Chapter 42

Chapter 41

Hot Pink is fine.

Choosing a personal color is a matter of individual preference, and this preference is something that shouldn't be tampered with lightly.

- Can you make my costume a deep, dark black?

- What? Isn't black a bit of a villainous color?

- What do you mean? Are you saying my favorite color, black, is a villainous color? Grr, I'm going to go dark!

- No, what the hell?

This ability is like delicate glass; if you touch it carelessly, it will inevitably go dark.

Therefore, when heroes choose their ability suits, you shouldn't comment on them lightly.

Hot Pink.

It's a color that should be respected.

Some people make their hero costumes in rainbow colors, but Hot Pink is a pretty decent color.

"Hot Pink. It's good. The color is clear, and it's a costume that can be recognized as a hero even in the dark when dangerous people see it."

"Right?"

"But not Dogirider."

"Why not?"

"Because he's a villain."

Hot Pink is fine.

Light pink is fine.

But not Dogirider.

"Regardless of Dogirider's design, goblins are villains. How can any hero follow a villain's costume?"

"Unfortunately, sir, people don't think that way."

"What?"

"Everyone felt 'cool' when they saw the goblin's design, and now everyone is remaking their hero costumes based on the goblin's design."

"No."

What kind of ridiculous nonsense is this?

"Oh, didn't you know? It was a really hot issue over the past week."

"I was reading books and working in the library basement, so I didn't care about such things. It didn't come up much in the news either?"

"There was a lot of discussion on the student-only community, especially among male students. 'If you're a man, you can't resist this.'"

I understand.

Originally, it was a design that stimulated the emotions of that era while not looking outdated in 2025.

Was it an excessive variation to break away from the existing design? No.

Was it a simple design that made people laugh to maintain a certain concept? No.

Did it give a first-time viewer a sense of disgust, thinking, 'Damn, what is that?'? No.

Every man has a transforming hero in their heart, and I actually transformed.

"Sejong Academy seems to be turning into a villain's den. How can this be? How can heroes in an educational setting even think about wearing villain costumes?"

"It's not a villain's costume. It's a hero's costume for dealing with monsters and demons from space, with a slight mechanical feel."

"Hmm."

I was amazed by all the designs Yoon Eun-seon showed me.

"Isn't this something that came out before we were even born?"

"Yes. It's a typical Korean hero that came out in 2000, just before the world changed, and it was very popular."

Almost no one knows about it.

If you know this, you might just get the response, 'What is that, you're wrong,' from the younger generation.

"Earth Defender."

"...I get it, it's a Korean special effects show. But can everyone really go this far? Don't these ability users have any sense of shame?"

"More important than shame is 'coolness.' Isn't being cool as a hero more important? No matter how skilled a hero is, if the costume is bad, they won't be popular."

That's true.

"If the appearance is bad, a hero can't be popular, right?"

"Right."

No matter how powerful a hero is, even if they are an S-class hero, if their appearance is bad, their popularity will also be bad.

- Would you call me Mosquito Man?

- How can you attach a mosquito to an S-class hero! There are better options like wolves or orcas!

- But because the person is obsessed with mosquitoes...

Once again, ability users are like glass.

- What? Insulting mosquitoes? I can tolerate insults to me, but not to mosquitoes! Apologize for that!

- Damn, anything but mosquitoes! There's no one in the world who likes mosquitoes! If you made a cockroach-themed design, it would at least be unique! No mosquitoes!

- Insulting mosquitoes is unforgivable! I will change the minds of everyone who hates mosquitoes until they like them!

- That's because you're crazy! Whether an S-class hero goes dark or not, I have to say what I have to say!

Such incidents happen all over the world.

When a hero's appearance is not accepted by other ability users, adults, or the general public.

- Make it! A cool Mosquito Man! If I don't like the design, I'll leave this country!

- Where will you go?

- Until a country that accepts Mosquito Man appears!

