Chapter 99: Doppelganger Younger Brother (2)
Chapter 99: Doppelganger Younger Brother (2)
‘I just don’t get it. Why a magical girl?’
The Doppelganger, a superpower user capable of perfectly mimicking anything he had seen at least once, smirked.
‘Well, it’s a win for me, regardless.’
The Doppelganger belonged to the Villain Association. He was even one of the founding members. However, unlike the Hypnotist or the Beast Tamer, who acted as the Association’s undisputed executives, he was a small-timer content with simply doing what he was told and collecting his reward.
He didn't particularly care why the other members were being so cautious around the figure known as Magical Girl Floss. Whether she was needed to recruit the Operator or was too powerful to be left as an enemy—none of that really registered with him.
‘She’s just a girl, isn't she? Not even S-rank.’
It wasn't that he didn't fear A-rank heroes. He just questioned why they needed to focus so much on an A-rank when the Villain Association already had plenty of dangerous S-rank heroes to worry about.
The Hypnotist had risked his life to infiltrate the perilous Hero Academy for the operation. The Beast Tamer had invaded a Gate before anyone else, using his abilities to maximize Noe-rang’s power just to target Floss.
The Doppelganger couldn't understand either of them.
‘Hmm, is she really all that…?’
But his doubts were separate from his work. He wasn't the type to refuse a task just because he didn't understand it.
‘Gotta do what I gotta do….’
Furthermore, the Doppelganger had no intention of turning down this job. In fact, he was actually looking forward to it. After all, his mission wasn't to kill Magical Girl Floss.
‘She’s hot as hell, so this is a total jackpot for me.’
Not murder, but kidnapping. Their goal was to drag Magical Girl Floss to the Villain Association’s headquarters and restrain her.
And the Doppelganger had no intention of using brute force to kidnap the magical girl.
He wasn't an idiot. He might have thought the magical girl was a lower priority compared to S-rank heroes and didn't hold her in high regard like the other executives, but he knew the extent of her power.
She was a physical-type magical girl who could easily beat down monsters dozens of times her size. He had no intention of getting into a contest of strength from the start.
Violence isn't the only means of kidnapping. In modern society, most rely on the power of alcohol or drugs. Moreover, the Doppelganger knew that mediocre drugs wouldn't work on a superhuman like a magical girl.
‘Gaslighting is more effective than hypnosis, kid.’
The Doppelganger chuckled, thinking of his colleague, the Hypnotist. He knew the creature known as "woman" very well. At the end of the day, a magical girl was still just a woman. It wouldn't be hard to coax her with a silver tongue.
The Doppelganger’s tongue wasn't just aiming for the magical girl’s heart. The secret crevice hidden between her thighs was also part of his goal.
Besides, the success rate of such methods increases several times over when a woman is mentally unstable. When a woman isn't in her right mind, her judgment becomes extremely clouded the moment someone she can trust and rely on appears.
‘To do that, I’ll have to break her spirit first.’
With that thought alone, the Doppelganger tracked down Magical Girl Floss’s younger brother. If he raped her while wearing her brother’s face, she wouldn't be able to fight back no matter how strong she was, and her mind would be shattered by the fact that she had been a victim of incestuous rape.
The Doppelganger thought this was a flawless, "two birds with one stone" tactic.
‘By the way, I was lucky to find the brother.’
Floss’s secret was known to no one except Shin Tae-geon, the Association Chairman, and her family. The reason the Doppelganger knew about the magical girl’s civilian form and her family relationships was simple.
‘He’s a good guy, that Invisible Man.’
The Doppelganger, who had obtained the information from the Invisible Man, Shin Tae-geon, couldn't understand his colleagues at all. They told him never to trust a word the Invisible Man said, or that he must have some ulterior motive.
Just because the Invisible Man refused to join the Association didn't mean he wasn't a fellow villain. He even thought they were all being too narrow-minded. After all, he had confirmed that all the information the Invisible Man provided was factual.
