The Dinner I Couldn't Avoid
I was crushed under the disaster I had summoned myself. “This time, I really have to meet her.” I had put it off again and again, but in the end, Catena made the decision for me. Today. And it had to be dinner, of all times.
Fortunately, the outfit I had picked out that day had been altered and was hanging neatly in the closet. “…Sigh.” If only Bianca hadn’t been glaring at me with those piercing eyes, I wouldn’t have felt so uneasy about this meeting. Still, avoiding it wasn’t an option. When the time came to drive out the villain executives, I would need a hero I could control. This meeting was unavoidable.
“Where are you going?”
“Yeah… Catena asked to see me.”
“That bitch can’t do anything without her manager, huh?”
You’re one to talk. “Whatever.”
“Nothing. I’ll probably eat dinner before I come back.”
“Hmm?”
I knew this reaction was coming. The real question was how to explain it….
“Nah, it’s fine. Go ahead.”
What? Why was she letting me go so easily? I had expected at least some grumbling and complaints.
“Really?”
“You’re not going to work?”
“Of course I am.”
“Then go. I’ll have dinner ready when you get back.”
This sudden indifference was… unexpected. The woman who had been hounding me relentlessly just days ago was nowhere to be seen. I wasn’t sure whether to call this a relief or to wonder why it was happening, but work was work.
“What should I make for dinner?”
“What are you eating with that bitch?”
At least call her by her hero name. Why did she always have to talk so crudely? It was a waste of that pretty face.
“Probably Western food.”
“Then steak. Make the sauce Western-style too.”
It’s all meat anyway. Changing the sauce wouldn’t make much difference….
“Got it. I’ll use mushrooms and cream. Is that okay?”
“I hate anything too rich.”
“Then I’ll make it bright and tangy.”
“Yeah.”
Still, if I grilled the meat before leaving, the smell would cling to me. Tsk. I’d have to ask to push the meeting back by an hour.
“By the way.”
As I was taking the meat out of the fridge, Bianca suddenly appeared behind me and leaned against my back. She always sneaks up without making a sound—it’s not fair—
“You. You’re not planning to show your face while you eat, are you?”
“Of course not.”
Revealing my face was absolutely, positively out of the question. That’s why I had prepared a new mask.
“I felt bad that I couldn’t eat with you too… Ta-da.”
I showed her the new mask that only exposed the mouth. Bianca’s face instantly went cold. Was something wrong with it?
“…Yeah, of course you did.”
“I can’t show my face, you know.”
“Who cares if your face gets recognized? Why do you wrap yourself up so tightly? And besides—”
Bianca, who had been watching from a distance, suddenly stepped close and grabbed my chin. She tilted it up with her index finger while her thumb gently brushed across my lips….
“They’re dry. Put on some lip balm or something.”
…The mood had suddenly become strange. The way she touched my lips while staring into my eyes made it even weirder. Come to think of it, we had been touching more often lately. Ever since that one time we slept in the same bed.
“…You used to growl that you didn’t need treatment.”
“Did I?”
“You did.”
I slightly lifted my head, pulling my lips from her hand. I wasn’t sure if the shrinking distance between us was a good thing or a bad one. But the closer we got, the more favors I could ask for… so maybe it was good? I’d have to think about whether her control was getting tighter, but if she lowered her guard like today, I could probably handle it.
“Anyway. Go to bed first. I might be back around midnight.”
“…Do whatever you want.”
Always grumbling. Who do you think is working so hard for you? It wouldn’t kill her to show a little appreciation. Anyway, after grilling the meat and getting ready… my lips. Sigh. Yeah. There was no harm in dressing up a bit more. I should buy some lip balm on the way.
“I’m off, then?”
Instead of an answer, I heard the sound of a knife chopping. I opened the door and stepped out.
The route to the city had become quite familiar by now.
“Ah, wait a second.”
I thought she was focused on eating. She pushed her chair back, stood up, and walked over to me. She gently adjusted my collar, brushing and patting down various parts of my robe—
Huh? What’s that in her ear?
“Are you going to listen to music while you eat?”
“What?”
“No, the thing in your ear.”
It was the wireless earbuds I had given her. Was she using them for non-work purposes too?
