· · ────── ꒰ঌ·✦·໒꒱ ────── · ·
Translated by BiasNil
· · ────── ꒰ঌ·✦·໒꒱ ────── · ·
Healer.
It refers to a person who has the ability to heal wounds—often seen in games.
There was also a woman with healing powers in this comic, Stardust!, the one I fell into.
Healing. Even though it sounds like a hero's skill…
Unfortunately, she was a villain.
I can't say it's comforting to have a healer on our side, but when she's on the other side, it's insane—it makes people jump up.
They were beaten to the point they couldn't move for months, yet somehow they crawled away, recovered in a day, and came back with another terrorist attack.
Our Stardust wondered how the hell they got back so soon, and as it turned out later, it was all because of a female villain called "X-Saint," who healed the villains.
She's the main culprit in the latter half of the original comic, raising the difficulty of catching tough villains.
I just need to deal with her, and then those late-game enemies will be handled easily.
So.
I have to take her in.
"So, there's a girl who's going to be a villain who treats villains later?"
"Yeah, wouldn't it be so reliable to have one?"
"Ha… You're not really going to tell me how you know about her? Is she just a delusion, or do you just look into the future?"
"Seo-eun, you're still a kid, so you'll know when you become an adult."
"Well… phew. Anyway, I got it. So where is she now and what is she doing?"
"Hmm…"
"What is she doing?"
"I heard that… she's pickpocketing in some alley?"
"What?"
Seo-eun suddenly looked at me like she'd heard something absurd. Hmm… How should I explain this?
"I heard she's a high school student."
Seo-eun looked even more shocked at my words.
Hmm… How do I explain this?
***
Lee Ha-yul.
She has lived as an orphan since she was very young.
Her little brother and she were bullied in the orphanage and scraped by.
The director of the orphanage learned about her ability.
Her top-level healing ability can bring people who are near death back to life.
Normally, you report that to the Association right away.
But the evil head of the orphanage hid her.
And they tried to sell Lee Ha-yul to rich people.
They planned actual human trafficking.
However, Lee Ha-yul noticed and escaped from the orphanage—
Stabbing the mad head director who knew her secret.
So she wandered the alleys with her brother.
They lived a subsistence life, stealing and pickpocketing.
Then one day, her brother was beaten to death by terrorists right before her eyes.
Because of the shock, she eventually turned evil.
It's all because of this world that she became like this.
Because the Association didn't recognize or help them, and because of the government.
After a brutal life, she eventually joined the Villain Alliance and helped villains take part in the project to bring down South Korea.
She's very similar to Seo-eun. She resents the world and eventually tries to destroy it.
Anyway, the bottom line is, I'm going to pick her up and make her part of my team.
She's the right choice as the first member of the Egostic Villain Alliance.
If I gather them one by one, won't I have almost all the villains under my hand in the future?
Well, I don't really think so.
I don't need all of them, but taking her in is urgent.
Of course, the problem is that, because of what she went through in the orphanage, the kid basically distrusts people, so she won't accept me easily.
If I just walk up and say, "I'll give you money, give me your loyalty!" I'll be eating knives.
But wouldn't the suspension bridge effect be possible here?
"Actually, I'll do everything, so you have nothing to worry about."
"I'm even more worried when you say that…"
Seo-eun gave me a disapproving look.
There's nothing to worry about.
I'm already confident this method will work.
Seo-eun—because I used this method to get close to you.
***
Anyway, that's how I ended up standing here now.
In the evening, somewhere in an alley with no CCTVs.
As I remember, she would be active at this hour.
While I wandered place to place in the alley,
I got a call from Seo-eun through the earpiece I'd plugged in.
[Da-in, there's a girl watching you, hiding in the alley at your 2 o'clock. I think it's her.]
Bingo.
My outfit is black and I don't even have a mask on.
I'm walking with a slightly silly but rich vibe. I'm dressed up like a pushover.
Well…
I'm walking slowly.
The girl finally comes running from over there.
She runs toward me and bumps me like it was a mistake.
A teenage girl smacks my shoulder.
