Chapter 73 - One Week

When working on a project, character interpretation is incredibly important.

Since I've read the original comic dozens of times, I know the characters' personalities inside and out, and I actively use that knowledge.

For example, Seo-eun's desire for revenge against the Haneun Group was sky-high, so I was able to recruit her by exploiting that. I won Ha-yul over by using the fact that she cherishes her younger brother more than anything.

It's the same with Stardus. To be honest, I've done a lot of things that might seem suspicious to her. I cause a terror incident and then tell her to save people, or I take a knife for her...

If I had done that to someone like Icicle—that is, Lee Seol-ah—there's a high chance my identity would have been exposed immediately.

...Actually, maybe not. I feel like Lee Seol-ah might have already figured out my identity to some extent... I'll approach her later. The important thing is this.

Since Stardus is the embodiment of justice itself, she never compromises with evil. For instance, when I was going around killing other villains in the early days, the public secretly liked me. However, she probably loathed me. She likely saw me as a murderer who killed others at his own whim. As such, she has a firm, solid, and unshakable sense of justice.

This means she won't have much interest in whatever I do. Of course, she did show a look that seemed to doubt my intentions last time, but I think that was just a momentary lapse of curiosity. Now, I feel like she won't even care about me much. Maybe she's already forgotten about Egostic? Still, I personally hope she remembers me. It's sad to be forgotten...

Anyway, the conclusion is that I have a certain level of interpretation of the people in this world. And I base all my actions on that. Whether I'm recruiting allies or confronting enemies. Since I know their personalities, I can predict almost exactly how they'll act in any given situation.

And in this way, I am currently recruiting a new companion.

"....."

Choi Se-hee.

After realizing her abilities as a child, she grew up under the pressure of her parents, who insisted she never become a hero and never reveal her powers.

She lived her whole life suppressing her abilities, but there was no way they could be held back forever.

Like an overcharged battery, stress began to accumulate because she couldn't discharge those 100,000 volts.

Because she suppressed it so much, a destructive instinct began to take root. When she saw things like street trees, she wanted to blast them with electricity and shatter them; after holding it in for so long, she started to lose control.

On top of that, living under constant stress caused her personality to become increasingly sharp.

To people who don't know her, she looks like some kind of delinquent on the outside. In reality, it's just irritation caused by the suppressed desire to use her powers.

After becoming an adult while enduring it all, she lived a life of occasionally discharging the electricity built up in her body in places where no one could see her.

For someone like her, the first time she used her abilities freely without guilt was likely when she met me. She must have felt an incredible sense of liberation. It must have been refreshing.

Honestly, it was just throwing a few things that looked like spears made of electricity, so it's almost embarrassing to say she used her powers to her heart's content.

But if it was the first time she'd ever done it after decades of never being able to fire them freely, then that's a different story.

Once you get a taste of something, you can't stay away.

I know that with me, she can experience a pleasure even greater than that.

Having tasted sweet freedom, will she really be able to refuse my offer?

"Hehehehe....."

"Oppa, why are you laughing so creepily?"

Looking at Seo-eun, who was staring at me with a strange look in her eyes, I thought to myself.

Just you wait, Seo-eun. Oppa will find a nice unnie for you.

***

"Do you have points? Yes. Please wait."

A cafe in Seoul.

Choi Se-hee, who was working part-time at the cafe, couldn't focus on her work today.

No. More accurately, it had been like this for three days.

'Would you like to commit an act of terror with me?'

"Crazy guy."

She muttered the words unconsciously, causing the part-timer next to her to flinch, but she didn't care.

Does he think I'm some kind of terrorist? I've dealt with all sorts of things in my life.

She scoffed like that, but...

However, she had been a bit strange since that day.

That sense of liberation when she blasted that guy with electricity.

At that time, she hadn't realized it, but it was definitely... fun.

That refreshing, exhilarating feeling of using her powers to her heart's content in front of others without hiding them.

It felt like that even when she only used a little bit of her power on one person, so if she used it in front of dozens or hundreds of people, to the point of testing her limits... how good would it feel?

'...Damn it. Am I really going crazy?'

Her face crumpled unconsciously.

That's ridiculous. Was she really thinking about becoming a terrorist? How could she even trust that lunatic in the first place!

'Right. There's no way in hell I'd ever become a terrorist.'

That night.

She returned home after work and looked up Egostic.

'It's just because I'm curious what kind of guy he is...'

