Time continued to pass.
The hospital room remained quiet throughout.
Apart from Han Sua, the only other visitors had been Hero Fearless and the ‘true’ Sleeping Bubble.
It was said that she had been held captive in an unknown location, unconscious.
In any case, there was no greater fortune than her survival.
Thanks to this, I finally had the chance to witness the peculiar soap bubbles that induced sleep upon contact.
“Woojin! The courage you displayed that day was truly astounding! You are, without a doubt, destined to work alongside me, Fearless, the hero of courage…!”
It was at that moment I understood the true purpose of Fearless’s hospital visit.
I found myself sweating profusely as I struggled to politely decline her offer.
Only by promising to consider it favorably after my graduation was I able to narrowly avert the predicament.
“…Hmph.”
It was an exceedingly rare sight to behold a hero puffing out her cheeks and feigning a pout, yet I felt no particular sentiment.
This was solely due to the fact that I had already discovered Fearless’s true age through a quick online search.
Witnessing a woman well into her late forties act so childishly was, to put it mildly, nothing short of excruciatingly awkward.
“Then, take good care of yourself! Don’t you worry, I’ll make sure to apprehend that scoundrel Marionette! And if you get bored, just call your noona (TL Note: A Korean term used by males to refer to an older female friend or sister) at that number…!”
“Fearless! That’s enough, let’s go, quickly!!”
Even as she was unceremoniously dragged away by her sidekick, whose face was flushed a deep crimson, the hero managed to deliver one last, rather alarming remark.
I was finally discharged from the hospital only after spending another full day recuperating in the ward.
What followed was a brief period of seemingly leisurely days.
In truth, describing them as entirely ‘leisurely’ would be a slight misrepresentation.
Thanks to my actions during the practical training raid becoming widely known, I found myself enduring a veritable onslaught of people swarming me every time I arrived at school, a situation akin to suffering through a severe bout of measles (TL Note: A Korean idiom meaning to go through a difficult or troublesome experience).
Under normal circumstances, my actions at that time should have rightfully drawn criticism, not commendation.
While I had acted with the confidence that I could control the situation, in most cases, such an intervention could easily provoke a villain, potentially endangering other hostages.
Therefore, the praise heaped upon me was likely less about my actions and more about a calculated political maneuver.
This was an unprecedented incident: the office of an A-rank hero had been raided.
This, in turn, reflected the true state of the Hero Management Bureau.
In other words, it signified their failure to nip the villains’ burgeoning power in the bud before it could fully blossom.
Nevertheless, the current situation was undoubtedly several dozen times better than before the regression, when Fearless had perished and her entire office had been incinerated.
Such a degree of chaos could, in all likelihood, be swiftly managed with just a few straightforward methods.
For instance, bestowing a commendation upon a general studies student who had valiantly resisted a villain, and then extensively publicizing his courage, would certainly be one such approach.
Rather than focusing on the grim news of astronomical damage and villains growing stronger with each passing day.
Naturally, there was no downside for me whatsoever.
In fact, it had allowed me to secure an absolutely ironclad alibi.
It was highly unlikely that anyone would be able to connect Marionette, the alleged mastermind behind this incident, with my current self.
Nevertheless, even amidst these seemingly calm days, worries invariably found a way to surface.
–The customer you are trying to reach is currently unavailable…
[Beep, beep…]
On my way home from school.
Upon hearing the persistent signal, I couldn’t help but frown ever so slightly.
The name ‘Yuha♥’ was prominently displayed on my smartphone screen.
That particular special character felt exceedingly awkward.
Of course, I had not saved her contact in such a manner.
It was merely one of Yuha’s playful antics, as she would frequently snatch my phone and peruse it whenever boredom struck.
And she had issued such stern warnings, threatening dire consequences if I dared to delete it.
For a hero, she certainly possessed a rather mischievous streak, even indulging in such playful yet wicked pranks.
Alas, all I could do was remain silent and accept it.
‘…Is she busy?’
It had already been two days since I had last made proper contact with Yuha.
More precisely, this situation had persisted ever since my immediate discharge from the hospital.
She had stopped coming to class, and she wasn’t answering her phone either.
[Sorry…I’ve been so busy lately.]
[I’ll call you later!]
[｡･ﾟ꜀( ꜆>-< ̥)꜆ﾟ･｡]
The text message I had received last night was Yuha's most recent, and indeed, last, communication.
It was entirely plausible that her hero activities were genuinely consuming all her time.
After all, how much work must she have these days?
It was simply that it felt utterly peculiar for someone who had always maintained consistent contact to suddenly behave this way.
According to a nurse in the ward, Yuha had diligently attended to me throughout the entire two days I had been unconscious.
For some inexplicable reason, the nurse delivering this information had glared at me relentlessly, as if I were her sworn enemy.
Though I never learned the cause of her animosity.
Regardless, I felt nothing but remorse towards Yuha.
Once again, I had inadvertently caused her undue worry.
I truly ought to see her in person and express my gratitude.
And I still owed her the two million won I had borrowed.
When would I finally be able to see her?
'…Is she perhaps angry with me? Or has she simply lost all affection?'
