Side Story: Lily of the Valley (2)
After sending Seo-Eun off to school.
“Phew…”
I sat at a table by the window, sipping a cup of tea in the sunlight.
The view outside the window showed a yard with green grass and butterflies fluttering around.
“It’s peaceful…”
It was a calm, peaceful, warm afternoon and was enough to make forget that this world was originally a ruined world that would be destroyed in a few years.
“…Well. A lot has happened, though.”
I muttered and set the teacup down.
The Incident of the Lost Superpowers.
After the incident, when everyone’s powers were taken away, the world quickly beca peaceful.
Although people didn’t realize that the reason for the collective loss of ability was due to the death of the Sun God… nonetheless, they were quick to co to terms with this sudden change.
And I…Suddenly, I lost my purpose in life.
‘No… I don’t hate it.’
First of all, I don’t hate it. Rather than living in a world of ruins, doing what I have to do today or tomorrow, I think it’s better to live like this, stretching out my legs…Thanks to the knowledge I’ve already earned from the original work, I’ve made an unimaginable amount of money in the world I used to live in.
But even so, it was still a bit unfair to realize that everything I’d planned so far had been thrown out the window…
‘Phew… After the cruise ship bombing, I had a train and airplane bombing all planned out…’
That’s not all. The ‘Ego Squad’ plan to recruit various villains, the ‘Cathedral’ plan to join a global alliance of villains and spy on them… and a plan for Stardus. I had almost a decade’s worth of plans laid out, and it’s ridiculous to think that it was all for naught when I decided to live for Stardus, Stardus doesn’t need anymore…
Of course, I was just kidding.
Seriously, after all the villains were incapacitated, the biggest question that ca to mind was this.
If this is the case, why was I possessed by this world?
I couldn’t really find a reason for this.
If I wasn’t in this world, in a world that would be normal in this way anyway. Why , why my parents, why my friends. Why did I have to leave everyone behind and co to this world alone?
I don’t know why, except for the God of the Stars. I’ll stop here, because it hurts my mouth to bla my god for dropping here and leaving to perish alone.
As I was thinking about that, my gaze suddenly turned to a picture fra on my desk.
In the picture, I see Seo Eun standing next to on the day of my high school entrance ceremony, wearing a school uniform with a sullen expression.
“…Still. Well. I’m not alone anymore.”
I smirked, and unwittingly recalled the events of that day.
*** *** *** *** ******
That day. The shocking day when all heroes and villains lost their powers.
-Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep.
“…..ha.”
I spent the day watching the news, feeling like a ss.
Ti flies, and it’s night.
In a small room
“…”
I was sitting there, alone, on the side of my bed, having given up on everything, wondering with a stony face what on earth I had co to this world for.
And then, with a click, the door opened and soone stepped cautiously in front of .
“I… Oh, Oppa.”
“…Ah, Seo-Eun, yes, why?”
“Uh… um… uh…”
Seo-eun hesitated as she approached , who was sitting with a serious expression.
I, who was already disturbed by various things at the ti, could only stare at her with a questioning face.
Finally taking a deep breath, Seo-Eun asked with a look of determination.
“I… what’s going to happen to us now?”
“…What do you an?”
At Seo-Eun’s words, I simply replied in a daze.
I had so much on my mind right now that I couldn’t take her words seriously.
And then, after a slight pause, Seo-Eun opened her mouth again and spoke carefully to .
“No… You told back then. In exchange for helping you deal with Stardus, you’d cooperate to take down HanEun Group… But, what would happen if things turned out like this…”
Hearing Seo-eun start to ramble like that, I was able to regain my composure and look at her properly.
Then, and only then, did I see it.
Clutching the sleeve of her hoodie, she stood in front of with her head down, looking anxious.
…Seo-eun looking at with trembling eyes, wondering if she was going to be abandoned again.
That’s right. I told her that when we first t.
When she was still a young hedgehog, prickling at , I told her we would make a pact. I’d help her, and she’d help , and we’d work together.
After a year’s worth of investnt, I was finally able to get inside Seo-Eun’s mind.
She was wary of everyone, but she was able to open up to .
That’s why she’s so anxious right now.
Now that all the villains’ powers are gone…she’s afraid I’ll just walk away and say I don’t need her anymore.
She’s already opened her heart, and she’s afraid she’ll be thrown away again.
Only then, I realized.
Even though the world has gotten weird, and I don’t know what I’m going to do now.
There was still a life left for , a life I was responsible for.
Therefore, I said.
“…Yeah. I don’t know.”
I stretched out my arms toward her, ruffled her hair, and moved her mouth into a slight smile.
