Your True Feelings (4): Time Flows On
Time passed. The hospital room stayed quiet the whole time. Aside from Han Sua, the only real visitors were Hero Peerless and the "real" Sleeping Bubble. Apparently, she'd been unconscious and locked away somewhere. Still, nothing could be more fortunate than her surviving.
Thanks to that, I finally got to see those magical soap bubbles that put you to sleep on contact.
"Woojin! That courage you showed was truly impressive! As expected, you're fated to work alongside this courageous hero, Peerless…!"
That was the moment I figured out why Peerless had come to visit. I had to beat around the bush to turn her down, sweating bullets. I barely escaped the crisis by saying I'd consider it positively after graduation.
"…Hmph."
It was a rare sight— a hero puffing out her cheeks and pretending to sulk— but it didn't move me. I'd already looked her up online and learned her real age. Watching a woman in her late forties throw a tantrum was just painful, nothing more.
"Take care of yourself! I'll make sure to catch that Marionette bastard, so don't worry! And if you're bored, call your big sis at this number…!"
"Peerless! Stop it and go already!!"
Even as her blushing sidekick dragged her away by the hand, the hero left behind those terrifying words. I ended up spending one full extra day in the ward before finally getting discharged.
What followed was a brief stretch of leisurely days. Well, "leisurely" might be a bit of a stretch. Thanks to word spreading about my actions during the training raid, I had to endure mobs of people swarming me every time I went to school.
Truth be told, my actions back then deserved criticism, not praise. I had the confidence to control the situation, but in a normal case, it could've provoked the villain and endangered the other hostages. So the praise I got was probably more political maneuvering than anything.
It was an unprecedented incident: an A-rank hero's office raided. That reflected poorly on the Hero Management Bureau too. In other words, they'd failed to nip the villains' growing power in the bud.
Still, it was dozens of times better than the regression timeline, where Peerless died and the whole office burned down.
They could tidy up this level of chaos with a few simple moves. Like awarding a commendation to some brave civilian and student who resisted the villains fiercely, then hyping up their courage in the media. Instead of droning on about astronomical damages and increasingly aggressive villains.
Of course, it was all good for me. I'd secured a rock-solid alibi. No one could link the current me to Marionette, the mastermind behind it all.
Anyway, even amid those days, worries always found their way to me.
-The customer you're calling is unavailable… Tu, tu…
On the way home from school, the ringing tone made me frown slightly. The smartphone screen showed "Yuha♥". That special character was annoyingly cutesy. Obviously, I hadn't saved it that way. It was Yuha's prank— she'd snatch my phone whenever she was bored and poke around. She'd even threatened me not to delete it.
For a hero, she sure had a vicious streak. Pulling pranks like this.
Well, all I could do was shut up and accept it.
"…Busy?"
It'd been two full days since I'd properly heard from Yuha. Exactly since my discharge. She hadn't come to class, and she wasn't picking up calls.
That text from last night was her last contact. She might really be swamped with hero work. There had to be tons piling up. It just felt off because the girl who'd texted religiously had suddenly gone quiet.
The nurse said Yuha had stayed by my side the whole two days I was out cold, tending to me nonstop. The one relaying it had glared at me like I was her mortal enemy. I never got the reason out of her.
Anyway, I just felt sorry toward Yuha. I'd worried her needlessly again. I needed to thank her in person. And pay back the two million won she'd lent me.
I wondered when I'd see her.
'…Is she mad at me? Or maybe all her affection's finally worn out.'
It felt like the parent who'd cleaned up after their screw-up kid one too many times and given up. Thinking about my attitude lately, it wouldn't be weird if she felt that way. Nah, no way. Still…
This sudden worry gnawed at me. Back home, I cooled my head by checking the Hero Minor Gallery.
The usual peaceful scene unfolded. That skill at pulling aggro while pretending to mourn villains was always impressive. No better place to settle complicated thoughts.
As I scrolled, killing time…
"Huh?"
I jolted up at the familiar name. Couldn't resist clicking that title.
"What's this?"
I checked the post right away. A short video from yesterday. It captured a villain fleeing through downtown and the hero chasing him. I instantly recognized the fluttering golden hair. And the white-and-blue mixed suit.
In the video, Yuha hovered midair, relentlessly blasting flames at the escaping villain. He tried blocking with rocks generated on his body, but it wasn't enough against her. Soon, he was cornered.
"…Yuha really has been busy."
But catching a villain was no big deal, right? She was just doing her job well. Title bait for views, probably.
I was about to hit back without a second thought when—
-Gyaack! Spare me, please…! My body, fire on my body…!
Flames erupted from Yuha's hand, engulfing the villain who'd raised both hands in surrender. Her Authority was karmic fire— hellfire itself. It wouldn't extinguish until it burned away every sin he'd committed.
Exposed defenselessly, the villain writhed on the ground in agony.
-Spare me, please…! Mercy…
His voice faded, then— stop. He went still. The flames raged on long after. Finally, only a handful of ash remained.
"…"
Yuha watched impassively. No flicker of emotion, utterly cold. I'd seen that look from her before— in the alley and the bank.
