The Loser's Reminiscence
Kang Yerin sat huddled on her bed in her private room, clutching a pillow to her chest.
'Those women, knowing full well what happened, dare to insult Somi?'
She replayed the conversation she’d had with him that day over and over again. The more she did, the more the agony grew, but she couldn't avoid it. She had to take responsibility.
Her current state was the result of her own accumulated actions. When the Association President, Shin Yukyung, and Ji Sehwa had labeled Jung Uiseok a dangerous individual, she had stood by as a bystander. Even when he returned after subjugating the Dark Kingdom, she hadn't defended his honor, fearing the backlash it would bring upon her father. So, at the very least, she had locked herself in the training grounds to uphold his teachings.
When the Galaxy Empire appeared, she had chosen the path of sacrificing his honor and the truth to strengthen their forces, thinking she would inherit his will. Therefore, no matter how much she hated the Association President, Ji Sehwa, Shin Yukyung, and Choi Minseo, she couldn't afford to turn against them. If she split from them, there would be no way to defeat the Galaxy Empire at all.
In the end, it had been the worst possible choice. Jung Uiseok was alive.
If she had known it would come to this, she should have fought them from the very beginning. She should have protected his honor and revealed the truth to the world. If she had, perhaps he would have accepted her apology.
“…That’s just an excuse.”
In the end, she had only ever chosen the path that was comfortable for herself, so what was the point of saying this now? She felt nauseated by her own self-loathing. She was furious at her own stupidity.
"I don't need an apology. Let's never see each other again," he had said.
Whenever that sentence came to mind, it felt as if her heart had turned into a black hole, crushing her body. Her fingernails dug into her palms, and her muscles tightened, pressing against her marrow.
“Of course he would feel that way.”
She felt pathetic for having tried to think of an apology the moment she saw his face. What meaning was there in an apology when there was no one left to accept it?
“In the end, I never understood him at all.”
She wasn't worthy. Kang Yerin confirmed it once again. She knew it well—the fact that there had been someone who stood beside the man named Jung Uiseok and matched him perfectly.
She was a good person.
As she recalled her memories of her, she realized the truth.
“I see. I had always thought Uiseok-ssi led the Dragon King Squad.”
Ji Sehwa and Shin Yukyung hadn't been entirely wrong. During the process of subjugating the Dark Kingdom, there were many times when Jung Uiseok pushed himself too hard. It was Han Somi who had paced him and taken care of everyone.
Jung Uiseok led from the front, and Han Somi supported from the very back. That was how the Dragon King Squad had functioned.
The one-year battle against the Dark Kingdom. Han Somi’s death had come in the ninth month.
Since the person pulling from the front was picking up speed while the person supporting from the back was gone, it was only natural that the others would stumble.
It was easy to say now, looking back.
“…Come to think of it, from the very beginning.”
Jung Uiseok, Ji Sehwa, Shin Yukyung, Choi Minseo, and herself—they had all grown as heroes. But Han Somi… she had been a complete hero from the start.
Her first impression was that of a person as beautiful as a work of art.
After her home was attacked and she was helped by Jung Uiseok, Han Somi and Jung Uiseok had visited her together while she was holding her mother’s funeral. At the time, Kang Yerin didn't know either of them, so she had assumed they were her father’s guests. They had helped with her funeral as if it were their own family’s, and they even stayed until the burial.
Finally, after burying the urn containing her mother's ashes in the family plot, she walked up the mountain alone, reached a cliff, and gazed into the distance. There were only three in her family. Her relatives were nothing but hyenas trying to cling to power, and her authoritarian father rarely spoke to her. Kang Yerin’s world had effectively been just her mother.
Just as she was trying to lock away that reality and transform herself into a robot that couldn't feel emotions, she heard a voice.
“You’ve worked hard.”
Whispering in a gentle voice, Han Somi hugged Kang Yerin softly. That was the first time she had burst into tears. Han Somi had accepted those tears with her whole body for a young girl she didn't even know.
Dragon Arrow, Jung Uiseok. Rainbow Shooter, Han Somi.
A few days later, Kang Yerin was bewildered by the proposal from the two S-rank heroes she met at a cafe. What was this about, suddenly approaching her, a student at an ordinary university and not even a hero academy?
“You’re aware of your ability, right? The Time Dragon dwells within you. You have the talent to reach S-rank hero status in a year. What do you think?”
Jung Uiseok, before he had received the honorable hero name of Red Dragon—a name that included a color. His activity name was Dragon Arrow. Jung Uiseok started explaining things to Kang Yerin with excitement. Han Somi placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
“Uiseok-ssi always skips too much of the explanation. Yerin-ssi, you haven't finished sorting out your heart yet, have you? Please take your time to think about our proposal. But it is true that if you join us, it will be a great help to the world’s peace.”
