Chapter 343 - Shocking Truth

As the sun was setting, just as evening began to fall.

A man with dark circles under his eyes was waving from a restaurant.

"Hey, Stardust. Over here, over here."

"...Kim Ja-hyun."

Shadow Walker, Kim Ja-hyun.

A woman with blonde hair dressed in civilian clothes entered the room where he was.

Her name was Shin Ha-ru. Her hero alias was Stardust.

That's right.

Early evening. Two heroes were meeting at a bar after a long time.

"Where's Lee Seol-ah?"

"Ah. Seol-ah said she couldn't make it because she's busy."

"...Hmm, I see."

Shadow Walker tilted his head at Shin Ha-ru's casual response as she sat down, but quickly accepted it.

Today's meeting was organized by Stardust.

Shadow Walker had only come because Stardust said they should see each other's faces after so long.

"But really, it's been a while since we've seen each other."

"Yeah, it has."

Shin Ha-ru nodded at Shadow Walker's words.

In fact, although they were both heroes, they rarely had occasions to meet.

Shadow Walker was invincible at night, so he only worked after sunset, while Stardust mostly operated during the day and rested at night.

Especially since Shadow Walker slept during the day, they had even fewer chances to meet.

"Anyway, I heard you're getting married? Congratulations on your marriage."

Shadow Walker expressed his thanks for Stardust's straightforward congratulations.

Despite his face showing fatigue as evident from his dark circles, a smile appeared on his lips.

"Let's order something first."

As they ordered food,

Shadow Walker, Kim Ja-hyun, glanced at Stardust's face.

'...She seems okay?'

What Kim Ja-hyun was focusing on was Stardust's condition.

He had been somewhat worried after hearing from people at the Association and from the news that Stardust's condition seemed unstable, but she looked better than he expected.

'...But why did she want to meet after so long?'

Could she have some concerns?

Shadow Walker quietly pondered to himself.

The reason he agreed to meet her today was simple.

He had heard that Stardust had been struggling lately, and he wanted to counsel her if she had any concerns, to help heal her mental health.

He assumed that was probably why she had called him too.

...In fact, his guess was exactly right.

It's just that her concern was about love advice...

Yes. Stardust was thinking to herself.

Since Kim Ja-hyun was even married, perhaps he could give her some advice from a man's perspective.

About how to, um, meet Egostic again...

Anyway, the two who met after a long time caught up with each other.

"So, these days the situation overseas is quite concerning..."

"Yeah. I heard the number of villains keeps increasing. Compared to that, the number of heroes is decreasing. The Director said the Korean Association is in chaos too. They're asking to borrow some of us."

"...Really?"

"Yes. Honestly, we're quite strong now. I mean, ahem... it's awkward to say this myself, but I'm still pretty good at night. And you're S-class, so there's nothing to say. Aren't you in the upper ranks of the world hero rankings now?"

"Ah... so what happened?"

"What do you mean what happened? We're already struggling to protect Korea, how could we go elsewhere? Honestly, we haven't had a single new A-class hero for years after our generation."

"Hmm..."

They talked about the global situation.

"Hmm. ...My love story? I'm not sure why you're curious about that, but, well. How I met Sook-hee..."

Shadow Walker's love story.

...He didn't know why Stardust, who had never shown any interest in such topics before, was suddenly curious, but Shadow Walker explained sincerely.

On his way back after dealing with a terrorist incident at night, he happened to meet a woman smoking on a company rooftop, leaning against the railing and looking at the night view.

Shadow Walker's girlfriend was an office worker who always worked overtime at her company.

Out of momentary curiosity, he spoke to her and listened to her complaints about company stress, while she didn't pay much attention to him being a hero... After that, whenever he had a terrorist incident in that area, he would always check that rooftop, and she was always there...

And as they kept meeting, they found they were compatible—a rather predictable story.

While Shadow Walker gave his lengthy explanation as they ate, Stardust was listening with great concentration.

...Occasionally asking inexplicable questions like how his girlfriend approached him.

Anyway, after various conversations.

Finally, as Stardust had guided the conversation.

"Right, and that S-class villain Egostic retired, didn't he?"

The topic naturally shifted to Egostic.

A glance.

'......'

As she sipped her drink, Stardust quietly thought.

...Now she would guide the conversation about Egostic, and then naturally bring up the topic. She would say that Egostic didn't seem like such a bad person, and if his reaction was positive, she would confess that she was interested in Egostic. Then she would ask for his advice...

