.
“Don’t worry. I already have a rough idea that Mr. Park Deun-deun is innocent. Just… A person who does a lot of strange things.”
“Right, Mu-ryo isn’t a bad person, just… Well, a bit odd.”
“I also heard about you through Iron Might and Hyena. You went to A-City because you were hungry and came back after eating?”
“That’s right.”
“And then, when the city collapsed due to monster damage, you walked all the way back to W-City… How did you even avoid the surveillance cameras?”
“There were places they didn’t cover.”
“Must be the old smuggling routes villains used.”
“No matter how many times we shut them down, corrupt officials keep creating new ones. How did you know about those routes?”
“Guseoryong taught me.”
“…Guess you heard about it while in Guryongseong.”
Starlight sighed and sat down across from me.
“Mr. Park Deun-deun, it seems you do too many strange things.”
“Unfair.”
“Considering the things you’ve done, you shouldn’t complain. These days, only monsters or villains walk outside the city alone. And your reason was just that you were hungry? And this time, the commotion was also because you were hungry… Sigh. Of course, we know how much you eat, so we understand. But if you’re hungry, you should work to earn money.”
“That’s not possible.”
“She’s right, sister. These days, jobs have been disappearing because of the Black Cat effect. Mu-ryo was just starving because he couldn’t find work. Instead of punishing people, we should fix the root problem.”
“So, you’re saying we should take that into account. But regardless, this person needs some education.”
“Education?”
“You’re an A-rank superpower human, right?”
Starlight tapped on her tablet and showed it to me.
The screen displayed Basic Education for A-rank Superpower humans.
“The commotion you caused this time, sneaking out to A-City—all of it can only be seen as actions taken because you were drunk on your own power. You need to learn what kind of power an A-rank superpower human has and the harm it can cause if misused. Since you go to the cafeteria every weekend to guard Hyena anyway, watch the training videos then and get checked by her.”
“Huh? That’s it? Just education?”
“You haven’t really done anything wrong. You use aliases a lot and do weird things, but it just seems like you need socialization training.”
The punishment for being at the center of this incident was incredibly light.
Yoo Hyena, relieved, stood behind me and patted my shoulder.
“Right, Mu-ryo just lived isolated for a long time, so there’s a lot he doesn’t know. He’s a quick learner if you teach him.”
“Wait, what’s this about being isolated?”
“Ah, well…”
Yoo Hyena gave me an apologetic look, asking if it was okay to talk about it.
I nodded, and she summarized our conversation for Starlight.
“Illegal human experimentation? Like the ones during the Superpower human War?”
“Whoa, so those urban legends were real?”
“It’s not in the archives, but Teacher Yeo Woon-jae and Yeo Ryeong mentioned they once went to suppress one. Sigh, so you’re really a victim who went through something terrible…”
“Hmm… Suddenly, a lot about you makes sense. If you were locked up in an illegal lab for years, it’d be weird if you were normal.”
“Now I feel bad asking you to become a hero.”
“Mr. Park Deun-deun as a hero?”
“I wouldn’t have before, but we can’t just leave an A-rank superpower human alone. And… This person has a high chance of reaching S-rank. Teacher guaranteed it.”
Starlight opened a flat metal case hanging at her waist and pulled out a notebook.
Since I have Yeo Woon-jae’s memories, I immediately recognized what it was.
A diary Yeo Woon-jae wrote by hand.
“Doesn’t listen, but has genius talent. Copies techniques just by seeing them. Reflexes on par with monsters, sometimes moves like a beast. Had my students serve him meals, and the food expenses were insane… If properly trained, he’ll easily surpass A-rank. It’s written here.”
“Wait, this person was taught by Teacher Yeo Woon-jae?”
“Seems like he tried hard to recruit him as a student. Showed him a lot of techniques.”
“Ah, that explains the movements.”
Starlight closed the diary and looked at me.
“Just asking, but do you have any interest in becoming a hero?”
“No.”
“Figured. A shame, but nothing we can do.”
Starlight’s desire for me to become a hero was strong, but it vanished the moment I refused, without any lingering regret.
Yoo Hyena and Iron Might were the same. Their quick acceptance made me curious.
“You’re not going to push further?”
“Honestly, I did plan to persuade you a bit more. But begging someone who went through that feels wrong.”
“I thought you’d force me into it.”
“…Ignoring someone’s will and conscripting them is disgusting.”
“A hero forced into the role wouldn’t be a real hero anyway.”
At Starlight’s answer, a dark, sweet emotion emanated from Yoo Hyena.
Something unpleasant must have happened—Iron Might’s expression wasn’t great either.
“Anyway… The important investigation regarding Mr. Park Deun-deun ends here. You’re free to go.”
“It’d be nice if you remained a cooperative superpower human with heroes. Even if not a firm ally, at least not an enemy.”
“Is it over?”
“Yeah, it’s over.”
“Mu-ryo, good job! You must be hungry—let’s go eat something delicious!”
With that, the investigation into me concluded.
