Side Story: Hero Eaten by the Villain (Part 3)

“I’m sorry. We don’t have any chocolate cake. How about another cake?”

“No, that’s okay. Thank you for your trouble.”

Finishing paperwork and leaving work, it was 9 p.m. By the time he arrived at the neighborhood bakery, it was already 9:30 p.m. It’s not surprising to hear that all the slices of cake for the day are sold out by then.

Even after circling two bakery shops, he still hasn’t gotten his hands on a chocolate cake, and there’s nothing much he can do. He can only hope for tomorrow or the next day.

Seo shook off his disappointment and went home empty-handed since it’s not like he absolutely has to have chocolate cake.

But after taking a shower, he started feeling a desperate desire for chocolate cake. He thought it was just a passing whim, but it seemed like he really wanted chocolate cake more than he thought. Maybe even just something sweet.

Seo, who originally had little interest in chocolate cake, started occasionally craving it, especially since the bizarre dream he had.

Back then, it was just occasional cravings, but after disembarking from the cruise ship, the craving became even stronger. He thinks it got worse after realizing that the dream was just a private fantasy. He didn’t want to admit that he had such a dream because he struggled with his desires.

At this point, he had to eat something sweet, even if it wasn’t chocolate cake. Otherwise, he felt like he would keep thinking about chocolate cake.

Quietly, the image of Belze, who was riding on top of him in a straddling position, came to mind. Her cherry-colored hair, the high nape of her neck, and the graceful lines of her shoulders. The contours of her skin and body were barely concealed by a see-through, winged white slip.

The voice said “I don’t like you, but I like your underwear” while moving her legs and hips. The cream was lightly applied between the chest and collarbone until the “chocolate cake” appeared…

No, this won’t do. 

Even though he spent an extra night on the cruise, it was undoubtedly an erratic decision.

She said she didn’t sleep with Hugo, but that didn’t mean she’d snuggled up to him like in his dreams. It was all just futile fantasies from the start.

It’s difficult to give one’s heart to a villain. Of course, it’s not like he had given his heart, but it would be troublesome if he did.

Before Seo delved into deeper thoughts, he gritted his teeth and searched through the cabinets and refrigerator. Maybe some of the candy he’d saved would quench his thirst.

As he rummaged around, something caught his eye in the depths of the freezer, where old seasonings and frozen foods were piled up. When he pulled it out, a small, square box came out.

“What’s this?”

Half of the case was made of transparent plastic, so he could see the contents inside.

It was a chocolate with white chocolate beautifully sprinkled on it.

When he tilted his head in confusion as to where the chocolate came from, he quickly remembered the answer.

It was the chocolate Belze gave him last Valentine’s Day.

* * *

Last Valentine’s Day was about six months ago.

It was a harsh time after Belze kidnapped him, and they were at each other’s throats whenever they saw each other, especially before <Cheonha> entered the stage against Seo.

It was a time that Seo could not be sure of, but there was a feeling that it led to a full-fledged dash afterward.

During that time, Seo was holding a fan signing event. It was a kind of fan interaction with signing, handshake, and meeting with fans, but it was a gift meeting because it was a one-sided event where Seo received a gift.

The gifts were, of course, chocolates, but Seo didn’t create such an event because he wanted to receive chocolates. It wasn’t even an event intended for the purpose of receiving chocolates due to overflowing popularity. It was purely because of the collaboration between the confectionery company and the Hero Disaster Headquarters.

The Hero Disaster Headquarters, which lacked funding to serve the nation, hosted various events every year.

One of these events was a large-scale charity event called ‘Sweet Chocolate for Your Hero ♥’.

This event, which had been going on for about five years, was a campaign that sold chocolates with the printed photos of a few agreed-upon heroes at a somewhat expensive price, with 10% of the sales donated as a donation, and 10% set as sponsorship funds for the Hero Disaster Headquarters.

People who purchased chocolates collected coupons printed on the packaging to enter a lottery. Winners had the opportunity to attend a simple event where they could give a few simple gifts and a chocolate to the hero, and receive a simple retail chocolate.

At first glance, as a citizen, it seemed like an event where you spend money without gaining anything, but fans took it more seriously and desperately than expected. In the hero industry, where autograph signings and private meetings are rare, this initiative has been a hit every year.

Naturally, the more popular, attractive, and harder you are to meet and talk to, the higher the competition. And Seo, one of the heroes assigned to this year’s Valentine’s Day event, was a special talent that met all three criteria.

