Chapter 44: Collaboration with the Invisible Man
Chapter 44: Collaboration with the Invisible Man
First, I had to find the person from Shinhwa Pharmaceutical who had come to see me. It seemed they were already waiting for me after finishing their talk with the Association Chairman, so I hurried my steps.
"You've arrived."
"Uh, huh?"
However, the moment I opened the door and stepped inside, I couldn't help but be shocked. The Shinhwa Pharmaceutical employee who had come to see me was none other than Shin Tae-geon.
The Invisible Man, the CEO of Shinhwa Pharmaceutical, and the man who took my virginity. Looking at him now, he was a very special person to me, to say the least. Of course, from his perspective, he probably just saw me as one of the many heroes out there.
But the CEO himself?
I hadn't heard exactly why I was called here yet. I certainly hadn't been told that the CEO, Shin Tae-geon, would be coming to find me personally. But seeing as the CEO himself had come instead of a regular employee, I could guess that this was no ordinary matter.
"Glad you could make it on time."
Perhaps they had been talking until I arrived, because sitting across from Shin Tae-geon was the Chairman of the Hero Association, Uncle Hwang Cheol-jin. Seeing as both of them had finished their coffee, it looked like they had been here for quite a while.
"Well then, I'll take my leave. It'll be better for CEO Shin, the client, to explain the company's business."
"Ah, thank you. Take care, sir."
Surprisingly, Shin Tae-geon was a polite young man who showed great respect to his elders. Thinking that this was the same man who had groped my breasts and forced his cock into my mouth while I was talking to an old lady on the subway, I could hardly believe they were the same person. Was he the type who only became forceful when doing lewd things?
Wait, is he a bit too old to be called a 'young man'...?
Well, he wasn't old enough to be called middle-aged yet, so I decided to let it slide. Of course, even so, he was likely in his early to mid-thirties, so the fact remained that he was much older than me.
"What were you discussing with the Chairman?"
"Please, have a seat first."
Despite his high status, he stood up and personally made me a cup of coffee before I even sat down. It made me feel like I was sitting on pins and needles. Just what kind of favor was he planning to ask that he was being this nice?
I'm getting anxious.
From my perspective, Shin Tae-geon was the CEO of Shinhwa Pharmaceutical, a superpower villain I had caught, and the man who took my first time. He was a special person in many ways, but unlike him, I wasn't that special to Shin Tae-geon.
The one Shin Tae-geon had fucked was Do Min-jeong, and he only knew Do Min-jeong's appearance. He knew almost nothing about the name Floss. To the current Shin Tae-geon, Magical Girl Floss was just 'Unlikable Hero #1' who had once annoyed him by trying to lock him up.
So, seeing him being this nice to such an unlikable hero, I couldn't help but wonder what his ulterior motive was.
"It's been a while. Do you happen to remember me?"
"...Yes, well. After all, you were someone I caught with my own hands."
"I am deeply reflecting on what happened back then. I caused a lot of trouble for Hero Floss. Stress from business and such... those are just convenient excuses. I will never commit such an act again."
I had only prodded him slightly, but apologies poured out like a waterfall. I wondered if he was truly reflecting, but then again, whether he had reformed or not wasn't really my business, so I decided to move on.
Even if he acted politely in front of me, it was a clear fact that Shinhwa Pharmaceutical had looked down on me for a while because I was the one who caught Shin Tae-geon. I just hoped he wouldn't recognize me. Of course, since our faces were completely different, it would be nearly impossible for him to recognize me.
"I've heard a lot from the Chairman. About the feats Hero Floss has achieved, and how well you'll be able to perform the mission I'm about to request."
"Let's just hear what this mission is. And there's no need to call me 'Hero' so formally."
At first, I was flustered by the sudden reunion with the Invisible Man who took my virginity, but since he treated me with a purely business-like attitude, I was able to deal with him without feeling burdened.
