To Become Stronger (3)
It's bewildering. I'd just come to the theater for a normal movie, and now Snow White—Baek Seolhui—is sitting right next to me.
Her hair is black. Obviously a disguise wig, and the hat pulled low and the mask are for camouflage too, but I can see right through it. Who she really is.
That author bastard really nailed the illustrations.
The author had created artwork for the three main heroines, whom you could call the leads. He'd gone so far as to commission official illustrations, only to drop the series—perhaps out of fear of malicious comments worse than indifference, or plummeting views. It was regrettable, even infuriating in a way, but thanks to that, I spotted her instantly. Her illustration is my smartphone wallpaper, after all.
"Hey, you're the guy from Seoul who lent me his bike…?"
"Ah, yeah. That's me. What a real coincidence, huh…? Running into each other here."
And Snow White recognized me too. She hadn't altered her voice or anything, and I'd shown her my face directly, so an S-rank ability user like her wouldn't miss it.
"S-Sorry about the bike. It wasn't that I didn't plan to contact you…."
"I get the gist. Ahem."
Just that fake cough was enough for Snow White to catch on.
"Well, nothing you can do when it gets wrecked in a villain fight."
What I was guessing at. What I was being careful about.
"I was gonna get a new one anyway. It was so heavily tuned that I planned to give it to an acquaintance. Consider it a patriotic donation to the country. Haha."
"Still, it looked crazy expensive."
"No big deal. I'm not exactly hurting for cash. Hahaha…."
It was like trying to sell tofu in front of a silkworm breeder, but all this was just theater to ease Snow White's guilt.
"I'll make it up to you later. Can I get your contact info?"
"No, really, you don't have to."
"I insist. I broke it, so I should pay. Don't worry about it. I can just bill the Hero Association—no skin off my back."
Even as she said that, she'd cover the full cost out of pocket. A kind-hearted woman who frequently donated her earnings to those suffering from villain incidents. She might seem cold and aloof on the outside, but inside, she was warmer and more empathetic than anyone. And she had a taste for schlocky B-movies like this.
"Got it. Man, what are the odds? Meeting like this in a place like this. Total coincidence."
"I think it's fate. Getting to repay the guy I inconvenienced like that. It's been on my mind this whole time. I knew you lived at Banpo Jjaye, but you were nowhere to be found."
"You were looking for me?"
"I asked around. To pay for the bike."
"…Huh."
A chill ran down my spine for a moment. The idea that she'd investigated me—Do Jihwan the person, not Dokkaebi the villain—made my heart sink. Dokkaebi could just vanish, but Do Jihwan? My body might disappear, but my bank accounts would get frozen.
"You should contact the guy you're looking for. Right after that incident, I headed straight down to Busan."
"Busan?"
"Yeah. Came for job interviews while prepping for a rehire. Waiting on the acceptance text now."
"Did you get the offer?"
"Something like an inside track. Not the best term, but parachute hire or whatever—I've got solid skills in that field anyway."
"That field…?"
"Yeah. Oh, right—you said you were switching to instructor? We might end up working at the same place. I'm going for librarian."
"…Librarian?"
"Yep. Love books. Stories."
"……Then, did you know this movie's based on a novel when you came?"
"Pardon?"
Not even close. Her expression had shifted, so I figured she was probing my identity—but
"Oh, you didn't…."
She looked disappointed. What the hell? Was this woman a novel otaku or something? Not sure if "otaku" fit, but I clamped my mouth shut before she could unleash a TMI torrent.
"……"
The previews rolled. Snow White and I were separated by just one seat. We'd both aimed for the best view, so our spots ended up adjacent. The theater was nearly empty. Even for a morning matinee, you'd expect a couple people, but nobody came for a B-grade flick like this. Except me, for whom everything was fresh content.
"So, what should I call you?"
"…Kinda weird, but should I pretend to be an office worker?"
"Got it. …So, Manager. Coming to see this at this hour…."
"Personal hobby time. Curious how dinosaurs block meteors falling from the sky."
"I see."
I knew the feeling. Like studying. Videos like this stimulated the imagination like crazy. And that imagination became the power to wield mana freely. In a world where fantasy turned real, I devoured every bit of content to fuel mine. All to master the Dokkaebi Bat smoothly.
"The section chief coming to see this…."
"They don't screen it in Seoul. Only this setup's in Busan."
"Ah."
Sad but true: for spectacle blockbusters now, it was Sasa-gu, not Yongsan.
What kinda coincidence is this?
I'd come to kill time, sort my thoughts with some action schlock, and bam—Snow White. Who seemed genuinely here for her personal hobby.
And.
"…Huh?"
Nobody entered. Nobody.
I checked the app on a whim—reservation impossible, seats 124/126 filled. No way.
Just me and Snow White in the whole theater?
"…Looks like it's just us, huh?"
"Yeah."
"Then—"
"Should I move seats?"
"……"
Snow White stared at me blankly for a second, and I pointed to the row below.
"…No need to go that far. I watch movies pretty quietly."
"Ah, right. Sorry, I spoke out of turn."
"No, it's fine. Um, Section Chief?"
Snow White gestured to the empty seat beside her and picked up her popcorn bucket.
"…Popcorn? Wanna share? Too much for me alone."
"……"
I didn't like eating during movies. What was this? Why get closer?
Does she know who I am?
Is that why? Planning to pin me mid-movie with a "Don't move, Dokkaebi"?
If so, I'd have to bolt at full power.
On vacation, she ran into the guy she felt indebted to. He treated her with a mix of awkward deference and easy comfort. Others fawned with "Ooh, S-rank!" or seethed with envy, but he just reacted like 'Great, someone next to me.'
Refreshing.
Since awakening as S-rank as a kid, no one had looked at her like that.
So she got curious. Call it childish toy fascination; didn't matter. This guy keeping a polite distance while seeming considerate was intriguing.
Mysterious. Fun. Plus the debt on her mind.
She'd felt it while riding, but he'd babied that bike. Yet he brushed off its destruction with startling nonchalance. Either filthy rich. Bursting with patriotism. Or hiding something shady.
Any way you sliced it, intriguing. A guy coming to this movie? Zero story, just revived robot-dino fossils brawling till they team up against a space meteor. Commercial trash not worth a weekday morning matinee.
But Baek Seolhui had picked it like she was compelled. To unwind from stress. Maybe fate? Leading her to him.
This guy. Something about him.
Feels just like Dokkaebi.
Uncanny. His gaze matched those gleaming golden eyes behind the mask—wary yet curious.
If Dokkaebi were human… it'd be a guy like this.
No way.
If he were, she'd sense some mana, even a '1'. But nothing from him.
If he was hiding it specially…
Nah, too much.
Dokkaebi was S-rank villain, but she'd gauged his mana roughly. Way below hers. Even disguised, hiding it long-term? Impossible.
Just paranoia.
The Seoul bike guy. Random Busan matinee neighbor. Dokkaebi? Laughable.
Better the world ends like in the movie, meteors from the sky.
Baek Seolhui reached casually for the popcorn.
Crunch.
Swallow. The movie started. The righteous T-Rex revived from ancient times clashes in bloody battle with its arch-nemesis Mecha-Tyranno, who'd scorned the T-Rex.