The only problem was that as the person involved, Seo wasn’t particularly thrilled about it. There were more than a few annoying aspects, but above all, having to continuously read the dedicated lines written on the chocolate packaging in front of the selected participants was agonizing.

Seo’s special line, which was carefully selected by the confectionery company, was, “I’ll eat your sincerity.

Compared to others, it was a simple and clean phrase, but it didn’t sit well with him. This kind of thing didn’t suit his nature.

Still, he was quite grateful to know that fans who liked and supported him bought tons of commercial chocolates to enter to win. He looked gratefully at the 200 fans who were selected for the gift event.

“Hyung, have some red ginseng chocolate and cheer up.”

“Seo, I traveled to Jeju Island to buy these chocolates for you.”

“Mr. Ravi, I’m always watching you! Don’t give up and never go easy on the villains!”

“Oh, I bought a lot of chocolate for my wife and son to see you. You look cool. Keep up the good work. I believe in you.”

Even in the name of Valentine’s Day, the percentage of male fans was high.

That being said, the gender of the participants at the gift event didn’t matter. After all, they were not all potential romantic partners, so it was good whether there were men or women.

However, due to the nature of Seo’s fan base, which was mostly male, heavily adorned young women stood out. It’s not that there aren’t many women, but when you’re sandwiched between a bunch of casually dressed men in the front and back, they naturally stand out.

The woman in question was in such a position. Dressed in elegant attire with sparkles in her hair, among the many well-dressed men, she caught Seo’s attention from afar.

As Seo received chocolates and signed autographs, he stole glances at her face. After 35 minutes, it was her turn.

The woman, who had waited patiently for 35 minutes, first handed over the chocolates. The neatly packaged square box had a transparent case, so the contents were clearly visible.

Beneath the cover, eight round chocolates sprinkled with white chocolate sparkled under the light.

“Hi there. I was nervous because there were more fans here than I thought……. Do they all like you, Mr. Seo?”

“Probably.”

“Do they say they love you, Mr. Seo? Have you ever received chocolates from someone who genuinely liked you today? How many did you get?”

“I don’t know. Thank you. I’ll eat your sincerity.”

“To be honest, I didn’t expect to win. I didn’t even buy 50. But being selected is really lucky, isn’t it? I’m glad I could come here. I made it for you, Mr. Seo, all night, so please make sure to try it.”

“Oh, take this before you go.”

Seo tossed the set of chocolates the organizers had prepared. Even though the woman had just finished speaking, she skillfully caught the floating chocolate in the air.

Seo didn’t seem surprised as if he had expected it. He casually scribbled on the paper as if signing, murmuring indifferently.

“And meet my team manager and sub-leader on the way.”

“Why? Are you interested in me by any chance?”

“Huh.”

At that moment, the security guard standing next to Seo, the hero colleague sitting a seat away, and the people lining up to give him chocolate all gasped in unison.

Rather than gossiping, “Ravi is interested in that girl!” it was more like reciting a death sentence, “Ravi is… interested in… that girl……!” in a rather pale manner.

The most nonchalant person was Seo, and next was the woman. The woman, who seemed to have sprinkled stardust on her brown hair, looked embarrassed but giggled as if she were enjoying herself.

“Well, that’s not right. It’s awkward no matter how charming I may be. Mr. Seo is a hero…”

“And you’re a villain.”

At the firm declaration, the room stirred once more. This time, instead of just muttering “That person?” and swallowing their breath, a few people started to speak out.

But it was all just noise. Seo and the woman paid no attention to the reactions around them.

“…What do you mean? Do you mean because I stole your heart at first sight?”

“Stop the nonsense. Do you think I wouldn’t recognize you?”

“I’m seeing you for the first time today, Mr. Seo.”

“You’re trying to play dumb? Why are you here? Did you want to give me chocolate?”

“Haha, you’re funny. Did you fall for me?”

“Fall for you? I can’t forget that annoying face of yours, that’s all.”

The polite speech suddenly turned into harsh language like a slap in the face. With that, the woman could understand what Seo was trying to say.

With a graceful impression, the woman quickly threw off her long cardigan, obscuring Seo’s view.

At that moment when her clothes blocked his view, smoke grenades exploded, turning the event venue into chaos.

When the smoke cleared, neither Seo nor the woman who had been told she was a villain were there.