THE VILAIN
: Strange Villains
W. Pretty
- WARNING!The author thinks of and portrays the protagonist as a rather immoral person.
"You want to participate in that experiment too? As a test subject?"
"yes!"
"Well, the test subject hasn't been decided yet... but Jiwon, your ability development experiment just finished. It's best not to overdo it until your ability stabilizes."
“That’s true, but…”
Dr. Sung, or Sung Hyun-ji, gazed at the girl before him with affectionate eyes. The first successful experiment in developing her supernatural powers. The way the girl, who had just turned seventeen, fiddled with her hands and chose her words was so endearing that it belied her dangerous supernatural power. "Well..." As the girl trailed off, Dr. Sung waited patiently for her to continue, and smiled faintly, unbeknownst to her.
"The doctor said that I have a slightly stronger body than other kids."
"Yeah, that's right."
"So, you can do new experiments well. And that's what the director said."
"The manager? What did he say?"
"He said I was special. He said no one else had developed a special ability and adapted as quickly as I did."
“That’s… right. There aren’t any kids who have adapted as well as you.”
"That's why-, I can do new experiments well too!"
Who could possibly beat the girl who looked up at him with sparkling eyes, hands clasped neatly together? Dr. Sung finally nodded with a laugh. “Okay, then. I’ll put you on the list for now.” As soon as he finished speaking, the girl, Jiwon, smiled brightly, as if she were delighted. “Thank you!” Jiwon bowed and bowed, bowing as she bowed, then ran off somewhere with an excited gait. Dr. Sung shook his head as if he couldn’t stop her. It was obvious where the girl with that bright smile was headed. Since the experiment was successful, she had caught the director’s eye and was receiving all the loveliness, so she must have gone to brag about being able to participate in this experiment. It’s not confirmed yet—, with that thought, Dr. Sung flipped through the documents he was holding.
"...um,"
Two subjects were needed for the new experiment. One position was already reserved, leaving only one vacant. Dr. Sung's expression darkened as he read the documents. Jiwon was special. Unlike the countless children who died in the failed experiments on supernatural abilities, the fact that she was the first survivor and a successful subject made her special in the lab. But even more so, she was the only one with a bright smile among the subjects who were constantly subjected to painful experiments. A lovely child. This feeling wasn't limited to Dr. Sung. Jiwon was a girl who was beloved not only by the researchers at the lab, but also by the director and the center's director.
That's why it was even more unwelcome. As the person in charge of this project, Dr. Sung couldn't help but be well-informed of the roles of the two subjects. Jeon Jungkook, the already confirmed first subject. Anyone who knew who that child was would inevitably understand the significance of the other subject's position. The subject of a subject. The thought of inserting the girl he cherished into the position of a subject who would be used as a stepping stone to perfect Jungkook made him vividly picture the consequences of the experiment failing.
“But I still want it that way….”
In the lab, test subjects were scarce. Dr. Sung could guarantee that, barring that girl, not a single subject would volunteer for this experiment. The experiments conducted at this lab inflicted immense pain on the subjects. While some might blossom into brilliant talents, like the blossoming of supernatural abilities, the potential for failure also existed, and no one willingly stepped into that excruciating pain. That's why volunteering was so special. The sole consideration was the outcome.
…I can't help it. Dr. Sung, having finished his agonizing thoughts, rummaged through the files he was holding and pulled out a single piece of paper. S730928, Kim Ji-won. Dr. Sung took out the piece of paper with the girl's profile and walked to his lab. There was nothing he could do. If this experiment were to succeed, Ji-won would become incomparably valuable, and that would be even more satisfying for the girl. Dr. Sung resolved. For the girl's sake, this project had to succeed. Absolutely.
⚒
"How are you feeling? Are you tired?"
"Okay! I ate a lot and slept a lot yesterday, so I'm fine!"
"Well done. Remember the experiment to blossom your supernatural powers? This one will be similar. However, you'll only be injected once, and once your reaction to the drug stabilizes, I'll give you a marble like last time, so just swallow it. Understood?"
"yes-,"
"Yeah, that's good."
Jiwon watched quietly as Dr. Sung took out a syringe and an unidentified drug. Watching him carefully mix several drugs, Jiwon asked, "Doctor,
"What about Jungkook? Weren't you guys doing the experiment together?"
