A New Beginning (3)
I'm flustered. I have no clue why these kids suddenly changed like this.
I had no idea how to respond to faces I'd never seen before, and no words came to mind for their questions. Maybe that weird feeling I got earlier wasn't something to brush off so easily!?
"Uh? Uh... yeah."
I nodded reflexively in response, and the sisters flashed sly smiles again. Smiles different from the innocent ones they'd worn just moments ago when asking their questions.
"Hmm~ I see~"
"Hehe... really?"
"Yeah... but why...?"
Even as I stiffened up and hesitated through my answers, the sisters kept smiling and pressing with more questions. But their behavior was escalating. Blushing, sidelong glances, playing it cool... It was like two seductive little foxes had shape-shifted and appeared right in front of me.
"Just curious...? We're gonna be living with you from now on, so don't we need to know who your friends or colleagues are?"
"Yeah. And if it's another girl... we'll probably see her a lot, so we should get along, right?"
"R-right?"
"Yes. And that junior of yours... no, your junior. You've been together for a long time, haven't you? You're close, right?"
"Uh... yeah... something like that?"
"Then we can learn more about you from her."
"I'm curious. What kind of woman... no, what kind of person do you like?"
"Uh... um..."
No words came out. I had zero idea what to say. No, more than that—is this even the right conversation to be having right now? But it didn't feel entirely wrong either. It was this ambiguous sensation, like it was somehow right but also not. Above all, seeing the sisters like this was a fresh shock.
Sure, we'd met a few times, but I knew there were sides of them I hadn't seen yet. Still, I never imagined they'd suddenly show this side, like this.
"Huh? Mister. We're curious—won't you tell us?"
"Tell us~!"
"Hmm..."
Should I tell them or not? After agonizing over it, I decided to just spill. We'd be living together anyway, so we'd run into each other eventually. Plus, refusing might sour things between me and the sisters. I wasn't planning to cut ties with Han Sujung over something like this anyway, so... Thinking it was no big deal, I gave an awkward smile and nodded.
"Alright. Got it. Ask away if you're curious."
"Great. Then I'll ask a few questions."
"Uh? Oh, uh..."
Their direct approach caught me off guard. It felt like I was a criminal being interrogated by the police. Tension rising, I started answering the sisters' questions.
"Is that junior girl pretty?"
"Huh? Uh... yeah?"
There was a reason I often thought of her as my popular junior or called her out now and then. Han Sujung was a beauty—probably the prettiest hero in the same building. Not that I'd met many other female heroes or cared much, but every time I saw her, she was fending off advances from male heroes. Weirdly, she turned them all down.
"Does she have long hair?"
"No. Her hair's on the shorter side."
"Does she keep it short because you like short hair?"
"Her hair being short isn't because I like or dislike it... She just has her own style."
"Then what kind of hair do you like?"
"Uh... if I had to pick between short and long... long? But I like short too. No, actually, don't I like all kinds?"
"Long hair, huh..."
"Long hair..."
The sisters paused to think, nodded, and continued their questions.
"Is your junior tall?"
"Height? No. A bit shorter than me."
"So you like short girls?"
"Huh? Uh... yeah? But not too short. Like Han Sujung—just a little shorter than me is per... Wait, why am I even saying this?"
Caught up in their pace, an answer slipped out that I hadn't even considered. But even that seemed important to them; they fell silent again, deep in thought. Watching them, the doubts and bewilderment that had been building during this Q&A grew stronger.
Why are these kids acting like this...?
Are they scouting for a blind date or something? I could've asked why they were prying like this, but their intensity was overwhelming—no words came out. The vibe was you answer, I question. Breaking that atmosphere might... Yeah. It felt like it could spark a war.
"Got it... so that's how it is..."
"...Hmm..."
Whether lost in deep contemplation or letting out little groans, the sisters pondered intensely. Silence fell, and I thought the questions were finally over—relief. But their thinking didn't last long. They smiled again and resumed grilling me.
"So, does your junior have big boobs?"
"Huh? More questions...?"
"Of course! We've got tons left!"
"Uh, uh... yeah."
Is Han Sujung that much of a concern? No idea, but skipping answers felt like it would lead to something bad, so I kept responding.
"Um... uh... I guess? I wouldn't know."
"...So you like them big?"
"Huh? What?"
"Do you like big boobs?"
"Uh......"
Hold on, kids. Your eyes... they're looking kinda weird. They've been off since earlier, but now they're even stranger. ...Nah, must be my imagination. Has to be.
"......Yeah... something like that?"
"Hmmm─"
"Hmmmm─"
"Ah! But I like small ones too! Personally, big ones have that appeal for guys, so yeah, but small ones are plenty attractive too! So I don't really care!"
