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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: The Beach Encounter
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A beach in South Korea.
On that sun-drenched beach, where everyone was happily enjoying themselves,
the most popular hero in South Korea and the most notorious villain stood facing each other.
The villain, for context, was clad in a swimsuit with a robe thrown over it and sunglasses, while the hero was also in casual attire.
The hero was seated on a sunbed next to the villain, quietly speaking to them—a truly bizarre sight.
The problem, however, was that I was that villain.
This was probably the biggest crisis of my life.
It was a situation where panic would have been perfectly understandable.
However,
in this moment of crisis, my mind began to work with even greater coolness and composure.
Right. A professional villain knows how to keep their head in a crisis and calmly resolve the problem.
My mind started spinning at 5 centimeters per second.
'...Did Lee Seol-ah betray me?'
Did Lee Seol-ah actually betray me and run to Shin Haru, saying, 'He's Egostick~'?
In the original story, she backstabbed and merged with all sorts of corporations; did she really backstab me too? That wasn't the vibe. Weren't we on good terms?
Through my sunglasses, I gazed at Stardus.
Hmm.
No matter how I looked at her, it didn't seem like she thought I was Egostick.
No, setting everything else aside, if she knew I was Egostick, she would have already lunged at me and captured me. Would she really have greeted me like this, looking so awkwardly?
'...Right, it doesn't seem like Lee Seol-ah betrayed me... Was she just thoughtless?'
I couldn't understand what she was thinking.
From the looks of it, she didn't even seem to know Stardus had super-senses. Did she really think Shin Haru wouldn't recognize me at all? Was she trying to set us up on 'We Got Married' or something?
Anyway, it didn't seem like Shin Haru had figured out my identity.
Of course, her expression did change slightly when she saw my face, but that was... well, uh...
Damn. I think I'm screwed.
"So, Ms. Shin Haru, you're attending university?"
"Yes... And Mr. Dain, did you say you run a business?"
"Ah, yes. I'm a business partner with Ms. Seol-ah, and I just run a small business. Haha."
I said that, a slight bead of sweat trickling down my temple.
Haru had now completely settled into the seat next to me, continuously engaging me in conversation.
What's gotten into you, Ms. Shin Haru? You're not the type to initiate conversations with strangers. Since when have you been so proactive...!
I screamed a silent scream in my heart.
No, do you know what it feels like to be a villain talking to a hero in a private setting?
That anxious, uneasy feeling, wondering when they'll figure it out.
A wave of anxiety washed over me, thinking she might have already figured it out with her super-senses, but I banished such negative thoughts from my mind. As they say, thoughts become things; I shouldn't dwell on them unnecessarily.
So I resolved within myself.
First, I'll smile like a harmless person. I'm not a villain. I'm a normal civilian.
Do you have proof I'm Egostick? Do you have proof?!
Honestly, Eunwol's magic is so effective. I'm sure she won't recognize me.
And so, Shin Haru, uncharacteristically for her, kept talking to me, a stranger she had just met.
I, playing the part of a good man who endlessly listened to a woman I was supposedly meeting for the first time today, nodded and responded.
For the record, she even ordered a non-alcoholic cocktail. Seriously, how long was she planning to sit there...?
The conversation continued for a while.
As time passed, my tension gradually eased.
Now, she even showed a slight smile at my words.
Right. It seems I've handled it well.
Honestly, with the perception-hindering magic on me, how could she recognize me? It's absurd.
It was just needless worry, right? Yes... my acting skills are truly something.
Just as I was completely letting my guard down,
Shin Haru, still sitting beside me with a smile, asked me casually,
"Mr. Dain... Actually, I have something I'm curious about."
"Yes, what is it?"
"Do you happen to know Egostick?"
At her question, my face nearly froze in an instant.
No, why would she ask that?
"...Haha, Egostick?"
The moment I managed a laugh and subtly glanced at her,
her blue eyes, propped on her chin, gazing at me with a knowing smile, met mine directly.
Ah.
It really seems like I'm screwed.
'...No, calm down. I mustn't fall for an entrapment.'
Barely stopping myself from gasping, I started racking my brain.
Damn. It seems she really is suspicious.
Otherwise, there's no way she'd say something like this to someone she just met. Why would she say that?
She was still in front of me, giving a slight eye-smile as she looked at me.