Han Somi smiled brightly. Kang Yerin thought she was a person with a beautiful smile. Of course, the sorrow in her heart hadn't completely faded yet. But she didn't want to stay frozen. Her mother had always said: if there is an opportunity to help people with your abilities, do not hesitate.
“…Why do you need me?”
“We’re going to be the S-Squad!”
Jung Uiseok declared it without a moment’s hesitation.
“S-Squad? Isn't that a title that only one squad in the entire world can hold?”
“Then we have to take it! You, me, Somi, Sehwa, um… it would be good to have two more!”
Jung Uiseok laughed, showing his teeth. The foundation of that laugh wasn't bravado or greed. To see him not say he would "aim" for it, but assert that they "would" become it.
“…Okay.”
Kang Yerin accepted their proposal.
The path of a hero was never easy. Training, more training, and after subjugating a villain, more training awaited. Above all, it was difficult to get along with the team members. Kang Yerin had always been inept at interpersonal relationships, but these members, in particular, all did their own thing.
Ji Sehwa’s personality was at a level that was hard to even consider a hero. Choi Minseo, who joined shortly after, was always quiet, so she never knew what she was thinking. Shin Yukyung, who joined much later, she had initially thought was a robot.
What bound such a Dragon King Squad together was—
“Yerin-ssi, you worked hard today too. Your muscle pain is bad, isn't it? If you apply this, it will get much better.”
“Here is your birthday present, Yerin-ssi. You like strawberry cake, right? How did I know? Because we talked about it while having dinner together last winter.”
“Both of you, stop right there. Sehwa-ssi, Yerin-ssi, you both have misunderstandings. There are clearly things you both need to apologize for. Now, first, come here and shake hands. Warm, isn't it? Of course it is, because you are both heroes with hot justice living in your hearts.”
—Han Somi.
She was the mother of the Dragon King Squad and the model for all heroes.
“…Uiseok-ssi shared his love with such a perfect person.”
Kang Yerin knew it, too. She just hadn't wanted to acknowledge it. Talent, effort, and strength as a hero. Character, wisdom, and heart as a human being. There wasn't a single thing where she could surpass Han Somi. In the past. And even now.
So, the reality that she was now hated by Jung Uiseok was only natural.
“I understand, I know. Because I’m a pathetic woman.”
Still, still.
“I still want to have you.”
Desire does not disappear. Instead, it burns. The fact that he is alive makes her heart race once again. The brain she had cooled down to defeat the Galaxy Empire was now dyed pink.
“…What should I do?”
She combined the clues somehow. What on earth did Jung Uiseok want? She constructed logic from his actions and words. Negotiation with the Emperor. What did he negotiate? She confirmed that after that, an airship from the Galaxy Empire’s fleet headed for Earth. He had returned safely. That meant the negotiation was a success.
Why did he only call Choi Minseo? Considering the situation, there was no reason to forgive only her. He said he had colleagues. He said he had chosen them. He needed people other than the doctor who had saved him.
…Just a little more. If she thought just a little more, she felt like she could figure something out.
“…Ugh.”
Thinking of Jung Uiseok, Kang Yerin realized that her body had become heated before she knew it. Her brain was overheating, and she couldn't think properly.
“…Haa, haa.”
Without realizing it, she slid her fingers between her thighs. Since when had it been like this? It must have been from the moment she found out that Jung Uiseok was dating Han Somi. A pleasure that had become a habit since then, a pleasure allowed only to losers.
“…Hic, h-hic.”
Kang Yerin sobbed in self-loathing and sorrow, allowing her instincts to override her reason.
“You are weak.”
Fluttering her pink hair, she had said something quite rude to me, even though it was our first meeting.
“Weak? I became an S-rank hero in three months. Look here. I cleanly knocked down an S-rank villain. How can you say such a thing?”
The S-rank hero, Rainbow Shooter, laughed, “Hehe,” and approached me, poking her index finger into my chest.
“It’s weak right here. If you run that fast, you’ll trip over your own feet and fall.”
“How strong are you to say that?”
I used the Dragon’s Eye to observe her.
“You’re quite strong.”
“I don't know what it is, but I feel like someone secretly peeked at me. Could you ask for permission next time?”
“Haha, alright.”
I scratched the back of my head, feeling awkward. I immediately proposed to her.
“I’m looking for members to form an S-Squad. Let’s form a squad with me, Han Somi.”
“Okay.”
“It might be sudden, but if you form a squad with me… huh? You agree?”
“Yes. In your eyes, I saw justice.”
Somi answered me without a shred of doubt. That was how we became colleagues.
—I had a dream about the old days while I dozed off for a moment.
“Zeo, come out quickly! They say the broadcast is starting!”
Irua opened my door, shouted with excitement, and ran off. I stood up from my chair and left the room. I headed toward the large hall beyond the residential area. All my subordinates were out. It was a festive atmosphere.
Today is December 31st. The day to wrap up the year.