Chapter 368 - Sweet And Deadly Date

# Seoul Streets

On the streets of Seoul, I was walking hand in hand with Ha-ru.

"Hmm~"

A vast city spread out beneath the blue sky.

Lined with shops, with the latest pop songs flowing from street speakers. In the middle of a bustling downtown area filled with people.

The two of us, without our masks and wearing ordinary civilian clothes, were walking together like a normal couple.

Holding hands with Star... Ha-ru, who seemed to be in a good mood, smiling beside me.

'.....'

Even though we had hidden our identities with recognition jamming devices so others couldn't recognize our faces, her charm—with her flowing blonde hair and blue eyes—was enough to make people on the street glance our way.

...Wait, how are they looking at us when we even turned on recognition reduction to prevent people from hearing us talk?

Of course, I was also walking with a pounding heart, holding her warm and soft hand.

...Truthfully, as a villain and a self-proclaimed fan of Stardust, I felt a slight twinge of guilt for shamelessly holding her hand like this.

"...Egostic. Want some ice cream?"

Looking up at me while holding my hand, with those sparkling eyes, I thought it sounded good.

"Sure."

So we went to get ice cream.

After buying an ice cream cone each, we decided to sit on a nearby bench to eat.

Unlike me who ordered plain vanilla, Ha-ru ordered mango-flavored ice cream.

"Mango flavor. Do you like fruit flavors?"

Watching her eat that bright yellow soft serve, I asked.

Of course, I already knew she liked sweet things, but I asked because I'd never seen her order mango flavor in the original work.

At my question, she smiled and answered.

"That's part of it, but seeing mango made me think of you. Isn't that your nickname? Mangostick."

She said that and giggled.

...Wait, does that mean my nickname is famous enough that even Stardust knows it? I thought only people on my fan cafe used it.

Though I felt somewhat embarrassed, I realized how adorable she was for ordering mango ice cream because it reminded her of my nickname.

"Haha, yes. Some people do call me that."

I answered with an unconscious smile.

On this bright day, while everyone else was spending time in their own way.

We too were spending time together like other ordinary people.

Of course, it was time that was very difficult to arrange.

...Right now, in the neighboring town, my Ego-squad heroes and the Kathedal army I summoned are fighting fiercely. Well, more accurately, they're "pretending" to fight fiercely...

Anyway, it felt strange to see people here peacefully going about their daily lives as if nothing was happening, even though the neighboring city was in such a situation.

Will the day ever come when this world's Korea loses its safety insensitivity? Of course, if any of those fighters showed up here, everyone would quickly run away... but right now, it was no different from usual. If there was any difference, it was that quite a few people were standing around watching my broadcast on their smartphones. ...Not exactly a positive difference.

While I was thinking about this.

"Hey."

Suddenly feeling something cold on my cheek, I was startled back to reality.

Turning my head, I saw Ha-ru smiling with her palm against my face.

With that playful smile, she grabbed her ice cream again with the same hand that had touched my cheek and asked me.

"Egostic. What are you thinking about by yourself?"

"Ah. Nothing much. But..."

Feeling a bit guilty for getting lost in my thoughts, I smiled playfully and asked her.

"Why have you been calling me Egostic? Didn't we agree to use our names?"

"Huh? Did... I do that?"

At my words, she flustered and unconsciously brushed her hair back.

...Since even I found this side of her new, I couldn't help but chuckle.

"Don't laugh... Ahem, I guess I'm just too used to calling you Egostic. Da-in, Da-in..."

"Yes, Ms. Ha-ru."

We both burst into laughter.

...Then, as if suddenly curious, she asked me.

"By the way, Da-in, how old are you? Come to think of it, I don't even know your age."

"Ah..."

So I told her my age.

"...! You're a year older than me?"

"Yes. Haha, you didn't know?"

"Of course I didn't...! I thought we were the same age until now. Hmm... what should I call you then?"

As she was conflicted.

...She slightly raised her head, looked into my eyes, and with a slightly reddened face, carefully asked.

