Don't Overdo It.
Clop clop, walking slowly through the vast apartment complex.
It felt less like an apartment complex and more like a park, but after staying here for a few days, it had grown familiar.
With the building password already memorized, I slipped inside easily and rode the elevator straight up to the top floor...
“You don’t need to come out, but it’s fine to come out like this, right?”
“It’s not that difficult.”
“Hoo, that’s right. Come in. Talking in the hallway is uncomfortable.”
Baek Eun-hwa, wearing her familiar training jacket, greeted me.
...But there was a trace of fatigue on her face and moisture in her hair, so it seemed like not much time had passed since she returned home.
I had advised her in many ways.
In the end, Baek Eun-hwa was still overworking herself. According to what I heard, she had spent today shooting two advertisements, doing interviews, and handling hero duties—quite a grueling schedule.
I had told her in messages to take it easy and refuse appropriately, but she still hadn’t changed much.
Well, it was rather strange that after resting for just a week and hearing a few words, a person could completely transform.
“By working properly like this, it naturally becomes this way.”
“...Because I’m busy.”
“So I wish you’d cut back on work a little more and make more time for rest...”
...Well, if Baek Eun-hwa had heard those words one by one, she would have completely changed by now.
Instead of feeling sorry, I should at least be happy that every time I met her like this, she showed a slightly better side.
Actually, it had only been a month since I met her, and just a little over two weeks had passed—so perhaps the progress was even faster than expected.
“First, shall we start with cleaning? Probably... if I don’t say to clean, you’ll refuse because of the schedule tomorrow, right?”
“...I’ll do it?”
“Hoo... really?”
“......”
So Baek Eun-hwa and I slowly began cleaning.
Baek Eun-hwa’s house was as spacious as always, and at the same time, clothes and various items were scattered across the floor, sofa, and some furniture.
I understood that those things would be familiar to Baek Eun-hwa herself and that remembering their positions would be convenient for her.
But in the end, a messy environment was less helpful to people than a clean one.
It was simply scientific.
“Eun-hwa-ya, are you going to wash your underwear?”
“...I’ll wash it.”
“Mm.”
Slowly starting from the living room, we continued cleaning.
Underwear, half-sleeve t-shirts, water cups, bowls... and various garbage including packaging from delivery food.
Even if it was a house for one woman, it was actually just normal.
It could be called a kind of red medicine?
Women and men were all people anyway, and feeling bothered was natural, after all.
“...From next time, I’ll clean it up. Come a bit later.”
“It’s not that difficult cleaning. Just like today, let’s clean together. It’s faster to finish, so Eun-hwa-ya will be comfortable, and I’ll be happy to help Eun-hwa-ya?”
“Haa...”
Anyway, after cleaning, Baek Eun-hwa handed me a glass of carbonated water with a touch of embarrassment.
I hadn’t expected her to clean like this right after coming home...
Well, since I was helping the responsible hero and doing various things.
“By the way, Eun-hwa-ya, I heard recently that you’re appearing on a broadcast or something. Is that true?”
“...Somehow it happened.”
“......”
After drinking the carbonated water, we naturally moved to counseling, asking about recent daily life.
As always, Baek Eun-hwa was still living a frustrating daily routine.
I had wanted to teach her the joy of rest during the week of rest and tell her that rest was important for living normally.
But what words to say to an A-class hero who immediately ramped up work right after the week ended, I didn’t know.
“First, what program is it? Let’s hear about that.”
“It’s just a normal broadcast.”
“So, what program is it?”
“Recently, the number of hero aspirants and promising young heroes has been increasing. It’s a program that cooperates with the association to help them grow well as heroes, and I’ve been taking on the role of advisor and judge.”
“...It looks like nothing but troublesome tasks.”
“Haha...”
Did Baek Eun-hwa herself know that what she was doing was ridiculous?
She clearly had wanted to consult with me, but now she was increasing work while ignoring what I said, so she answered with a troubled expression.
If I knew... I wished she’d cut back a bit.
Since she wasn’t as obedient as Saran, it made me think a lot.
A-class hero.
