Chapter 261: Seo-Eun’s Heart
“I can’t believe it’s already getting cooler…”
After a scorching hot sumr, fall was just around the corner but we, the mbers of Ego Stream, were busy working as usual, with training and competing in power-ups.
“….No, we’re not heroes, we’re protecting the country…”
Of course, there were so whiners, like our own Seo Jae-young.
Sitting on a tree with her purple demon fire floating in the air, she said in a languid voice.
“Uh-huh. A villain needs land to terrorize to be a villain. It’s all part of terrorizing.”
“…Heh. You’re not doing this because of Stardus?”
“…Huh?”
Her eyes narrowed and she smiled as she blurted out a joke.
I was just about to make a defense when I realized that I wasn’t so much embarrassed as I was stunned.
From the other side of the room, Choi Se-hee walked over, wiping her sweat.
“What is it, Seo Jae-young, were you whining again?”
“…I wasn’t whining, I was asking reasonable questions…”
Before Jae-young could say anything, Choi Se-hee chuckled.
“Hey, wouldn’t it be fun if we could wipe out all the monsters raining down on the earth? Just think, with a wave of my hand, they’d be fried by lightning and swept away…”
Choi Se-hee’s hands were crackling with yellow electricity as she spoke and one hand was raised in excitent.
“…Sure, that would be fun.”
And just like that, she said as if she was slightly intrigued.
Then, with a flash of lightning, Choi Se-hee climbed up the tree, grabbed her by the hood, and pulled her to her feet.
“So, co on, let’s go.”
“Eh, eh, eh, eh…”
“Da-in, should I take her back?”
“Uh, hurry up and take back…”
After escaping from the training center, Seo Jae-young was caught by Choi Se-hee again and dragged away.
The end of the world scenario for Moonlight Church is just around the corner.
Just as I destroyed Seo-Eun’s enemies, the HanEun Group, the ti has co to destroy Eun-Wol’s enemies, the Moonlight Church. That’s why we, the mbers of Ego Stream, are doing everything we can.
Among us, Seo-Eun was the most determined to capture Stardus, and she had already built a destructive weapon by studying chanical engineering to the limit.
“Seo-Eun, what have you been doing?”
“Da-in!”
The white humanoid robot’s head descended from the cockpit, her short white hair fluttering, and she looked at as she said so.
When she landed on the ground, she ran toward .
“Look at , training even on my birthday!”
“I’m proud of you.”
“Ehehe…”
As I casually stroked her, she smiled, looked up, and then I dropped it with a surprised gasp.
“Hmmm, hmmm. I’ll let you have it just this once, with an adult mindset. I’m an adult now!”
Our Seo-Eun says confidently.
That’s right. As of today, her birthday has passed, and she is now a legal adult.
…When I first t her, she was just a kid, and now she’s an adult, and I feel a little overwheld. It was a mixed feeling, both proud and complicated.
…Because in this world, Seo-eun was the first person I ever had a relationship with.
“Okay. Seo-eun, if you’re done, let’s go eat. You’re the star of the show.”
Even though I’ve been busy lately, it’s Seo-Eun’s long-awaited first birthday as an adult, so of course we’re going to have a big, loud dinner. I helped Soobin cook and most of the food was Seo-eun’s favorite.
“Hehe.”
…When I first t her, she was cold, hostile and wary but now she could smile and laugh like this.
Seo-Eun and I walked across the large, open research center, just the two of us.
…It’s only a short distance. Should we just teleport together?
Just as I was thinking that.
“Da-in.”
Suddenly, Seo-Eun turned to with a wide smile.
“Why?”
As I said that, she glanced to the side, still smiling and with her eyes never leaving mine, she opened her mouth.
“It’s just… I’m done being a minor, and now that I’m an adult, there’s sothing I really want to tell you when we’re alone like this.
“What?”
“About…everything. Thank you for raising .”
She smiles brightly at as she says it.
“…I didn’t do anything. You grew up on your own.”
When I say that with a smirk, Seo-eun replies with an unexpectedly determined expression.
“No. If I didn’t have you…I’d be a lot different, that’s for sure.”
She says that with a bitter smile.
For a mont, the original Seo Eun overlapped with her, and I couldn’t find the words to say.
As if on cue, Seo-eun smiled again, looked back at , and continued.