‘I don't know what their problem is.’
Of course, the Doppelganger didn't know. He didn't know that his ability would lose its luster before the magical girl’s eyes. And crucially, he didn't know that Floss was not the kind of woman whose spirit would break just from being raped.
Unaware that his role had already shifted from a heinous gaslighting criminal to a pleasure service provider exclusively for Floss, the Doppelganger muttered to himself.
“Will it take about three days in total?”
The greatest threat to a Doppelganger is always the sudden appearance of the original person they are mimicking. But this time, he had eliminated that variable. The magical girl’s younger brother, the real Do Min-jae, was currently away on a trip.
A perfect environment. Everything was ready. The Doppelganger was excited at the thought of succeeding where all his colleagues in the Villain Association had struggled.
……Unaware of the disaster that was about to befall him.
*
“Oh, sure. Come on in.”
In my untransformed state, I let the thing pretending to be Min-jae into the house. Since I was certain I wasn't seeing an illusion, he probably had some kind of transformation ability.
Meanwhile, while the fake younger brother was on his way to my place, I had also contacted my real brother. Just in case, I used social media instead of his phone number. Naturally, he replied quickly, and I was able to confirm that he hadn't met with any foul play.
‘What’s his angle?’
Why on earth did a villain come looking for me? To put it bluntly, wasn't he just digging his own grave? To think he wasn't a villain… considering he had already impersonated my brother using a superpower, it was safe to assume he was one.
The problem was this fake brother villain’s objective. Since he’s a villain, one could naturally think he came to harm a hero… but that’s too one-dimensional.
He could kill me, assault me, or kidnap me. There are so many ways to cause harm. However, I personally suspected that the Villain Association was behind this fake brother.
‘Shin Tae-geon said so too. He told me to be careful because the Villain Association might approach me.’
Since things had turned out this way, it was most comfortable to find out for myself. Since my "cooldown" was about up anyway, I decided to proceed with some defeat play and find out his goal at the same time.
……Wait, did I get that backward? It felt like a slip of the tongue, but whatever.
“I heard you went on a trip, what happened?”
“Oh, the trip? I was actually about to tell you. A friend’s house is near here. I drove up from the vacation spot in my friend’s car and just arrived, but it’s so late that the buses and trains have all stopped running.”
“Hmm.”
“I couldn't make it all the way to our house… so I remembered your studio apartment was nearby and came looking for you.”
It was a pretty well-crafted excuse. Even if I pressed him with, ‘Why didn't you just stay at your friend’s house instead of mine?’ he could just say he didn't want to be a burden to his friend’s family, and there would be no room for rebuttal.
‘He even knew Min-jae went on a trip before coming here? He really did his homework.’
But there was at least one thing I could gather from this short conversation. First, the fake brother was serious about his effort not to get caught, even going so far as to investigate the real brother’s whereabouts.
Coming to find me wasn't just a simple impulsive act; it was clearly a thoroughly planned operation. As soon as I realized that, the corners of my mouth twitched at the thought of ruining his plan while enjoying some defeat play.
There was no tension at all. This fake brother probably saw me as prey right now, but the relationship had already been reversed. It was like he approached what he thought was a pretty flower, only to find out it was a carnivorous plant.
“But this place… it’s a bit big for a studio apartment, for sure.”
“Ahaha, well, I’m not living alone.”
“You’re not living alone?!”
The fake brother’s eyes widened. When I introduced Rang-i, Noe-rang’s cub, as my roommate and an ordinary dog, he barely managed to hide his emotional agitation. But it was already far too late.
“What? Who did you think I was living with?”
“Huh? No, well… you’re a woman after all, Sis… and you’re at the age to be dating.”
“Hmm.”
“What’s with that look?”
Of course, there was information the fake brother hadn't managed to grasp. He didn't know everything. It was obvious just from the fact that he thought I was a natural-born woman. Only my family and the Association Chairman knew that I was originally a man; even Shin Tae-geon didn't know this.
