Villain Eaten By The Hero - Chapter 23
CHAPTER 23
Seo had lost sight of them for just 2 seconds. In those 2 seconds, Seok had cornered Belze against a wall in a quiet corridor, interrogating her.
Seok stretched out his arms to trap her in them, giving her no chance to escape, and they looked like the leads of a romantic drama. Seo quickly grabbed Seok’s arm and caught his breath.
“Why are you so fast only in situations like this?”
Even though it wasn’t even close to running a 100-meter dash, his breathing was uneven. Strangely, his mind seemed to be spinning, and that felt like the issue.
Seo thought there was no way around it, he couldn’t help it. He had to stop Seok from causing trouble now that he’d discovered Belze’s identity. If the unspoken agreement between heroes and villain organizations, not to chase each other on holidays, were to be broken, it would be problematic.
“Let go.”
And…… holding her in an awkward position without realizing it was awkward.
“No, I can’t. She might run away if I do.”
“It looks weird, so let go.”
“It might seem like I’m assuming something, but I can’t help it. Mr. Seo, you know it too. You can’t give these guys a break. You know who this woman is, don’t you? The one you often fights….”
“I don’t, so shut up, and let her go because you look suspicious. No one interrogates people like that. That stance… seems a bit off.”
The “wall slamming” is not something that ordinary, well-mannered people usually would do.
It’s usually done by people who are dating, in TV shows it’s performed by characters who are inevitably going to become a couple, and in movies, it’s reserved for couples or people who have spent the night together.
Other than that, it’s only when you’re gripping someone by the collar or pressing a knife to their throat, but the problem here was that he was wearing neat and sophisticated clothing, which didn’t quite match that kind of image.
“Why?”
Seo wanted to slap his forehead or give the wall a good hit. Being unaware was one thing, but being this oblivious was something else.
He didn’t want to directly say, “It might appear to others as if you’re in a romantic situation.” That was something he wanted to avoid. Especially not when Belze squirmed between Seok’s arms.
“Because it looks like you’re about to push her against the wall and kiss her. It also looks like you’re trying to bring your faces close together to make it all exciting.”
From behind, Belze’s companions, who had left at a similar time as Seo and were pursuing them, came into view.
Seeing their faces behind Seo, Seok frowned.
“Oh Hye-na from <Cheonha>… and Hugo from <Owol>. I see. The fact that you’re here as well means that the two organizations have joined forces to take the passengers hostage on this cruise.”
Seok recognized the two of them instantly.
The one with the beige wavy hair down to her ribs was Hye-na. She stood out from the crowd of criminals because she had a gentle, delicate appearance that didn’t fit the image as a member of an evil organization.
Contrary to her appearance, it was also easy to remember her as someone that could strangle others breath like a noose.
On the other hand, the tall and well-built man with dapper blonde hair next to Hye-na was Hugo, an overseas villain from <May>. He wasn’t particularly famous domestically, but he was connected to <Cheonha>, making him a part of Seok’s profile.
Then there was Belze, who was involved with Seo.
Seok eyed the three villains warily and motioned for Seo to come to his side. Seo turned around to check on Hyena and Hugo, then moved away with a sour expression.
At that moment, Hugo approached the spot where Seo had been standing and extended his arm. Instead of pushing down or pulling away Seok’s arm, he placed his hand on Belze’s outer shoulder.
“Not to be rude, but before we talk, why don’t you release our Ms. Belze? Unfortunately, due to your aggressive approach, she’s become quite bewildered.”
“Our Ms. Belze?”
Seo’s expression grew harsh. They weren’t even in the same organization, but ‘our’ Belze?
Hugo had a relaxed expression. He pulled Belze a little closer, forcing Seok to let go of his arm. He managed to put his arms around Belze’s shoulder, facing the annoyed gazes of both Seok and Seo.
“Yes, our Ms. Belze. Is there a problem?”
“Trouble! Can’t you see the problem that arises when malicious individuals like you flaunt your intimacy and collaboration?”
When Seo couldn’t find any justification to retort and kept his mouth shut, Seok spoke up on his behalf. Seo decided to cut him some slack this time.
“Yeah, it’s suspicious. ‘Our Belze’? I’m in no position to hear such words.”
“Even though you’re one to talk.”
Belze murmured for herself but was low enough to be heard. Seok let out a wry chuckle again.
“Such baseless accusations won’t work. If you’re going to play mind games, do it right. Why does Seo address you in that manner?”
“…”
“…”
Having been hit with retorts twice in a row, Seo quieted down. Among all, Belze’s face seemed the most mocking, as if saying, “Take a look at him.”
Seok, who recognized Belze, Hye-na, and Hugo despite their disguises, couldn’t grasp any emotion from Belze’s expression.
“Ha, that’s a stern face. Don’t you dare try to discredit Mr. Seo by spreading false rumors. Undiscerning bastards might joke about such things, but Seo isn’t interested in girls or relationships. Oh Hye-na, he has a noble and decent heart that won’t fall for even you….”