But her carefully prepared words were interrupted by:

"Ah... Egostic."

Shadow Walker's sigh at the mention of Egostic momentarily silenced her.

"Egostic. Right. S-class villain. He was your arch-enemy, wasn't he?"

"...Yeah."

As he cut his steak with a knife,

Shadow Walker calmly, with a truthful tone devoid of any lies, quietly said:

"He's terminally ill, you know."

"....."

Freeze.

The moment he said those words, Stardust's hand holding her glass stopped mid-air.

But Shadow Walker, looking down as he cut his steak, didn't notice.

"Honestly, I don't know what you think, but I don't consider Egostic a bad guy. ...Due to the code among men, I can't tell you more details. Tsk. It's a sad situation. I think he retired because his time is running out. Sigh... why does heaven always take such talented people..."

After saying that with a sigh, Shadow Walker looked up.

"Hmm...?"

He frowned when he saw Stardust frozen in place.

...Why was she like that? Shouldn't Stardust, who had worked with him for years, have already noticed? Even he had noticed right away after seeing him for just a few days.

...Convinced that his forced speculation was the truth, Shadow Walker found it strange that Stardust hadn't noticed Egostic was terminally ill.

Well. Sometimes you can only notice things from a distance. And she might have developed some attachment to him. Still, Stardust was known for being cold toward villains in this field, so it wouldn't be more than that.

Maybe she was upset that he would disappear without her catching him.

While Shadow Walker was lost in such idle thoughts,

Stardust, who had been staring at him with blank eyes,

Asked him with a trembling voice she couldn't hide:

"Wh-what are you saying...?"

"Hmm?"

"Ter-terminally ill... Egostic?"

Despite Stardust asking with a pale face,

Shadow Walker, who had covered his face with his hands thinking about Egostic and entered his own world again, didn't see her expression.

"What do you mean what am I saying... Stardust, didn't you know? That guy. He coughs up blood every day."

"What... wait... ah."

As Stardust seemed to realize something at those words, her gaze drifting into space,

Shadow Walker, omitting any basis or logic, began to speak with complete immersion.

"Sob... how hard it must have been. To be active with a dying body like that. Even though he's a villain, when I think about what he's done for the world with that body until now, Stardust. It brings tears to my eyes."

"No... no, no. That can't be..."

"I can't tell you the exact reason either... he told me it was a secret. Ah... what a noble sacrifice."

Not realizing that Stardust was gradually falling into a panic state with tears welling up in her eyes,

Shadow Walker muttered in a devastated voice.

In truth, what Shadow Walker was saying had no basis or logic whatsoever. It was literally just his speculation.

But ignoring such trivial details, his voice, which spoke only of the fact that Egostic was terminally ill in a mournful and sad tone, carried deep persuasiveness.

Even if Egostic himself had been there listening, he might have momentarily thought, 'What? Was I terminally ill?'

"Anyway... what I want to say is that Egostic retired because he's terminally ill and doesn't have much time left... Wait. Stardust..?"

And only then, as Shadow Walker looked up with a sigh, did he realize.

That something was wrong with Stardust's condition.

"No... that can't, that can't be... ah... aah..."

Silently shedding tears.

Leaning slightly forward, looking down and trembling slightly.

"Stardust...?"

"What have I, what have I been doing all this time... ah..."

As she shed tears like that,

"Hic!"

CRASH!

She suddenly stood up, almost destroying the table, and flew away crying.

Breaking through the window.

SMASH-

"....?"

Left alone like that, Shadow Walker,

Blinking his eyes, continued chewing the steak in his mouth.

At that moment, a timely call came from Lee Seol-ah.

Ring-ring-

"Hello."

[Hello. Oh, Kim Ja-hyun. Did you meet Ha-ru? How did it go? Oh, are you still meeting?]

"Hmm, no... Shin Ha-ru left first."

[Oh really? So, how did it go? Did you listen to Ha-ru's concerns and help restore her mental state?]

"Well..."

At Lee Seol-ah's question, Shadow Walker recalled Stardust crying and flying away after smashing the window.

Quietly, in a calm voice, he told Lee Seol-ah:

"I think, it's probably fucked up."

[...Huh?]

***

And so.

After Stardust learned the tr...uth about Egostic from Shadow Walker.

Three months passed.

Until then, Egostic had not shown himself even once.

Truly.

Not even once.