Chapter 220 – Aftermath
Villains.
What are villains?
They are typically antagonistic characters in fictional works, often portrayed as evil figures who oppose the protagonist. Main villains, in particular, are known for persistently opposing the hero and posing a significant threat, sometimes even appearing invincible.
And now, looking back, I could probably be considered a main villain. No, after going head-to-head with Stardus and even recognizing her as my enemy, if I’m not the main villain, who is?
So, here I am, the leader of the most influential alliance of villains in South Korea, a gathering of powered individuals.
“What’s this?”
“It’s cotton candy.”
…I was making and eating cotton candy.
Well, people need something sweet to enjoy from time to time.
In the front garden of the mansion, with our Death Knight old guy revamping it from a landfill, Choi Sehee and Seo Ja-young brought a cotton candy machine from somewhere.
That’s why, an unexpected cotton candy feast unfolded in the garden.
“…It’s quite fascinating.”
The one who seemed most intrigued was our centuries-old spirit, Shin Ryeong.
She was wearing a white hanbok, with a hairpin adorned in her hair, and her radiant appearance while eating cotton candy looked rather unusual.
Of course, I had my own cotton candy.
A pink one. I roughly tore it open and tasted the melting sweetness inside.
…It felt like I was eating cotton candy for the first time since I was a child, back when I visited amusement parks.
“Hahaha! Time for the free cotton candy giveaway! Who wants some?”
As the old guy energetically made cotton candy behind the machine, I asked Seo Ja-young, who was enjoying her candy nearby.
“Seriously, where did you find this thing?”
“Hmm? I was browsing the internet, and I found one for sale. So, I decided to buy it.”
Lying on a bench, Seo Ja-young answered as she indulged in her candy, her eyes closed, and a contented smile on her face. It seemed like she really enjoyed cotton candy.
“Da-in, what are you doing over there? Come here.”
Someone grabbed my arm and pulled me closer.
It was Seo-eun, holding a light blue cotton candy in her hand.
“Try this taste too. It’s delicious.”
With that, she smoothly handed me her cotton candy, which effortlessly melted in my mouth.
“How’s it taste?”
“It’s good. Sweet.”
Honestly, I couldn’t detect any difference in taste between the pink and sky blue cotton candies. Supposedly, one was strawberry-flavored, and the other was blueberry-flavored… but why?
Regardless, they were both deliciously sweet.
So, what started as an impromptu cotton candy machine turned into something like a picnic in front of the mansion. The idea might have sprung from the machine, but anyway, everyone had come outside, and laughter filled the air. It was a beautiful sight.
We even spread out mats for a proper picnic.
While we rested and munched on cotton candy, Seo-eun, who had been energetically taking pictures of us eating cotton candy, suddenly asked me something.
“Da-in, you know what?”
“Hmm?”
“How about we start using social media too?”
“Social media?”
I asked her in disbelief, and she began to explain. In summary, she suggested we create an official Ego Stream account to raise our visibility. We could post pictures of our daily life, even moments like this when we were out having fun, with our faces covered.
“…And when she sees us like this, she might…”
I didn’t catch her last words because they were spoken softly, but it seemed like a similar sentiment.
Anyway, I pondered for a moment.
…Is there really a reason to do this? My fame is already quite high within Korea, and aside from Japan, there aren’t many other countries where I’m known. Besides, running such an account would consume my time.
“It’s not necessary, at least for now.”
“Hing… Alright.”
Seo-eun seemed slightly disappointed, but I managed to reassure her that I might reconsider if circumstances changed.
…And come to think of it, it might not be a bad idea to manage such an account after I retire from being a villain.
So, while discussing various topics, I relaxed with a cup of tea provided by Soobin.
…Even though it felt a bit strange to be eating cotton candy in these tumultuous times, well, sometimes you need to rest like this to work harder. After all, I would soon be leaving on another mission to apprehend a new villain.
Around the time I was enjoying this break…
“Hmm…?”
Coincidentally, I received a call from Lee Seola.
***
“Is that so? Hmm…”
“Well, there is a solution, but I’m not quite sure what it is. Anyway, she seemed to be in a better mood.”
“Alright, thanks…”
“Oh, and I got permission from PMC too. I’d like to meet up with them soon. They seem to be planning some practical training, right?”
“Really? That’s great.”
I couldn’t help but feel happy about what she said. Yes, it’s about time we started preparing our PMC as well. With the help of Stardus, it could be a significant asset.
“Yes, when we schedule a date, I can go down there and see the kids… and maybe naturally introduce them to Stardus.”
