Chapter 20
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Minji's Boyfriend
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(5)
"Ga-eun, what are you thinking about?"
In the coffee shop below the office of the hero agency Guardian.
Only when a fellow hero from the same agency called out to her did she finally snap out of it.
"Huh? Oh... nothing..."
"You've got something bothering you lately, don't you?"
Her expression had been so complicated that her colleague picked up on it immediately.
But she couldn't just open up about her worries so easily.
If she did, she'd have to talk about her own fetish too.
Her unique fetish that would be hard for anyone to understand.
"...No, I'm just a bit tired."
"Really? Oh, right. The boss said if you approach the black market again, he's not gonna let it slide this time."
"I'm worried..."
She'd heard the rumors and gone to that back alley, capturing the bald villain, only to get a warning instead of praise.
Sure, it was dangerous at night with all those villains gathered, but if every Guardian hero mobilized, it was something they could handle.
She just couldn't understand why they were leaving that place alone.
Even that bald villain, who they'd hyped up as a dangerous figure, had gone down with one kick from her.
What was there to fear? The other villains in the black market didn't seem any different from him.
Villains were all weak anyway these days.
There weren't any S-Rank heroes or villains in Korea right now.
Only candidates or promising prospects who might reach that rank were occasionally mentioned.
And she was one of those candidates.
It was a shame things were like that.
'Isn't there a man strong enough to beat me?'
Ever since becoming an A-Rank hero, every guy who approached her was the same.
Grovelers or weaklings who didn't know their place.
No romantic feelings could sprout from guys like that.
...With the recent exception of that man named Kang Seok.
It wasn't full-blown romantic interest.
But she was intrigued.
'He only staggered a little from my kick.'
It had been a kick born from a misunderstanding.
His menacing appearance and the way he'd snuck up behind her had made her instinctively try to subdue him the moment she spotted him.
For an ordinary person, it would've caused serious injury. Even for a hero or villain with abilities, it packed enough power to take them down.
Yet Kang Seok hadn't fallen. He'd just staggered.
It proved her claim that he was a promising prospect.
That's why she didn't mind him sticking around persistently afterward.
She'd even made a promise with him then.
If he got the top score in the hero exam three weeks from now, she'd go out to eat with him.
"Never mind you, Ga-eun—what's up with Min-ji?"
At her colleague's words, she looked over at Min-ji.
Min-ji, her fellow hero with cat-like—no, more like leopard-like features—wasn't much of a talker, but she always wore a confident expression.
Right now, though, she looked lost in thought, staring off into the distance with a blank face.
Every now and then, she even caressed her lips with her fingers.
"Min-ji, did you... get a boyfriend?"
Min-ji's eyes widened for a split second before she looked away.
She was dodging the question, but she couldn't hide her body's reaction.
Her reddened ears and the way she pursed her lips silently said it all.
"Whoa! For real?!"
The colleague who'd asked was even more shocked by the reaction.
And she wasn't the only one surprised.
'Min-ji has a boyfriend?'
She couldn't believe it.
Min-ji was the one she'd had the most in common with.
No real interest in romance, hated weak men, and was just as strong a hero as she was.
"What kind of guy could it be?"
The colleague was more excited about the unbelievable news than Min-ji herself, making a fuss.
Honestly, she was curious too.
Min-ji's boyfriend, of all people.
And then Min-ji's eyes widened.
It was subtle, but she caught the corner of her mouth twitch upward for a moment.
Her head turned naturally.
A man was approaching, smiling and waving at them.
If she had to describe his first impression...
"Baseball team?"
His sturdy build and the baseball bat sticking out of his bag made him look like he was from an adult baseball league.
The man headed straight for Min-ji—
"W-Wait... mmmph... so cold..."
And kissed her.
It wasn't a light peck where lips just brushed.
It was a deep, sticky kiss, tongues exploring each other's mouths. Ignoring the stares around them, they even let out lewd sounds as they exchanged saliva.
"Whoa..."
"..."
The colleague blushed as she watched, but Ga-eun was speechless.
She'd half-expected Min-ji to telekinetically hurl the guy away, but instead, Min-ji closed her eyes and tilted her head.
The man responded by wrapping his arm around her waist.
It was their own little world.
Finally, the two slowly pulled apart.
A white thread of saliva trailed between their lips.
"Pha... you horny bastard..."
"Sorry."
"M-Min-ji, is this him?"
