Having entered the room, The Man slowly surveyed his surroundings.
The facilities were better than he had expected.
A plush bed, a meticulously clean bathroom, and a small living space equipped with everything one might need.
In a secluded corner, a full-length mirror stood.
Though slightly too small to capture his entire frame, by bending his knees, he could just about see himself whole.
The Man stood before the mirror, as if entranced.
The face reflected back at him felt alien.
Deep-set dark circles, pallid skin, and eyes heavy with an unyielding weariness.
His heart grew heavy, seeing in his reflection a resemblance to his father’s final appearance.
After gazing into the mirror for a long moment, he trudged into the bathroom, took a quick shower, and then collapsed onto the bed.
“That damn Doctor…”
Above his unwitting murmur, her words echoed in his ears.
‘You still have to live like a human being…’
Though they seemed like insignificant words, they resonated strangely deep within his heart.
Of course, the joke she’d immediately thrown in afterward had been more than enough to shatter the mood.
“Haaah…”
As he let out a long sigh, a soft, milky scent suddenly wafted to his nose.
Was it an air freshener?
Under the influence of that gentle, warm fragrance, The Man’s eyelids slowly drooped.
“…”
And then, he abruptly opened his eyes.
“Did I doze off for a moment?”
The room was still dark, but the clock showed 1 PM.
Considering he had returned to the base around 7 PM the previous day, it meant he had slept for approximately fifteen hours straight.
‘To think I slept for so long.’
Had an immense amount of fatigue accumulated in his body without his awareness?
Indeed, given the sheer number of events that had transpired that day, it would have been stranger not to feel tired.
Thanks to the rest, he felt refreshed.
Unlike yesterday, his heavy body now felt light.
Though still vexed, he conceded that listening to the Doctor had been a wise decision, and carefully opened the door, stepping outside.
“Hoo…”
And there, he found the Doctor, peacefully asleep on the sofa, breathing softly.
She was in a completely unguarded and disheveled state.
It seemed she even slept in her lab coat, her head resting on a long, banana-shaped pillow, fast asleep with an expression of utter tranquility.
Her breathing was soft and regular, a faint whisper, and her lips were parted ever so slightly.
However, her lab coat was slightly bunched up at her side, hinting that with even a slight shift, something that shouldn’t be seen might become visible.
‘Just how bad are her sleeping habits…?’
Faced with the Doctor’s disheveled appearance, something he hadn’t anticipated given her usual infuriating tone and behavior…
The Man’s…
“Uh, hmm.”
‘What was I just thinking?’
Shaking off the improper thoughts that had filled his mind, The Man called out to the Doctor in a loud voice.
“Hey, Doctor.”
At this, the Doctor’s fingertips twitched, trembling for a moment, before she slowly rose, her face disheveled.
“Ugh… You shouldn’t wake a genius when they’re sleeping. Mob-kun…”
The Man was dumbfounded.
‘What time is it? How could she sleep in so late?’
Pointing to the clock next to the sofa, he fumed.
“It’s past one o’clock. And my name isn’t Mob.”
The Doctor rubbed her eyes with one hand, muttering.
“Then, uh… Big d*ck-kun?”
‘What in the world is that?’
The Man wore an exasperated expression.
“Anyway, get up.”
He was about to add, ‘The sun is already high in the sky,’ when his gaze suddenly landed on the Doctor’s attire.
How on earth had she dressed? Her tie was undone, and her collarbone was daringly exposed, creating a rather unconventional look.
What’s more, she seemed completely oblivious, lazily tilting her head.
“And… please, dress properly.”
“Mmm-hmm…”
The Doctor nodded and attempted to fix her clothes, but oddly enough, they only seemed to become more disheveled.
‘Oh, this is driving me crazy.’
Unable to watch any longer, The Man stepped forward and tidied her clothing for her.
A question arose in his mind: ‘Is this child truly a genius Doctor?’
Of course, the Doctor, oblivious to The Man’s internal struggles, merely smiled bashfully and thanked him.
‘Good grief.’
****
On the table in front of the sofa, a tempting breakfast had been laid out.
Crispy bacon, golden-brown toast, and steaming coffee.
It was two plates of a typical European breakfast.
Or rather, perhaps it was more accurate to call it brunch, not breakfast, at this hour.
Regardless, The Man tilted his head, gazing at the dishes.
“I thought it was surprising that she’d cook, but I suppose I should have known better.”
“Why… The food cooked by a robot I created can, in a way, be considered a reflection of my own cooking skills, can’t it…?”
The Doctor added, gently patting the head of a chef robot standing proudly beside her.
The Man had much he wanted to say, but he simply let it pass, picking up his fork and beginning to eat.
“It’s… actually quite delicious.”
At The Man’s compliment, the Doctor beamed with pleasure.
