10 – Guests of Hero Country (2)
It was during our time at the Academy.
I entered as a highly anticipated rising star, but I soon faced my limits and tasted the bitter defeat day after day.
By my side was a problem child female student always full of cheerfulness.
Her name was Han Si-eun.
Even back then, she was famous for unleashing her explosive abilities without reservation.
Thanks to her, the equipment was constantly broken and destroyed.
She even managed to damage the sturdy training building, which was designed to withstand various abilities, several times.
And every time, she would say nonchalantly,
“Ahahahahaha! I’ve destroyed it again.”
It was difficult to tell whether she was a villain or a hero, so a special measure was taken for her.
That special measure was me.
My ability to nullify the effects of her powers.
If she were to go on a rampage and try to destroy something again, I would immediately touch her.
That alone allowed me to prevent damage in advance.
Thanks to that, my training scores, which were always below average, allowed me to avoid being expelled from the Academy with bonus points.
Si-eun was also able to graduate safely and obtain her hero license.
Now, she has become the famous hero, Blaze.
Without me, it seems they can manage the firepower to some extent…
[Ladies and gentlemen, we would like to inform you that although the trouble on the tracks has been resolved safely, due to damage to some sections of the tracks, this train will be operating at a reduced speed until it exits the affected area.]
On the news screen.
Blaze, standing confidently with his foot on the villain’s neck.
The railroad tracks were clearly bent like spaghetti.
“It seems like nothing has changed….”
Well, I guess that’s a result of some sort of control.
Thanks to that, our hero department has one more thing to deal with.
The hero department handles everything related to heroes.
Naturally, that includes dealing with the aftermath of what the heroes have destroyed.
I touched my slightly throbbing forehead and shook my head.
* * *
Oversleeping.
Villain’s rampage.
Hero’s skills demonstration.
With these three elements combined, I ended up being over an hour and a half late for work, starting at 9 a.m.
Fortunately, the railway company provided a delay certificate, so I didn’t get scolded by my supervisor, but…
From Noble mtl dot com
“I’m sorry….”
I couldn’t avoid the gaze of my teammates who were already reporting on their tasks.
I stiffened my shoulders.
They barely managed to find their way through and finally took their seats.
Ugh… My usual spot, no different from usual, now feels like a thorny cushion.
It was an even more profound feeling as this was my first tardiness since my appointment.
“Hey. What happened? You’re late for everything.”
An elbow from the adjacent partition jabbed at me as he inquired.
A man showing a sly grin.
It was Yoo Kyung-tae, my colleague since the appointment.
“Oh, this and that. Some villain or something.”
“Ah, that thing that was in the news earlier? Tough luck.”
“Well, thanks to that, Electrika got caught, so let’s consider it fortunate.”
As I conversed with Kyung-tae,
I opened the computer’s shared folder for work and checked the nationwide villain list.
Sure enough.
The detailed information for Electrika already had the bold letters ‘Arrested’ written over it.
Since it’s data that needs updating every day, someone had already made the modification.
Nevertheless, there were still hundreds of entries left on the villain list.
I scrolled the mouse, bringing the table to the top of the list.
In the list where the villains’ information was diligently recorded.
Just one line. A completely empty space.
“Luina….”
SSS-class villain.
Information about Luina has been kept blank since her first appearance.
Well, it couldn’t be helped.
Luina’s SSS-class destructive ability is literally the ability to destroy everything.
People, objects, you name it. Anything tangible.
Even invisible waves or the abilities of other superhumans could be destroyed if she wanted.
Thanks to that, brave individuals who tried to track down villains all failed one by one.
And until now, Luina has been able to keep her secret all by herself.
It’s truly fortunate that my ability can reach her.
In this world, I am the only one who can stop Luina’s abilities.
Thanks to that, she trusts me completely and follows me.
Not to mention, she’s my first girlfriend, who is incredibly beautiful and cute…
“The only pervert who gets excited while looking at the villain list is definitely you.”
“W-who said I’m excited?”
I immediately stiffened my face at Kyungtae’s tackle from the side.
Treating me as someone who has weird thoughts while looking at the villain list…
“Regardless, Secretary Jo Sung-hoon. I have today’s tasks for you.”
Flap.
Kyungtae handed me a stack of documents.
It was the damage report for the railway facilities that Blaze had destroyed earlier.
“Make me do all this!?”
It was a moment when I snapped without realizing it.
The glinting eyes of my team members above the partition shot up like sharp arrows.
An implicit threat.
Their firm gazes conveyed that there was no mercy for the latecomer.
In that moment,
[Even though we pay you a salary, you still want to continue working?]
The conversation I had with Team Leader Lee Tae-seok last night flashed through my mind.
[No matter how much of a workaholic I am, it’s because I chose this job out of passion. hahahaha.]
And the latecomer, who didn’t expect to shoulder all the work today, had confidently replied.
“Procedures for disciplinary action. Shall we…?”
* * *
“Then I’ll see you soon. Yes, yes. Take care.”
Click.
I let out a light sigh as I put down the phone.
It had been about an hour since I started working.
