Chapter 14: Chapter 14: I Became A Friendly Villain
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I loved Stardus.
Stardus. She is the star of the comic.
Why do I like Stardus?
Of course. She was pretty.
She was not that pretty in person, but she was drawn very beautifully in the comic.
Anyway, isn't it the fate of a sad creature called a man that instinctively likes a pretty woman?
Also, she maintained a good gap between being a hero and being a normal person.
On a daily basis, she is just a normal, slightly blunt woman, but when she is a hero, it is fun to see her saying stuff like 'You punk! What do you think you are doing?' in a unique awkward tone.
I am not sure whether it is to distinguish her daily image from her non-daily image or to hide her usual way of speaking. But honestly in my opinion, she probably thinks she looks cool doing it…
Well, my favorite of all was her unique sense of justice.
Since her parents died in an incident caused by villains when she was a child, she has been cultivating revenge and hatred for villains.
The girl who dreamt of becoming a hero.
But she had no superpowers, no talents.
She could only wish upon the stars.
Please let me awaken my powers.
So, let me avenge those villains myself.
Did the stars respond to her request?
Because she had miraculously gained ability.
Awakening her superpower, and peculiarly, her hair began to turn blonde like starlight.
That was how she got her name. Dust of Stars. Stardust.
But the association suggested that five syllables are too long for a hero's name, so they shortened it to 'Stardus'. TN: 'Stardust' in Korean is written as 스타더스트 (Su-Ta-Deo-Su-Teu) which has five syllables.
Anyway, a hero's life began with revenge, but through many events, she came to realize.
Hero is not a bully but a protector of the citizens.
Just like that, she became a real protector. She became a hero.
As a child, I had fallen for her story.
In fact, many heroes with impressive storytelling and views about justice came out, but I think she became my favorite character because she was Korean. Because I could relate to her story.
…So why am I making such a fuss right now?
Because my favorite character suddenly appeared in front of me.
"Egostic!"
"Stardus?"
Oh, god.
What is going on?
In this crowded place.
After achieving my desired goal of eliminating Teleporter, I was about to head home.
I was definitely going to kill him quietly, but I was in trouble as I overdragged an agro.
Ta-dah! All of a sudden, Stardus appeared.
How long have I been here for her to have the time to fly here?
Unfortunately, she could not land since there were too many people, so I looked at her floating.
She was covered in sweat, I guess she flew here in a hurry. Perhaps she started flying here the moment she heard that I was here. Even so, she still had time to change to her red latex suit.
"Egostic, you punk!"
"Yeah, yeah. I'm listening."
[Hyung, what are you doing? Hurry up!]
Gosh, Seo-eun. Just give me a minute.
My favorite character actually flew all the way here to see me. I want to hear what she is going to say.
And so many people are here, if I just go 'POOF-!' and disappear, she would be so humiliated and embarrassed. How can I let people laugh at my Shin Haru!
"You, just now. What have you done?"
Looking at Teleporter lying down at my feet, Stardus then glared at me and said.
The citizens were already in position to watch the situation as if they were excited that the two of us were going to fight. People, what are you going to do if you get hurt? Wow, they are even taking out their phones to film. Wait, wasn't that person filming from earlier? That is even more serious…
In front of these insensitive citizens who do not understand how dangerous the situation is, I decided to go along with Stardus for a little more.
"What am I doing? I just eliminated the parasites of this society. I just did what the heroes should have done. Like what your people should have done. Well, you don't have to thank me. I didn't do it to get your gratitude. Haha!"
"You…"
Tendons started growing on Stardus' forehead. Her face turned red and she was very angry. Oh, what's the matter? Did I say something bad?
Her trembling body seemed about to give up her concept at any moment. Hey, hey. Calm down! I was only teasing you a little and you already got pissed off?
Before she uttered a word of anger, I quickly spoke up.
"Of course! Of course, I did not borrow the public power but I did impose a private sanction! I did, but I think it needs to be taken into account. Teleporter, wasn't this brutal guy graded as class A because of the power of his ability and the danger of his escape skill? Isn't it possible for heroes to put a judgment right away at the scene if the villain is class A?"
