Villains Have No Rights (2)
The term villain gets thrown around in everyday life in all sorts of ways. Sure, people use it for anyone disrupting social norms, but in this world, it specifically means "criminals who need to be apprehended."
So, what qualifies someone as a villain? Harming others? Damaging property? Committing anti-national crimes that threaten public order and safety? Basically, anyone shamelessly committing acts we'd clearly call "crimes" in daily life.
With that in mind, could you call someone blabbing away so recklessly in a public space a villain?
"Aah. This is a warning. Yuk Gibong. If you don't want to get arrested for noise pollution, stop right now."
"Yeah, whaddya gonna do, Republic of Korea! You can't arrest me! I'm just a regular citizen, right? Just talking loudly in the plaza!"
"Do you even know noise pollution is a crime?!"
"Even if it is, it's just a minor offense, right? I'm innocent! If you arrest me, that's arresting a superpowered individual! And right now... I'm just 'testing my superpower'?"
He stretched his arms side to side, snapped his hips, and busted out some seriously aggravating dance moves, toying with the growing crowd.
"Too bad! This country's legal system—this Sejong Island legal system—can't touch me! I'm Korean, I'm superpowered, and on top of that... I'm a minor under 17!!"
"...A triple crown."
The world's most terrifying trio combined. Of course, plenty of kids with that combo grow up normally into the bright future of our nation, but this "protected minor punk" is the exception.
The standards for juvenile offenders in modern times differ completely from this world's. For regular humans, the age cutoff is the same as pre-possession Korea, but superpowered individuals get a "special" treatment that's anything but.
Superpowered people are very special. When they go berserk, it's because society failed to support them. Maybe our society just hasn't adapted to accepting them yet?
Because of rhetoric like that, superpowered folks get handled a bit more "leniently" under the law until adulthood. Unless they inflict near-fatal injuries or cause massive property damage like wrecking someone's car or house...
"Whaddya gonna do, Great Korea, you little Korea! Gonna arrest a future B-rank just for this commotion? Go ahead, arrest me~! I'll just emigrate!"
"Damn..."
The other students, faculty, even the cops sent to arrest him—they all hesitated to approach. What if they overreacted and he actually threw a fit about emigrating?
—Heard so-and-so pissed off a superpowered hothead and they defected to Japan!
—Even so, if they're not a heinous criminal, we should rehabilitate them here in Korea. Overreacting to the point of driving them away? You wanna write a report?!
In the end, the good guys shoulder the blame. That's why no one dared subdue this not-quite-villain right now.
In other words, even scumbags whose actions scream "execute them on the spot" aren't legally villains.
If I were Dokkaebi, I'd smash that punk's head in with my bat.
Of all the luck, I stepped out mid-meal, and now I've got company—transforming would be awkward.
"This is bad. That guy's got some real street smarts."
"If he were just showing off his suit, there wouldn't be much grounds for arrest."
Yoon Isun gnawed her thumbnail, grinding her teeth. "That level of disturbance? Honestly, even a warning might be pushing it. Worse than drunk civilians causing a ruckus."
"Because he's superpowered?"
"Yes. Because he's superpowered. They tend to go berserk at the slightest disadvantage—'Huh? This pisses me off?'"
I've said it a million times, but superpowered people are like glass. The problem? These fragile types don't stay put—they wander into danger zones, shattering everywhere and causing chaos.
"Good thing I came."
"Isun, what're you planning? Gonna step in?"
"This is exactly when the student council president has to act."
Yoon Isun patted her chest lightly and pointed ahead. "I'm the student council president."
"......Oh."
The law couldn't touch that protected minor superpowered punk, but the student council? Different story.
"Junior Yuk Gibong?"
Yoon Isun stepped forward.
"Guh, President...?!"
Yuk Gibong, mid-cackle and striking poses, spotted her and backpedaled.
"Wh-what?! Got a problem?! I'm just 'promoting my hero suit' right now!"
"You think what you're doing counts as promotion?"
"Yeah!"
Yuk Gibong yanked off his helmet. He had a sly, fox-like face—crude to say, but he looked shifty as hell.