- Damn, let's see! Let's see how the world accepts Mosquito Man!

This is an extreme example, but Dogirider is the same as Mosquito Man.

"Student Yoon Eun-seon. I clearly said that even if a demon or monster is known to the public, if their actions are righteous, they can be called a hero."

"Yes."

"For example, if Student Yoon Eun-seon were to transform into a nine-tailed fox. But instead of taking human livers, the fox extracts the villains' magic power in a special way and stores it in a pearl-like object."

"......Can you explain it in more detail?"

Yoon Eun-seon's eyes started to sparkle.

Given that this was a direct spoiler about the development direction of her ability, not just her future costume, Yoon Eun-seon showed considerable interest.

"For example, a nine-tailed fox in a hanbok, carrying a spirit pearl like a prophet's orb. It can emit fox fire, use magic claws in close combat, and swing its nine tails like a whip, with fox fire shooting out from each tail to attack enemies."

"...In a hanbok?"

"Yes. Later, she might transform into a full nine-tailed fox. Oh, maybe that's a bit much."

Yoon Eun-seon's final form would be a tall, beautiful woman with a balanced physique.

"You could go with the concept of absorbing the opponent's magic power, wearing a hanbok in Hot Pink."

It's better to leave some room for flexibility rather than forcing a hero to become some giant beast.

"But not a goblin."

The legendary hero, Super Ranger, Power Ranger, Masked Rider—those concepts don't belong to the nine-tailed fox, or Yoon Eun-seon!

"Making it look like a goblin might inadvertently support the goblin."

"I support the goblin."

Damn.

The conversation is repeating.

"Okay. Let's say you become a Pink Rider, similar to a Hot Pink Dogirider. Would the public's view be favorable?"

"Yes. Sir, you're overlooking something. The goblin is so popular in Korea and worldwide that he has a fan club."

"Even though he's a villain?"

"That's the government's perspective. Although he belongs to the Immortal Gang, the goblin has never committed any crime except for executing villains."

"......"

That's true.

As a law-abiding citizen, I never used my ability or revealed myself except when executing villains.

"When villains are active, he personally handles them to prevent civilian casualties and executes villains to give people a sense of satisfaction."

It's over.

Persuasion is completely ineffective.

"I know the goblin's actions are criminal. Even the goblin fan club doesn't deny that executing villains is a crime. But his actions give people a sense of satisfaction and catharsis, which everyone loves."

"In other words...."

"Killing villains outright, that's what everyone fell in love with. Even when the goblin first appeared in a mask and suit, it was quite popular, you know?"

"Is that true?"

"Yes. It was very brief, and the suit felt ordinary, so people were disappointed. But this time, it's different. With just a little modification, a change in color and design, it can easily be a 'hero.'"

If the goblin was already popular, and now he appears in a completely new and cool form?

"The goblin made a mistake."

"What did he do?"

"Transforming into a strange form and captivating people."

His bold transformation unexpectedly sparked a goblin craze.

"It's troublesome. Really."

"Right? People are going crazy...."

Suddenly.

I froze, and Yoon Eun-seon froze.

"Student Eun-seon. People are going crazy, and it's not just the students."

"...That's an insult to the goblin."

The TV in the cafeteria suddenly switched to a live broadcast.

[This is New District Square! A monster resembling 'Goblin' is on a rampage! It is believed that the villain's desire to imitate the goblin has exploded, and it is now known as 'Doppelganger'!]

"Of course."

Yoon Eun-seon smiled and stood up.

"They say a superstar can drive both heroes and villains crazy."

Is that the right time to use that phrase...?

"Sir, I have somewhere to go."

"Not there, right?"

"It's close from here, and after hearing your words, my thoughts have changed a bit."

A pink flame flickered at the tip of Yoon Eun-seon's fingers.

"Would you like to see the Student Council President's new transformation?"

"...Not a Rider, right?"

"......"

Yoon Eun-seon just smiled with her eyes curved into a crescent.