A Hero's Exclusive Manager
I sat in the cool cafe, quietly listening as Chain Girl poured out her grievances. The way the church's sponsorship funds were funneled straight to her without even hiring a secretary. How Angel left her to handle all the criminal takedowns while she rushed off to the safe bunker where the bank executives were hiding. And how, despite doing nothing herself, Angel bragged in the media as if she'd done it all. Just listening to it made me understand how unfair it must have felt, and before I knew it, I was nodding along.
I had no idea how much time had passed.
“Our powers aren't even that different, you know? But somehow she's portrayed as this pure, delicate flower in the press while I get stuck looking rough every single day!”
“That does seem strange. I would think heroes should project a strong, reliable image.”
“Dragging villains away with a scowl on her face. She deliberately dumped all the dirty work on me.”
...What is this, heroes as idols? Worrying about visuals too?
“Are there really that many heroes who succeeded because of their faces and makeup?”
“Not among the A-ranks to S-ranks. Take 4-Beat for example. She shows up every day in a tracksuit with a cigarette in her mouth, but she's still incredibly popular, right?”
“Ah. 4-Beat. She was a woman too, wasn't she?”
“Yes.”
4-Beat. As a conditional ability user, her destructive power skyrockets whenever she holds a baseball bat. The catch is that it only applies to actions like hitting or pushing with the bat. Was that weakness the reason Justice had so easily taken her ranking?
“But from the more ambiguous ranks onward, that kind of thing really matters. People like Angel who cozy up to the higher-ups... they even deliberately choose their outfits to... haa.”
“So that's why you were thinking of giving up on being a hero.”
“That's right... I didn't have the sense of fulfillment, the motivation, or even the confidence to handle that kind of nonsense anymore.”
After saying that, Chain Girl suddenly gave me a deep, meaningful look. She took a sip of her drink and smiled sweetly.
“Thanks to your support, I feel a bit stronger now.”
“Even though there's only one person supporting you?”
“Because that one person helped me achieve the most thrilling villain takedown of my life. I'd forgotten about it because of all the police investigations and Angel's verbal abuse, but...”
The hand holding her drink suddenly tightened around mine. As if she needed to express her emotions through action.
“Ha, seriously. Just hearing your voice brings back that feeling. It was really electrifying.”
Was I really that special? Considering how she'd thrown herself in front of villains to protect them, even to the point of becoming a vegetable...
“It's not because of me. It's because you, Chain Girl, have the heart of a true hero.”
I said that while gently holding her hand.
“...Um, by any chance, are you a... hero or something?”
“Me? A hero?”
“You seem like you've done this kind of thing a lot. Or maybe a scout...? Is this an interview?”
“No.”
“Then are you trying to recruit me for a religion?”
“...Huh?”
Did I say something that strange? First Bianca, now Kerberos. Everyone keeps looking at me like I'm weird.
“Do I really look like that kind of person to you?”
“If you're not a hero, then there's no explanation... Wait, but even heroes usually expect some kind of compensation.”
Well, helping someone for free does seem suspicious. This world was quite similar to reality, after all. Most heroes weren't driven by heroism or sacrifice but by the fame and wealth that came with the job. That must have been the background that allowed Justice to appear, promising new hope and justice.
But to think the story would unfold in such a pathetic way...
“I'm sorry if I said something rude.”
Oh no. Had my face twisted while I was thinking about the original story? I quickly cleared my expression and waved both hands.
“Ah, no. I was just thinking about how much you must have suffered under Angel.”
“...Heh, yeah. I did suffer quite a bit, but — all the other sidekicks go through the same thing, so what can you do?”
“Do you meet with the others often?”
Sidekicks were such minor supporting characters that they often didn't even appear. They were basically like Police Officer #1 or Rescue Worker #1.
“Not really... Everyone's so busy. The only times we meet face to face are by chance at the scene...”
“Or when you run into each other as competitors?”
“Exactly. How did you know?”
“You spilled all your hard stories. After hearing all that... it'd be hard not to figure it out.”
The relationship between heroes and sidekicks. How heroes wanted to be seen by society. What they were willing to do to maintain that image. It was all incredibly valuable information. I couldn't thank her enough.
“...The name 'angel' would suit you much better.”
“Pardon?”
“Nothing. Never mind.”
For some reason, Chain Girl wouldn't let go of my hand. Her eyes were even glistening with tears.
“Thank you so much. I had nowhere else to vent. I became a hero against my parents' wishes... How could I tell them their only daughter was being treated like a dog?”
“Treated like a dog? Heh, that's a pretty rough word for a hero to use.”
“Do you know how much Angel swears when the cameras are off?”
Just from our brief meeting, I'd already found her repulsive... Ha. I ended up laughing. And she laughed with me.
