Chapter 294: Can’t a Common Sense Alteration Villain Dream of Pure Love? (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 294: Can’t a Common Sense Alteration Villain Dream of Pure Love? (2)
I learned a few things while enjoying an untimely game of tag with Cathy Noona.
First: even in this insane world, it seemed my original abilities hadn’t vanished.
Seeing as I was barely keeping up even after stacking Reinforcement twice, it was safe to assume she was in perfect control of her body.
Second: while humans and artifacts alike were affected by this mad world, it seemed those of quasi-mythical grade or higher could resist to some extent.
As proof, I could use the growing Black Shadow without issue, but the Will of the Saint wouldn’t respond at all. My contract with Lucifer remained intact, yet the Touch of the Devil also showed no reaction.
This meant the only tools I could currently deploy were Reinforcement and the Black Shadow. Even though I set all sorts of traps with my shadows, her movements were so breathtakingly agile as she evaded them that I couldn’t help but be impressed.
“Catch me if you can~!”
Though, the way she spoke made it sound like we were playing tag on a beach or something.
Oh, and I found out one more thing: apparently, Professor Cathy and I are the same age and are childhood friends in this setting.
Supposedly, I saved her when we both fell into a dungeon as kids.
I had a feeling the roles were actually reversed in reality, but what could I do? That was the setting.
…Wait, does this mean she actually walked around with twin tails when she was little?
Anyway, those were the simple facts I’d gathered for now.
I still had no clue who had done this, or with what intent.
“Ah, you’re daydreaming again!”
Having closed the distance before I knew it, she grinned and reached out toward me.
For a moment, memories of our sparring sessions flashed through my mind. Thinking she was going for a palm strike, I took a defensive stance, but she simply grabbed my shoulders and pecked me on the cheek. With a giggle, she used the opening created by my shock to widen the gap again.
“At this rate, you won’t catch me all day~!”
No, why is this woman being so cute? That’s cheating.
I haven’t even grasped how serious the situation is yet, but she’s being so adorable that I’m starting to want to just keep playing with her.
But I couldn’t do that.
At the very least, I had to figure out what was going on.
Whether she sensed my mood or not, Cathy Noona—who had been pouting earlier—seemed to be in high spirits now, likely thanks to all the physical activity.
“Let’s make a bet. If you can’t catch me by the end of the day, you have to grant me a wish!”
“Hey, that’s not fair. You should have said that from the start.”
“Too bad~ it’s a thing now~ Who told you to focus on other things when you’re supposed to be playing with me?”
“And what if I catch you?”
“Hmm, looking at you now, I don’t think you can. But if you do manage to catch me, I’ll give you your smartphone back and grant you a wish~”
The sight of her hanging upside down from a tree, smiling with a face full of confidence, was incredibly charming—but the playtime ends here.
I was in a bit of a hurry.
“…Uh, why are you smiling so deviously? Are you going to ask for something lewd?”
“No.”
“I mean, lewd things are fine too…? If you really want to, I’m okay with something a bit unusual.”
I already felt like I was engaging in a playstyle quite different from our usual routine, though.
…Well, I was planning on catching her soon anyway.
It’s not like I’m catching her just because she said she’d do something lewd. Seriously.
Having finished an excuse that no one else would hear, it was time to get serious.
“Well, whatever you’re thinking, you have to catch me first! You’ll never catch me as you are now.”
True, I couldn’t reach her with just a 2-stack Reinforcement.
With a 3-stack Reinforcement, I’d be able to move at a similar level, and with a 4-stack Reinforcement, I could overwhelm her—but from that point on, even a slight lapse in power control could cause an accident.
However.
What we were doing right now was tag, not combat.
I didn’t necessarily need to overwhelm her. The point was just to grab her for a single moment, wasn’t it?
This tactic wouldn’t work in a real fight, but for a single tag, it was more than enough.
By now, her superhuman senses would have grown accustomed to my movements, and she was maintaining a distance she judged safe enough to escape from while being this careless.
Planting the illusion in the prey that they are at a safe distance to escape is the most basic task of a hunter.
Now, here’s a question.
If a pursuer, whom the prey thought they were completely used to, suddenly became one step faster and moved at the same speed as them, how would the prey react?
Exactly. They would be startled and panic.
Accelerate.
The moment I lunged forward with a 3-stack Reinforcement, her eyes widened as expected. She tried to widen the gap, but because she based her reaction on my movements up until a second ago, her leap was too weak.
“Huh!?”
If this were combat, it wouldn’t be a problem. Even if I caught her, she could calmly defend, break free, and counterattack.
But this was tag.
“I just have to catch you, right?”
As I pinned the flustered woman down, she struggled for a moment.
“Ngh… eek…!”
With her arms caught in my grip, she let out a frustrated sound, but that didn’t change the outcome.
Her face turned a peculiar shade of red, and she grumbled with a pout.
“Lewd.”
“Why!?”
“You got fast all of a sudden right after I said you could ask for something lewd. You’re a pervert. So-hyun is a pervert.”
No, is that how it works? The timing might have made it look that way, but this feels a bit unfair.
However, she was faster to continue than I was to make an excuse.
“…The lewd thing.”
“…Yes?”
“Do you want me to do it?”
Well, if you ask if I want her to, I’d always nod, but the situation right now is a bit…
“Right here, right now…?”
…Excuse me? What on earth are you saying? We’re outside.
Of course, it seemed like no one was around, but still, wouldn’t that be a bit much?
