The Gates of Justitia
In front of the main gate.
"U-um... Cathy?"
"Sihyun, don't talk to me while I'm driving."
"O-okay..."
Ever since the commotion in the interrogation room, things had become a little awkward between Cathy and me. ...Well, I couldn't help it. It was my first kiss ever, and it had been incredibly intense, too. Besides, it wasn't just me who felt awkward; Cathy, the one who had actually done it, also seemed a bit flustered. Even if she had been under the influence of my ability, she had insisted that it was her own lack of self-control that made her unable to resist. I’d had to sweat bullets just to talk her out of "taking responsibility" for her actions.
...Honestly, it felt kind of good.
As I touched my lips and recalled that moment, a soft, fuzzy feeling bloomed inside me. My thighs tightened, and my heart fluttered. A sensation like my brain melting into pudding. So, this was what a kiss felt like. ...Was it because it was Cathy? Or would the lips of other girls feel just as good?
"Sihyun!"
"I-I'm sorry!"
"...What? What are you apologizing for?"
While I was lost in my own cheeky imagination, Cathy’s stern voice snapped me back to reality, and I had reflexively begged for forgiveness. It wasn't like we were actually dating or anything, so it shouldn't have been a problem, but why did I react like that...?
"Pull yourself together, Sihyun. We've arrived at the entrance of Justitia."
I ignored Cathy’s suspicious glare and opened the window to gaze at the massive building before me. It was the place that boasted the highest prestige even within the city where countless academies were gathered. The birthplace of the heroes I admired.
"This is Justitia..."
The place I had only ever dreamed of was right before my eyes. A place where an ordinary student couldn't even set foot. I had lost count of how many times I’d lived vicariously through books and videos about it. ...But to think, I would actually be entering as a student.
"Sihyun. I know you're excited, but please listen to me carefully."
"...Yes? A-ah, yes!"
"First, you must take the pill I gave you at least once a day."
There was a bottle of pills in my bag. She said it was a special medicine made using her own ability, right? Something that could temporarily nullify the ability of whoever consumed it... She had said that the reason she was acting normal right now was because I had taken that pill.
"Second, you must wear the suppression bracelet and ring at all times. In class, during P.E., while bathing, sleeping, and eating. Without exception."
"They look like they're made of gold—is it really okay to wear them all the time? What if they get damaged...!"
"If they break, tell me immediately. I’ll get you new ones as many times as it takes. Your job isn't to worry about money, but to worry about your ability. Do you understand?"
"O-okay..."
The means to suppress my ability didn't stop at Cathy’s pills. I was also wearing a beautiful bracelet and ring, shiny enough to see my reflection in. They were covered in intricate patterns and looked expensive, but she had given them to me to wear as well. She said that wearing these would suppress my ability just like the pills, though they were weaker and meant for emergencies.
...Just how dangerous is my ability?
I wondered if it was really okay to be this dependent on her just to keep my power in check. I stared blankly at the bracelet, too afraid to even ask the price, but my meager brain couldn't come up with a real answer. Since even Cathy, who was an incredibly powerful ability user, couldn't overcome it, it must be truly dangerous. I had seen a glimpse of its effects just a few hours ago, after all...
"...D-don't look at me with that gaze! From now on, you are forbidden from looking at other people like that, too! Forbidden!"
"I-I wasn't looking at you with any particular gaze!"
"That’s even more dangerous! Do you understand, Sihyun? Your appearance is... extremely exceptional, even without your ability."
After parking the car in a nearby alley, Cathy leaned toward me and stared intently at my face. From my perspective, Cathy was much prettier than me—I looked like a lab rat—but I knew I’d get scolded if I said that.
"Sihyun. Did nothing happen at your old school? I would have thought fragments of your ability would have leaked out little by little."
"...Nothing happened?"
"That’s impossible. Hmm... I suppose I’ll need to look into it more thoroughly."
But really, nothing happened. I had received a few confessions, but most of them came back the next day to apologize, saying they were sorry. The girls in my class were also incredibly kind, helping me commute or buying me snacks often. ...I miss my friends.
According to Cathy, now that I was entering Justitia, I wouldn't be able to see any ordinary people for a while, but...
"Anyway, what I want to say is that you are a walking bomb, Sihyun. Especially since the academy you're attending is Justitia."
"Wasn't Justitia a place for hero aspirants? Surely it's a place where only people as kind as angels gather..."
"You must have watched too many documentaries. Those are all illusions, so forget them, Sihyun."
