I Became a Villain’s Hero
Chapter 71: Doubt (4)

TL/Editor: Raei

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Song Soo-yeon was unable to make even the slightest movement.

Her mind went blank, and all the energy drained from her body.

She had nothing.

Except for Jung-gyeom.

But now, he had become Solace's.

The one who had brought light into her world now belonged to another woman.

His warmth, his smile, his tender heart. Now, they had an owner.

She wasn't even angry.

The overwhelming pain in her heart made it impossible for her to be angry.

She just asked weakly,

"Since when?"

Since when did Jung-gyeom give her love?

Since when had he been secretly whispering love to her behind her back?

Was that the reason he was so focused on the phone earlier?

Because she was a lower priority than Min-Bom?

She hated it.

She hated it so much.

She couldn't accept that she wasn't Jung-gyeom's first.

Min-Bom tilted her head at her reaction.

"Aren't you overreacting, Soo-yeon...?"

How could she not be surprised? How could she not be flustered?

Min-Bom had no idea what Jung-gyeom meant to Song Soo-yeon.

It just made her feel even more pathetic.

"I didn't expect this kind of reaction..."

"..."

Seeing Song Soo-yeon's serious face, Min-Bom awkwardly scratched her head.

"It's April Fool's Day."

"Ah."

Relief washed over her like waking from a terrible nightmare, her face suddenly flushing with heat.

Cold sweat seeped out of her, and her heart, which had stopped, began to beat strongly again.

"..."

"..."

At the same time, she felt an indescribable anger.

The fact that she had been fooled by such a prank irritated her.

Seeing Song Soo-yeon not laughing at all, Min-Bom reached out.

Then, she slowly apologized while holding Song Soo-yeon's wrist.

"I'm sorry, it wasn't-"

-Thwack!

Song Soo-yeon, irritated, slapped away her hand.

"Don't ever play that kind of prank again."

And then she warned her.

As expected, she and Min-Bom were incompatible. They simply didn't match.

Min-Bom, taken aback, stiffened, and her expression dried up.

She showed an expression she had never shown to Jung-gyeom.

After taking a few shallow breaths, she finally asked.

"Soo-yeon, isn't that too much?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why are you so angry, exactly?"

"Do I look like I'm angry?"

"It was just a joke...!"

She was about to say that the joke had gone too far, but Song Soo-yeon swallowed her words.

Fighting with her would just run parallel lines.

She knew they would end up fighting like this for a lifetime.

It would be better to just bear it now and someday, as Luna, crush Solace.

Song Soo-yeon sighed deeply and got up from her seat.

"Where are you going?"

Min-Bom asked, but she didn't answer.

Song Soo-yeon headed to the bathroom to catch her breath and wash her face.

It would be nice to wait until Jung-gyeom arrived.

Staying in the studio apartment was a mistake.

-Ssshh.

She drenched her face in cold water.

As her emotions settled, relief came above all else.

She was thankful once again that Jung-gyeom was not Min-Bom's lover.

She felt a renewed sense of crisis.

She must not forget that such a fox is clinging to his side.

While washing her face, Song Soo-yeon organized her thoughts.

It was a minor but definite trigger.

She realized once again that she needed to act.

...Perhaps she should step up her plans.

Either to destroy Solace or to be with Jung-gyeom.

She decided she would contact Stella later tonight.

It was time to fulfill her wish.

"...Sigh."

Song Soo-yeon shook the water off her smooth skin and looked into the mirror.

The redness in her cheeks from anger had subsided significantly.

Her emotions had calmed down a lot.

She patted her face dry with a towel.

"..."

The scent of Jung-gyeom wafted towards her.

For a moment, she took a deep breath and felt peace.

Then, a familiar ringtone sounded.

Her eyes snapped open.

"...Huh?"

At the same time, Song Soo-yeon reflexively felt for her pocket.

...Her phone was not there.

The ringing outside was hers.

Her heart sank in an instant.

She wasn't afraid of receiving calls from Stella or other villains.

She had memorized their numbers but hadn't saved them.

Their names wouldn't appear on her phone.

But she had saved Jung-gyeom's number.

