I Became The Villain The Hero Is Obsessed With

Chapter 345: Dream

A sunny day, on the roof of a large building, Stardus stood silently in front of the camera.

“…Is this how it’s supposed to be?”

*

[???]

[What is this broadcast?]

[Isn’t this Stardus?]

[Hmph…major announcement]

[What is this?]

[Association that hijacks TV radio waves]

*

“Ah… Okay.”

With that, she finished setting up.

…Stardus took a deep breath and turned to face the camera.

“Hello, everyone. I’m Stardus.”

*

[?????]

[nahhhhhhhhhh]

[Egostic is gone, Stardus is here]

[What the heck]

[Stardus has a weird vibe]

[Stardus’ vibe is weird]

[Her eyes are dead] [What the fuck] [What the fuck] [What the fuck] [What the fuck] [What the fuck] [What the fuck] [What the fuck] [What the fuck

[What the hell is going on?]

*

Egostic has been gone for four months.

And while she’s been grieving for him, Shadow Walker’s revelation that he may have a terminal illness has left Stardus devastated.

So she decided.

‘One last time, I must see the Egostic.’

Make sure he’s okay.

“Whew…”

Stardus stood in a world of black and white, breathing in the cold air and thinking of ways to summon Egostic.

Given his nature as a villain, one who would do anything to protect the world, and then come out when something went wrong.

If she causes an event of this magnitude, he’ll come out.

With that determination she looked at the camera with dead eyes and opened her mouth.

“…I came out here for one reason: to call out to the Egostic.”

“Egostic. Come here immediately.”

“If you don’t come, I’ll bring down the building below me.”

*

[????????]

[It’s dust, what do you mean]

[This is Korea]

[Let’s go, let’s go~ (really let’s go)]

[S-class hero’s S-class villain awakening]

[Stardus, did I hear you wrong…]

[… What is this?]

[Rather good, are we seeing Mangostick today?]

[Oh, now that I think about it, I guess so?]

[Thinking about it, I’d be better off cheering for the Stardus]

[I’m like, “What the hell?”]

[Oh my God]

[What the hell]

[Hmm… dream (real dream)]

*

“I’m going to give you ten minutes from now, and…Egostic, I’m serious.”

Looking straight into the camera, she said as seriously as she could.

And then, a moment later.

“…..”

Stardus swallowed hard as she watched the blackness of the sky beyond.

Yes, he was coming. She’d known he’d come.

But to think of seeing him this way, right in front of her eyes again somehow, it made her feel dizzy.

She wondered if she’d made the right choice, if there was a better way.

What if he’s really sick?

Despite these worries, she waited in silence.

…Finally, finally.

Finally, finally.

And when he finally came.

Before she saw his face.

“….?”

The world, suddenly, turned upside down.

“Huh…!”

And, at the same time, Stardus opened his eyes.

“…..What the…?”

-Tirrrrrrrrrrr.

A loud ringing sounded next to her.

Fumbling with her right hand, she managed to turn off the alarm, then looked up at the ceiling and sighed.

“Whew…”

Now she was lying on her bed, Stardus realized.

Ah.

…That was a dream.

“Ha…”

Grabbing hold of her dizzy head, she walked over to the refrigerator and took a sip of cold water.

Leaning back against it, she slipped and hesitantly sat down.

Her eyes, however, were already glazed over.

‘Egotistic, he’s dying.’

‘He’s dying.’

He’s on her last breath.

Time is running out.

Egostic, he’s a dead man walking.

When she heard what Shadow Walker told her, Stardus’ days became hell from that day forward.

Not someone else’s. A self-inflicted hell.

What if she had known he was about to die?

Every time she thought of it, tears welled up in her eyes.

But not now, of course, there were no more tears to shed.

“….”

Her feelings for Egostic were complicated.

He was a villain. A villain who’d carried out dozens of terrorist attacks and who’d taken hostages but there were just as many times he’d helped her save a country and the world.

It was hard to tell if the villain was doing heroics for fun or the hero was doing terrorism for fun.

