TL/Editor: Raei
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Arch-enemy.
The term rges 'arch,' implying foremost, with 'enemy.'
In essence, it ans a nesis.
Inevitably, they are inescapably intertwined, their battles never conclusively resolved.
In this irony, they co to know and understand each other best.
Even I have such an arch-enemy, as the ranked number one in the villain danger ranking.
Naturally, the counterpart is the ranked number one hero.
'Solace.'
Her beauty is obvious even behind a mask and helt.
Her artistic figure is accentuated by a tight hero costu.
When her powers activate, her hair and eyes glow brightly, and a golden aura, like the sun, radiates around her.
It was impossible to deny how incredible she was.
She was a hero one couldn't help but admire.
---
---
Regaining consciousness, I found 'Solace,' the hero, pressing firmly on my wounds with both hands.
Her voice and expression were panicked.
Tears stread from her shining eyes.
I was startled but lacked the strength to show it.
A lot of my blood had already been lost.
Whispering was all I could manage.
".....This is unexpected, Solace."
Startled by my voice, Solace looked up at .
"....Y-you're awake, Dice. Stay calm. Okay? Everything will be alright."
I still couldn't fully understand.
Was this a dream?
But even in this dire situation, I didn't want to show weakness to her.
".....Shouldn't we....not be like this?"
Solace shook her head, unable to wipe her tears or hide her expression while staunching my bleeding.
"You must live, Dice.... You must live...."
"Get a grip, Solace. I'm not on your side."
She continued shaking her head, crying more desperately at the sight of my endlessly flowing blood.
"Cough, cough...!"
"It's okay...! Just hold on...! I've called a healing specialist hero...!"
"......South Korea's top hero has.....Stockholm syndro*. If soone sees this, it'll cause an uproar. Cough...."
Biting her lip, she said with a choked voice.
"......I'm just....returning the favor."
"........"
It was then I began to understand her actions.
As my arch-enemy, there was little she could hide from .
".....You've saved my life many tis...not just once or twice, I know. When I was unconscious.... every ti.... every ti I woke up safe, I knew it was because of you..."
"......."
Tears kept streaming down her cheeks.
When had she realized?
"Dice....! I'm admitting this for the first ti....! Sob...! I've always felt sothing odd about you..."
Knowing my ti was limited, I no longer wanted to deny it.
For her, I wanted to pretend to be a bit cooler till the end.
"As much as I am your arch-enemy, I'm the one who knows you best. I know that you killed the other villains. I also know that you've declared this land in Seoul as your territory to keep other villains at bay... Dice... I know that you.."
"......."
"....I know that you're actually... good at heart..."
I let out a stifled laugh at her absurd words, though even that was now a painful effort.
I forced a smile and replied.
"......If I were truly good at heart, I wouldn't have beco a villain. Why would I choose such a troubleso path?"
".....You... You must have had your reasons."
As I looked at Solace, who believed in , I found myself at a loss for words.
Contrary to her expectations or guesses, I am not that good a person.
My choice to beco a villain was entirely my own, a product of my stupid youth.
I took the easy path and let my anger take over and consu .
My greed was endless, yearning for more than I could count.
But.... a lot has changed in recent years.
The good deeds Solace discovered were like my own acts of repentance.
I've grown deeply skeptical of my lifestyle, questioning its very foundation.
Why am I living this way?
Spreading fear among citizens.
Hated by heroes.
Distrusted by villains.
For whom am I doing this?
Alone... nothing seems fun.
Even after acquiring all the wealth I ever desired, it held no aning for .
Like how you no longer crave food when you're full.
Money didn't fill my void.
Then ca Solace.
Risking her life for others, spreading happiness and hope.
Why did she seem so different from the other heroes?
I still haven't figured out the reason.
....Anyway.
I envied her.
She was loved wherever she went.
And I was so lonely.
So, in a desire to be like her, I started doing good deeds secretly, just to pass the ti.
I never expected things to turn out like this.
"....Heh."
.......But listening to her, I felt a profound sense of fulfillnt.
I had to admit that my decision to do good was the right one.
The top-ranked villain feeling happy about being praised for good deeds.
"....Stay alive, Dice.... You must live..."
I glanced at my pierced stomach.
There was no hope in sight.
".....That's going to be difficult.....I took on heroes ranked second to seventh all at once.... It's greedy to hope to survive."
A battle had raged over several days.
A fight that broke out after the persistent pursuit of heroes.
It was the culmination of their determination to finally end , the villain who had been ranked number one for seven years.
I managed to incapacitate everyone, so in a way, I won the battle.
But in the end, I'm the only one losing my life.
Does this an I've lost after all?
This end doesn't feel regrettable.
The fact that this is all the punishnt for my misdeeds almost feels inadequate.
Sure, I've never killed innocent people or committed terrorism.
I was the top-ranked villain because no one could stop .
Yet, I can't shake the feeling that my punishnt is too lenient, perhaps due to my deep regret for the past.
Solace continued to shed tears.
....I felt a pang of disappointnt.
I knew these tears weren't shed solely for .
Solace always had a warm heart.... though so might say she's too easily moved to tears.
Perhaps that's the reason behind her tears now.
I've seen them on TV many tis before.
I could feel my ti running out.
Deep breaths felt suffocating, and my vision was gradually fading to black.
"....Solace."
She seed to sense my fate from the sound of my voice.
"No, don't...! Hold on...!"
"........Thank you."
"....What do I have, that you're thankful for....?"
I smiled.
Then I said to her.
"....You wouldn't understand."
