Chapter 86: Where Are You (1)

Chapter 86: Where Are You (1)

TL/Editor: Raei

Schedule: 5/week, Mon-Fri

Illustrations: Here

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Song Soo-yeon continued with small heaves of nausea.

She felt extreme stress from the words she had just spat out.

She cursed the situation that left her no choice but to utter those words.

If Jung-gyeom were to die... Song Soo-yeon knew all too well that she would be the first to follow him.

Yet, as difficult as it had been, the effect was remarkable.

Solace, who had not been perturbed when it was said that civilians were being harmed, was now completely frozen.

"Power. Off."

Luna commanded.

Solace glared at Luna with burning eyes... but soon, the light in her pupils faded.

Her hair lost its glow and returned to its original color.

Stella's voice came through the radio.

"Two minutes left! Luna, Tryno! We need to get out!"

Tryno staggered to his feet.

Although he was bleeding profusely, his determination knew no end.

Tryno walked towards the stationary Solace.

He advanced, keeping up his guard.

His fist began to glow ominously as he prepared to strike.

"...Did the threat work?"

Tryno wondered, still finding it hard to believe.

But no matter how close he got, Solace did not activate her powers until the very end.

Luna's threat was effective.

She looked up at Luna with a loathing expression, unable to resist at all.

Tryno let out a smirk.

He couldn't laugh as he usually did.

After all, the fact that he had lost to Solace hadn't changed.

"Luna, I knew you'd be useful."

Then, with all his might, he swung his fist towards the still Solace.

-Bang!

The moment his fist connected with Solace, an explosion occurred.

Solace was thrown back against the wall.

She wiped the blood dripping from her mouth and steadied herself.

Tryno clicked his tongue and said,

"...Let's go, Luna."

Song Soo-yeon nodded.

And then they began to evacuate.

Min-Bom would be able to recover.

Not today, though.

---

---

It was unsettling, but a victory was a victory.

Just looking at internet articles, stories about the defeated Solace and the new villain, Luna, filled the pages.

The coverage on Luna was constantly updated.

The Hero Association, trying to cover up its own incompetence, played the media by claiming they had already been aware of Luna's existence, and then made the drastic decision to immediately rank her second on the villain danger ranking.

But Song Soo-yeon couldn't care less about all that.

She needed to return to Jung-gyeom.

[Mister, I'm on my way.]

No reply came back.

He was probably worried because Solace had been injured.

"...Luna. Come and talk before you go."

Tryno said.

It seemed he had mixed feelings, being upset about losing to Solace but having won the fight.

Liquid and Riem, too, were satisfied with having collectively defeated the top-ranked hero.

However, Song Soo-yeon rejected all their proposals.

Because she had received a reply.

[Come to the studio apartment.]

The response was somewhat cold, and equally late.

But it was the reply she had managed to secure.

A reply she had earned by pushing Solace aside.

Upon receiving it, Song Soo-yeon immediately left the hideout.

---

Feeling puzzled, Song Soo-yeon observed Jung-gyeom.

He was repeatedly playing something on his phone.

'...Before I kill that person Jung-gyeom...'

'...Before I kill that person Jung-gyeom...'

'...Before I kill that person Jung-gyeom...'

Song Soo-yeon's breath momentarily seized.

She hadn't expected Jung-gyeom himself to be watching that video.

...It must have been a shock to him.

A villain knowing his name and threatening to kill him would naturally be unsettling.

With difficulty, Song Soo-yeon began to speak, trying to suppress her guilt for causing him this anxiety.

"....It's going to be okay, Mister."

"......"

"The villain's threats are just empty words... So... So..."

"Soo-yeon."

Calm but cold.

A voice different from usual... carrying an imposing presence.

From the darkness, he asked.

"...................Are you hiding anything from me?"

Song Soo-yeon averted her gaze at his question.

Fortunately, the darkness of the room helped hide her agitation.

She tried to calm her rapid breathing and suppress her emotions.

She didn't know why he was asking, but...of course, she had to hide it.

Song Soo-yeon reassured herself. Even heroes didn't know her true identity.

Jung-gyeom couldn't possibly know.

She began to lie again.

"....What do you mean? Mister, I even brought cake. It's unfortunate about Min-Bom, but... at least for your birthday..."

With that, Song Soo-yeon turned on the light in the room.

"..........Huh?"

Song Soo-yeon froze.

She couldn't move, shocked by the state of the room.

A smashed desk.

A broken chair.

A torn wardrobe.

Drawers turned to dust.

A bed with springs popping out.

A shattered window.

Even the portrait of Song Soo-yeon that had been on the wall was ripped apart.

Nothing was normal.

Everything was ruined.

Song Soo-yeon couldn't understand.

Jung-gyeom, who was always kind, sat on the bed, but everything around him was pure chaos.

The atmosphere Jung-gyeom always carried did not match the state of the room.

As she looked around, Jung-gyeom asked again.

"Soo-yeon. Are you hiding anything from me?"

Struggling to take her eyes off her surroundings, Song Soo-yeon swallowed hard.

Then she responded again.

"....What are you talking about? But why is the room like thi-"

-Bang!!!!!!!

Song Soo-yeon was startled, her eyes widening in shock.

Jung-gyeom had thrown his phone to the ground.

The thrown phone shattered completely, scattering fragments all around.

...........

And Jung-gyeom, having done so, covered his face with his hands.

.....Haah.....

Jung-gyeom let out a trembling sigh.

Song Soo-yeon couldn't move.

Fear was becoming reality.

........Then I'll ask again.

Jung-gyeom spoke.

Even his shoulders began to tremble slightly.

It wasn't hard to tell that he was crying, his breathing becoming rapid.

Finally, he asked.

..............Villain Luna.

Jung-gyeom said.

...........How long have you been deceiving me?