I Became a Villain's Hero

Chapter 46: Go away, you're a nuisance (1)

TL/Editor: Raei

Schedule: 5/week, Mon-Fri

Illustrations: Here

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Song Soo-yeon didnt seem to be in a good mood.

She had been like that ever since we were caught on the kiss cam.

With a stiff expression, she blankly stared into space as she followed me.

She didn't even respond properly to my questions.

Maybe it triggered some kind of trauma for her.

Perhaps she was disappointed in me.

I know youll hate it, but can I just lightly kiss your cheek? And then its over.

The words I had spoken kept echoing in my head.

From the moment we were caught on the kiss cam, she had her head down, looking reluctant.

I should have denied it until the end...

I felt like she had gotten more comfortable with me.

Perhaps it was because of the increased physical contact recently.

I've stroked her hair, and we had linked arms.

She had leaned on my shoulder to sleep and even been carried on my back.

I think I might have momentarily forgotten about her wounds.

But still I made a mistake.

Thinking about it, all the physical contact we had until now was something friends could do.

The cheek kiss I suggested crossed that line.

It's no wonder she became sensitive.

I think she needs time.

I've done everything I can.

Apologized, promised not to do it again.

I needed to wait until she cooled off.

At the crossroads to the restaurant and the apartment, I said,

....Soo-yeon, go in. I had fun today.

....Huh?

At my words, Song Soo-yeon blinked.

She looked around as if checking her surroundings, unsure of where she was.

Over there. Go home and rest.

......

Song Soo-yeon looked at the path I pointed out for a moment.

Then, shaking her head, she approached me.

I want to go to the restaurant too.

We're not open, right?

That Solace, that bastard...."

.....?

.....I want to see Solace for a bit.

I looked at her for a moment.

At the baseball stadium, she had asked me if I wasnt angry about being sexually harassed.

Was that what she wanted to talk to Solace about?

....About what happened at the stadium?

She reluctantly nodded.

I asked,

What will you say?

I think Ill know when I see her.

Although she said shed know when she met her, I felt like I already knew.

From her sharp tone, I could sense her anger.

Honestly, I was confused.

Shouldn't she be thankful, not angry?

Was it because of her traumas from sexual harassment, that she reacts sensitively to actions that could feel like sexual harassment?

Soo-yeon, are you going to get angry at Solace?

............

Her expression said it all.

I shrugged my shoulders.

I hoped they wouldn't fight.

"....I'm grateful, but I'm fine. I didnt even feel it as sexual harassment. Dont get angry at Solace.

Ah, f*ck...

She swore, something she hadnt done in a while.

It wasn't a casual swear word, but one filled with emotion.

She looked up at me, wordlessly.

................

And so, she continued to gaze at me, expressing silent fury without backing down an inch.

....Looking into those eyes, I felt as if I was facing 'Luna' again.

Uncomfortably.

The long silence was broken by Song Soo-yeons voice.

....Let's go to the restaurant for now, okay?

.....Alright. Let's do that.

I eventually backed down as well.

After all, avoiding problems isn't a good habit.

Itll be fine.

If the other party is Solace, things shouldnt escalate too much.

---

---

Song Soo-yeon sat askew in a chair, leaning her back against the wall.

While waiting for Solace, she turned on her phone to calm her tangled thoughts.

If she just sat there idly, she would inevitably end up arguing with Jeong-gyeom.

She didnt want to fight with him, no matter what happened.

She scrolled through the flood of articles pouring out.

There was one hot topic on the internet, naturally about Solace.

Rising star hero Solace, a kiss at the baseball stadium.

The man Solace kissed at the baseball stadium, what's their relationship?

Solaces fandom explodes.

'Popular hero, in a relationship?'

'Solace and the kiss cam man.'

Though she turned on her phone to calm down, Song Soo-yeons hand was trembling.

The internet was filled with reporters curious about Jung-gyeom and Solaces relationship, and some trashy reporters were already spreading rumors that they were dating.

And every time she read such baseless rumors, Song Soo-yeons heart pricked painfully.