"Then let's get straight to the point. I believe you've heard the news regarding the frequent cases of illegal drug users lately. I heard the Operator informed you."
"Did the Chairman tell you that? Yes, that's correct."
"The distributor of that drug is a former employee of Shinhwa Pharmaceutical. That employee... no, that bastard, took various dangerous drugs from our company and ran off, then basically changed careers to become a drug dealer. That's the simplest way to explain it."
There was a hint of emotion in that last sentence. Even if he tried to hide it, it was clear that Shin Tae-geon, the CEO of Shinhwa Pharmaceutical, was incredibly angry at that former employee.
"I shouldn't ask why Shinhwa Pharmaceutical was making such things in the first place... right?"
"Haha, it's not that simple. The drugs that employee stole are the base components for various dangerous substances. To use a food analogy, it's like he took wheat and is now personally creating various new foods like bread, noodles, dough flakes, and dumplings."
"That... sounds dangerous."
"Regardless of his personality, he was an employee with definite talent. That's why he's even more dangerous."
Shin Tae-geon paused for a moment, then spoke with a heavy atmosphere.
"In the underworld, he is apparently calling himself... the Aphrodisiac King."
"...Excuse me?"
Wait, did I hear that right? No matter how I thought about it, that wasn't a word that should come out in such a heavy atmosphere.
"Not the Drug King, but the Aphrodisiac King?"
"Yes. Technically, he's not selling narcotics. He's selling various body-modification drugs with severe risks... and mainly selling aphrodisiacs to sex offenders or the upper class who enjoy a debauched sex life."
"Ha, ahaha... Still, 'Aphrodisiac King,' that's quite blatant..."
How does he make them? I wanted to know. Even though I was a hero and wouldn't pay him to buy aphrodisiacs, the thought that I'd like to sneak a peek at the recipes if they existed began to crawl up in my mind.
Drug sex... I bet that feels amazing...
I remembered how thrilling it was when I was soaked in the Slime's aphrodisiac, feeling my body's sensitivity change in real-time. And that was even though the Slime's aphrodisiac barely worked on me. Now that my body's sensitivity was even more developed, if I were hit by an incomparably powerful aphrodisiac...
"Floss-nim?"
"Ye-yes?"
"There's drool at the corner of your mouth..."
"O-oh my. I'm sorry."
Slurp. I quickly wiped the drool and returned to my senses.
"So... what I'm asking is for Floss-nim to sneak into that guy's hideout and quietly subdue the 'Aphrodisiac King.' If that's impossible, then at least bring back samples of the drugs he's created."
"What? A hideout? Have you identified the location?"
"That's the problem. And it's the reason why we decided we absolutely had to recruit Floss-nim."
Shin Tae-geon said with a serious expression.
"From what we've gathered, the Aphrodisiac King's hideout is located underground, halfway between the subway lines and the surface."
"The subway...?"
"Yes. If the hideout is destroyed or if a major conflict occurs, the citizens on the subway could suffer great damage. So, we naturally had to exclude high-firepower heroes. We needed someone who can exert power in the right situation to properly subdue the enemy, but who won't go around destroying everything indiscriminately..."
So, it seemed the Chairman had recommended me because Shin Tae-geon set those conditions. It was true that compared to those who breathed fire or blew things up, I was better at controlling my strength, but...
"Still, a stealth mission is a bit much for me..."
"Pardon?"
"It's not like I have invisibility powers, and as you know, when I transform into a magical girl, I actually stand out a lot. I appreciate the Chairman recommending me, but I don't think this is a mission I should take on."
Common sense-wise, it was an absurd mission. Sneak into this Aphrodisiac King guy's hideout after transforming into a magical girl? Unless the Aphrodisiac King was an idiot, he'd react immediately just by seeing my hair color.
"...Ah, you don't have to worry about that."
"What?"
"All Floss-nim needs to do is quietly but surely subdue the Aphrodisiac King. We can provide the stealth from our side."
"I mean, how...?"