“Ah, I really shouldn't be badmouthing people like this. I've completely destroyed my professional ethics.”
“Are there any heroes who actually keep their ethics?”
“I'm a rookie, so I have to.”
“Your skills didn't seem very rookie-level...”
“Come on. Compared to the S-ranks, this is nothing.”
“So you're saying you have the confidence to compete at A-rank?”
“That was a joke!”
With a loud smack, she slapped the back of my hand so hard it jerked back. I barely caught the cup that nearly tipped over with my left hand...
Her strength was no joke.
“S-sorry! Did that hurt?”
“It's fine. This much is nothing.”
Maybe because Bianca had beaten me up so many times. This level of pain didn't even register anymore.
“I guess I let my guard down. I was trying to be careful...”
“Are you treating your first fan this roughly right now?”
“N-no, I didn't mean to! I'm sorry.”
...She had such a kind heart. It would be nice if more people like her became heroes. Or maybe good positions just corrupted good people?
“I'm joking. Relax your face.”
“Your hand's all red. That must hurt, right?”
“If you work as a vigilante for a while, getting hurt becomes part of daily life.”
Apparently my vague excuse worked. The guilt that had filled her face eased a little.
“Vigilante... Does that mean you do it without any powers?”
“They say becoming a hero isn't just about having powers.”
I took a sip of my drink, which was slowly melting. The peach scent and sweetness flowing through the straw. I preferred iced tea, though.
“Um... Have you thought about my proposal?”
“What proposal are you referring to?”
“Becoming my sidekick. You said you don't have powers, but... unlike others, I desperately need a sidekick. And it'd be even better if it was someone who listened to my story and understood me.”
Come to think of it, she was still holding my hand. Even though we'd come to this cheap cafe that sold instant drinks and had zero popularity... Was this really okay?
“That would be difficult. I don't have a hero license, and I don't have any powers.”
“Ah... right.”
Did she really have to look so devastated by that? And why were there so many tears?
“I finally thought I'd found someone who could help me... hic.”
“I haven't finished talking yet. Wipe your tears. Look at me.”
As I patted her eyes, I noticed... she wasn't wearing makeup. Despite her beauty, there was no eye makeup at all. At most, some cream had smudged...
Weren't they all supposed to be extras? Bianca, Kerberos, Horn. Why did every single supporting character, regardless of gender, have to be so attractive? What were the authors thinking?
“After coming this far together, you don't think I'd abandon you, do you?”
“B-but—”
“If I had to give it a title, I'd say manager.”
“...Manager?”
“Yes. I'll update you with news, create schedules, handle paperwork for you, and give real-time advice on how to handle situations as I watch over everything. How does that sound?”
“...Isn't that basically the same as a sidekick?”
“The difference is I won't always be by your side in real time. The spotlight should only shine on the protagonist.”
Since I'd be busy helping the villains, it was obvious I couldn't always stay with her. Besides, I couldn't afford to have my face known.
Heroes and villains. The light and the shadows. I had to navigate both worlds and pull the strings... Hmm, was this what they called being the hidden mastermind?
“Doesn't that seem like conditions that only benefit me?”
“Do you know what fans want most?”
“...What?”
I never imagined that brief conversation on the truck would come in so handy. I had plenty of excuses ready from my improvisation.
“Seeing their hero succeed.”
“...”
But this time I seemed to have made a mistake. She wouldn't meet my eyes, and her hand slipped away. Like a deflating balloon, she slowly withdrew, then covered her face completely.
“Did you... not like it?”
Maybe I should have stopped after the first verse. If the plan fell apart now, it would be trouble—
“Haaaa...”
That startled me. Why was she suddenly lifting her head? And why was she pinching her own hand?
“It hurts...!”
“...What are you doing?”
“Nothing. I just wanted to check if this was a dream or reality.”
Did she really have to do it that way? She had an unexpectedly quirky side.
“Then... let's start with an autograph. For us.”
“An autograph?”
She suddenly grabbed her bag, pulled out a pen and a clean sheet of paper, scribbled something, and handed it to me.
But... her handwriting looked like it was printed by a machine.
“Ah. Everyone reacts like that. It's because I got worked so hard under Angel.”
“That really explains...”
She nodded twice, then suddenly grabbed my wrist. She pressed the pen firmly into my hand.
“No taking it back now.”
...What was this? Was this her original character? Her eyes were scary.
“Uh...”
“Sign it. Quickly.”
“At least let me see the content...”
“It's just one line. That you will become my exclusive manager, will not contract with any other hero or sidekick, and will not take any other job.”
That's three lines, I wanted to retort. I really did. But her eyes were terrifying. Why wasn't any light reflecting in them? Bianca's eyes had at least shone.
