I Became a Villain’s Hero

"...Mister, I'm so hungry, could you please buy me a meal?

After saying this, Song Soo-yeon immediately regretted it.

It was her first time expressing such a combination of words, and she hadn't expected it to feel so awkward.

She realized she was begging others based on the hallucinations in her mind.

It was like waking up from a dream, becoming suddenly aware of her own awkward behavior.

Why did she do it?

She wished she could take back her words.

Why did she lower her guard, imagining that a stranger might have warm thoughts for her?

".....You.."

The man's eyes suddenly lit up as he looked at her.

He seemed taken aback by her beauty.

Then his gaze shifted, rolling down towards her legs.

"....

Any hope remaining in Song Soo-yeon's gaze shattered.

She felt irritated.

"...Mister, stop staring at my legs."

Of course.

Men are all the same.

Why did she think he would be any different?

She should have trusted what she saw with her own eyes, not the hallucinations.

He was no different from any other man.

"....Sorry. What were you saying?"

"....Ah...never mind. What am I even doing..."

Looking at the people comfortably seated in the soup restaurant, she might have momentarily let her guard down.

She had hoped to receive kindness from someone who didn't view her body as an object.

Perhaps her subconscious, weakened by hunger, bullying at school, or stress at home, was desperately reaching out for help.

Song Soo-yeon shook her head.

She couldn't afford to be this weak.

Hadn't she been holding up well until now?

She hypnotized herself.

Not lonely, not struggling.

She didn't need help.

"No, tell me. Are you hungry?"

His kindness reached out, but now she didn't want it.

If he used this as an excuse to make a physical demand, she would feel disgustingly dirty for falling into that situation.

"Forget it. What do I expect from a pervert who just stares at legs..."

And she turned away.

His intentions now seemed suspicious.

Song Soo-yeon was no stranger to such experiences.

There had been many men who confessed to her after just a few words.

Maybe he, like the others, was smitten with her at first sight.

As she turned away, his voice reached her.

"I noticed your stockings were torn. I wasnt admiring your legs."

Song Soo-yeon looked down at her legs.

There it was, her stockings torn open with holes like water droplets.

She hadn't even noticed it, being so hungry.

The emotion she felt at that moment was indescribable.

Just when she thought she couldn't feel more pathetic, she found a new low.

Begging for food, exposing her vulnerability, while wearing torn stockings like a beggar.

Exposing her weaknesses so easily was especially difficult for her.

Why was the world so cruel to her?

She found herself blaming her circumstances, something she had never wanted to do.

If only her parents had been normal.

If only her appearance didn't stand out so much.

...If only someone had offered a helping hand without any ulterior motives.

I'm-

The moment the man began to speak, Song Soo-yeon could no longer stand to be there.

She ran away.

---

---

Song Soo-yeon desperately needed money.

Not only was she unable to afford a meal, but now she also had to buy stockings.

Even the cheapest stockings cost as much as three or four convenience store rice triangles.

She had no idea how to manage this expense.

She had briefly considered withdrawing money from her savings, but the thought vanished as soon as she entered her house.

Her mother was still rolling around drunk, and her father was nowhere to be found.

It was better to starve a bit more and endure more suffering than to stay in this hell.

Consequently, the period she had to go hungry and without stockings lengthened.

It was not an option to keep wearing torn stockings.

It might seem trivial to go without stockings, but for the beautiful Song Soo-yeon, it was not so simple.

Going without stockings intensified the disdainful looks from women and the lecherous stares from men.

Both the harassment from women and the sexual harassment from men beceme more severe.

But Song Soo-yeon endured day by day.

She was waiting for the day she could graduate and become an adult.

All she had to do was endure and hold on.

She kept enduring, shoving school meals into her mouth.

---

---

Another week passed.

Somehow, she managed to get new stockings.

But as a result, she felt her stomach clinging to her back from hunger.

She still didn't want to return home and kept wandering around.

Like her hunger, a gloomy mood clung to her as well.

She didnt know why, but as the finish line approached, it became increasingly difficult to endure.

Only four or five months were left.

Time was passing, but it seemed to move so slowly.

Often, she wondered if she had reached her limit.

During elementary school, she was lonely because of her family situation, and in middle and high school, she was lonely due to bullying.

She had suffered for almost 12 years.

To say it wasn't hard would be a lie.

But Song Soo-yeon forcibly pushed those thoughts away, fearing that acknowledging the hardship would make it even harder.

Her wandering eyes then caught sight of a sign.

In an unlikely location, a new store had popped up.