Even though she knew better than anyone that they were lies, her body kept reacting.

Interview after Solaces kiss.

One article title caught Song Soo-yeons eye.

She clicked on the article without hesitation.

A video was attached inside.

She played the video as if entranced.

Questions from reporters and Solaces responses flowed out.

Solace, can you explain what happened today?

Ahaha... Is there something to explain? Its just as you saw!

Did you know the man?

No! Hes a stranger to me!

What did you whisper to him after the kiss?

I apologized for kissing him so suddenly.

Would any man dislike receiving a kiss from Solace?

Everyone in the video burst into laughter.

Song Soo-yeon watched on, her expression stiff.

Solace, some say you intervened between a couple. What do you think about that?

It didnt look like they were a couple, and he looked troubled, so I intervened.

Song Soo-yeon bit her lip.

The video continued.

Solace, you said you kissed a stranger, but it was quite a long kiss. You kept your lips locked for as long as 20 seconds. Why did you do it for so long?

Solace covered her mouth in feigned surprise.

Ah...! Was it that long?

People burst into laughter again.

Solace blushed as if she was genuinely embarrassed.

Do you usually kiss your boyfriend like that?

Solace waved her hand.

I dont have a boyfriend! Never had one, you know? And actually... oh, never mind. I shouldnt say it.

What is it! Please tell us!

Ah... well... that's...

Solace looked at the camera.

Song Soo-yeon felt as if their eyes met.

That kiss was... my first time...

-Click.

The video ended.

Song Soo-yeon closed her eyes.

She needed a moment.

She took a deep breath quietly.

She just hoped Solace would arrive at the restaurant soon.

Given her character, she would surely come.

She thought about what curses to throw at her once she arrived.

....Was it that long?

The voice broke Song Soo-yeons meditation.

It was Jung-gyeom in the kitchen.

Song Soo-yeon looked at him.

He murmured to himself.

....20 seconds long?

He must have heard the video too.

Song Soo-yeon couldnt understand why his words made her so furious.

He was saying the same thing as Solace.

Did they both feel it was short?

Song Soo-yeon turned her head away.

If she focused on those words, her anger would only grow.

She looked at the comments section.

There were already tens of thousands of comments.

She started with the most upvoted comment.

[Damn. I was at the stadium, and I wanted to kill that guy. The girl he brought was really pretty too.]

[For real. He had flowers in both hands.]

[lololol Did Solace steal him?]

[I don't think so. The girl was too pretty for him.]

Song Soo-yeon clenched her teeth again.

Unable to hold back, she wrote a comment.

[I was at the stadium too, and the girl next to Solace suited him much better. They came together in the first place, what was Solace thinking intervening? If it were my boyfriend, I would have wanted to kill her. Just because she's a hero, she thinks she can intervene in a couples relationship?]

Song Soo-yeon looked at her own comment for a moment, then refreshed the page.

The article was trending, and her comment quickly attracted a lot of replies.

[Lol They were not a couple. That pretty girl seemed really unwilling to kiss. Honestly, if she plays the victim like that, I'm done.]

[Yeah, I saw it too. The guy seemed interested, but the girl was ducking her head and avoiding it. Honestly, it was pitiful.]

[Really?]

[Solace intervened and saved the guy, otherwise, it would have been super embarrassing, right? Honestly, I thought the cheerleader was tormenting them more on purpose.]

No matter what comment she wrote, the replies suggested she and Jung-gyeom didnt match.

Everyone saying they were wrong reminded her of her school days.

Everyone was harassing her just the same.

Yet, Song Soo-yeon didnt back down.

This was something she couldnt concede.

Jung-gyeom asked her as she rapidly typed on her phone.

Soo-yeon, what are you doing?

Be quiet. Just stay quiet.

She continued her own battle.

[The woman didnt want to be kissed? Seemed more like she was just shy. It was Solace who interrupted the moment. Do you think that makes sense?]

Refreshing the page, new comments appeared.

[You dont know? That woman and man were shown on the big screen twice. Solace appeared the second time. And much later at that. If they hadnt kissed by then, it means the woman didnt want to.]

