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Translated by BiasNil
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[Last Wednesday, the cleanup and removal work on Mapo Bridge, which was blown up by the villain Egostic, was reported as almost complete. The entire Mapo Bridge was destroyed down to the pillars, and no casualties were reported thanks to the A-class hero Stardust.]
[Experts suggest it will take years to rebuild the bridge. Meanwhile, Seoul citizens are complaining of traffic jams caused by the collapse of the bridge…]
***
Shin Haru.
If anyone asks Shin Haru who her archrival is, she will answer "Egostic" without hesitation.
In fact, the reason Egostic became her archenemy is really simple.
Just because Egostic always calls out Stardust.
Egostic.
Frankly, almost everyone would pick Egostic if asked to name the most famous and influential villain in Korea.
It's been less than a year since he became active in earnest. Yet he shot to the top within that year, beating villains with decades of history. If you don't know Egostic, you're a spy.
Of course, broadcasting every terrorist attack he causes on the three terrestrial broadcasters is a big reason.
But that's not the only reason for his popularity; there are many.
What matters is that he's famous—widely known.
And because of that, the popularity of his enemy, Stardust, began to rise as well.
Honestly, B-class heroes—neither famous nor popular—hope to fight against Egostic.
In a way, that's normal. If they became his opponent and confronted him, they'd be seen live nationwide: a golden chance to make themselves known in one shot. When you become the rival of something famous, you share some of its popularity.
Sadly, however, such an opportunity didn't exist for them.
Because Egostic called out Stardust as the one to stop him in every terrorist attack.
Egostic's unusual habit of calling out Stardust is actually quite well-known. He called out Stardust during his first two killings—the murders of two villains.
The message left at the crime scenes, "To Stardust," seemed to imply the villain's "gift."
And the terror attacks he committed afterward—
On the ship and the train, he called out Stardust as his opponent.
In both cases, Stardust stopped his attacks—once with a speech, and once with force—and her popularity skyrocketed.
These events led to huge public interest in the relationship between Egostic and Stardust. Some even spread rumors of a romantic relationship. The video of Egostic closing the eyes of Stardust, who collapsed after barely stopping the train, still sits in the "Popular Videos" section.
And that's what the public knows.
But Stardust herself knows more.
"..."
He was more likely to know her.
Her identity—not "Stardust," but Shin Haru.
The terrorist attack at the festival she attended.
She'd been late to stop by the Association and, without a recognition interference device, she was about to expose her face.
He suddenly appeared and stopped the attack.
Just because that villain offended him—for a ridiculous reason.
Yeah, up to that point, it could be coincidence.
But there's something others don't know, which only Shin Haru knows.
The words he whispered so no one else could hear:
Don't try to reveal your face from now on.
Life will be tough.
The question that sprang up when she heard it:
How did he know she was about to expose her face?
Did he know she was there? Is that why he showed up—to buy her time?
Speculation. That's what she thought then.
But then came what he did afterward—
When she was watching the plane crash he caused—
He called her, telling her to save the falling plane.
On top of that, there's his usual track record: casualty-free terrorism, the assassination of other dangerous villains, and the suppression of terrorism in other places.
With all of this, her doubts began to take shape.
Egostic. Is he simply a villain?
Amid all this, she finally made up her mind.
If Egostic caused the next attack, she would find out what he was really after.
But the problem was that he disappeared—no terrorism—for four months.
And the longer she waited, the stronger her doubts grew. Like leaving home and not remembering if you turned off the gas.
Thinking about Egostic for so long led her to browse Egostic's fancafe, wondering when he'd appear.
At last, he did. The fourth terrorist attack.
As soon as she heard the news, she suited up and flew straight from the Association.
He'd called her out during the last three attacks, so she was sure he'd call her out again.
But—
Her prediction was wrong.
Egostic ran a kind of social experiment on the public, warning he would blow up the bridge the moment the heroes approached.
What did he mean by giving away $100?
Shin Haru recalled his first terrorist attack.
Humans are selfish, blah blah…
Yeah, but during the first attack she stopped him with a speech. She speculated, "Wouldn't it be like that this time too?"
It wasn't. He just flirted and joked with a fan on the bridge, and Stardust—he didn't seem to have her in mind at all.
The bad guy.
She'd spent days waiting for him, and he didn't seem to care about her at all.
He had dragged her into this swamp of suspicion, and he didn't even know it.
Then he blew up the bridge.
Well, that part she expected. Egostic is the sort who does exactly what he wants.
Waiting near Mapo Bridge at 7:00 p.m.—as she had predicted—she rushed out the moment the bridge exploded. As a hero, the most important thing is saving people.
Egostic was watching her from the air.
Ha. He'd ignored her until now, and then just stared?
She didn't like the feeling that she was cleaning up after him, but she did what she had to do.
As she flew to save the first car, then the second—
She realized—
She couldn't get them all.
She was just barely making it in time.
The moment she reached out her hand, she felt it: she was one step too late.
Despair surged—
But at that moment—
The car slipping from her fingertips paused.
She managed to save the falling car that had seemed out of reach.
For a moment, she thought her eyes deceived her.
But no—the car had clearly stopped in midair, just for a heartbeat.
And there was only one person here who could do that…
Cradling the cars, she looked up.
There he was—Egostic, arms down, looking her way.
When their eyes met, he turned his head as if nothing had happened, wrapped himself in his cape, and teleported away.
Doesn't he realize it's even weirder to make eye contact and then bolt like that?
So this time, she was almost certain.
He's not just a villain… right?
***
Of course, such hasty speculation is extremely dangerous.
First of all, Egostic is a villain who has carried out four major terrorist attacks involving destruction and mass threats. Although there have been no casualties.
…Of course, now she's unsure whether that's coincidence—or all by Egostic's design. Either way.
What matters is that it's dangerous for her to dwell on this alone. If she misjudges him, she could underestimate a villain and cause a disaster later.
So she needed someone to consult.
A friend who knows her secret—and with whom she can discuss Egostic.
She had only one such friend.
Lee Seol-ah, an A-class hero and a friend who grew up with her like a sister since childhood. She's in charge of Busan.
Late at night, they sat in a deserted cafe.
When Haru asked for advice, Lee Seol-ah teleported from Busan to Seoul with Shadow Walker's help.
They reserved the entire cafe and sat on the second floor, where the night view showed faintly through the window.
Seol-ah quietly sipped green tea and listened as Shin Haru spoke.
Haru told her the whole line of speculation:
Egostic's no-casualty terrorism.
According to Association records, every villain Egostic killed was extremely dangerous.
And the two other incidents of terrorism he suppressed.
Plus the phone call during the plane attack—something Haru had never told anyone—and how the falling car briefly stopped this time so she could catch it.
She told her everything.
Seol-ah listened quietly, drinking her tea.
When Haru finished, Seol-ah finally raised her head.
She set down her cup.
Her hand covering her mouth, Seol-ah said—
"Oh my God, Haru…! You actually fell for the story of Apple Mango—the S-class hero of darkness?"
Seeing her friend stare as if she couldn't believe it, Shin Haru immediately began to regret it.
Ah. I shouldn't have said I needed a consultation.