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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: A Brief Interlude
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After Electra's debut and the declaration of the Villain Alliance's formation, I decided to take another break for a while.
The advantage of being a villain is that after a big score, you can take a few weeks off on your own.
Well, truthfully, I was just waiting for the main event of the original story to occur.
Anyway, we were enjoying peaceful days like that.
"...I haven't been able to keep up with entertainment news lately."
It was a leisurely afternoon.
As Seo-eun and I were playing a video game on the TV in the living room, Choi Se-hee's voice came from behind us.
"Why not?"
"Haa. Because this kind of thing pops up every time I try to look?"
Sitting on the sofa, she showed me her phone.
The screen she showed displayed a truly dizzying article titled, "[Ego-Stick X Electra: A Collection of Overflowing Chemistry.zip]".
"Oppa! Look out!"
"Huh? Agh!"
By the way, I died in the game because I looked at it.
"This game sucks."
What kind of game isn't trash if you die just for looking away for a second?
"Haa... What did you see that made you react like that? Show me too."
While Seo-eun looked at Choi Se-hee's phone, I spoke to Choi Se-hee.
"Don't pay too much attention to it. It's just people who don't know anything making up stories anyway."
"No... but still, it's displayed so prominently on the main page. Doesn't it bother you?"
Choi Se-hee looked down at me with a complicated expression.
Me?
Come to think of it, I was genuinely startled when the dating rumors with Stardus first broke out. I even considered blowing up the broadcasting station.
But, well. Now...
"You get used to it if you keep seeing it."
"...That's really helpful advice."
As I avoided Choi Se-hee's sour gaze, Seo-eun, who was beside me, spoke with a slight grumble.
"No. I've been next to Oppa the longest, so why do people only acknowledge Se-hee unnie?"
"Why? Because you were behind the scenes, and Choi Se-hee stood in front of the camera with me."
"Ugh. Don't even mention cameras. Do you know how embarrassed I was acting in front of them? I nearly bit my tongue off from shame when I had to say, 'I am Electra!'"
"...But then again, you seemed to be enjoying it a bit by the middle, didn't you?"
"Me? Ha! How ridiculous."
She closed her mouth, her face slightly flushed, and turned her head, perhaps stung by my accurate remark.
And then there was Seo-eun's murmur from beside me, "I... want to do terrorism too..."
Hmm.
Still a peaceful day, I see.
***
Still, our Ego-Squad. No, wait. Should I call it Ego-Stream now? Our Ego-Stream members aren't just playing around. When it's time to work, they work.
Seo-eun and Soo-bin-ssi are busy continuously developing the Ego-Stream website. They said something about running macros... I'm not entirely sure what that means.
Ha-yul and Cha-yoon, the siblings, are diligently studying. Cha-yoon, in particular, declared her ambition to join the Association and help me when she grows up. So commendable.
Choi Se-hee is still undergoing training to control her abilities.
As for me.
I was currently standing in the middle of downtown Seoul.
A street lined with old buildings, the kind you can see anywhere in Seoul.
I entered a small building made of red bricks among them.
Inside the dilapidated building, which looked like it could collapse any moment.
Once inside, I immediately headed down the stairs to the basement.
The basement was just as dark and shabby as the ground floor.
It seemed like a path leading to an ordinary basement, but...
The difference was that no matter how far down I went, the stairs continued endlessly?
"...Alright."
I muttered that to myself for no particular reason.
This should be the place, right?
As if there were no issues, I continued descending the stairs lightly. Suddenly, I kicked the wall beside me with a loud *bang*.
"Come out!"
Simultaneously, the wall crumbled as if it were made of sand. And beyond that wall, a long corridor stretched out.
Came to the right place.
A stately stone corridor, softly illuminated by green candlelight, contrasting sharply with the shabby building from moments ago. I confidently walked through this place, where a bit of moss added to its mysterious atmosphere. Seriously, what era is this that they're still using candles? If I had my way, I'd install LEDs everywhere. Time for some industrialization.
As I walked, lost in such silly thoughts, I eventually reached the end of the corridor.
And in front of it, a black door stood.
It was an antique obsidian door, covered in intricate decorations, but that wasn't my concern. Whether it was a wooden door, an obsidian door, or an automatic door, they were all made to be opened. So, I confidently *bang*ed it open.
