Villain Eaten By The Hero - Chapter 22
CHAPTER 22
Each time, they acted like the most awkward people in the world.
No conversations, no greetings, and didn’t even exchange glances.
Like colliding tides, they would meet and then in an instant, both pretended not to see each other, acting as if they were strangers. They would hide themselves from each other like someone who owed a debt to the other.
It was a clear change of attitude, considering that they had been exploring each other’s changes and taking out their frustrations, both justified and unjustified.
They both recognized it, but they were also silent about it.. If someone were to speak up, the past would be out in the open. Their terrible mistakes of sticky liquid passing between their bodies in a skin-to-skin encounter.
Not quite ready to face it yet, they simply avoided conversation.
Though their hearts may have been heavy, it wasn’t an unusual situation. Heroes and villains, by nature, don’t need to make small talk. Heartfelt conversations were reserved for interrogation rooms or courtrooms.
So, postponing the pressing issue could be justified.
Seo and Belze put a lid on their mistakes and buried them deep in the ground.
And so, a month passed.
*
“Hey Seo, are you seeing someone these days?”
“Do you think I am? Do I look like I do? Have you seen me leaving work early for the past month? If I were seeing someone, would that have happened? Why are you asking? Do you think I’ve met someone even if they’re not the kind of person I should be meeting?”
Seo temper flared at the seemingly innocuous question. He reacted as if a small question was equivalent to a prosecutor’s interrogation.
His response wasn’t intentional. He’d been on edge lately that his words had become harsh. The mere mention of ‘seeing someone’ rubbed him the wrong way.
But still, he seemed to have overreacted. An overly sensitive reaction could easily raise suspicion. If someone was perceptive, they might laugh at him or express concern that he’d been dumped by a woman, like maybe the trainer he often saw at the gym.
After all, he had said similar things three days ago. Ten days ago. Two weeks ago. A fortnight ago. Three weeks ago, twenty-four days ago, a month ago…
Seo frowned, feeling like he knew what had set his nerves on edge.. He wanted to bury his face in his hands but that would just give others more reason to speculate.
Suppressing his impulse, he reached for the water on the table. Sipping it slowly in three portions, he felt his agitation settle a bit.
“No, there’s an evening party on the schedule, and they say you can bring a partner or make one up on the spot, but it’s awkward if you have a girlfriend.”
Fortunately, his companion wasn’t someone who caught onto things quickly. He noticed that Seo was acting different from usual, but his expression conveyed that he wasn’t sure why.
“You don’t. That’s good.”
“Good? Why good? How can you say it’s good?”
“You can comfortably attend the party.”
“What’s so comfortable about it? I have no intention of meeting women. If you’re asking me to hit on girls at the party, I’d shut that down right away.”
Seo’s tone had become harsh again. It was a somewhat expected response, but Seo’s companion, Kang Seok, smiled brightly and responded to Seo’s words.
“That’s great! I also have no intention of meeting women. I was worried about what if you did feel that way, so I’m relieved.”
“Oh, I see.”
Was that what it was?
Seo apologized for his prickly tone and softened it a bit. Since they would be spending five days together on a luxury cruise, the less friction, the better.
In an attempt to make up for his mistake, Seo pushed his dessert, a warm chocolate-filled éclair, toward Seok.
“You’re not going to eat it? If so, I’ll enjoy it.”
“Yeah.”
As Seok examined it carefully, he gave off such an earnest impression that Seo felt apologetic for momentarily misunderstanding him.
Although he seemed somewhat naive, his mild demeanor and simple but neatly dressed appearance were faultless. He was wearing a semi-formal suit that was perfectly tailored down to the cuff and matched well for a luxury cruise, along with polished shoes that gleamed.
Due to hastily picking out ready-to-wear clothing from a mannequin, Kangseok’s attire contrasted subtly with Seo’s, who had unbuttoned his top button and was wearing a mismatched outfit.
His short dark gray hair appeared slightly tousled, but it added to his gentle and earnest appearance, rather than giving off a stiff impression. Of course, the silver frame of his glasses played a significant role in enhancing that diligent image.
Appearance didn’t determine everything, but Seo had never heard any negative comments about Kang Seok. He was courteous, even addressing Seo with honorifics despite Seo being three years younger than him.
Seo had a hunch Seok wouldn’t make frivolous comments like asking why he didn’t have a girlfriend, telling him to hurry up and find one, or offering tips on attracting women.
Seo’s prediction was correct.
“I’m glad to hear that. It would be problematic if a hero, such as you, were to— oh, pardon me, would be preoccupied with romance, right? With so many lazy heroes wondering how to get into a relationship with an attractive person and get their attention, meeting someone like Mr. Seo, who’s so accomplished, is a pleasure.
But, he unintentionally pushed Seo’s buttons. With an impressed expression, Kang Seok occasionally placed a hand on his chest while passionately elaborating.
“It would be inconvenient if a hero were to be swayed by personal emotions. It’s not about family affection, but more so about shallow impulses like romantic feelings. That’s why it shouldn’t happen.”
“Ah, yes….”
“The hero I knew before was the kind of guy who’d flirt with the villain because he was that kind of guy, or talk about how he’s obsessed with women, even in his dreams, or whatever. Anyway, he was quite a troublesome person.”
