Chapter 15

EP.15 This isn't right

[Author] Anonymous

[Title] Let's just list the facts about A-Class Villain Egosick...real

1. Eliminated S-Class Villain Enjodic

2. Eliminated A-Class Villain Rhino

3. Aired a special episode of the cruise ship dilemma, giving tension to the bored citizens of Korea (0 casualties)

4. Suppressed the terrorist activities of his followers and even paid compensation to the hostages

5. Eliminated A-Class Villain Teleporter. By the way, this guy was officially recognized as extremely difficult for the Hero Association to catch.

Honestly, Egosick doesn't seem like a villain, lol.

[Anonymous1] Villain? I only see a true "hero" here.

[Anonymous2] lol

[Anonymous4] Honestly, Egosick seems better than Stardust, lol.

[Anonymous5] Honestly, what has Stardust really done? He hasn't caught one or two A-Class villains, right? Our King Egosick has already caught S-Class villains, lol.

[Anonymous6] This is a bit much... Even if they're hyping Egosick these days, comparing him to a hero is a bit much. Over the line...

[Anonymous7] Stardust fan club arrested

[Anonymous15] Hero spy arrested

[Anonymous16] What's a hero spy?

[Anonymous17] A spy for the Hero Association

[Anonymous6] ...

[Anonymous8] Eliminate villains~ Provide entertainment~ Honestly, he's likable, lol.

[Anonymous9] Sympathizing with a terrorist?

[Anonymous8] Ah, that's why there were no casualties, lol.

[Anonymous10] So why is Stardust getting so much hate? I really don't get it.

[Anonymous11] Is it just because he's being compared to Egosick?

[Anonymous12] Out of the three A-Class heroes, he's the least active, lol. Honestly, Shadowwalker and Icicle have saved dozens, even hundreds, on their own, but Stardust hasn't done much.

[Anonymous13] Honestly, Stardust is just a pretty face, lol. Let's demote him to B-Class and make Egosick an A-Class hero.

[Anonymous14] The Hero Association should immediately designate our Mangotic as a new hero!

***

"Whew...."

I let out a sigh as I looked at the computer screen.

Things are not going well.

Was it a problem that I chased the Teleporter into the city because he escaped?

It seems people see me as a hero for eliminating villains.

This is ridiculous...

"Phew..."

With a gloomy expression, I entered the NaeX cafe.

It's called the "Official Egosick Fan Cafe."

Already, there are so many members?

"The future of Korea is bleak!"

I sighed, looking up at the sky.

How can a country be made up of citizens who support villains?

Of course, that's a problem, but the bigger issue is Stardust.

The sudden increase in my fan club (?) has started to pour out negative public opinion about Stardust.

It seems they really dislike Stardust, who has become my de facto dedicated hero.

"This isn't right... This isn't right at all..."

I never wanted it to be like this.

How could they even think of supporting me?

Have they already forgotten about the cruise ship explosion event?

...Well, I guess so. When I saw a person who was on that cruise ship say in a YouTube interview, "Actually, it was kind of fun in retrospect," I was stunned.

It seems Korea in this world has lost its taste.

I tried to raise the public's liking for Stardust, but instead, I lowered it.

What kind of sinful fans do I have?

"I can't let this go on. I'm going to the second terror right away!"

I resolved.

I will show those ignorant masses how terrifying a villain can be.

And I will re-implant in people's minds how beautiful, just, diligent, and adorable Stardust is!

"Seo Eun-a, let's start the operation!"

I strode into the living room.

There, Seo Eun and Su Bin were sitting on the sofa, watching TV.

"Phew. How long have you been lying around, and you're already full of energy..."

Seo Eun scolded me. My body recovered quickly after a few days of rest. The fatigue recovery device works well, right?

I plopped down next to Seo Eun.

Su Bin, who was sitting next to Seo Eun, was peeling an apple while watching TV.

"Da-in, you're on TV again!"

Su Bin pointed at the TV with sparkling eyes.

We've been living together for about two weeks, and now Su Bin and I are quite close.

Yes! She has finally realized how harmless I am.

