I Became The Villain The Hero Is Obsessed With

356 – Reunion (1)

Current situation summary.

I met her again after six months since parting with Stardust.

…And when she saw me, she hugged me right away.

Tears streaming down her face.

“Egoistic… I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”

“No, what exactly are you sorry for… Please come over here first.”

What on earth is going on?

It’s still a clear blue afternoon.

As I was being embraced by Stardust in the sky, I tried my best to hide my blushing face and find a place to escape to with her.

…I don’t know what’s going on, but if we stay like this in the middle of the sky, this scene will be broadcasted nationwide tomorrow. I had to prevent rumors of a secret affair between a hero and a villain…

So, with Stardust still crying and unable to gather her thoughts, I quickly teleported to a nearby location.

Getting out of the scene was our top priority.

…How long has it been since we moved?

Suddenly, it started raining.

There were many clouds today… No, this might be a good thing? The cameras of the broadcasting stations would be blocked by the rain.

“Come this way.”

“Uh-huh. Okay…”

Anyway, under the eaves of a nearby building’s rooftop, we finally managed to face each other quietly in a place where no one was around.

*Sigh*. This should be enough.

“Haah…”

Under the eaves of the rainy sky.

As the sky gradually darkened, I looked at Stardust with an impatient heart.

Whether it was because she got a little wet on the way here, or for some other reason.

Her blonde hair was slightly damp, and her body trembled a little.

I couldn’t understand the situation where she tearfully apologized to me.

…To begin with.

It seemed like she had no intention of catching me. Rather, she only apologized…

That’s what I thought when I had such thoughts.

“Gurgle.”

…That I happened to cough up blood at that timing.

Ah. I must have overused my power for the first time while catching that dragon. Something must have been twisted again.

Thinking that, I nonchalantly wiped my mouth with a handkerchief.

“…Ah. Ahh…”

…But it seemed that wasn’t the case for Stardust.

Seeing me like that, she made a strange noise, and her eyes gradually died.

Then, she lowered her head deeply, grabbed my body, and started crying again.

“Whimper. I’m sorry. I, I’m sorry…”

“…No! Tell me why. What are you sorry for?”

Seeing her start crying again.

I bluntly asked her the question that had been bothering me since earlier. What was she so sorry for? What on earth did I do that would make her apologize to me? I couldn’t think of a single thing.

As I thought so suspiciously.

Still sobbing, Stardust looked at me with her blue eyes and spoke in a trembling voice.

“Egoistic… *sniff*.”

“…You, you. You said… you’re… terminally ill… *sob*.”

“…What?”

Hearing the absurd words that followed, I doubted my ears.

…Me, terminally ill? Since when, and why?

Although I did cough up blood when I used my power and my abilities weakened, I swore I wasn’t terminally ill. If I were, I wouldn’t have increased my companions so much.

Perhaps misunderstanding my flabbergasted state, she continued to cry.

Stardust cried even harder, grabbing my waist again and starting to apologize.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry… If I had known earlier, I wouldn’t have… done this…”

“No, no. Wait a moment.”

I grabbed Stardust, who started to apologize again, and spoke to her.

“I’m not terminally ill.”

“Don’t lie…”

“…”

…Right. It’s not easy to accept that while we’re like this.

When I was feeling so helpless, Stardust, soaked in the rain, looked up at me with her teary blue eyes.

…Even in this state, she was so beautiful. It would make me feel like trash.

“You’re vomiting blood and all that… How could you not know… *sob*”

“…No. This is just a side effect of using my ability. It’s not because I’m terminally ill that my body is like this.”

“*Sob* I’m sorry…”

This is wrong. She won’t listen.

Despite my headache, I felt that she still couldn’t understand the situation.

…Even if I were terminally ill, why would she cry like this for me? A hero crying for a villain like this, without any judgment? It was impossible.

However, that wasn’t the most important thing right now.

Clearing up this misunderstanding about me being terminally ill was the top priority. Then, at least, we could have a conversation.

…Of course, Stardust wouldn’t believe anything I said at the moment. What should I do?

