THE VILAIN
: Strange Villains
W. Gpeum
Han Yeo-ju's patience is not that long.
No one knew that better than Kim Seokjin. His reckless, reckless temper, when angered, resembled someone he knew, even more so. Back at the center, Han Yeo-ju had been beating up her peers like rats for the simple reason of "saying something offensive." That didn't change just because she'd gotten older. Her long life on the run had only slightly improved her patience. Seokjin felt like even that was a bit out of place. At least Yeo-ju's increased patience had bought him enough time to step in and sort things out. And today, Seokjin finally had to admit that his judgment had been completely wrong.
“What’s going on outside?”
A loud roar echoed throughout the building, causing Namjoon, who had been dozing on the sofa, to snap open his eyes. Seokjin, who had been quietly occupying the sofa next to him, lost in thought, was also interrupted by the ominous sound. Could it be that the high-level espers were training? Seokjin slowly sat up, recalling the fact that such a loud noise had often been heard during sparring sessions between high-level espers. The question was, was there a training ground suitable for such a sparring session around this building?
"Shall we go out?"
"Is there really a need for that? And if we go out, there's a greater chance of getting caught up in something bad."
"Oh, right. I guess the rumors have already spread."
"Yeah, that's right."
"We're fugitives." Namjoon didn't respond to Seokjin's words and simply laid back down on the sofa. "If the time comes, I can use my powers." It was a reaction only Namjoon could give, given his spatial abilities.
Seokjin sat back down on the sofa. But for some reason, the anxiety wouldn't go away. Was it because Taehyung and Yeoju hadn't returned to the dorm yet? Yeoju, who had unpacked her few bags and slept for a few hours, then dragged Taehyung down to the restaurant, saying she was starving. The restaurant was on the second floor, or at least in the same building, so nothing would happen. Even though Seokjin thought so in his head, a strange sense of unease kept his hands still. And soon, Taehyung returned to the dorm, drenched in sweat.
"Hey guys!! Big trouble!! Sister Yeoju!! There's a fight!!"
When she shouted, Seokjin regretted not going out to find Yeoju sooner. He followed Taehyung, taking Namjoon, who had jumped up in surprise at Taehyung's voice, with a deep sigh. The intuition that had developed from having known Yeoju for so long was telling him.
Ah, it seems Han Yeo-ju's short patience has run out again.
⚒
"trash."
When I abruptly turned my head at the soft muttering, no one met my gaze. Everyone was just pretending to look away, looking anywhere but where I was standing. The corners of my mouth twitched slightly.
I could bear it. Knowing the image the Center's Espers had of fugitives, it was an expected reaction. So, even after being called trash, I obediently accepted my card key and returned to my dorm. I rested my tired body for a bit, ate at the restaurant, and willingly allowed myself to be dragged around by Taehyung's suggestion to tour the Center, but I held back. The mutterings, like soft whispers, were endless. The moment Yeoju and Taehyung left the building, everyone they encountered initially flinched at the sight, then quickly turned hostile. Occasionally, they even muttered curses, as if to demand their attention. Yeoju held back. If it weren't for Jungkook's request, she would have lost her temper long ago, but she suppressed it.
"Wow, sis! There's a claw machine here too!"
Taehyung, a guide and not an esper, wasn't as sensitive as Yeoju. He might have sensed a glance, but he wasn't sensitive enough to hear the hostility in that gaze or the muttered curses.
"How did you find a guide for the fugitives?"
"Well, I guess he sold his body."
"That's a method suited to trash."
"That guide too, how could he possibly think of joining the fugitives?"
"Isn't this something a normal guide would never be able to do?"
That's why Yeoju pretended not to hear all that. Except for the singularity of providing guidance for espers, the guide was like a normal person in every way. Unlike espers, who simultaneously develop special abilities and their physical abilities surpass those of ordinary people. They were beings to be protected and safeguarded. I couldn't threaten anyone here or start a fight, because Taehyung was here. I couldn't react to every word of those words either. Taehyung wouldn't hear it. The moment Yeoju showed even the slightest reaction to those words, I could vividly imagine him sullenly crying and sullenly telling me to leave. So I had to endure it. I had to endure it...
"But you have to do it in moderation, it's more bearable."
“…Sister?”
The esper's keen senses immediately absorbed the hostility pouring in from all sides. The heroine's instincts reacted sharply to the genuine hostility. With a single sentence etched in her mind—a guide who must be protected—she awkwardly faced Kim Taehyung, like a robot. A face filled with question marks, as if she didn't understand the context, caught her eye.
"Are Kim Seokjin and Kim Namjoon both on the 12th floor?"
“Uh… I guess so?”
"Then you go to the 12th floor right now. Go and get Kim Seokjin and Kim Namjoon. Don't leave them and stick close to them. You have to take the stairs to get up. Don't take the elevator. Go and tell Kim Seokjin."
“Why are you guys…, …sister?”
"I've endured as much as I can."
The woman's eyes slowly opened. Taehyung, who clearly saw the scene, grabbed her and instead of questioning her, immediately turned around and walked towards the building. "Fucked," Taehyung muttered. Taehyung had spent quite some time with the woman, too. So, he knew her quite well. And, the warning those years were sending Kim Taehyung now was clear. "One woman is pissed." Taehyung's pace gradually quickened, then turned into a run. The woman's gaze, seeing Taehyung running towards the building, scanned the surrounding people with a chilling gaze.
