The Spoon Villain Is Obsessed with the Hero Again Today chapter 13

13 – The Weight of a Hero (4)

“But if we really call the police, what will happen?”

Late at night, Arna and I arrived at a nearby sushi restaurant.

Due to a police investigation in the middle, the filming ended later than usual.

The chill of the handcuffs still lingered on my wrists.

“You barged into the filming location on your own. How did you even find out about the place?”

“I’ve told you before. I know more about you, Arna, than anyone else.”

“Should I call the police again?”

Let’s just eat sushi. The handcuffs were much scarier than the claws of a demon.

“Nom.”

Similarly, Arna began to eat sushi. She had been hungry for quite a while, judging by the speed of her chopsticks.

“Haeng… “

Arna made a blissful expression. She even added a strange moan in the middle.

She was just a food processor in herself.

“I’ll share mine too.”

I placed a piece of sushi on Arna’s plate. It was a well-oiled flounder sushi. She seemed to be enjoying it so much that I wanted to give her one.

“…”

But instead of thanking me, Arna stared at me with her mouth shut.

“What’s wrong? Are you suspicious that I played a prank again?”

“I won’t accept sushi from someone like you.”

Swish.

From Noble mtl dot com

Arna picked up the fish part of the sushi, as if searching for hidden wasabi.

“Huh…?”

“I didn’t do anything. So go ahead and eat without worry.”

Is it really okay to eat? After a moment of contemplation, Arna put the sushi into her mouth.

“Ah… delicious….”

Soon, Arna’s face lit up with delight.

It seemed like his stomach was truly satisfied, wearing a face that suggested he owned the world with just one piece of sushi.

Perhaps even military rations would taste good to Arna. I should treat him to some military rations later.

“Have some of this too.”

Following the sushi, he offered futomaki rolls.

Containing tuna, salmon, sea bream, shrimp tempura, rolled omelet, fried tofu, and cucumber, it was a special large sushi roll that encompassed various flavors at once.

It was also the signature menu item of this restaurant.

“Oh…? Are you giving this to me too…?”

Arna’s eyes sparkled as if presented with a fortune. Just so you know, Arna had already tried the futomaki as his first bite.

“I absolutely detest foods with cucumber. Take it.”

“You dislike cucumber… even with such delicious food… Your taste is quite peculiar.”

Arna shoved the futomaki into his mouth in one go.

Urgh. Just thinking about the slimy cucumber being chewed inside his mouth made me feel queasy.

Indeed, cucumbers are the devil’s vegetable.

Gulp.

Arna, continuously moving his mouth without a break, even managed to slurp down some udon noodles as a snack.

“Wouldn’t it be better to eat moderately? You won’t want to show up at the classroom tomorrow morning with a swollen face.”

“Mm… What does it matter if my face swells?”

“Why does it not matter? I’m your manager.”

“Shall I really call the police?”

Thud.

Amid our mealtime conversation, a few people approached our table.

For no apparent reason, they were smiling.

“Excuse me… Are you Arna? Attending Han Yul Military Academy.”

They already had pens and paper in hand. Even without seeing what they were up to, it was pretty evident.

“Oh, yes. That’s me.”

Arna quickly wiped his mouth with a napkin and directed a gentle smile toward the people.

It was the face I had seen on TV.

“Oh, I’m a real fan! I’ve always been cheering for you! They said you took down Decaravia in one go last time! I saw it on the news!”

“Hoo hoo, thank you so much for your support.”

“Um… if it’s okay… could I ask for your autograph? For mine, my parents’, my younger sibling’s, and even my friend’s… just around 10 signatures, please!”

“Yes, that’s possible. Please hand them over.”

Despite the absurd request, Arna extended her hand without any sign of inconvenience.

Is she planning to do this for everyone here?

I, feeling somewhat inadequate, interjected.

“I’m sorry, but signing might be difficult. I’m in the middle of a meal right now.”

“Oh…?”

Seemingly not understanding what was said, the person remained silent, blinking their eyelids.

Who on earth raised this person with such poor manners? I decided to assert myself a bit.

“If you want an autograph, please come after finishing your meal. Asking for a signature while someone is eating, what kind of etiquette is that?”

I then extended my udon bowl.

“Because of you, my udon got cold. What are you going to do about this?”

“Uh…”

The person didn’t know what to do and just kept rolling their eyes.

Arna was surprised and made a sound.

“Oh, no! I’m fine! Please give me the paper! I’ll do it!”

Arna understood that sacrificing herself would quiet the situation for now.

