Chapter 339 - Regret

An empty house.

Wiping away a tear that had been flowing alone in that place, Stardust tried to calm her heart as she felt the night breeze.

Her mind still couldn't properly accept it.

The fact that Egostic was gone.

...When she heard he was leaving.

"No way. He couldn't have done that..." she had denied it, but only after hearing on the news that Egostic had completely cleared out his website and everything else did she gradually begin to accept it as reality.

In truth, she had known.

That last moment they met.

On the rooftop, looking at his voice and eyes, she instinctively felt it.

That Egostic wasn't lying, he really was planning to leave.

That he thought of that day as the last time he would meet her.

That he had no intention of stepping forward like this ever again.

That's why she had thrown away the concept she'd been holding onto all this time and tried to stop him.

'Take care... Stardust.'

With those words, he disappeared.

After he left like that...

...she couldn't remember much after that. She only knew how she had returned home.

In the empty house, by the window.

Leaning against the wall alone, Stardust covered her eyes with her arm and quietly thought.

...Well, it's better this way.

Shouldn't it be good that an S-class villain threatening the Republic of Korea has announced his retirement? Right. How many terrorist attacks has he caused until now? Good is good. Haha...

"....."

As she tried to hold onto her sanity with such thoughts.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to her.

A life without Egostic.

'...What is that?'

Come to think of it.

Her life as a hero had been with Egostic from the beginning.

When she was still an inexperienced A-class hero, not yet adapted to hero life.

She first met him when he threatened to plant a bomb on a ship.

At first, she thought he was crazy.

...Already, she was going through a difficult time mentally back then.

Having just become a hero with little recognition, few people who liked her, living day by day solely on willpower.

Egostic, who manipulated people while broadcasting, was just an annoying villain... nothing more, nothing less.

But when did it start?

When did he grow so large in her heart?

"....."

Right.

It was his airplane terrorist attack.

Just after debuting as an A-class hero, at the point when she realized the world doesn't run on willpower alone.

In that time when she realized there were too many villains in the world and her power alone had limits, when she was somewhat resigned.

When Egostic committed the act of crashing an airplane.

She no longer had confidence.

She thought this was the end, that she couldn't stop it. She had given up on her own.

And just as she was giving up on her own.

Egostic quietly said to her.

[No, you can do it.]

[You can do it. Stop the plane from crashing.]

A ridiculous man who causes a crash and then tells her to stop it.

However.

At that time, his words felt sincere.

As if he truly believed she could stop it. His voice speaking so seriously.

...And that.

To her, who had never heard anyone believe in her to that extent. It resonated so deeply in her heart.

And so.

Stardust succeeded in stopping the plane falling from the sky.

And it must have been from that moment.

When she truly began to be called a hero.

...When Egostic began to enter her heart.

"....."

In the dark night.

Leaning her back against the window, continuing her thoughts about Egostic.

As she thought that far, memories began to rise to the surface of her consciousness like a flood.

It must have been after that.

When she became concerned about Egostic as a person.

When the suspicion sprouted that he might not be as bad as she thought.

And that suspicion.

When the masked man who subdued the terrorist at the hotel seemed to be Egostic.

When his destruction of the bridge turned out to play a crucial role in stopping a monster's attack.

It grew even more.

Finally.

'This time. cough I owe you one.'

The underground laboratory of Han-Eun Group.

When a monster attacked from behind her, and Egostic sacrificed himself to be stabbed in her place.

That day became the turning point.

Her perception of Egostic completely changed inside.

"..."

After that, she and Egostic continued to be entangled.

During the Han-Eun Group invasion, during the Moonlight Church incident, during the Demon King's attack.

And always at those times.

In the midst of crises more terrible than any situation.

Whenever she thought she had no choice but to give up.

He always appeared from somewhere.

With his characteristic smile, smiling toward her.

"Ms. Stardust..."

And.

He always came, yes.

Drip. Drip drip.

"...Is it raining?"

Hearing the sound of falling water.

She murmured in a small voice.

Yes.

In any situation, he had come to her.

No matter how harshly she treated him, no matter how serious the situation, even when there seemed to be no hope left. Even when no one else would help her.

He alone always came to her side.

Smiling, as if to say he was there. Proudly smiling and saying he would help.

Why hadn't she realized?

That it was always Egostic who was by her side.

"Ah..."

And, as Stardust was thinking such thoughts.

Before she knew it, she began to cry.

In truth, life as a hero wasn't easy.

Villains could appear at any time, their attacks grew stronger over time, and there was no one who could truly empathize.

A job where you stand alone, endlessly facing enemies that keep coming.

