Chapter 261: Seo-Eun’s Heart
“I can’t believe it’s already getting cooler…”
After a scorching hot summer, fall was just around the corner but we, the members of Ego Stream, were busy working as usual, with training and competing in power-ups.
“….No, we’re not heroes, we’re protecting the country…”
Of course, there were some whiners, like our own Seo Jae-young.
Sitting on a tree with her purple demon fire floating in the air, she said in a languid voice.
“Uh-huh. A villain needs land to terrorize to be a villain. It’s all part of terrorizing.”
“…Heh. You’re not doing this because of Stardus?”
“…Huh?”
Her eyes narrowed and she smiled as she blurted out a joke.
I was just about to make a defense when I realized that I wasn’t so much embarrassed as I was stunned.
From the other side of the room, Choi Se-hee walked over, wiping her sweat.
“What is it, Seo Jae-young, were you whining again?”
“…I wasn’t whining, I was asking reasonable questions…”
Before Jae-young could say anything, Choi Se-hee chuckled.
“Hey, wouldn’t it be fun if we could wipe out all the monsters raining down on the earth? Just think, with a wave of my hand, they’d be fried by lightning and swept away…”
Choi Se-hee’s hands were crackling with yellow electricity as she spoke and one hand was raised in excitement.
“…Sure, that would be fun.”
And just like that, she said as if she was slightly intrigued.
Then, with a flash of lightning, Choi Se-hee climbed up the tree, grabbed her by the hood, and pulled her to her feet.
“So, come on, let’s go.”
“Eh, eh, eh, eh…”
“Da-in, should I take her back?”
“Uh, hurry up and take me back…”
After escaping from the training center, Seo Jae-young was caught by Choi Se-hee again and dragged away.
The end of the world scenario for Moonlight Church is just around the corner.
Just as I destroyed Seo-Eun’s enemies, the HanEun Group, the time has come to destroy Eun-Wol’s enemies, the Moonlight Church. That’s why we, the members of Ego Stream, are doing everything we can.
Among us, Seo-Eun was the most determined to capture Stardus, and she had already built a destructive weapon by studying mechanical engineering to the limit.
“Seo-Eun, what have you been doing?”
“Da-in!”
The white humanoid robot’s head descended from the cockpit, her short white hair fluttering, and she looked at me as she said so.
When she landed on the ground, she ran toward me.
“Look at me, training even on my birthday!”
“I’m proud of you.”
“Ehehe…”
As I casually stroked her, she smiled, looked up, and then I dropped it with a surprised gasp.
“Hmmm, hmmm. I’ll let you have it just this once, with an adult mindset. I’m an adult now!”
Our Seo-Eun says confidently.
That’s right. As of today, her birthday has passed, and she is now a legal adult.
…When I first met her, she was just a kid, and now she’s an adult, and I feel a little overwhelmed. It was a mixed feeling, both proud and complicated.
…Because in this world, Seo-eun was the first person I ever had a relationship with.
“Okay. Seo-eun, if you’re done, let’s go eat. You’re the star of the show.”
Even though I’ve been busy lately, it’s Seo-Eun’s long-awaited first birthday as an adult, so of course we’re going to have a big, loud dinner. I helped Soobin cook and most of the food was Seo-eun’s favorite.
“Hehe.”
…When I first met her, she was cold, hostile and wary but now she could smile and laugh like this.
Seo-Eun and I walked across the large, open research center, just the two of us.
…It’s only a short distance. Should we just teleport together?
Just as I was thinking that.
“Da-in.”
Suddenly, Seo-Eun turned to me with a wide smile.
“Why?”
As I said that, she glanced to the side, still smiling and with her eyes never leaving mine, she opened her mouth.
“It’s just… I’m done being a minor, and now that I’m an adult, there’s something I really want to tell you when we’re alone like this.
“What?”
“About…everything. Thank you for raising me.”
She smiles brightly at me as she says it.
“…I didn’t do anything. You grew up on your own.”
When I say that with a smirk, Seo-eun replies with an unexpectedly determined expression.
“No. If I didn’t have you…I’d be a lot different, that’s for sure.”
She says that with a bitter smile.
For a moment, the original Seo Eun overlapped with her, and I couldn’t find the words to say.
As if on cue, Seo-eun smiled again, looked back at me, and continued.