She kept rationalizing it to herself as she researched Egostic online.

He was a much more impressive individual than she had initially thought.

She hadn't known because she only caught bits of news on TV or the internet while working, but he was incredibly famous.

Currently the number one most influential villain in South Korea, the only one with a Fan Cafe, and more popular than most Heroes...

The moment she typed his name, countless articles and posts flooded the screen.

"....He was this big of a deal?"

Why would someone like him approach her?

No, more importantly, how did he even know she had this power?

With those questions lingering, she continued reading the descriptions about him.

What she realized through her research was this.

He was wealthy, an expert hacker... and not a single person had ever died in any of the terror attacks he had caused.

'.....Then... maybe it's okay?'

Her eyes began to waver.

Ever since that day she had let her power loose, she found it increasingly difficult to hold back.

Her whole body felt restless, as if it were itching to just discharge electricity.

Even when she was standing still, sparks would flicker off her skin.

"Ha... damn it..."

She let out a heavy sigh.

'Think about it carefully. Haven't you suffered greatly because you could never reveal your power? With me... you won't have to live hiding your instincts...'

His words echoed in her mind.

True, she had no idea how he knew, but she was struggling. She couldn't keep suppressing it forever.

He was certainly a guy she couldn't trust yet, but still.

If he came back, she could at least hear what he had to say.

What kind of terror attack he was planning, and what conditions he would offer.

She would listen first, then decide.

It was becoming too hard to suppress this impulse.

"It's been about three days now... and he said he'd come back soon."

Maybe he'd show up tomorrow.

She just thought so.

***

The next day.

He didn't come.

"......"

The internal urge was growing even stronger.

She just wanted to blast electricity somewhere.

It would be nice if she could vent by releasing her power on a mountain, but it didn't relieve her stress unless people were watching.

There was a specific thrill in showing off her power in front of an audience.

Having hidden her power for so long, she had developed a desire to show off alongside her destructive impulses, steadily walking the path of a villain.

'Tomorrow. He'll surely come tomorrow.'

The next day.

He didn't show up then, either.

She began to feel like she was in serious trouble.

The impulse that had started that day had grown until it was unbearable.

Now, her body itched to release electricity just by being in a crowded place.

The thought of things around her being destroyed because of her power gave her an involuntary thrill.

'...I can't go on like this.'

Egostic. He clearly said he'd come back soon.

Since when did 'soon' mean five days? Why isn't he coming?

...Could it be that he just gave up because she rejected him so strongly back then?

Right. After looking it up, this guy Egostic was truly something else.

Just looking at the bridge terror, she couldn't even imagine how much money he had.

...Had he already abandoned her and gone to find other villains? Thinking about it, there must be plenty of people hiding their powers besides her. Maybe he decided to just find someone else.

...Was it a mistake to blast him with electricity from their first meeting? No, she felt it was unfair. Anyone would have done that if someone approached them alone in a dark alley.

".....Haa."

Now, she couldn't even think straight.

She would do whatever he wanted, as long as she didn't have to hurt people... if she could just relieve this suffocating feeling. It seemed right to follow his lead.

Due to excessive destructive impulses and stress, her mind was gradually drifting away from normal reasoning, reaching a point where she couldn't even maintain a proper train of thought.

The next day.

At the cafe.

"Se-hee, are you feeling sick? You seem really low on energy today."

"......"

".....Oh, well, f-fight on then!"

The next day.

Night.

While she was quietly walking home, a man appeared before her eyes.

"Hello, Se-hee. Have you given any thought to my proposal?"

"...I'll do it."

"Pardon?"

"I said I'll do it. Whether it's terror or whatever."

***

....No. I did boast that I could win her over in a week, but she's falling for it this easily?

I questioned it as I looked at the orange-haired Choi Se-hee, who was watching me with a desperate expression.

Why is she like this after only a week?

The kids in my Mango Squad held out for two or three months without a problem.

Anyway, one must seize an opportunity when it comes.

"I'm not sure what caused the change of heart... but fine. Let's go together."

I said that and reached out my hand to her.

She took my hand without hesitation.

I actually succeeded in recruiting a new villain (provisional) in just one week.

At this rate, I'll be able to carry out the terror sooner than expected.

Stardus, I'll be seeing you again sooner than I thought.

Two months? Two months will pass by in a flash.

***

'....Seriously, he didn't die, did he?'

"Haru.... What are you thinking about again....?"