Villain Eaten By The Hero - Chapter 91

91

A clear video appeared on all channels in Meteor City. A shaky video, reminiscent of the nightmare of Meteor City when Cheonha’s boss returned, filled the screen as the man approached.

[Come back, Belze.]

The man on the screen spoke.

[You have no sin to atone for.]

As soon as the man finished speaking, the large TV in the Hero Disaster Headquarters’ central control room exploded.

Employees suspected the villain’s manipulation through the transmission and cautiously avoided or approached the TV. Some were busy making phone calls, wondering if similar incidents had occurred elsewhere.

Meanwhile, only the man sitting at the end of the central control room remained silent.

Kim Seo, his face grim as ever, stared at the TV where it had been.

Without saying that he had destroyed the device, he got up from his seat. 

Seo hurried back home. It didn’t take him long to run the length of the building, but the curse words were still on his tongue.

Considering Belze had claimed to have been kicked out and there had been no contact from Cheonha, Seo was feeling complacent. But he shouldn’t have been. Just as the Hero Disaster Headquarters seemed to be pursuing Belze, Cheonha wouldn’t want to let her slip away either.

All sorts of profanities came and went in his head. An unease crept in at the thought of finding an empty house when he returned.

In a situation with no clear answer, Seo couldn’t afford to keep his eyes closed. Just thinking about the dark and empty room made him feel sick to his stomach. Sprinting to the door, Seo paused at the doorknob and took a deep breath.

“Belze!”

The door swung open and the foyer was bright. As he made his way through the foyer and into the living room, he saw Belze staring out the living room window. She turned to look at him.

“Why….”

Without a second thought, Seo pulled her into a hug. He could feel the softness of her skin against his chest and the warmth of her body. She wasn’t a hologram, she was real.

He buried his face in her shoulder, breathed out his restrained breath, and Belze patted him on the back. She leaned her face into his hair and spoke softly.

“You’re home early.”

“Yeah.”

“Good. I was going to wait until you came and then leave, but… If I wait too long for you, the boss will worry.”

At those words, Seo’s movement stopped. The situation was so emotionally overwhelming that he couldn’t even question what that meant.

As if a stone blocked his throat, as if a fire had ignited, the back of his throat ached so painfully that he couldn’t make a sound. So, finally releasing his arms that held Belze, he realized that she was wearing the same clothes as the day she came into his home.

“…….”

He opened his mouth, like a fish flapping at the surface, but no sound came out.

Meanwhile, Belze gently withdrew her body and smiled softly, out of Seo’s line of sight.

“I owe you a lot. Thanks for letting me stay.”

“…….”

“Can I come over sometimes? If I come after work, you won’t chase me away, right?”

“Don’t go.”

He managed to get the words out. Worry flashed across Belze’s complexion as she studied his face, realizing that he was looking stranger than she expected. Looking at Seo’s blank face with concern, she squeezed his left hand.

“You probably saw the video. The boss forgave me.”

“He kicked you out. Just because he says you’re forgiven, you immediately come back? Are you stupid? Why should you receive such treatment? Is that all you’re worth?”

“My boss isn’t a bad person, just a bit awkward in expressing himself well.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

Speaking somewhat harshly, Seo tugged on Belze’s hand that was holding his.

“I’m serious! The boss became a villain because of his abilities; he’s not twisted like me. He’s a good person… Give him a break!”

“I don’t want to break up.”

“Kim Seo really… … It’s serious. I know you don’t want to break up with me. I know that. But I have to go home, too. If I stay here any longer, it’ll only make things difficult for you.”

Belze had a bright face. It was as if she was soothing a child throwing a tantrum. Watching it, Seo felt his insides burn.

For him, it wasn’t something he could smile about. It wasn’t something he could simply say goodbye to and go back to his life. Not anymore.

Seo shifted his grip on Belze and intertwined his finger with hers. The different sizes of their hands made for an oddly shaped clasp.

Raising their intertwined hand, Seo pulled her to him. His head was spinning, but he managed to get the words out.

“You won’t get me in trouble. It’s okay. I’ve got permission from the headquarters. They’re okay. So, don’t go.”

“What permission did you get?”

“I can live with you without any trouble. You can work at the Hero Disaster Headquarters. They said they would consider your crimes nonexistent if you changed your identity and worked in the science department.”

“What?”

“It means you don’t have to live as a villain anymore. You can build anything in the science department. I’m not lying. Everything has been settled with the Hero Disaster Headquarters.”

“I guess they put in some effort because they didn’t want to lose you.”

