The Terrifying Trial
[List: Ways to Make Lee Hyunwoo Give Up Being a Hero]
It was a plan she had devised herself, but honestly, even Baek Seungha had to admit it.
She had crafted it too well.
Cruelly, viciously well.
Baek Seungha took Hyunwoo out of the city center. As she walked, the memory of his performance yesterday—where he displayed a talent that would make him a top-tier villain, not to mention a hero—bubbled up, and a chuckle escaped her lips before she could stop it.
'Ha... I never thought even I would end up designing such a wicked plan. Even the terrorists in the States would be kinder than me.'
When she thought about it, it wasn't entirely wrong. Even the American robbers who raided shopping districts and tossed grenades had to act like docile lambs in front of men in this world. If they didn't, they’d be fighting the entire world.
Because of that, this operation carried risks for Baek Seungha herself. If she slipped up, she wouldn't just lose her hero license; she could become the target of national outrage. It wouldn't end with a simple disciplinary hearing.
Nevertheless, she judged that it was better to break his spirit and make him give up than to keep dragging a man around as a sidekick.
'...And so it begins.'
Following the legal escort distance regulations for going out with a man, Baek Seungha walked side-by-side with Hyunwoo, maintaining a distance of less than three meters. As they walked, the gazes of passing women naturally drifted toward them. It was a given that they would stop in their tracks, chests heaving, and cast envious glares.
For that moment, she felt a bit good. A feeling of, 'He’s my boyfriend~'. A sense of pride she had never even felt while performing hero duties welled up inside her.
But a mission is a mission. Baek Seungha stopped walking.
"...Ms. Baek Seungha?"
She had stopped in front of a convenience store located on the side of the main road. It was a common franchise sign, nothing special. But in this moment, that ordinary shop became a 'battlefield' to break a man.
Baek Seungha naturally rummaged through her pockets. Pulling her hand out with a look of feigned disappointment, as if they were empty, she turned to Hyunwoo and spoke with a blank expression.
"I'm out of cigarettes."
A short, cold declaration.
Hyunwoo blinked, looking slightly confused.
"Oh, is that so?"
She continued, as if there were no need to wait for an answer.
"So, could you go buy me some?"
It was an explicit 'order'. There was no room for a request, no tone of consideration. And it was directed at a man, of all people!
And at that moment—silence.
The surrounding air froze in unison, without a single error.
List of ways to make Lee Hyunwoo give up being a hero. The first one: Sending him on a convenience store errand. And she had specifically requested 'cigarettes,' a high-difficulty item that required age verification.
As soon as the words left her mouth, the gazes of passing women locked onto Baek Seungha and Hyunwoo. Some secretly pulled out their phones to try and call the police. But in this area, that was meaningless. Because Baek Seungha had already blocked police access using her hero authority.
'It's over now.'
A man buying cigarettes alone at a convenience store? That was impossible. There were countless obstacles. Baek Seungha had intentionally chosen 'cigarettes' to block even the slightest possibility of success. Unlike regular items, cigarettes required the customer to speak directly to the female clerk at the counter!
"Heh heh heh heh..."
A man, who should always be with a guardian, entering a convenience store 'alone.' And he had to speak 'directly' to a woman he’d never met and even make a 'request.' If even one of these three things happened, a man would usually wet his pants or, in severe cases, suffer a panic attack. In other words, the game was already over.
'Of course, if it looks dangerous, I’ll jump in and save him, but...'
"Then I just need to buy the cigarettes, right?"
"...Huh?"
Hyunwoo nodded without hesitation and really started to walk away, slipping past her side. Indifferently, so naturally.
At that moment, Baek Seungha’s eyes widened quietly.
'...Is he really going?'
He opened the convenience store door and walked inside as if it were nothing. Ding-dong.
Baek Seungha watched his back for a long time before letting out a small sigh. This was unexpected. Just how far did that kid intend to 'push' himself?
Only then did she close her eyes. She focused all her senses on his presence to read his state.
'...His heart rate is... still normal?'
She couldn't believe it. Most men would be slumped on the floor, unable to breathe properly by now. But the real hurdle was just beginning. The moment his presence touched the convenience store counter and met the female clerk, his heart rate began to spike wildly, just as she had expected. 30, 50, 70... 100, 130, 160!
"Oh, no! His heart might explode!"
