I Became a Villain's Hero

TL/Editor: Raei

Schedule: 4/week

Illustrations: Here

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Solace and Jung-gyeom.

Song Soo-yeon watched them from a short distance away.

Solace spoke.

"Uh...uh? Dont cry, please!"

"Ahaha...no, it's not like that.."

Jung-gyeom wiped away his brimming tears.

Song Soo-yeon knew he cried easily, but somehow, these tears felt different.

They seemed more intense than any other tears she had seen him shed.

And it was the first time she had seen him cry for someone other than herself.

However, soon Jung-gyeom looked straight at Solace and smiled.

That smile made Song Soo-yeon's heart ache again.

It was obvious, but Jung-gyeom could smile for people other than her.

Yet, Song Soo-yeon couldnt understand why it was so unpleasant for her to see him smile at someone else.

She had never seen Jung-gyeom with another woman before.

Jung-gyeom said,

"......................I'm honored."

"I...I'm not that amazing..."

".........You don't know that."

Jung-gyeom seemed to have forgotten about Song Soo-yeon.

They were in their own world.

They didn't care about anything else around them.

Not the murmuring people, not the students starting to record with their smartphones.

In an oddly natural and comfortable atmosphere, they looked at each other.

Though they had just met, they seemed like friends who had known each other for a long time.

Song Soo-yeon felt a jolt of pain in her heart, like an electric shock, and her frozen body started to move.

Something was wrong.

If she just watched, it wouldnt be right.

An alarm rang in her head.

She couldnt tell why.

But the sight of them together was incredibly unpleasant for her.

"Ah...mister! I said we're not done talking...."

She ran towards Jung-gyeom with a desperation she had never shown to her classmates.

Her voice sounded almost like a tantrum, completely devoid of the venom she had before.

"Um? mister.....? The age difference is..."

Solace repeated Song Soo-yeons term for him.

Then Jung-gyeom, as if waking from a dream, blinked a couple of times and turned his gaze towards Song Soo-yeon.

"........."

Song Soo-yeon could see the change on Jung-gyeom's face.

As if returning to reality, his face slowly became shrouded in sadness again.

The despair he felt towards Song Soo-yeon returned.

Ugh...!

Although it was a natural reaction to the conversation, Song Soo-yeon felt her heart ache again.

He smiles at Solace, but his smile fades when he looks at her.

She hated that fact.

No matter how much they fought, Solace had just met him.

She was the one who was closer to him.

She was Jung-gyeom's closest friend.

Jung-gyeom loved her.

She couldn't bear him showing a more positive expression to someone else.

This wasn't right.

It made no sense that he looked more troubled when looking at her.

He was supposed to smile happily at her and frown at others.

That was the correct way.

Song Soo-yeon wanted to push Solace away.

She felt uncomfortable and suffocated with Solace near Jung-gyeom.

Anxiety overwhelmed her.

She kept comparing herself to Solace.

To extinguish the urgent fire, Song Soo-yeon wedged herself between Solace and Jung-gyeom.

Then, gently pushing Solace away to create some distance, she said,

"...Ah..Soo-yeon..?"

"Uh...Unnie. Mister and I weren't done talking. We... we just had a slight disagreement and were discussing it. We're still talking, so please go away."

She didn't know why she, who had always been in control, had to say these words.

But she felt it was necessary.

Song Soo-yeons eyes turned to the flowers in Solace's hand.

"And...and those are my flowers. Mister bought them for me. Damn, why are you giving them to mister like it's your present? You didnt buy them."

Solace twitched her shoulders.

"...Ah! No, it's not like that...! I...I was watching from afar...and then..."

Solace blinked and hesitated.

"That...I saw you knocking off the flowers- Ah! Dropping them..."

Song Soo-yeon couldn't bear it any longer.

She hadn't knocked off the flowers.

She opened her mouth to argue but hesitated, recalling the expression on Jung-gyeom's face.

.....Truthfully, even if it was a mistake, it wasn't entirely wrong.

Seizing the opportunity, Solace said,

"I saw him leaving the flowers behind...I just wanted to pick them up for him...! Its not like I was giving a gift.....right!"

Song Soo-yeon didn't know what to say.

She was speechless.

In that silence, Solace awkwardly extended the flowers, and Song Soo-yeon awkwardly accepted them.

Song Soo-yeon found herself only glancing at Jung-gyeom.

She briefly turned her head to steal a glance at him.

But Jung-gyeom's eyes were fixed back on Solace again.

".....Ugh."

This was a new experience for Song Soo-yeon.

