· · ────── ꒰ঌ·✦·໒꒱ ────── · ·
Translated by BiasNil
· · ────── ꒰ঌ·✦·໒꒱ ────── · ·
"The weather is nice.
At this place where the warm spring breeze blows by.
The last time I went out to terrorize was last week.
I haven't gone out since—I've been stuck at home—so it's been a while.
On the way to the festival.
Seo-eun and Su-bin were walking down the street with me for the first time in a while.
Oh, it hasn't been that long for Su-bin. She's always back and forth for grocery shopping.
Anyway, I felt better seeing the sun again after so long.
Seriously, people need to sunbathe sometimes. In the sun, what was it again…? I heard someone say it gives you vitamin D. So you can't stay inside forever.
"Oppa, are you wearing black again?"
Seo-eun is scolding me again.
I've learned this after living together for quite some time: there's a pattern to how Seo-eun calls me—between "Hyung" and "Oppa."
She usually calls me "Hyung," but she only calls me "Oppa" when she wants a favor or when she's in a good mood.
…Can't you just call me oppa all the time?
Honestly, I think she'd call me oppa if I grabbed her and scolded her.
But I definitely don't want to go that far. It'd just make things awkward and distant. I'll wait until the day she opens her heart. Someday, she'll call me oppa all the time, right? I'm sure that day will come.
Anyway, I'm happy to hear her call me oppa because she's in a good mood now. But why am I wearing black again?
I checked my outfit. I'm in a black coat. Normally, I wear things under it. The coat covers everything, so no one sees it anyway.
But as a result, I'm all in black again—like when I'm Egostic. Well, black looks best on me.
I decided to tell Seo-eun a truth she didn't know.
"Seo-eun, black is for men."
"What do you mean?"
Seo-eun said it with a smile. Huh, she's not usually this bright. I'm a bit surprised, since I've been waiting for her to ditch that contemptuous face.
I guess she's really in a good mood, humming as we walk.
Seo-eun, so you really are into ice cream.
Or is it just that it's been a while since she's gone out?
Su-bin was also smiling happily behind her hand, finding Seo-eun's cuteness unbearable.
Maybe because of Seo-eun's unique silver hair, people kept glancing at her. And since Su-bin is also really pretty, even just walking down the street draws attention. What's with them?
For your information, when Su-bin was first on broadcast, she used a recognition interference filter. Of course, the recognition interference filter is a function that makes people who see you unable to properly recognize your face, so it doesn't work on me—I already know what Su-bin looks like.
Now that I think about it, it's fascinating. I can just wear a mask and slap a filter on for all kinds of shows, then walk around with my bare face with confidence. Su-bin should always keep the filter on when she goes out.
FYI, this recognition interference filter is the pinnacle of cutting-edge tech. An American genius researcher invented it, saying, "How long do heroes have to wear those weird tight masks?" You attach it like an accessory, and the recognition interference effect covers your face for a set time…
There's one in each Hero Association office, and somehow Seo-eun looked at the design and recreated it, so there's another in our underground base. Thank you, Seo-eunemon (Seo-eun + Doraemon).
Without this filter, I'm doomed… Even grocery shopping would be impossible for Su-bin.
If she couldn't go outside, she'd have no choice but to order delivery three meals a day. That's what you call a "homebody"…
"Oh, I can see it!"
Seo-eun shouted, excited.
Yeah, I can see it too.
[The 13th International Ice Cream Festival]
A huge banner. An ice cream festival I didn't even know existed.
Every street is lined with booths and refrigerators. I can't help wondering what the combined electricity bill looks like.
Already excited, Seo-eun was looking everywhere at once. And Su-bin kept glancing around, amazed.
"Oh, it's rice ice cream!"
Seo-eun ran toward something. Hey, wait for me!
Su-bin and I followed at a normal pace. By the time we caught up, Seo-eun had already bought one and was holding it.
White ice cream in a cone.
"It's good! Do you want a bite?"
Seo-eun asked, eyes sparkling.
Rice ice cream. I've only heard of it—never tried it.
"Alright, give me some."
I took the cone from Seo-eun and took a bite.
Hmm. Delicious.
I thought it would taste like Haetban (instant rice), but it was more vanilla-like than I expected.
"Oh, it's totally edible. Su-bin, have some too."
