Chapter 67

EP.67 Sealed Room

"...."

After much deliberation, the conclusion was that it was a mess.

Leaving Stardust, who was still flustered and frozen, I quickly scanned my surroundings.

A pro villain doesn't panic even in a crisis but analyzes the situation calmly.

What's different from usual? Is there a way out somewhere?

As I looked around the four sides, I soon noticed something different.

The clock hanging on the wall.

It was an electronic clock that had been off, but now it was lit and showing the time.

[2:58.42]

[2:58.41]

[2:58.40]

...

The decreasing time on the clock.

Yes, all the secrets are revealed!

"Eh... Eh?"

Stardust was still stammering.

No, what can you do if you panic like that?

A competent hero should observe the situation quickly, calmly, and objectively in such a situation.

The Stardust I know wouldn't act like this.

She wouldn't be this flustered!

...Yeah, thinking about it, that Stardust was the one who had become seasoned in the later part of the original story.

The current Stardust is still inexperienced, showing a clumsy appearance.

Sigh. But even so, she shouldn't act like that.

"Stardust!"

"Uh, yeah?"

She looked at me with a very flustered expression. I turned my head and pointed to the clock.

"Do you see that? The time is decreasing, so I think we can get out when it runs out. So, calm down."

"Eh? Oh, oh."

Only then did she look up.

She looked at the clock, frowned, and muttered.

"Three hours...?"

"Yes, we just need to wait three hours. It's not that long, so let's wait. Hehe."

I said that and sat down.

We have to be trapped here for about three hours, so I can't stand.

My legs would hurt.

After sitting down, I suggested that Stardust sit and wait too.

Bang.

Stardust hit the wall again.

"What are you doing?"

"Are you waiting to see if the door opens in three hours or if a bomb goes off?"

She kept hitting the door with her fists while saying that. This place is going to collapse!

But no matter how hard she tried, the door didn't budge.

Eventually, she gave up.

"Tsk..."

She rubbed her hand.

What?

Looking closely, blood was dripping from her fist.

What are you doing, really?

"Hey, if you hit it so recklessly, what will you do? Your powers are already suppressed."

"....."

"Ah, here. Use this to stop the bleeding."

I took a bandage from my bag and threw it to her.

Seun and Subin gave it to me in case they got hurt, but I didn't expect it to be used like this.

"...."

Stardust, who received the bandage from me, hesitated for a moment and then started to wrap it around her arm.

"....I won't say thank you."

"Isn't that a thank you?"

"......"

She flinched slightly, as if I had hit a nerve.

No, I didn't expect her to say thank you, but I didn't expect her to react like that.

...She doesn't usually talk to villains like that. Honestly, when I threw the bandage, I was prepared for it to fly back at my face. I was a bit surprised when she took it without hesitation.

What is it? Is her personality a bit softer at this point?

That doesn't seem right. Is she treating me specially?

Why? There's no particular reason.

Just as I was thinking that, the bandage flew at my face.

Of course.

"Ouch! No, I thought hard and gave it to you. What did I do wrong? Just roll with it, will you?"

"...."

I grumbled and glared at her, and she slightly averted her eyes. She must feel a bit guilty, right?

...But actually, there's nothing to feel guilty about with a villain.

"Ah, let's just sit and wait. And it seems to mean the door will open in three hours. Don't you have any 'intuitive' feelings?"

"...Intuition."

She muttered, hearing my words.

Yes, intuition. Your extrasensory perception. It's almost like precognition.

Actually, I don't know what will happen in those three hours, so you should check.

She frowned for a moment and then relaxed her face.

She must have felt intuitively that the door will open in three hours.

Phew, that's a relief. Well, Stardust's extrasensory perception isn't fully developed yet... but it should be right.

So we just sat there quietly.

Quietly.

Without moving.

In the small room, just the two of us.

Without saying a word to each other, in silence.

"...."

Wait.

This is hell?

***

An hour passed without either of us saying a word.

The only sounds were our small breaths.

Of course, I wasn't just sitting there.

I took out some snacks from my bag and ate them. They were delicious.

When I put my hand in the bag, Stardust flinched for a moment, but she seemed to relax when I just took out snacks.

Why. Was she nervous that I might take out a gun or something?

...At least I wouldn't do that, so relax.

No? Is it a problem for a hero to relax?

"Do you want some snacks?"

"...That's ridiculous."

I asked because she looked hungry, but if she doesn't want them, that's fine.

So we continued to sit quietly, without moving. It was awkward.

And apart from the awkwardness, I started to feel the lack of oxygen after an hour. My breathing was getting faster. Is this the tragedy of a sealed room?

A lack of oxygen is a big deal. If there's not enough oxygen, the brain doesn't function properly, and there's a high chance of irrational behavior. In other words, words might just come out without thinking.