“First, if you don’t mind. I want to live with you forever, okay?”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
At my words, Seo-eun revealed a smile she couldn’t hide.
I patted her back and continued to speak.
“I heard that most of the villains have lost their abilities…but there are still those who use technology related superpowers. Also, don’t you think we’re like a family now, or am I the only one who thought so?”
I jokingly said to Seo-Eun, trying to lighten the mood.
When I said this, she blushed again and said, “Oh… What are you talking about, are you sure…” or sothing like that?
I would make such predictions and wait for her reaction.
And Seo-eun didn’t seem to mind my expectations.
She just lowered her head, her ears reddening at the tips.
“Yes…” she replied in a small voice.
“…”
Yes.
There is still a child who needs my protection.
There are people who need .
There is soone I am responsible for.
So, in this life, which has lost its purpose, I’ll live for this child.
Therefore, the conclusion I ca to was this.
“Seo-eun, let’s go to school.”
“What…?”
***
Again, back to the present.
“…What ti is it already?”
After looking outside for a while, I put down my teacup and got up from my seat.
It’s almost ti for Seo-eun to co back from high school. I should get ready.
She’s going to be hungry since she’s finishing late today…
“Okay, I’ll just make a quick olet.”
I stood in the kitchen with that thought.
Olets are easy, just beaten eggs and sautéed vegetables.
With that thought in mind, I finished preparing and cooking.
-bang.
“Oppa, I’m ho~”
With those words Seo-eun, with her silver short hair and white school uniform, finally ca ho.
“Hey, Seo-eun, are you ho?”
With those words Seo-eun often walked towards .
“Oh, oppa, I guess it’s olet rice today?”
I nodded my head at Seo-eun, who said that to while holding my arm with both hands in a cute way.
“Oh, right. You know it right away, right?”
“Hmph. Of course, I’ve eaten your food once or twice, but it’s been a long ti. Wait, I’ll wash up and help you too!”
After saying that, Seo-eun rushed to the bathroom.
I looked at her back and smiled a little.
‘When I first saw her, she was such a little girl…’
She’s all grown up now.
It seems like just yesterday that she was so small, and now she’s grown to be smaller than my head…
Ti flies.
I turned on the gas while thinking about that and a few minutes later we sat down at the table and picked up our cutlery.
“I’ll eat well~.”
With those words, we started eating.
And Seo-eun, who started eating olet rice, smiled as she ate, as she always did.
Seeing her like that, I also smiled a little and said,
“Is it good?”
“Hehe. Have I ever called my oppa’s rice tasteless? Hmph.”
Seo-eun didn’t hide the smile on her face and the quick spoonfuls she was eating.
One thing I realized after living with her was that Seo-eun seed to be a picky eater, but she secretly ate anything. To be more precise, I should say that she actually liked anything I cooked for her.
Every day, she would claim that she liked chicken or tteokbokki best when she went out like a ‘normal’ teenager, but she would get a little sullen when I asked her to eat those instead of ho cooked food.
For the past three years, I practiced cooking because I didn’t have much to do, and I was proud to say that I had beco quite good at it. Of course, Seo-eun helped a lot.
“It was delicious. I’ll clean up.”
“Sure. And change from your school uniform.”
“Yes~”
With that, Seo-eun humd and cleared the dishes.
I looked at her and smiled.
She was so much brighter compared to before.
I guess high school was the right answer after all.
‘…Originally, I didn’t force her to go to school because she didn’t really want to go.’
Now that the world is at peace, I decided to send her to school anyway.
She needs to go and cure her distrust of people and experience different people so she can grow up. I don’t see how she’s going to make any progress if it’s just and her hacking away at ho.
“No, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m a genius. Why do I have to go all the way over there to study English math in Korean high school?
“Seo-eun, I’m sending you there to improve your social skills.”
“What?”
When she first entered high school, Seo-eun was screaming that she didn’t want to go…
Now in her junior year, she was making friends and getting along well. Honestly, I was worried that I wouldn’t fit in, but thank God.
“Seo-eun, you’re in the middle of your senior year, are you studying for the SAT?”
“What? No, oppa, have you forgotten who I am? I don’t study at all, I just get perfect scores.”
“…Right.”
Well, I don’t have to worry about a genius girl.
I smirked at Seo-eun, who was strutting around with her hands on her hips and a smug smile on her face.
“I’m fine, oppa. Aren’t you broadcasting these days? People in your fan cafe are asking when you’re coming back.”
“…Are you still running that?”
“Of course.”
Seo-eun smiled as she said that, and then pointed her smartphone screen at .
I saw a long list of posts.
*
[The only hero of this era, Egostic
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