I Became a Villain’s Hero

Upon hearing the man's command to leave, Song Soo-yeon promptly rose from her seat.

She had won.

In her mind, she had stripped away the mask of the man who had been pretending to be good.

Although her mouth was dry and her stomach even hungrier, she felt better.

She had released some of the stress that had accumulated over the years onto him.

Who did he think he was, feigning kindness?

What a creep.

She suspected that even this restaurant was set up to lure in hungry and impoverished minors like herself.

Justifying her actions, Song Soo-yeon felt a sense of satisfaction.

She remained silent to his subsequent questions, thinking that ignoring him would hurt more.

She prepared to leave the restaurant, her belongings in tow.

One regret lingered: she still couldn't hear the thoughts in his heart, even if they were mere hallucinations.

Hearing his vile thoughts would have brought her some peace.

Suddenly, a thought struck Song Soo-yeon.

...What if his kindness was genuine?

What if he had no ulterior motives?

Was she dismissing someone who could have been an ally?

".....Is it really that bad?"

She heard Dice's question from behind.

"..."

Unintentionally, she turned to look at him.

But he was toying with the food she had discarded, lifting it as though to eat.

"Ah.....what are you doing, really...?"

This time, her words sprang from genuine surprise.

"...Huh?"

"Why are you eating what I spat out...? Are you really a pervert...?"

"....."

"....So disgusting..."

"No, I... I was just going to try it because you didn't answer..."

Song Soo-yeon inherently didn't trust others.

Even though he didn't display the lustful gaze she'd seen in other men, she thought it was just an act.

Despite his harmless expression and loser-like demeanor, and his excuses that he had no ill intentions, Song Soo-yeon refused to believe him.

She didn't want to believe that he was a good person. It was more comforting for her to think otherwise.

She had never met a man who didn't harbor sexual desires towards her, so assuming ulterior motives felt natural.

Sighing, she left the shop again, hoping never to encounter him again.

She had revealed too much of herself.

Also, it was the first time she had vented on someone.

Ending this as a dirty and uncomfortable relationship was easier for her.

However, as she was leaving, she heard a voice.

"Hey! Come back tomorrow! I'll make it tasty for you!"

At those words, Song Soo-yeon hesitated momentarily.

Really, she had never seen a pushover like him before.

To still approach her after such treatment.

Indeed, it was a kindness that seemed incomprehensible without some underlying, impure motive.

...How lovely it would have sounded if it weren't tainted with such intentions.

Just a helping hand offered without any ulterior motive.

How much strength it would have given her, who was struggling alone.

"....Ah."

Song Soo-yeon was surprised by her own fleeting thought.

She shook her head.

No.

She wasn't struggling because she was alone.

It was just a stray thought.

.....She wasn't struggling at all.

---

---

The next evening.

Wandering the streets as usual, she ran into the school bullies.

"Song Soo-yeon! Come here!"

They were notorious in the school for their aggressive superpowers.

One could manipulate fire, another could sharpen their hand like a blade, and there were rumors the third could use poisonous needles.

Biting her lip, she wanted to run but knew too well that wasn't an option for her.

Soon, she was dragged to a secluded spot and the bullying began.

Song Soo-yeon thought this must be what working overtime felt like.

She had hoped the bullying would end at school.

But it continued even afterwards.

A few days ago, these bullies had demanded money from her.

When they couldn't find any money in Song Soo-yeon's bag and pockets, they started berating her, acting as if she had wronged them based on their earlier demand.

"Hey, are you deaf?"

Of course, Song Soo-yeon blocked her emotions and didn't give them the reaction they desired.

She thought this was her way of winning.

She had no intention of giving them money, not now, not ever.

She had nothing to give in the first place.

And the continuous hallucinations, or the voices of their hearts, only made Song Soo-yeon stronger.

'Jealous of her.'

'Why is she so pretty? It's annoying.'

'I want to see her cry and whine.'

These vile thoughts echoed clearly and ceaselessly in her head.

Realizing their actions stemmed from jealousy gave her some breathing room.

"Didn't I say I'll burn your head off if you don't bring the money by today?"

"I don't have any."

Song Soo-yeon mustered up courage and responded defiantly, though she feared what might happen if her hair actually caught fire.