...Honestly, her eye-smile hit my heart harder, but I endured it like a professional villain. A first-class villain knows how to separate personal and public matters.
First, I needed to discern the questioner's intent.
Why would she ask that? She's trying to gauge my reaction to see if I'm Egostick. Or perhaps she's certain I'm Egostick and is asking to tease me. To make me introduce myself.
But Shin Haru isn't usually one to joke around like that, so she must be testing me. Even if she's connected me to Egostick, it's probably still in the suspicion stage. Which means, it's crucial to prove my innocence here.
At that moment, a thought flashed through my mind.
This is a crisis. But a crisis, conversely, is an opportunity. In other words, I should view this as an opportunity.
Having made my decision in an instant, I opened my mouth.
"Egostick is truly a garbage, wicked villain. I believe he should be apprehended immediately."
"....Pardon?"
She was slightly flustered by my sudden, aggressive words.
Good, this is it.
I quickly began to speak.
"He seems to be quite popular these days, but honestly, I find it hard to empathize. The idea that there are people who like someone who commits all sorts of terror, establishes criminal organizations, and tramples on the law... I believe such a psychopath should be severely punished by law immediately."
At my logical and perfectly valid words, her expression turned sour. It seemed she hadn't expected me to self-deprecate like this. Right. Do I still look like Egostick now?
Shin Haru, who had been silent for a moment after my words, soon opened her mouth again. It seemed she intended to agree with me and criticize him together, to observe my reaction. Not a chance. I have more confidence in criticizing myself than anyone. Bring it on.
However, contrary to my resolve, the words that came from her mouth were completely different from what I expected.
"....Still, hasn't Egostick often stopped other villains' terror attacks? To say he's entirely bad is a bit..."
No, Haru. Why are you defending me there?
What is this? Is it an advanced tactic? Right, I mustn't waver. I'll push forward stubbornly, like a rhino's horn.
I spoke firmly again.
"No, that's definitely just him protecting his own turf. Aren't villains beings who thrive on attention in the first place? Whether it was the bridge, the Haneun Group, or the Moonlight Cult, when that guy did those things, there wasn't a single shred of concern for other people involved."
"...That's a lie."
"Pardon?"
"Ah, no. I misspoke."
She said that, giving a slight laugh.
...Haru, you misspoke, right? Right?
Because I just got goosebumps...?
Shin Haru, still smiling brightly after hearing my words, gently twirled the cocktail glass she held in her hand with her fingers. The moment my gaze involuntarily went to her, she spoke to me again in a voice laced with amusement.
"By the way, Mr. Dain."
"Yes?"
"You say you dislike him, yet you seem to know almost everything Egostick has done so far? Anyone seeing this would truly think you *are* him."
"...Haha. Are you saying I'm like such a wicked villain?"
"Oh, it's a joke. Just a joke."
She said that, grinning widely.
And I laughed too.
...I suddenly missed my mom.
"Then, Mr. Dain, what do you think of Stardus?"
She took a sip of her cocktail, then smiled and asked me again.
No, Haru. Since when did you become such a cheerful person, smiling so much...? You're not like this... In private, when you're not on hero duty, you're usually timid... Why are you doing this to me?
I was practically losing my mind.
"Stardus... She's my favorite hero."
"Oh my, really?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"....Because she's the most righteous, her convictions shine, she possesses a kind heart that worries about people more than anyone else, and she fights for everyone until the very end, even without reward. She's the most heroic figure, more than anyone else. And she's pretty too."
"....Ah."
She was slightly flustered by my words, which had just spilled out without passing through my brain.
Right. This is me.
This is Ekacola. I'm just going all out now.
Seeing her cheeks slightly flushed, I had another thought.
Ha. Is this how I fail?
From the looks of it now, I'm definitely screwed.
Honestly, it wouldn't be strange if Shin Haru attacked me here at any moment. I do have teleportation, but my body's not in good shape, so I can't escape far. No, the moment my identity was revealed, I was already screwed. My name has even been exposed.
As I blankly stared at the beach, I suddenly met eyes with someone in the distance.
It was Seo Eun, Eunwol, Choi Se-hee, and the other Egostream members, all looking at me as if they didn't know what to do.
Right. They all noticed Stardus had arrived.
Guys. I'm screwed. What do I do?
As I was giving up hope, a sudden flash of realization struck me.