It was the unsettling feeling of a parent who, after constantly cleaning up after their perpetually troublesome child, finally reaches their breaking point and gives up.
…The troubling truth was, considering my past behavior, it would be entirely unsurprising if Yuha indeed harbored such thoughts.
Oh, surely not.
Even then…
This sudden, unwelcome worry began to torment me.
Upon returning home, I instinctively checked the Hero Minor Gallery (TL Note: A section of a Korean online forum, DC Inside, dedicated to a specific topic) to clear my head for a moment.
[Among the first-year heroes at the Cradle, Psyche is the best][33]
[ㄴBattering Ram Dinosaur Deployed][0]
[Stingray Memorial Day 7…Only after the flowers fall, do we realize it's spring…][8]
[□□=▲▲][3]
As always, the peaceful spectacle of the forum continued.
The sheer audacity of those who feigned mourning a villain merely to provoke a reaction was, as always, truly admirable.
Indeed, there was no better place to quell a mind swirling with complex thoughts.
As I continued to scroll down, idly passing the time.
[Flame Mist: Villain Excessive Subdual Video][20]
"Oh?"
Upon noticing a name that struck me as remarkably familiar, I abruptly shot upright.
It was a title I found utterly impossible to resist clicking.
"What is this?"
I immediately accessed the post.
A brief video clip had been uploaded.
The recorded date was yesterday's.
The video depicted a villain fleeing through the heart of the city, pursued relentlessly by a hero.
I immediately recognized the fluttering cascade of golden hair.
As well as the distinctive white and blue suit.
In the video, Yuha, suspended in mid-air, was incessantly unleashing torrents of flame upon the fleeing villain.
The villain attempted to ward off the attack by conjuring rocks upon his body, but it was evidently futile against Yuha's power.
Before long, the villain found himself utterly cornered.
'…Yuha certainly has been busy.'
But what was so remarkable about apprehending a villain?
She appeared to be performing her duties perfectly well.
Could the title merely be clickbait designed to garner views?
Lost in these thoughts, I was on the verge of pressing the back button, paying it little mind.
–Gyaah! Help me, help me…! My body, my body's on fire…!
The flames erupting from Yuha's hands swiftly engulfed the villain, who had raised both hands in a posture of surrender.
Yuha's power was Karmic Fire.
Quite literally, the fires of hell.
It would never extinguish until it had consumed every last vestige of the villain's transgressions.
Defenselessly exposed to the inferno, the villain flailed desperately on the ground, writhing in apparent agony.
–Help me, help me…! Please…
His voice seemed to gradually fade, until abruptly—his movements ceased entirely.
Even after his demise, the flames continued to rage unabated for a considerable time.
Ultimately, all that remained in that spot was a mere handful of ashes.
"…"
Yuha gazed upon the scene, utterly motionless.
Without the slightest flicker of emotion, her expression remained chillingly impassive.
I, too, had once been on the receiving end of that very gaze—in the back alley and at the bank.
The memory of those moments sent another shiver down my spine.
The video concluded there.
I proceeded to examine the post's content and the ensuing comments.
–No matter if it's against a villain, can a hero really go this far? They should wait for the police and send them to jail, this feels like excessive force.
[Recommend:5][Dislike:11]
–ㅇㅇ(311.12): Yeah, it's a bit scary.
–ㅇㅇ(114.299): Agree. Seems like a lack of hero qualities. Psyche seems better.
–ㅇㅇ(151.172): Who cares if the villain dies lololol.
–ㅇㅇ(181.66): 'Excessive force' my ass. Look at this villain-sympathizer. They call this a villain gallery for a reason.
–ㅇㅇ(52.28): No, a hero should uphold the law. What if they just go wild like that?
‧
‧
‧
‧
‧
A long string of comments followed, engaging in heated debate.
Excluding that one odd comment in the middle, public opinion seemed roughly split down the middle.
Still, the general sentiment towards Yuha didn't appear too negative yet.
After all, the back alley incident hadn't occurred this time, and furthermore, she was currently the one who had thwarted the rising villain Marionette's bank heist.
Since I had become known as the main culprit in the on-site raid, her stock had also soared in parallel.
However, this situation could not continue.
If such incidents were to recur, Yuha's public perception might once again plummet.
…Hadn't Yuha been doing well lately?
She had apprehended villains several times even after the bank incident, but she had never shown such a side of herself until today.
I thought the plan to focus all attention on Marionette was going smoothly.
…Or perhaps something unpleasant had happened to her recently?
In any case, I couldn't simply remain idle in such a situation.
I had to at least ask Yuha if something was wrong.
Just then, my smartphone chimed with a notification.
It wasn't the contact I had been waiting for.
[What are you doing?]
It was a text from Han Sua.
It seemed like nothing major was happening, so I decided to reply later.
I dismissed the notification and was about to call Yuha, but then… I stopped.
Such matters, I realized, were best discussed face-to-face.
It worked out well.
I needed to repay the money anyway and express my gratitude.
I went to bed, looking forward to tomorrow.
****
"Yuha…? She didn't come today…"
The next day, I arrived at the Heroics Department.
