Center of Attention
Center of Attention
"Today's Entertainment Relay! So, what are we covering this time?"
"Yes! Today's topic is none other than the self-proclaimed S-rank hero Apple Mango!"
"Oh my, a hero named Apple Mango? That's quite endearing."
"Absolutely. This man has been setting the internet ablaze lately. Let's take a look."
The two women disappeared from the television screen, and another video began playing.
It looked like footage someone had secretly shot with a smartphone.
There, someone perched atop a tower of chairs was speaking.
A voice came from the man in the yellow mask.
[You asked who I am? I am the S-rank hero Apple Mango.]
His words rang out in an arrogant tone.
The video cut off there, and the two women reappeared.
"Yes! Ah, so he referred to himself as Apple Mango?"
"That's right. During the recent terrorist attack at the Signature Hotel in Busan, he subdued the terrorists faster than any of the heroes. Then, when three other heroes arrived, he said this."
"Yes. But I heard he went on to say some rather strange things?"
"Ah, let's listen to that as well."
The screen changed again.
It was the same scene as before. The man in the yellow mask continued speaking.
[But aren't all of you merely A-rank heroes? There is a world of difference between a veteran and a rookie, so show some respect when you speak to me.]
"Yes. That was quite... memorable. He demanded that they speak politely to him?"
"Exactly. As viewers can see, the heroes looked momentarily stunned by his sudden demand. His bizarre behavior continued after that."
[I've eaten with your Association President, drunk with him, gone to the sauna with him—we've done everything together, you punks!]
"Heh heh... Could that be true?"
"Probably not. He went on to make several more strange remarks, offered the rookie heroes unsolicited advice, and then vanished without a trace."
"Yes. It sounds bizarre even as a summary. Is that why he has become the center of so much attention?"
"Of course, that's not the only reason. There are several factors. Let's look at them together."
A giant number 1 filled the screen.
Large text appeared beneath it.
[Self-proclaimed S-rank hero Apple Mango. Is his true identity actually the villain Egostic?]
"Oh my, what does this mean?"
"Exactly what it says. Although he claimed to be a hero, netizens have uncovered a great deal of evidence that he is actually Egostic. Let's take a look."
The screen changed again, showing another video.
The image quality was far worse than before. In footage that appeared to have been recorded secretly, terrorists collapsed after being shot by guns that had suddenly risen into the air.
"The first piece of evidence is telekinesis. Apple Mango lifted several guns into the air, which perfectly matches Egostic's ability. And that's not all."
Another video followed. It showed Apple Mango vanishing from his seat the moment he finished speaking.
"As you can see, he also demonstrated teleportation. That, too, perfectly matches Egostic. Dual Ability Users are extremely rare, and their two sets of abilities overlap completely."
"Wow. Isn't this what people call conclusive proof these days? There is no getting around it, is there?"
"We're not finished yet. Video analysis shows that Egostic and Apple Mango have almost identical builds as well. Now listen to their voices."
"Yes. This is Egostic's voice from his first terrorist attack—the cruise-ship attack."
[Everyone suddenly united after hearing your speech. Ha, haha. Hahahahahahahahaha!]
"And this is Apple Mango's voice."
[A villain? Me? Hahaha! Hahahahahahahahaha!]
"What do you think?"
"They... sound exactly the same?"
"Yes. That is why so many people are arguing that the voice and speech patterns aren't merely similar, but completely identical."
"At this point, can we just consider Apple Mango to be Egostic?"
"Yes. The Association hasn't issued a definitive answer, but the prevailing consensus is now that Apple Mango is Egostic. Even the Mangostic Fandom is ecstatic, claiming that Egostic may have acknowledged their affectionate nickname for him: Mango."
"The Mangostic Fandom... Apple Mango. At this point, hasn't he practically announced his identity outright?"
"Exactly. Some people have issued an 'enthusiastic welcome,' saying that Egostic is finally abandoning his villain cosplay and trying to become a hero. A petition has even appeared demanding that the Association officially recognize S-rank hero Apple Mango."
