I Became The Villain The Hero Is Obsessed With

363 – Misunderstanding with a Hero

Suddenly, a message from Stardust.

…Swallowing my saliva at the first contact since our last meeting, I sent a message.

[What’s the matter?]

Then, after a while, the ringing sound and a message came to me again.

＞[Just… I miss you]

“Huh…”

At the sudden reaction of Stardust, I swallowed my breath.

After our last meeting.

After confessing her feelings to me, she became unhesitant. Whether it was a backlash from enduring for so long, I don’t know.

＞[What are you doing up?]

To her, asking me that, I simply answered like this.

[….Just can’t sleep, thinking about this and that]

＞[Really? Anything wrong?]

…Before I could ask Stardust why she wasn’t sleeping, a quick reply came flying.

What’s wrong…

[Nothing much. Just thinking about what to do in the future. I have a lot on my mind]

That’s what I thought as I sent it.

Upon reflection, I realized I should inform Stardust as well. About the impending rampage of the superhuman abilities. So that she wouldn’t be taken aback when the day comes.

That was what I was thinking.

＞[Open to any concerns]

＞[I’m your… girlfriend now, right?]

＞[(Embarrassed teddy bear emoticon)]

“Heh.”

At her response, I found myself choking on the water I was drinking.

Girlfriend… girlfriend, huh…

“Girlfriend… that’s right.”

I felt my face heating up slightly, and I fanned myself absentmindedly.

…Stardust. Stardust is my girlfriend.

Girlfriend. It’s been years since I’ve heard that cute word.

[Okay, got it ^^]

＞[Yep yep]

＞[(Nodding teddy bear emoticon)]

“Heh…”

Seeing the white teddy bear emoticon she used, I managed to suppress a laugh.

Stardust… Was this her online persona? It was quite cute, contrasting her cool and beautiful real-life image.

‘No… come to think of it, wasn’t she cute in real life too?’

As I seriously contemplated this, I realized that now was the chance, just as she had said.

The chance to inform Stardust about what’s coming. The power-up of Phase 4 abilities. Or in the original work’s terminology, the ‘Inflation’ event.

[Ah, and Stardust, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about.]

＞[What is it? And call me Haru, not Stardust…!]

[Okay, Haru ^^ Anyway, this is something I heard…]

With that, I told her about the impending events.

According to the experts in the underworld, all villain’s abilities are expected to suddenly become much stronger.

And as such, the world might descend into chaos.

＞[I see, that’s serious…]

And she easily believed my words.

“Of course, I told her she didn’t have to worry. E-Seol-Ah and I would do our best to subdue the chaos. Naturally, I didn’t mention E-Seol-Ah in an insensitive way…

Anyway, in that way, I comforted her, and we continued to chat into the early morning, forgetting sleep.

And finally, when it was really late and it was time to sleep.

＞[So…]

＞[When can we meet again?]

Such words came from her.

“When we can meet…”

I closed my eyes at her words.

…If things went as I planned, a chance to meet would come sooner than expected.

Originally, I had no intention of being at the front lines, but the situation had changed.

So, I answered her like this.

[We’ll be able to meet soon.]

Yes. The day when I can see her in person will come soon.

＞[Okay]

＞[I’ll look forward to it]

＞[(Smiling teddy bear emoticon)]

With that, after reading the last message from her, I turned off my phone and collapsed onto the bed with closed eyes.

I was tired…

For some reason, the smile on my lips didn’t fade.

***

Anyway, the time for real fun was over.

Now, it was really time to prepare properly for the inflation event.

Work progressed at a rapid pace.

“First of all, we need to completely change South Korea to a hero-centralized system.”

U-Seong Group’s large conference room.

There, E-Seol-Ah, with her sky-blue hair tied back, declared confidently.

“…But isn’t that bad for you? You’re practically ruling South Korea right now.”

“No, Dain. What are you talking about? I’m a hero too!”

She smiled and created an ice crystal on her hand.

“hehehe… When the inflation comes, my ice power, which was like half a penny, will be at an S-class performance…”

Ignoring E-Seol-Ah, who was laughing maliciously as if muttering something, I opened my mouth and asked.

“So, what exactly are you planning to do?”

“hehehehe. Listen carefully.”

With that, Lee Seol-A pointed at the large screen and spoke.

“When ability inflation occurs, the problem is an increase in the rate of terrorism. The solution to this is simple. Just as Mr. Da-In said, we just need to increase the number of heroes in advance.”

“And those heroes? We just need to register all the hundreds of ability users in our Meteor PMC to the association. We already have an overflowing number of B-class ability users.”