“It’s nothing. But usually, don't people give a gift before interrogating someone like that?”
“What gift?”
“This is practically a housewarming for you. You’re going to crash at someone’s place and you didn't even bring a gift?”
Still, overall, the fake brother’s acting skills were quite good, as expected of someone with a transformation ability.
He did a good job acting out the sibling relationship between Do Min-jeong and Do Min-jae, which was a bit more distant and polite than what people usually call "real-life siblings." His ability to improvise responses to things only the real brother would know, like the housewarming gift, was also excellent.
It meant he hadn't used his ability just once or twice. He must have had a lot of experience deceiving others. If I had let my guard down, I might have been completely fooled.
“A housewarming gift… Heh, sorry. I was so preoccupied that I forgot. Should I go out and buy something now?”
“Do whatever you want. I’m going to wash up since it’s hot.”
The basis of defeat play is dropping bait. Even if the other person is the one taking the lead, it’s easier if I create the situation that serves as the trigger. Now it was the fake brother’s turn to take the bait.
Click.
As soon as I entered the bathroom, I pressed my ear to the door and focused on the sounds outside. I heard the front door open and close, and then a moment later, the same sound again.
‘Did he really go buy something?’
I had dropped the bait for him to look for an opportunity while I was bathing to come in and jump me, but to think he actually went to buy a gift. I felt like I was the one being trained, waiting there without even splashing a drop of water on myself.
What was he planning? Was he just going to stay still? Could he not be a villain, but just a sasaeng fan……?
Since I’d become so popular lately, even bizarre thoughts like that crossed my mind. Logically, there was no way that was the case.
‘Does he not have any intention of jumping me? Even if he came for my life, it would be best to attack while I’m bathing. To throw away this chance means…….’
Looking at my inner thoughts, it was hard to tell who was the one who had actually infiltrated. I didn't have the ability to read other people’s minds, but I was certain that I was more anxious and impatient than the fake brother.
‘He—he’s coming!’
Hearing the sound of footsteps approaching, I hurriedly ran and dove into the bathtub I had filled beforehand. I almost slipped on the wet floor, but I didn't make a loud noise.
……By the way, why was I more excited than the one opening the door?
Against a villain, and of all people, one who had copied the face and body of my younger brother.
Knock, knock.
“Sis, are you in there?”
“Uh, y-yeah?”
“I really have to use the bathroom, can I come in for a second?”
“N-now?”
Finally, he took the bait. I quickly pulled the shower curtain and signaled my consent.
“If you’re just coming in and out for a second, then I guess…….”
“Whoa, thanks. I seriously thought I was going to die from holding it.”
The bathroom door opened and the fake brother walked in. I bit my lip slightly, thinking he might lung at me immediately, but fortunately—or unfortunately—that didn't happen. He just lowered his pants and started to urinate.
“……Ngh.”
However, I couldn't hide my shock at just that. My bathroom was structured so that the toilet was visible from the bathtub where I was. Although it was obscured by the shower curtain, I could see the general silhouette.
‘That’s not an erection, right?’
Since he was urinating smoothly, it was clear he wasn't erect. But for a flaccid state, it was large enough to make my eyes pop.
How big would it get when erect? If he had perfectly copied my brother’s form, did that mean Min-jae was also that size?
Lost in such lewd thoughts, I rubbed my lower abdomen with one hand and unconsciously turned the showerhead toward my crotch. Between the situation and the stimulation from the water pressure, my body heated up rapidly.
“Hey, Sis?”
“……U-uh, yeah?!”
“I’m sweating a lot right now.”
I was licking my lips with my tongue when I answered, startled.
Why did that title, "Sis," sound so strange today? Even though it was being said by a villain who was merely imitating my brother.
“……Do you want to wash together like we used to when we were kids?”
The fake brother’s sinister ploy. However, my answer was already decided.