Chapter 3 - Midday Performance

Three boats floating leisurely on the Han River.

Inside them, people were engaged in fierce debate with one another.

"What are you doing! Press the button right now!"

"Move aside! If you can't do it, then I will!"

"Have you all lost your minds? We don't even know if the other boats pressed theirs or not!"

"Exactly! What if they pressed it—should we all just die together? If everyone presses it, we all survive anyway!"

Three boats.

Three bombs.

Three buttons.

Any boat that presses the button will definitely survive.

But the moment you don't press it, you might die.

Honestly, if you think about it, this button shouldn't be pressed at all.

After all, if everyone just doesn't press it, everyone lives, right? In fact, if I hadn't told them this button existed, no one would've known about it and they all would've lived peacefully. That's how meaningless pressing the button is. As long as everyone pretends the button doesn't exist and leaves it alone, everything would be fine.

But here's where the fundamental human problem arises.

Namely, 'suspicion.'

The suspicion of: What if I don't press it, but others do?

"If even one of those two boats presses it, we all die!"

Right.

The words of the man shown in the broadcast perfectly represent people's psychology.

The rule I set was simple.

Within the thirty-minute time limit, if even one boat presses the button, the rest will explode.

However, if you press the button yourself, your boat will definitely survive even if the others press theirs.

That alone was enough to make people think 'what if.' What if there's some lunatic on the other boat who presses the button? Won't we all die a dog's death? Shouldn't we press the button too, just in case?

That could be motivation enough to press the button, but I added one more condition to push people even further.

Paradoxically, if all three boats press the button to blow up the other boats, I'd let everyone live.

"The other boats are probably thinking the same thing we are and pressing it! If we just press the button, everyone survives!"

Right.

Exactly—reducing people's guilt.

Changing the thought from 'if I press this button, others die and only I survive' to 'if I press this button, others can survive too,' increasing the justification for pressing it.

No, more like: You definitely survive if you press it, and if others pressed it too, they all survive? Wouldn't you be an idiot not to press it? Making people think that way.

And my thinking proved correct, as the cameras secretly filming the three boats showed quite a few hardliners making such arguments.

However, there was one major problem with their claims.

"What if there's someone who didn't press the button! Then we'd be killing those people!"

Finally, a woman's scream burst out from one of the boats.

That right there was the truth that those advocating for pressing the button were overlooking—or deliberately ignoring.

If there were people who trusted others and didn't press the button, then they would essentially be killing them.

A problem that would've ended if people had just trusted each other and not pressed it, but by pressing the button, they'd be driving those people to their deaths.

And as quite a few people began agreeing with that opinion...

The cabins of all three boats were becoming complete chaos.

Right. This was the scene I wanted to create.

Will you trust others or betray them? Is pressing the button right or wrong? People fiercely arguing over that question.

A scene similar to the prisoner's dilemma on boats that I'd created based on an idea from a movie I'd seen before.

Though unlike that scene, this was taking place in broad daylight on the Han River rather than at night... I was still quite satisfied.

Actually, preparing this had been pretty difficult. Unlike the movie I'd seen, this world had smartphones, so I had to block all surrounding signals to prevent them from hearing what was happening on other boats, and installing bomb-like devices while evading the eagle-eyed police had been tough... but I suppose it was fortunate that the result turned out well.

This terror attack was one I'd executed after thinking of how to minimize casualties.

Of course I had no intention of killing anyone. I was an ordinary civilian until recently, after all. I'm doing this because I have a plan.

With those thoughts, I watched the cabin situations once more.

Boat 1, where people had agreed from the start not to press the button, seemed to have settled on not pressing it despite some debate.

Boat 2, where the button-pressing faction and anti-button-pressing faction were in sharp conflict, was still fighting like mad.

And Boat 3, which had shown the most rational appearance until now...

"Now then. Everyone close your eyes. Those who think we should press the button, please raise your hands."

...was voting.

What the hell is this? This is making me dizzy. At least it's quiet and orderly, but... hmm.

Anyway, while watching the video projected by the beam projector on the rooftop wall, I briefly turned my head to look at Stardus standing some distance away beside me.

"....."

Still with a hardened face, biting her lips as she watched the footage.

Threatening that the moment she touched me I'd have my subordinate press the bombs on all the boats, she couldn't do anything because of the hostages, and was ultimately just standing there watching the video in fury until she could think of something better.

After all, if any boat pressed the button, at most only one or two would explode. So her thinking was probably to rescue at least those afterward. The Association likely had the same policy.

...Of course, it would be best if all three boats either didn't press or all pressed so everyone survived, but looking at how things were going, that didn't seem likely.

Anyway, with those thoughts, I watched Stardus's profile.

"...."

...Wow.

But seeing her up close like this continuously, I'm really feeling it. She's genuinely beautiful.

The hero Stardus from the comic [Stardus!]. Real name: Shin Haru.

