Became a Human Rights Advocate

23 – Episode 5. Baek So-so.

＜6＞

“Congratulations on the A grade, Soso!”

“Thanks, Elena.”

Cheongryongak, a Chinese restaurant specializing in Chinese cuisine.

It was an unsuitable place for two middle school girls, but the people involved, Baek So-so and Elena, didn’t seem to care much.

It was about a week ago that Baek So-so was promoted to grade A. In the meantime, Baek So-so was busy with the special case, so it was only now, after quite a while, that she had a celebration party.

“What have you been doing to keep you so busy?”

“hehehehe..That happened. But now it will be free.”

The text notified to Baek So-so said that she had passed the special section as her prospective member.

However, she knew very well that the reality was nothing other than a failure.

‘The senior must have joined.’

Baek So-so fiddled with his chopsticks and thought of Lee Si-hyeok.

‘It must have stuck.’

In the last survey, Lee Si-hyeok made a breakthrough.

I don’t know what method he used, but he found the place he was looking for by making the silent bully speak.

With the subject that had just become a B grader, he had succeeded in doing something that even Alex hadn’t been able to do.

On the other hand, he couldn’t do anything himself. No, he did nothing but hold the team back.

Insolence that doesn’t fit the title of A-class talent.

Obviously Baek So-so would be stronger than Lee Si-hyeok in terms of overall performance, but the results were just the opposite.

Maybe that’s why Baek So-so’s mind has been complicated lately.

Is walking the path of a hero really suitable for you?

If you forcibly walk down a path that doesn’t fit you and cause trouble to the people around you.

Does he really have the qualifications to be a hero?

‘You don’t need qualifications to be a hero, Soso. The important thing is your will to do it.’

Baek Suso’s mind suddenly recalled what she had heard from her brother before.

When asked if it would be possible to be like her older brother, she definitely replied that way.

Yes. At first it was.

I’m not trying to be my brother’s substitute.

Definitely of one’s own will –

“Eight.”

“Ah!”

Baeksoso shouted as he grabbed his swollen red forehead. Elena, the culprit behind the honey chestnut, blows wind through her fingers like a western gunman.

“If you are not careful, you will die in an instant.”

“… Did you watch a Western yesterday?”

“Yeah, it was fun. It bleeds every time you shoot!”

Elena pointed a finger gun at Baek So-so and pretended to shoot several times. However, unlike usual, Baek So-so did not respond at all.

He’s just smiling shyly.

“Why are you so dumbfounded? Food came out too.”

“Oh, that’s true.”

At some point, food was sitting on the table. While I was lost in my thoughts, it seemed that the serving was over.

“Come on, stop thinking about useless things and eat! Soso.”

“… Okay! Looks delicious!”

Baek Suso forced himself to pretend to be active and put his food into his mouth. The food at Cheonryong Pavilion was the same as usual, but strangely, it didn’t taste as delicious as before.

After a while, the chopsticks also stopped moving, and Baek So-so stared blankly into the air again.

“What happened?”

“Huh? No. No such thing.”

“Your lies are revealed on your face?”

As she put a spiced chicken wing into her mouth, Elena shrugged her shoulders.

Baek So-so seemed to be thinking about it for a while, and then he brought out the problem he was worried about.

“Elena.”

“Yes, Soso.”

“… Can I be a hero?”

“Of course not.”

Elena nodded her head without a second’s hesitation.

“Can’t you worry a little?”

“There is no need to worry. Soso is already my hero.”

Baek So-so widened her eyes in embarrassment at the unexpected answer.

Seeing such a reaction, Elena put her chopsticks down on the table and shouted with a puzzled expression.

“You can’t remember?”

“… Sorry. I do not remember.”

“Entrance Ceremony! The day we first met!”

The day we first met. Hearing those words, a memory of this time two years ago flashed in Baek So-so’s head. However, that day must have been an ordinary day with nothing special except for the entrance ceremony.

I had to force myself out. He found and helped Elena, who fell down while riding her bicycle and was crying profusely.

“That’s it, that’s it.”

“Huh?”

“I thought I was ruined from the first day of my middle school debut. But suddenly a little kid appeared and told me to carry it all over. How could such a small body contain such power?”

“hahahaha…I did.”

“But it wasn’t until after I got off that I realized that Soso was also having a hard time. His whole body was covered in sweat and his legs were shaking.”