Upon opening the door and entering, I saw a slightly spacious room, also softly illuminated by green candlelight.
Passing various framed pictures and a bubbling cauldron, I strode purposefully towards a section veiled by a light green curtain.
My attire: from a black hat to black shoes, cloak, and mask. I had already changed into my full Ego-suit. Frankly, I suspected she could probably see through my disguise anyway, but just in case.
Pushing aside the veil-like curtain, I saw a small round table, a crystal ball on top of it, and a woman facing me.
"Hello?"
As I entered and greeted her, she quietly nodded.
Cloaked in a dark green robe that covered her face completely, she was the villain known as the Vine Witch, who would be immediately granted S-rank status by the Association once her identity was revealed.
As I sat down, she finally spoke.
"You're a new face. So, what brings you here?"
"Yes. I've come to request a favor."
Right. The reason I sought her out was to make a request.
I took out two leather notebooks I had brought with me.
One was my diary, and the other was an unused notebook.
"Please put a sealing spell on these two."
"Until when?"
"Until I die, for both of them."
As I said that, I pulled something else from my pocket.
A small box containing dozens of colorful gems.
When I placed the box on the table, she nodded and took the notebooks from me.
Then, she began chanting in a low voice.
As she placed her hands on my notebooks and murmured, both books began to glow with a light green light.
After a short while, the light faded.
And then, as if finished, she handed me the two notebooks.
Taking both books back and examining them, I saw that their covers were now engraved with light green magical symbols that hadn't been there before.
"...Now, no one but the owner will be able to open them by force or peek at their contents."
"Thank you, Witch."
I said that and stood up. My business was concluded, so it was time to go.
After saying that, I pushed aside the veil again and walked out. As I headed towards the door, I suddenly heard words from behind me.
"...You walk a difficult path."
At her voice, which drifted past me, I paused slightly.
At her single remark, which seemed to pierce through everything about me, my steps naturally slowed.
As expected, someone of her caliber could recognize me instantly.
How should I answer?
...Right.
"...Because it's a path someone has to walk."
"Keep going."
She offered a brief word of encouragement to my reply.
Had the Vine Witch ever said something like that in the original story? It felt like the first time she'd offered such encouragement.
I quietly closed the door and walked down the corridor.
A difficult path, huh.
I chewed on those words and chuckled to myself.
If it wasn't difficult, I wouldn't have even started in the first place.
***
Back home, I looked at the two open notebooks.
One was my diary. Now that Choi Se-hee was also living in this house, the chances of it being discovered had increased, so I sealed it completely. All my goals and such were written in it, so it would be a disaster if it were found.
And the other was a newly bought notebook.
I planned to gradually fill this one with content too. I'd do that later.
Having more or less finished my tasks, I went onto the Stardus fan cafe.
The largest hero fan cafe in the country, which I personally created. Stardus Fan Cafe: Stardust Brigade.
Seeing the cafe grow day by day always filled my heart with a sense of pride.
...Though it was still a flaw that its membership was less than half, or even a quarter, of my own fan cafe, the Mango Brigade. No, does it even make sense for a villain to have a larger fan cafe than a hero? Those who don't know Stardus's charm are truly pitiful.
I grumbled as I managed the cafe.
Stardus photos... saved. Stardus praise... liked. Stardus dating rumors... deleted. Stardus and Ego-Stick look good together? ...Hmm. I'll leave that one.
As I managed things one by one, I paused slightly at the title of one post.
"[Heard from an acquaintance at the Association that Stardus also went into the Han Eun Group basement on the day Ego-Stick did?]"
I immediately deleted that and blocked the poster.
You know too much.
After that quick deletion, I thought about the Han Eun Group again. Seo-eun and Soo-bin-ssi's enemies. The large corporation that conducted secret experiments. And Kim Seon-woo, the chief manager, and the researchers who escaped.
Looking at the calendar... Right. It's soon.
"Finally, it's time to finish them off."
Yes.
This time, it's finally time to completely crush the Han Eun Group bastards, the original story's mid-boss and living despair-makers.
I stood up.
From now on, I should start preparing for the broadcast and formulating my plans.
And this time, I'll definitely call out Stardus by name.
....
It's absolutely not because I recently saw a post on my fan cafe suggesting that Ego-Stick seemed to have abandoned Stardus.
Absolutely not.