Countermeasure Discussion
Countermeasure Discussion
By now, it had been quite a while since I started playing the villain in this world.
Even by the original story's timeline, things were kicking into high gear.
Phase 2 was coming: stronger ability users would appear, villain organizations would grow into real factions, Yuseong Corporation would begin swallowing South Korea whole—more and more chaos.
And me?
I was setting all of that aside and worrying about something else entirely.
"It seems like Stardus suspects me."
The Ego Stream conference room.
Standing before everyone, all eyes on me, I said it in a dead serious voice.
That was serious. My whole purpose in life at the time was to become a villain myself, throw adversity at Stardus, and make her grow. So what was I supposed to do if she stopped seeing me as a villain in the first place?
No, more than that—just why? Why did she smile at me with zero wariness, after I'd carried out multiple terrorist attacks and mercilessly killed other villains? I couldn't understand. What the hell was going on?
As I poured out my indignant complaints, Seo-eun, who'd been listening from the front, spoke up like I'd said something absurd.
"No, big bro... After everything you did, did you really think people would still see you as a villain?"
"What exactly did I do?"
Choi Se-hee, seated across from Seo-eun, chimed in.
"...Okay, first. None of your attacks have caused a single death, right? When nobody dies in situations where deaths should be unavoidable, of course people start thinking you intended it. Honestly, that is why I accepted your recruitment offer too."
"That's not the only thing."
Soo-bin next to me piled on.
"You also contacted Stardus directly back on the plane, remember? What kind of villain calls a hero and says 'I trust you, go save them' in that situation?"
Then Ha-yul, who'd been quiet, spoke too.
"...And hijacking that giant robot midway through the incident saved people who were about to die. You didn't hurt anyone with it. This isn't even the first or second time you've disrupted another villain's attack."
Finally, Seo-eun summed it up for me.
"Honestly, at this point it'd be stranger if she hadn't noticed. If big bro were in Stardus's position, wouldn't you sense that something was off?"
Hm.
Now that I looked at it all together, it did seem extremely suspicious.
But still—Stardus, suspecting me over something like this?
Ridiculous. She's justice incarnate, a living embodiment.
The idea that she'd suspect a vicious terrorist like me just because of this—it's insane...
'With this... my debt is paid, right?'
Ah.
Right. That incident.
When I got stabbed in her place.
The one Shin Ha-ru even remembered as a debt she owed me.
"......."
Was that why she was less hostile toward me?
No, I mean, what was the big deal? A villain could risk his life to save a hero once in a while. It was probably a famous cliché in hero stories. Though I'd never once seen a scene like that in my life...
I quietly did the math in my head.
What would happen if Stardus found out that I didn't commit villainous acts because I was insane, but because it was all for her and for the world?
...There was no need to guess. Could she ever fight me with everything she'd? Abilities normally awakened when someone grew through a crisis. If she already knew the situation was not truly life-threatening, how much real effort would she put into fighting? She'd only grow complacent!
A horrible future suddenly flashed through my mind: a future in which I took out all the villains in her place while Stardus did nothing but slack off, grow lazy, and quit being a hero altogether.
That can't happen. The future rests in Stardus's hands. If she doesn't grow, the world gets destroyed, the end.
...Realistically, I didn't think she'd guessed that my terrorist attacks were for her and the world. If she'd figured that out, did she have some kind of precognition? Sure, Ha-ru had Hyper Sense, which was somewhat similar... but anyway. She probably only had a few vague suspicions, nothing serious.
"But big bro, is that really something to worry so much about?"
"Exactly, big bro. The Association isn't chasing you with its teeth clenched, so is that not a good thing?"
I shook my head at their easygoing remarks.
It wasn't an enormous crisis, but neither was it something I could simply let slide without any countermeasures. I needed to prepare some insurance. For instance... yeah.
No matter what I did, what if there was someone at Shin Ha-ru's side who kept reminding her that Egostic was a vicious villain?
That's the answer.
South Korea's de facto hidden mastermind, the A-rank hero known as Icicle, and Stardus's closest friend—
I needed to meet Lee Seol-ah as soon as possible.
That's probably the solution.
***
"Haah... Stardus. You're telling me that was really the reason?"
"Yes."