“Hey, let’s stop with that kind of talk. I’m a little happy that you recognized me right away, but we’re on a holiday today. If you’re not going to break the agreement, will you please leave us alone?”
Taking a step forward, Hye-na interrupted the conversation while linking her arm with Belze’s. Seo, who had no way to halt Seok’s words, was incredibly grateful for this.
“A day off, is it?”
So instead of pressing Hye-na, Seo stopped Seok and gave them a chance to explain. Hye-na leaned slightly and rested her body against Belze’s shoulder, displaying a cute expression.
“Yeah, it’s our day off.”
“Who are you trying to fool? If it were just the two of you, I might believe it but there’s that guy. <Cheonha> and <May> are attempting some dirty collaboration, aren’t you?”
To be honest, Seo agreed with those words.
If it had been only Belze and Hye-na, he might have believed their vacation story and sided with them. There were plenty of reasons to deny the presence of a man he had never seen before.
But when a villain from another organization gets involved, it’s a different story. It seemed as if they were using the pretext of a day off to secretly meet on board, with hidden intentions.
Still, well, it’s not like there’s no way to smooth things over with the right words. Now that he’s relieved of his shame, Seo scans the three with a grim face, waiting for their explanations.
Hye-na was smiling cheerfully, Belze looked a bit uneasy, and Hugo looked nonchalant but smug.
Hugo was the first to speak.
“Of course, we’re having a little fun.”
“Of course you are! Seo! You’d better put a stop to it now….”
“But that means we’re sharing a bed.”
“What… What did you say?”
Seok’s mouth dropped open. Seo wanted to react the same way but in that moment, his determination not to pay Belze any mind went out over the Pacific Ocean.
Hugo smirked after dropping a bombshell declaration, and stretched his hand out further, pulling Hye-na into his embrace.
“Since executives from <Cheonha> and <May> are here, it’s only natural to seem suspicious. But, this is a private meeting. The three of us are on a date, you see.”
“Yeah, we’re on a date.”
“Mmm, a cruise date.”
Hye-na leaned on Hugo’s arm while laughing, and she held onto Belze’s arm tightly. Belze nodded her head back and forth and laughed awkwardly.
“Are you out of your mind?”
By this time, Seo had already completely forgot about his resolution.
He had managed to hold back. For a whole month, he had acted as if he and Belze were unaware of each other, decided not to hold her accountable for playing with him in the dreams, and decided not to seek revenge.
He was well aware of the slightly uncomfortable position he was in, so he wanted to put the whole thing behind him. After all, he and Belze were never going to be anything but heroes and villains, with no relationship beyond animosity, so it was better to keep it that way.
But as soon as he heard that Belze was going to share a bed with another man, her nerves shot up like lightning. It felt like a small explosion in his fraying nerves.
They hadn’t spoken for a month, and the first thing she said was that she was on a date, and with three other people?
Seo’s face crumpled into a grimace, but he managed to pull himself together when he saw the doubt on Belze’s face. Belze gave him a look that said he was crazy for asking, and the way Hye-na looked as if she was about to say something, along with the intriguing glint in her eyes, made it seem like she was about to reveal something juicy.
Seo felt like he had a grasp on what was going on in their minds, so he managed to steady his almost-flustered emotions. Although his initial resolution had been forgotten, his presence of mind remained.
It helped that he had a twisted sense of judgment that made him sneer at every opportunity. He leaned slightly, intervening to stop Seok from interrupting the conversation while keeping a suspicious demeanor.
“If you’re going to make excuses, make it convincing. I’d still be skeptical if you were seeing another man, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to believe you’re seeing three. It’s like you’re admitting you have a secret.”
“But it’s not like that? It’s true?”
Belze retorted irritably.
From the time she’d made eye contact with Seo to the time she’d been pinned down by Seok, she’d been cautious. Now that she had allies, her energy seemed to surge. She playfully chuckled amidst her awkward laughter, provoking them.
“It’s possible for three people to go on a date.”
“That’s right.”
“Of course.”
Hye-na and Hugo each leaned their heads into Belze’s shoulders affectionately.
Unlike Belze, there was nothing stiff or condescending about them. In an oddly fascinating way, the two didn’t give off the typical villainous impression.
Although they appeared soft and tender like freshly baked bread, seeing them cling to Belze with such faces while talking about something like that was utterly repulsive.
Villains indeed. With faces that could make you let down your guard, they do evil things to people with impunity. Seo looked at their words not as truths, but as sinister schemes, and he couldn’t hide his disbelief.
No, he would not be fooled by such shallow lies. Seo didn’t trust them.
He was right to not believe them, but he wasn’t in a position to recognize that.
“Nice stories you’re cooking up. Do you really think that makes sense? How can three people share a bed? Two guys with one girl might be possible. They could do it front and back.”
“Hey!”
“Belze, shhh.”
Belze blushed and was about to protest when Hye-na stopped her. The look on her face made it seem like they were lying about the three of them sharing a bed. Seo gave them a push with his words.
“But two girls and one guy? You can only physically penetrate one person. I mean, you can hold them both over time, but not at the same time, so yeah… it’s weird, and there’s no way you’d be satisfied.”