As 'My Hero'.

A nickname that overflowed with longing just by looking at it.

A nickname that could reveal how deeply she felt.

Seeing it, Min-Bom would also undoubtedly realize Song Soo-yeon's feelings.

Song Soo-yeon quickly ran out of the bathroom.

"..."

"..."

But Min-Bom was already holding her phone in her hand.

Her face was still stiff, but the atmosphere was different from before.

"...."

The ringtone eventually stopped.

Silence filled the room.

Min-Bom neither answered the phone nor asked any questions, nor did she hand over the phone.

She just coldly stared at the screen.

Then, Min-Bom's eyes moved, looking towards Song Soo-yeon.

Song Soo-yeon felt a pressure she had never experienced before.

This was not the Min-Bom she had known.

Not the annoying, angry Min-Bom...

But the hero, Solace, had appeared in front of Song Soo-yeon.

The Solace who had captured numerous villains.

"...What is this."

Solace spoke coldly.

Song Soo-yeon instinctively stepped back.

"...Who is this."

She had completely changed.

Not a trace of goodwill or mercy could be seen in her expression.

It was like seeing Min-Bom's true colors.

Though she wasn't surprised to see Min-Bom's true nature, given the uneasy aspects she had noticed before, this level of menace was unexpected.

"...'My Hero'. Who is this?"

Song Soo-yeon was momentarily overwhelmed by her presence and could not respond.

Solace turned the phone around, showing the lock screen.

Jung-gyeom's smiling photo was brightly displayed.

"...And why is there a photo of Oppa as your lock screen?"

"..."

"What's with you?"

She felt as though all her secrets were being uncovered at once. Having delved into the dirty secrets of others, she had a strong aversion to her own being exposed.

...Yet, Song Soo-yeon quickly composed herself.

This was not the time to panic.

What was done was done.

What mattered was how she would act now.

She asked first.

"...Why are you touching my phone?"

Min-Bom's cold gaze slowly shifted to Song Soo-yeon's phone. With a dismissive click of her tongue, Min-Bom said,

"Alright, I'm sorry about that. But I only looked because there was a call. Now answer me. What is this?"

"..."

Her voice was steady, but the gravity of it grew heavier with time.

Applying tremendous pressure, Min-Bom said,

"...It would be better for you to answer well. I'm not sure how I'll react."

"What do you want to hear?"

"'My Hero.' Who is this?"

Song Soo-yeon swallowed before answering clearly.

"An older man."

"...What?"

"Because he saved me. He stopped me on the day I was going to commit suicide. That's why I saved it like that. Because he's my hero. Is there a problem with that?"

"..."

Min-Bom and Song Soo-yeon glared at each other for a long time.

In the past, Song Soo-yeon might have backed down.

But maybe because she had become a villain and had started carrying the name Luna, she no longer wanted to lower her eyes so easily.

Being submissive was something for the powerless high school student Song Soo-yeon.

"...Fine, let's say that's the case."

Min-Bom raised her eyebrows and looked away.

Then, she asked while showing the phone's wallpaper,

"Isn't this crossing a line? Why is Oppa your phone's wallpaper?"

"..."

"To do this when you're not even dating... it's a bit creepy. Oppa doesn't like you in that way. Wouldn't he be shocked if he saw this? What right do you have to do this?"

Min-Bom's interrogation seemed endless. It was as if she had stirred up a hornet's nest.

"You said... you don't like Oppa. That's what you said."

Song Soo-yeon's expression started to crumble. There was nothing she regretted more.

"You told me not to get involved with Oppa. You said you weren't interested in dating. You said you hated men. That's why I let you off. Even when you were utterly insufferable, I let it slide. But... this changes things, doesn't it?"

Solace's eyes began to glow. She was using her powers. Whether it was intentional or out of excitement, the pressure intensified.

Song Soo-yeon did not back down. She was determined to stand her ground. She couldn't just tuck her tail and run now.

Min-Bom warned,

"You'd better watch how you conduct yourself."

Song Soo-yeon replied, hiding her tension.

"...Why are you interfering so much if you're not dating him?"

"I said I like Oppa."