"If you don't have it, you should have made some, you crazy girl."

The bully spat out those words, grabbing Song Soo-yeon's hair.

Her heart felt like it was plummeting.

She wanted to close her eyes tightly.

But showing weakness would play into their hands, and she knew the bullying would only get worse.

So, she forced her eyes to stay open.

Her focus was off.

And at that moment, a familiar male voice resounded.

"Hey! What are you doing? It's dangerous!"

Song Soo-yeon was startled by the voice.

This was the first time anyone had offered help while she was being bullied.

And it was the first time her pitiful state had been exposed like this.

How had he found her in this dark alley?

Song Soo-yeon looked towards the direction of the sound.

".....Ah."

And there he was.

The man who had been annoyingly entangled in her life lately.

Now, he looked unmistakably like a pushover, even more so with the strange apron he wore.

But why did it have to be him?

Why did she have to reveal her vulnerabilities to him again?

What must he think of her?

He approached without hesitation.

What was he thinking, coming here like this?

He didn't appear to have any combat abilities.

...And honestly, she didn't want his help.

Accepting help meant acknowledging her own weakness.

And it would just give the bullies more reason to spread rumors.

She wished he hadn't come.

She didn't need his help.

The man positioned himself between Song Soo-yeon and the bullies.

"Just stop and go away."

At that moment, quite miraculously, the bullies' vile thoughts that had been echoing painfully in her head all disappeared.

Instead, a gentle warmth enveloped her.

It was a new experience for her, these intense thoughts being replaced by such a feeling.

Her mind went numb with this sensation.

Was she going insane?

Or did this warmth represent his feelings?

Or was he thinking of something warm and kind?

As these unanswered questions swirled in her mind, she looked at the man's back.

This seemingly weak man was fighting the bullies for her.

Even for those in the villain danger ranking, this was a life-risking situation, yet he seemed to have no hesitation.

This sparked a small anger in Song Soo-yeon.

How could someone who looked so naive have such courage?

It made her feel even more pathetic.

The man was offering up to 100,000 won to the bullies, trying to defuse the situation.

He was using such a significant amount of money without hesitation, all for her sake.

Why was he doing this?

Especially after she had humiliated him so openly yesterday.

.....Was it really because of her appearance?

The more she thought about it, the more uncomfortable Song Soo-yeon felt.

She had no desire to reciprocate the affection he showed.

How could she, for someone she barely knew?

Having never learned about love from her parents, she also didn't know how to share it with others.

For Song Soo-yeon, love was solely an uncomfortable concept.

Her fists clenched.

"Please help!!! Heroes, please help!!!"

And the next moment, she realized the man was clumsily calling for heroes.

His loud call for a hero seemed almost laughable.

If this was the plan, why not call a hero from the start instead of after getting extorted?

Song Soo-yeon concluded two things about this man.

He was indeed a pushover, and he definitely liked her.

If he didn't like her, there was no reason for him to go this far.

Once the bullies left, Song Soo-yeon's frozen emotions began to stir.

She swung her fist, hitting the man in the chest.

"Who asked for your help?"

She wanted to push him away even more.

.....Yes, certainly.

He had offered nothing but a helping hand to her.

But when she thought about his intentions, Song Soo-yeon felt her gratitude fade.

After all, she had nothing to offer but one thing.

The only good thing was that the man seemed harmless.

She felt like she could push him away if needed.

She couldn't say anything to the strong ones, but in her position of receiving affection, she could easily lash out.

As she spoke, Song Soo-yeon felt disgusted by her own contradictory behavior.

"...Calling a hero... what good would that do...!"

She vented the anger she couldn't express towards the bullies on him.

How filthy was the breed of heroes, and yet he was calling them.

The puzzled man finally asked.

"Then all the more reason you should have called heroes. If not heroes, who else in such a situation?"

"Are you an idiot?"

Once he showed a weakness, she couldn't stop talking.

"What did you say?"

"You think it's over just for today? Damn it, nothing's going to happen tomorrow?"

".....Ah.."

"Now, because of you, things have gotten worse. They'll harass me even more..."

"....."

"I could have just endured and passed it quietly...! What am I supposed to do tomorrow!!"

"....."

"Why did you interfere? Did I ask for your help? So damn annoying...!"

"..."

