Hot Pink is Fine. Dokkaebi Rider is Not.
Hot pink was fine. Heroes choosing their personal colors was a matter of taste, and taste was something you didn't mess with lightly.
"Make my costume a deep, dark black."
"What? Black feels a bit too villainous, doesn't it?"
"What did you say? Are you calling my favorite color black villainous? Grrr, I'm turning dark!"
"No way, this psycho? Ability users are like delicate shards of glass—mess with them wrong, and they all blacken."
That was why, when heroes picked their ability suits, you didn't butt in with opinions. Hot pink. A color to respect. Some went full rainbow for their hero costumes, so hot pink was downright tame.
"Hot pink. Nice. It's bold, and even dangerous folks in the dark would spot 'hero' right away."
"Right?"
"But not Dokkaebi Rider."
"Why not?"
"Because it's a villain."
Hot pink was fine. Pastel pink too. But Dokkaebi Rider? No way.
"No matter the design, Dokkaebi is a villain. Name one hero who copies a villain's costume?"
"Sorry, sir. People don't see it that way."
"What?"
"Seeing Dokkaebi's design, everyone thought it was cool. So now, you and me and everyone—we're all redesigning our hero costumes based on it."
"No."
What nonsense was this?
"Oh, you didn't know? It was huge this past week."
"I work in the library basement sorting books—no time for that. And the news barely covered it."
"The student community boards were buzzing, especially among the guys. Stuff like 'Any man who sees this can't resist.'"
He got it. It tapped into that old-school nostalgia while fitting perfectly into 2025 without looking dated. Too much variation from the original? No. Too simplistic, sticking to a concept that made viewers chuckle? No. Something that made first-timers go, "What the hell is that?" in disgust? Nope.
Every guy harbored a transforming hero in his heart at some point. And he'd actually done it.
"Sejong Academy's turning into Villain High. How is that even possible? In an educational institution?"
"It's not a villain costume. It's for heroes fighting space monsters and demons. With a mechanical twist."
"Hah."
He was floored by the designs Yoon Isun showed him.
"This wasn't from before we were born?"
"Yes. Right before 2000, when the world shook—classic Korean heroes that swept the nation."
Hardly anyone would know. Mention it, and the kids would just call him outdated.
"Earth Warrior."
"...Yeah, I get it's Korean tokusatsu. But is it really okay for everyone to go this route? Don't ability users have any shame?"
"Cool matters more than shame. Isn't looking cool as a hero the priority? Even the strongest hero flops if the costume sucks."
Straight facts.
"A lame look kills hero popularity. Right?"
"True."
No matter how powerful—even one of the rare S-grade heroes—if the appearance bombed, so did the fame.
"Call me Mosquitoman?"
"How can you slap 'mosquito' on an S-grade hero? Go with wolf or orca—something fitting!"
"But he's obsessed with mosquitoes..."
Once more: Ability users were fragile as glass.
"What? Insulting mosquitoes? I can take you insulting me, but not them! Apologize!"
"Damn, anything but mosquitoes! Nobody likes them! Even a cool cockroach concept would be eccentric at worst! Mosquitoes are a no-go!"
"Hating mosquitoes? Unforgivable! I'll fix every rotten mind that hates them until they love mosquitoes!"
"That's 'cause you're crazy! S-grade or not, if they blacken, I'm speaking up!"
Such incidents happened worldwide nonstop. When other ability users, adults, or civilians rejected a hero's chosen look.
"Make it! A badass Mosquitoman! If it's not to my taste, I'm leaving the country!"
"Where to?"
"Till a country accepts Mosquitoman!"
"Fine! Let's see how the world takes it!!"
Extreme example, but Dokkaebi Rider was the same as Mosquitoman.
"Miss Yoon Isun. I did say that even if something looks demonic or yokai-like, if its actions are just, it's a hero."
"Yes."
"Suppose you transform into, say, a gumiho. But instead of eating livers, you extract villains' mana in a special way and store it in a bead or something."
"......Care to elaborate?"
Yoon Isun's eyes sparkled. This wasn't just her future costume—it was spoiling her ability's evolution path. She was hooked.
"Like this: A gumiho in hanbok, holding an energy orb like a prophet's crystal. Spew foxfire from it, slash with mana claws up close, whip nine tails like lashes, foxfire bursting from each tail to strike foes."
"...In hanbok?"
"Yeah. Later, full gumiho transformation. Wait, maybe too much."
Her final form balanced her body into a tall beauty.
"Mana absorption concept. Hot pink hanbok."
Better than telling her to become some giant beast. Leave room here.
"But not Dokkaebi."
Legends like Legendary Hero, Super Ranger, Power Squadron, Masked Rider—those weren't for gumiho. For Yoon Isun.
"Mimicking Dokkaebi too closely? Could look like you're defending him."
"I do defend Dokkaebi."
Damn. Round and round.
"Fine. Say you go Pink Rider, hot pink Dokkaebi Rider-ish. Think the public loves that?"
"Yes. You're missing something, sir. Dokkaebi has fan clubs. He's huge in Korea—worldwide."
"A villain?"
"That's the government's view. Sure, Imae Mangnyang affiliate, but Dokkaebi's never committed a crime except executing villains."
"......"
True. Law-abiding citizen otherwise—no reckless ability use, no exposure.
"When villains rampage, he steps in to minimize civilian harm, handles them himself. Executes villains heroes can't touch—gives people vicarious thrill."
Doomed. No convincing her.
"We know executing villains is crime. Even Dokkaebi fans admit that. But the catharsis, the satisfaction? That's what hooks everyone."
"So basically..."
"He slaughters villains so cleanly, everyone's smitten. Remember when he first showed in a mask and suit? Blew up."
"For real?"
"Yeah, short-lived, suit felt too ordinary—people were disappointed. But now? Tweak it, recolor, redesign—boom, total hero vibe."
Public already liked Dokkaebi, now with a fresh, cool new look?
"Dokkaebi screwed up."
"How?"
"Transformed into that flashy thing and bewitched everyone."
Who knew his bold transformation would spark a Dokkaebi craze.
"This is trouble. Real trouble."
"Right? People are obsessed..."
Moment frozen. He stiffened. Yoon Isun too.
"Miss Yoon. People obsessed—not just students."
"...That's insulting Dokkaebi."
"Knew it."
Yoon Isun smirked, standing.
"Superstars drive heroes and villains alike mad, huh."
Was that the line for this?
"Sir. Got a place to check quick."
"Not there, right?"
"It's close, and your words shifted my thinking a bit."
Pink flames flickered at her fingertips.
"Watch the student council president's new transformation?"
"...Not Rider?"
"......"
Yoon Isun just smiled, eyes crescent moons.