How to Survive as a Villain in a Novel

21 – Creating a Hero (1)

To be honest, I had a certain degree of intuition.

Lately, Yun Hyeon-jin has been following me around and observing me like a squirrel.

This started after the hidden camera incident.

The reason I didn’t care even though I noticed was simple.

It seemed plausible for Yun Hyeon-jin to do such a thing.

Perhaps she wondered whether I had been falsely accused, or if there were any chance that I was the real offender? That’s what I had thought.

“I will be… observing you as a student council member! There’s absolutely no other motivation! Sophomores and juniors can’t go to the welcome party without a partner!”

A habit of always seeking the truth and making judgments. You could call it righteousness or uncompromising if you will. That was Yun Hyeon-jin’s personality.

‘But that was a constructed personality.’

It is not her real personality.

Do we call it a mechanism of defense developed to rationalize her parent’s indifference?

An issue rises when Yun Hyeon-jin’s defense mechanism begins to shatter.

As her bottled up loneliness, anger, and self-loathing explode from beneath her facade, the second awakening of the original power happens.

Can we say that this is an event that breaks the understanding that ‘powerful beings’ awaken only once?

While it sounds better to call it a second awakening, it’s more like a ‘boss fight’, where various gutsy toys and gimmicks pop up.

Knowing that substantial strength and planning are needed to navigate the situation, it’s necessary to keep Yun Hyeon-jin’s mentality at bay for a while.

That is why I was flustered by Yun Hyeon-jin’s sudden change in attitude.

“… Uhm. Lee Han?”

However, as I calmed my flustered feelings and observed Yun Hyeon-jin, it didn’t seem like her personality had changed completely.

Did something good happen to her, and she has simply become happier?

Maybe I worry too much.

“Do… Do you really dislike it?”

Many upperclassmen also participate in the freshmen’s welcome party. Wouldn’t making friends with other freshmen be helpful for her mental stability?

Besides, it’s somewhat unpleasant to search for a ballroom partner in the school’s anonymous community.

After a moment of contemplation, I nodded.

“Alright. Let’s go together.”

“Uh. Yes!”

Was the sudden feeling of brightness around just me being fanciful?

“See you then.”

Just as I was about to happily leave, feeling relieved that one of the challenging preparations for the freshman welcome party was sorted out easier than expected.

I could sense a rustling ahead.

“Um… but.”

“?”

“Your phone number please.”

Ah, right.

If we’re to meet up, we need each other’s contact information.

But that’s problematic.

I decided it’s better to keep some distance from her.

“I don’t carry my phone around.”

“Well… then write it down!”

The kid who’s holding out a pen suddenly gets startled.

“Sorry, tell me and I’ll write it down.”

He must’ve belatedly remembered my eye condition, but I’m impressed by his persistence.

Ah, whatever.

I’ll just block him after the welcome party.

I snatched a writing tool from her and jotted down my number. It’s not like I can’t write because I can’t see.

When Yun Hyun-jin received it, he let out a somewhat rigid laugh.

“hehehe.”

…?

“It’s… because I can monitor you now!”

Yeah. Yeah.

I know that.

* * *

Chuckling quietly.

Yun Hyun-Jin barely managed to suppress a grin.

His efforts trailing Lee Han for a while had finally borne fruit.

He finally got hold of Lee Han’s phone number.

Of course, there are absolutely no ulterior motives.

It’s just for observing Lee Han more reliably.

If he suddenly gets sick or disappears, I can at least get in touch. It’s just for monitoring.

“Yes. It’s been obtained for that purpose.”

He repeated this and nodded, but his heart fluttered strangely.

“Do you feel unwell?”

Lately, whenever I think of Lee Han, my heart throbs. It’s been happening since the time Han Chae-yun showed off her ring when I visited the sick Lee Han.

For some reason, I was angry.

“She’s a student, but already wearing things like rings! It’s not even a wedding ring, why wear it on your ring finger!”

Patiently.

Yun Hyun-jin hung his head.

It was to shake off the unpleasant memory.

He looked at Lee Han’s number tightly held in his hand, intending to memorize it as it is.

“You write well even though you can’t see.”

It’s a neat handwriting.

…I’ve seen it somewhere.

“Eh? Wait a moment.”

Yoon Hyun-jin quickly rummaged through her pocket.

She took out a bookmark that she always carried around carefully.

It was a long time ago. When she was really distressed, someone left her a bookmark with a message of encouragement.

Somehow, the handwriting on that bookmark and this note from Lee Han seem similar.

“No way…”

* * *

The freshman welcome party is a crucial turning point in the early part of the scenario.

From the welcome party, the ‘villains’ inside the school start to actively operate. Not the villains depicted in a description, the real nasty guys who are classified as ‘villains’ according to the classification of real superpower holders.