"I don't think it does."
"Hah...! It's legitimate advertising! This is like a truck vendor blasting a megaphone to sell suits!"
"You think that's the same?"
"Yes! Exactly! I'm advertising to make money in the future!"
Utterly shameless.
"Fine. But here's the bad news—a complaint came into the student council. Says they can't 'study' because of you."
"Kuh...?!"
"No one can complain about legit advertising, but if it's 'noise pollution'? That's different."
"Who studies on a Sunday...!!"
"Don't assume. Some superpowered high school seniors do."
Sad but true. Even superpowered folks take the college entrance exam. No matter how the world changed, the test stayed the same, so they took it under heavy surveillance. No cheating. Only hard study paid off.
"Maybe you don't study on Sundays, but for seniors, it's just another study day—no school."
"I don't know about that! A-and even if it's noise pollution, I can't stop! Haha, you can't touch me now!"
Yuk Gibong pointed wildly in every direction, bursting into laughter. "Y-you all have to pay me! No royalties for the design, and I'll file copyrights and sue! Uhahaha!"
Someone put those words in his mouth—no way he came up with that alone.
"You..."
As Yoon Isun squared off with him, I slipped behind the crowd to scan the area.
Someone on-site's feeding him updates, for sure.
A trash adult was using Yuk Gibong as a propaganda tool, whispering about patents and promising him riches.
Not watching via CCTV from afar. They were here.
"......Hello? Ah, Agent Joo."
"Out for a meal? Oh my, sounds like you're at the scene?"
"Yeah. On-site. Watching the news?"
Jumo grasped the situation the second she picked up.
"Can you look into it?"
"Checked as soon as it hit the news. Not actually called Gibong Rider. It's a 'superpowered combat power suit.' Official name... 'Haegneul'."
"...Haegneul?"
I whipped my head around.
"[Haegneul24], [Haegneul Coffee], [Haegneul Chinese], [Haegneul Telecom], [Haegneul PC Bang]."
The plaza was littered with "Haegneul" signs. Convenience stores, cafes, Chinese joints, phone shops, PC bangs—a colossal conglomerate with tentacles everywhere. They even made the Taeguk Watches.
"No way."
"Corporate bullying. They tried trademarking 'Haegneul' and slipped in dozens of designs—including Section Chief Do's suit."
"Figures. No kid pulls that much aggro solo."
If a mega-corp was backing him, it all fit. When the brat bragged about his backing—"Haegneul's got my back!"—anyone would think, Of course.
Tricky.
Haegneul was a pure megacorp, unrelated to our Imae Mangnyang. "Pure" meaning they exploited superpowered folks across every business, raking in cash. Rumors said they secretly recruited post-grad supers for their own PMC. They even teased it later in the story.
What to do.
Go Dokkaebi? I had plans for post-transformation fallout, but Dokkaebi popping up here...
"Junior Gibong. People are getting agitated. If you keep causing this ruckus in that getup, will they really copy it?"
"Ugh...!"
Might not need to step in.
Yoon Isun was talking him down, thankfully. "If I were you, I'd show a heroic side—or take down a villain—to leave a real impression."
"That's..."
"Isn't that what companies call image-making?"
Had Yoon Isun clocked Haegneul right away? Or just probing?
Either way, Yuk Gibong was rattled.
"Come on, Junior Gibong. Release the mana and let's head to the 'Academy.' Before the cops or adults interrogate you, the student council will step up for you."
"What about my Gibong Rider suit...?"
"...We'll do our best as the student council."
Yoon Isun extended goodwill. If he rejects it, Dokkaebi time. Please reject.
Even for a nuisance, the student council offering protection...
"Alright... for today, that's it. Heh heh heh, as expected of the student council. Working for student rights... Huh?"
But whenever things go smoothly, trouble brews.
"What the—? How is this...? No way. Impossible."
"What's wrong? Something happen?"
"The patent..."
Yuk Gibong's face twisted like a real Dokkaebi's.
"It got canceled...?! International plagiarism?!"
"......As expected of the president."