But I wouldn’t allow it. Sometimes, you need to assert yourself.

I blocked Arna’s reaching arm.

“Regardless, it’s not allowed. Whether you come after the meal or after settling the bill, come back then.”

“Oh… yes… I’m sorry….”

In the end, people gave up on the autographs and returned to their tables.

“…”

“…”

The inside of the store was as silent as if someone had spilled cold water everywhere. No voices from the people were heard, only the background music played by the store.

“What, what are you doing…! Doing something like that to people…!”

Arna whispered to me, trying to keep her voice as low as possible.

As if nothing had happened, I resumed eating the cold udon.

“Dealing with that kind of thing is not worth it. Once you do one favor, they’ll never stop asking for more.”

“But still, they’re the people who support us…! What if we just chase them away without any thought…! We could have spoken more gently…!”

“If they were true fans, they wouldn’t have come in the first place. Can’t they see that people are clearly having a meal? There’s no need to speak kindly. They’re just a nuisance.”

“You’re the one causing more trouble!”

Hmm. Can’t argue with those facts.

But still, we know each other so it’s possible. The other party isn’t completely shameless.

The feeling is different from before.

“Honestly, aren’t you tired too? Dealing with all those people one by one.”

“Well….”

Upon hearing my words, Aruna lowered her gaze.

“To be honest… I can’t deny it completely either… I’m also a human after all….”

Aruna clenched her fists tightly.

“But I can’t help it. Professor Han Se-yeong said that. Not to do unnecessary actions….”

“You could have raised your voice in the same situation earlier.”

“But I can’t!”

Aruna’s eyes, which had been lowered, suddenly turned towards me. But her indigo eyes looked precarious, as if they could melt at any moment.

“I… I’m supposed to be the hero who gives hope to people… Naturally, the weight of that….”

“Naturally have to endure it?”

“….”

She’s truly a pitiful girl, Aruna Kristin Dotirran.

She only wanted to protect everyone from this damn world, and just wanted to give hope to people.

But the girl had to sacrifice more than that. She had to act as the perfect hero. Despite knowing that it’s a burdensome task, she had to endure it.

Because that’s the weight heroes should bear.

“Aruna. We’re just awakened beings. We just have to stop the Breaks and defeat the Demons. We don’t have to spread ourselves to people just because we’re heroes.”

“….”

“Well, I don’t completely understand your feelings either. You can’t help it either. People’s expectations are endless.”

The public wants it. They want Aruna to soar higher.

In response to that expectation, Aruna tirelessly moves her wings.

Right now, she can act as the perfect hero. She can still soar higher. Her wings are still strong.

But.

At some point, she will inevitably reach her limit. Wings can’t flutter forever. Surely, there will come a day when she collapses from exhaustion.

The moment the wings fold, everything built up until now could collapse.

Can Arna really handle that descent?

“Even for yourself, or for everyone, you need to lighten the burden you’re carrying.”

“Is it as easy as it sounds…?”

“At least as much as when you’re with me.”

“What?”

Arna stared at me intently.

I put down the spoon I was using to sip udon broth.

“It means you can express anger as freely as when facing me. Swing your fists, stomp, spit, without worrying about the surroundings.”

“Wait a moment! There’s a mix of fabrication in the middle! I didn’t stomp or spit!”

“Anyway, that’s the idea.”

If I’m around, Arna doesn’t need to act like a hero anymore. She can act honestly.

If there’s something built up inside, she can express it to me, even if it’s a fist.

I am ready to accept it willingly. I am just faithful to my role as a third-rate villain. It doesn’t matter if it looks ridiculous.

The reason I am so obsessed with Arna is simple.

Arna is the only hero to protect this world and the only protagonist I have.

“Really… Sometimes I get confused… about you as a person…”

Arna pouted her lips and tapped the cup, her stern expression oddly cute today.

Maybe because it’s not the usual strong Arna.

Click!

At that moment, the sound of a camera shutter echoed from somewhere.

It was someone from another table. Naturally, the camera lens was aimed at Arna.

Since there’s no autograph, they must want a photo now.

“Well, we can’t eat in peace like this.”

I raised the spoon, activating the enlargement function. Large enough to easily cover one person.

Then, I positioned the spoonhead to face Arna’s side.

This way, there won’t be any more shots from the camera.

“Okay. Now you can eat in peace.”

“Hmph…”

Arna chuckled as she looked at the spoon acting as a partition.

“You, surprisingly have the potential to be a decent manager.”

Following that, Arna boldly set aside the chopsticks she had been using and began eating sushi with her bare hands.