Chapter 11
Heroes are justice. Heroes are not justice. It's a debate that's been going on forever.
Thinking of heroes from novels or movies, the former rings true. But when you look at heroes operating in the real world, the latter feels more accurate.
Not all heroes are good. Not all villains are bad.
Most heroes are good. Most villains are bad.
A few heroes are bad. A few villains are good.
There are all kinds, and people tend to see the kinds of heroes and villains that suit them.
So what did those sisters see—the ones who became heroes to heroes and heroes to villains—that made them part ways and stand on opposite sides?
We'll probably never know.
"Phew... this neighborhood's a real mess."
He climbed the roughly paved steep slope, scanning the surroundings carefully.
The place he was in now was some forgotten corner of a slum village, so rundown most people didn't even know it existed.
According to his investigation, the sisters weren't going home. They wandered from place to place, crashing in empty houses in the slums.
More precisely, abandoned ruins.
It sounded impossible, but in a slum like this, it was feasible.
This area was always rife with countless stories, incidents, and accidents.
Naturally, empty houses popped up here and there.
For sisters who couldn't possibly return home, these were their only sanctuaries.
The last sighting had been in this neighborhood, so he was combing through every inch.
What do you plan to do? Got any ideas?
For now... find the sisters. We've met once, so I'll try talking to them more.
Talking, huh... It's a good approach, but they won't come easy. I haven't seen it myself, but they must be covered in wounds.
You're right, hyung. But I've learned a bit about them.
Learned what?
At Kim Hoyeon's puzzled look, Lee Seojin flashed a slightly confident smile.
They eat like champs.
"Like total big eaters..."
A family-size pizza and two whole chickens gone in a flash.
He'd been half-mad with rage reading the investigation report, barely keeping his sanity.
Even calming down and thinking rationally, no better ideas came.
He'd begged for help countless times, but never gotten any.
For sisters tormented by malice and misfortune, how do you even offer aid?
Was talking the only way?
Approach slowly, build trust bit by bit, then extend a helping hand at the end.
That was his best plan. When he told the two, they seemed to buy it, more or less.
But they might not even want to talk.
Why?
People who've been through this stuff get super self-conscious around others. They hate imposing at all. Especially if it's the one good person who actually helped them.
Why's that?
They're terrified that good person might leave because of them.
Spot on.
This was the past, so things might differ, but the Hero from his previous life had gone to extremes to avoid asking for help or burdening anyone.
He'd wondered why she acted that way.
Probably because of a childhood like this—her personality never changed, even after growing up.
"...Let's hurry and find them."
The two had offered to help search, but this was his problem, one he wanted to handle alone, so he'd declined.
Instead, they gave him rock-solid confidence: call anytime you need backup.
...Damn. In his past life, he'd had all this fortune and never noticed.
This time, he vowed not to waste it. He took a step, then glanced back at the path behind him.
"Whew... we've climbed pretty high."
The village mixed hills and flatland.
To find someone here, first head to high ground for a full terrain overview—that was priority one.
With luck, you might spot your target while scouting.
A normal person would struggle, of course.
But become a hero, and your physical abilities skyrocketed. Plus, his own power tied into that, making searches easy.
Right now, he surveyed the whole village vista—anything beyond extreme range aside, nothing escaped him.
"Nope... nope... not that... not this... no. Then..."
He checked methodically, eye by eye.
The rundown slum surprisingly had plenty of residents.
But few ventured out, so most were indoors, he figured.
Were the sisters inside too? If so, it'd be tough.
He searched, hoping for even a glimpse.
Then, far off, a tiny familiar flicker of hair on a receding back.
"Huh?"
He squinted, channeling the superhuman trait of heroes—mana—into his vision.
His sight zoomed like a telescope narrowing focus, revealing the scene.
"...Fuck."
The instant he confirmed it, he stopped looking and bolted, predicting their path.
Luckily, he'd spotted the sisters.
But the problem? They were being chased.
By some guy.
Slum villages house all sorts. Inevitably, some as vicious as villains live there too.
Right now, the sisters were fleeing one such man.
To see how it started, rewind a bit...
This time, the sisters had found a house on the brink of total collapse and settled in the empty shell.
But there was a problem: a man targeting them.
He'd planned to snatch them napping and sell them to a brothel.
Luckily, they handled his ambush well and escaped.
Having faced warm light, the sisters had grown a tad more mature mentally.
"Haa... haa... You okay? Se Eun?"
"Haa... Yeah. A bit tired, but fine. You, sis?"
"I'm good, obviously. Rest a sec, then we go again..."
Turning a corner into an alley for a breather, Yu Sua checked the way back.
The guy seemed to have gone elsewhere—no sign of him. Yu Se Eun looked exhausted, so a short break it was.
But then.
"Gotcha, you little rats."
A sleazy-looking man appeared from nowhere behind them and grabbed the sisters.