"...Something like that."
Min-ji tried to play it cool, but Ga-eun was pretty shocked seeing those two share such a deep kiss.
Anyone but Min-ji—she'd seemed like the type who'd never get a boyfriend in her life. And for good reason: she hated weak men even more than Ga-eun did, and she was prickly with everyone.
You could tell just from the internet.
Despite saving countless people as a hero and catching tons of villains, most comments about Min-ji were hate, regardless of gender.
All because of her arrogant attitude.
Well, most Guardian members were like that.
It was a gathering of heroes with as many antis as fans.
Rumors even said there were groups paying people to leave hate comments or insults about them.
People promising to "train" their cocky attitudes by forcing themselves on them, and others sponsoring those creeps.
The more news like that came out, the pricklier Guardian's heroes got.
At least the colleague next to her was decent.
She was normal as long as she didn't fight online.
"Watch your surroundings, you idiot."
"Haha, sorry."
Having spent so much time with Min-ji, Ga-eun could tell.
Even that usual curse carried a ticklish affection when directed at him.
You could see it in her face too.
A faint smile and a slight eye crinkle.
The subtle shift in her haughty features made it clear she liked the guy.
So she was curious.
What kind of man had Min-ji fallen for?
"Who is he?"
"...I don't really know either..."
Min-ji answered her question with a complicated expression.
She doesn't know?
It didn't sound like a lie.
Then why the kiss?
It had been way too sticky and pleasurable-looking for strangers.
Well, she'd heard of it before.
She couldn't quite get it, but these days, some people got physical first and dated after.
But Min-ji didn't seem the type to enjoy that kind of relationship.
"We're a bit more than that."
"What're you..."
The man grinned shamelessly and draped his arm over Min-ji's shoulder.
Min-ji blushed and turned her head away but didn't reject his touch.
The man naturally met Ga-eun's eyes as he spoke.
He wasn't intimidated, and he clearly knew who she was.
"Name's Seonghan."
"...Hmph..."
It seemed unlikely, but even Min-ji looked like it was her first time hearing the name.
The man who'd introduced himself as Seonghan stared right at her.
It was an intense gaze.
Intense enough that she unwittingly averted her eyes.
'Did I just look away? From that guy?'
Her pride stung a little.
And she acknowledged that the man in front of her wasn't ordinary.
"Want more?"
"Horny dog... later after this..."
"I'll wait."
Maybe that kind of attitude was strength in its own way.
Not strong man—more like a beastly, dominant male.
"Oh, right. Min-ji, that hero exam in three weeks—think I can join?"
"What? You wanna take the hero exam? It's possible, but..."
"Take the hero exam?"
"Ahaha, yeah."
Ga-eun couldn't help butting in.
The hero exam—she remembered it because Kang Seok had said he'd participate.
An unpleasant guy, but at least he'd withstood her kick once. A growing promising prospect too.
He'd even boasted he'd get A-Rank right off the bat.
Of course, that was nearly impossible.
Even exceptional prospects usually started at C-Rank and grew from there.
She herself, the highest A-Rank in Korea right now, had begun at B-Rank.
But if Kang Seok somehow got assigned A-Rank immediately after the exam...
He might actually look like a man.
Her gaze shifted to Seonghan in front of her.
If Kang Seok and Seonghan fought, who would win?
The hero exam included combat evaluations.
Usually duels with examiners, but if multiple top scorers, they sometimes had examinees fight each other for relative ranking.
'Kang Seok would still win, right...?'
Say what you will—he'd endured her attack.
Sorry to Min-ji and her boyfriend Seonghan, but her Kang Seok would win.
Her Kang Seok?
She shook her head to dispel the misguided thought.
And offered a timid word of encouragement.
"Well... good luck."
"Thanks. Min-ji? Got nothing to say?"
"...Do your best or whatever."
For some reason, it felt like they'd left her out and sunk into their own world.
She felt a bit ignored.
Seeing Min-ji—who she'd thought was in the same boat—flirting happily with that guy made her heart feel a little empty.
And her pride took a tiny hit too.
Min-ji was pretty, but she wasn't exactly lacking either.
She just had a bit less feminine charm.
Unlike Min-ji's leopard-like allure, she had a more androgynous look.
Which meant she had a decent female fanbase.
Maybe that's why reactions to her were lukewarm?
Suddenly, she questioned her long-standing hairstyle and hero outfit.