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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: Her Villain
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For Isa Seol-ah, today was the best day she'd had in a long time.
It was the day she showcased herself, suppressing a terrorist attack in front of the entire nation, right alongside Egoistic, the man she had set her sights on.
It was the perfect opportunity to instantly boost her previously stagnant recognition and fame, and also to connect Icicle and Egoistic.
On top of that, the entire terror incident concluded flawlessly, just as she and he had planned beforehand. Her company's stock prices were already showing signs of rising, making it a truly perfect day.
…Well, if you discount the fact that Egoistic looked far more exhausted after the terror than she had expected, and she was worried about him, it was truly perfect.
Yes. Until her friend, Stardus, suddenly arrived at the spot where she and Egoistic were saying their goodbyes.
"….."
Gulp.
Isa Seol-ah swallowed involuntarily as Stardus gradually approached her.
Egoistic, who had been laughing and chatting with her just moments ago, was already making a hasty escape in his airship.
And Isa Seol-ah.
She was left alone, to face Stardus.
A moment later, Haru landed right in front of her.
And Haru's expression was…
"..."
Simply expressionless.
…Terrifyingly so.
'…S-Surely she didn't hear anything, did she?'
Seeing that expression, Isa Seol-ah felt a slight tension build. Isa Seol-ah had been close with Haru for years now. Even after all this time spent by Haru's side, Isa Seol-ah had almost never seen her wear such a chillingly blank expression.
But who was Isa Seol-ah? She was a seasoned individual, having navigated the business world and political circles for quite some time. Showing signs of panic in a situation like this was for amateurs. As such, Isa Seol-ah forced a smile and spoke to Haru as if she were surprised.
"Oh, Haru! What's wrong? How did you know to come all the wa—"
"What were you two talking about?"
And Isa Seol-ah's efforts were sunk by Haru's single, blunt remark, which cut her off mid-sentence and delivered without a hint of expression.
Shin Haru's demeanor remained calm as she casually posed the question, but even then, Isa Seol-ah noticed something different. …Her eyes were unusually sunken, and her words carried a chilling edge that Isa Seol-ah couldn't believe came from Haru.
Isa Seol-ah was slowly on the verge of losing her composure, but with superhuman effort, she managed to reply without stuttering, still smiling.
"Hm? Oh, you saw? It was nothing much, just Egoistic provoking me, so I played along. Haha… By the way, Haru, weren't you in Seoul? How did you get to Busan…?"
"You were laughing, though?"
And Isa Seol-ah's words were, once again, cut off by Shin Haru.
"…You two, while talking, you were laughing, weren't you?"
Watching Haru, who was still looking at Isa Seol-ah with a chillingly sunken expression, speaking quietly.
Isa Seol-ah felt her soul being utterly drained, yet she managed to open her mouth and reply as if it were nothing.
"Oh, that? Was it because we were just mocking and scoffing at each other? It was nothing."
Isa Seol-ah thought she had answered quite naturally. However, from the way she twirled a strand of hair by her temple, without meeting her eyes, Shin Haru already sensed something.
"..."
Then, she quietly looked down at Isa Seol-ah before turning her head to gaze to the side.
Where Shin Haru looked, Egoistic's airship could be seen diligently moving away in the distance.
As soon as she confirmed it, Shin Haru turned her body and prepared to fly in that direction. To catch up to that ship.
And just as she was about to take off.
Someone grabbed her arm as she pushed off into the air, stopping her abruptly.
"…..?"
"Haru? Where are you going?"
Isa Seol-ah. She had hastily grabbed Stardus, who was about to rush toward Egoistic.
And at that moment.
A single, chilling word, so cold that Isa Seol-ah couldn't believe it came from Shin Haru, pierced her ears.
"Let go."
For a fleeting moment, she flinched, almost letting go of his arm, sensing the almost murderous intent in those words. Yet, she didn't release her grip, standing firm and continuing to speak. …If she let Haru go now and she met Egoistic, there was no telling what might happen. Truly.
With a firm resolve that she had to stop her, Isa Seol-ah calmly spoke to Shin Haru.
"Haru. Earlier, that Egoistic fellow said he'd bomb Busan if anyone chased him. I don't think you should go after him. You have to think about the people down there! R-Right?"
She started speaking with strength, but as her words continued, Isa Seol-ah's voice gradually trailed off, intimidated by Haru's increasingly cold expression.
And so, with Isa Seol-ah still holding Stardus's arm, an uncomfortable silence settled.
After a short while.
Shin Haru finally relaxed her arm.
"…Is that so? Then I suppose there's no choice."
