I Became a Villain's Hero-Chapter 17: Emotional Baby Steps (3)

TL/Editor: Raei

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Song Soo-yeon had finished preparing for school and was sitting on her bed.

She was idly fiddling with her smartphone, passing the time.

Even though she knew she should leave now to avoid being late, she didn't move.

There wasn't a significant reason for this.

It was just a faint hope that maybe, just maybe, her hero would return home.

Maybe the mister wanted to check on the condition of the house.

Even if he was doing good deeds, he might be worried about leaving his house in someone else's care.

Or perhaps, he wanted to see her face because he liked her...

"......."

Time steadily ticked by.

She had been waiting for over 30 minutes.

Song Soo-yeon sighed and got up from her bed.

What am I doing?

Once she gave up on waiting, she couldn't understand why she had acted so foolishly.

Her mind now shifted to school.

Another challenging day awaited her.

Although the bullying had stopped, the days were still tough.

Today might be even more exhausting.

Having fled from her house, she didn't have her bag, and since her shoes had been torn, she had no choice but to wear the slippers she borrowed from the mister's shop.

If the school bullies saw her like this, they would surely mock her.

They always looked for the slightest reason to pick on her.

Song Soo-yeon hurriedly put on her slippers and opened the door.

Eek!

She was startled and fell to the floor.

"........Ah, I didn't mean to startle you."

Standing by the door, Jung-gyeom was there.

Song Soo-yeon took a moment to understand the situation, then remembered the noise she had just made.

Eek!

"...Damn it..."

She closed her eyes tightly, swallowing the embarrassment.

"Why did you scare me like that!"

Trying to hide her embarrassment, she raised her voice.

Was he waiting outside all this time?

It made her feel foolish for having waited for him inside.

"And if you've come, just come inside. Why wait outside!"

And faintly, she felt pleased.

Pleased that he wanted to see her first thing in the morning.

She suppressed the smile that was about to break through and again masked it with anger.

"Everything you do is just creepy..."

"Did you sleep well?"

He seemed to be getting used to her sharp tone, ignoring it and asking with a smile.

"......"

Song Soo-yeon hesitated for a moment.

This mundane conversation, asking about her well-being, made her feel warmth again.

Each of these moments seemed to heal her.

It was like reclaiming a normal life she had never experienced before.

"........"

Did he realize how grateful she was to him?

She tried to express her gratitude whenever she could, but it wasn't easy, as she was not adept at showing her emotions.

"....Thanks to you."

Her bravado waned, and she spoke brusquely, getting up and brushing herself off.

Then, she cautiously shifted her gaze to study his face.

"......"

She realized that just looking at his face made her a bit giddy.

It was foolish how easily she became happy.

Just by seeing his face?

Song Soo-yeon shook her head.

No, it wasn't that.

She was probably just grateful that all of this wasn't a dream.

That's how she justified her joy.

'She really is pretty.'

Suddenly, she felt like she heard his inner thoughts.

Song Soo-yeon's body jolted.

Her lips trembled and curled upwards, trying to hide the emerging laughter by snorting.

"Ha. Really...ha. Ridiculous..ha."

"Why, what is it now?"

"......You startled me, it's annoying."

To hide the fact that she had read his thoughts, she feigned irritation again.

While she had been annoyed by other men's comments on her beauty, his thoughts somehow made her happy.

Song Soo-yeon didn't understand why.

"So why did you come? What, you wanted to see my face that badly?"

Song Soo-yeon asked, hiding her joy.

"Ah."

Jung-gyeom seemed to remember his purpose, pulling out something he had been hiding behind his back.

"Here you go. You need to go to school."

It was a new bag and shoes.

".....Oh..."

"Take these. You can't go back home, and you need to avoid bullying."

Her uplifted mood settled into an unbelievable gratitude.

It was her first time experiencing such emotion and warmth in the morning.

How could he be so considerate?

It was incredibly thoughtful.

Every time like this, she felt as if she was confirming his sincerity.

Just as tears were about to well up, he seemed to notice her reaction and spoke.

"Don't cry. You have to go to school."

"........."

But his words only made her feel more like crying.

It seemed like she was crying all the tears she should have cried in her life in these few days.

He had been watering the emotions she thought were dried up.

"....Starting today, I'm putting you to work. I'm going to work you hard."

Then, Jung-gyeom said teasingly, his voice filled with laughter.

Song Soo-yeon realized it was his effort to stop her tears.

"If you can't work, I'll take them back, just so you know."

Her intense emotions calmed down with his joke.

Song Soo-yeon wiped her eyes and matched his tone.

"....There's no taking back once given."

And then she gratefully accepted his gifts.

Her heart was accumulating a debt of gratitude.

........She resolved to repay him someday, even if it took her entire life.

The two went back into the one-room apartment.

Song Soo-yeon immediately put on the bag and opened the shoebox to wear the new shoes.

They were white and black sneakers, not too flashy, perfect for moving around quietly.

She thought about how much she would have been ridiculed if they were tacky.

Could his choice of design even be part of his consideration?

"There are indoor shoes in the bag, so remember that."

Jung-gyeom walked into the room and lay down on the bed.

Having slept at the restaurant all night, he stretched his stiff body.

Song Soo-yeon couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt.

"But how can a student be this late?"

As she glanced at him sideways while tenderly stroking her new shoes, he asked her.