After that, Baek So-so and Elena became best friends.

However, one person remembers it as a natural part of daily life, and the other person keeps it as a precious memory that is irreplaceable.

Maybe this difference is the line that separates those who can be heroes and those who can’t.

“A hero is, after all, a person who thinks of others before himself.”

“hehehehe… “

“No matter what others say, I’m sure. Soso, you deserve to be a hero.”

“Thank you for your words. It’s comforting.”

That’s what he said, but Baek So-so’s shoulders were still drooping.

Elena also stopped talking and focused on eating, as if she felt that any further encouragement would be rather pressure.

Baek So-so, who was still on the voyage of gloomy thoughts while eating food, took out his cell phone from his pocket and tapped a few words.

-Senior, what are you doing?

There is no answer. Even the read mark doesn’t go away.

Usually, when I send a message, I always receive it, but it seems that I am busy today.

‘I’m guessing he’s in the special department…. I envy you, senior.’

Baek So-so’s prediction was correct, but one thing was different.

Now, the situation Lee Si-hyeok is in is not particularly enviable.

＜7＞

“It’s damp.”

A leather mask is not something to use on a rainy day.

It seems to be waterproof, but it is meaningless when it rains this much. Especially if you haven’t even used an umbrella to move stealthily.

“… There are many complaints.”

“What are you talking about?”

Nicola had pierced a hole in the forehead of his mask and had kept his hair outside. A surreal fashion beyond the avant-garde, with only the hair protruding above the mask and covering one eye.

“There are parts of a hero that cannot be compromised.”

“Is that hair?”

“Sheesh, you are persistent.”

Nicola shut her mouth for the last time. It seems to be paying attention since it’s the arrival point soon.

I also moved slowly, wary of my surroundings.

With both hands holding the aluminum bat he had brought to use as a weapon.

“There, one.”

Said Nicola, extending her hand forward. The moment he looked in the direction Nicola was pointing at, the Zetas bully standing there fell forward with a thud.

“Did you do it?”

“Yes, I passed out by strangulation.”

I looked closer and saw that he was foaming at the mouth. There is no mercy in my hands.

“You clean it up properly.”

“You can do it with telekinesis.”

“… Abilities consume mental power. It is better to minimize unnecessary consumption. It’s common sense.”

That’s right.

It seems that the SP value in the game has been replaced with the word mental strength here. It’s not wise to waste SP when you haven’t even had a proper battle yet.

… No, wait a minute.

“Then, what is that telekinesis that you have all over your body right now?”

“For defense. Besides, if you use this level of ability, it won’t consume that much mental power.”

“Isn’t protecting hair an unnecessary waste?”

“For defense. I have no other intentions.”

I made eye contact with Nicola, who had a shameless face.

I put him away in a corner of the eaves of a nearby warehouse and joined Nicola again.

Fortunately, there were no guards after that, and the two of us safely moved to the designated location.

The factory used by the Zetas was a large old warehouse that had been renovated.

Most of the windows are covered with thick curtains, so the light doesn’t leak out, but the sound of high-volume music can be heard. Wouldn’t that make no sense at all to cover the window?

Nicola looked around her for a moment, saw that she wasn’t there, then pulled out her walkie-talkie from her bosom and started communicating with her.

“Sir, we have arrived.”

-Yes. The rest are still on the go. I’ll signal when everyone’s ready, rush in at the same time and wipe it out.

“Okay.”

After a short and concise communication with Joo Ji-young. Nicola raised her mask halfway and caught her breath. Looking at her now, her face is quite pale.

“Are you okay?”

“… What do you mean?”

“Your face is pale.”

Looking closely, his legs were trembling.

Noticing her pitiful gaze, Nicola clenched her teeth and grabbed her leg with both hands.

“Of course not. It’s your first real fight, so there’s no way you won’t be nervous.”

“Won’t you get hurt while fighting like that?

“Any hero has a beginning. If you don’t take this one step, nothing will start.”

“… Okay?”

You say nice things.

Somehow, it feels like a corner of my chest is being squeezed.

“Let’s not hurt each other, Nicola.”

“Hmph, that sounds obvious.”

With that last word, we waited with bated breath under the rain.

And not long after, Joo Ji-young’s voice rang through the walkie-talkie.

-Rush!