Then, as if she had never hardened her expression, Haru's face returned to its usual, indifferent state.
Seizing the opportunity, Isa Seol-ah opened her mouth again and suggested to Haru.
"…Then, Haru, since the misunderstanding seems to be cleared up, shall we head back? People are waiting."
"Alright. Oh, and it's not good for me to show myself to people, so I'll head back first. Understood?"
"Uh… Understood."
Shin Haru gave Isa Seol-ah a slight smile, then pushed off into the air again, instantly flying away in the opposite direction, toward the city, and vanishing.
And watching her retreating figure.
Isa Seol-ah finally let out a sigh, the strength draining from her body all at once, and she almost collapsed onto the ice platform where she stood.
"Haa… Seriously."
She took ten years off her life. Seeing Haru's astonishingly cold and chilling expression for the first time in her life, Isa Seol-ah had momentarily tensed, thinking her relationship with Egoistic had been exposed.
She couldn't even imagine how Stardus would react if she found out that this entire terror attack was a staged performance orchestrated by her and Egoistic.
But fortunately, judging by how things turned out, she didn't seem to have caught on to that much. She probably only saw her and Egoistic laughing and talking.
"…Huh?"
Thinking that far, Isa Seol-ah realized something was off.
Just for *that*? She gave off such a terrifying aura and wore such a chilling expression just for that?
…Haru wasn't usually like that.
"Wait… Could this be…?"
As her thoughts spiraled, one leading to another, Isa Seol-ah realized something and her lips curved upward involuntarily.
Could it be, Haru…
***
Above the sea, where a cold wind blew.
Shin Haru was flying across the ocean, avoiding the populated mainland.
"….."
From Seoul to Busan.
She had persuaded the Association President, awakened Shadow Walker, and traveled all the way to Busan in one go.
And what she saw upon her arrival was.
Egoistic and Icicle, laughing and chatting right after the terror attack had ended.
*Grind.*
Recalling that sight once more, Shin Haru clenched her teeth without realizing it.
…Why did her insides boil whenever she recalled that scene?
"…Right."
A little while later, Haru, somewhat calmer, took a deep breath and composed herself.
…She seemed to have overreacted to Seol-ah earlier. She should apologize right away later.
However.
Regardless of that.
She once again recalled Seol-ah's relaxed, smiling face.
…No matter how you looked at it, it wasn't the kind of expression one would make in front of a villain.
But, yes. Perhaps it could be.
If it was Egoistic.
Egoistic's face, laughing back at Seol-ah, also came to mind once more.
Feeling her face harden again without realizing it, Shin Haru… felt all her past encounters with Egoistic flash back.
Egoistic's voice, suddenly contacting her when she had given up on everything and was despairing, telling her she could do it, trusting her without a shred of doubt.
Egoistic's expression, when she was about to die, sacrificing himself to save her, embracing his wounds, and smiling with difficulty.
Egoistic's embrace, coming to protect her in mid-air, holding her when she lost strength and fell from the sky, interrupting his fight to do so.
…Yes.
Yes. Perhaps, just perhaps.
If it were any other weak, innocent, ordinary woman, not her.
They might have fallen for Egoistic.
Like Icicle, who had only just met him, yet smiled in a way she rarely did even in front of Haru.
Like her, who smiled so foolishly, knowing nothing of what he was hiding, or the secrets behind his reasons for committing terror.
"…Ha."
Thinking that far, Shin Haru,
Only then.
Realized her own feelings.
Yes.
She finally understood why she kept thinking about him.
Only she could remain unshaken by his machinations.
Whatever he did, only she could steadfastly put him behind bars.
Even amidst his actions, only she could uncover his secrets without wavering.
Therefore.
He was someone only she should deal with.
Only she could deal with him.
"….."
It had already been quite some time since Egoistic and Stardus became entangled.
And over that time, the emotions, thoughts, and conjectures she felt while meeting him accumulated, gathering in one place.
A single conclusion about Egoistic was reached within Stardus.
"Egoistic…"
Egoistic. He was.
Someone only she could deal with.
Her own.
Her own, villain.
***
"No… what is this?"
"What's wrong, Boss?"
Leading the airship to escape Stardus, I shivered involuntarily at a spine-chilling sensation.
"No, wait…"
I had a dreadful feeling that something was terribly wrong.
What was this?
I shivered with an inexplicable unease.
Lately, there had been times when I suddenly felt a strange prickle of unease…
But today, it felt even more intense.
"What is it…."
I just mumbled to myself.
And so, without my knowing.
The genre of this world, which had been based on the hero comic {Stardus!}, began to subtly shift.