Chapter 70

EP.70 Convalescence

"Seo Eun-a."

"Why?"

"Can you at least untie this for me?"

"No way."

I rattled the handcuffs that bound me to the bed and said,

No, tying my hands to the bed is too much...

And anyway, I can just escape if I teleport, right?

"Try taking it off. I won’t see your face again."

"....."

Seo Eun seemed to read my expression and said with a stern look.

Sigh... I can’t do anything because of what I did to her.

"Alright, alright. I’ll just lie down, okay?"

I finally surrendered and leaned back against the bed.

An IV was inserted into my right hand. Some kind of fluid, I guess.

It had been a few weeks since I took a knife for Stardust in the basement of the Han Group.

I was on the brink of death, but thanks to Hae Yul’s healing, I managed to survive. I had a clear hole in my body, yet I lived; this must be a miracle.

Considering the fatigue from teleporting here, it’s a wonder I’m even alive.

But the problem is...

Everyone in my family found out that I almost died.

As a result, I was confined to my room.

"......"

"Here. Ah~"

"...Seo Subin, please, can’t I feed myself?"

"No way. Ah~"

"Ha...."

Yeah, honestly.

If I were in her shoes, I would have been really shocked too.

If Seo Eun, Seo Subin, or one of the siblings came back from somewhere with a hole in their body and bleeding, it would be a heart-stopping experience.

In fact, when I woke up a few weeks after collapsing, everyone cried in front of me.

...Still, I don’t think they would have handcuffed me to the bed.

Anyway, even after waking up, my body wasn’t in great shape, so I lay in bed with an IV for a while.

"...I’m sorry for hiding it until now."

"No, no. I should thank you for saving me, what are you talking about. Tsk!"

And Hae Yul confessed to me that she has healing abilities. Except for the orphanage director, whom she told as a child, I was the first person she confessed her ability to.

Of course, everyone found out when she healed me in the living room, but whatever. I already knew. I just stayed quiet until she told me.

This way, I officially gained a healer.

I said, "It’s okay because Hae Yul can heal me if I get hurt," and got hit on the head by Seo Eun, but anyway.

After I got better, the first thing everyone asked was how I got so badly hurt.

I was going to tell the truth, "I got stabbed trying to protect Stardust."

"....."

I felt a strong sense of unease.

For some reason, I felt like saying this would lead to trouble.

Do I have some kind of extrasensory perception like Stardust? What is this feeling?

...So, I’ll say this.

"A monster ambushed me from behind?"

"Yeah. I got hit because I let my guard down."

It’s not a lie. I just told part of the truth.

I did get stabbed because of the monster’s ambush. But I got stabbed on purpose, and if I said that, I’d have a terrible time, so I’ll keep quiet.

Even with just this much, everyone’s expressions hardened.

They kept asking why I went to such a dangerous place in the first place, and I had to promise not to go to such places again before they let me go.

...Sigh. A man must take risks.

After a few days of confinement,

I finally got to go for a walk after pleading that lying in bed was bad for my body.

Thanks to the house being in a mountain valley, the front yard is like a park, making it a great place to walk. The path in front, a modern person’s dream, isn’t it?

Of course, I didn’t walk alone. Seo Eun stuck to me, saying she would watch over me.

...No, why would I suddenly run away? It’s really unfair.

Thinking about it, she might just want to walk with me. Maybe.

Anyway, the weather was nice.

It’s spring now, so birds are flying around, flowers are blooming, and the breeze is refreshing.

"Brother, are you really okay?"

"Yeah. I’m fine now. How many weeks have I been resting? It would be strange if I wasn’t better by now."

"...You had a hole in your chest, so it’s more strange that you got better so quickly."

"Thanks to Hae Yul’s great healing. After all, every team needs a healer. Otherwise... it would have been a disaster."

Still, I feel bad for Hae Yul.

I heard she fainted after using up her energy healing me.

...Actually, I recruited her with the intention of having a healer, and it makes me feel a bit uncomfortable.

I patted Seo Eun’s head, who was looking at me with worried eyes.

Seo Eun, who usually doesn’t let me touch her head, just stood still. She’s not usually like this, but she’s been more affectionate since I collapsed.

