Chapter BONUS - Side Story: Return Of The Stars (10)

# After Falling into This World

After falling into this world, what I made the driving force of my life after years of wandering was none other than Stardust.

The person who was my favorite in this world and who saved me.

Kind and righteous, she always tries to save people, but in this world riddled with devastation, my goal was to save her...

The problem is that lately she seems to be doing fine without needing my help, which has me deeply troubled about the purpose of my existence... Anyway.

The important thing is that in my life in this world... Stardust was more important to me than anyone else.

And now she was right in front of me in this underground facility.

"Stardust? Why are... you coming out of here?"

In the dark underground of Han-eun Group.

There, Stardust, with her blue eyes that shone cleanly even in this darkness, smiled softly at me and said.

"Me? I obviously came here to investigate. Why are you here, Egostic?"

"Well, I just came because I was curious about what's down here..."

I started to think, "But you didn't come here in the original story..." but stopped myself.

Right. It's not like it's the first time Stardust has acted completely differently from the original story.

While I was lost in these thoughts, Stardust soon gave a playful smile and asked me.

"By the way, since we've run into each other, I'd like to catch you... but you'd obviously teleport away, right?"

"Haha... That goes without saying, of course."

"Right. Then, hmm... what should we do?"

To me, who was confused.

Stardust thought for a moment, then spoke as if she had realized something.

"How about this, Egostic? Since you're also here because you're curious about this place, why don't we form an alliance until we reach the bottom?"

"An... alliance?"

What is this hero thinking?

"Yes. An alliance. I can't catch you anyway, and if I leave you alone, I don't know what you might do... And you'd run away if you don't want to fight me, right? Since it's like that for both of us, let's just go down together."

Listening to Stardust calmly explaining in response to my question, I found myself agreeing before I knew it. Actually, if she hadn't suggested it first, I might have proposed the same thing...

But she spoke so calmly that it seemed like she had prepared the lines in advance.

"...Yes, I understand. If you're letting me explore, I'm all for it. Let's go!"

"Hehe. I'm counting on you."

That's why I said that.

Right. What could possibly go wrong?

* * *

Afterward, Stardust and I continued our exploration together.

The dark, bizarre experimental sites of Han-eun Group...! It was certainly a landscape with many interesting points.

"...Oh, Egostic, look at this. Seems like they created this kind of monster too. It's strange, isn't it?"

"Yes. It is..."

In truth, I couldn't concentrate well because of Stardust talking to me beside me.

...Setting aside why she was chatting so casually with me, a villain, her beauty was so dazzling that my eyes kept drifting to her face since she was right next to me.

Yes... Though her abilities are different, her beauty is exactly the same as in the original story. Ah, and her righteous personality that always tries to save people too. It's just that her personality is different only toward me...

A thought suddenly occurred to me—I even have this Stardust's phone number. No. What kind of situation is this, really?

Anyway, in this bizarre scene of a villain and hero combination, we entered an area marked "Top Secret."

"Room of Supernatural Ability Suppression...?"

"What could this be? Interesting. Let's go in."

Seeing a small white room that looked uniquely clean in the crumbling underground of Han-eun Group.

Looking at the sign on it, I followed Stardust who went in first.

Honestly, I'm quite curious. Powers don't work? This wasn't in the original story?

So following her inside, I left her fiddling with her fist and tried teleporting myself.

"Huh? It really doesn't work?"

I was surprised to see that my ability truly didn't work.

No, does this make sense? Why didn't they use this technology...

"Hmm... haha. You're right. It really doesn't work..."

Leaving Stardust who was making an awkward laugh as if she too found it interesting that her powers didn't work, I fell into a sea of thoughts.

What's the principle behind this... If I tell Seo-eun...

"...How did it go again. If I remember correctly... if I do this here..."

So focused on my investigation, I didn't hear Stardust quietly muttering to herself behind me.

A moment later.

BOOM-.

"What, what is that?"

Startled by the sudden loud noise, I turned around.

"Uh... haha. I was just checking if powers were really suppressed by hitting it lightly, and this happened."

There was Stardust, standing in front of a slightly cracked wall with her fist clenched, wearing an embarrassed smile.

The wall that almost shattered despite her powers being suppressed, probably because of her natural strength.

"Sigh, please be more careful. Even if it's just a wall..."

Just as I was about to scold her.

Suddenly, an alarm sounded in front of the door we had entered through.