I had just finished a call with the manager of Hero Agency.
It was Blaze’s manager.
When writing a damage report, there was a set manual to follow.
The basic framework was something we had prepared.
The detailed situation of the damage and insurance measures were being collected by the agency’s manager to be brought to the Hero Association.
However, the agency simply “collects” the data as it is, and it is solely our responsibility to neatly organize the messy data.
“Blaze’s manager must be going through a lot too…”
Her manager coming in and out of our office was almost like a ritual.
As time passed, seeing the manager’s complexion turning pale, it was clear that she must be going through a lot.
“More importantly…”
Rumble, rumble.
“I’m so hungry….”
I slumped over my desk, clutching my stomach.
Come to think of it, I haven’t eaten anything since last night.
With all the extraordinary events that have been happening, I hadn’t paid attention to it.
I wonder if lunchtime will come soon…
While lying down, I glanced at the office wall clock.
There was still about 30 minutes left until lunchtime.
It was at that moment, half out of my mind, enduring the hunger.
“Excuse me, where do I submit the Hero Damage Report?”
A familiar female voice echoed in the office.
It wasn’t just me.
All the office workers seemed to have the same thought, as heads peeked over the partitions.
Even the manager, who was the farthest from the entrance.
And then, everyone simultaneously uttered the same words.
“““Blaze!?”””
Instead of Blaze’s manager,
The person who came to the Hero Nation office was none other than Blaze himself, dressed in casual clothes.
“Um, over here….”
I raised my hand slightly, catching Blaze’s attention with his characteristic bold expression.
“Oh? Jo Sung-hoon? It’s you, right!”
“hahahaha….”
Of course, she remembers.
Well, we were close enough back in our school days for people to say we were dating.
It was only natural for her to react like that upon seeing my face.
“You knew Blaze!?”
And then Kyung-tae’s surprised words.
Everyone in the office was staring at me with widened eyes.
Even the distant manager.
“If you were here, you should have said something!!”
The flustered Blaze.
Si-eun rushed over to me and grabbed my hand.
“Where did you disappear to right after graduation!?”
“Si-eun, we’re in the office right now so….”
It seemed necessary to comfort an old friend with a voice several decibels higher than others.
Fortunately, it was soon lunchtime.
I obtained approval from the manager and took her to the rooftop of the building.
A beautifully decorated sky garden.
Seated on a bench inside the garden were Si-eun and the unwelcome guest who insisted on tagging along, Yoo Kyung-tae.
“Nice to meet you, Blaze. This guy here is Kyung-tae, your colleague. And, of course, your fan.”
Kyung-tae seemed eager to emphasize our close friendship.
He put his arm around my shoulder and grinned at Si-eun.
“I’m Blaze! Oh, you mentioned a fan, so do I really need to introduce myself?”
“So, why did the hero come in person instead of the manager?”
I had no intention of continuing to listen to their awkward conversation.
I shrugged off Kyung-tae’s arm around my shoulder and asked her.
“Well, you see, if you’re going to keep causing trouble, you should report directly to the Hero Association.”
“Who asked to destroy the tracks, anyway?”
“hahahahaha. I accidentally destroyed them again without even realizing it.”
“Is that a compliment?! Thanks to your actions, I was also late today!”
“Oh my. Really? I’m sorry about that.”
It didn’t look apologetic at all.
I would have liked to give him a piece of my mind, but circumstances didn’t allow it.
Long ago, there was a famous hero whose appearance fee was notably high.
I barely managed to lift my spirits by reminding myself of the business mindset.
“By the way, Seonghoon, you became a civil servant. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“There was no need to tell you.”
“That’s too much! We were so close.”
“Close…?”
Kyungtae, who was listening to our conversation beside us, wrinkled his face.
“Just to clarify, I only dealt with him because he caused so many accidents. It’s not like we have a special relationship.”
“Still, it was fun, right? Back in the academy.”
To the smiling Sieun, I shot a gaze filled with curses.
It would have been even more enjoyable if this troublemaker had been a bit less troublesome, undoubtedly.
“Sigh….”
As I sighed, my hunger intensified.
While holding my empty stomach and feeling gloomy, Kyungtae asked,
“Haven’t you eaten? You’ve been making a hungry face all day.”
“It’s almost like that….”
“Then, how about we grab a meal together?”
It seemed like a good idea.
Sieun stood up, grabbing my hand.
I wonder if she realizes how famous she is right now.
“When I sit at the same table with you, my back gets cold and I can’t even eat.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter. Let’s build some camaraderie after a long time. The three of us with Kyungtae.”
“Yeah, yeah. Where in the world is the fool who refuses to eat with a beauty? Take advantage of the opportunity to eat together without a girlfriend.”
Before Kyungtae could finish speaking.
Bam!!!
With a loud noise, the entrance to the sky garden swung open roughly.
No, it didn’t open, it shattered.
And beyond that…
From Noble mtl dot com
“Darling… Who is that woman?”
Standing still with a convenience store paper bag hanging on her arm.
Louina, dressed in a trench coat, had a cold expression.