At Lee Seol-A’s words, I nodded.

Yes, this was exactly what we had been planning from the beginning.

Considering that B-class ability users would all become A-class after inflation, the plan was to make all those we had bought at a low price into heroes.

The tasks wouldn’t be much different from those in the Meteor PMC days, but public perception was important. In a chaotic society, we could say, ‘we have many heroes’. Thus, we could provide a great sense of relief to people that there were many heroes.

The ability users of our Meteor PMC were now entering the 5th generation. In other words, there were a lot of them and their sense of camaraderie was no joke. Therefore, the probability of them suddenly becoming villains was low. If they were tied together as heroes, they would constantly receive admiring looks from around, making it less likely for them to go astray.

Moreover,

“If we do that, it might make other ability users want to be heroes.”

I nodded and said so.

“Right. We’ll be raising the salaries and improving the treatment of the heroes this time. Also, we need to promote this constantly. We need to make the public think ‘Hmm? Being a hero doesn’t seem so bad?'”

She said that with a wicked smile.

…Although it was wicked, it was all for the sake of the country. Probably… it would be.

“So, for this matter, we just need to provide financial support to the association… Anything else?”

“No, that should be enough.”

I nodded and said so.

In truth, it was not easy to prepare for various events such as Moonlight Lanterns in advance…

The Korean Association in the original work was on the verge of complete collapse.

It was remarkable in the first place that this small country had so many B and C grade heroes.

“So, we’ll start this week. We just have to convince the association president. It’s probably something that will help the association, so they’ll agree right away, right?”

“Alright.”

So.

The work proceeded very quickly.

[(Breaking News) Meteor PMC ability users, registered as heroes all at once. ‘From now on, we want to work for the country.’ Hundreds of B-grade and lower heroes in South Korea… Will it set a record per capita?]

[[Summary] Heroes Association, promises to raise all hero salaries and improve treatment. ‘We will make an association that will be strong even after 100 years.’ Speech by the association president.]

*

[Recka)) Meteor Group and Hero Association, partnership established. Yisulah, the group’s chairman, promises ‘full support.]

(Picture of the association president shaking hands with Yisulah and smiling brightly)

What the hell is going on?

The number of heroes has increased dramatically… The Meteor Group is supporting the association…

Something… something is happening…

=[Comments]=

[???? What’s going on? Suddenly hundreds of heroes appeared in South Korea? Didn’t we have less than half of that before?]

→ [Yeah, there’s not a single A-grade… but it’s still a record high lol. What on earth is happening?]

[The number of heroes has increased… Is that a good thing? Isn’t it just a one-man show by Stardust anyway?]

→ [No, local heroes and those below C grade still handle minor villains… Think of it as having more powerful police.]

[(Bold Statement) Even if the number of heroes increased by hundreds, one Egoistic can’t protect South Korea.]

→ [True.]

→ [True lol.]

→ [Agreed.]

→ [100 heroes VS 1 villain.]

→ [Mango, where did you go? Please come back~]

→ [The really scary thing is that this is true]*

→ [Even so, increasing the number of heroes is good… It’s a case of the more the merrier]*

*

Just like that.

South Korea was, against the disastrous power inflation, solidifying the foundation of the association.

And of course.

This increase in heroes was also relayed to Stardust.

“There’s an increase in heroes.”

At the Hero Association office.

After hearing about this from the association’s president and reading about it in the newspaper,

Stardust, who heard the news of the increase in heroes, thought while beaming with a bright smile.

It’s a good thing. Egoistic, Da-in too said that there will be chaos due to power inflation soon. It’s good to prepare in advance.

Seol-ah helped out.

It’s fascinating. How the timing is just right. This coincidence… this…

“….”

…coincidence.

Is it really a coincidence?

Up to this point in her thoughts, she.

Suddenly, her eyes became cold, and she quietly pondered due to a strange intuition that came to mind.

Did Seol-ah really just happen to time things right?

“……..”

It was strange.

The timing was just too perfect.

As if Seol-ah too, knew the information that chaos was about to come.

Of course, Seol-ah might have known from a different route, it could be a coincidence, but…

For some reason, this uneasy feeling that intuitively comes to mind.

While she was deeply contemplating, she realized something and murmured quietly in a cold voice.

“…wait a moment.”

When I didn’t know that Da-in was Egoistic.

The first time I met Da-in at the beach.

Who introduced Da-in to me?

“…it was Seol-ah.”

Stardust.

She murmured so with a chilly voice.

It was the moment when a misunderstanding(?) arose.