“Um… Jungkook will be tested right after Jiwon finishes your experiment. It would be difficult to do them both at the same time.”
“Ah, I see….”
"I heard you've become so close with Jungkook these past few days. Do you miss him even though we haven't seen each other in a while?"
"Hehe, the other kids are all much younger than me. Jungkook is practically my only friend of the same age!"
A smile spread across Dr. Sung's face. Jiwon, seemingly unfazed by the experiments she'd undergone, continued to chatter. The story of how the bodyguard carried her all the way to the lab during a walk in the garden when the rain poured down, how she'd been so hungry for chocolate that she'd gone to see Jungkook and the director and thrown a tantrum, begging for a snack, how her palms were scraped up playing the airball game Jungkook taught her—the kind of stories a seventeen-year-old girl outside the lab might tell. Dr. Sung, who had been listening with delight, filled a syringe with the drug he'd mixed.
"If you wanted chocolate so badly, why didn't you come to me? You bought a lot of candy, but you didn't even come to me?"
“…Doctor, you only give me one a day!”
"Huh? How many did you get from the manager?"
"...It's a secret? I received twenty and split them half and half with Jungkook-"
"I can't live without it. Did you brush your teeth properly?"
Hehe, I couldn't help but be amused by the girl's adorable smile and nod. Dr. Sung shook his head, seemingly unable to stop her, and rolled up Jiwon's sleeve. Jiwon's body tensed, realizing she was about to receive an injection. Dr. Sung, with a pitying expression, gently rubbed Jiwon's stiff arm.
"It won't hurt much this time."
“…Really?”
"Okay, just hold on a little longer. When the experiment is over and you come hang out with Jungkook, I'll give you something delicious."
"Really? You're not just giving me one, are you?"
"Oh, I'll give you five each, okay?"
"Yay!!"
Dr. Sung burst into laughter at the sight of Jiwon's happiness. Jiwon's tense arm softened somewhat. Without hesitation, Dr. Sung placed the needle into Jiwon's arm. The thick needle pierced Jiwon's arm, leaving another scar on her already bruised arm.
Dr. Sung slowly injected the drug, checking Ji-won's reaction as she stared at the ceiling. "Half, half, no problem. Then half." He waited a while, but found no unusual symptoms. Dr. Sung injected every last drop into Ji-won's arm, then pressed a cotton ball soaked in alcohol against the needle's entry point. The thick needle was pulled out. Ji-won's eyes twitched slightly at the vivid sensation.
A spasm erupted from her arm. Jiwon's eyes flashed with fear at the same reaction as before. Dr. Sung held Jiwon's hand tightly. "It's okay, Jiwon. It's okay." He kept repeating, "It's okay," but eventually tears streamed down Jiwon's eyes. Her face contorted in pain, and her body trembled. It was like a side effect of the drug. Until the drug fully stabilized in Jiwon's body, Dr. Sung held Jiwon's hand and kept repeating, "It's okay." "It's okay, Jiwon. It's okay..."
"Hoo…, hmm…, ugh,"
“…It’s okay, you worked hard. Are you in a lot of pain?”
"Ugh…, Doctor…,"
“…Good work, Jiwon….”
The shaking stopped. Dr. Sung brushed aside Jiwon's sweat-soaked bangs and helped her breathe properly. "Exhale slowly," Dr. Sung's soft voice said, calming Jiwon. Her ragged breathing returned to normal. "It's okay now." Dr. Sung's eyes reddened as Jiwon smiled brightly despite the pain. It would have been nice if it ended there, but the fact that there were still several more steps before the experiment was complete prickled Dr. Sung's guilt.
Dr. Sung pulled a circular box from a drawer, similar to the one from the previous episode, and offered it to Jiwon. "Remember what we did last time?" Dr. Sung asked, and Jiwon nodded. She opened the box. It was a golden bead. Unlike the experiment with the ability to blossom, Jiwon's expression softened at the sight of the beautiful, colorful bead. Without hesitation, she put the bead in her mouth.