The Association president looked at Stardus standing before him and sighed.
"No... I mean, it's not like the president would shoot a nuclear missile or something that kills everyone. Of course he would've fired something that only destroyed the robot. Why did you block it? No, didn't I say it myself? That the GOAB isn't that powerful a missile?"
"..."
The Association president pressed down on his bald head with both hands, then began lamenting to her.
"Stardus. No—Shin Ha-ru. I nearly went bald because of you... Do you even know how many reckless gambles I took to defend you? One wrong move and my head could've been on the chopping block. We were lucky public opinion turned on the president... In all my years, I never thought I'd see the day I'd frame the president..."
"...I'm sorry."
"No, no. Honestly, that guy has been stepping all over our Association at every turn, so I didn't mind seeing him get knocked down. And why did he fire a missile without even consulting us? Looks like he wanted to show off this time, and he ended up looking like an idiot. The robot overloaded and blew up on its own anyway."
"..."
"And since they're saying you're expected to be promoted to S-rank soon, congratulations in advance. Lately, whether it's thanks to my PR and spin or whatever, you've become incredibly popular, so let's just keep quiet for now. A lot of public attention isn't always a good thing. Go somewhere quiet and rest."
"Yes. Understood."
"Alright... Ugh. The phone's ringing, what now... Dammit. Manager Kim!!! I told you to block the Blue House, didn't I?!"
"Sir, they keep changing their number to contact us, there's no stopping it! You'd better just keep your phone off!"
"Haah... Shin Ha-ru, you see? This is the miserable life I'm living."
"Yes, sir. May I go now?"
"...Fine."
Leaving the Association president's exhausted words behind, she walked out of the office.
As she walked down the hallway, she found herself unconsciously clenching her fist.
Bzzz-.
Just as she'd felt when they measured it at the Association...
Her power had grown strong enough that she could physically feel it. So much so that they were now discussing an S-rank promotion.
...On top of that, her popularity had skyrocketed, though she hadn't intended it.
When you really thought about it, was all of this thanks to that bastard Egostic?
"..."
This time, she had saved him.
The thought that he might actually die made her body move on its own.
A reckless action, without any thought for the consequences.
If the truth came out, she'd be buried for it.
A hero who forcibly saved a villain? They could have dragged her off to a detention center immediately and no one would have called it excessive. That was how unthinkable the act was for a hero.
But if you asked her whether she regretted doing it?
She probably wouldn't be able to answer that question.
The instant she thought of Egostic, the events of that day replayed in her mind.
After blocking the missile, she had lost her strength and fallen from the sky.
And the arm that caught her mid-fall.
The way he looked, holding her up with that cocksure grin as he saved her from plummeting.
And the way he'd asked her, with pure curiosity and without the faintest understanding, why she had blocked the missile.
...And then, the expression he'd made when she answered—completely caught off guard, utterly flustered.
"Ha-ru!"
"Huh?"
Lost in thought as she walked, she made a blank little sound when Seol-ah suddenly appeared beside her.
"Done talking with the Association president? I've been waiting for you."
"Ah... You were? Sorry. Let's go together."
"Sure. So, did you hear some good news in there?"
"Huh? Why?"
"I noticed you smiling a little earlier on my way over."
"...I was?"
She paused at those words.
...I was smiling?
Why did I smile without even realizing it?
As Shin Ha-ru began turning the question over in her mind,
Lee Seol-ah, just behind her, had been watching Ha-ru quietly the whole time—wearing a cold little smile.
Of course, she wiped it away immediately and called out to Ha-ru with a bright voice.
"Right. Ha-ru, looking at how things have settled lately, I think you could use a break. Want to come over to my place for the first time in a while?"
"Huh?"
"Come enjoy a little vacation in Busan for once. The Association president told you to take a break too, did he not?"
"Oh? Well, he did, but..."
"Then no problem! Right?"
"Uh? Um..."
And just like that, while Shin Ha-ru was still sputtering, it was decided she'd take a short trip to Busan—to Lee Seol-ah's house.
***
"Everyone. I'm going to step out to Busan for a bit."
"What?"
Seo-eun's and Se-hee's puzzled stares fixed on me.
Sorry. I'll hurry back.
I had someone I needed to recruit.