Chapter 35
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Worries (3)
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"Hmm..."
The conversation was flowing more seriously than I'd expected.
Maybe because no one had ever listened to these kinds of troubles before, Seo-yul seemed to have lost far more confidence than I'd imagined.
Even though there were tons of people out there who adored her enough to call her their queen in fan communities.
'What should I start with...'
I'd agreed to hear her out, but truth be told, I'd never actually counseled anyone before.
Just telling her she was plenty strong and shouldn't lose confidence felt risky too—coming from me, it might sound like I was teasing her.
"...I guess it's weird for me to think like this, right... Of course, now that I'm a hero, I do plan to work hard. I get paid what I'm worth... Thanks to my strong ability, I luckily climbed to A-Rank Hero..."
Ah...
"Um... Seo-yul-ssi?"
"...Yes?"
"Whatever else, you really shouldn't say you became an A-Rank Hero by luck."
Sure, unlike the others, I'd only used a cheat for a game and ended up with this ridiculous power...
I really did get to A-Rank by sheer luck, but that wasn't the case for her or the other A-Rank Heroes.
I had no idea how hard they'd worked, but to reach this level, it must've been immense effort.
No matter what, developing her ability and becoming a hero was all her own doing.
No matter how strong that power was, it was never something to downplay.
"More than that, talking like that disgraces all the other A-Rank Heroes too."
"Ah..."
No matter how little confidence she had, I couldn't just let her trash-talk all A-Rank Heroes like that—including herself.
"...I've been talking only about myself too much..."
"No, that's fine. That's why we met up—to hear your story."
"..."
"Don't lose confidence. There are tons of people who love you, Seo-yul-ssi."
"Pardon...?"
What?
Contrary to my expectations, Seo-yul stared at me with a completely clueless expression, like she'd never even looked into it.
Wait, seriously?
'Not ego-searching is probably good for your mental health...'
But I hadn't expected zero interest at all.
Usually, once you start these activities, curiosity about public opinion leads to checking, only to take inner damage...
Even I had searched online shortly after starting, wondering if anything about me was out there.
But someone who never ego-searches? First time seeing that.
"Seo-yul-ssi, do you really have no idea what kind of reputation you have online?"
No way, right?
But Seo-yul looked back at me with utter ignorance.
"I heard you're not supposed to look those up... Is there something bad written about me...?"
Quite the opposite...
'Maybe I should just show her...'
Sorry for not having looked before now, Seo-yul, but the stories about her were overwhelmingly positive. Showing her should be fine.
Was solving counseling like this the right way? Still, showing reactions from others around her beat me just saying "good job" over and over.
And the most reliable source for that was the internet's raw reactions.
Unlike in-person talks, where face-saving plays a role, the internet was anonymous, so people let loose more than in real life.
She knew that too, so seeing the good stuff in its unfiltered form might restore her confidence.
"...Here, take a look at this."
I opened a community site popular with everyday folks—not some deep niche forum—and showed her.
"Ah..."
She took the phone I'd handed her, started checking the content, and soon was absorbed.
With so many posts about her, it was inevitable her interest would spike. She read intently.
A little time passed like that.
Having finished, she handed the phone back.
Her face, which had looked so deflated moments ago, was now flushed with embarrassment, her expression flustered.
"I had no idea... There are so many people who like me... It feels weird. Like my chest is all tickly..."
"Better late than never."
This was all because she'd done so well.
No scandals, just pure, diligent hero work—that's why so many loved her.
From what I'd seen searching, it was all good stories.
Always trying to save as many as possible, subduing villains without collateral damage.
And the diligence to deploy immediately whenever an alert popped up.
Even when she didn't need to step in, she did—so her fame had skyrocketed.
Forget the pay; she was genuinely impressive.
"This means you're a perfect fit as a hero, Seo-yul-ssi. So don't blame yourself or feel down."
"..."
She must've done countless activities by now.
Naturally, there were people she couldn't save during hero work. Especially last time, when she was badly hurt and nearly died—many got injured then too.
It probably wasn't just that one incident making her lose confidence.
Likely all the accumulated events had finally burst.
"...Thanks, Do-yoon-ssi."
Seo-yul smiled with a much calmer expression than before.
Glad she felt better.
"...Um, you know that one favor I asked? Could you maybe grant it...?"
"A favor?"
I hadn't expected a request from her side, so I looked at her in mild surprise.
She waved it off like no big deal under my gaze, then took a deep breath as if nervous, opened her eyes, and met mine.
"C-Could I... maybe drop the formal speech...?"
"Ah... That's it? Of course, sure."
I'd braced for something tough since she seemed to struggle asking.
Informal speech was nothing.
If anything, after all our time together, it was a shame she hadn't already.
Her eyes widened at my answer, and she smiled in relief.
"Um... How old are you, anyway?"
"My age?"
"I'm 21... Probably younger than you... Should I call you oppa then...?"
21?
I'm not that old myself, but she's pretty young.
Only two years into adulthood.
"You're younger than I thought. When did you start as a hero?"
"Hero activities started at 20... But back in high school, I trained at a hero nurturing center—learning how to use my ability and such."
Places like that exist, huh.
"Oppa it is, then. I'm 25."
Had to take a lot of leaves due to money issues, so still a college student.
At least being an orphan without parents got me exemptions.
Even that came with strings attached—ridiculous how some orphans went and others didn't.
...No need to play college student anymore, huh.
No reason to attend uni if I'm heroing full-time ahead.
Guess I'll drop out soon.
"...So I can call you oppa?"
Her question gave me a weird pang, making me flinch briefly.
What guy wouldn't like a pretty girl like Seo-yul calling him oppa?
Just old memories surfacing for a sec.
"As much as you want. Call me however you like."
"Okay, oppa... Ehehe..."
She grinned broadly, clearly delighted.
Never would've guessed this side when we first met.
Her public hero persona was stiff and formal—who knew?
How many even knew her real personality was like this?
Maybe just Isis.
Or maybe no one but me.
Ding!
"Hold on a sec."
Who could it be?
I checked the sender and message, eyes widening.
Didn't expect her to wake up this fast.
"What's up, oppa?"
"Oh, Isis woke up."
Guess I should visit the hospital.