BXBX NOVEL Chapter 427: Side Story: Lily of the Valley (2)
Chapter 427: Side Story: Lily of the Valley (2)
“Phew…”
I sat at a table by the window, sipping a cup of tea in the sunlight.
The view outside the window showed a yard with green grass and butterflies fluttering around.
“It’s peaceful…”
It was a calm, peaceful, warm afternoon and was enough to make me forget that this world was originally a ruined world that would be destroyed in a few years.
“…Well. A lot has happened, though.”
I muttered and set the teacup down.
The Incident of the Lost Superpowers.
After the incident, when everyone’s powers were taken away, the world quickly became peaceful.
Although people didn’t realize that the reason for the collective loss of ability was due to the death of the Sun God… nonetheless, they were quick to come to terms with this sudden change.
And I…Suddenly, I lost my purpose in life.
‘No… I don’t hate it.’
First of all, I don’t hate it. Rather than living in a world of ruins, doing what I have to do today or tomorrow, I think it’s better to live like this, stretching out my legs…Thanks to the knowledge I’ve already earned from the original work, I’ve made an unimaginable amount of money in the world I used to live in.
But even so, it was still a bit unfair to realize that everything I’d planned so far had been thrown out the window…
‘Phew… After the cruise ship bombing, I had a train and airplane bombing all planned out…’
That’s not all. The ‘Ego Squad’ plan to recruit various villains, the ‘Cathedral’ plan to join a global alliance of villains and spy on them… and a plan for Stardus. I had almost a decade’s worth of plans laid out, and it’s ridiculous to think that it was all for naught when I decided to live for Stardus, Stardus doesn’t need me anymore…
Of course, I was just kidding.
Seriously, after all the villains were incapacitated, the biggest question that came to mind was this.
If this is the case, why was I possessed by this world?
I couldn’t really find a reason for this.
If I wasn’t in this world, in a world that would be normal in this way anyway. Why me, why my parents, why my friends. Why did I have to leave everyone behind and come to this world alone?
I don’t know why, except for the God of the Stars. I’ll stop here, because it hurts my mouth to blame my god for dropping me here and leaving me to perish alone.
As I was thinking about that, my gaze suddenly turned to a picture frame on my desk.
In the picture, I see Seo Eun standing next to me on the day of my high school entrance ceremony, wearing a school uniform with a sullen expression.
“…Still. Well. I’m not alone anymore.”
I smirked, and unwittingly recalled the events of that day.
*** *** *** *** ******
That day. The shocking day when all heroes and villains lost their powers.
-Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep.
“…..ha.”
I spent the day watching the news, feeling like a mess.
Time flies, and it’s night.
In a small room
“…”
I was sitting there, alone, on the side of my bed, having given up on everything, wondering with a stony face what on earth I had come to this world for.
And then, with a click, the door opened and someone stepped cautiously in front of me.
“I… Oh, Oppa.”
“…Ah, Seo-Eun, yes, why?”
“Uh… um… uh…”
Seo-eun hesitated as she approached me, who was sitting with a serious expression.
I, who was already disturbed by various things at the time, could only stare at her with a questioning face.
Finally taking a deep breath, Seo-Eun asked me with a look of determination.
“I… what’s going to happen to us now?”
“…What do you mean?”
At Seo-Eun’s words, I simply replied in a daze.
I had so much on my mind right now that I couldn’t take her words seriously.
And then, after a slight pause, Seo-Eun opened her mouth again and spoke carefully to me.
“No… You told me back then. In exchange for me helping you deal with Stardus, you’d cooperate to take down HanEun Group… But, what would happen if things turned out like this…”
Hearing Seo-eun start to ramble like that, I was able to regain my composure and look at her properly.
Then, and only then, did I see it.
Clutching the sleeve of her hoodie, she stood in front of me with her head down, looking anxious.
…Seo-eun looking at me with trembling eyes, wondering if she was going to be abandoned again.
That’s right. I told her that when we first met.
When she was still a young hedgehog, prickling at me, I told her we would make a pact. I’d help her, and she’d help me, and we’d work together.
After a year’s worth of investment, I was finally able to get inside Seo-Eun’s mind.
She was wary of everyone, but she was able to open up to me.
That’s why she’s so anxious right now.
Now that all the villains’ powers are gone…she’s afraid I’ll just walk away and say I don’t need her anymore.
She’s already opened her heart, and she’s afraid she’ll be thrown away again.
Only then, I realized.
Even though the world has gotten weird, and I don’t know what I’m going to do now.
There was still a life left for me, a life I was responsible for.
Therefore, I said.
“…Yeah. I don’t know.”
I stretched out my arms toward her, ruffled her hair, and moved her mouth into a slight smile.
“First, if you don’t mind. I want to live with you forever, okay?”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
At my words, Seo-eun revealed a smile she couldn’t hide.
I patted her back and continued to speak.
“I heard that most of the villains have lost their abilities…but there are still those who use technology related superpowers. Also, don’t you think we’re like a family now, or am I the only one who thought so?”
I jokingly said to Seo-Eun, trying to lighten the mood.
When I said this, she blushed again and said, “Oh… What are you talking about, are you sure…” or something like that?
I would make such predictions and wait for her reaction.
And Seo-eun didn’t seem to mind my expectations.