Crash. It sounded like the fantasy I’d been holding onto was shattering. The hero documentaries were all lies? Then that meant the video rental store where I’d poured all my hard-earned allowance was a den of scammers...?
"Most heroes are bound to be a little twisted somewhere. Aspirants are no exception. As you said, there are kind students, but... compared to the whole, they are only a minority."
"I-is that so..."
Reality is cold even here. Since it was an unrealistic world with supernatural powers and monsters, I thought I could dream a little, but I was wrong.
"...Sihyun. I may have exaggerated a bit, so you don't have to be so depressed. I just... wanted to make you aware of the danger."
"Awareness...?"
"Yes. If you enter without any caution, you'll be eaten by hungry wolves before a few days pass. In a place like Justitia, which is filled only with women, someone as lovely as you is a delicious piece of prey."
"Prey...? Do the students at Justitia practice cannibalism?"
"N-not that kind of prey..."
Cathy buried her face in the steering wheel, seemingly reluctant to speak, her lips parting and closing repeatedly. A minute passed. When she lifted her face again, a clear sense of resolve was evident.
"I mean that other people might do to you what I did! I stopped at a kiss, but they might go further—poking and prodding! Or sucking! Anyway...! It’s dangerous!"
Cathy’s face was bright red as she shook my shoulders and continued to speak without pause. So she had been deliberately avoiding that topic. She had been so full of self-reproach at first, after all... Yeah, okay.
"Um, Cathy."
"What is it! You have to promise me you'll be careful, or I won't let you go in!"
"...Um, if it's at the level of what you did, Cathy, it might be okay."
"Hah?"
"H-honestly, it felt good... Is it because the other person was you, Cathy?"
It was better to be honest here. If I just said it was unpleasant or that I’d be careful, I might hurt her feelings. Cathy was like a benefactor to me in many ways... If it weren't for her help, I might have been thrown into that place called a correction facility by now.
"A-a succubus."
"Yes?"
"So the succubus that only existed in legends... was real."
I can't believe it. It's a lie. Cathy muttered to herself, looking as if her soul had left her body. Was my statement that shocking? I was just sharing my honest feelings.
"T-that's not what I meant! I just meant that if the other person is as pretty and kind as you, Cathy, it might be okay~!"
I held Cathy’s hand tightly and looked her straight in the eye, correcting what I had just said. She must have misunderstood and thought I meant it would be okay if anyone did it to me. I had imagined such things at first, but honestly, it would be a bit awkward if it wasn't Cathy.
"...Ah! Really!"
Cathy stared at my lips for a moment, then pulled me into a tight embrace. The way she gently stroked my back while burying my face in her chest felt so good, so warm. I hugged her back, sharing our warmth for a while. ...I probably shouldn't mention that I was a little disappointed it wasn't a kiss.
"Sihyun, you mustn't say things like that to anyone other than me. Even now, I can see your ability leaking out."
"...Even though you blocked it so strictly?"
"Yes. It’s probably because your output is incredibly strong. For ability users of a similar type, it doesn't work if the target has a strong enough mental fortitude, but your ability seduces the target without any conditions."
She stared at me blankly.
"Or perhaps... it’s simply because you are that charming, Sihyun. Hah... to think that a girl this beautiful would have such an ability."
Was that a compliment or an insult? I’d never thought of myself as pretty, so I couldn't tell. I was the only child at the orphanage, and when I went to school, all my friends were prettier than me. Besides, I was a man in my past life... so being called pretty didn't really move me. Even now, I couldn't even distinguish my own gender as male or female.
"Ugh, I’m a little worried about sending you off alone in this state, Sihyun."
"Alone? Aren't you coming with me, Cathy...?"
"I-I told you not to look at me like that! I have a lot of paperwork to process, so I'm a bit busy. There will be a guide waiting for you inside the main gate, so you don't have to worry too much."
To think I’d have to go in alone. Even if there was a guide... I felt a little uneasy being with a stranger. Ugh, pull yourself together. If I was going to become a great hero... no, a public villain, I had to be able to handle these trivial things on my own.
"It seems you've made up your mind. That’s a good look, Sihyun."
"...Yes! I'll do my best!"
"Good! Then, I'll see you later, Sihyun."
After giving me a wink, Cathy dropped me off and disappeared into the distance. She really left. Leaving me all alone.
...I can do this.
In front of the firmly closed, massive main gate of Justitia. For some reason, in that place where no one else was in sight, I clenched my fists and steeled my resolve. Here I go, to Justitia!