“Thank you for being with , for holding on to when I was pushing you away, and for going with to the end. Without you, I probably wouldn’t be who I am today.”
…Seo Eun, as if she’s grown up now, confesses what she’s been keeping in her heart all this ti.
The way she spoke to with such sincerity made my expression falter for a mont.
“….”
I look at Seo-eun, who is looking straight at with her transparent eyes and mories flashed through my mind and for a mont, I was imrsed in them.
…I, unknowingly. Perhaps for the first ti.
I told her my true feelings.
“…Thank you, too, Seo-Eun.”
“What?”
“Actually, before I t you. I was going through a lot myself.”
I looked at one wall of the factory and said, “Yeah. I was struggling then.”
Dropped into this world where I don’t know a single person and my powers were crap. The lore sucked and I felt like giving up on the whole thing.
“But then…after eting you I tried to get to know you… to talk to you… to help you.”
So I forced myself to do sothing.
The first thing I did was to get to know Seo-Eun.
I tried to convince Seo-eun, who was almost at the top of the difficulty scale from the very beginning, and I got a lot of rebuffs and struggled a lot.
Rather, because I was imrsed in the task, I was able to gradually adapt to this world without thinking about anything else.
Gradually, I got to know her better.
We gradually opened our hearts to each other, even though we were shy on the outside.
I don’t know how much it comforted to know that she was secretly looking into my heart and gradually approaching .
…For the first ti in my life, I killed a villain. I an, I killed a person.
When I was in shock and a little depressed, she slowly approached , genuinely worried about , and quietly comforted without saying it, and it was a great comfort.
It’s thanks to Seo Eun, who always stood by my side that I can be here today.
“Thank you, too.”
At my words, Seo-Eun smiled.
“So, we appreciate each other, then?”
“Yeah. Haha.”
…I feel a little embarrassed after saying that.
Suddenly, I felt like Seo-eun had grown up, and I was too sentintal after hearing her sincere words.
I scratched the back of my head and was about to say, “Shall we go now?”
Seo-eun grabbed my sleeve as I was about to walk away.
“Da-in.”
“Huh?”
After holding on to for a mont, she turned around and looked up into my eyes with a big smile.
…Seo-eun, you’re really taller than I thought, to the point where you’re almost under my chin.
Just as I was thinking that, she looked up.
She looked troubled for a mont, but then she giggled and said to ,
“…Never mind, I was going to tell you as soon as I beca an adult but I don’t want to embarrass you, so I’ll tell you later.”
“What is it?”
“Nothing. Anyway, just rember this.”
She released her grip on my arm and took a step backwards, tilting her upper body towards as she whispered.
“…Because no matter what, I’ll never give up on you…That I’ll always be by your side.”
Seo-Eun smiled as she said that, flipping her white short hair back.
She was so much more mature than I rembered and I was at a loss for words.
“Anyway, let’s go now! My birthday party is upstairs, right?”
After she said that, she stuck her tongue out at and said with an excited expression, walking ahead of .
“….Haha, yeah. Co on, let’s go. We’re going to be late.”
“Yes!”
Seeing Seo-Eun with such a bright expression, I smiled and followed behind her.
…By my side, always…
“I wonder if I’ll be able to stand by Seo-Eun’s side even in the end.
I swallowed a bitter smile, and took a step forward.
Being gone might be the only way to protect her.
I’ll do my best, but I doubt I will be able to stay by her side until the end.
With that thought, I walked ho with Seo Eun.
***
That’s how Seo-eun’s cake-cutting ceremony and coming-of-age birthday ca to an end.
Thanks to the fact that she was now an adult and working double ti without sleep, the plans were gradually being finalized.
And before that.
“….”
Now, it’s ti for Stardus final test before the catastrophe.
Terrorizing would continue after the catastrophe, but for now I set out to carry out what would be, perhaps, the last attack of the year.
I stepped outside to terrorize.
****
“Stardus!”
“Yeah. What’s going on?”
“A giant fiery red dragon has appeared in the skies above Seoul!”
“…Another dragon?”
Hearing that, she jumped up from her seat as a thought flashed through her mind.
At the sa ti.
-Crackle.
The television on the wall in her office turned on and the nostalgic, familiar voice rang out.
[Hello, citizens of the Republic of Korea, it’s Egostic!]
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