Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: The Hero's Bento
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The staff's piercing stares. Choi Yura watching with an expression full of intrigue, like she was glued to a morning soap opera.
All of it stabbed right at me.
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‘Why are they all doing this to me?’
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I opened my mouth with a troubled look on my face.
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"Um, Min Seola-ssi. This is the company, after all. It's working hours. Let's talk later."
Right now, sending her away was my top priority.
For that reason, it was time to draw a firm but polite line.
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"Oh my goodness!"
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Suddenly, Team Leader Choi Yura clapped her hands and jumped in.
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"Seonghwa-ssi, what kind of talk is that to such esteemed guests?"
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The viper of a boss who had been ripping into me moments ago about writing a report in font size 72 was nowhere to be seen.
She flashed the friendliest, most affable smile in the world and bowed deeply to Min Seola.
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"I'm Team Leader Choi Yura from here. It's an honor to meet Korea's greatest hero in person. I'm a huge fan."
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Choi Yura smoothly laid on the flattery, then turned to me and pretended to look stern, narrowing her eyes.
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"Kim Seonghwa-ssi, what are you doing? Do you think these busy people came all the way here for nothing? It must be some nationally important matter. Talking about work like this without any flexibility."
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It was utterly ridiculous.
Flexibility? She was one of the world's top experts at shoving it where the sun doesn't shine.
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"Hurry up and escort them out so you can talk comfortably. Don't worry about work. I'll cover for you completely."
"Pardon?"
"What pardon? Don't keep our precious guests standing. Go on."
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Why was this woman suddenly acting like this?
Her unexpected kindness threw me off, but escaping this situation was the urgent priority anyway.
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"Thank you. I'll be right back."
"Don't worry about here. Take your time and handle it."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Emergency exit stairs.
I'd guided her here deliberately—a place people rarely passed through—worried about rumors leaking from the break room.
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"What are you doing coming all the way here?"
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Min Seola ignored my question entirely and whipped her head toward Seo Jubin.
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"Seo Jubin."
"...Yes, Seola-nim."
"Explain. Why is your energy lingering all over Seonghwa-ssi? It's not just from being nearby."
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Seo's eyes flickered behind her glasses, but she soon steeled herself and spoke.
Her voice pretended at calm.
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"It was for treatment."
"Treatment?"
"Yes. Last night, Kim Seonghwa-ssi's overload levels exceeded the critical threshold. Remote control was utterly impossible."
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Seo swallowed dryly and laid out her half-truth, prepared in advance.
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"I went to his place urgently and performed forced stabilization."
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She paused for a moment and glanced at me.
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‘Roughly go along with it, right?’
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I got it, but why did I have to play along?
My head throbbed.
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"His circuits were more tangled than expected, so it took a lot of time... and it seems some of my energy got left behind."
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Min Seola's brow furrowed.
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"Then why didn't you report it? If Seonghwa-ssi was in that much danger, you should've contacted me first."
"I'm sorry. But if Seola-nim knew, I figured you'd rush straight to Kim Seonghwa-ssi like this."
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Seo put on the face of a loyal aide.
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"With stabilization incomplete, your approach could've been harmful instead. I handled it on my own to spare you the worry and self-blame. I'm sorry."
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There was no logical way to counter it.
The venom drained from Min Seola's expression.
Jealousy still smoldered, but the excuse of "it was to save him" left her speechless.
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"Haa..."
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Min Seola let out a long sigh and spoke calmly.
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"Fine, if it was treatment, no helping it. He might've been in danger without you."
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Then she glared at Seo and added,
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"But next time, report to me first. Don't hide important matters while guessing at my judgment."
"I'll keep that in mind."
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Seo bowed her head.
Cold sweat was practically visible trickling down her back.
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Min Seola turned her gaze to me.
The chill from before was gone; her face crumpled into worry as she poured out her concern.
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"Sorry, Seonghwa-ssi. Because of me, you got overloaded for no reason... But the stabilization went well, right?"
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No eyes around, so she switched back to casual speech.
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"Yeah, sure. But even so, showing up during work hours for something like this is a bother for me and the company, you know that, right?"
"I'm really sorry!"
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Min Seola clasped her hands together and bowed her head.
Like something out of a light novel.
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"Here, take this first."
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Min Seola held out the three-tiered bento box she'd been carrying.
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"I made it myself. Packed it with stuff good for recovering your energy, so eat this and perk up."
"Uh..."
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I cautiously accepted the bento.
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‘A bento hand-made by the No.1 Hero.’
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For an ordinary citizen, it'd be a priceless keepsake.
But for me, well...
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‘I just can't fully trust it...’
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I'd nearly been poisoned by Seo this morning.
Min Seola said she made it herself, but if she'd had her aide do it, same difference.