Just as I was about to get up—
“By the way, Park Deun-deun, what’s your relationship with my little sister?”
Yoo Anna frowned at the sight of Yoo Hyena clinging to my arm as I stood.
“Hyena, you too—since earlier, ‘our Mu-ryo,’ ‘our Mu-ryo’… What’s going on?”
“Huh? Did I… Say that?”
“You did. Seriously, what’s the deal? What are you two?”
“There’s nothing between us.”
“Ugh.”
When I bluntly stated the truth, both Yoo Hyena and Yoo Anna’s moods soured simultaneously.
“Nothing? Nothing, and Hyena follows you around like this?”
“S-stop it, sister…”
“Has Yoo Hyena been following me?”
“Following you to the investigation room and vouching for your innocence—if that’s not following, what is? Hyena, you’ve never done this before. What’s going on?”
“What is it?”
“Stop it! Stop, stooop!”
Curious, I asked Yoo Hyena, but her face turned bright red as she grabbed Starlight and shook her, releasing uncontrolled heat haze in frustration.
“What does it matter to you what my relationship with Mu-ryo is?!”
“You stay out of this! You—tell me straight. If there’s something between you and Hyena, say it. I know you’re not a bad person, but if you’re using Hyena, I won’t let it slide.”
“I said stop! Mu-ryo really doesn’t know anything!”
“He doesn’t? That’s a problem too, isn’t it? You’re being so obvious, and he’s just—mmph!”
“Kyaaah! Shut up!”
Yoo Hyena lunged at Starlight, covering her mouth with both hands.
Starlight didn’t forcefully push her away, just dodged by tilting her head.
“Hyena? Wait, big sister isn’t trying to interfere, but Mr. Park Deun-deun has a lot of oddities.”
“He’s weird, but you said he’s not a bad person! Stay out of it!”
“Mmph! I didn’t want to say this, but! Park Deun-deun! There were suspicions he was Gu Seo-ryong’s lover! It was cleared, but what if he’s just a womanizer?!”
“Gu Seo-ryong’s looover?! Mu-ryo isn’t that kind of person!”
“That’s why! Why are you so blindly—! Iron Might! Hold Park Deun-deun! We need to investigate further!”
“Uh, isn’t that abuse of power?”
“It’s not! If anything, letting things slide because of your friendship with Hyena is the abuse!”
Yoo Hyena wrapped her arms around Starlight’s neck, choking her, while Starlight, flustered, ordered Iron Might to restrain me.
Iron Might sighed and moved his chair next to mine.
“Even if I tried holding you, it wouldn’t work. Could you maybe just wait here for a bit?”
“I’m hungry.”
“He’s hungry! We’re going to eat together, so mind your own business! Mu-ryo hasn’t eaten anything since lunch!”
“Wait, all those payments at the park at lunchtime were for him? So all those weird transactions were—?!”
“Why are you snooping through my payments?! Sister, this is an invasion of privacy!”
“Hyena! Stop choking me! It hurts! You’ll hurt yourself!”
An S-rank hero’s body is a weapon that could tear a human apart like tissue paper with the slightest mistake.
Because of that, Starlight couldn’t resist her little sister properly and was stuck being manhandled.
“Han Mu-ryo, if you’re hungry, do you like seolleongtang?”
“Seolleongtang?”
“Should I order some?”
While the two rolled on the floor, Iron Might impassively handed me his tablet.
A food delivery site was open on the screen.
“How much do you usually eat? I eat about 20 servings per meal.”
“Are you on a diet?”
“No, I’m actually trying to bulk up… What do you do to stay in such good shape?”
“Eat a lot, sleep a lot.”
“Ha… I’m jealous.”
“Hyena, let go! I said let go! It’s dangerous! Sister’s really angry now?!”
“You think I’m not?!”
“Kyaaah! Don’t poke my eyes!”
I took the tablet from Iron Might and carefully entered the amount of food I wanted.
“…Is this even human?”
***
“Slurrrp!”
I scooped up a large ladleful of seolleongtang from the pot and drank it.
Why hadn’t I thought of this before?
This way, I don’t need to order multiple bowls.
Iron Might is a genius.
“Wow, he really eats well.”
“Gulp.”
“Is it good?”
“Great place.”
“…Heroes come here often.”
Starlight, Yoo Hyena, Iron Might, and I.
The four of us weren’t in the cramped, dark investigation room but at a table in the underground cafeteria.
The investigation room’s table was too small for us to eat together.
Yoo Hyena laughed as she watched me eat, moving her chopsticks.
Beside her, Starlight, unusually bruised, drank her soup straight from the stone pot with a sullen expression.
“You know how to drink it properly.”
“Hmph, so this is how you charmed Hyena?”
“Sister, does that sound like charming to you? Even with no dating experience, that’s a stretch.”
“What?! You’re the one who only knows dramas!”
“Sister, you don't even watch dramas.”
“Haha, heroes don’t have time for love or dramas.”
“Hmm.”
Something felt off, so I stared intently, and Iron Might slowly averted his gaze.