One of the few Korean superhero comics drawn by a Korean author. The protagonist, she had been drawn as quite a beauty even in the comic.

...And in reality, she was even more so.

Blonde hair that gleamed as if it held starlight.

A red latex suit clinging to her entire body.

And on top of that, an absolutely insane appearance.

It might be my bias for my favorite character showing since I'm seeing her in reality, but even accounting for that, her looks were crazy. Seeing my favorite in real life. I could die happy....

Of course. Now wasn't the time to die yet.

Perhaps because I'd been staring quite openly, she glanced my way and frowned.

"...You bastard. Do you think you'll be safe after doing something like this?"

Even her voice was beautiful.

...Right. This isn't the time for such thoughts. Let's go according to plan.

After clearing my throat briefly, I spoke in a deliberately cheerful manner.

"What hurtful words. Honestly, did I kill everyone on the boats by pressing the button or something? Whatever happens, it's all their choice. I merely gave them a little push."

Before Stardus could curse at me again in response to my words, I quickly added more.

With less than ten minutes remaining on the time limit now, it was time to move to the next stage.

With that thought, I continued speaking.

"The truth is, Stardus. As I said before, I personally admire you. Your sense of justice that hasn't been broken even in this harsh world. That statement you made in a past interview—that everyone has the courage to sacrifice themselves deep down inside... Ah. Truly a famous quote."

"So what are you trying to..."

"And so! I wish to give you an opportunity."

I snapped my fingers sharply as I said this.

At the same moment, the lights I'd set up in advance flashed on all around us.

As those lights illuminated where Stardus stood, making her squint at the sudden brightness, I spread my arms wide and shouted.

"Indeed! Can you, who are more righteous than anyone, make even those selfish people do the same? Can you persuade everyone to choose not to press the button? I shall give you that chance."

- If you make some strange, unhero-like persuasion telling everyone to press the button, I'll detonate immediately.

At those words, the camera beside us turned on again.

"Less than ten minutes remain now! With ten minutes left on the time limit, our hero Stardus has something to say."

"Can her speech truly influence people?"

"This video will be broadcast live to the passengers on the boats starting now! Passengers, please pay attention!"

With those words, all the cameras around me turned toward Stardus.

She seemed flustered by the suddenly unfolding situation.

Of course she'd be flustered if someone suddenly shoved cameras at her and told her to give those people a speech.

However.

"...Ahem."

As expected of a professional hero, perhaps. She quickly grasped the situation and began looking straight at the camera.

After thinking for a moment, she opened her mouth and spoke clearly.

"Good day, everyone. I am A-Rank Hero Stardus."

Yes.

This was the opportunity I'd given her.

With one boat not pressing the button and the other two boats trying not to press it, could she present a direction through her speech that would let everyone live? Could she persuade them? Could you?

And as if answering my question.

She began to speak calmly.

"They say that everyone has a belief deep in their heart."

And so.

In broad daylight in South Korea, the hero's sudden speech began to resonate with the passengers on the boats and with people across the nation watching this broadcast.

***

"...So everyone, please put down the button resting beneath your hand. Believe in me, in the people beside you, in all of us living together. So that you can stand proudly before your friends, your family. So that in the future, you can be proud of your choice today. Let us show this villain. That we are strong. That our faith in each other cannot be shaken by something like this."

"...Thank you."

How much time had passed?

Finally, even with little time remaining on the limit, Stardus's speech—delivered calmly to the camera with compelling sincerity—came to an end.

And for a moment, the passengers in the broadcast who had been watching that video in a daze...

[...Right. We have to believe.]

[That's right! Actually, if we all just don't press this button from the start, doesn't that solve everything?]

[Exactly!]

[Hmm... Thinking rationally, if this video was broadcast to everyone simultaneously, unless it's a trap, we don't need to press it.]

Finally, after quite a long discussion among themselves.

In the end, no one pressed the button until the time limit ran out.

Even Boat 2, which had been the most aggressive, put on a performance of throwing the detonator overboard.

And finally, when a voice echoed through the ship announcing that the time limit had expired.

As a mechanical voice informed the inwardly tense passengers that no one had pressed the button, they all cheered, hugged each other, and danced with joy.

"...Phew."

Beside me, even Stardus seemed relieved that everyone had survived.

This would be on YouTube tomorrow. [K-Hero That Amazed Japan, Shocked Europe, and Made America Jealous! What Happened When Passengers United in Tears After Hearing Her Words?] Something like that.

Anyway, as that situation continued.

Standing beside Stardus, watching that scene, I...

"Wh-what? Haha... This can't be? Humans, those selfish humans changed so drastically from just those words?"

I was staggering with a shocked expression, clutching my head.

Carefully adjusting the angle so the camera could capture my appearance well, working hard.

"This can't be..."

As I muttered loudly with a frozen face as if I couldn't believe it.

Inside, I was quietly laughing and rejoicing.

'...Just as planned.'

Just as planned, it had gone far too well.

Even better than I'd thought.