"It'll be faster to show you than to tell you."
In response to my question, Shin Tae-geon gripped his coffee cup and turned it invisible. The cup that had been on the desk just a moment ago vanished as if by magic.
Sniff, sniff...
Of course, since the smell of coffee and a faint scent of Shin Tae-geon's saliva remained, I could still tell the cup was there. He had simply made it invisible. But even with just this, it was a power that could be called the best for stealth or infiltration missions.
Come to think of it, this Invisible Man bastard turned my clothes invisible too.
I knew he could turn other objects invisible besides himself. Of course, since this was information that Magical Girl Floss—not Do Min-jeong—shouldn't know, I had to act surprised.
"N-no way~! I heard you were an invisible man, but you can even turn other objects invisible~?!"
"Somehow, your reaction is..."
"Ahaha...?"
"A-ah, never mind. It's as you said. Not only can I turn objects invisible, but I can also turn people invisible."
It was my first time hearing that the Invisible Man could turn other people invisible, and it was quite an intriguing piece of information. Come to think of it, if he could do it to his own body and objects, there was no reason it wouldn't work on someone else's body.
"Then... I just have to sneak in while wearing the invisibility you cast on me, CEO Shin?"
"That's right. Of course, there's a limit to the duration, so you'll have to handle it quickly and get out, but I believe Floss-nim is more than capable."
I tended to agree with that. As long as I had a reliable means of stealth like invisibility, sneaking into the Aphrodisiac King's hideout wouldn't be difficult. If it came down to a physical fight, the chance of the Aphrodisiac King beating me was nearly zero, so mission success was practically guaranteed.
"Then could you try casting it on me now?"
"Pardon?"
"Why are you so surprised? I'm asking you to try casting invisibility on me as a test."
When I made the direct request, Shin Tae-geon looked somewhat flustered. Was this such an unreasonable favor?
I had no other intentions. It was a practical decision based on the judgment that I needed to get used to the sensation of being invisible before going into the field. Since Shin Tae-geon was once a villain, it seemed necessary to test it a few times in a safe place like the Hero Association.
"Well, that's a bit..."
"Can you not use it right now? Is there a usage limit?"
"No. It's not that. It's just..."
Shin Tae-geon muttered, slightly covering his reddened face with one hand.
"...To turn someone else invisible, they have to take off all their clothes."
"Cl-clothes? You mean..."
"You have to be completely naked. To be turned invisible."
"Didn't you turn yourself invisible while wearing clothes...?"
Why was it fine for him to wear clothes when turning himself invisible, but such a restriction was necessary when turning someone else invisible?
"What can I do if that's how my power works? You don't think I'm doing this just to see your skin, do you...?"
"...Hmm."
"I understand your suspicion given my track record, but it's really not like that."
"Are you sure? I'll believe you for now, but..."
My voice trailed off as I fell into thought.
What should I do?
Shin Tae-geon probably thought I would tuck my tail and retreat here. There aren't many women who would expose their skin to a man they just met without any preparation. He probably expected us to dismiss for now and meet again later for a proper test.
But I, Magical Girl Floss, wasn't that easy.
"...Alright. Let's do it right now."
"What?"
"If I'm naked, do you just have to touch me?"
"Y-yes, that's right... but really, here? There are many of your colleagues around."
That's the good part, you don't know anything. How could I pass up a chance for outdoor exhibitionism while invisible at work?
"I'm fine. If I'm invisible, no one can see me, right?"
"T-that's true. But really?"
"You even committed sexual harassment while invisible yourself..."
"...Understood. Go into that restroom over there, take off all your clothes, and just stick your hand out. I can turn you invisible just by touching a finger."
Following his words, I went into the restroom and started taking off my clothes with a grin, then suddenly felt a bit sheepish and muttered to myself.
Mr. Invisible Man, I'm sorry. But in a way, I might be a monster of your own making...
Of course, I was the one who went looking for him first to get caught by him, but that wasn't very important now.