Although our first meeting wasn't good, my continuous gaslighting... I mean! My continuous kindness has opened her heart to me.

The fact that she calls me by my name, Da-in, is the same principle. We live in the same house, so it would be weird to call me Egosick, right?

Da-in. That's my name. It has nothing to do with Egosick. Now, only Seo Eun and Su Bin know this name in this world. Of course, I'm more famous as Egosick now.

After we started calling each other by our names, Su Bin became very proactive. She does the cooking, laundry, and dishes! So Seo Eun and I live comfortably without lifting a finger. We're not bad people. She tearfully begged us, "I have to do something..." so we had no choice but to let her do it. Really.

In short, Su Bin no longer fears me. That's a good thing. It would be awkward to live in the same house and be afraid of each other.

Anyway, I looked at the TV she was pointing at.

It was a current affairs discussion at the end of a news segment. The topic at the bottom was:

[Egosick, becoming a new icon for the MZ generation?]

"..."

What a world.

I never thought I'd see the term "MZ generation" in this world.

I hit my forehead and sighed.

The MZ generation refers to people in their 20s and 30s.

So, they're saying I've become an icon for young people.

"Hey, bro. You're getting popular?"

Seo Eun laughed, teasing me.

Yes, I have become more popular. And in a good way.

I ate the apple Su Bin had peeled and watched the TV. Let's see what they're saying.

Su Bin also focused on the TV, even more than I did. Why are you so focused, it's embarrassing... I wish she would play with her smartphone like Seo Eun.

[A panelist, a middle-aged man, said, "The fact that the MZ generation is so fanatically following this villain is a bit of a problem. This is the main news on the portal, and if you look at the comments, they are overwhelmingly in favor of Egosick. This is unprecedented. It's well known that the MZ generation doesn't like the existing heroes. They see them as lucky to have gained powers and used them to get ahead, right? So there have been many complaints that heroes don't do their jobs and respond too slowly to incidents."]

The panelist swallowed and took a sip of water after a moment. Su Bin, who was listening, even started taking notes. Su Bin... what are you doing?

The panelist continued.

[But now, this villain Egosick has scratched the itch of the citizens. Many people were dissatisfied with the fact that heroes only subdued villains instead of killing them, right? They said it was too lenient to just lock up people who deserved the death penalty. But now that this villain Egosick is executing them on the spot, citizens feel a sense of satisfaction.]

[But didn't this villain also cause a terrorist attack on a cruise ship?]

The host asked, and the panelist replied.

[That has been significantly mitigated by the fact that he stopped the terrorist attack by his followers last time. There were no casualties in that terrorist attack, either.]

"Yes!"

I jumped up and shouted, startling Seo Eun and Su Bin.

"Scared me! Why are you doing that?"

"This can't go on. We need to execute a new terror right away!"

"Huh? Weren't we going to eliminate one more villain before the next terror?"

Seo Eun tilted her head, and I shook mine.

"No. My image is getting better every day. This can't go on! I wanted to be a villain who opposes Stardust, not suddenly be treated like a hero... We need to show the citizens of Korea what a 'real villain' is. Right now!"

As I shouted with enthusiasm, Seo Eun's face turned sour.

"Okay... I get it. So what are we going to do this time? How about that Good Samaritan thing again?"

"No, we're doing something different. We need to go for something more evil."

"Ha... Got it. I'll prepare. Tell me what you have in mind."

"Okay... The plan is..."

Wait, Stardust.

I'll definitely bring you back up.

***

[Breaking News) Egosick is live on TV, lol]

Turn on your TV right now, lol

[Like] 43 [Dislike] 0

[??? What's going on?]

[??? Really?]

[Big one's here, lol]

[Let's go~ Let's go~ Let's go~ Let's go~ Let's go~ Let's go~ Let's go~ Let's go~ Let's go~ Let's go~ Let's go~]

***

On a bridge with the wind howling.

Standing alone, I smiled at the camera.

I'm sure many people are watching.

To them, I shouted loudly.

"Long time no see, citizens! I'm your favorite villain, Egosick!"

Let's put on a show again.

Let's see if you still like me after this.