Villain Taming (4)
Han Sua hadn't been feeling well lately. The heiress of Hwaryeon Group, the conglomerate that dominated South Korea, was nothing more than a fancy shell. Even after successfully enrolling in the academy and finally living the hero life she'd always dreamed of, nothing had changed.
Hero Psyche. Future hope and one of the top three first-years—a title far beyond her station. Yet the double life that came with it, along with her inner turmoil, only plunged her deeper into self-loathing. The escalating demands for internal Yoram Academy intel only fueled her doubts further. Reluctantly hacking the database and handing over the data had deepened her despair even more.
Her only small, secret indulgence was logging into the Hero Minor Gallery to post about the heroic image of herself she admired so much.
And today, of all days, felt particularly cursed. Not only had someone discovered her hidden double life, but she was now groveling at the feet of some psycho who was using it to blackmail her, clinging to him with her entire body.
"P-please… I was wrong… so, so please… just stop now…"
Han Sua begged in a hoarse, broken voice, sobbing raggedly. She'd just endured a nightmare that felt like it had lasted dozens of days. Realizing only ten minutes had passed in reality made her collapse all over again. She never wanted to dream those horrors again.
"…"
The man just stared down at her without a twitch. Han Sua never imagined such madness lurked behind that pretty, innocent face. She'd pegged him as just some pathetic guy relying on his looks, overstepping his bounds.
She'd planned to scare him off lightly and vent some stress. But now she was certain. Villain. He was a true, evil villain. On a whole different level from half-baked ones like her—clearly plotting some massive, sinister scheme from the shadows. And not just any big shot.
How the hell had he uncovered her secrets and Hwaryeon's? No ordinary intel network could even graze those fragments.
She didn't know his goals yet, which made him all the more terrifying and threatening.
"Get up."
"Hic, sniff… please, please just stop…"
"Hey, I said get up."
"Hic…"
At his menacing tone, Han Sua shakily pulled herself to her feet. The still-handsome man smirked at her.
"Acting all weak for a villain."
"Hng…"
Crazy bastard. Who was calling who weak? Han Sua barely swallowed the curses rising to her throat. She didn't even want to imagine what would follow if she spat them out.
And somehow, that made the injustice swell even more. His attitude—treating her like some irredeemable, evil villain—had turned her into exactly that. And worst of all, he wasn't entirely wrong.
Either way, her fate now was like a tiny mouse before a predator. Trembling, she barely forced her mouth open.
"Sniff, hic… so what… what are you gonna do with me now…?"
Villains were the type to stab you in the back daily. She couldn't even guess the motives of this psycho pretending to be a student, sneaking into Yoram. Or why he'd targeted her.
"Just act normal, like always."
The man pondered briefly before replying softly.
"Live like you have been. Play hero by day, wallow in your ugly true nature by night. Keep pushing whatever schemes you've been cooking up. Sound easy?"
"W-what does that…"
"In exchange, you'll share your full schedule with me. Where you're going, who you're meeting, what orders you get from Hwaryeon. We'll need regular meetups. Every few days? I can work around your convenience."
"Ugh…"
"Oh, and just in case—no suicide, no telling anyone about me, and… what else? Ah, right…"
Tap, tap, tap. His fingers drummed a cheerful rhythm. Each word felt like another heavy shackle clamping onto her body. Only then did Han Sua realize she'd become a pathetic wretch who couldn't even choose death.
"Hm, that should cover all the safeguards for now."
Nodding in satisfaction, he extended a hand to her.
"Han Sua, let's get along from now on."
"Sniff, hic…"
"Answer me."
"Ugh, y-yes…"
"Hey, I said act normal."
"Hng, w-what do you…"
He chuckled.
"Friends don't use formal speech, right?"
"Eek… y-yes, no… yeah…"
"Perfect."
Crazy bastard. Han Sua was convinced anew. But she had no choice but to take his hand.
Baek Yuha had been in an incredibly good mood lately. Conversely, that meant the past few months had been pure hell.
Kim Woojin. Her childhood friend, the one irreplaceable person in the world. Now her reason for living, and lately, just seeing him made her heart flutter and float.
But he'd pushed her away so harshly that she'd been barely clinging to life. If she'd done something wrong, she'd have apologized profusely—but their rift wasn't anyone's fault, which made it even more maddening.
Fate's cruel joke. Nothing else explained it. They'd both dreamed of becoming heroes since childhood, but only she'd awakened as a superhuman when Authority chose her.
She saw even that as a resolve to protect him, but it couldn't soothe the pain of his exclusion. He rejected all her help, ignored her calls outright. All she could do was fret from afar, pacing anxiously.
Then she got word he'd been badly hurt in the hero course entrance exam and hospitalized. It felt like the sky was falling. He was all she had left.
Rushing to the hospital in tears, she found his injuries weren't as severe as feared. Recalling his attitude, she hovered nervously, watching his every glance.
But who could've guessed that would turn into a blessing in disguise?
'Sorry.'
Her old wounds melted away without a trace. It even became a pleasant twist. Their bond grew closer than before, and now they could share school life like old times.
Hero course or general? It didn't matter to her. What counted was having Woojin within a stone's throw.
A while back, when he'd suddenly asked for twenty million won, she wasn't flustered—just thrilled. It meant he trusted and relied on her that much.
A student hero or not, it was an absurd sum. But if Woojin wanted it, she'd scrape together billions if needed. Settling for two million felt almost disappointing.
If it'd been twenty million, he'd treasure me even more.
"Hm-hm~"
After the notoriously grueling hero course class, she hummed cheerfully, striding out despite the exhaustion.
Truth be told, not everything had been rosy lately. That villain from the alleyway encounter. The one who'd mercilessly killed his own ally and stabbed a civilian without hesitation.
The Management Bureau and academy praised her, but letting such a monster escape left her seething with regret.
Villains. The evil that must vanish from this world. Letting them flee gnawed at her.
To quell the rising anger, she decided to seek out Kim Woojin. Plus, keep any nuisances away, subtly reinforce their bond, and boost his mood.
With light steps down the hall—
-Creak! The door to a utility room burst open without warning.
Baek Yuha instinctively glanced over. Her eyes widened at the familiar figure.
"Huh?"
Kim Woojin, unexpectedly appearing, looked flustered too. Neither had anticipated this.
"Woojin! What brings you he—…?"
She reflexively flashed a bright smile, but froze as another silhouette emerged behind him.
She instantly recognized the intruder. Han Sua. Hwaryeon Group's top heiress. Hero Psyche. One of the first-year top three, alongside her and Snow White.
But they weren't close. Yuha prided herself on holding her own, yet couldn't help comparing looks and backgrounds. Snow White, holed up somewhere, was one thing—but clashing often with Psyche bred rivalry.
…Unlike her orphan self, Han Sua's elite status irked her too. Maybe that's why Woojin hesitated on hero course—subtle factors like that.
His distaste for girls like Han Sua had been music to her ears.
But.
'Coming out together? The two of them?'
She forced a smile, but her lips stayed rigid. Han Sua's disheveled state grated even more. Messy hair, dazed eyes, flushed cheeks, ragged breaths—every detail annoyed her.
Especially since they'd been in an isolated, empty utility room off the quiet hall.
…Especially with the room inside a total wreck.
As if they'd just finished something intense…
"…"
A strange silence hung in the corridor. Finally, Baek Yuha plastered on a beaming smile and greeted them.
"…Hey?"
Hiding the sharp stab in her heart.