“Look at you not refusing immediately. You are a pervert. Hehe.”
…Who exactly is calling whom a pervert? No, I really want to scold her…
I’m telling you, this woman needs to realize exactly how charming she is.
Her faintly flushed cheeks combined with the unusual twin-tail hairstyle were a lethal mix; every little gesture was so cute it was dangerous.
If I left such a cute creature unattended, she might get poached, so I had to rescue her quickly, right?
Just as I was about to commit a “great deed” in a half-crazed state, another sharp headache flashed through my mind.
…It wasn’t painfully severe, but it was enough to snap me back to my senses.
“So-hyun?”
“I’ll save the wish for later.”
“Huh?”
“I want to see you looking all expectant while wondering what kind of wish I’ll make.”
“…Just how weird of a thing are you going to make me do?”
“Who knows? Wouldn’t that depend on my mood?”
“…Are you mad?”
No, does she think I’ll forgive her just because she’s looking up at me with that adorable, shrinking expression? Good grief.
“I’m joking.”
That’s right, I’m going to forgive her. She’s cute, after all.
“I’m really sorry, but something urgent just came up. So, let’s postpone the wish until after we’re done playing today.”
“A-Ah, no!”
Wait? She’s refusing? I didn’t expect her to say no.
“Ah, um. It’s really urgent…”
“N-No. Not that. Postponing the date is fine.”
“Yes? Then what do you mean ‘no’…?”
“…I’ll just let you postpone it, so let’s just act like the wish wasn’t used, okay?”
Huh? Um? What? So, wait. What is it? Did I understand that correctly…?
“…Just what kind of thing were you hoping I’d wish for?”
“No, it’s not like I want you to do anything! It’s just… it’s a wish, so I thought it’d be a waste to use it like this, so I’m being considerate.”
Liar. I just saw your body flinch.
And your face is beet red, whatever you’re thinking.
What is this? Is this woman actually a genius at seducing people? Every single action is so suggestive.
I really should leave quickly.
If I stay with her like this, I feel like I’m going to cause an accident.
* * *
After asking for her understanding, I was finally able to get back on the phone with Lilac.
“Hey, so where are you now?”
[Uh, I was running away, but now I’ve climbed the wall and got into the dormitory. I’m in my room.]
“Okay, I’m coming right now, so don’t move and stay right there.”
[…Yeah, I’ll try to hold out without getting caught, but it might be hard. People are swarming like zombies, it’s terrifying.]
“Yeah, I know.”
[Huh?]
“I’m being chased the same way now that I’m out on the main street.”
That was the truth.
I was currently talking on the phone while being chased for all I was worth.
Shit.
I wondered how famous an idol could even be, but apparently, I was quite the hit. The moment someone shouted, “It’s Kang So-hyun!” I became a hunted man.
[Can you make it here?]
“Yeah, I’ll be there soon, so just wait.”
I’m the guy who caught Cathy Noona; did they think I couldn’t escape from ordinary citizens?
But, well.
How should I put it?
This is tougher than I thought.
Individually they’re nothing, but their numbers are overwhelming, and no matter which way I turn, the number of pursuers only keeps growing. It was quite tricky.
“You look like you’re in trouble.”
“…Huh?”
Suddenly, Cheon Yu-hak, dressed in sequins, appeared and blocked the crowd.
What kind of nonsense is that? I don’t know either. I’m just telling it like it is.
“It seems you have urgent business. Go. I shall handle things here.”
…That bastard is holding a microphone in his hand. Please tell me it’s not what I think it is.
Beside him, acting as the cameraman and sound guy, were the Hero Woo Jae-hee and a guy named Chan-hwi, who used to be the party’s porter, holding a camera and a large boom mic respectively.
“Look! Cheon Yu-hak is here too!”
Someone shouted, and Cheon Yu-hak stepped boldly in front of the crowd.
“That fellow is a bit busy today, so I shall entertain you in his stead.”
Watching them start to sing in beautiful voices, as bold as ever and not at all intimidated, I couldn’t help but be moved.
Let me say that again.
I was not moved.
Still, thanks anyway, Cheon Yu-hak.
As a reward, I’ll try my best to forget everything that happened today…!
How long did I run?
Thanks to the sacrifice of my comrades, I managed to arrive safely at the dormitory.
Now, if I just rendezvous with Lilac and pool the information we’ve gathered, surely something will come of it.
Just as I was about to take a step with that thought in mind—
“Ah, So-hyun, you’re finally here?”
Someone blocked my path.
“…This is insane.”
“What do you mean ‘insane’ to your own mother?”
It was Ha-ni. Her boyish disguise was nowhere to be found; she was wearing a simple outfit of a short-sleeved shirt and a skirt. Even with the shield of an apron over it, her figure was clearly visible.
“Just how much fun were you having to be so out of breath? Let’s go inside. Mom made curry.”
“Listen, Ha-ni. This isn’t the time for me to be eating curry…”
“So, do you want to eat first? Or would you like to take a bath together first? If you don’t like those…”
After a brief pause, Ha-ni gave a wink and struck a clumsily sexy pose, finally uttering that line.
“How. About. Me?”
…It’s a pretty old meme. Setting aside how she even knows it, if I were to describe how I feel right now as simply as possible: yeah.
Seriously.
I feel like I’m going to lose my mind.
“Kyaa~ I said it! Oh my god!”
I climbed over one wall, only to find another wall waiting for me.
I mean, sure, this is cute too.
But Ha-ni, could you please pick a better time to be cute…?