5. Are You Jealous Right Now...?
5. Are You Jealous Right Now...?
The sudden soft sensation on my arm made me stiffen in surprise.
Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that my favorite hero—whom I'd only ever seen on TV screens or comic book pages—would be linking arms with me and clinging to me in this narrow, dark back alley.
But even amidst that incredible luxury, the reason I couldn't be fully happy was right in front of me.
Pajijik, pajik!
The moment Blaze grabbed my arm, blue static electricity began to crackle violently from the fingertips of Spark, who was standing opposite us.
The old streetlight illuminating the alley flickered precariously, interfered with by the wavelength.
It was a sensitive, sharp reaction that made even the fine hairs on my arm stand on end.
'Why is she acting like this all of a sudden?'
I couldn't hide my bewilderment and looked back and forth between the two women.
I couldn't understand why Spark, who usually didn't use her powers roughly—no, even when she was taking down criminals, she rarely did—was so angry.
Spark's gaze was fixed on my forearm, which Blaze was holding.
I could practically feel the burning glare through her mask.
"Boss? Which shop did our kind and handsome fanboy own?"
Blaze asked, her eyes sparkling as if she found it interesting.
"You don't need to know, Eonni! Let go of that arm right now! That's sexual harassment! Do you want to be on the front page of The City Times tomorrow?"
Spark snapped back in a sharper voice than ever.
She looked like a stray cat keeping a puppy in check for encroaching on its territory.
"Oh my, I'm just trying to greet my fan, why are you making such a fuss? You little thing, are you jealous?"
"J-jealous, I am not! You're making the Boss uncomfortable!"
"You keep calling him 'Boss', what kind of shop does he run? I should at least repay him."
"You don't need to know!"
Invisible sparks seemed to be flying between the two.
To neutralize that intense atmosphere, I opened my mouth in a calm voice.
"It's Kang's Laundry, back in that alley. I'm the laundry shop owner. I make clothes on the side, too."
There was no reason to hide it.
I wasn't an illegal immigrant or a smuggler; I was a US citizen, a small business owner who paid taxes on time and ran an honest business.
At my honest answer, Spark stomped her feet and grumbled as if she felt wronged.
"Ah, seriously! Why are you telling her everything so easily, Boss! What if that Eonni keeps bothering you!"
"What's the problem with a laundry owner telling someone where his shop is? It's good if customers come. Business has been slow lately."
"Anyway, Eonni, just stick to your own territory in Downtown. This is my territory, so mind your own business."
Hearing that, the corners of Blaze's eyes lifted slightly.
The face of the top star who had been laughing cheerfully while signing autographs was nowhere to be found; the sharp, heavy aura unique to a veteran hero who had crossed countless lines of death pressed down on the alley.
"That's because this is a den of vice where the city's worst criminals swarm. Spark, you just paralyze villains until they're unconscious without killing them."
"Isn't that obvious? We're heroes who save people, not executioners. A hero's job is to help good people, and fighting is secondary."
Spark retorted without backing down, but Blaze scoffed coldly.
"That lukewarm method just makes villains annoyed for a moment, they're never scared. Even if you knock them out and throw them in jail, they pay bail and get out in a few days to torment the weak again."
"That doesn't mean killing them blindly is justice!"
"I'm not a maniac who wants to kill every villain. But heroes are essentially meant to realize social justice. If they are guys who harbor uncompromisable malice and never give up, sometimes we have to get our hands dirty and cut off their breath. I shot a lizard running wild in the middle of the city yesterday, but I don't feel guilty about it. If I hadn't stopped it, dozens or hundreds of citizens would have died."
There was conviction in Blaze's voice.
I'd only seen her bright and cheerful side, so I wondered if she had such a dark side.
Maybe it's because she's a veteran with over 5 years of activity?
"If Mama Butcherer hadn't been reducing the number of gangs in this neighborhood, this place would have been completely eaten by gang bastards like the Cassandra Family long ago. I don't agree with that lady's methods, but you should be grateful to her."
When the name Mama Butcherer came up, I flinched reflexively.
If these two knew that just a few hours ago, that butcher had thrown drug money at my shop and ordered black bulletproof vests, it would be dizzying just to imagine their expressions.
Stung by the truth, Spark bit her lip hard.
While shaking her fist and trembling, she soon shook her head stubbornly.
"No. I still can't kill. That's not the right way for a hero. That... Koala guy who wears a suit doesn't kill either."
"Battle Koala is a top-tier superhuman. He just taps someone and they fly away, of course he doesn't need to kill. That guy is busy controlling his strength, and you aren't even that strong. You should be prepared to shoot if necessary."
"...Still, I can't."
Blaze let out a short sigh, having confirmed Spark's firm belief that would never be broken.
She seemed to know that pushing her junior any further would just be a parallel line.
"Well, do what you want. Our kid's stubbornness is still the same. Anyway, it was nice to see you after a while. I have to go finish patrolling my neighborhood."
As she let go of my arm and turned to leave, Blaze's gaze suddenly stopped on the full-body suit Spark was wearing.
"By the way, you."
Blaze narrowed her eyes, scanning Spark up and down.
"You always wore cheap skate suits that don't breathe and masks with holes in them, who on earth gave you that incredibly cool suit? You don't even have a big agency sponsoring you."
Her eye for detail was scary.
She had instantly recognized the value of the carbon nanotube fabric suit I had tailored after using my ability on leftover fabric scraps.
Since it was on a different level from ready-made clothing, she couldn't fool the eyes of an A-class hero who had been through all sorts of trials.
"Ah, you don't need to know!"
Flustered, Spark stomped her feet again and shouted.
Her face was so red that it was clearly visible even under her mask.
She glanced at me, then hurriedly blocked my front and glared at Blaze.
A meaningful smile spread across Blaze's lips as she watched that series of clumsy actions.
The top star hero's senses and intuition were exceptional.
Her gaze turned precisely to me over the flustered Spark's shoulder.
"Aha. The laundry owner said he makes clothes too, right? Looks like you make hero costumes amazingly well."
It was the correct answer.
I stood still without saying a word, trying to control my expression so as not to get caught, but Blaze burst into a cheerful laugh, as if she had already seen through the whole situation.
"Please make my clothes next time, Boss! Mix red and yellow, and I'd like heat resistance up to 800 degrees. My body size is 38-27-36. I'll have my agency send the down payment to you!"
Blaze winked at me lightly, then launched herself and disappeared into the dark night street in an instant.
Only the exhilarating sound of cutting through the wind and the sound of sparks burning remained in the alley for a moment before dissipating.
After she had completely left, only Spark and I were left in the dim alley.
I cleared my throat to fix the awkward air.
I was about to have a serious word with her about the drug money she had stolen to pay for the suit.
"Hey, Spark. About that money envelope you gave me yesterday."
But the atmosphere of Spark, who was looking back at me, was ominous.
I couldn't tell her exact expression because she was wearing a mask, but a mood of being firmly sulky was erupting from her whole body like a storm.
She stared at me resentfully for a long time, then whipped her head away.
"......Hmph."
It was a short grumble like the sound of air escaping.
Without even listening to what I had to say, she stepped on the wall and leaped high into the sky, disappearing from view.
"......?"
I was left alone in the quiet alley again.