Ep.114 Defense Plan
“Da-in. Don’t you think you should apologize to me?”
“I’m sorry…”
The president room of Yuseong Enterprise’s Seoul branch.
I was there, apologizing to Lee Seola.
“No… Honestly, couldn’t you just tell me? Did you think I would go around blabbering to other people?”
She grunted at me as if she was angry.
It makes sense for her to be upset. When Seoul was utterly in the middle of total shambles, she called me in an emergency, and I just went underwater. Then I turned on the broadcast without saying anything, solved the problem quickly, and got back into the water.
Turning her sky blue hair to the side, it was so evident that she was mad at me that I could hear the ‘Hmph!’ from her action.
…And of course, this was all acting.
Who is Lee Seola in the first place? In the original comic, she’s a person with the ability to swallow Korea. As she’s so smart, there’s a chance that her acting like a child is a calculated action.
Of course, uh, she could just empty her brain and act like that because she’s agitated. In the first place, she may be sufficiently disappointed. As much as I planned everything for Stardus in the first place, I just ghosted her in case Stardus noticed it with her unique senses if I told Lee Seola. But it’s impossible for her to tell Stardus.
So I should say sorry for now.
….In fact, when I first called and heard her voice, it was like a person being immersed, but it’d be much better if that was the case.
“Hmph.”
“All right, all right. I’m really sorry. I won’t do that again.”
“….You promise?”
“Yes.”
I wasn’t lying. Since the subject is out.
However, I felt sorry that I didn’t contact her after my trespass, but I couldn’t reach her beforehand either. It’ll probably be the same for future cases too.
But it’d be absurd to bring that up now. Now, I have to be as bold as brass.
“…Then, Da-in, it was your fault, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then… Do me a favor.”
She wiggled her fingers, looked down at her hands, and spoke in a slightly smaller voice than before.
…What the? What favor?
For a moment, an ominousness enveloped my body.
It’s Lee Seola. I don’t know what the hell she’s going to ask me.
“Yes, I’ll do anything. Just say it.”
But I just accepted first.
…As I was thinking, “If she asks for a strange favor, should I just faint and sneak out?”
“…Show me your face.”
“What?”
“I also want to see your real face under the mask! Show me…”
Lee Seola, slightly shy, blushed as she said.
….She threatened me like that just to see my face?
I smiled and just took off the mask for her, who glanced at me as if she was afraid I would refuse.
“Okay. Happy now?
“Oh…”
She was a little shocked as I took off my mask too easily.
However, for a while, her eyes sparkled, and she began to stare at my face.
“……Hey, I’m a bit uncomfortable if you keep staring at me like that.”
“I mean, I’m amazed.”
“…What? My face?”
“No. I thought you would have a big scar on one side of your face since you wore a mask even though you turned on the derecognition device, but you didn’t? Then why do you wear a mask on one side of your face?”
“This mask is not an ordinary one. There are a lot of functions.”
But it’s not used by everyone, and it’s usually used to look at the chat window.
I didn’t bother to add that.
“Anyway, it’s fine. Now that you’ve seen my face, all you have to do is invite me to your house. Will you invite me?”
“…Maybe later.”
I drew a line for now.
…I don’t want to reveal where I live yet.
In the first place, Baek Eun-wol, our newbie Moonlight Shaman, was able to apply strong recognition magic on her own.
“All right.”
Lee Seola’s face, as she answered me, showed no regret. I think she’s already satisfied with seeing my face today. It’s been a long time since her face got red like that.
…Did I get tricked?
Before I thought of it, she spoke up as if she had just remembered.
“Oh. And Da-in. There was a problem.”
“What is it?”
“Everyone seems to like Egostic, including the Internet and public polls. You’re like a hero now. Isn’t this a problem?”
Lee Seola gave me a concerned gaze.
“…And even the public polls show that you’re more likable than I am.”
Is that the main point?
In the end, it was similar to what Seo-eun said.
“…Really? Is it that bad?”
“Yes, your popularity is super high. They keep calling you Mango something. Even overseas, people are paying attention. An A-class villain handled the terror alone, which even S-class heroes hesitated to.”
What’s overseas? It’s not just some “aggro” from those Gukppong TV, but a real thing?
I felt a little bit seriously troubled by her shocking words.
Hmm… It’s going to be a mess at this point.
“But Da-in. Common sense has it that the entire Seoul people have been saved by you, so wouldn’t it be rather strange if your popularity doesn’t rise?”
“I’m a villain though?”
“…Appealing yourself as a villain doesn’t make you a villain.”
It was Lee Seola who said that and looked at me with cold eyes.
“…Tsk.”
Should I start a terrorist attack right away?
Yeah, there’s nothing like terrorism to prove I’m a villain.
“…Yeah, thank you for letting me know.”
“I’m jealous that you’re worried about being so popular. Haa.”
She sighed.
After a few words, we said goodbye.
With a promise that I would contact her when something similar happened from now on.
I don’t know if I can keep it, but I just spit it out.
But somehow I feel uncomfortable, but it’s probably just a feeling.
***
“Whew…”
The president’s office where Egostic, Da-in just left.
