Chapter 284 - Attempt

# The Dungeon Maker's Labyrinth

Stardust was quietly walking through the dark corridor of the labyrinth created by Dungeon Maker.

While firmly holding Egostic's hand.

"..."

Suppressing the sound of her pounding heart, she walked along the path.

She couldn't understand why her heart was racing so much just from holding hands, as if it were something extraordinary.

She only knew that her palm and Egostic's palm were pressed firmly together.

She could feel his cold skin gradually regaining warmth from her own warm hand.

She could feel his fingers wrapping around the back of her hand.

Thump. Thump.

Stardust was simply quietly aware that her heart kept beating for some reason.

...Thankfully, it was dark.

He wouldn't be able to see her flushed face.

As she continued walking through the dark corridor while tightly holding Egostic's hand,

she quietly thought to herself while watching Egostic, who was walking straight ahead without hesitation while holding her hand.

...It seemed that Egostic somehow knew the system of this labyrinth. Well, there had been few things Egostic didn't know until now.

And that meant that he had come here for her sake. After all, whenever she had been in dangerous situations, he had always appeared as if he had known about it.

Why does Egostic do so much for me?

...How does he think of me?

While holding hands with Egostic and feeling the warmth gradually returning to his body. Perhaps it was because they were walking together with their bare skin touching in a space where they were completely alone.

Stardust became even more curious about him.

And then, in this opportunity that might never come again, she decided to ask him.

What she had always been curious about.

"Hey, Egostic."

"...Yes? What is it?"

He flinched slightly at her words and responded that way.

As she heard him asking her like that,

she pondered for a moment what to say.

Then, before she knew it, she bluntly asked what she had wanted to know.

"...Why do you keep helping me?"

Yes. That's what she wanted to ask.

How did he think of her that made Egostic do so much for her? What was his purpose... or what kind of feelings did he have?

Today, she wanted to hear that answer.

"...Haha. What are you talking about? What have I done to help you?"

And to Egostic who was trying to evade the question like that,

she quietly and calmly explained everything he had done until now. From the Moonlight Cult Leader to what happened in the basement of Han Eun Group. Why he went to such lengths.

Stardust asked Egostic, whose hand she was holding, because she wanted to hear his true feelings this time.

"......"

And after being silent for a moment at her question, Egostic

eventually opened his mouth again and spoke as if it were nothing.

"That's because you're my arch-enemy."

"...That alone doesn't explain—"

Just as Stardust was about to object to the familiar answer,

Egostic cut off her words and,

with a slight smile,

said while holding her hand in the darkness:

"And."

"Because you are someone precious to me."

...

His answer echoed through the corridor.

At those words, Stardust's mind went blank, and before she could respond,

Egostic continued speaking.

He said things about being a villain and such, but that wasn't what mattered.

"That's why you are precious to me. As I told you before, you are the one who ultimately completes me, Stardust."

"To me, you are more precious than anything else. That's why I don't want you to get hurt."

He spoke as if he was confessing to her while smiling.

And through his words, Stardust could intuitively feel it. She could sense it through the pulse she felt from his hand holding hers.

That there was no falsehood in his words.

That his statement about her being precious was one hundred percent sincere.

...In truth, it was an absurd thing to say.

A villain considering a hero precious? It didn't make sense. If other heroes heard such a story, they might dismiss it as nonsense. Even if it were sincere, they might find it unpleasant, thinking he was just a strange person.

But.

Why was it?

"......"

When she heard those words from him, her heart began to beat even faster than before.

So I was someone precious to him.

He really did think of me in a special way.

...It wasn't just me who felt that way.

And as if dispelling the slight anxiety she had been harboring until now,

at Egostic's words clearly stating that he thought of her as special,

she felt something warm deep within her heart.

She knew that this relationship wasn't normal. That a hero feeling this way because of a villain... a villain thinking of a hero like this.

Even so.

'...Well. Egostic isn't really a villain anyway.'

Considering everything he had done until now, even if he was labeled a villain, he couldn't be called an evil person. Rather, he had protected the world, so he could even be considered a good person.

Justifying herself that way,

she could only respond with a "Mmm..." to his words.

If she opened her mouth now to say something else,

she couldn't guarantee what she might say.

"..."

And so, Stardust walked for a long time holding Egostic's hand.

Feeling her constantly pounding heart, trying to calm her flushed cheeks.

***

Quite some time had passed since Stardust continued walking while holding his hand.

During that time, some monster-like creatures had appeared, but there were no major threats.

Finally, they were able to reach a white room at the end of the corridor.

"Well, this place seems safe for now."

Having finally reached a place with light, she naturally let go of Egostic's hand.

...Somehow, when she released his hand, the air touching her palm felt cold. She felt a sense of regret.

I wish I could hold it a little longer...

'...What am I thinking?'

