Chapter 90

EP.90 Affair

The reason I decided to cooperate with Lee Seol-a is quite complex.

At first, I thought about getting rid of her since she is the mastermind, but after considering various factors, I concluded that it would be more advantageous for her to manipulate the Republic of Korea. From what I've seen in the original work, she maintains a certain line while ruling.

Moreover, if I leave her as the mastermind, I can use her to my advantage.

In reality, the only things I can do are hacking and terrorism, so I need to borrow more power. And Lee Seol-a is the perfect candidate for that.

So, I proposed to form an alliance with her.

A week later, when she accepted, the relationship between the hero and the villain became established.

"Hmm, this coffee is good."

"Hehe, you seem to enjoy coffee subtly. This is Esmeralda Special. It's a very rare variety, you know?"

What the hell is that?

But here, I just nodded quietly. After all, it's best to stay neutral. Es... Matilda? Whatever, I guess.

"But you, you've been speaking informally to me since just now?"

Lee Seol-a glanced at me and said.

Well, what?

"Now that we're allies, isn't it strange to use formal language? You can speak informally too."

I shrugged and said, and she squinted her eyes.

"Alright."

She crossed her arms as she said that. Well, in the original, she only speaks informally to Shin Haru and uses formal language with everyone else, so it's not surprising.

Anyway, although she shows a slightly brusque attitude, she is quite obedient. To be precise, she follows my words quite readily. Probably because of the USB I gave her last time.

Lee Seol-a. As far as I know, she is focusing on conquering the business world around this time. With her big ambitions, she must be actively swallowing up other companies. Especially since the Han Group has already fallen.

Of course, it's not easy, and she must be struggling. But then, ta-da! I appeared and just gave her the answers. With the information on my USB, she can resolve things that would normally take a few more years. Of course, I gathered the information using Seo Eun. Thanks, Seo Eun.

Anyway, it seems that her wariness of me has decreased quite a bit due to my small gift. The atmosphere is much more relaxed now, and she probably realizes that I genuinely want to cooperate with her and that it would be beneficial for both of us.

"Hey, I've finished writing. Read it once."

While I was lost in thought, her voice came from the front.

At the top floor of the Busan Yuseong Group.

We were in a designated meeting room, finalizing the terms of our agreement.

"Huh? Yeah. This is the basic contract."

"Yes. Since we'll decide the rest verbally, I only wrote the basics."

The neat handwriting she wrote with a pen.

After reading it roughly, it can be summarized as 'let's help each other.'

"Additional information provided. Sure. I'll help as much as I can. After all, we're a team now, and your success means my success."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Do you think I've been living a lie?"

I smiled at her sparkling eyes.

Indeed. Her ambition is truly remarkable from this point on. Her attitude that she will do anything for her dreams is impressive. Although her dream is to conquer Korea, which is a bit of a stretch...

"And, if you have anything you want to add, say it now. Let's finalize everything here."

"Really? Then... let's meet once a week."

"What?"

"Let's meet once a week to share information. We're allies, right? Allies need to see each other often."

"...You want me to come to Busan every week?"

What?

Reading my negative reaction, she huffed and said,

"If you don't like it, I can come to Seoul."

Our agreement is actually simple.

I help her conquer the Republic of Korea, and she informs me about any forces trying to hinder me—whether it's the government or the association. That's it.

But do we really need to meet every week? Meeting occasionally should be enough.

"Once a week is too much. Let's meet once a month. That would be perfect."

"What's perfect? Don't be ridiculous."

She responded as if it was absurd.

In the end, we agreed to meet every two weeks.

"....So, how's the project to conquer the Republic of Korea going?"

"Don't even ask. Sigh, they were supposed to merge smoothly, but they're being so stubborn..."

I subtly asked how things were going recently, and she started talking freely. I nodded while listening to her lament. I see, I see.

We talked for quite a while. Perhaps because we both hide our true intentions and act oppositely on the surface, we understood each other well. This was unexpected.

How long did we talk?

As we continued our conversation, we eventually reached the topic of Shin Haru.

"Our Haru... Sigh. Right. Huh. You didn't know her true identity? Did I accidentally leak it?"

"I know that. I know about Stardust and Shin Haru."

"Well, I thought you would know. But, you see..."

She stopped there, leaned in curiously, and asked,

"But, why are you so obsessed with Stardust?"

"Obsessed? Me?"

"When did I become obsessed? It's a misunderstanding."

I acted as if I didn't know what she was talking about, and she smiled and said,

"Are you trying to target our Haru to help her grow? It seems like you're leveling her up in the game. Your villain activities are an extension of that, right?"

Why is she so perceptive?

While I hesitated to answer, she got up and quietly approached me.

She leaned on the chair next to me and started whispering to me.