“Sounds good. Just let me know when we can set a date.”
After discussing further about PMC and Wolgwanggyo, I ended the call. Yes, I should let our PMC know as well. I need to go see them sometime.
That’s how I concluded my thoughts.
***
*[101 Reasons Why Egostic Likes Stardus]*
[…]
For the reasons mentioned above, it’s only “common sense” for Egostic to like Stardus, and Stardus should not reject the offer to join forces with the S-class hero Egostic, who has repeatedly saved South Korea single-handedly. This is a “no-brainer.” Hahahaha
=[Comments]=
[I clicked on this thinking ‘Could it be?’ and you really wrote all 101 reasons, that’s crazy hahahaha. I give you credit for your dedication.]
[Now that I read this, it really seems like Egostic likes Stardus. I hit the ‘like’ button.]
ㄴ[Well, because… it’s true!]
[Actually, wouldn’t it be worse if Stardus didn’t accept? It would be a disaster if they didn’t join forces.]
[…It seems like a reasonable argument.]
[An SSS-class hero like Egostic can’t handle everything alone. It’s just common sense for him to connect with Stardus, including the Ego Stream members.]
ㄴ[Yeah, I don’t think he would give up on Ego Stream members either. Hahahaha.]
ㄴ[Don’t say nonsensical things. Seriously.]
ㄴ[@Newday313 Wow… this person is clearly on Stardus’s side every time… Could it be Stardus?]
ㄴ[……]
ㄴ[Why would Stardus be on an Egostic fan page? Torturing innocent members, like a high-voltage mango grill.]
ㄴ[I’m not an ElecMango, but a Moonlight Mango.]
ㄴ[Ego Stream = ElecMango, Moonlight Mango, Purple Mango, HackerMango, all of them. Stardus = alone. Now, who should Stardus connect with, logically?]
ㄴ[Why didn’t you include IceMango? That’s the foundation…]
ㄴ[Neglecting the rising trend of Japanese Mango?]
ㄴ[Why is there a debate on who Egostic’s lover is in a post titled ‘101 Reasons Why Egostic Likes Stardus’? Seriously, stop bullshiting!]
*
“….”
“Hey, Lee Segeom. What are you doing?”
“Hmm?”
PMC, a subsidiary of Yuseong Group.
Main building.
Seo Chaeyoung, PMC no. 2, who was having a conversation from behind, asked Lee Segeom, PMC no.1, who was focused on his smartphone.
“It’s nothing special. What’s up?”
“Come on. It’s about what Da-in said today. We can finally see Stardus. We should think about how to greet Stardus when we meet her in person.”
She spoke with a slightly embarrassed but unmistakable sense of anticipation, her bright red short hair bobbing. She had been eagerly looking forward to the opportunity to meet Stardus in person, thanks to Da-in’s continuous brainwashing about Stardus being the best.
The same applied to PMC no.3 and no.4 as well. Of course, no.1 was also excited. After all, isn’t Stardus at the pinnacle of South Korea right now? Their desire to catch a glimpse of his extraordinary abilities in person was the same.
They all gathered and started discussing the matter, except for one disappointing aspect: Da-in requested not to mention her story to Stardus if possible. It was disappointing for them because they wanted to introduce their teacher.
As the conversation continued to flourish, something seemed to weigh heavily on Lee Segeom’s mind. He had white hair tied back neatly and remained quietly lost in his thoughts.
“…..”
Da-in, the teacher who always said Stardus was the best.
Egostic, who claimed to have 101 reasons for liking Stardus.
That familiar feeling he always got when he saw Egostic on TV.
Da-in had always avoided mentioning Egostic, who was currently the top villain by a strange margin.
Lee Segeom’s thoughts continued to spiral in this direction. Eventually, he made a decision: to share his speculations with his colleagues.
“But why did teacher Da-in tell us not to talk about himself to Stardus?”
“Yeah…”
“No matter how you look at it, it feels like he’s really hiding his true identity… but we can’t figure out what it is.”
“He definitely gives off the feeling that he’s either a hero or a villain.”
As they continued to discuss this, no.1, who had been listening to the conversation between no.2 and no.3, finally spoke up.
“…I think I might have a rough idea of Da-in’s true identity.”
“Huh?”
The sudden statement from Lee Segeom left the other three blinking in surprise.
He then calmly shared his thoughts with them.
“It’s just my guess, but I think Da-in might be…”
“… the A-class villain, Egostic.”
“…Huh?”
And just like that, unbeknownst to Da-in, a small ripple began to spread within PMC.
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