There were many things she had to bear in many ways, and it wasn’t that I didn’t understand why more tasks were piling up, but I had no choice but to point out that blindly increasing work was a problem.
“Eun-hwa-ya.”
“...Yes.”
“Eun-hwa-ya first chose me as her dedicated handler and wanted help, right?”
“...That’s right.”
“So when I told you to take a break from work, you keep increasing it like this. Is that right? Or do you need to be scolded?”
“It’s also a request from the association, and not doing work that helps the hero hopefuls...”
“You should refuse. You had to shoot ads today, do interviews. You went on duty in the city? Even if I don’t ask you various questions, Eun-hwa-ya’s actions are in the news every day?”
“......”
Up to now, I had been talking to Baek Eun-hwa quite gently and softly.
Because there were mostly situations where we could talk normally.
Ordinary advice.
Moreover, at that time, it was a light vacation, but now Baek Eun-hwa had returned to real daily life.
It meant that she had started working normally, rather than the expression "daily life."
“I know all that. Of course, I understand why Eun-hwa-ya accepted those proposals, but more importantly, Eun-hwa-ya, yourself.”
So it was perhaps natural to speak more strongly and sharply.
She wanted to solve the problems while living as a hero.
As Baekyeou, the A-class hero, it was tough, but my sighs came out at Baek Eun-hwa’s actions trying to live more as Baekyeou, the A-class hero.
Of course, I was helping those actions change.
I knew that my role was to help her become a bit better.
Well, every time I handled heroes, I saw many people, and those who showed clear improvement like Batori and those who easily accepted my words like Saran were few.
But even considering that, it wasn’t easy to solve...
I had no choice but to think a lot.
“Eun-hwa-ya, it’s okay to be a bit more comfortable. Really. People won’t hate Eun-hwa-ya just because she acts selfishly.”
“......”
“A-class hero. Living as an existence that looks like a symbol to people. So, it’s not that I don’t understand why you’re overworking. Because people are important.”
“Then...”
“But Eun-hwa-ya is naturally included among those important people?”
In the end, I had to persuade her.
Well, of course.
To persuade a stubborn, demanding A-class hero, I probably had to say a lot.
“Eun-hwa-ya. You need to cherish yourself a bit more.”
“...I know.”
“No. It seems you don’t know, so that’s why I’m saying this. There’s no need to talk about the addition formula to someone who already knows the answer to addition plus addition.”
It seemed I couldn’t help Baek Eun-hwa just by handing over carrots.
Strongly, sharply.
I thought the whip would be more effective than carrots now, so I gave her a harsh word like wielding a whip.
“...I’m sorry.”
The response to such harsh words was an apology.
Did she think she had done wrong?
Or, was it just that I was scolding her?
Without hypnosis, it was hard to find out everything, so I naturally thought a lot about her words too.
But... the keyword "guilt" was quite important when dealing with her.
Thinking that using this was also a good method slowly came to mind.
“...There’s no need to feel too sorry. I understand that Eun-hwa-ya is busy and struggling. Eun-hwa-ya created the situation herself, but from Monday, it’s been very busy, right?”
“...Yes.”
...But just scolding and teasing her every time would turn into a wound rather than help, so I approached the Baek Eun-hwa who started making a gloomy expression a bit more.
Baek Eun-hwa had quite a few wounds.
Separately from the fact that she was an A-class hero, or rather, because of that, she couldn’t reveal those wounds at all, and covered herself with the wrapping paper of 'strong and cool hero'.
“You’re doing more than enough now. You’ve worked very hard so far. You don’t have to worry too much. You’re doing well.”
“......”
“So, don’t overdo it.”
I gently held her lonely hand and gave her a bit of carrot.
While hoping she would get better bit by bit.
...By the way, is it too sudden that Baek Eun-hwa and Saran seem different?
Saran looked at me as if she had seen something amazing, but Baek Eun-hwa looked at me with grateful eyes, unlike Saran...
Yeah, definitely, all the heroes I’m currently handling felt different from each other.
If it were Batori, she might have been a bit embarrassed.
It naturally came to mind that the three heroes I’m currently handling all have their own charms.
They were people with diverse charms, and moreover, the problems were diverse... it seemed like only people with more worries?