'Heros Heart Restaurant.'

Song Soo-yeon scowled.

It was a combination of words she detested.

Who in their right mind would name a store like that?

As she sighed and was about to walk past, she noticed a phrase on a pamphlet outside the store that she couldnt ignore.

'If you don't have money, the food is free.'

"....."

She stood there for a long time, looking at the pamphlet.

Despite wanting to turn away because of the shop's odd name, she found herself unable to move.

Her mind kept doing the math.

If the promise written there was true, could she save money faster?

Or at least, could it ease her overwhelming hunger even a little?

But what if there were strange people inside?

The thought scared her.

-Gulp.

In that moment, saliva slid down her throat.

Her body was already preparing for a meal.

Finally, she closed her eyes tightly and opened the door of the restaurant.

".....Damn it...."

And there, she locked eyes with the same man she had encountered a week ago.

...Free meals.

She had heard that somewhere before.

Upon reflection, it was quite peculiar.

The phrase 'free meals' wasnt something she had heard directly from him.

She had heard it as if she was looking into his mind 'free meals.'

And now, as it turned out, he was indeed offering free meals through his shop, just like the hallucination she had heard.

Could the voice she had heard in her mind not have been a hallucination?

Could she actually possess the ability to read others' minds?

Now, her focus shifted from doubting her ability to considering its possibility.

....

.....

Regardless, Song Soo-yeon was conflicted about what to do.

Should she leave, or should she sit down and eat?

She was reluctant to approach him again, especially since he had already seen her begging and the holes in her stockings, revealing her poverty.

Her cursed pride was erecting walls once more.

But leaving was hard too, as she was painfully hungry.

Both mentally and physically pushed to her limits, she felt like she might collapse.

At that moment, she felt her stomach twist.

-Gurgle...

A loud noise resonated throughout the shop.

...

.....

Ah. Sh*t.

She thought.

The sound from her stomach echoed in the empty restaurant, loud enough for everyone to hear.

Her face reddened with embarrassment.

Her fists clenched tightly.

But he spoke to her considerately.

"Feel free to sit anywhere."

Even using formal language he hadnt before.

This kind of consideration actually made her feel worse.

Was he pitying her?

Who did he think he was?

Why did she always end up showing this side of herself to him?

How foolish must he think she is?

Of course, his intentions were clear.

He must be attracted to her, like all men.

Pretending otherwise, but if she just waited a little longer, she was sure she would hear his true thoughts, likely filled with lewd fantasies.

As she contemplated this, Song Soo-yeon's twisted sense of self reared its head.

She must have looked foolish to heroes in the past, and to her school peers.

She didnt want to appear foolish to a stranger as well.

She desperately wanted to ruin his mood.

It was the only way to alleviate her own shame.

She wanted him to feel the embarrassment she felt.

"....Give me a bowl of black bean noodles."

She sat down, concealing her anger.

Of course, there was no real reason for her to be angry.

He had done nothing wrong.

But Song Soo-yeon, who was stressed everywhere she went, didnt want to bother with that.

After confirming the meal was indeed free, she waited for her black bean noodles.

Eventually, the food arrived.

.....

Her mouth slightly opened in disbelief.

It was hard to believe this was free.

The aroma and presentation were excellent.

And the portion was very generous.

She was tempted to let her guard down.

If she didnt go through with her plan, her future would surely be easier.

She could continue to eat here.

But she closed her eyes and steeled her resolve.

Without her pride, she had nothing.

Continuously showing him her shameful side and now eating like a beggar here, what would he think of her?

This was about protecting herself.

She didnt want to appear pitiable.

She wanted to live a normal life.

If she hadnt held onto her pride, she would have given up years ago.

She would have clung to some strong man who confessed to her, fluttering her lashes to protect herself.

But she disliked that idea, which is why she had struggled so hard until now.

She wasnt about to give up here.

Song Soo-yeon put a mouthful of black bean noodles in her mouth.

It wasnt exactly a fantasy taste, but... it was good enough to justify a high price.

It was delicious.

.....

She resisted the urge to chew and swallow.

She hoped his dirty thoughts would surface soon.

If they did, it would make it easier for her to act, without feeling guilty.

But in the end, she heard nothing.

Finally, Song Soo-yeon gathered her strength.

Ready to reject his false kindness and strike at the pervert she imagined hiding beneath his pathetic guise.

Ptuh!

She spat out the food with all her might.

His pathetic face turned to shock and disappointment.

"Damn it... This tastes awful."

She lied.

Just to ruin his mood.

It was her first blatant act of malice.