“Heehee, isn’t it?”
And so, with soft munching sounds, a peaceful brunch began.
For a while, they focused silently on their meal, only the clinking of forks and knives breaking the quiet.
Then, the Doctor spoke first.
“Ah, how was the room…?”
The Man took a sip of coffee before replying curtly.
“It’s not bad, I suppose.”
“Right…? It was originally my room, so of course it’s good!”
The Doctor, perhaps pleased by The Man’s compliment, flashed a bright smile.
‘Hmm?’
‘Wait a minute. It was originally *her* room?’
‘In that case, the pleasant scent he’d noticed before going to sleep last night…’
The Man’s mind spun rapidly.
“Pffft!”
Coffee erupted from his mouth, spilling onto the table.
“Uh-oh, what’s wrong…?”
The Doctor tilted her head at The Man’s sudden outburst, then quickly clapped her hands twice.
Instantly, the waiting robot vacuum whirred to life, swiftly cleaning up the spilled coffee on the table.
“Cough, ah, it’s nothing.”
The Man shook his head, pretending nothing was amiss, but the Doctor, sensing something suspicious, cocked her head.
“Really? It looked like you choked…”
With those words, she stepped closer.
In that moment, a soft, latte-like fragrance, mingled with the coffee aroma, wafted distinctly.
The Man vigorously shook his head, waving his chopsticks in the air.
“Mmm-hmm, if you say so.”
Responding to his unspoken signal to keep her distance, the Doctor showed a question mark above her head (TL Note: A visual cue in webtoons or games indicating confusion or questioning) and retreated.
“Let’s… just eat.”
“Okayy.”
After a meal that felt as if he were choking on it, rather than properly eating, the Doctor, who had been idly watching the robots clear the table, suddenly spread her arms wide.
“Well then, it’s time for deployment…”
The clock already pointed to two in the afternoon.
The Man watched her for a moment, her hands completely obscured by her long sleeves even as her arms were outstretched, before his fingertips idly traced the surface of the enigmatic object he had received from the Doctor.
‘Is this finally the time for revenge?’
It was slightly unsettling to have to rely on such an untrustworthy invention, but since the Doctor had vouched for it, it should be fine.
“Oh, right.”
As The Man was about to open the research lab door and leave, the Doctor added.
“You know that room we went to yesterday, right…? Just go there. If you cause a ruckus there, a hero will show up…”
The Man held up the object and asked.
“How do I use this?”
The Doctor replied nonchalantly.
“It’s simple. You just throw it when the hero arrives, and that’s it…”
“That’s simple.”
“Right, isn’t it simple…?”
The Doctor brought her outstretched hands to her mouth, letting out a giggle.
“I’m… going.”
As The Man exited the research lab with a resolute expression, the Doctor’s voice followed him.
“Go safely. Don’t get hurt.”
It sounded like a playful farewell, yet there was a subtle hint of genuine concern in her tone.
“…”
With that, The Man moved with heavy steps.
Recalling his memories as he moved, he soon arrived at the auditorium, the very place where they had all stood together yesterday.
Though there was a metallic device near the entrance that hadn’t been there before,
*Beep.*
“Departure authorization, confirmed.”
It seemed the Doctor had indeed granted him permission to leave, as he passed through without any issues.
“Good…”
The Man stepped onto the mechanical device before him.
Just like before, when he closed and opened his eyes, a familiar landscape unfolded.
Once again, it was the park.
‘What should I do now…?’
He remembered being told that if he caused a ruckus, a hero would come.
First, he decided to mimic what those masked figures had done last time.
With slightly awkward movements, The Man overturned the park’s trash cans one by one.
Having never committed such misdeeds in his life, his conscience pricked him slightly, but for the sake of revenge, he had to push through.
He picked up a discarded hammer and struck a fire hydrant, kicked and damaged a nearby vehicle, and toppled a parked bicycle.
After repeating these clumsy acts for a while,
“Stop right there!”
Soon, a familiar voice sharply echoed from a distance.
‘Quite fast, aren’t they?’
As The Man turned his head, a very familiar silhouette came into view.
It was the pure white cape, fluttering in the wind.
Her well-known, unmistakable trademark.
‘But usually, wouldn’t the police arrive first in situations like this?’
The thought briefly crossed his mind, but the thrill of impending revenge soon filled his chest, extinguishing the minor doubt like a candle flame in the wind.
Justice Cape boomed loudly.
“Villain! To dare come alone to Sector B, which I, Justice Cape, protect, you certainly have some nerve!”
She still wore that confident, self-assured smile.
A presumptuous grin filled with the conviction that no matter the opponent, she could never lose.
The Man looked at the Doctor’s invention in his hand.
Then, he looked at Justice Cape and returned an equally presumptuous smile.
Last time, he had been powerless, but now, things were different.