Baek Seungha couldn't watch anymore. Bang! She kicked the glass door open and charged inside. Her vision went white. Did he reach his limit faster than she thought? Regardless, she had to stop him before Hyunwoo collapsed...!
"Ah! Ms. Baek Seungha! You’re just in time! Please call 119!"
"...Huh?"
...What?
For a moment, all her thoughts stopped. In front of the counter, it wasn't the man who had collapsed. The person who had lost consciousness was the female clerk, her eyes rolled back and her face flushed red. Hyunwoo, who was supporting the clerk who had fainted after wetting herself, looked at Baek Seungha with a bewildered face, still perfectly fine.
"We were just talking for a few seconds and this clerk suddenly collapsed! I don't think she's even breathing!"
"...That's a 'heart-stopping cuteness' attack."
When exactly is Ms. Baek Seungha going to test me? I’ve been roaming the city all day, but I haven't felt like I’m being 'tested' at all. Ms. Baek Seungha, who supposedly worked in the United States, the home of heroes. It would be an honor to be a sidekick under such a great person. They say it's better to stick to someone who is going to be big, don't they?
But all she had me do today were small errands: buying cigarettes at a convenience store, asking a passing woman for directions, ordering drinks verbally at a cafe without a kiosk, and... entering a public restroom alone?
...That was about it. As the sun set, the sunset was painting the streets red. On the other hand, my tension was tightening more and more.
'Is she not making me do anything because I’m just that disappointing...?'
Ms. Baek Seungha was walking ahead of me. A single drop of sweat fell slowly from her temple. Could that be a reflection of her inner thoughts, thinking, 'This kid is hopeless no matter what I make him do'? Yes, it must have been that kind of deep, heavy sigh.
'Damn... as expected of a hero from the States, her standards are high.'
I tried my best all day. I tried to be as quiet as possible, as invisible as possible, and to cause as little trouble as possible, but looking back, the actions I thought were quiet were all disasters.
I went in to buy cigarettes, and the clerk’s heart stopped and she was carried out. I asked for directions, and the person suddenly slumped to the floor, gasping for air. I tried to order directly at a cafe, ignoring the kiosk, and the staff tried to rip my shirt off. Along with her own clothes. And in the public restroom... nothing happened, but that was the only 'normal' moment of my entire day.
The moment I thought about that, my throat felt like it was burning. ...Gulp.
Is she going to finish the day without making me do anything else? Or am I really just a companion?
While I was following her, lost in all sorts of thoughts, Ms. Baek Seungha, who was walking ahead, stopped. I reflexively looked up. The place she had stopped was at the end of a dark alleyway. It was a small, shabby-looking snack shop that somehow felt warm and human. The savory smell of oil and the spicy scent of tteokbokki were wafting from in front of the shop.
"...Are you planning to have dinner?"
"Hoo...!"
"???"
Since it was dinner time, I figured she was going to eat and call it a day. But suddenly, she took a deep breath as if she had made a huge decision, then turned to look at me with a serious and solemn expression.
"From now on, we are going to enter... a snack shop in an alleyway that doesn't have a 'Male Safety Mark'."
"...Pardon?"
"And it's self-service there. You have to bring everything, from the water to the side dishes, yourself."
"...Ah, yes."
Isn't that how snack shops usually are? But why is she saying it like it’s a life-or-death mission? Maybe because she’s from the States, she’s unfamiliar with this Korean snack shop system. If so, maybe this is an opportunity to score some points...?
"For your information, I... am going to eat the spiciest tteokbokki. And I won't be dipping the tteokbokki rice cakes in the fish cake broth for you one by one!"
That didn't matter. I liked spicy food, being Korean and all.
"And for the sundae! I’m going to ask for only the gross 'innards'!"
Ms. Baek Seungha, for an American, she really knows her food! Of course, when it comes to sundae, you have to have the innards. Anyway, seeing her make such a big deal out of a mere snack shop, she must have been in the States for so long that she’s trembling at the thought of a hometown restaurant without even realizing it.
Having discovered an 'opportunity,' I hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward with a bright smile.
"Yes! Then I'll handle the ordering."
"...Huh?"
She stared at me with dazed eyes. She definitely didn't expect things to go this smoothly. I proudly decided to perform what you might call a 'Snack Shop Escort.' This is another trial. And I will definitely pass it!