Well, Seo Eun was the first to see me as a half-corpse. Everyone else heard her scream and prepared themselves, but she saw me without any warning. Honestly, seeing someone with a hole in their chest and bleeding would be traumatic.

...She was really shocked, according to Seo Subin. She kept crying. I’m sorry.

Yeah, I should show her something fun.

"Seo Eun, look at this."

"What is it?"

I gathered Behemoth on my hand.

The only real gain from my recent misadventure.

A remote-controlled liquid monster in black.

...It might sound a bit underwhelming, but anyway.

I formed it into several balls.

Four wriggling black balls appeared instantly.

"Ta-da. Juggling!"

I juggled them.

A bio-weapon that can be used as juggling balls, made from dozens of people in a secret lab.

"...Brother, is it fun?"

Seo Eun just looked at me with a cold, deadpan expression.

Strange. Do kids these days not like juggling?

***

Anyway, I took quite a long time to recover.

After a few weeks, I was back to my usual condition.

I finally graduated from the life of lying in bed with an IV and could sit properly in my room.

It’s been a while since I had some personal time.

After all, you need some alone time.

"......Done."

After writing down everything that happened in my diary, I put it deep in the drawer and locked it.

I have to write in my diary every day until 'that villain' appears. After that, I can burn it...

So, it’s a big deal if anyone reads it. I’ve written all my secrets.

...But Seo Eun keeps trying to read my diary, which is a big problem. She shouldn’t read it. Stop it.

I need to come up with a plan soon.

"Phew..."

After finishing my tasks, I leaned back in my chair and organized my thoughts.

The incident in the Han Group’s basement. I successfully ate the Behemoth I wanted, but the aftermath was the problem.

For the first time since coming to this world, I realized that I can die.

It would be troublesome if I died.

I don’t know how Seo Eun, Seo Subin, and Hae Yul would react... Ultimately, the world would lose its flavor.

Actually, everything I’m doing now is just delaying the inevitable. The only way to stop the world from becoming a wasteland is to defeat the final boss of the original story.

So, the conclusion is.

I need to think about the world after I die.

"...."

I guess I need to buy another notebook.

Anyway, to prevent this from happening again, let’s talk about preventive measures.

This time, I realized that I have almost no combat power, making it dangerous for me to go out alone.

"...No. I do have something now."

I looked at the black thing attached to my right shoulder. Behemoth. Now that I have this, I have some combat power. I can probably block bullets with it.

...But I won’t be participating in actual combat much, so it’s more like insurance. For the worst-case scenario.

Anyway, the important thing is that I have almost no combat power.

Moreover, it’s tiring for me to keep going to the front lines.

Yeah, I need to implement my plan faster.

Just controlling all the villains in South Korea under me.

Heroes have an association that manages them, so shouldn’t there be something to manage and control villains?

If that exists, I won’t need to lead terrorist attacks myself.

I can outsource them. Roughly, no civilian casualties and only making Stardust stronger.

If that happens, maybe, just maybe, my retirement won’t be a dream.

I’ll stand back and manage and confirm all the terrorist attacks.

...But will that day ever come?

"Phew... I need to recruit her first."

I started planning my next move. First, I need someone with combat power.

...

I need to... make a plan...

"Ha...."

I sighed, stopping my planning.

Yeah, plans for the future and everything else are unnecessary.

The biggest worry right now is.

"....What about Stardust?"

What does she think of me?

What kind of villain would take a knife for a hero who was about to die?

This is really something that would make her start doubting me.

"...Ah. I don’t know."

I don’t know. But I can smooth things over later.

Still, because of what I’ve done so far, she won’t doubt me just because of this one incident.

Come on. I’ve already caused four terrorist attacks, so.

...I have to believe that. Don’t worry.

"...."

...But before that. The last time we parted, I was in such a state.

She doesn’t think I’m dead, does she...?

***

"Haru, why are you so spaced out lately? Is something bothering you?"

"Ah... Nothing, Onee-san."

"Nothing? You’ve been so down lately, and your expression has been bad. Is something wrong?"

Something is wrong.

Something is bothering me.

Swallowing those thoughts, Shin Haru just smiled and said it was nothing.

It had been a month since that day.