“Thank you for being with me, for holding on to me when I was pushing you away, and for going with me to the end. Without you, I probably wouldn’t be who I am today.”
…Seo Eun, as if she’s grown up now, confesses what she’s been keeping in her heart all this time.
The way she spoke to me with such sincerity made my expression falter for a moment.
“….”
I look at Seo-eun, who is looking straight at me with her transparent eyes and memories flashed through my mind and for a moment, I was immersed in them.
…I, unknowingly. Perhaps for the first time.
I told her my true feelings.
“…Thank you, too, Seo-Eun.”
“What?”
“Actually, before I met you. I was going through a lot myself.”
I looked at one wall of the factory and said, “Yeah. I was struggling then.”
Dropped into this world where I don’t know a single person and my powers were crap. The lore sucked and I felt like giving up on the whole thing.
“But then…after meeting you I tried to get to know you… to talk to you… to help you.”
So I forced myself to do something.
The first thing I did was to get to know Seo-Eun.
I tried to convince Seo-eun, who was almost at the top of the difficulty scale from the very beginning, and I got a lot of rebuffs and struggled a lot.
Rather, because I was immersed in the task, I was able to gradually adapt to this world without thinking about anything else.
Gradually, I got to know her better.
We gradually opened our hearts to each other, even though we were shy on the outside.
I don’t know how much it comforted me to know that she was secretly looking into my heart and gradually approaching me.
…For the first time in my life, I killed a villain. I mean, I killed a person.
When I was in shock and a little depressed, she slowly approached me, genuinely worried about me, and quietly comforted me without saying it, and it was a great comfort.
It’s thanks to Seo Eun, who always stood by my side that I can be here today.
“Thank you, too.”
At my words, Seo-Eun smiled.
“So, we appreciate each other, then?”
“Yeah. Haha.”
…I feel a little embarrassed after saying that.
Suddenly, I felt like Seo-eun had grown up, and I was too sentimental after hearing her sincere words.
I scratched the back of my head and was about to say, “Shall we go now?”
Seo-eun grabbed my sleeve as I was about to walk away.
“Da-in.”
“Huh?”
After holding on to me for a moment, she turned around and looked up into my eyes with a big smile.
…Seo-eun, you’re really taller than I thought, to the point where you’re almost under my chin.
Just as I was thinking that, she looked up.
She looked troubled for a moment, but then she giggled and said to me,
“…Never mind, I was going to tell you as soon as I became an adult but I don’t want to embarrass you, so I’ll tell you later.”
“What is it?”
“Nothing. Anyway, just remember this.”
She released her grip on my arm and took a step backwards, tilting her upper body towards me as she whispered.
“…Because no matter what, I’ll never give up on you…That I’ll always be by your side.”
Seo-Eun smiled as she said that, flipping her white short hair back.
She was so much more mature than I remembered and I was at a loss for words.
“Anyway, let’s go now! My birthday party is upstairs, right?”
After she said that, she stuck her tongue out at me and said with an excited expression, walking ahead of me.
“….Haha, yeah. Come on, let’s go. We’re going to be late.”
“Yes!”
Seeing Seo-Eun with such a bright expression, I smiled and followed behind her.
…By my side, always…
“I wonder if I’ll be able to stand by Seo-Eun’s side even in the end.
I swallowed a bitter smile, and took a step forward.
Being gone might be the only way to protect her.
I’ll do my best, but I doubt I will be able to stay by her side until the end.
With that thought, I walked home with Seo Eun.
***
That’s how Seo-eun’s cake-cutting ceremony and coming-of-age birthday came to an end.
Thanks to the fact that she was now an adult and working double time without sleep, the plans were gradually being finalized.
And before that.
“….”
Now, it’s time for Stardus final test before the catastrophe.
Terrorizing would continue after the catastrophe, but for now I set out to carry out what would be, perhaps, the last attack of the year.
I stepped outside to terrorize.
****
“Stardus!”
“Yeah. What’s going on?”
“A giant fiery red dragon has appeared in the skies above Seoul!”
“…Another dragon?”
Hearing that, she jumped up from her seat as a thought flashed through her mind.
At the same time.
-Crackle.
The television on the wall in her office turned on and the nostalgic, familiar voice rang out.
[Hello, citizens of the Republic of Korea, it’s Egostic!]
