Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Watch That Show With Me
Before she knew it, the sky had gone dark.
Creak—
The moment Yuri opened the front door and stepped inside, a familiar scolding filled with affection flew at her.
“You’re way too late. Can’t you see how dark it is outside?”
“Ji-eun, the streetlights in the neighborhood aren’t even on yet. I’m twenty-two. Why does this feel like I have a curfew?”
“The streetlights aren’t on because this neighborhood is old and nobody fixes them. And yes, it is a curfew. So for the sake of your twenty-year-old sister staying home alone, try coming back earlier.”
At Ji-eun’s words, Yuri shook her head with an exhausted look and walked inside.
In the kitchen, Ji-eun was stirring a pot, her hair messily twisted up with a giant hair clip.
“What’s for dinner?”
“Fried egg, soy sauce, and rice.”
“Liar.”
“Yeah. Kimchi stew, with tuna in it too. Let’s eat it with seaweed.”
“Yay! I’m excited!”
Yuri ran into the kitchen and threw her arms around Ji-eun’s thin waist from behind, clinging to her.
“Ah, unni! I almost dropped the ladle!”
“Sorry…”
“Hey, don’t sneak your butt onto the chair and sit down. Go wash up first. And stop bothering Marie unni so much at night. Heroes are basically physical labor workers if you think about it. That unni must be exhausted.”
Ji-eun kept stirring the pot as she poured out endless complaints.
“Okay, okay… I got it.”
How had she become this much of a nag?
Pouting, Yuri obediently headed to the bathroom, washed up quickly, and came back to the dining table, tapping her chopsticks impatiently.
“Food, food! I’m hungry.”
“It’s almost ready. Have some patience. You’re not a child.”
“You raised me like this. It’s your responsibility now. I can’t live without Ji-eun.”
Before long, kimchi stew and fried eggs were laid out on the table.
Sitting across from her, Ji-eun poked the half-cooked yolk with her chopsticks and asked,
“Going out again tonight?”
“Mmm… not sure yet.”
“While you’re out, check if there’s money lying on the ground somewhere. We’re seriously about to starve.”
“Mhm, okay.”
Was it really that bad?
Well, it made sense.
Yuri spent her time chasing after Marie unni for fun.
As a villain, she didn’t steal money, threaten people, or rob banks.
So of course they were broke.
Wrapping rice in seaweed, Yuri muttered seriously.
“Yeah, that is a problem. Where do we even get money? Maybe there’s only one way again. Anyway, Ji-eun, don’t worry about it. Just focus on studying. Don’t even think about getting a part-time job.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll study hard and get an office job at the Association too. Then I can take care of Marie unni from there.”
“I approve! That sounds like being paid to hang out every day.”
The two of them chuckled together.
Just then, Yuri’s smartphone on the table vibrated noisily.
Unlocking it, she saw an emergency alert.
A new villain had appeared in the nearby city center.
“Oh. A villain.”
A villain appearing meant there was a chance she might secretly get to see Marie unni.
Yuri excitedly started getting out of her chair, but Ji-eun pointed at her rice bowl.
“Where are you going? You haven’t finished eating. Finish first.”
“But I’m full… seriously.”
“That’s why you stopped growing! Stop arguing and finish what’s left.”
Ji-eun looked down at Yuri with worried eyes.
Yuri was nearly a whole hand shorter than her.
Her frame was small and delicate to begin with, and she ate like a bird while running around all day.
Did Yuri even know how often Ji-eun worried she might collapse from anemia one day?
“Haah…”
Ji-eun sighed and tapped Yuri’s bowl sharply with her chopsticks.
Yuri shrank down, shoulders curling inward, glancing nervously at Ji-eun before quietly picking up her chopsticks and forcing herself to eat.
Nibble.
Nibble.
At this rate, even a baby bird would have looked more committed.
Smack!
Ji-eun slammed her chopsticks down, finally reaching the end of her patience.
Yuri’s narrow shoulders jumped.
“If you don’t want to eat, then don’t force yourself! What are you even doing right now?”
Ji-eun glared between Yuri and the rice bowl.
There was only one spoonful left, and Yuri was dragging it out like it would take all day.
It was maddening.
“N-no! I can eat it. It’s the best food in the world because Ji-eun made it.”
Afraid her bowl would get taken away—or worse, that she’d be banned from going out—Yuri quickly smiled with curved eyes.
Then she divided the remaining rice into two rough bites, stuffed them into her mouth, and gulped down water like swallowing medicine.
“Hey!! Who told you to swallow like that? What if you choke?”
“Ugh, I probably won’t…?”
“Seriously!”
Yuri carefully pushed back her chair, stood up, and carried the empty dishes to the sink, filling them with water.
Then she checked her phone for the villain’s rank.
It was only a B-rank.
At that level, Marie unni probably wouldn’t be dispatched.
She’d be home.
Well, then Yuri could just go out herself.
“I’m heading out for a bit to walk it off!”
