Chapter 233 – His Identity
Underground.
After Egostic had eliminated the villain planning a biochemical weapon attack and left Post-it notes for Stardus, Stardus quietly read the last letter he left behind.
[For you, Stardus.]
[Lately, I’ve noticed that there are already plenty of other villains keeping you busy, but this guy… he seemed particularly dangerous, so I handled it. Having one villain to worry about should be enough for you. I don’t want to distract you from the others. Lately, you’ve seemed a bit down, and I’m concerned about what might be bothering you, so I didn’t reach out separately. I hope you start smiling again soon.]
[P.S. If you could remove the Post-it notes I placed so the Association won’t see them, I’d appreciate it. It’s our secret among archenemies, hehe.]
“Haha….”
And he left behind countless Post-it notes.
After reading the handwritten letters by him, one by one.
Stardus fell deep into thought.
“…..”
The truth was, she hadn’t been feeling well lately.
The reason was precisely since the day Egostic brought another female villain with him.
And.
The day when Egostic had ignored her. It was the peak.
To the extent that she had disregarded everything else and had only thought of capturing Egostic.
Maybe he doesn’t care about me anymore…
She had occasionally felt down and had those thoughts.
But all of those emotions…
After reading Egostic’s countless Post-it notes and his last letter…
Everything melted away in her heart.
“Seriously, this is ridiculous…”
After reading the letter several times, she muttered.
Having one villain to worry about should be enough for you. I don’t want to distract you from the others.
He wants her to worry only about him.
Lately, you’ve seemed a bit down, and I’m concerned about what might be bothering you, so I didn’t reach out separately. I hope you start smiling again soon.
And that he hadn’t contacted her separately last time because he thought she seemed down.
“Haa…”
For someone who saw this, it might look like she and him had a special relationship. Why write such things? And asking to remove all the Post-it notes at the end, what’s that about? A villain asking a hero for a favor, really.
While grumbling like that…
“Haha…”
She found herself unconsciously trying to suppress a smile with the letter firmly in her hand.
I should take those notes with me.
Well… I can help him that much. Yeah.
Stardus carefully cherished the Post-it notes and the letter Egostic leff.
And Stardus’ mood noticeably brightened since that day.
***
“Guys, seriously… I’m fine, okay?”
“What do you mean you’re fine, Da-in? You need to rest a bit.”
After capturing Scream Maker and returning home, I was confined to one side of my house for recovery, starting that day with our healer, Ha-yul, constantly by my side.
“No… I just snapped my finger and shot a gun.”
“No, you were exposed to hazardous air for a long time and experienced psychological stress. So obviously, you have to take a break.”
Soobin said so.
Stress, huh… Well, was there anything particularly stressful? Except for feeling a bit nervous…
Anyway, I rested for a few days, reviewing this recent event. The plan to eliminate Scream Maker was a success. This moved us one step further away from catastrophe.
The letter I wrote to Stardus at the end, though…
“Ugh…”
…Recalling it, I felt my head spin.
Ah, what was I thinking at that time? No matter how I think about it, I must have been momentarily insane. What? “The villain you care about is enough for me.” “You seem a little down, so I hope you smile again.” Is this what a villain says to a hero?
“Ah, I must have been crazy, seriously.”
I muttered unknowingly. Anyone would think I’m out of my mind after seeing that. Isn’t that thinking I’m a lunatic?
Of course, I have something to say too.
‘At that time, I just moved my hands like that without even knowing it…’
I had a strong gut feeling that this is how it should be written. I still don’t know why exactly.
But thinking about it, it’s hillarious.
Since that day, all the vague anxiety I felt has completely disappeared. Moreover, the recurring nightmares I had been experiencing recently have vanished, and I’m sleeping soundly.
I don’t really know the reason for all this…
Anyway, after catching Scream Maker, I’m back in top shape, thanks to Ha-yul’s continuous healing.
After a few days since capturing Scream Maker…
One day, I received a call from Lee Seol-ah.
[Yes. These days, Stardus has been helping the PMC team quite a bit. It seems she’s becoming friends with the kids too.]
“Really? That’s good. Their skills have improved, and it’s about time we start recruiting the second batch for our PMC.”