"What? I—I…"
Su-bin's face turned bright red, flustered. What's wrong with her?
"It's delicious. Aren't you going to try it?"
"Yeah, dig in!"
As Seo-eun urged her, Su-bin's face grew even redder until she finally dropped her head.
"Okay. P-Please give me some."
She stuttered and reached out.
Why did she suddenly turn back into the timid early-days Su-bin?
Is it because we're pressuring her to eat? Is the nightmare from the day we met coming back?
"…Ugh… This is… indirect… Am I the only one… who thinks it's weird?"
She muttered something, but her voice was so tiny I couldn't make it out. Then she closed her eyes and took a bite. Why so serious over ice cream?
"Hmm… It's good!"
She brightened, eyes shining. Right? It's more savory than I expected—worth trying.
After her bite, the cone returned to Seo-eun, who neatly finished the rest. She eats so well.
***
We wandered the festival for a while, sampling all sorts of ice cream. I felt like we were spending money like water, but it didn't matter—I've got money.
Since it's a world-class festival, you can see every kind of ice cream: basics like chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and mint chocolate; branded flavors like "My Dad Is an Alien" and "Shooting Star." Then there are all the ones you'd never see anywhere else.
Wasabi flavor, cold noodle flavor, steak flavor, ramen flavor—the kind of outrageous combinations ice cream should never attempt. But the steak flavor was strangely decent. It kind of tasted like grilled meat-flavored ice cream? I don't even know what I'm saying.
And there were flavors that shouldn't exist in this world: desk flavor, booger flavor, earwax flavor. Why are you selling that for money?
…Of course, we played rock-paper-scissors and made the loser buy the booger flavor. Su-bin lost with scissors, took one bite, changed expressions instantly, and tossed the rest. Don't eat it—just sacrifice it to the trash can.
Right now, I'm eating mango-flavored ice cream. I don't know why I have to eat mango flavor here… Don't you think so, Seo-eun?
When I grumbled, she tiptoed up and whispered in my ear, totally unashamed:
"…You're the leader of Mango Union, so you should eat mango-flavored ice cream!"
"Seo-eun… Honestly, don't you think mango anything is getting old? It stops being funny when it's overdone."
"Nope. It's funny every time. And no matter how much you deny it, your fan club's name is Mango Union."
Seo-eun burst into laughter. She finally lives for teasing me now…
Alright—if you're happy.
Looking around at this and that, we came to the event corner.
They were selling collaboration ice creams like Frankenstein ice cream, Mickey Mouse-flavored ice cream…
There was an Egostic ice cream over there…
Huh?
Wait—what flavor?
"Step right up! Only available here! Egostic ice cream!"
A woman at the booth started touting.
What the hell.
This is a violation of superpower rights!
"Oppa. Pfft. You have your own ice cream. Hahahaha!"
Seo-eun burst out laughing. Is this that funny to you?
Wait—why is Su-bin also turning away and laughing?
The funniest thing is the line. People were crowding just for that booth. In front of us, tons of people were holding the ice cream and snapping photos. Instagram fodder? I feel dizzy…
At the strong insistence of Seo-eun and Su-bin, I finally lined up and bought my own-flavor ice cream. I wonder what it tastes like…
The base is vanilla. On top, a half-mask—my trademark—shaped from chocolate. They even made eyes and a mouth out of chocolate… which felt weird. The twist is a mango core inside.
Fortunately, it was pretty good. If only the seller knew: Egostic himself came and ate Egostic ice cream.
A bit further down was a game booth. Throw darts at balloons; hit enough and you get a prize. Since it's an ice cream festival, the prize is… more ice cream. A 10-layer ice cream? What the.
"Seo-eun, watch this. I used to be a master dart thrower. I'll win you that 10-layer ice cream."
"Da-in, are you planning to cheat with telekinesis?"
Startled by Seo-eun's accusation, I decided to play fair. This is why I don't like quick-witted kids. The booth was set up for two players at once, and it was empty, so we could start right away.
"Phew… this heavy yet chilly feeling."
I was talking nonsense to Seo-eun while hefting a dart, and someone stepped up to the lane next to me.
Without thinking, I glanced sideways to see who it was—
My brain froze.
Silky blonde hair.
A beauty prettier than anyone in this world.
It was Stardust—Shin Haru. She'd come to play the game.
Uh… why are you here?