Serin's Confession ②
"You... who the hell are you?"
Baek Yeong-gun scowled in displeasure as Yoo Jinseok planted himself squarely between him and Han Serin.
From Yeong-gun's perspective, who'd barely registered Jinseok's existence until now, the burly B-rank hero had suddenly popped up out of nowhere. Jinseok was about the same height as Yeong-gun, but his broad shoulders and muscular build took up far more space on either side, leaving the idol visibly rattled by the abrupt intrusion.
"Serin doesn't seem to like it. Why don't you back off?"
Serin, who'd looked terrified and flustered just moments ago, quickly ducked behind Jinseok's back now that he was there to shield her. Her petite frame curled up tight, vanishing almost completely from view.
"What the...? Who the hell are you? What's it to you? Her boyfriend or something? Don't butt into other people's business, you punk."
Yeong-gun had been momentarily intimidated by Jinseok's bulk, but he quickly regained his smug arrogance—the trademark confidence of a top-tier celebrity—and shot back with a question of his own. His attitude was infuriatingly condescending, rude, and utterly full of himself.
"I'm her teammate. Can't you see she's uncomfortable?"
"Teammate? Oh, right. So you're Yoo Miyeon's little brother."
Only then did Yeong-gun recognize Jinseok as Miyeon's younger brother. He'd done his homework on Team Tempest while scheming to seduce Miyeon or Serin, after all.
Yeong-gun sneered at Jinseok, chuckling mockingly.
"From what I hear, though, you're just a lowly B-rank hero riding your connections to stay on the team, right?"
"W-what did you say?"
Jinseok couldn't hold back his rage at being dismissed as a mere B-rank. His face twisted in fury, veins bulging on his forehead, hair standing on end, muscles twitching uncontrollably. In his burst of anger, his Physical Enhancement ability activated without him even realizing it.
"Whoa there. Even a B-rank like you has Physical Enhancement, huh? All pumped up like that. Gonna swing at me? Heh heh. Do it, and you'll be labeled a Villain on the spot."
"Kuh!"
Jinseok was seething, but he knew better than to lay a hand on Yeong-gun. Even heroes could be branded villains if they used their powers to harm civilians.
"Third-rate heroes like you should stick to hunting mongrel monsters and leave the rest alone. That's how you protect us regular folk, right? Isn't that what makes you a hero? Heh heh heh."
"You bastard..."
"Hahaha! What're you gonna do, get mad? Hit me? Go on, take a swing and become a villain. Might be fun to watch."
"...!"
Yeong-gun deliberately mocked and provoked Jinseok with blatant disdain. Then, brushing past him lightly, he closed in on Serin, who was still hiding behind Jinseok. His hand reached out casually toward her ass.
"Hey, Serin. As an S-rank hero, shouldn't you hang with an S-rank celebrity like me instead of some B-rank loser? Let me take you somewhere nice tonight..."
Slap!
But in that instant, Serin swatted away Yeong-gun's groping hand and slapped him hard across the cheek.
Yeong-gun's eyes bulged in disbelief at the sudden strike from Serin.
"Y-you bitch. If a hero harms a civilian..."
"That only applies if I use my powers. And I'm not using any right now."
Unlike her earlier timid, shrunken demeanor, Serin now glared at Yeong-gun with sharp, piercing eyes. Seeing Jinseok get humiliated right in front of her had ignited her own fury.
"No powers...?"
"Hmph. If I had used them, you'd already be dust."
Serin wasn't exaggerating. A serious strike from an S-rank hero would pulverize any ordinary human—bones and all. That was why S-ranks were called walking strategic weapons.
"You've been awfully rude to my teammate. And keep yapping about villains... Want me to show you just how dangerous a real S-rank villain is?"
Vrrrrm—!
"Eek!"
A pink aura flared around Serin's body like shimmering light, her hair rippling and rising in its glow. She'd only unleashed a fraction of her power, but it was enough to overwhelm Yeong-gun with sheer intimidation. He completely lost his nerve.
The terrifying killing intent pouring from Serin was beyond anything Yeong-gun could withstand.
"S-sorry! Sp-spare me!"
Terrified by her presence, Yeong-gun turned tail and fled. Gone was his cocky swagger, replaced by a pathetic scramble for escape. He'd played tough in front of Jinseok, but he had zero intention of facing real power head-on.
"Phew—"
Whoosh...
Once Yeong-gun bolted, Serin relaxed with a sigh, retracting her power. The overwhelming pressure vanished, and she reverted to her usual cute self.
"Haa... That was scary. What a creep."
Back to normal, Serin muttered about how frightened she'd been. She'd mustered her courage out of anger at seeing Jinseok insulted, but deep down, she was still scared.
(You're the scary one...)
Jinseok thought to himself that Serin was the terrifying one, but he kept it to himself. It would've been rude to the girl who'd just come to his aid.
"You stood up for me. Thanks, Jinseok."
"Nah, you helped me out. I'm the one who's grateful."
Serin thanked him for stepping in to protect her, and Jinseok thanked her right back.
"Hee hee. But if you hadn't jumped in, I might not have had the guts to turn him down like that."
Serin smiled brightly as she spoke. It was true—seeing Jinseok insulted had given her the courage to act.
"How can someone trash-talk a total stranger like that? And he's a celebrity? His personality is seriously questionable."
"Well, I am just a B-rank hero, so... Can't argue with that."
Jinseok replied with a wry bitterness as Serin vented about Yeong-gun's character. He'd always harbored deep insecurities about his B-rank status.
"No, you're a huge help to our team. And..."
"...?!"
Suddenly, Serin threw herself into Jinseok's arms, hugging him tight—like diving straight into his embrace.
Startled by her abrupt move, Jinseok instinctively wrapped his arms around her slender form.
(To think this tiny, delicate girl has such immense power...)
Her small body fit perfectly in his arms, feeling almost like a little animal. Even after witnessing it multiple times, Jinseok still struggled to believe such overwhelming strength lurked within her.
"...I really like you, Jinseok."
"Eh? W-what...?"
Serin's words caught him completely off guard.
Jinseok had feelings for her too, and she'd always been affectionate, but hearing her say it outright for the first time left him stunned.
"You don't mean..."
"...I've liked you since way back."
Serin whispered into his chest, her face buried there.
Dense as he could be, even Jinseok realized this was her confession.
(Serin's confessing to me...? N-no way...)
He'd harbored a crush on her for ages but lacked the confidence to confess first. So when she beat him to it, he panicked.
He'd sensed her subtle affection, but he'd never mustered the nerve to make a move. Her sudden confession was the last thing he'd expected.
"Well? What's your answer...?"
"I like you too, Serin."
Jinseok hugged her tightly, accepting her feelings in return.