Seeing a man, especially Jung-gyeom, looking at another woman instead of her.

She shook his arm, trying to regain his attention, something she had never done before.

"....Let's...let's talk somewhere else."

................

"Ah....mister!!"

Song Soo-yeon shouted to recapture his attention.

".....What...what?"

"....Follow me...!"

Jung-gyeom's face crumpled in confusion.

It was inevitable.

Song Soo-yeon herself was indecisive.

Just moments ago, she had told him to get lost, and now she was asking him to follow her.

...........

This time, it was Jung-gyeom who didn't respond.

It was clearer than ever that he didn't want to talk.

He seemed to still be nursing the fresh wound she had given him.

Song Soo-yeon didn't know what to do.

Their roles had completely reversed.

At that moment, Solace placed her hand on Jung-gyeom's shoulder.

Song Soo-yeon stiffened at the sight of their physical contact.

She couldnt understand why Jung-gyeom didnt shake off her touch.

Wasnt it disgusting?

Song Soo-yeon had always found the touch of the opposite sex revolting and couldnt understand this.

Solace spoke.

".....As Soo-yeon suggested, shall we move somewhere else?"

"........What?"

"....There are too many eyes here."

Solace whispered, leaning in.

Song Soo-yeon, caught in between, pushed Solace away again.

Jung-gyeom, who hadnt followed Song Soo-yeon's pull, began to move at Solace's whisper.

As he moved, Song Soo-yeon grabbed and pulled his arm.

Many boys watched the scene with surprised eyes.

But Song Soo-yeon didn't care.

She couldn't afford to.

Her heart was filled with thousands of unpleasant question marks.

She couldnt understand why her heart was reacting this way.

There were limited places they could go.

Song Soo-yeon didnt let go of Jung-gyeom's arm until the end.

It felt like she shouldnt.

They arrived at the restaurant, a place where they could escape the gaze of others.

Solace followed them, along with a few of her fans, but Song Soo-yeon had no time to pay them any attention.

Holding Jung-gyeom's flowers, Song Soo-yeon began to unlock the restaurant door.

.....Wow...

Solaces voice came from behind.

Song Soo-yeon turned to look back.

Jung-gyeom's gaze was already on Solace, faster than anyone elses.

This fact was yet another discomfort to Song Soo-yeon.

Solace, noticing the subdued atmosphere between Jung-gyeom and Song Soo-yeon, fell silent.

"Ah...sorry."

.........

But Jung-gyeom didnt shift his gaze, as if waiting to hear why she was surprised.

"Ah...that...I was looking at the pamphlet..."

Solace pointed to a pamphlet set up in front of the restaurant.

It was a pamphlet announcing free food distribution.

"......You really seem more like a hero than me."

Song Soo-yeon's face crumpled at Solace's flattery.

Then, after opening the restaurant door, she led Jung-gyeom inside.

"Ah...mister, just a moment."

Song Soo-yeon pushed Jung-gyeom inside the restaurant and then stepped back outside.

Solace, who was about to follow inside, stopped.

".......Why do you keep following us?"

Song Soo-yeon asked.

"....Huh?"

"....Why are you following mister and me? Unnie...didnt I tell you I dont like heroes?"

..........

......Go back. Dont come here anymore. Stop getting involved with me.

Solace hesitated for a moment, then her eyes softened.

She brought up a completely different topic.

"....Soo-yeon, did you fight with him?"

................

"I'll help you make up. Just let me in."

It would be a lie to say Song Soo-yeons heart didnt waver.

It swayed too easily, like a reed in the wind.

She had neither friends nor allies.

She didnt even know how to make amends.

She had successfully brought Jung-gyeom here, but once inside, she wouldnt know what to say.

".....How would you know how to...."

"Trust me. You wont regret it."

Solace spoke confidently.

There was certainty in her eyes.

.......

Song Soo-yeon couldnt simply ignore that.

The memory of Jung-gyeom leaving the flowers behind and turning his back on her was still vivid.

She remembered feeling powerless and lonely as he walked away.

She also remembered how he didnt respond to her call to follow.

What would happen if Jung-gyeom disappeared?

......Having felt his warmth already, she dreaded imagining a world without him.

It was too frightening.

It was as if she would have to hold hands with the devil himself.

Finally, after a long time, Song Soo-yeon nodded slightly.

Solace smiled.

"The first time is hard, but the second is easier. Its okay. You can definitely make up."

Song Soo-yeon opened the door to the restaurant.

And for the first time, Solace intruded into their private space.