The entrance to the room, which had been wide open, was suddenly blocked by a barrier that came down from above.

THUD-.

"Aha. So that's how it works."

"...What's happening?"

I couldn't hide my bewilderment at the sudden turn of events.

A cement barrier suddenly came down, blocking the space that had led to the corridor until just now.

"Hmm..."

"..."

Unlike me who was flustered, Stardust didn't seem particularly surprised. Rather, she seemed to find the situation interesting.

"...Egostic. What should we do about this? I'm trapped here with you with our powers gone."

"Yes... that's what happened."

"But fortunately, look there, it seems we can escape after 3 hours."

At those words, I turned my head toward the door and saw a timer counting down on an electronic clock that had been off.

Seeing the time decreasing, it seems we can leave when the time is up. Stardust seems to have noticed it at a glance too.

Right...

But something feels a bit strange. It even feels somewhat familiar. Even though I've never been imprisoned before...

Anyway, the important thing isn't these random thoughts. What do we do now?

"...Let's sit down for now. Sigh, how did things end up like this."

"That's right. I didn't expect this to happen, but it's quite interesting."

"Interesting... You're trapped in a small room with a villain and your powers are gone, aren't you scared?"

"Oh my, are you planning to harm me...? What would you do?"

"Sigh... never mind. Let's just sit and wait."

"Right. But really, I'm not scared. I actually see this as an opportunity."

"An opportunity?"

...What is she talking about?

As her words became increasingly puzzling, I raised my head again after lowering it while sitting down.

"...!"

Somehow Stardust was now sitting across from me.

With a picture-perfect smile, she grinned and opened her mouth to speak to me.

"Shall we talk?"

* * *

Thump. Thump. Thump.

'Finally, the opportunity has come.'

In a small room in the underground of Han-eun Group.

Stardust, trapped there with Da-in, tried to calm her pounding heart while sitting down.

Everything had gone according to plan so far.

From encountering him in the underground to getting trapped in this room again. It was all her design.

Because there was only one reason.

To have a calm conversation with Egostic, just the two of them.

...To redefine their relationship.

Some might think it's excessive to go to such lengths just for a conversation, but considering their respective positions and... Egostic's wariness, it wasn't an easy task.

That's why Ha-ru had been waiting for this day.

"...What do you want to talk about?"

That's how they got to this point.

After her suggestion to talk. After a brief lull, he finally spoke again. Sitting on the floor across from her, looking at her... what should she call him?

Boyfriend? Lover? Life partner? Husband...?

None of these terms applied to him now.

In the time that had disappeared, their relationship had been buried and vanished.

But.

Being a hero, she didn't know how to give up.

...Even in matters like this, she had no intention of giving up.

If something is lost, you just have to find it again.

"Well..."

"..."

"You know... Egostic."

"...Yes. Go ahead."

"This is something I've been thinking about for a while."

That's why she decided to reclaim it.

From the beginning, step by step. Relationships can be rebuilt.

The fact that memories are gone means there are that many more memories to create anew.

"This is something I've been curious about for a while..."

That's why she.

Leaning slightly toward Egostic... Da-in.

Almost whispering, she said to him.

"You're... actually pretending to be a villain, aren't you? You're not really a villain, right?"

* * *

Write the response a man should show when asked "You're not really a villain, right?" by the hero he's dedicated his life to after being possessed in this world and adopting a villain concept just a few years ago. (4 points)

This would probably be a killer question if it appeared on the college entrance exam, wouldn't it? Or maybe not. Since it's a descriptive question, is it an essay?

Anyway, in such a situation.

The first thing I did was deny it.

"Haha, what are you saying? Are you joking? Have you finally lost your mind? How many terrorist attacks have I carried out, and you're asking if I'm not a villain? If I'm not a villain, then who on earth..."

While my mind was in a state of panic, my mouth was automatically spewing out responses fluently.

Then, I met her blue eyes that were looking directly into mine.

...As if she could see through everything about me.

Facing that gaze, which somehow conveyed a subtle sadness toward me as I made excuses.

"Sigh..."

I had no choice but to close my mouth and admit it.

From the very beginning.

The fact that I had been completely exposed.

What's the use of making more excuses?

It seems like everything is already over.

So, with a feeling of having given up everything.

I answered her in a dejected voice, having resigned myself.

"...Since when did you know?"

Since when did you know...