I wonder if she knew that my refusal to give up my position as the top villain, to remain her arch-enemy, was due to my small desire to be with her.
Soon, I couldn't see anything anymore.
The world turned pitch black.
Ha.
As always, I was alone again.
Then, through my hand, I felt a warm sensation.
I knew it was Solace's warmth.
Her voice reached my ears.
"......Dice."
For a mont, she suppressed her tears, then spoke with a more determined tone.
".....I'm grateful too. Having you around... it allowed to grow."
A sense of peace enveloped .
"I promise. I won't waste anything you've taught . Thank you, Dice. Thank you..."
I thought to myself.
I've been completely defeated.
Utterly overpowered by her.
I had to admit that my way was wrong, and her way was right.
If there's another life.
I would live like her.
Not misuse my powers, act for others.
Not out of altruism.
For myself, for others, that's how I'll live.
What a pitiful life it was.
Look at the outco.
A lover... no, that's too much to ask for.
.....A friend.
Yes.
I don't even have a friend to mourn my death.
Without Solace, my honorable adversary, there would have been no one to grieve over my death.
Loneliness.
That's what changed , and that's what defeated .
And then, my last breath left .
---
---
....Gasp!!
And suddenly, my eyes opened.
"......What?"
It was a familiar ceiling.
"....Hmm."
After spending half a day in a daze, I found myself lost in thought while eating gukbap at a nearby restaurant.
Everyone around was enjoying their dinner so naturally.
No one seed startled to see , nor did anyone run away.
This sensation itself felt strange to .
Unlike other villains, I never wore a mask, so people used to scatter at my appearance.
Now, I could seamlessly blend in with others and enjoy my al.
"....Was gukbap always this cheap?"
I found myself pondering trivial thoughts in my newfound leisure.
Was it because I had returned to the past, or because my sense of money was skewed after becoming the top villain?
Even the modest price of the al evoked a small sense of wonder in .
After piecing together various pieces of information, it appeared I had traveled back 11 years in ti.
From 33 to 22 years old.
My body was younger, and my criminal record, my regretful past, all gone.
Even the mories with Solace.
Of course, I rember her, but she wouldn't rember .
It's sowhat regrettable, but if this is the price for a chance to start over, it seems like a good deal.
-Ding!
"......."
I reacted sensitively every ti soone entered the restaurant, out of habit.
Really, it's strange even to .
, fitting in here.
But now, how should I live my life?
One thing's for sure, I won't live as a villain.
That much is definite.
I contemplated living as a hero, the opposite of a villain... but to even co close to being half as good as Solace, honestly, I didn't have the confidence.
.....Anyway, I don't want to live a lonely life.
I did want to emulate what I learned from Solace, even just a little.
Having started to grasp the warm feeling that cos from doing good deeds, I thought I might live this life in that direction.
.....Well, I'm not exactly sure how to go about it in detail.
After wiping my mouth with a tissue, I walked up to the cashier.
Everything felt new.
Paying.
, paying for sothing.
It didn't feel bad to regain a sense of normalcy.
"I'd like to pay."
I said confidently.
The lady from the kitchen ca out with a smiling face.
"Young man, did you enjoy your al?"
I generally find most foods delicious.
"Of course."
"Alright, that'll be 9,000 won."
Then suddenly, I was struck with a question of how to pay.
How did I pay for things ten years ago?
Originally, my face was my guarantee.
I used to pay like that everywhere.
But now is not then.
I had to pay like an ordinary person.
I rummaged through my pockets, but no wallet appeared.
".....Uh?"
My eyes blinked involuntarily.
I wasn't this flustered even when surrounded by heroes.
Wanting to live a good life, and the first thing I do upon returning is a dine and dash.
Front pocket, back pocket, no matter how much I searched, the wallet didn't magically appear.
"......Just a mont."
"Young man."
"Ma'am, I didn't plan this, I just..."
"Young man, it's alright."
As I looked up at her, she was smiling warmly at .
"Really?"
"If you enjoyed the al, that's all that matters. Just leave for today."
"........"
I was at a loss for words.
I couldn't find the words to describe this warm feeling I was experiencing.
"You looked so pitiful eating alone. Oh my... are you job hunting? Must be hard?"
".....I'll co back after going ho. I have money there."
"No, it's okay. Let feel like I'm a hero today. The heroes on TV look so cool."
Hero.
That word sparked sothing in .
After a mont of hesitation, I spoke again.
"No, but still-"
"-No no no, go go go."
"-But ma'am-"
"Go go go go go! Co back another ti then."
After that, pushed by the insistent refusal of the lady, I reluctantly left the restaurant.
The cool night air welcod .
Like my encounter with Solace.
Like my farewell with Solace.
I was certain this mont would stay in my mory for a long ti.
I felt like I was beginning to grasp how I should live my life.
Yes.
Perhaps this kind of good deed is still a good deed.
After all, it was hunger that led to the path of a villain.
What about opening a restaurant that provides free als to those without money?
At 22, I was in the period of collecting money for villainous activities.
I'd need to check how much I had, but with so loans, I figured I could open a small restaurant.
The shortfall in funds could gradually be covered through the stock market.
As I resolved in my mind and was about to walk away, a voice stopped .
"Excuse ."
".....?"
I turned to see a young schoolgirl standing there.
".....What?"
A dumbfounded sound escaped my lips.
But taking it as a response, the girl continued.
"......Mister, I'm so hungry, could you please buy a al?
It wasn't the approach of a stranger that startled .
I was taken aback because the girl's face was strikingly familiar.
Villain na, 'Luna'.
In my previous life, she was the second-ranked villain.
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