He yanked their hair, clamped their mouths, handling them like animals.
Not content, he grinned disgustingly, dreaming of the cash from selling them.
But even exhausted, the sisters weren't going down easy.
"Let go, you pig bastard!!"
"Let go!!"
"Aak!"
As if on cue, they struck together.
The little sister kicked his shin.
The big sister... nailed him right in the balls.
A shin hit was one thing, but no man walks off a crotch shot unscathed. He clutched himself, howling.
"Aaaagh!!! You fucking bitches!!"
Seizing the opening, the sisters bolted from the alley.
But they didn't get far before stopping.
They couldn't flee.
Or rather, no need to.
A sturdy ally stood before them.
As the pain eased, the man rushed out after them.
But the moment he emerged, a hand snatched his throat like a vice.
"Guhk!!"
"Who the hell are you? Why're you chasing these kids?"
"Wh-what! Who're you!"
"...Hah."
Lee Seojin, gripping the man's throat and glaring murderously, let out a short sigh.
One-handed, he hoisted the guy up and slammed him against the side wall.
"I won't ask three times. Who are you, asshole."
Fierce killing intent rippled in his eyes, half-hidden by shaggy hair.
Even a normie could feel it. Terrified, the man spat an answer.
"G-guhk! Th-they're m-my d-daughters! My girls ran off outta nowhere, so..."
"Ran...? Daddy...?"
His desperate lie to salvage things only fueled more rage.
Lee Seojin lifted the man from the wall and smashed him to the ground.
"Right. You're daddy, huh... Perfect. Was gonna track you down and half-kill you anyway."
Bam!
His fist cratered the ground beside the man's face, shattering the stone.
Seeing it, the man freaked, begging mercy.
"S-sorry! I'm not really related! P-please, just spare my life!"
"Knew it. You're not their type of scum."
"Th-then!"
"Shut up and answer. Why chase these girls?"
"W-well... They looked pitiful, so I approached to ask what's up, but they just ran..."
As the trembling man babbled excuses, Yu Se Eun yelled.
"Liar! He tried kidnapping us to sell!!"
"...That so."
Lee Seojin closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and sighed deeply.
The man, even more scared by the gesture, shook his head denying it.
"N-no! Absolutely n─"
Thwack─!!
A dull thud echoed as Lee Seojin's fist smashed the man's face. He went limp, out cold.
"Phew..."
Shaking his hand, Lee Seojin tossed the ragdoll body against the wall like trash and approached the sisters.
"You okay? Hurt anywhere?"
"We're fine."
"Yeah. But mister... how'd you get here...?"
At Yu Sua's question, Lee Seojin felt a pang of guilt.
He scrambled for an excuse.
"Oh, uh~! Was heading home from work, saw you in serious trouble, so I ran over!"
"...Another villain in this slum?"
"Y-yeah! Obviously. You don't believe me?"
Forcing an awkward grin, he waited anxiously.
Yu Sua seemed to suspect something but recalled her own past lie—she didn't press.
She just beamed a bright smile and thanked him.
"...Thank you, mister."
"Thanks!"
"...Nah. No big deal."
He rubbed his nose sheepishly and looked at the sisters.
Maybe from all the commotion and exertion, a familiar rumble echoed from their bellies—like their first meeting.
Grrrrowl─
"Uuu..."
"...Urp."
"...Pfft."
"...Don't laugh."
"Okay, okay. Pff... heh..."
"H-hey! I said no laughing!!"
"Right, no laughing, you dummy mister!"
The sisters' scolding wrapped up the incident.
After the fuss, I reported it to the cops... nah, handled it personally. Then lunch with the sisters.
Menu: Chinese place. Asked what they wanted—they answered straight this time.
Maybe from multiple meetings, they seemed more comfy around me.
But that didn't fix the root issue.
"Mister, whatcha thinking?"
"Huh?"
Pondering how to broach it, how to steer things—he'd zoned out staring at them.
Yu Se Eun tilted her head.
"Oh, haha... Nothing. Just personal stuff."
"Really? Thought you were having dirty thoughts."
"What? Why?"
"You look like a perv? Shave that beard!"
"Ugh!"
Time had passed, but no grooming yet.
They'd only seen this scruffy look—worried a change might spook them.
Planned to clean up after saving them...
Hurtful.
"Ahem. Anyway, later for that... Got something to say."
"What?"
"Something to tell us?"
"Yeah. Sorry, but... could you hear me out? Just once?"
They exchanged glances, then nodded with smiles.
Relieved, he slowly began.
Their situation, daily life now, the future...
Cautious words.
Bottom line: offer spots in a verified, state-approved facility for comfortable living.
Of course, no prying into childhood tales or parents—too deep for now.
He figured they'd love it once done.
But their reaction?
"...Mister, you're annoying."
"...No thanks. Sorry. We refuse."
Cold stares, icy fury, and they stood to leave.