“Ah, um… It’s not that. I thought I might watch a video or something.”
“I won’t be home. There’s no need to wear them.”
It would hurt your ears if you wore them too long. Why was she trying to?
“That… what was it called. A… S… what was it…”
“ASMR? You? While eating?”
“W-what? There’s nothing wrong with that!”
What a bizarre taste. Oh. Some mukbangs were filmed as ASMR. That made some sense, at least.
“There. Now you look much better. Go on.”
“Ugh, I’m taking it off as soon as I arrive anyway. Fine.”
“Don’t lose it. It was expensive.”
After fussing over my clothes for a long time, Bianca finally gave my back a light smack and sent me off. Maybe the stern warning I had given her last time had helped. For the time being, she probably wouldn’t nag me about women or anything else.
“You really know how to find places like this.”
Following the address on my phone, I arrived at a building with no signboard. I went inside, climbed the stairs, and as soon as I reached the second floor, the fragrant smell of food wafted toward me. So this place was also meant for secret meetings.
….
When I opened the door at the indicated location, a server silently bowed to me. They were wearing a mask too. If what Catena had said was true… there was no point asking here.
Similar to the café Kerberos had used last time, the restaurant I entered after opening the door was quiet. Each room was separated by curtains, and only the occasional sound of a man and woman chatting happily leaked out.
The room number I was looking for in this dark atmosphere was 253. I pulled back the curtain and stepped inside—
“Ah, you found it well?”
“…Hello.”
There stood a brown-haired hero wearing a bold outfit that completely exposed her shoulders. She had put effort into her makeup too—long, striking eyelashes and literally plump, cherry-like lips. Was this really the same person who used to run around in casual clothes?
“If I had known it was a place with this kind of atmosphere, I would have worn a suit.”
“No, no, there was no need at all. Are you comfortable?”
I took off my black robe, revealing a gray hoodie covered in random English words with no particular meaning. It was quite the opposite of the elegant woman standing before me.
“Ahaha, pfft, how should I put it… That’s so like you, Jung-woo-ssi.”
“….”
“Sit down. Don’t just stand there blankly.”
Come to think of it, I had told her my name. Because she kept reacting to Maska, being called by my real name still felt unfamiliar.
“Is there anything specific you want? Like steak?”
“Ah, that’s fine.”
She had already fed me meat until I was sick of it, and I had eaten plenty. I had just come here after being overwhelmed by the smell of butter and beef fat.
“I’ll have pasta.”
“Is that enough? I’m treating today.”
“…Shouldn’t I be the one treating?”
Our eyes met. And they were incredibly bright.
“What? Are you planning to sponsor me now too?”
“It’s not that. While you were working hard in the field, I was just sitting back twiddling my thumbs.”
“What? Working hard in the field? Who was the one who prepared that stage for me? I even received compensation for it! And just like you said, the police couldn’t touch me either.”
The slightly stiff atmosphere began to melt away with Catena’s lively voice. Her clear tone and the smile that revealed her teeth. Yes, this was her true self.
“To put it simply, I have a lot of money.”
Of course, I wasn’t exactly poor either. Even though the criminal organization was undergoing a major reorganization, there were still many sources of funds flowing in. We had also seized all the personal funds the rebel executives had stockpiled.
“Even so, it’s only right that I pay for something like this.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m a fan.”
“Ah, seriously….”
She gave me a warm look before her slender hand reached out and picked up the menu. What caught my attention, however, were the white bandages.
“Are you hurt?”
“Ah, yes. I used the chains a bit roughly that day.”
“Hmm.”
Come to think of it, just like I had ordered new clothes, maybe I could prepare a new costume for Catena as well. She had shown up in casual clothes this time, but next time she appeared, I needed to give her something that would leave a strong impression.
“Um… You don’t have to worry about the wounds so much. I have calluses, and it’s not really something to brag about….”
“What’s wrong with calluses? Show me.”
“Eh? Ah—”
I gently grabbed her wrist and pulled it toward me. Her claim about using the chains roughly wasn’t empty words. There were several scars on her wrist and palm. There were bruises too. Given that she fought by wrapping chains around her body—maybe I could add some kind of protective pads. And while it wouldn’t be as excessively revealing as today’s outfit, a design that could draw people’s attention would be good.