[For real]

[Yeah, I agree with this.]

[This is the fact. People find everything uncomfortable.]

But the result was the same.

No matter how much she, the person involved, appealed, people on the internet didnt accept it.

For the first time in a while, Song Soo-yeon felt hatred towards the world.

She always forgets how crappy the world is when shes just around Jung-gyeom.

It was an uncomfortable truth she had forgotten because of him.

.....And now, a parasite like Solace had attached herself to Jung-gyeom.

It was so damn frustrating.

So incredibly frustrating.

-Ding!

The restaurant's bell rang.

Song Soo-yeons head quickly turned.

There stood her nemesis, the one she had been longing to see.

Min-Bom, dressed in casual clothes instead of her hero costume, rushed in.

Oppa....!

Min-Bom entered, immediately flaunting her closeness with him.

Oppa, I'm sorry! You must have been troubled!"

No, I was okay, but...

Jung-gyeom's eyes shifted to Song Soo-yeon.

Unable to hold back anymore, she snapped.

Unni, what the f*ck are you doing?

Startled by her swearing, Min-Bom, who was about to greet Song Soo-yeon, froze.

.....What?

Why do you keep flirting with him? Why are you sexually harassing him? Why do you keep crossing the line? Did you give me the ticket just for this?!"

Min-Bom looked back and forth between Jung-gyeom and Song Soo-yeon with a confused expression.

Jung-gyeom rushed out of the kitchen to calm down the loudly shouting Song Soo-yeon.

He hesitated to put his hand on her shoulder.

This small gesture only intensified Song Soo-yeon's anger.

But Solace poured cold water on the situation.

"Soo-yeon..."

Her shoulders slumped in sadness.

She spoke with difficulty.

Why... why are you saying such hurtful things...?

"F*cking now it looks-"

-I did it for you.....

.....What?

Song Soo-yeon frowned deeply.

She had no idea how to respond to this absurd statement.

The many curses she had prepared didnt even come out.

"What does that mean?"

Soo-yeon... you said it yourself...

Min-Bom looked genuinely confused.

.....You hate love. That you wouldn't do it... that you despise men...

She moved her lips slightly.

"....When you got caught on the kiss cam, it looked like you were in trouble... so I did that...

Then she looked up at Song Soo-yeon with eyes that looked like they were about to cry.

"...Why are you saying such hurtful things...? While I'm also getting heavily criticized by people who don't know about your situation."

Jung-gyeom moved.

He distanced himself from Song Soo-yeon and approached Min-Bom.

He placed his hand on Min-Boms shoulder, comforting and reassuring her.

Song Soo-yeon just watched this scene silently.

She felt confused, as if she had somehow become the villain.

Solace was wrong.

She was right to be angry.

But why was Jung-gyeom consoling Min-Bom instead of her?

Soo-yeon. I also think Bom is right.

...What?

I dont understand why you're so angry when Im okay with it. No matter how I think about it, you're the one in the wrong. Bom was acting for your sake, what are you doing?

....Mister...

Apologize, quickly. This is... definitely not right.

....Ha, damn it.

A hollow laugh escaped Song Soo-yeon.

Song Soo-yeon.

But Jung-gyeom was unwavering.

And just by being called by her full name, Song Soo-yeon felt a profound fear.

As if Jung-gyeom would leave her if she didnt apologize...

Though she couldnt show it in front of Min-Bom, she was trembling inside.

Should she really apologize?

Truly?

Im sorry for being angry at you for trying to steal my man.

Im sorry for being furious at you for stealing my opportunity to kiss.

I'm sorry for baring my teeth when you constantly try to take everything from me.

Should she really say such things?

It was too humiliating.

Song Soo-yeon couldnt understand it.

She racked her brain.

Thinking about it, it wasn't as if she had nothing else she could say.

There was no need to cling only to the issue of sexual harassment.

She spoke, needing to change the atmosphere.

....The sexual harassment is one thing. But unni, what will you do if villains attack mister?