“Be careful. Don’t stay out too late. And don’t bother that unni too much.”
“Yes, yes~ Ji-eun, sleep early.”
Summoning her umbrella and gripping the handle, Yuri’s ordinary clothes instantly transformed into a black dress.
She waved at Ji-eun.
A pool of black liquid formed beneath her feet and swallowed her whole in an instant.
In the middle of the city, on the rooftop of an empty building, the writhing black liquid spat Yuri back out.
She lightly dusted off her skirt, though it was impossible for it to wrinkle anyway, and leaned against the rooftop railing.
She raised the tip of her folded umbrella toward the dark night sky, then checked the time.
“Ah, what time is it? Only eight.”
Not much time had passed.
Had unni eaten dinner yet?
Yuri lowered her umbrella and sent Marie a message.
[Unni, did you eat?]
Her heart pounded as she stared at the screen.
Before long, the unread mark disappeared.
[Yeah. Ate already. Waiting at home on standby.]
[Ahh! On standby? Our hardworking unni! Fighting as always!]
[Yeah. Thanks.]
So she had eaten and was on standby.
If she was on standby, that meant she was ready to be dispatched.
And if she was ready—
That meant she could come here immediately.
Yuri nodded to herself.
Then, without hesitation, she fired hundreds of fireworks into the sky with the tip of her umbrella.
A flashy personal summoning spell.
Made only for Hero Jo Marie.
Dudududududu—
Bang! Bang! Boom!
The dark sky lit up instantly, colorful fireworks blooming like flower petals and spreading across the night.
Leaning on the railing, Yuri admired the dazzling flowers.
Not long after, a familiar figure landed on the rooftop.
“Pink Witch!”
A bright smile spread across Yuri’s lips.
Hair neatly tied back.
A black striped tracksuit.
Plain sneakers.
Even dressed that casually, Marie looked perfect to Yuri.
“Unni!”
Yuri fought the urge to run over and throw herself into Marie’s arms.
“I was waiting to watch my show. Why did you have to cause trouble right now?”
Her voice was full of complaints.
But even the sight of Marie pressing her fingers against her brow in irritation looked unbearably cool and charismatic to Yuri.
“…Then, would you watch that show with me?”
At Yuri’s words, silence settled over the rooftop.
Only the occasional honking of cars echoed below.
A villain asking her assigned hero to watch variety shows together.
It was absurd.
But Marie stared at Yuri for a moment.
Then, in the end, accepted.
“…Fine. But we need snacks too. And it’s cold up here.”
“You have to buy the snacks. I’m broke.”
“You really… Why call someone out into the cold like this?”
Muttering under her breath, Marie turned and jumped off toward a convenience store.
“Peanut snacks, please.”
“For a villain, you’re pretty shameless.”
Marie clicked her tongue in disbelief.
But without another complaint, she disappeared below.
“Should I set things up while she’s gone?”
Yuri floated her umbrella into the air and expanded it into a giant dome-shaped tent, like a barrier.
On the cold cement floor, she condensed soft balloons into a thick mat, blocking out the chill.
It looked surprisingly like glamping.
Not bad.
A while later, Marie returned carrying a plastic bag and stepped under the umbrella.
She looked surprised at the soft floor beneath her feet, but quietly sat down.
With a wave of Yuri’s hand, a variety show projected onto the dark curtain like a giant screen.
“Don’t misunderstand. I’m only staying because if you get bored, you’ll probably go spray paint or glitter all over buildings again.”
“Of course. I know. This way, nobody gets hurt, and it’s peaceful.”
Yuri patted the spot beside her.
Marie walked over and hesitated before sitting where Yuri pointed.
Rummaging through the bag, she pulled out a snack and held it out.
Yuri took the bag and looked at the screen before suddenly asking,
“Is this show fun? Is that why you watch it?”
“…Once you start watching, you keep watching.”
“I didn’t know you liked stuff like this.”
“Why?”
“Just because. It’s unexpected.”
The program on the screen showed stories of people living alone in the mountains.
Honestly, Yuri didn’t understand what was so entertaining about it.
But sitting side by side with Marie unni like this—
That alone made her feel like she had the whole world.
Crunch.
“Want one?”
“I don’t eat food from villains.”
“Then I’ll just leave it here beside you. I’m not giving it to you.”
Yuri quietly placed a snack beside Marie and looked up at her.
With an unwilling expression, Marie picked it up and ate it.
That blunt, cute little act made Yuri smile silently.
The distance between them was only a handspan.
Close enough that their clothes might brush if the wind blew.
Marie kept her eyes on the screen, but shifted her gaze sideways to glance at the small villain beside her.
Her eyes were hidden beneath the lace blindfold.
But her soft red lips moving as she chewed.
Her delicate jawline.
Her round, youthful cheeks.
And most of all—
Every time Yuri moved, the fresh, sweet scent of fruit drifted from her pink bobbed hair.
Feeling that familiar scent, Marie’s heart gave a small, sudden jolt.
And before she realized it—
She had stopped breathing.