As the sisters eyed me sharply, words tumbled out reflexively. Instinctively hedging against some unknown crime I might commit from ignorance. Luckily, it seemed right; they gave faint smiles and nodded.
"Good job, mister."
"Yeah. Well done."
What did I do...? ...No. Don't ask. As if mulling something over again, the sisters fell silent, heads bowed. Silence returned, and I just watched wordlessly. I'm a tree... you're water... what does it matter this or that... Life's about experiencing all sorts of things, right...? All kinds of random thoughts swirled in my head.
"Great. Thanks to you, mister, we've made big progress."
"Yeah. The rest about you... we can learn slowly!"
"Hehe."
"Heehee."
After handling their own questions and answers, the two wore satisfied smiles. For some reason, those smiles looked a bit seductive... Nah. Imagination. Stop thinking. More of this and my head'll explode.
Anyway, with the questioning over, nothing else happened. The eventful day faded, and the next morning arrived.
※
As morning broke the next day, I headed to the Hero Association building. Rescuing the sisters was done, but it wasn't fully over—there were still loose ends. That's why I was in the team leader's office for follow-up procedures.
"Sleep well?"
"...No."
"Figured. The sisters keeping you up?"
No, that's not it... Last night, when I tried to sleep, they begged to share the bed, and I broke a sweat fending them off. Finally got them to sleep separately, but I was too on edge to rest. ...I wanted to say that, but I didn't. Explaining would take forever, and I was too tired and lazy for it. A nod sufficed, and hyung smirked at me.
"Whatever. No sleep's no sleep, but work's work."
"Make it quick, please."
"Quiet, punk. Listen carefully."
Hoyeon hyung piled documents on the desk. Once stacked, he spread them out, sorted them, and began explaining each one, pointing as he went.
"First, your disciplinary action."
"Yeah."
"Multiple crime scenes were caught on record. Violence, gambling... total chaos. The issue is you're a hero—a superhuman."
"As expected. Superhuman laws are strict."
Power given to the unqualified is a disaster. Many awaken powers, most minor or useless, but the strong always emerge. Heroes or villains, superhumans need firm handling within that framework. Heroes at least protect people, so there's some leeway, but law is law.
"Luckily, we can spin this somehow. Shift it to hero-villain issues: your solo actions become 'acting as a hero' to wipe out crime."
"Even though I retired?"
"Retired or not, the Association's watching. With hero companies around, they care. Probably no big deal."
The current hero society splits into two: the state-certified Hero Management Association and private hero companies. Superhumans fall under national oversight by default, but the powerful want perks and hate restraints. Private firms stepped in for them, building their own systems. The government dislikes it but can't crack down hard—risks rebellion. So they compete with better welfare and pay in the talent market.
"Hero companies are state-regulated anyway, so why bother making them..."
"Different perspectives. You joining one?"
"Nah. If anything... maybe an instructor at the academy you recommended."
I retired to search for the sisters, no job hunt planned. But I found them quicker than expected, so things changed. Not now, but I can't stay jobless forever—gotta work eventually.
"Right, that. Anyway, later. Circumstances are like this."
"Just handle the villain-related parts?"
"Luckily, that's mostly wrapped. The mana-suppression bracelet... you flagged it as evidence, right?"
"...No hero gives that to a slum dweller."
If so, they'd be branded criminal, shipped to a villain containment camp. It seals mana completely, turning supers into normals. A normal wearing it... might as well be a living corpse. So the bracelet meant a lot.
"So, probably a fine at worst. If needed, I'll handle it—don't worry."
"...Thanks."
"Save it. Next."
After that, Lee Seojin and Kim Hoyeon kept talking. About the sisters. Future schedules. Potential issues or follow-ups. They discussed meticulously, cautiously, leaving no loose ends.
"Out."
"Yeah. See ya."
Time passed, talks wrapped, farewells exchanged, and I left the room. Some headaches, but most solvable. Now just rest and live normally? Lost in such thoughts while walking—
Han Sujung called from behind.
"Oh? Seojin sunbae? Where you headed?"
"Huh? Oh, Sujung. Yeah. Just finished talking with team leader about personal stuff."
"Ah... really? No more work after?"
"Nah. Why?"
I eyed her curiously, and suddenly she looked shy. She turned her head, glancing sideways while pondering, then spoke slowly.
"W-well... about that call yesterday... I wanna talk about it..."
"Yesterday?"
"Y-you said you'd grant my wish as thanks!"
"Ah~ that? Yeah. Got something in mind?"
Lee Seojin smiled brightly in reply. Heart pounding like crazy, Han Sujung took deep breaths and shouted.
"Th-then! Go on a date with me! For Christmas!"