“….”
“To think he’d let himself be swayed by a mere sexual desire… I’m truly embarrassed to be considered a fellow hero with him. Mr. Seo, you think the same way, right?”
“….Y-Yeah.”
Seo gritted his teeth and sharpened his gaze, trying to bore into Kang Seok with an intense glare. Kang Seok, however, only looked at Seo’s intimidating gaze with curiosity.
“Do you feel seasick? Your complexion looks bad. Do you want to go back to the cabin?”
Truly, this man had no sense of tact.
Seo couldn’t believe he was going to be on a cruise with him. Under different circumstances, Seo might have agreed with Kang Seok, but this time, things were different. Not to mention that it had happened right after that incident. It had been a month since it happened, technically.
Objectively speaking, a month is quite a long time. Seo had requested a month of unpaid leave for a short vacation, and had been severely criticized by the higher-ups. So, objectively speaking, a month was indeed a long time. But even with all that time that had passed, Seo hadn’t really recovered.
What he had done with Belze in the dream was just impactful.
Seo revealed three things to Belze that should have never been known.
One was that he took pleasure in fighting her. His deep-seated resentment about their sexual encounter. And that he’d gotten a boner because of her!
Without room for any excuses, Seo clearly disclosed each of these matters, undeniable and distinct.
All three of these, pride, honor, and the actions themselves, were things that a hero should never engage in. While it’s possible for a villain to hold animosity towards a hero, but the other way around? It should never be a possibility.
Seo endured a variety of criticisms, but he was still a hero.
If that fact were to become public knowledge, his position would surely be shaken. It was bad enough that his pride was being shattered.
Seo opened his palm and slammed it down on the table. The loud noise resonated, capturing the attention of those nearby, but it was none of Seo’s business.
“You’re right.”
“Do you want some motion sickness pills?”
“No. You’re right, hyung. It’s just pitiful that some heroes are swayed by their sexual desires.”
Yes. Seok is completely right. If he were his self from two months ago, he would have said the exact same thing. It’s truly pathetic for a hero to be swayed by sexual desires and romantic emotions.
So, it’s over now. Whatever it was, it’s over. Regardless of the past, it should stop now. Seo decided to let go of the pain he had been carrying for a month.
Using the pain in his palm and Seok’s sincere contempt as stepping stones, he decided to forget.
Seo pressed the table with his palm and rose from it. Glancing at the people who were avoiding his gaze with discomfort, he found a familiar gaze in the crowd. He didn’t make any effort to find them, but their eyes met naturally.
Belze was there.
On the luxury cruise ship that set sail two hours ago.
The five-day survival with no place to escape had begun.
Seo almost pounced on Belze at once. Even though they were on a leisure cruise, he had a job to do.
He was on duty, which meant he had to take down the villain.
But it was a secret. He’d have to pretend to be on vacation until something went wrong. He couldn’t go out like a hero in front of Belze, who hadn’t done any trouble yet. Doing so would render the mission useless.
It wasn’t a big deal, but there was no point in making a mistake. Belze was dressed like a passenger on a luxury cruise too, and it was clear at first glance that she hadn’t expected to see Seo.
Unless she miraculously gained exceptional acting skills, it seemed like an exquisite coincidence.
Since it didn’t seem like she was pretending to be a staff member, she was probably just enjoying her day off, too. Her attire and expression made that quite apparent.
But it could have been something else. Seo had come to work undercover with Seok, so she could have something up her sleeve, too.
It bothered him quite a bit, but since they were still in a delicate situation, there was no way to dig into the matter.
Simply asking her what she was doing in the cruise would solve the problem, but even that was difficult to say.
“What’s wrong? Do you know anyone here?”
Seok observed Seo’s situation as he stopped from getting up and leaving. It wasn’t a profound statement, but Seok’s words were enough to get his gears turning again.
It hadn’t even been a minute since he had decided to forget his personal feelings for Belze and now that he’d run into her, he couldn’t afford to waver.
If he had decided to erase something from his heart, he needed to do so thoroughly. He had to rid himself not only of desire and resentment but also of any interest and curiosity. Only then could he truly say he had forgotten.
“No.”
Seo shook his head. He had decided to pretend not to know Belze until she caused some incident.
Seo tried to shift his gaze elsewhere, but Seok was quick to follow his gaze. He followed Seo’s gaze all the way to the end, and saw exactly who it was.
“What are you looking at… Oh.”
It was the voice of someone who had realized. Unlike Seo, Seok promptly stood up and approached Belze.
However, perhaps due to realizing that they shouldn’t reveal their identities in such a crowded restaurant, Seok quickly caught Belze’s attention and swiftly dashed outside. Belze, who seemed like he might resist, merely just went, “Uh, huh?” in response to Seok’s urgency. They quickly disappeared through the door, and the people inside the restaurant didn’t chase after them, either because of Seok’s seemingly innocent demeanor or because Belze didn’t scream.
2 seconds later, three individuals chased after Seok and Belze outside the restaurant.
*
“What are you doing here?”
“It’s private. Who are you?”
“Private information, tsk. Don’t try to hide, we already know who you are. You’re Belze, an executive from <Cheonha>. What are you doing on this ship?”