"To be honest, I'm a bit envious of Stardust. You know, every time you fight, our Haru's popularity increases so much."

She said that, bowed her head, and leaned on me.

Her sky-blue hair fell in front of me, and she whispered in a smaller voice from the side.

"...So, I'm asking you. Can you also terrorize me? We're colleagues, right? Like when you talk to Icicle, can you do the same for me? Okay?"

I turned to her, who was now whispering in a seductive voice.

Our eyes met, and we were so close that our breaths touched.

Her smiling face filled my vision, and I instinctively raised my hand towards her.

I tapped her forehead.

"Ouch!"

She clutched her forehead and stepped back, her face turning red and tears welling up in her eyes. "What are you doing?"

She cried out as if she was deeply hurt, and I smiled and replied,

"What? It's a way to tell you to get a grip."

"What are you talking about! This is sexual harassment. I'll report you!"

"A-class hero, victim of sexual harassment by a villain at home. It'll make a good headline."

I just smiled at her, who was still glaring at me with tears in her eyes. I hit her very lightly, but she's overreacting.

...And, she's probably overreacting because she's embarrassed. What was that atmosphere just now? I don't understand why she's acting like that. I get that she's comfortable with me, but suddenly? Was she trying to seduce me?

Well, her ears are red, so it seems that's the case. She's still naive.

Anyway, let's think about her proposal.

Terrorism. If she means it, she's probably talking about Busan.

"....And, I can't do terrorism."

"What? Why!"

She shot at me.

Why? Because my terrorism is only allowed for Stardust.

I was about to answer that, but then I thought that helping Icicle grow isn't a bad idea. In the original, I handled the Behemoth, so she missed out on the power-up event. I should take some responsibility.

...But, it doesn't have to be now, right?

I changed my answer.

"...Sure, I'll do it. But not now. Later."

"When later? Make a concrete plan."

There is no plan.

I quickly changed the subject.

"...By the way, are you close to Stardust?"

"Haru? Yes, we're close. Why are you asking?"

I continued before she could steer the conversation back to the original topic.

"It's nothing. Just, in the future, can you badmouth me in front of Haru?"

"...What?"

She tilted her head, not understanding.

Seizing the moment, I pressed on.

"Keep spreading rumors about me."

"...Why? Are you a pervert?"

What are you saying?

"Basically, I want you to make sure Haru sees me as a villain before she starts to suspect me."

"Sure."

"...I don't think this will work."

"No, it will."

Who am I? An expert on Stardust.

I'm 100% sure this will work.

Who is Shin Haru? A girl with a strong sense of justice.

She's not very perceptive and is easily swayed by her friends, so if I keep reminding her that I'm a villain, she'll continue to be hostile without suspecting me.

Although Lee Seol-a looks doubtful. Trust me!

"...Alright, I'll try."

"Thanks."

I said that and stood up.

We're done. Let's go.

As I stood up, Lee Seol-a, who was sitting in front, also stood up and said,

"Are you leaving?"

"Yeah. We've settled everything, right? We'll meet in two weeks, and we've exchanged numbers."

"...Wait! What about my terrorism?"

I'll do it someday. Someday.

As I was about to say that, a thought flashed through my mind.

Thinking about it, isn't there an event in Busan soon?

If that's the case... maybe... I don't have to be the one to do it...

I changed my answer.

"Sure. I'll contact you soon. Got it?"

"Really? You'll do it soon?"

"Really. I've been living a lie."

I smiled, thinking about Icicle.

What a scene. A hero asking a villain to cause some terrorism.

What is this? It's not match-fixing, but this is the adult world that kids don't understand. In politics, they fight in front but drink together behind closed doors.

After finalizing the additional agreement, I could finally leave.

It seems to have gone well.

...But it went too well, didn't it?

***

"Miss. Is something good happening?"

"No? Ah, nothing."

In the back seat of the car heading back home.

Lee Seol-a, leaning back and reviewing today's events, felt a smile creeping onto her face.

Egoistic. Meeting him was quite good.

I thought he would be just a crazy guy from what I saw on TV, but meeting him in person, he was much better than I expected. To the point where she was surprised,

Especially, he was the first person in a long time with whom she could have a meaningful conversation. He understood things she couldn't even discuss with Haru.

"...I like him."

She muttered to herself, her eyes sparkling.

Lee Seol-a. She really liked this man, Egoistic. He was capable, understood her, and earned her trust. In short, she was smitten.

With absolute confidence in her judgment, she was sure.

Yes, she decided to make this man her ally. Since she always managed to get what she set her mind on from a young age, she was confident.

In the dark back seat of the car.

Her sky-blue eyes sparkled in the darkness.

Egoistic. She would make him hers.

***

"....I feel uneasy."

Shin Haru muttered to herself, not knowing why.

For some reason, her unease was not subsiding but growing.

What is it?