Chapter 10
Chapter 10
A Villain is Just a Villain
“Nothing like that.”
With that answer, Mari kicked off the pillar hard.
She crossed the distance between the massive bridge pillars in a single leap.
In less than a heartbeat, she closed in to within a hand’s span and grabbed Yuri’s slender wrist.
Caught off guard, Yuri’s body froze completely.
“Let’s go somewhere else.”
There were too many onlookers below the bridge.
Without even waiting for Yuri’s reply, Mari pulled her wrist and wrapped an arm firmly around her waist.
She held Yuri close so she wouldn’t fall, then moved toward a nearby park where low orange streetlights filtered through dense trees.
“Let’s talk here.”
Yuri remained in Mari’s arms for a moment before she stepped back. The cool night breeze brushed against her flushed cheeks, slowly cooling the heat rising in her face as she stood still, breathing slowly.
She had been a little hurt lately by how distant Mari had been acting, but whenever she got that close look at her elegant, striking face, those feelings melted away. Actually, they had already melted a long time ago.
Yuri cleared her throat softly.
“So, you looked gloomy all day and kept shutting down… I just asked if something was bothering you.”
Her face still felt hot from Mari’s touch on her wrist and waist. Yuri lightly kicked at the sand with the tip of her boot, avoiding eye contact.
Mari looked down at the top of her bowed head and spoke quietly.
“I need to catch you.”
Yuri snapped her head up.
That came out of nowhere.
Catch her? Since when had Mari ever said something like that? She used to be the one always avoiding it.
And now suddenly acting like she could catch her whenever she wanted?
Yuri frowned, confused.
Mari continued calmly.
“We’ve been like this for years. Headquarters keeps pushing to bring you in. The public’s getting anxious. The damage keeps growing.”
“Ah…”
“So now I really have to catch you.”
Yuri had nothing to say.
She fiddled with the umbrella handle in her hands and spoke carefully.
“So you’re saying you’ll arrest me? Put an inhibitor on me and send me to prison?”
Is that really what you’re going to do?
Her heart began pounding violently.
She was the one who asked, but she still felt wronged. Just hearing it made her chest tighten.
A hero catching a villain was natural.
And yet it still hurt too much.
The streetlights nearby flickered erratically.
Without answering, Mari walked over and sat heavily on a nearby bench. Yuri followed and sat at a slight distance.
“Yes. I’ll catch you. With restraints. And send you to prison.”
“…What?”
Mari’s words left her exhausted, as if just saying them drained all her strength.
Honestly, if she had really wanted to catch Yuri, she would’ve done it long ago.
Most of the time, she just let things be, like a strange game of tag.
Yuri lowered her head, gripping the edge of the bench tightly.
“I should just drink iced Americano…”
“…”
Mari looked at her in confusion.
“I want iced Americano. Go buy me one.”
“…What?”
“Just go get it.”
Yuri didn’t even look at her.
Her chest felt tight. It wasn’t the time for this conversation. It hurt too much.
“Wait here.”
Mari stood and walked away.
Left alone, Yuri pressed her fingers against her eyes. Her vision blurred slightly, but the coldness of her hand kept the tears from falling.
The wind brushed through her pink hair.
She waited.
Soon, footsteps returned.
Mari came back holding something out.
A glass bottle.
Yuzu tea.
“…What is that?”
“It’s cold out. You’ll catch a cold drinking iced coffee. Drink this instead.”
Mari looked away awkwardly.
Yuri accepted the warm bottle with both hands.
They sat in silence.
Only the sound of drinking coffee and tea filled the space.
Mari broke the silence first.
“Do you know how much money I spend on you?”
“….”
“Sorry.”
“Forget it. I was just saying it.”
Yuri kept her head down, staring at the bottle.
Something felt off today.
It felt like Mari was distancing herself.
Like she was trying to push her away.
The word “catch” still echoed in her mind.
Prison.
Restraints.
It was all so obvious for a hero to say.
So why did it feel like her chest was being pierced?
She held the warmth of the bottle tightly.
The river visible through the trees looked dark and endless.
Something heavy and cold began to rise inside her like that water.
Mari quietly drank her iced coffee.
She used to sit right next to her.
But today, she couldn’t.
“Are you going to let me catch you quietly?”
Mari said it without looking at her.
Yuri let out a hollow laugh.
Quietly?
Let herself be caught?
No.
“I’m not getting caught. Ever.”
If she got caught, she couldn’t see Mari anymore.
“Then I’ll have to use force.”
Yuri gripped the bottle tighter.
Force?
Was she going to hurt her?
Everything felt tangled.
This wasn’t the Mari she thought she knew.
“Are you really going to hit me?”
Her voice came out sharp.
Mari didn’t answer.
“Say something. You’re not even saying you won’t hit me. So you will?”
Yuri stood up suddenly.
She walked over and slammed the yuzu tea onto the bench beside Mari.
The sound echoed loudly in the quiet park.
“Fine. Catch me, hit me, kill me, do whatever you want. How can you change like that all of a sudden?”
Mari stayed silent.
Yuri snapped again.
“Why aren’t you saying anything? Talk to me!”
“I already told you. I’m going to catch you.”
“So you’re saying you’ll hit me?”
“Does it matter?”
“…So you will.”
Yuri clenched the umbrella so tightly her fingers lost circulation.
“I’m not getting caught. Even if I die.”
She looked away.
How was she supposed to face Mari after this?
As if understanding her thoughts, Mari finally spoke.
“…I already know.”
Her voice was low.
“I’ve known everything about you for a long time.”
“…What?”
Yuri’s voice trembled.
Mari continued, rubbing her face.
“I know you usually walk around with brown hair. I know you used to attend the same academy as me. I only enrolled there to watch you.”
The words hit like a shock.
Yuri’s pink eyes shook violently.
“So… you were watching me?”
Mari didn’t look at her.
The truth collapsed everything Yuri believed.
The warmth. The coffee. The academy. Sitting beside her.
All of it.
“You were watching me… all this time?”
“Yes. To make sure I could catch you properly.”
“…Why are you telling me this now?”
Her voice cracked.
Mari looked up at the night sky.
The stars flickered faintly.
Because…
The voices from headquarters echoed in her mind.
They already knew.
Everything was closing in.
And now there was no more time left.
Mari’s grip tightened.
She forced the words out.
“Villains are just villains.”
The words landed cold and final.
To Yuri, in that moment, Mari looked like the cruelest villain in the world.