Chapter 1
Chapter 1
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: False Accusation
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Familiar faces came into view between the passing tables. They weren't people I was glad to see by any means, but they all greeted me with wide smiles.
"Crow, remember me? Huh?"
"Whoa, fancy running into you here."
Propped up in their orange prison uniforms, they were taking over the common area.
A few had cards spread out in front of them, while others were on the phones,
"…"
but ever since I opened the door and stepped in, all eyes were on me.
Looking around like this, it hit me just how many connections I'd made. Over the past five years, I'd rolled around like a dog, throwing every last Villain behind bars, so yeah, it made sense.
"Well, if it isn't the great Crow himself, finally gracing us with his presence~"
Clap clap clap—
The applause started up. Some were even shouting and cheering.
"Shit, this is gonna be fun!"
"Come on over here. I've already cleared out a bed for you."
It was that freewheeling, with hardly any interference from the guards. Nothing like the prison I'd imagined.
The guards didn't say a word and just left the Special Supervision Wing behind. As if they'd washed their hands of everything that was about to happen to me.
Treatment worse than that of the Villains.
Maybe it was only natural from their perspective.
If the guy who'd been playing the noble Hero all this time had actually been killing people behind the scenes and plotting all sorts of vile schemes,
they'd surely hurl stones in rage and betrayal. Bigger, harder stones than they'd throw at ordinary criminals—faster ones, too...
"...Fucking asshole. Looking good, huh? Let's get along from now on. Neighbors gotta look out for each other."
"Oppa, where you going? This is your bed."
I had no allies here.
Not a single one who gave a damn about me.
I had to suppress my emotions.
Couldn't let them see me scared or tense.
"Still got some fire in you, huh? Won't even respond."
"Say something, at least?"
They wanted to see me break. I couldn't give them the satisfaction.
"Hey, hey, just leave him be. Give it a little time, and he'll be bawling his eyes out, begging for his life."
"Pfft! Yeah, you're right."
Even if everyone abandoned me, I couldn't abandon myself.
Justice never yields to evil.
It had to be that way.
I could endure it.
Surely, someday I'd clear this false accusation and regain my freedom.
"Doesn't it hurt? Hey, our Hero says it doesn't hurt. Guess the message hasn't gotten through yet. Hit him properly."
"He's twisting away 'cause you aren't holding him right."
If I could just hold out until then.
It wouldn't be that hard. Just take whatever they dished out and kill time.
"What if he actually dies like this?"
"No way. This guy's recovery is insane—he'll be up again in a few hours if we leave him be."
"Damn, he's tough! As expected from the top Hero of our era. Right?"
Boredom was my biggest worry. From what the inmates said, time crawled by inside these cells.
"It's only gonna get more fun from here. Excited? Can't stop grinning, can you?"
"Time we had some fun too. Strip him."
No entertainment whatsoever,
just sitting there, waiting for release.
"Yeah, that's the face. Stay just like that, you piece of shit. Gets me all hot and bothered..."
"Hey, hey! Hold that arm right. He's moving."
Still, if things went smoothly, I'd be out soon enough.
Because I had comrades.
Comrades who would help me...
They would clear my false accusation.
All I had to do was hold out until then.
"Why did you do it?..."
I'd failed to properly root out the corruption and evil in the Association,
but my comrades were different. They were strong and wise. They wouldn't repeat my mistakes.
"Why the hell did you do it? We all trusted you. How could you..."
I trusted the bonds and camaraderie we'd built walking the line between life and death. Even if everyone else pointed fingers and insulted me, they could prove my innocence.
"...It wasn't me."
"Then what's this?"
I knew it. No evidence, just an elaborate conspiracy framing me.
"There are traitors in the Association. The Director and I were trying to clean house before things got worse, and then..."
"Crow, listen up."
But I could definitely get out.
I trusted my comrades more than myself.
"You were the only one with these files. You knew who the targets were."
"...Only the Director and I knew."
So I could just stretch out my legs,
think of it as a short vacation.
"But the Director's dead. And he was even on the target list."
"…"
After working so hard all this time.
I needed a break.
"Died from the gun you always used. Just a coincidence?"
"I didn't shoot."
Would've been nice if we could all go to some quiet island together, not just me,
"...How much of it was lies? All of it from the start? Even our private talks—were they all lies?"
"They weren't lies."
"But this doesn't make sense. I want to believe you..."
"It's not."
"…"
"It's not...!"
"…"
"Please! It wasn't me! Believe me, please. I... I didn't do anything. Please..."
then you'd pull your usual dumb pranks on me whenever you got the chance.
"All the evidence and circumstances point to you, and you're saying it wasn't you?"
"...They're conspiring to bury me. The Director and I were purging the organization, so they figured killing us both would do it."
"Then how am I supposed to believe you're innocent?"
But that's fine.
We worked our asses off, after all.
"...Just find the real culprit."
"…Alright. I'll look into it more first."
"…"
Just a little rest.
Just a tiny bit.
"Crow. One thing. I want to believe you too."
"…"
"I'll come back."
Not too long.
Or I might become a completely different person by then.
So,
don't be too late.