Thinking back sent chills down my spine again. The video ended there.
I scanned the post and comments.
A ton of comments debated back and forth. Ignoring that weird one, public opinion was split about even. But it didn't seem too bad for Yuha yet. No alley incident this time, and she was the one who'd stopped Marionette's bank raid.
Since I was pegged as the raid culprit, her stock had skyrocketed too. But this wasn't good. If it kept happening, her rep could tank again.
…Has Yuha not been okay lately?
She'd caught villains a few times since the bank, but never acted like this. I'd thought my Marionette ploy was keeping all eyes on her.
…Or maybe something's bothering her?
Either way, I couldn't sit idle. Time to ask if something was up.
Then my phone buzzed. Not the contact I'd hoped for.
Didn't seem urgent. I'd reply later. I went to call Yuha… then stopped. Better to ask face-to-face. Perfect timing anyway— needed to pay her back and say thanks. I hit the sack, planning for tomorrow.
"Yuha…? She didn't come today…"
The next day in hero class. Yuha, the one I'd been looking for, wasn't there. A sleepy-faced girl answered instead. Yuha's friend, fellow prospective hero Plant Lady. A flower bloomed vibrantly on her head. Good mood, maybe? Mimicry Authorities were always fascinating.
Anyway, not the point now.
"She didn't come…?"
"Yeah."
She nodded simply.
"Yuha got disciplined."
"What?"
"Probably resting at home. Can't attend classes during suspension anyway."
"…"
The unexpected news left me speechless. Model student Yuha, suspended? Because of that excessive force yesterday?
"Hey, you and Yuha are really just friends? Right?"
"Friends are friends. What's with 'just'?"
"C'mon, you know. Just between us. I won't tell anyone, so be honest…"
Plant Lady eyed me curiously. I had no clue what she wanted, feeling awkward. What answer was she fishing for?
"Hilarious. Calling yourself a friend when you don't even know she's suspended?"
A sharp voice cut in like a savior. Short bob hair shook, cat ears twitching atop it. The approaching girl stood by Plant Lady, shooting a glare. Yuha's friend, Hero Cat's Eye. She always made her dislike obvious, bristling at me. Couldn't think of anything I'd done to her.
After a pause, she asked suspiciously.
"Hey."
"Yeah?"
"You ever run into me somewhere before?"
"Last time I visited Yuha, we…"
"No! Not then, after that!"
Cat's Eye yelled. She sniffed the air, sending chills down my spine. We had met. One-on-one at the bank raid. She'd suffered the humiliation of my hypnosis, frozen in a seated cat pose. I was Marionette then, but…
"Your vibe feels so familiar… in a really gross way…"
Cat's Eye scowled fiercely. She clearly hadn't forgotten the humiliation. Time to dodge.
"Nope."
"Don't lie, spill it."
"For real."
"I definitely smelled it before. Stop bullshitting…"
"Ugh, Ahyun!"
Plant Lady grinned and wedged in.
"Even if you're desperate, hitting on a friend's guy? And you're supposed to be a hero."
"It's not like that, hold on… Mmph!"
"Let's go. Yeah? What if Yuha finds out?"
"It's not… Ngh… Nnh…! Y-You…!"
"Tickle tickle~"
Suddenly, Cat's Eye was wrapped in sprouting vines. Key parts poked out awkwardly, leaving nowhere safe to look. Leaves tickled her thighs, drawing embarrassed moans. Plant Lady spun her around with a wink.
"And… Woojin, right? Why not check on Yuha?"
"Huh?"
"Came this far, turning back empty-handed's lame."
She smiled meaningfully.
"Who knows? She might be waiting."
That's how I ended up at Yuha's door. Tension seeped in; I sighed lightly.
The innermost part of S City, a special residential zone for heroes and their families. Security was insanely tight. Even as a Yoram student, it took my ID and extra procedures to get in.
Makes sense. Built to prevent terror targeting heroes and kin. Some called it privilege, but I figured it was fine.
The neighborhood felt alien. Come to think, I'd never visited her home before regression or now. Pre-regression… nothing to say. This life, she'd always come to mine.
Maybe me visiting for once wasn't bad. I checked my appearance, rode the elevator, and found the unit Plant Lady mentioned: 1201.
-Ding dong!
I rang the bell. After a pause, faint sounds from inside.
-Who is it…?
Yuha's familiar voice sounded weak. Hurt over the discipline? Killing one villain wasn't a big deal. She was too soft sometimes.
I greeted casually, hiding concern.
"Yuha, it's me. Kim Woojin."
-Wha… Huh??
Immediate intense reaction. She'd clearly not expected me. She stammered on.
-W-Woojin…? Why here…?
"Got worried, came to check. Mind opening up if you're free?"
-…
Long silence. Didn't like my visit? Burdensome to see me? Should I leave?
As I thought that—
-Click.
"C-Come in…"
The door finally opened with a feeble voice. I tried greeting her… and froze.
"'Scuse the intru— Huh?"
"Huh…? What…?"
"No… you…"
She stood there in the doorway, wearing just a loose shirt over her underwear— way too lightly dressed.