...And of course, that would be a disaster for me. I have a few secrets to keep.

So I decided to keep my mouth shut and sit still. They say that if you sit still, you'll be halfway there.

At first, I was so awkward that I fidgeted, but I got used to it over time. I had a brief urge to take out my phone from the bag, but I resisted because it could expose my identity. I can't even use teleportation to escape here.

Just as I was getting used to her breathing, I was thinking that I just had to sit like this for another hour.

And the more time passed, the more I felt that it was hard to breathe in the small room with two people. Does Han Group not even install an oxygen generator in a sealed room? What kind of people are they?

Thanks to them, my head is getting fuzzy. It feels like being drunk. Or, more accurately, like being drunk? Everyone, oxygen is this important.

Man, it's lucky it's only 3 hours. If it was longer, it would have been a real disaster.

Just as I was thinking that, she suddenly spoke.

"....Mapo Bridge."

"Uh?"

I was spacing out, looking at the ceiling, and lowered my head when I heard her.

She was sitting with her knees drawn up and her arms around her legs, looking down without looking at me.

"Did you stop the car from falling off the Mapo Bridge?"

She asked in a slightly muffled voice.

What, asking about this all of a sudden?

Looking at her closely, her eyes were already slightly closed.

What, is she sleeping? It doesn't seem like it.

Ah, is her head a bit dizzy too?

...Is a physical ability user like her affected by a lack of oxygen?

Ah, her powers are suppressed right now too?

While I was struggling to think with my fuzzy head, she urged me again.

"Did you stop the car?"

Car? Why would I stop a car? Does a car become a manual car if it stops?

Ah, you're talking about the Mapo Bridge. Did I slightly stop it from falling?

...You saw that?

I never stopped anything. Anyway, I didn't.

"I didn't stop anything. I'm always moving forward."

"What a load of crap..."

She muttered and asked another question.

"Then, why did you tell me to save that plane?"

"Didn't I say before? To be a villain, I naturally need an opponent, a hero. A villain isn't just someone who commits terrorism. A villain truly becomes a villain when there's someone to stand against them. That's why I did it."

"....."

She closed her mouth again after hearing my answer.

Hmm, actually, I just reversed the idea that heroes create villains. I don't know, my head is fuzzy, so I just answered roughly.

Now my head is starting to hurt, and I wish she would be quiet.

Just as I was thinking that, she spoke again.

"Then, did you destroy the Mapo Bridge... knowing that the monster would appear this time?"

What, even she is asking me about this?

It feels like everyone has asked me this at some point. Geez.

Anyway, as usual, I was about to say it was just a coincidence when I looked at her.

I met her eyes.

She immediately lowered her head after our eyes met.

But I saw it clearly.

Her sharp eyes, as if trying to uncover all my secrets.

"......"

I snapped back to reality.

No, were all her mumbled, awkward words just an act? To make me let my guard down?

Shin Haru, truly a scary woman. Like a venomous snake.

As I came to my senses, I swallowed.

Yes. Now that I think about it, something was off.

Why did she so readily accept an alliance with me from the beginning?

Now I see, she must have been trying to get more information about me, to extract information.

I shuddered.

Stardust, Shin Haru! Just how big of a picture are you drawing...?

Wait, what questions has she asked so far?

If I stopped the car from falling.

Why I told her to save the plane.

If I destroyed the Mapo Bridge knowing the monster would appear...

Thinking about it, my face stiffened.

If I combine the questions she asked me.

Is she suspecting that I am a villain?

It might not be. It could just be my paranoia and delusion.

Intuitively, it seems like that, but I don't have the same extrasensory perception as Stardust to always hit the truth.

Even so, this is a crisis.

I've always had inferiority complexes about my villain skills, pretending to be a fake villain.

My identity can't be exposed.

Actually, all the terrorism is for her, and I just want to save this world...!

Then what should I do?

Yes, this is actually an opportunity.

If we're alone like this, I can clear up all the misunderstandings.

I can make her drop her suspicions about me and see me as a perfect, evil villain!

To do that, I'll go straight.

I covered the part of my face not hidden by the mask and chuckled.

"Haha... Hahahaha!!!"

She looked at me in surprise at my sudden laughter.

Stardust, Stardust.

A true villain shakes the opponent's mind and takes control of the situation.

In that sense, going all out can be a tactic.

Let's shake things up.

"I'll only tell you this... Yes, that's right."

I laughed, looked into her eyes, and spoke.

"I knew that disaster was going to happen."

"And I deliberately destroyed that bridge."

She was flustered by my sudden confession.

Yes. You didn't expect me to admit it so easily, did you?

Let's keep talking.

"So what."

"What do you mean?"

What do you mean.