"So what?"

Min-Bom laughed derisively, astounded.

"Do you like Oppa?"

She asked.

"..."

After pondering for a while, Song Soo-yeon took a deep breath.

She looked directly into Min-Bom's eyes.

And then she says,

"I love him. Madly."

"..."

"..."

She then let out a small laugh. It was an act, but it was effective in provoking the other party.

"It's April Fool's Day. Smile, Unni."

"..."

Min-Bom smiled as well. She let out a cold laugh.

"...Now I see why you don't have friends, Soo-yeon."

Song Soo-yeon could tell.

From now on, there would be no friendly relationship with Min-Bom.

---

---

Hours later, after being treated to lunch by Jung-gyeom, Min-Bom returned to the Hero Association and entered her personal office.

As always, she scanned the room using electromagnetic waves, then quickly found a pack of cigarettes and shook it in her palm with a couple of taps.

-Thump! Thump!

When stress exceeded its limits, she always craved a cigarette.

Since consulting with Jung-gyeom about this issue was not an option, she had no choice but to deal with it alone.

She hurriedly lit a cigarette and began to smoke.

Inhaling the smoke deeply into her lungs, she trembled slightly.

She had pretended otherwise in front of Song Soo-yeon, but she was nervous.

Soo-yeon, being so close to Jung-gyeom and beautiful, was an unexpected rival.

It made her anxious.

Moreover, as greedy as Min-Bom was, she felt she had to somehow secure Jung-gyeom.

Only by his side could she not be Solace, but 'Min-Bom', and learn the small joys of being with him.

Even though it might seem trivial, to Min-Bom, who was always in the midst of blood and broken bones, nothing was more precious.

She was realizing this fact more and more.

The nearly two weeks she hadn't seen Jung-gyeom were the hardest, which said it all.

"...Sigh..."

As she tapped the ash into her hand, she pondered.

She had to come up with a plan.

What should she do?

What decision should she make?

"...How can I make Jung-gyeom love me?"

Thinking about it, she had always received help from him. Was there nothing she could do to help him in return?

Could she not show her charm?

Should she be more aggressive?

Love was new to her, and it was giving her a headache.

---

---

After a long time, she stood up.

Four cigarette butts were crushed in her hand.

Pondering yielded no answers. She decided to take action.

She would make him a lunchbox.

Compared to the time spent in turmoil, it seemed like a cute conclusion... but that was her choice.

Jung-gyeom worked at a restaurant and had likely never had someone cook for him before.

It was a small gesture, but just as Solace found salvation in those small moments of happiness, she decided she wanted to give him the same joy.

With limited time to spend together, this was the best option.

She knew she had to create time together, even if it meant forcing it.

---

---

Song Soo-yeon returned to her studio apartment and called Stella.

While biting her nails, she recalled the despair she felt when she thought she had lost Jung-gyeom.

"..."

At the same time, she remembered Min-Bom's gaze and the words she had said.

'...Now I see why you don't have friends, Soo-yeon.'

...She had never despised someone so much.

Though she didn't show it, her face flushed because it hit a really sore spot.

She felt she had to release this raging anger.

There was no delaying it any longer.

-Beep!

Stella answered the phone.

"Luna, calling at this time-"

"-Stella. When will my wish be fulfilled?"

Song Soo-yeon asked abruptly.

"..."

Stella fell silent at Song Soo-yeon's sudden question.

But Soo-yeon did not stop.

"You've been helping others for almost 2 weeks. When will it be my turn?"

"...Haven't I given you enough money?"

Soo-yeon suppressed her rising emotions and said,

"...Damn...you know my priority isn't money..., Stella."

A long sigh was the response.

Soo-yeon felt if Stella rejected her proposal now, she might explode.

Such was the extent of her anger.

Her obsession with Jung-gyeom surged.

Finally, Stella said,

"...Yes, I understand."

Soo-yeon exhaled, cooling her anger for a moment. She took it positively that Stella had accepted.

"...So, what do you want? Love? Or...Solace?"

"Solace."

Soo-yeon answered without hesitation.

Gritting her teeth, she said,

"...Let's destroy this b*tch."