While pondering in front of her, who was still crying, I…

‘…!’

…soon found a solution.

Yeah. There’s no other way.

Stardust.

Among her abilities, the one I feared the most was neither her super strength nor her ability to fly.

What I feared the most was her ‘precognition.’

This unregistered ability in the association allowed her to intuitively find the correct answer and know the truth. It was a truly terrifying ability, fitting for a protagonist.

That’s why I was even more afraid of her precognition, as I was almost caught by her ability before.

And now.

I’m trying to use her ability against her.

Having the ability to always find the truth.

Can’t you find the truth in my words as well?

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With that much confidence, I reached out and touched Stardash’s shoulder, making her look into my eyes.

“Stardash, look into my eyes.”

“Uh…huh?”

With her tear-filled eyes, she looked at me.

And so.

On the rooftop of a building under the rainy sky.

Standing on the edge, listening to the sound of the rain.

I told Stardash the truth, looking into her blue eyes, with the most sincere voice I could muster.

“Stardash, I am not terminally ill. My body is perfectly fine. The reason I vomit blood is simply because my body is strained from using my ability, not because I have some sort of disease.”

“…..”

She stared at me with trembling eyes, showing a hesitant expression.

Yes, she must have felt it instinctively. There was no lie in my words.

There was never a moment when I was terminally ill. Where on earth did she get that misunderstanding from?

After assessing the situation for a moment, Stardash spoke in a small voice, avoiding my gaze.

“…Then, what’s the reason for suddenly retiring? It’s not because you thought you were going to die soon, is it?”

“No? That’s because I have other things to do. It’s definitely not because I’m terminally ill. Whatever you thought, it’s a misunderstanding.”

I was sincere.

Who would want to die? At least I didn’t.

And.

I can’t die here yet.

I thought so and smiled at her.

“…Do you think your arch-nemesis would leave so easily? I’ll stay by your side. Always.”

Was my sincere message conveyed?

Finally, it seemed that Stardash was convinced by my words, as she lowered her eyes and fidgeted with her fingers.

…But come to think of it, aren’t Stardash and I too close right now? Holding both shoulders with my hands, we’re almost stuck together.

Of course, I was more curious about Stardash’s reaction from now on. Would she be embarrassed to learn that she had misunderstood everything on her own? Maybe she would kick me.

…Wait. That’s scary.

It was when I was thinking like that.

Soon, she raised her head.

“Ha ha…”

Contrary to my thoughts, she was smiling with her reddened eyes.

Wiping her tears with her hand.

“Whew… I’m glad, I’m so glad… It’s a relief…”

Mumbling like that.

Not caring about anything else.

Only the fact that I’m not on borrowed time seemed to be a real relief. Saying so.

“I’m glad, really, I’m so glad…”

Just choking up like that, she looked at me with a relieved smile.

And then I looked at her.

…She had been thinking about me so much.

Seeing such a side of Stardust.

“…”

For a moment, I felt breathless.

I couldn’t say anything.

***

Swoosh!

After the girl who had been crying since our first encounter finally calmed down,

We were still sitting under the eaves of the rooftop, simply watching the rain pour down from the now-darkened sky.

…For some reason, our hands were still clasped together.

“…Have you calmed down a bit now?”

“Yeah…”

With her head down, she pulled her knees together and quietly looked at her toes as she answered.

She was still wearing her hero suit, and I was dressed as a villain.

We sat like that.

“…..”

Meanwhile, I had mixed feelings.

…In other words, though she had calmed down, I hadn’t.

Stardust.

That Stardust.

Righteous, not overlooking injustice, kind, and strong-willed.

The protagonist of this comic I had taken over.

A hero.

Would she shed tears like this after hearing that a villain was on borrowed time?

It was something that could never happen under normal circumstances.

From noble mtl dot com

…Unless she thought of me as something special.

I wanted to deny it, but I couldn’t at this point.

It was when I was thinking like that.

“…Egoistic.”

Stardust.

For the first time since then, she opened her mouth.