"...Da-in oppa?"

"Pfft."

At her reaction, I couldn't help but burst out laughing.

...No, this is too awkward. I never thought I'd live to hear Stardust call me "oppa." It was even embarrassing.

As I gestured in embarrassment, she seemed to sense something.

With a mischievous look, she held up her ice cream and said with a playful smile.

"What's wrong, Da-in oppa? Egostic oppa?"

"Stop... please stop."

"Yes, oppa."

"...."

After a brief moment of teasing, we finally agreed to just speak as we usually did.

However.

"...Still! It's weird that I speak casually to you when you're older, and you speak formally to me. Just speak comfortably."

"Hmm..."

Pressured by her, I finally gave in and said.

"Alright... like this?"

"Yes! See. Isn't that better?"

"...Is it?"

"No, you have to speak casually!"

With her bright smile, I couldn't refuse anymore.

...Actually, this was awkward too, but well, if that's what she wanted.

Of course, since I wasn't used to it yet, I decided to start with formal speech and gradually change, but.

After we finished our ice cream, we decided to get up.

"What flavor is that?"

At one point, she was curious about my ice cream and took a bite.

Later, when I took a bite of her ice cream, Ha-ru's cheeks turned red for some reason, which was cute. For reference, it tasted like mango.

Afterward.

We held hands again and walked around the streets, spending a leisurely time. We went to the park for a walk, entered a shopping center to look around...

What we focused on during our time together was.

None other than conversation.

Because we had so little time to talk like this together.

And because there was so much we didn't know about each other.

"Egostic... no, Da-in. So those four from Seol-ah's PMC. You're saying you're their teacher?"

"Haha, yes. I wasn't particularly trying to hide it, but..."

She asked me many questions like this, and I answered them all as kindly as possible. Within limits that wouldn't hurt her.

...Because I was so excited about talking, I didn't notice.

Every time I mentioned Seol-ah, she would grip my hand tighter. That her expression was gradually darkening.

Anyway, after wandering around like that, we eventually moved to the sky for a more comfortable conversation.

Lying among the clouds in the blue sky, feeling the cool breeze, we talked.

With me lying on a cloud, she sat nestled in my arms. I was hugging her from behind.

And while we were smiling and conversing like that.

"Yes, so that's how I built up the PMC with Lee Seol-ah."

"I see..."

Stardust, Ha-ru, who was quietly listening to me while nestled in my arms.

As soon as I finished my last sentence.

Suddenly, she wiggled in my arms and turned around.

Then, nestled in my arms and looking up at me, she met my eyes and opened her mouth.

And at that moment.

"By the way, Egostic..."

"Yes."

"You. What exactly is your relationship with Lee Seol-ah?"

When she asked me that with dead eyes and an expressionless face.

At that moment.

The perceived temperature around us seemed to drop by about 10 degrees without me realizing it.

In a situation where I had no idea what was going on.

My superhuman intuition, which I didn't even know I had, began to urgently whisper to me.

'Hey, shit. You're screwed. Think fast.'

Think what, damn it.

Suddenly facing the greatest crisis of my villain life.

I had no idea what the problem was, but somehow I had the ominous feeling that if I said the wrong thing here, I would be split into Ego / Stic, so I started racking my brain.

Of course, in the meantime, she continued speaking.

"Hmm... From what I hear, it seems you've known Seol-ah much longer than me. How long has she known your identity? Recently? Or from a long time ago? Oh, it seems Seol-ah knew your name and everything much earlier than I did?"

With her arms around my neck, breathing shallowly right in front of my face, looking into my eyes as she spoke.

...Currently, her body was completely pressed against my chest, so even though I would normally have been embarrassed in this situation, I was only sweating cold sweat.

Somehow, I felt like I needed to say the right thing here.

After thinking much faster than usual.

I took a quick deep breath internally.

...Then with a bright smile.

In a confident voice, I boldly told her.

"Ms. Stardust. You're misunderstanding."

It's a misunderstanding, really.