Wait. Seo Eun. Choi Se-hee. Eunwol. Illusion magic. Terror. Alibi. Success.
Realizing how to break through this situation in an instant, I barely stopped myself from jumping up.
Right. There's only one way to get out of this predicament. Just one. If only this works.
"...Um, Haru?"
"Yes?"
Still with flushed cheeks, sipping her cocktail through a straw, she looked up at my question.
I said to her,
"Could I just go to the restroom for a moment?"
"...Pardon?"
Her expression instantly hardened at my words.
As if to reassure her, I pointed straight ahead and said,
"It's right here in front. I'll be back quickly."
The restroom was indeed right in front of them, looking like a white container, clearly visible from where they sat.
Seeing it, she hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly nodded.
"...Alright, go ahead then."
"Thank you. Well then..."
I got up from my seat with a bright smile.
Done. It's over.
I've accomplished the hardest part.
As I stood up, before entering the restroom right in front, my eyes briefly met Seo Eun's, who was sitting in front of a sandcastle.
When I winked one eye, Seo Eun, as if understanding, ran off somewhere.
Right. That's Seo Eun for you. She understood with just a look.
Thinking that, I entered the restroom, smiling.
...Oh, Stardus, Stardus.
Do you really think I'd be caught here?
***
"...."
After Dain entered the restroom, Shin Haru quietly watched the direction of the restroom.
Three minutes. If he exceeded three minutes, she would act immediately.
She was already almost certain.
He was Egostick. Definitely.
And he also seemed to know that she was Stardus.
After exchanging a few words with him, her certainty grew stronger.
However, she found herself pondering something else entirely.
'...So, what do I do?'
Should I attack him here and capture him? Should I drag him to prison?
....Is that right?
"..."
She had been certain that if such a situation arose, she would not hesitate to throw him into prison.
But now that the moment was upon her,
Stardus, surprisingly, began to waver.
'...I have to catch him. I have to catch him, that's what's right... It is right, but...'
"Were you waiting?"
As she was lost in thought, a voice suddenly broke through.
"....You came back quickly?"
"Of course. Did you think I'd run off somewhere?"
Watching him speak so brazenly, she couldn't help but let out a laugh.
...Strangely, whenever I'm in front of him, my guard seems to drop a little.
...He's definitely a villain, though.
At that moment, feeling strangely unsettled by her sudden emotions,
he, now seated back on the sunbed, smiled and spoke first.
"So. Haru."
"Yes?"
"What do you think about Stardus, Haru?"
"Uh...."
He chuckled slightly as she was flustered by the sudden question.
...It seems he's doing all this knowing everything too.
When she narrowed her eyes slightly and looked at him, he tilted his head as if asking what the problem was.
...He's so annoying.
Even as she thought that, she found the situation slightly amusing.
...A villain and a hero who have already recognized each other's identities, yet are laughing and talking as if they know nothing.
Egostick, just brazenly throwing things out right in front of her, and herself, laughing and accepting it.
...Both of them seemed crazy.
...I have to catch him. I have to attack him. Now that I know his identity, even if he escapes, I'll report it to the association and track him down.
As she thought that, Shin Haru felt her chest tighten involuntarily.
...Right. I'll just finish this conversation, then attack. Not yet, just after this conversation...
The moment she made that promise to herself and opened her mouth,
a sound of something exploding echoed from somewhere far in the distance.
-BOOM.
"...?"
At the sudden incident, she turned her head, and in the far distance, faint black smoke was visible.
As the beach began to stir at the sudden incident, her phone in her pocket suddenly started ringing.
"...Mr. Dain, just a moment."
[Association]
Seeing the text displayed on the screen, she instantly stood up, moved aside, and answered the call.
From it came the urgent voice of an employee.
[Stardus! We have a major problem. Egostick has appeared again and is causing a terror attack!]
"....What?"
Flustered by the sudden words, Shin Haru turned her head and looked at where Dain was sitting.
He was looking around seemingly flustered, gazing at the source of the black smoke. His appearance was innocent and naive, as if he had no idea what was going on.
"Are you sure it's Egostick?"
[Yes. It's definitely him.]
Hearing the confident confirmation, Shin Haru suddenly fell into confusion.
...Egostick appeared? Then who is that man sitting right there?
***
Stardus, visibly flustered on the other side.
Watching her, I subtly smiled, unbeknownst to her, and thought quietly.
'Just as planned.'