"What? You're going to solve everything till the end? No, you won't. Why are you sacrificing me just for your moral superiority!"

She challenged him with irrefutable points.

This is what happens when you only think of gaining favor with impure intentions.

She became curious about what he would say next.

Probably he wouldn't be able to answer-

"...I...I'll solve it for you....."

He stammered his response.

"...."

Song Soo-yeon was at a loss for words at his answer.

She was so dumbfounded she couldn't even scoff.

Who would believe that with his naive face and attitude, he could solve a problem she hadn't been able to for years?

"What did you say?"

Unsure if she heard him correctly, she asked him again.

"I'll...I'll solve it for you."

He repeated the same answer, seemingly lying to her.

She felt an urge to curse him, frustrated by such false hope making her situation harder.

"....Ha. If only you could speak properly... A weirdo who stutters, full of nothing but pride... Solve it, what are you going to solve-"

-Rumble...

Mid-rant, Song Soo-yeon was abruptly silenced by the sound of her stomach growling.

Why did it have to happen at this moment?

How much was he laughing at her inside?

The world always seemed keen on handing her nothing but humiliation.

"...Ah...damn...really..."

Cursing was all she could do.

It was her last desperate attempt to piece together her shattered pride.

Her legs gave way, and she slumped to the ground.

Tears flowed, unstoppable.

She couldn't quite remember what happened next.

She remembered hurling insults at him, revealing some of her innermost feelings.

She called him a pervert, a loser, telling him he was transparent.

She had vented all her impressions of him.

Yet, he still led her back to his shop.

Song Soo-yeon, having exhausted all her energy, couldn't resist him any longer.

After all, she had already exposed the worst of herself to him.

She had shown him her begging, her poverty, her ostracism, and even let him hear her stomach growl twice.

There was no pride left to uphold.

She had laid bare her true self before him.

So when he offered his help as 'self-satisfaction' and lied, Song Soo-yeon felt indifferent.

She didn't want to refuse his offer of a meal out of non-existent pride.

Resisting would just seem foolish now.

She had also warned him.

She wouldn't like him.

Since he said the same, he couldn't expect anything from her.

She decided to just use him.

It was his decision to freely offer kindness.

It had nothing to do with her.

She planned to take advantage without giving anything back.

Entering the kitchen, Song Soo-yeon was struck by the chaos.

He had taken her comment about the tasteless noodles seriously, judging by the aftermath of his practice scattered around.

Song Soo-yeon was enveloped in a strange sense of guilt.

...What is love that makes someone go to such lengths?

She had only shown him her darkest side, yet he extended such kindness based on her looks alone, something she couldn't understand.

How much must he like her to act this way?

This level of love he displayed was a first for her.

Now, she wasn't even displeased by this fact.

His eyes did occasionally drift to her legs, but... perhaps because of his innocent face, it didn't seem to be filled with lust.

There were no lewd thoughts coming through, so it was easy to ignore.

She realized he was the first man whose presence didn't make her uncomfortable.

Then the black bean noodles were served, and she, unable to resist, began to eat.

The day had been too exhausting.

...Incredibly, there was a significant improvement in the taste of the food.

It had become tastier, just in one day.

"....Hehehehehehe."

However, as she ate, he started to chuckle.

Song Soo-yeon was startled by his laughter.

Thinking about it, her guard was down too much.

Was it too late now?

But after talking, his expression looked so wronged.

"Did you put something strange in it? No? How can you...?"

"....You didn't add anything?"

Seeing his expression, she immediately felt reassured.

If that was acting, he could be a decent actor.

Embarrassed, she mumbled.

"...You were laughing like the devil...I thought you might have done something..."

Song Soo-yeon continued to press him, hiding her guilt.

Eventually, their brief conversation ended with his apology.

"...I'm sorry."

He was such a pushover.

After that, Song Soo-yeon focused on filling her stomach.

It had been a long time since she had a conversation without such emotional drain.

Usually, all she got were insults from women and sleazy talk from men... but this time, there was none of that.

For a brief moment, she felt normal.

Chewing her food, the absurdity of what had just happened kept coming to mind.

Was it because she was relaxed, or because his face looked so unjustly wronged?

.....For some reason, Song Soo-yeon felt like she was about to burst into laughter.