The Yuha I had been searching for was not in the classroom.
A languid-faced female student answered instead.
She was Plant Lady, Yuha's friend and an aspiring hero herself.
Flowers bloomed brightly on her head.
Was she in a good mood?
Her mimicry-type power always struck me as fascinating.
But that wasn't what was important right now.
"She didn't come…?"
"Mm-hmm."
She nodded simply.
"Yuha got suspended."
"What?"
"She might be resting at home.
After all, she can't participate in classes while suspended."
"…"
I was utterly speechless at this unexpected turn of events.
Yuha, the model student, suspended?
Could it be because of that excessive subdual yesterday?
"Hey, are you and Yuha really just friends? Huh?"
"If we're friends, we're friends, what's 'just friends'?"
"Oh, you know.
It's just us.
I won't tell anyone, so be honest…"
Plant Lady continued to gaze at me with curious eyes.
I was utterly baffled, unable to grasp the gist of her questions.
What kind of answer was she even looking for?
"That's funny.
What kind of friend doesn't even know she got suspended?"
And then, a sharp voice appeared like a savior.
Cat ears twitched atop her swaying bob.
The approaching female student stood next to Plant Lady and shot me a piercing glare.
It was Cat's Eye, another of Yuha's friends.
For some reason, she always made it abundantly clear that she disliked me.
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't recall ever doing anything wrong to her.
After a moment, she asked with a suspicious tone.
"Hey."
"Why?"
"Have we… met somewhere before?"
"Last time, when I came to see Yuha…"
"No! Not then, after that!"
Cat's Eye shouted.
Watching her sniff around sent a strange chill down my spine.
Indeed, we had met.
I had even faced her one-on-one during the bank heist.
And she had suffered the humiliation of being paralyzed in a cat-like sitting posture by my hypnosis.
Of course, I had been Marionette at the time…
"Somehow, your presence feels familiar… and quite unpleasant, too…"
Cat's Eye scrunched up her face.
Judging by her reaction, she seemed to still remember that humiliation.
I'd better feign ignorance here.
"No."
"Don't lie, just confess honestly."
"I'm telling you the truth!"
"I'm sure I've smelled this scent before!
Don't try to deny it…"
"Ugh, Ahyeon!"
And then, Plant Lady sweetly intervened between us.
"No matter how urgent it is, how can you flirt with your friend's man?
And you call yourself a hero."
"Hey, it's not like that, just a moment… Ugh!"
"Let's go, okay?
What will you do if Yuha finds out?"
"It's not like that… Hmph… Hmph…! You…!"
"Tickle, tickle~"
Before I knew it, Cat's Eye's entire body was entwined in growing vines.
With only her crucial parts exposed, I found myself with nowhere to avert my gaze.
The tickling movement of the leaves on her thighs made her involuntarily let out an embarrassed moan.
Then, Plant Lady swiftly spun her around and gave me a subtle wink.
"And… Woojin, was it?
Why don't you go see Yuha?"
"Huh?"
"It'd be a shame to come all this way just to turn back."
She said, smiling meaningfully.
"Who knows?
She might be waiting."
****
That was how I ended up in front of Yuha's house.
A subtle tension seeped in, and I let out a light sigh.
This was a special residential area located in the innermost part of S-City, built for heroes and their families.
The security around it was extremely stringent.
I, too, was only granted entry after presenting my Cradle student ID and completing several other procedures.
And rightly so.
After all, this district was specifically created to prevent terrorist attacks targeting heroes and their families.
There were some controversies regarding it being a special privilege… but I personally thought this much was acceptable.
The surrounding scenery felt remarkably unfamiliar.
Come to think of it, I don't think I had ever visited Yuha's house, neither before the regression nor now.
Before the regression, well… there was nothing much to say about it.
In this life, Yuha had been the only one diligently coming and going from my house.
Sometimes, I thought it might be nice for me to visit her like this.
After checking my appearance, I entered the elevator.
And then I found the apartment number Plant Lady had tipped me off about: 1201.
–Ding-dong!
I stood before the door and pressed the bell.
After a brief pause, a faint presence could be heard from inside.
–Who is it…?
Yuha's familiar voice sounded strangely weak.
Was she upset about the suspension?
What was the big deal about killing just one villain?
Yuha was simply too tender-hearted for her own good.
Without showing any outward reaction, I greeted her casually as usual.
"Yuha, it's me, Kim Woojin."
–Oh… ohhh??
And then, an immediate, intense reaction.
It seemed Yuha hadn't anticipated my visit at all.
She continued, her voice stammering.
–W-Woojin… why are you here…?
"I just came because I was worried.
If it's okay, could you open the door?"
–…
A long silence ensued.
Was she perhaps displeased by my visit?
Was Yuha uncomfortable seeing me?
Should I just turn back?
Just as such thoughts began to creep in.
–Click.
"C-Come in…"
Finally, the door opened, and a weak voice invited me inside.
And then, as I was about to greet Yuha, I froze.
"Then, excuse… huh?"
"Mm-hmm…? Why…?"
"No… you…"
The woman who appeared beyond the door was dressed far too lightly, wearing only a shirt over her underwear.