As I finished, she spoke up as if she had been waiting.
"Yes, it is possible. Then, are you a hero?"
She seemed to want to jump at me right away and give me a slap. But as she was about to do it, she feared that either I could escape or the citizens would get in her way. Hmm, I don't think I would be of any help if I stayed longer. I should slowly find a way to escape.
"Well, I understand what you said, Ms. Stardus. It means that the hero should be the only one to kill the trash that deserves to die, but it is meaningless if a villain like me kills them. As expected, Ms. Stardus' thought has a strong sense of justice."
First of all, I roughly defended Stardus.
My plan is to make Stardus a popular hero. So first, compliment her!
Normally, when Chulsoo said 'I'm good at studying', it somehow sounds unreliable. But if his rival, Younghee, said, 'I don't know about other things, but I acknowledge his studying.', then people will start to think, 'Oh, Chulsoo is good at studying.'. Nothing is more effective than compliments from your opponent! TN: "Chulsoo & Younghee" is a story that appeared in Korean elementary textbooks to educate children. It was also adapted into a movie of the same name in 2005.
But I guess the citizens had different opinions.
"What, only heroes can catch villains?"
"Who does she think she is… So rude."
All of sudden, tiny voices were coming out from the crowd.
Excuse me, I can hear you all.
I realized this after I fell into this world.
People here are crazy.
Safety insensitivity is basic. A hero and a villain are confronting each other here, and they begin to defend the villain.
Are they out of their minds?
"She just came here after everything was done. I cannot believe her."
"Honestly, what did Egostic do wrong?"
I almost lost my mind.
Is the conversation I am listening to a real conversation?
As the murmur surrounding us grew, Stardus' expression and mine gradually stiffened.
They blamed it on Stardus, not me. The innocent Stardus began to be vilified.
Why? Did people go crazy after seeing the blood?
Anyway, this is not the situation I expected. I wanted a picture where I was criticized and Stardus was praised, and I never thought that it would turn out this way.
Why do the citizens side with a villain? What is this?
Stardus' face also began to stiffen when the public opinion turned strangely. I felt like I needed to hurry up and make up for it. Quickly, hastily I spoke up.
"Me, too! I didn't say a word that I did a good job. I was only asking you if it is like that! I have been- uh… I will keep doing evil stuff! I hope Ms. Stardus will try to stop me! Then… I'm going to take off now!"
I shot out my words like a gun then turning my cape forward, I teleported. Something is wrong. I have to escape first.
After teleporting, the view in front of me was spinning. I could not even stand properly because of my sickening stomach, and I ended up collapsing. Honestly, I have been pushing myself to catch that Teleporter for a while, but my body could not hold out as I traveled a long-distance again.
"Huff… Huff…"
As I collapsed, I was barely breathing. The door burst open and someone came in.
"Oppa!"
It was Seo-eun. Seo-eun, who came running, grabbed me and started whining while trying to get me up.
"Oh, why are you so heavy! Oppa, wake up! This is not working, unnie! Help me!"
"Oh! I'm coming!"
And after a little while, Soobin jumped in. Well, I guessed it might be Soobin. I cannot even open my eyes as it keeps falling down. Wow, I am certainly going to die at this rate.
"Now, one, two! Let's get him up!"
Then they began to groan while trying to get me up. Honestly, I felt like Soobin was the only one holding me with only a little help from Seo-eun, but she said nothing. And I was also in the state where I could barely say anything.
"Phew, please teleport right in front of the fatigue recovery capsule from now on."
Seo-eun, who eventually managed to put me in the recovery capsule, wheezed and whined to me. Yeah, I should do that next time. I could not think straight a while ago.
"…Thank… you…"
"If you get it then take a rest. You look like you are dying."
She grumbled and left.
Soobin was next to her. 'Get well soon', she cheered me up while holding her fist up. So adorable.
I passed out just like that.
I need a good night's sleep and take a rest, but my head didn't fall asleep easily because of anxiety.
Because of those whispers about Stardus.
***
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