Lee Seola, who was left alone there again, looked out the window with a sigh.
In fact, she knew.
Egostic. That he doesn’t really trust her that much.
Lee Seola. She feels proud of herself for being quick-witted.
If it weren’t for her extraordinary head in the first place, she wouldn’t have reached this position. It wasn’t easy for a young woman to take control of this company against her grandfather.
In other words, she’s confident in reading people’s faces.
And the Da-in that she saw, he didn’t believe her.
‘…Why?’
Honestly, she wondered that.
…What part of her that he can’t trust?
In the first place, she was only good to him, Egostic. Without any bad intentions.
But suspiciously, he just… She doesn’t know how to describe it, but no matter how open-minded he seems to be, he always sets a boundary.
No matter how much she tries to get close, always.
Like he knows something about her that she doesn’t know.
‘…It’s frustrating.’
A gap of information.
No matter how quick-witted she was, there was nothing she could do about it.
At first glance, he doesn’t seem to be dissatisfied with her move to devour South Korea. He even supported her in the first place.
Then why?
‘…He believes Stardus though.’
And his incomprehensible commitment to Stardus.
He said that all the reasons for his terrorism are for Stardus, which is almost serious. In a way, he’s dedicating his life to Stardus in the first place. He must be very pure.
“Haru is… indeed charming, but is she worth it?”
In other words, they are both A-class heroes, but she doesn’t know why there is such discrimination.
…Isn’t she better than the other one, who doesn’t even recognize him?
What’s the big deal about Haru?
“……No.”
Her thoughts changed negatively.
She let out a sigh and cleared up the situation.
…All right.
It was always me who won at the end anyway.
Once I’ve decided to get it, I’ve always had it somehow.
“…You’ll see.”
One day, Egostic.
I’ll make you look at me, not Stardus.
***
Icicle is up to something, and Egostic is worried about the next terrorist attack.
A large house used as the headquarters of the Ego Stream. Two girls were walking on the underground base, which was the original headquarters, connected to it.
“…Seo-eun, where are we going now?”
“I’m only showing it to you, so follow me.”
A white underground passage
In the place where the lights were blinking, Baek Eun-wol grabbed Han Seo-eun’s clothes and was walking, looking around as if she was anxious.
And Seo-eun talked to her.
“You know about Ego Stream now, don’t you?”
“Yes, I’ve learned everything. I heard it’s a Villain Union founded by Da-in.”
“Yes, Da-in founded it. Do you know who the members were at first?
“Who?”
“It was Soobin and me.””
Seo-eun sighed and continued.
“People only know Soobin but don’t know my existence. Even Ha-yul debuted under the name’ Saintess’ this time, but Da-in only hides me.”
“Oh, my. Why?”
“Maybe it’s because I’m young or because he thinks I don’t have any force. Gosh, I’m in my 2nd year of high school now. Aren’t I an adult?”
“…Hmm, you’re not an adult though?”
“I mean! Honestly, I’m old enough.”
She began to press the password in front of the huge iron door.
The door opened with a loud sound.
“…Seo-eun? You’re not going to leave me in that deep place, are you?”
“What the hell are you talking about? Follow me.”
Baek Eun-wol, who still looks anxious, walked in front of Han Seo-eun. Still talking.
“Anyway, age is his misunderstanding, so I’ll let it pass. Force. That’s probably the problem. I can’t terrorize on my own. Especially since I can’t seem to deal with Stardus, that ignorant powerful woman. Oh, you know Stardus, right? The woman that the brother weirdly cares about.”
“Yeah, I heard about her.”
“Anyway, Sehee and I looked for ways to deal directly with Stardus. And… we completed it this time.”
Saying so, Han Seo-eun unsecured another iron door.
A huge garage-like door with a squeak
And after that, there was a wide, dark space.
“Well, let me introduce you. I made it this time.”
Smiling after that, she turned on the lights.
The lights turned on right away.
Buzz-
The one in the middle of the space was seen in front of Baek Eun-wol.
It’s about twice the height of a person
Something like a giant suit, made of hard material like steel.
Baek Eun-wol opened her mouth wide under the pressure of the massive gray machine, which looked huge and hard on all sides of its arms, legs, and torso.
“….Wow. what is this?”
Looking at the admiring Baek Eun-wol, Han Seo-eun answered with a proud smile.
“The suit I’m going to wear… I mean, it’s a giant weapon. With this, I can deal with her myself!”
“That’s amazing. Did you make it yourself?”
“Yeah, I gave it a name.”
“What is it?”
When Baek Eun-wol seemed to be curious, Seo-eun smiled.
“Starbuster.”
“It’s the ultimate weapon, built to deal with Stardus alone.”
Seo-eun put her hand on her waist and smiled wickedly with a confident look.
“With this, I’ll knock down that Stardus woman myself. What do you think?”
And looking at her like that.
“…Oh, good luck?”
Baek Eun-wol only let out an awkward smile.
***
“……Soobin, where did Seo-eun go again?”
“Maybe she went to the basement again this time.”
“…What the hell is she doing there all the time?”