“Hurry. Sign here.”
I think I picked the wrong hero. Is this really right? Is this actually correct?
—Scritch. Scritch.
In the end, I wrote a name... but I didn't use my real name, nor did I use Maska.
“Vi...gilante? That's not a name.”
“Correct. It means vigilante.”
“I know what it means. But... are you joking right now?”
“No. I'm quite serious.”
I didn't want this body to be tracked down in any way. My goal was simply to watch this story unfold interestingly. I had to remain a third party. I couldn't get directly involved.
“...Even so, this is...”
“I'll give you my contact information instead. Including my emergency phone number.”
I wrote two numbers right below the contract. I had plenty of burner phones anyway... but this was to build trust.
“I usually keep work and personal numbers separate. You know, like sales representatives. But I'll give you both.”
“...That's not enough. I at least want to see your face.”
Good grief. Why did everyone obsess over faces? I hadn't even covered my entire face this time, so why...
“Mmm, don't shake your head. I showed you my bare face, so hiding yours alone is unfair.”
“Wouldn't confirming my eye color be enough...”
“Name, or face. Choose.”
“If I say I don't want either—”
—Clink. Clink?
Wait, why were there chains on my hands and feet—
“Name. Face. Quickly.”
Did I have no luck with people? They were all so forceful. But I couldn't get angry at a hero.
“...Give me the paper.”
In the end, I wrote my real name with three characters. It's not like I had an ID or driver's license in my wallet anyway...
She wouldn't be able to track me down, right?
“Min Jung-woo... Min Jung-woo. Min Jung-woo. Yeah, it rolls off the tongue nicely.”
After repeating it several times, Chain Girl very satisfiedly placed the paper with my name on it into a clear file folder.
It felt a bit uncomfortable, but it probably wouldn't cause any major problems.
“Then from now on, you'll be working as Chain Girl's manager, Min Jung-woo. Not as an unnamed vigilante.”
“If you connect it like that, I might get investigated...”
“Don't worry. This connection will be our little secret.”
Why did she suddenly look so sly? She was supposed to be a hero. The way she finished the rest of her drink with a smack of her lips looked ominous, and I couldn't help but shiver.
“Don't be like that. I won't devour you just because I learned your name. Min Jung-woo.”
That's exactly what I'm afraid of?
“Chain Girl isn't a villain, you know?”
Grabbing someone's name and subtly threatening them like that. If that's not what a villain does, then what is?
...Oh, speaking of names.
“By the way, about the name Chain Girl. Are you going to keep calling yourself that?”
“You told me your name, so now you're asking for mine?”
“That's not it.”
I was about to continue when I noticed her somewhat disappointed expression and paused. I'd gone through all that trouble to avoid revealing my name. Why did she look disappointed?
“Ahem. This might be rude, but Chain Girl... The name 'Chain Girl' doesn't have much impact, does it?”
“Angel gave it to me.”
Everything bad seemed to come from Angel. At this point, why not just call her a devil?
“I didn't like it either, so I was thinking of changing it. Do you have any good ideas?”
“Nothing comes to mind immediately... but a dictionary might know the answer?”
The name Maska had come from Russian, brought by Horn. So for Chain Girl... how should I change it? Spanish? Chinese? Japanese? ...Latin?
“In Latin, chain is 'catena.' What do you think?”
“...Catena? Catena. It might not be bad... No, I like it. Let's go with that.”
Mask Man had almost been named something like that too. Looking back, maybe Bianca hadn't put much effort into her naming sense.
“Then let's go with Catena.”
Now that I'd given the new hero a new name, I checked the time... The sun was already setting. Oh no. Wasn't Bianca going to throw a tantrum demanding dinner?
“Well, it's getting late, so I should—”
“Wait.”
Why was she rummaging through her bag again? And the chains still weren't released?
“Since you changed my name, shall we write a new contract?”
This was driving me crazy. Why was she so obsessed with contracts?
—Vrrr.
A phone call at a time like this. I immediately took it out to check — it was Bianca. I couldn't not answer, damn it...!
“Is it urgent?”
“Yes, it's...”
“Go ahead and take it, then.”
I turned the volume all the way down and answered—
“Where are you?”
“...I'll be there soon. Work's almost done.”
“Hmmm.”
“I'll call you back when I'm finished. Hanging up?”
“Call me right away.”
Fortunately, it ended quickly. But right after, another call came in. Damn it, I said I'd call right back—
“Hello.”
“Yep. It's the number.”
Chain Girl — no, Catena — smiled sweetly at me. She slid the phone to end the call.
“Now, will you rewrite your name for me, Min Jung-woo?”
I think I really chose the wrong hero.