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"Thanks, I'll enjoy it."
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The moment I took the bento.
My fingertip and Min Seola's just barely, lightly brushed.
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"Ah!"
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Min Seola let out a small gasp and trembled.
At the same time, her pupils dilated in an instant.
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A split-second contact.
The barest graze, like two points touching.
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"Seola-ssi? You okay?"
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When I asked, Min Seola stared blankly at her fingertip.
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"This isn't dangerous, is it?"
"Pardon?"
"Just our hands brushing... and my body suddenly feels like last time... You're not getting overloaded, are you, Seonghwa-ssi?"
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She looked up at me.
Her eyes wavered.
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‘I can see exactly what she's thinking.’
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If it weren't for the overload, I'd jump you right now.
Such intense longing flared in her eyes like flames.
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Her lips quivered.
She looked like instinct was devouring her reason, desperate to pounce on me.
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‘My fault for saying dumb stuff from the start.’
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As I swallowed a sigh, Seo urgently cut in.
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"Seola-nim! We stabilized him, but it was forced, so it's still unstable! More contact will burden Kim Seonghwa-ssi!"
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It was a lie.
But it was enough to flip Min Seola's reason switch back on.
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"Right?"
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Min Seola clenched her fist and pulled her hand back.
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"Eat that and recover your energy quick."
"Got it."
"Promise?"
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Her added words made me realize my mistake.
I'd answered thoughtlessly again.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ After the two heroes left, I returned to my seat with the bento in hand.
The office was dead silent, like after a storm. My colleagues didn't dare speak, just watched cautiously.
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"Kim Seonghwa-ssi."
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Team Leader Choi Yura approached my desk.
I reflexively shot back,
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"Yes? Ah, I'll send the report right now."
"Forget it. Don't write it."
"Pardon?"
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As I stupidly asked again, Choi Yura crossed her arms and smirked.
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"That thing about being kidnapped by villains yesterday. Not total bullshit after all? The No.1 Hero comes all the way here during work hours with a homemade bento."
"Ah..."
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Choi Yura perched on my desk and stared straight at me.
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"I misunderstood. Looks like you really got caught up in some mess and suffered. I'll let the report slide."
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Let it slide, she says.
I barely swallowed the urge to say, Compensation first, you bitch.
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"But come on. Even as a kidnapping victim, for someone as busy as Min Seola to personally check on you? During company hours, with a bento no less?"
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Choi Yura lowered her voice.
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"You two got something going? Or do you have some big connection?"
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It hit the nail on the head.
Heroes didn't personally babysit victims one by one—it didn't make sense.
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‘She's unnecessarily persistent.’
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Bitching about my excuse even after hearing I was kidnapped by villains.
Now bitching that it's weird the hero's checking on me.
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‘Half-assed excuses are poison.’
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I hurriedly pulled out the knowledge Seo had fed me.
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"I told you. It was a succubus."
"So?"
"Succubi sometimes imprint on their prey, she said. Seems like Min Seola-ssi needed to check it personally to feel at ease."
"Hmm. Imprint?"
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Choi Yura tilted her head.
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"Fine, whatever. Get back to work."
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She nodded coolly and turned away.
But from her retreating back, I could tell she didn't fully buy it.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ That afternoon.
Seoul's downtown skies.
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Ping ping ping ping ping! Boom!
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Min Seola's fist, tracing a blinding trail of light as she rocketed forward, pierced straight through an A-Rank villain's solar plexus.
It wasn't usually tough, but today her body felt especially light, like a feather.
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‘This has to be thanks to Kim Seonghwa...’
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Min Seola left the fallen villain behind and hovered in the air, looking down at her hand.
That fingertip she'd brushed against Kim Seonghwa's earlier in the stairwell, handing over the bento.
The tingling afterimage still lingered.
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‘Just our fingertips grazing...’
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She shuddered.
She'd felt it during their hug last time too, but Kim Seonghwa's energy was a total cheat code.
If not for the overload penalty, she'd want to cling to him all day, burrow into his body.
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‘Hurry and recover... so we can move to the next stage...’
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Min Seola's gaze turned toward Kim Seonghwa's company.
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‘If I kissed him... No, like Seonghwa-ssi said, if we became one... how strong would I get...?’
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Just imagining it made her lower belly ache with tension.
Her reason screamed to protect him, but her body wanted the opposite.
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‘I have to wait. Hold out until stabilization.’
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But unconsciously, her hand stroked her lower belly.
She brought the fingertip that had touched his energy to her lips, inhaling deeply as if savoring the lingering scent.
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‘...I want to do it soon. Sex with Seonghwa-ssi.’
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The No.1 Hero's patience.
It was reaching its limit.