Song Soo-yeon couldn't confess the truth.

How could she say she was waiting inside because she wanted to see him?

"......It's my choice."

So, she replied bluntly.

Then, she countered.

"...You could have come in if it bothered you. Why stand outside like a fool, it's your own house."

"...'You'? Not 'mister' anymore?"

"....You call me 'you' yourself."

"........"

She was gradually finding pleasure even in these sharp exchanges.

Thankfully, she was facing away from him, putting on her shoes.

She almost showed him her smiling face again.

After putting on her shoes, she got up.

She really had to leave now, or she'd be late.

She wanted to continue talking with him, but she had to resist for now.

Besides, she would be with him again after school.

There was no need to feel reluctant now.

This fact gave her a great sense of security.

That this future would continue.

"I'm going."

"Alright, go quickly."

"Yes."

"Rely on a hero if there's any problems."

Song Soo-yeon thought to herself.

'.....My hero is you, mister.'

Naturally, it was a thought too embarrassing to voice.

She was even surprised that she had such a thought.

Song Soo-yeon was about to leave the room when she hesitated.

.....She mulled over his words about relying on a hero.

"....Uh..."

"Hmm..?"

"....Can I have your number, mister?"

She bravely asked.

It was the first time she had ever asked someone for their number.

She hadn't anticipated how difficult it would be.

Her heart pounded, and her fingertips tingled.

She feared he might refuse.

But these feelings didn't last long.

"Ah, right."

Jung-gyeom hurriedly got up from the bed and approached her.

Song Soo-yeon reflexively turned her head.

It was hard to look at his face from such a close distance.

"Take out your phone. I'll tell you the number, so you can enter it."

Song Soo-yeon could tell Jung-gyeom was pleased.

Had he said it was his first time making a friend too?

His cheerful voice and actions radiated happiness.

Song Soo-yeon also felt happy but hid these feelings, entering the number he dictated into her phone.

.....It was the first number she had ever saved in her life.

She arrived at school without being late.

Song Soo-yeon caught her breath and fiddled with her phone.

There was still time before the assembly started.

She kept looking at Jung-gyeom's number saved in her smartphone.

She had memorized it long ago.

Just knowing his number like this made her feel more connected and secure.

She could hear his voice whenever she wanted.

That fact kept touching her heart.

"....Huh.."

Song Soo-yeon composed herself.

She felt like she would foolishly start smiling.

The school bullies might gossip about her acting like a fox if they saw her.

Suddenly, she realized that this might be the first time she felt like smiling at school.

Song Soo-yeon began browsing internet articles to calm her excited mind.

She flipped through numerous articles.

Then, several article titles caught her eye.

Holy Solace. Suppresses villain again. Rescues 24 hostages.

Solace, reaches 87th in Hero Ranking just one year after debut. Where is the limit?

Solace, awarded Hero of the Month.

"......"

Seeing that, her mind really calmed down.

Song Soo-yeon still didnt like these heroes.

Her opinion remained unshaken.

Those who claim to be heroes are nothing but state-approved thugs.

Just looking at the headlines, the focus is solely on suppressing villains.

.....A real hero is someone like mister.

That was an unchanging truth that only she knew.

Below was an interview video with Solace.

The video had quite a high number of views.

Song Soo-yeon clicked on it as if mesmerized.

The interview began with a question from a reporter.

Solace, you're already showing tremendous talent as a hero. What is your goal?

Solace maintained her signature cheerful demeanor as she answered.

My goal is to become a hero!

Laughter broke out among the reporters for a moment.

Aren't you already a hero? Are you saying you've achieved your goal?

........

Then silence fell.

The air turned awkward.

The smile disappeared from Solaces eyes.

She wore a serious expression for a moment.

The reporter, getting anxious, said.

Did I, did I say something wrong-

Seeing the reporter, Solace suddenly looked startled.

Ah, Im sorry, sorry. Did I scare you? I was just thinking. Um.... I dont think I'm a hero yet.

Song Soo-yeon frowned.

She was getting more focused in the video.

Solace spoke.

...In my opinion, a hero is not just about defeating villains... its about sharing strength with everyone who asks for help, no matter how small the issue.

And someone who doesnt expect anything in return. A person who shares warmth. Also....

Solace seemed to ponder, then squinted her eyes and burst into a small laugh.

Haha, and a person who stands up against an unbeatable enemy to protect someone precious. That's what I think a hero is. I still have a long way to go.

There might be more to a hero than that, but I'm still learning... so please help me. Keep an eye on my actions and give me feedback. I'll become a great hero.

The video ended there.

Song Soo-yeon blankly stared at the ended video.

Something felt unsettled in her heart.

.....So there are heroes who think this way.

It seemed like she had something in common with mister.

Especially Solaces words about 'standing up to an unbeatable enemy'.

Those words reminded her of the mister who had gone as far as the Hero Association to confront Shake.

Even if her pride didnt allow her to acknowledge Solace yet, she could admit that Solace was different from the other heroes she had seen so far.

It felt like she had lost somehow.

She had thought there were no heroes like this.

"....Huh."

She just turned her attention away from it.

Villains, heroes, all that.

Its a story from a world far removed from hers.

Song Soo-yeons world had started a new story.

That was all she wanted to focus on right now.

Song Soo-yeon closed her eyes, praying for the school day to end quickly.

Mister had vowed to work her hard, but even that was something she was looking forward to.