There were no side effects, like the supernatural flowering experiment. After swallowing the bead, aside from a slight burning sensation in the stomach, there was nothing else. The machine connected to Jiwon reported that his condition was completely stable. Thank goodness. Dr. Sung relieved Jiwon and helped him up. His expression brightened at the thought that the experiment might end sooner than expected. Hearing the girl say, "You've worked hard," he smiled brightly, a hint of affection in his eyes.
"Okay, now for the real finale! This isn't an experiment, I'll just measure your power stats to confirm the results-"
"Yes, but Doctor, what kind of supernatural power did I swallow this time?"
Dr. Sung looked embarrassed at Jiwon's question. The golden orb Jiwon had swallowed. Unlike the green orb he had swallowed earlier, it wasn't a supernatural ability.
It was a bead containing the power of a guide.
Dr. Sung agonized. Should he tell the child before him the truth? No one could possess both the power of an esper and the guiding power of a guide. Naturally or artificially. If Jiwon were to fully accept the guiding power he had swallowed, he would become the first esper to possess two conflicting abilities simultaneously. However, Dr. Sung hesitated to tell Jiwon this. "The first," he said, "was in line with the idea that what lay ahead for Jiwon was entirely unknown. Even if there were side effects, they were unknown. After all, Jiwon was the one who started it all.
But if it's successful, it could become an esper with such powerful influence that the side effects can be easily dismissed. Dr. Sung finished his contemplation and opened his mouth. "The power you swallowed isn't a supernatural ability," Jiwon's eyes widened at those words.
"That's guiding."
“Guiding? Doctor, but I’m an Esper?”
"Yes, you are an Esper. But this makes you an Esper with guiding abilities."
"…yes?"
"Jiwon, think about it. An Esper's abilities are like a time bomb that could explode at any moment without guidance. It's like being shackled by terrible chains."
But what if you could fulfill your guiding duties yourself? What if you were an esper who could break free from the shackles of being a guide? A strange light flashed across Jiwon's eyes at Dr. Sung's words. Inwardly relieved by this, Dr. Sung patted Jiwon's head.
"You become a perfect esper, unbound by anything. How about it, isn't it cool?"
“…It’s cool, I like it!”
"Really? Then, let's check to see how well your guidance is doing."
"yes!"
Jiwon took a deep breath and reached out. As she placed her hand on the machine designed to measure her guiding levels, she felt something akin to a supernatural being being sucked into the machine. "Don't let go," Dr. Sung said firmly, as if he knew Jiwon wanted to pull away immediately from the unfamiliar sensation. Jiwon held on tight and held onto the machine. As soon as the notification window popped up, "Testing complete," Jiwon released her hand. Her palm felt a strange tingle.
"Oh my gosh, it's A-class!"
Dr. Sung checked the screen and spoke excitedly. He'd thought even a B-grade would be considered a success, but it turned out to be an A-grade guiding ability. As expected, Jiwon was a perfect test subject, more so than anyone else. Dr. Sung smiled broadly and spoke to Jiwon.
"Congratulations, Jiwon. You're an A-class student. You did a fantastic job with this experiment!"
“…is it a success?”
"Well then-, um, I was wondering if you could try practicing guiding just in case. How are you feeling now? Are you tired?"
"Oh, no. I think it'll be okay!"
“Okay, then I’ll try guiding myself…”
Dr. Sung happily led Jiwon to the director's office. Jiwon's eyes widened at the director's suggestion to guide her, but with Dr. Sung constantly urging her and the director casually extending his hand, Jiwon had no choice but to take it. Slowly, Jiwon infused the guidance. She felt a different kind of power, a different kind of ability, flowing through her hand and into the director's. And—
"Ugh, ugh,"
“…Director? Director!!”
When the director's face turned pale and he began to vomit, Dr. Sung felt a strong sense of unease. Jiwon felt the same way. Jiwon, who had interrupted the flow of power flowing to the director, looked at Dr. Sung with a bewildered face. Dr. Sung's face turned pale as he watched the director collapse on the floor, retching.
Jiwon's guidance was guiding, but it wasn't guiding. Realizing this, Dr. Sung hurriedly ran out of the director's office. "No," he muttered, his face desperate.
It's a failure, it failed.
The girl's experiment failed miserably.
⚒