From the academy’s point of view, where the only plausible crisis was the ‘Orbis Great Rift Blast’, it starts to face endless troublesome events.

One day when the freshman welcome party is just a few days ahead,

– You have an unchecked message!

– A new voice message has arrived!

Unwelcomed alerts arrived while I was rolling around in the dormitory assigned when I re-enrolled.

[The results of the first-year class assignment have been announced. Please check the details on the bulletin board of the 3rd student building on campus.]

Why the hell does this academy tell us to look on the bulletin board instead of just announcing by text message?

Especially something as big as ‘class assignment’.

Among the freshmen who have just entered the academy, if someone suddenly gets assigned to [F Class] there would definitely be some angry ones.

In such a situation of deep emotion, incidents are bound to happen.

No matter whether there’s thinking or not.

Of course, I’m not grumbling for such a major reason.

I was just lazy to get out of bed.

As the job of a villain is filled with uncertainties, takes as much rest as you can when you can.

“Alas.”

Feeling bitter, I left the dormitory.

As I approached the student union building where the class assignment results were announced, the atmosphere around started to heat up.

Soon it was filled with hustle and bustle.

– “Ah, C class. sh*t.”

– “Woah! I’m in B class!”

– “Got F. Great.”

Hmm.

In the crowd, I hesitated for a moment.

Should I ask someone to find my name for me? Or should I turn on my vision and sneak a glance? As everyone was focused on the notice board, there seemed to be no risk of getting caught.

“You’re in A class too.”

I activated my vision instinctively when I heard the cold, sharp voice.

Ryu Seo-ah, with her arms folded, was standing next to me looking up at the notice board.

Deeply suppressed rage was evident.

The killing intent didn’t disappear.

It just came close to that of an assassin.

Her occasional tongue licking her lips clearly showed how much she despised me.

Opening her chapped lips, she looked back at me.

“I’m an A too. Lucky.”

Hmm.

What could that mean?

Always aiming for my life up close. Wouldn’t mean that, would it?

“……”

Seeing her sullen gaze, that seemed right.

‘Villains’ characteristics, not afraid of blatant killing intent.’

Now that we’d met like this, I looked more closely at her magical circle.

I wanted to see if the potion I had given her last time was working well.

‘The circle has calmed down.’

But as soon as the potion wears off, it would definitely become unstable again.

The past.

There was no option but to implant one more circle in her. If Ryusera cannot handle her magical power, as in the original, and explodes, it would be virtually impossible to see the end of this novel.

‘There was no choice…’

Was it too brutal a method?

I trusted her talent. It’s not easy to handle two circles at once.

‘Anyway.’

The option to neglect her like this does not exist.

I need to secure a recuperation potion from the ‘shop’ somehow and keep injecting her with it.

There’s enough shop currency. Apart from the currently needed items, I can buy a few months worth of potions.

‘It’s an investment.’

Considering that Ryusera will grow and play an active role, it’s not a waste.

Then, the problem is.

‘How will I administer this.’

I have to hand it over by touch, but Ryusera doesn’t appreciate it so I can avoid the ‘villain’s dignity’ penalty. In other words, it should be handed over as secretly as possible.

There is also a method of injecting it after fainting her adequately.

Sneak in while she’s sleeping….

“……”

Suddenly I feel horrified.

That just makes me a pervert.

Should I just provoke her like last time, choke her and make her take it? But if I do that one more time, I feel like I’m going to get hit by a stray knife and die…

While I was developing such thoughts,

“Eehan.”

A chilly voice interrupted my thoughts.

“You. On top of the golem, why didn’t you punch down immediately?”

I silently looked at her through my heart’s eye.

Ryuseoah’s lips trembled.

“Surely, you were trying to save me?”

…Did she figure it out?

The incident is already over. There’s no penalty even if the truth is revealed.

But it cannot be.

Ryuseoah is the type to carry a heavy debt of gratitude.

If she finds out I saved her, all my actions will be perceived as good deeds.

Ryuseoah took a moment before replying,

“You must have realized my intentions before.”

Moreover,

What Ryuseoah wants to question now, is not whether I saved her.

What she wants to ask,

Is whether I knew the fact that her father was killed.

To further emphasize her single-minded desire for revenge on me.

“I…”

It was the moment I was to choose the right words after a brief hesitation.

“Look out!”

Ryuseoah threw herself at me.

Her good scent and touch covering me.

― Kwaaang!

Then, an enormous magic explosion engulfed the surroundings.

—Alert! Emergency situation! Alert! All students are advised to evacuate immediately!

Not far away,

There was a student indiscriminately tearing through the [Class F List] board.

Eyes soaked in darkness.

An aura soaked in darkness.

‘Darkening’.