Stardust, who had been thinking such thoughts without realizing it, tried to gather her wits and said that.

She was trying her best to maintain a calm expression. She couldn't falter here.

"...What kind of room is this?"

She said that while looking around.

...Feeling a sense of regret that she was about to part ways with Egostic.

Well.

But at least today she had learned more about him. She knew his true feelings, and that he thought of her as precious. So it was okay.

Just as she was thinking that,

BANG.

The door they had entered through was suddenly closed by a white door that came down.

Thus, she and Egostic were trapped in a sealed room.

'...What's going on?'

As she was wondering,

A display on one side of the white room suddenly began to light up.

And from there, quite suddenly,

letters appeared.

Letters stating the condition for escaping the labyrinth.

And when Stardust saw it,

"....?"

Her thoughts momentarily froze.

*

[A room you can't leave unless you kiss each other]

*

"Wait, what is that...?"

The letters shining boldly on the wall.

It took Stardust quite some time to grasp the meaning of those words.

So, to leave this room, they had to... kiss? With Egostic?

The moment she understood those words, Stardust—Shin Ha-ru—felt blood rushing to her head.

Huh? K-kiss? Suddenly? ...Press my lips against Egostic's?

"...?"

Shin Ha-ru's mind had long since malfunctioned.

Being someone without resistance to such things, her face already flushed, she began to think all sorts of thoughts in her head.

"...U-um, well..."

No, I just held hands with Egostic today, how could I already do such a thing? That's something lovers should do... no, is it? I heard these days even friends kiss each other, is that okay? There's no way that's okay. But, well, if we absolutely have to do it to escape from here. If we have no choice, yes, if we have no choice, wouldn't it be okay? I don't want to do it, but if I have to, yes. I have no choice... Yes, due to a villain's scheme, just once, if I have to kiss... k-kiss Egostic...

As she was thinking such thoughts with a red face and spinning eyes,

she unconsciously glanced toward Egostic.

"..."

And then, her eyes met directly with Egostic, who was standing with his arms crossed and chin resting on his hand, deep in thought.

And then, he walked toward her.

"Stardust."

"Y-yes?"

Watching him approach her with a serious face, looking at her,

Stardust felt her heart beating wildly and thought all sorts of things with her flushed face.

A-are we going to do it? Right here? I-I've never done it before, so I don't know how... But, if it's with Egostic. Umm...

As she unconsciously backed up until she hit the wall, with her hands clasped to her chest, her face red to the tips of her ears, and with trembling eyes looking up at him, about to close her eyes,

he, standing right in front of her, said:

"...Found it."

With those words, he suddenly clenched his fist and struck one side of the wall.

And at that moment,

CRASH.

With the sound of something collapsing, the back wall crumbled.

"...?"

While Stardust, who still didn't understand the situation, blinked her eyes and looked back,

Egostic, who had walked through to the other side, looked at her with a grin and said:

"Stardust! There's a path here. Follow me!"

"...?"

Seeing Egostic's brightly smiling face, she finally started to come to her senses and asked:

"...Um, what about the condition to kiss...?"

"Of course we don't have to do that. What a relief, haha. You wouldn't want to kiss me either, right, Stardust?"

Watching Egostic speak with a smile,

Stardust felt all the strength drain from her body.

No. Then all my determination and thoughts were....

And.

Perhaps because of that.

Stardust, lost in emptiness, unconsciously touched her lips with her finger and murmured:

"...I wouldn't mind doing it with you."

"What?"

"Ah, it's nothing."

Seeing Egostic who, as always, seemed not to have heard her words,

Stardust shook her head and followed him.

"..."

Yes, it's a relief. A relief...

It's good that we don't have to do it.

Thinking that while following Egostic toward the strange unknown space,

Stardust quietly pondered to herself.

...Is it a relief?

It is a relief. It should be...

Why.

Why do I feel so regretful?

***

As always, after finding a blind spot in the villain's perception and smashing through the labyrinth wall,

I was walking ahead, leading Stardust who was following behind me, toward the exit route.

"....."

Thump. Thump.

'...I wouldn't mind doing it with you.'

Thinking about Stardust's murmur I had just heard,

I was walking straight ahead, trying my best to suppress my pounding heart.

...I must have misheard?

That must be... it?

***

*

[???????]

[Has that woman finally gone crazy? Why is she holding her head against the wall and making a fuss?]

[I don't know what happened, but it's hilarious to see her like this after she was so cocky lol]

[Is Dungeon Maker bipolar? Why is he smirking one moment then suddenly punching the wall?]

[What could have happened in there to make her have such a regretful expression?]

[I don't know why they're acting like that, but it feels good lol. Taste the suffering of 1 million viewers!]

[Scary fact) I have a feeling that whatever happened in there might not be good for us either...]

*