[I’m looking into that as well. Hmm… I’m thinking of recruiting around the end of this month. We’ve already identified potential candidates.]
“That’s good to hear.”
We had that conversation. The reason I want to expand the PMC is simple. In the era of imminent disasters, several ordinary ability users are more valuable than one powerful one.
Wolgwanggyo opens a gate connecting our world and the other world might bring forth monsters, so preparations are essential. This is especially to relieve Stardus’s burden further.
However, during our conversation about safeguarding the nation, Ilyoung, out of the blue, added another question.
[Oh, right, Da-in. Did you do anything to Haru lately?]
“Huh? Why?”
[Nothing, but Haru has been looking cheerful recently. Her face and voice just brightened up. Judging from the situation, it seems to have started after the day you both did the broadcast.]
“Ah… well… I haven’t done anything. Maybe she’s just relieved that the villain was taken care of, you know?”
[Is that so?]
…It’s not a lie. Well, saying that I haven’t done anything is a lie. I did leave a letter, but what’s that got to do with her feeling better? Maybe she’s just relieved that Scream Maker, such a dangerous person, was apprehended. …That’s probably it.
[In that case, I’ll take your word for it. Oh, and the PMC kids want to see you.]
“Sure, I’ll visit them.”
I nodded in response to that. Due to the Shine Tear incident, the operation to subdue Scream Maker, and Ha-yul’s subsequent treatment, the PMC kids haven’t seen me for a while.
Especially now that their skills are improving and they have grown, it’s time to show them how to mentor their junior members. I need to go see them again.
After telling Lee Seola that I’d come to visit, I hung up the phone.
Alright, tomorrow, I’m going to meet the Ego Squad… I mean, the Yuseong Squad?
I simply though so, completely unaware of the events that would unfold the next day.
***
“Hmphm.”
In the basement training room of the Yuseong Squad’s building, I was testing the abilities of the kids. I nodded approvingly.
“Good. You’re all doing well. Did training with Stardus help?”
“Yes! She was super helpful!”
Responding to my question, our Red, no.3 Heo Dahee, nodded enthusiastically. She then explained how Stardus assisted in capturing a B-ranked villain.
I roughly knew the details. Stardus helped our PMC students by giving them practical training against lower-tier villains. The kids did well, and Stardus seemed satisfied with their performance.
She even revealed her identity, Shin Haru, met them in private and even bought them a meal.
…I can’t believe that Haru who doesn’t trust people easily did that. Are our kids that friendly?
Anyway, I nodded satisfactorily at Heo Dahee’s words.
No. 2 Seo Chaeyoung, who was walking by my side asked me quietly.
“Da-in, do you like Stardus?”
“Huh? Oh. Of course, I do. If you’re Korean, you should like her, right?”
“Oh… okay…”
“That’s why you should listen to Stardus and learn diligently. It’s not an opportunity that comes by easily.”
“Hmphm, we know!”
While she said that and pouted her lips, making it seem like she was looking down, our number one Haedahi leaned against the wall and posed as usual, and number four was half-dozing…or was she? I haven’t seen Su-ah Anjo for a while.
…Anyway, my conclusion was that I must absolutely not let our PMC kids discover that I’m Egostic. I had instilled a strong sense of justice in our PMC kids through my hero education, and if they found out who I really was, I could end up in hot water.
Especially now that they’ve become close with Stardus? As soon as they tell Stardus, my life is over. There’s a high chance that I’ll be kidnapped in the blink of an eye.
…Honestly, even if I didn’t reveal that I’m Egostic, I already met Stardus under the identity of Da-in. That could also become a problem.
In any case, the conclusion was that I must never let our PMC kids find out that I’m Egostic. I thought as much.
…But when I finished thinking, I realized that today, the kids seemed a bit unsettled for some reason. They kept glancing at me. What’s going on?
Then, at that moment…
“…Teacher Da-in.”
“Huh?”
No. 1, who was leaning against the wall, stood upright as if he had made a big decision. And four children who look back at each other and nod their heads.
…What’s going on?
The time when I felt something ominous. As if he had made up his mind, no. 1 asked me in an unshakable voice
“Da-in, you’re Egostic, aren’t you?”
“Huh…?”
And at that moment, my brain, for a brief moment, stopped.
…Did I hear that wrong?