Who knew the prideful Egostic would be living like this? What a pity.
The girl snaps the wallet and disappears into the darkness.
When she's out of sight, I put my hand in my pocket.
It's empty. My wallet is gone.
"As expected."
Good.
It's going according to plan.
In the dark alley, I smirked.
[What are you doing there? Come home now.]
"Alright."
Since I tossed the bait,
All that's left is for her to bite.
***
"Huff, huff."
Lee Ha-yul kept running.
A successful pickpocket for the first time in a while.
After running and running until the guy couldn't possibly find her, she finally stopped a long way off and caught her breath.
At a safe spot, she took out the wallet she'd stolen, hands trembling.
A wallet with "E.S." embroidered on the outside.
She opened it carefully, and there it was.
"$100?"
It was a hundred-dollar bill.
That's a lot of money.
People carry cards these days, so you rarely find cash.
"With this money… I think I can buy Cha Yoon something other than ramen."
Mumbling quietly to herself, she soon walked home with a slight smile.
Of course, she felt a little sorry for the person who lost the money, but…
'I have no other choice…'
They have no money, no status, nothing—so they have to live like this, or so she tells herself to cope.
Of course, she couldn't help the guilt.
"Ha-yul, you're home?"
Entering the shabby shantytown, her brother greeted her.
Heading inside with a bitter smile, she said to him:
"I made some money today. Let's buy something delicious."
"Really? Wow!!!"
He's still an elementary schooler, so he's pretty clumsy at expressing himself.
She smiled without meaning to.
Yes—even if I don't eat, I have to feed him well.
Patting her brother's head, she sighed.
She can endure today and tomorrow, but what about after that?
Like the dark night, her heart blackened.
***
[Title]
When is Mangostic coming back?
I'm cold…
=[Comments]=
[Found the user frozen to death.]
[This comment has been deleted.]
ㄴ[?]
ㄴ[???]
ㄴ[What was it? I couldn't see it because it got deleted.]
ㄴ[To be exact: "Sorry, I'm busy these days, so just wait a few more weeks."]
ㄴ[Why does it say the account doesn't exist when I click it? That's freaking scary.]
ㄴ[Was that comment from Mangostic?]
ㄴ[No way. Hahahaha]
*
I've been playing around like this because I'm bored these days.
I go into my fancafe, hang out where people gather, and leave some comments.
Of course I erase them right after, but… it's more fun than I thought.
If Seo-eun finds out I've been killing time like this, she'll look at me like I'm pathetic… Hmm…
I stopped messing around and thought about my future plans.
It's called "Wet Clothes in the Rain."
This time, I let her take my wallet.
Next time, I'll change clothes and let her take my wallet again.
But it'll still be a wallet with the E.S. initials.
After a few more times like that, she'll realize she's been stealing the same person's wallet.
Then she'll notice something weird: why do I stand still and let her bump into me when I've been robbed so many times?
And at the same time—why does the money go up from $100 at first to $200, $300 the next times?
That's when I'll show up in front of her house, right as she's doubting.
'In fact, I knew I was pickpocketed last time, and I tracked you down to catch you.
But when I saw you living with your brother despite the hardship, I was deeply impressed.
If you don't mind, I'll be your guardian.'
Even then, she might not accept it because of her deep-rooted distrust of people.
She'll tell me to get lost, and I'll walk away quietly, alone.
But even after she throws me away, somehow I'll stick in her mind.
She'll think I was after her ability, but I wasn't—and she'll notice I never came back after she chased me off.
'Honestly… was he really a good guy…?'
Just as that thought takes root—an accident will happen.
The gang murders her brother.
What if I step in and save him right before he dies?
And if I ask to be their guardian one more time?
Wouldn't they trust me completely and come under my wing then?
"Wow… perfect…"
Deep in the basement, I let out an evil laugh.
Yeah, my plan is perfect.
There's no way it'll go wrong.
One day, while I was planning the next step in my room and tucking $200 into the wallet,
Seo-eun suddenly kicked my door open, rushed in, and shouted:
"Oppa! The gang just showed up! What do we do?"
How the hell are they already showing up?