“Huu, uht, huu…”
As I pondered this, I noticed beads of sweat forming on Catena’s hand. Strange. The air conditioning should be working.
“Why are you breathing so heavily? Are you hot or something?”
“Ah, no, it’s not that… it’s just….”
“Ah, your hand? Calluses are something to be proud of. They’re like a symbol of a hero, aren’t they?”
When I was young, I had heard that the calluses on factory workers’ hands should be praised and respected. Because the pencils and notebooks we used were all made by people who sweated and toiled. The same went for a farmer’s tanned skin.
“It’s not… weird?”
“What’s weird about it? If you think that way, then you’d have to look at all the ability users who transform into animals with strange eyes too, right?”
Furries, was it? That underground culture. I didn’t really want to look into whether the same issues existed here… though I was sure a werewolf would know all too well.
“Hehe, you’re strange, Jung-woo-ssi.”
She pushed my hand away, then opened the half-closed menu and handed it to me. Risotto, huh. There were more items than I expected.
“Then pick whatever else you want to eat.”
“You said you’d treat me… but I’m not sure if I can choose without holding back.”
“Go ahead. Think of it as our first meal together and your first payment.”
“Then… I won’t hold back—”
—Ding.
When the bell rang, a man wearing a black mask bowed politely. The fact that it had no eye holes… was quite strange.
“Let’s see… I’ll have the shrimp cream risotto, arrabbiata pasta, truffle pasta, and a 200-gram tenderloin steak—”
But that wasn’t what I should be paying attention to. She had already ordered more than four menu items, and her eyes kept moving as she flipped through the pages.
“Parmigiana, mushroom omelette, gambas al ajillo— For the bread, not a hard baguette but softly baked white bread, please—”
I thought the main dishes were finally over, but her hand moved straight to the salads.
“Oh my, I almost forgot. Salad. Um… balsamic salmon salad and flounder ceviche, please.”
I thought it was finally over, but she moved on to drinks and began browsing the wines.
…She’s incredible.
“Not the astringent ones, but something sweet and sparkling. Which one is that?”
The server silently pointed to a line… Oh my god. One glass cost as much as an entire dish.
“Ah, right. Ice wine. I’ll have that. What about you, Jung-woo-ssi?”
Do all ability users have huge appetites? I thought Bianca ate a lot, but it seemed they were all the same.
“I’ll have the vongole. For the drink, cider—”
The server shook his head and pointed to a corner of the menu. He bowed deeply as if apologizing… One drink per person? Did we have to order alcohol?
“Ah. Then… I’ll have the same one, please.”
The menu was finally closed, and silence returned to the room. I watched her carefully lift her water glass and tilt it… Hmm. Like Bianca, I wondered how they could fit so much food into those slender waists.
“Sorry, I ordered quite a lot, didn’t I?”
“The price isn’t an issue… but can you really eat all of that?”
“Hehe….”
She had ordered everything and now shyly brushed her hair back. What was that about? In the end, I couldn’t help but laugh.
“If it’s not enough, order more.”
“Really? Is that okay?”
“Since you’re eating anyway, don’t hold back. Getting sick from overeating would be worse.”
Did she really enjoy eating that much? As I smiled, thinking of Bianca, a sudden alarm from my phone made me turn my head.
…What? Speak of the tiger and it appears? It really was Bianca.
[If you're late, I'll kill you]
What the hell? She didn’t say anything when she sent me off, but now suddenly…
“Who is it?”
“Ah, no. It’s nothing.”
Damn it. I almost let her see the name. Bianca was a fairly well-known villain. I should change her contact name.
—Ding.
It seemed another message had arrived. At this exact moment….
[Call me later]
[If you ignore me because you're flirting, just try it]
She didn’t usually contact me this often. Why was she suddenly so desperate to keep me on a leash?
“What is it? Don’t tell me… you have a girlfriend or something?”
“It’s not like that—”
…Why did her expression suddenly freeze like that? The relaxed atmosphere was gone. What was going on? Wasn’t this supposed to be just a casual dinner?