She just lowered her head, her ears reddening at the tips.
“Yes…” she replied in a small voice.
“…”
Yes.
There is still a child who needs my protection.
There are people who need me.
There is someone I am responsible for.
So, in this life, which has lost its purpose, I’ll live for this child.
Therefore, the conclusion I came to was this.
“Seo-eun, let’s go to school.”
“What…?”
***
Again, back to the present.
“…What time is it already?”
After looking outside for a while, I put down my teacup and got up from my seat.
It’s almost time for Seo-eun to come back from high school. I should get ready.
She’s going to be hungry since she’s finishing late today…
“Okay, I’ll just make a quick omelet.”
I stood in the kitchen with that thought.
Omelets are easy, just beaten eggs and sautéed vegetables.
With that thought in mind, I finished preparing and cooking.
-bang.
“Oppa, I’m home~”
With those words Seo-eun, with her silver short hair and white school uniform, finally came home.
“Hey, Seo-eun, are you home?”
With those words Seo-eun often walked towards me.
“Oh, oppa, I guess it’s omelet rice today?”
I nodded my head at Seo-eun, who said that to me while holding my arm with both hands in a cute way.
“Oh, right. You know it right away, right?”
“Hmph. Of course, I’ve eaten your food once or twice, but it’s been a long time. Wait, I’ll wash up and help you too!”
After saying that, Seo-eun rushed to the bathroom.
I looked at her back and smiled a little.
‘When I first saw her, she was such a little girl…’
She’s all grown up now.
It seems like just yesterday that she was so small, and now she’s grown to be smaller than my head…
Time flies.
I turned on the gas while thinking about that and a few minutes later we sat down at the table and picked up our cutlery.
“I’ll eat well~.”
With those words, we started eating.
And Seo-eun, who started eating omelet rice, smiled as she ate, as she always did.
Seeing her like that, I also smiled a little and said,
“Is it good?”
“Hehe. Have I ever called my oppa’s rice tasteless? Hmph.”
Seo-eun didn’t hide the smile on her face and the quick spoonfuls she was eating.
One thing I realized after living with her was that Seo-eun seemed to be a picky eater, but she secretly ate anything. To be more precise, I should say that she actually liked anything I cooked for her.
Every day, she would claim that she liked chicken or tteokbokki best when she went out like a ‘normal’ teenager, but she would get a little sullen when I asked her to eat those instead of home cooked food.
For the past three years, I practiced cooking because I didn’t have much to do, and I was proud to say that I had become quite good at it. Of course, Seo-eun helped me a lot.
“It was delicious. I’ll clean up.”
“Sure. And change from your school uniform.”
“Yes~”
With that, Seo-eun hummed and cleared the dishes.
I looked at her and smiled.
She was so much brighter compared to before.
I guess high school was the right answer after all.
‘…Originally, I didn’t force her to go to school because she didn’t really want to go.’
Now that the world is at peace, I decided to send her to school anyway.
She needs to go and cure her distrust of people and experience different people so she can grow up. I don’t see how she’s going to make any progress if it’s just me and her hacking away at home.
“No, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m a genius. Why do I have to go all the way over there to study English math in Korean high school?
“Seo-eun, I’m sending you there to improve your social skills.”
“What?”
When she first entered high school, Seo-eun was screaming that she didn’t want to go…
Now in her junior year, she was making friends and getting along well. Honestly, I was worried that I wouldn’t fit in, but thank God.
“Seo-eun, you’re in the middle of your senior year, are you studying for the SAT?”
“What? No, oppa, have you forgotten who I am? I don’t study at all, I just get perfect scores.”
“…Right.”
Well, I don’t have to worry about a genius girl.
I smirked at Seo-eun, who was strutting around with her hands on her hips and a smug smile on her face.
“I’m fine, oppa. Aren’t you broadcasting these days? People in your fan cafe are asking when you’re coming back.”
“…Are you still running that?”
“Of course.”
Seo-eun smiled as she said that, and then pointed her smartphone screen at me.
I saw a long list of posts.
*
[The only hero of this era, Egostic<<Where is he going?]
[I’m going to lose my mind, I’m going to lose my mind, I’m going to lose my mind]
[I wait for him to come back… I take the day off… I take the day off…]
[!!!I’m so glad this cafe doesn’t broadcast Egostic!!!]
[The fact is that the Mangostick fan cafe is getting healthier]
[Egostic should realize his own situation, which has now become a hope even overseas…txt]
[Shocker: there are people who refresh YouTube every day?]
*
Even after reading only a portion of it, I looked away, feeling dizzy and disoriented.
…There’s a reason they’re like that. The broadcast was quite a change of direction from the original terrorist broadcast, but whatever…
I looked at them, smirked, and said.
“I said I quit being a villain, not that I quit streaming.”
Oh well.
Eventually, it was time to go on the air.
As I said so, I flicked my hand, raising the cup into the air casually.
Yeah. What’s the point of hiding it any longer?
This was a world where all heroes and villains have lost their powers.
“Wow… It used to be no big deal, but now I’m fascinated by your telekinetic powers.”
“Right, because I’m the only one who can use it anymore.”
And there it is.
I, and only I, became the only one who could use superpowers.
“No… Besides Oppa, there’s also Stardus.”
…Ah, Stardus and a few others.