"I see. But that alone can't fully explain this level of popularity. The second reason Apple Mango has gone viral! Let's find out together."
A giant number 2 appeared on screen once more.
The subtitle beneath it read, 'What is the relationship between Egostic and the Association?'
"The relationship between Egostic and the Association... what does that mean?"
"Exactly what it says. During the recent incident, Apple Mango mentioned the Association President's name from before he changed it. Let's listen."
[...Oh, and did you know this? The Association President's name is Park Jun-ho, right? He changed it. His original name was Park Mak-chun. Our Mak-chun used to whine constantly about hating his name, then quietly changed it behind everyone's back.]
"This is certainly a... novel claim. He says the Association President changed his name from Park Mak-chun to Park Jun-ho. Could it be true?"
"The Association denied it. They stated that the president's alleged name change was a baseless rumor. Netizens, however, do not believe them. The Association issued only that one statement and has refused further comment, while the heroes' reactions also suggest that Apple Mango may have been telling the truth."
"Fascinating. If that story is indeed true, how would Apple Mango—that is, Egostic—know about it?"
"That is the current hot topic among netizens. Some point out that the president's name change does not appear in computerized records, which would mean that normally only family members or longtime friends could know about it."
"Then how on earth did he know? Was he truly an old acquaintance of the president, or...?"
"Several conspiracy theories have emerged from this. One claims that Egostic really was an S-rank hero in the past, but became a villain after clashing with the Association. It is completely unverified tabloid gossip, but... certainly an interesting story."
"If that conspiracy theory were true, it would also explain why three A-rank heroes let Apple Mango escape, wouldn't it? Perhaps they released him because he really was their senior."
"Precisely. But we'll look into that more later."
"Yes! Understood. So, what's the third and final story related to Apple Mango?"
"Yes, the third story is this!"
At the same time, a caption appeared.
[3. What exactly are Egostic's abilities?]
"This is about Egostic's abilities. What does it mean?"
"It concerns what he displayed during this incident. Until now, the Association and outside experts believed that Egostic's telekinesis and teleportation were both quite weak. It's also common knowledge that Dual Ability Users are generally much weaker than Single-Ability Users."
"Are you saying that's not the case?"
"Correct. Lifting all those guns with telekinesis was a highly advanced feat. It appeared impossible based on the power Egostic had shown until now, yet he managed it. The same applies to his teleportation."
"Ah. You mean the question of how he reached Busan when he had always operated in Seoul?"
"Exactly. He suddenly appeared at the moment the terrorist attack began. That has led some people to suggest that he may actually be capable of teleporting directly from Seoul to Busan."
"That's fascinating. Are you suggesting that Egostic has been hiding his true strength all this time?"
"It is possible. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but one thing seems certain: Egostic will remain at the center of attention in South Korea for some time."
"Egostic. That is why even more attention is focused on what he'll do next."
She listened that far, then simply turned off the television.
Click.
The television went dark at the press of the remote.
Shin Ha-ru's face was reflected in the blank black screen.
"..."
Her reflected expression looked deeply conflicted.
Egostic, Egostic. That damned Egostic.
Looking exhausted, she lay back on the sofa and massaged around her eyes.
Several days had already passed since the incident.
The hotel incident had already become known nationwide.
So had everything concerning Egostic.
"..."
She was already certain that Apple Mango—or whatever he called himself—was Egostic.
No, it would be more accurate to say she had realized it before anyone else. She was one of the very few people who had seen Egostic in person.
That only made her feelings more complicated.
She'd been investigating Egostic's recent incidents again when this happened. She had never expected to encounter him again like this.
The doubts she had harbored since last time.
And now this latest incident.
She had no choice but to admit it.
Recently, a seed of doubt had begun to sprout inside her.
Egostic.
Was this man truly a villain?
More precisely, could he truly be called evil?