But she could endure it.

Because he was there.

Because she knew he alone would help her.

Because she knew he alone understood her.

She couldn't imagine a life without him.

Sometimes his face would come to mind when she was just sitting quietly, and sometimes she would want to hear his voice. She had always waited for his next terrorist attack. There were countless times when she wanted to see him.

And now.

He's gone?

"...I don't want this."

No.

No.

She didn't want a life without him. She couldn't imagine it.

Because he had always been by her side.

Because she had never thought he would leave.

So late at night. Leaning against the window showing the night sky outside the empty house.

Stardust unknowingly began to shed tears continuously.

Like turning on a faucet, tears flowed endlessly.

"Hic..."

As she wiped away tears with her hands.

She quietly thought.

Why does my heart hurt so much?

Just because one villain said he wouldn't appear again.

Why does my heart ache as if it's being torn apart?

Why does it hurt so much that it makes me cry?

Why does my chest feel so tight?

"Egostic..."

Like that.

Murmuring his name with a tear-soaked voice.

Only then.

Stardust realized.

Ah.

I liked Egostic.

"Hic, Egostic... hic, hiic. Huuung, sob..."

To the point of falling apart at the thought of never seeing him again.

This much. I really liked him this much.

As the moonlight shone through the window.

The hero, now collapsed on the floor.

With reddened eyes, endlessly shedding tears.

Why did she only realize now?

Why couldn't she have approached him first?

Why couldn't she acknowledge her feelings?

Why did she treat him so coldly at the end?

I can't live without him.

I can't imagine a life without him anymore.

"Ego, hic. Egostic... sorry, hic. I'm sorry..."

She cried.

And made an apology that wouldn't be heard.

I'm sorry. I don't know what for, but I'm sorry for everything.

Please. Hic, please...

Where did it go wrong?

How did it end up like this?

Why did he leave?

He had done so much for her.

Why couldn't I properly thank him even once?

Why did I nag him just because he was a villain?

Why couldn't I confess my feelings first?

I wouldn't have cared if he was a villain.

I wouldn't have cared if he was evil.

I just wanted him to stay by my side.

Making these already too late, meaningless regrets.

Stardust cried more that night than ever before.

The day she first realized love.

Because that love had left.

Because everything was already too late.

"Hic... sob. Ugh, hiic..."

I like you. I like you. I like you.

I like you. I was wrong.

So please. Please come back. Okay? Please, hic, please...

But.

He didn't come back.

Not once in the past half year.

***

[As Egostic announces his retirement, the Republic of Korea is in shock.]

"No. Why is Korea in shock when a villain retires?"

The night I announced my retirement and saw Stardust for the last time.

I muttered in disbelief while watching TV.

When a villain retires, they should at least report "Finally he's retired, everyone! Seoul is safe now!" instead... tsk tsk. The media is the problem.

"....."

As I was thinking that, remaining silent.

Beside me, Seo-eun was excitedly lying down planning something.

"Next week we'll go play here, and after that I'll go here with oppa..."

"Why are you only grouping yourself with Da-in? What about us?"

"What? Unnie needs to plan her own schedule."

"...This girl?"

As I quietly watched my colleagues bickering.

I stood up from my seat and spoke.

"Seo-eun. Oppa's going to be in the room for a bit."

"What? No! You need to be here too..."

"Shh. Seo-eun, let him go."

"Tch..."

After slightly bowing my head in gratitude to Ms. Su-bin who stopped Seo-eun.

I quietly returned to my room, locked the door, and lay down on the bed.

"Haah..."

Finally, my villain life is over too.

Even if I act outside as Egostic, I won't be causing terrorist attacks anymore.

...Suddenly falling into a manga world and struggling through a villain role that wasn't meant for me.

"....."

Lying on the bed, covering the light with my hand.

I quietly murmured.

"So... now."

I won't see Stardust anymore either.

....

With that thought, I remained silent.

Stardust.

The woman who became my purpose when I fell into this doomed world, lost everything, and lost my direction in life.

Because of her, I was able to stand up.

Because of her, I was able to come this far.

Thinking that I won't be able to see her anymore...

"...It's a bit."

My heart hurts.

I muttered that while rubbing my eyes.

A man doesn't cry.

...Just a little moisture in my eyes. That's okay, right?

In the empty room.

Lying on the bed with a somehow heavy heart, I sighed and murmured.

Stardust.

"...I miss you."

But.

It was just meaningless words.

*

And so.

Late at night.

The man and woman, separated from each other, were quietly murmuring each other's names alone.

...Without knowing.

That they were both doing the same thing.