Belze burst into laughter with a wry smile. Just by hearing somewhat disorganized words, she could see through the psyche of the Hero Disaster Headquarters.

No matter how much the ethical issues were, the majority would probably agree that they couldn’t afford to lose Seo. Internally, they would likely have wanted to treat Seo’s deviation not as defection but as wandering.

Moreover, they might have accepted Seo’s suggestion to bring in a dangerous individual like Belze with him. If it benefited them, it would be advantageous for them.

The only thing that surprised Belze was how easily they could turn a blind eye to legal and moral issues.

It was unexpected that they would try to squash a high-profile case for personal gain, or that they would try to bury Belze’s notorious crimes.

Government agencies are always unpredictable. Perhaps they are much more pragmatic than one might think.

Belze shook her head and dismissed the elaborate thoughts. She tried to loosen their intertwined fingers, but it wasn’t easy. Seo kept trying to entwine their fingers again.

“I appreciate your consideration, but I’m not inclined. Suddenly turning traitor, how can you suggest such a thing recklessly?”

“Think about it again.”

Seo glared at her as if he was about to tear someone apart. The menacing expression quickly turned into an impatient frown.

“…… Think again. We had fun, didn’t we?”

“Yeah. It was fun. But Seo, you also like fighting with me, right? Even now, after over two weeks, your body is itching to be on the field.”

“But.”

“It’s not just you; I also get antsy when I have nothing to do and I told you just the other day, did you forget? I’m a villain.”

For Belze, that was the end of the story. When the boss accepted her again, all the villains in the city weren’t hostile towards her anymore, there was no place for her to return other than <Cheonha>.

Of course, her days with Seo were pleasant. It was more dreamlike than the effect of the dream-inducing pill, a joyous honeymoon.

But everything comes to an end. It was meant to be a temporary stay from the beginning. She couldn’t stay with him forever.

“I like you, Belze. I really like you. I rushed here just now because I thought you might disappear. We’ve been getting along so well, but do you really have to go?”

Seo tightly gripped Belze’s hand again. Belze’s heart wavered a little at the look of desperation on his face.

“I like you too, Seo. I like you, even though we argue and tease each other. I sleep with you every night because I like you.”

“Darn it. You only tell me you like me at a time like this…….”

Seo narrowed his eyebrows as if he were about to cry. It was the first time he’d ever heard her say she liked him directly from her mouth.

He didn’t like how she had said she liked at a time like this, especially when she was about to leave. Yet, he despised himself even more for getting excited by those words.

Seo freed their intertwined hands and took a step back, distancing himself from Belze, as if this house, this living room, was where he belonged.

“Do you think we can continue seeing each other when you return to Cheonha?”

“We can if we hide well?”

“You think it’s that easy? I’m telling you if you disappear, our deal is off, and I’ll face disciplinary actions again.”

If she could have lived, sacrificing herself to some extent, she would have done it. It would have been more comfortable that way.

“And I guarantee you, the Hero Disaster Management Headquarters won’t give up on you. You know that too.”

With a determined mind, unwilling to compromise, Belze took a step back. Seo didn’t bother to close the distance between them. He just reached out his hand to her offering her a chance to come back.

His face, which had been mournful, was now stiff and unyielding. The stubbornness he had shown many times resurfaced on his determined face.

“Choose me.”

“I’ve chosen.”

The moment she said that the glass window in the living room shattered into pieces. Outside the glass, a dense shadow rose behind Belze, and a mechanical rope sprung out, instantly turning into a makeshift platform.

“I’m still a villain.”

Before Seo arrived, she had contacted <Cheonha> in advance to come and take her personally. Belze was out of his home in a flash, looking down at Seo.

The desolate look on his face bothered her, but she knew he’d understand once he calmed down a bit.

Even if he were forgiven immediately by society, as long as she was by his side, the Hero Disaster Headquarters and public opinion would relentlessly tear Seo apart. They would continually bring up Belze’s past to use it against him, constantly turning it into a weakness. Even if not subject to legal enforcement, ethics would demand that.

She didn’t want to become Seo’s weakness like that. She had no intention of quietly living alongside heroes.

Seo knew that fact, which was why he didn’t run out to grab her, even though he was someone capable of breaking a mechanical rope with one hand.

“See you next time.”

Belze didn’t take her eyes off Seo’s house until it looked like a black dot. It was a home she had come to love, even though she couldn’t bear to leave, she couldn’t stay.

When it became difficult to distinguish the outlines, Belze tore her gaze away. At that moment, Seo, who had not moved an inch until then, moved.

The ring case in his jacket pocket crumpled.