At first, Stardus hated Egostic.

It was Stardus’ characteristic to have no mercy on villains.

She didn’t care about their backstories and had no forgiveness.

A villain who caused harm, no matter what, was a criminal but as the years passed, her thoughts began to change.

Seeing the things he does.

Questioning whether he, the villain, was really a bad person.

Terrorizing, but never harming civilians.

He steps up to the plate in times of crisis, eliminating danger first.

…Especially, the way he would appear in her time of need and help her with a smile on his face melted Stardus’ hardened heart.

…even risking his own life to protect her.

Even when no one else would stand up for her, he would always be there for her, calling her his own.

Stardus finally opened her heart to him.

…Without realizing it, she had grown to like him.

She didn’t even care that he’s a villain anymore.

…Yeah. She didn’t know what the point of terrorism is, but if it’s the high of life…it could be…Maybe?

In any case, under the circumstances, she couldn’t imagine it.

The man who always smiled, turned on the radio, and terrorized her.

That he would suddenly announce his retirement and disappear overnight.

Even worse…

‘I won’t be calling you in the future.’

With a smile he’d made it clear that he would be no more calls for her.

He will never see her again and just like that, Egostic was gone.

In the midst of great loss and despair, Stardus realized.

Ah. I did like him…I did like him.

But it was too late.

Like a jilted lover, Stardus cried every night before she fell asleep, as he thought about why Egostic had left her.

…The rest of the time, she scoured the internet for stories of his sightings.

Sometimes, when she had to travel for work, she would follow my instincts and look for his house. Her intuition led me into the weirdest mountains and back out again.

Anyway, under the circumstances Stardus heard something even more shocking.

Her colleague had told her that Egostic might be dying, though her mind denied it.

…The look on his face when he said it was so sincere and true that she found herself believing it.

Now she was thinking all sorts of things with dead eyes, her mind completely broken.

‘What if his ill health is due to the monster attack he took on my behalf once upon a time…?’

Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought of such things.

As she thought about it, she felt as if it was her fault that Egostic was dying.

In reality, she had her doubts.

What if she hadn’t recognized him and beaten him up the day he rode the robot, and that’s why he’d gotten so sick?

Even if it wasn’t…What if she had gotten sick from helping her in the first place?

After all, she’d seen him cough up blood time and time again.

Whenever Stardus thought of that, she would shed a tear under her breath.

…Because no matter how hardened a hero she was, she’d never had a place in her heart like this.

The thought that she might have hurt someone she loved was too much for even the strongest of minds to bear.

“Hmph…”

She felt sorry for herself for knowing that and still not thinking of going to find Egostic.

Fearful that he was really dead, she couldn’t bring herself to look for him like in her dreams.

She regretted it again.

…If only she had told him her feelings sooner, from the beginning.

If only she had been nicer to him, instead of being snippy, when he was always helping her.

If only she had cherished the time she had with him.

Thinking about that Stardus wiped the tears from her eyes and stood up.

“…I have to work.”

Yes.

…For now, save one more.

That’s what Egostic would want.

With that thought, she got up, washed up, and headed to the Association.

That day all the villains she faced fell with a single punch because frustration is what makes a hero strong…

***

“Stardus, how are you doing these days, back on track?”

I nodded, watching Stardus’ one-punch-cut streak on the news.

Good. You’re doing great without me. Way to go, Stardus.

…I shook my head and looked at the letter in my hand, though I felt a twinge of disappointment.

Good. It’s almost time for another Cathedral.

With Part 4 just around the corner, Cathedral is more important than ever.

…Especially since it’s all about wooing Celeste, and I’m determined to do it well.

I don’t know if I can do it, but whatever.

“And…”

With that thought, I turned my head to look at the calendar and muttered.

“…It’s about to happen.”

Hopefully, I’ll get to see Stardus for the first time in a long time.

Of course, I’ll try to run away right away, so we won’t have time to talk unless she catches me.

I closed my eyes with that thought.