"You, you, and you, me."
The female protagonist pointed her finger at three people. The three espers flinched. It was because the female protagonist was acting unusually. Even they frowned, as if their pride was hurt by the fact that they flinched because of a woman they had called "trash." Some even directly questioned, "Why us?" The female protagonist looked at him with sunken eyes. He was the one who had been cursing Taehyung, who was standing next to her, calling him a punk with no self-respect. The corner of the female protagonist's mouth went up crookedly. Just one side.
"Why, are you scared?"
Those words energized the three Espers, who approached the heroine. They were swearing at the developers, their voices blaming each other, and it seemed they were quite infuriating. A laugh escaped the heroine's lips at their insignificant display. It was clearly a mockery.
"I would appreciate it if you could avoid direct combat if possible."
“…If you can bear with it for a little longer…, if you feel it has gone too far, just lightly suppress it…”
Ah, our leader's words have been disobeyed from day one, thought Yeoju.
⚒
Their opponent was only a woman. And an esper with only the power of healing. There was no reason they couldn't win. That was precisely what the first person Yeoju had pointed out. He had been the one who'd laughed and cursed at his friend, saying that trash was best suited to be a garbage dump, watching Yeoju and Taehyung. A fugitive who had dared to join the center's team. Rumors about them, including Yeoju Han, had already spread throughout the center, and naturally, those rumors included the fugitives' powers. An esper with no combat power, only a healing power.
"What are you doing, not attacking?"
Seeing him standing there awkwardly, spouting such nonsense, I wondered if he had some hidden ability. But I quickly dismissed that thought. No matter how long and how fast he flew, it was still three to one. A support esper with no combat abilities, even a high-level one, couldn't possibly win against three mid-level espers. No, even if it were one to one, victory for a support esper would be difficult to guarantee. Their abilities are different. So, that's why...
'Is it really necessary to have the ghastly sight of all three of them rushing in together?'
If it weren't for him being pointed out by that woman, he might have taken a step back like the onlookers who had already gathered after hearing the news of the fight, giggling as he watched the woman being targeted by three men. However, now that he was in the position of fighting himself, he realized that even if he beat one woman three to one, he would only be getting his money's worth. The other two espers who had been pointed out seemed to have the same idea, as they were just watching the woman's expression without any intention of attacking her with a sloppy appearance. Let's attack them one by one. At the conversation exchanged through glances, the other two espers took a step back.
Of course, Han Yeo-ju didn't pay any attention to her opponent. Whether two or three, she was confident she could win. Contrary to her expectations, she could tell just by observing the atmosphere around her that he had already been underestimated. That's why Han Yeo-ju decided to throw away the thought of ending it lightly for Jeon Jung-kook's sake and face it with all her heart. To whom? To that opponent who was approaching her casually as if he didn't need to give his all. Han Yeo-ju quickly leaped and reached her opponent in one breath. The opponent's face was bewildered by her unexpected movement. Seeing his eyes widen in surprise, she threw her fist.
"this person…!"
With a dull thud, the opponent's body was instantly pushed back. He avoided the ridiculous sight of being knocked to the ground by a single punch, but his pride seemed to have been hurt by the fact that he'd been given the initiative, and he lashed out in anger. Watching him grumble, Han Yeo-ju charged forward, seemingly unfazed. She quickly swung her fists again. Unable to even prepare for a counterattack, the opponent raised both arms. With a thud,
"…shield?"
A woman's fist was blocked by a translucent wall. The woman's mutterings brought a confident expression to the opponent's face. A B-rank defensive ability. While the rank alone would place it within the mid-level esper class, defensive abilities are considered one level lower than their original rank and are assigned a rank. Only then can one reliably defend against attacks befitting their rank. Even a B-rank ability could easily block an esper's punch, let alone a combat ability. Of course, this was under normal circumstances.
Han Yeo-ju took a step back. She glanced at her opponent, who wore an arrogant expression as if to say, "Punch through if you will," and then summoned her supernatural power. The supernatural power of healing, at first glance, might seem like a mere ability to heal injuries, but its uses are limitless. She concentrated her summoned supernatural power on her right arm. The muscles in her arm tightened. Han Yeo-ju tweaked her supernatural power slightly. It wasn't just healing; it was more like a buff, maximizing her abilities. The muscles in her right arm swelled. Leaping again, Han Yeo-ju clenched her fist. Muscles stretched to their limits, slamming forward with immense force. She aimed at her opponent, who stood proudly, relying solely on her defensive wall.
'Kwaang-,'
A loud noise rang out. The enemy couldn't hide his bewilderment at the cracking of the defensive wall. A mere healing ability, a mere woman. The one he looked down on shattered his own ability with a single punch, and the heroine kicked the opponent's foot without hesitation. Quickly striking only the vital points of the helplessly fallen opponent, the heroine stopped moving and took a deep breath. She briefly looked down at the foaming, groaning opponent, then raised her head. The crowd of onlookers had doubled. A familiar face appeared among them. The heroine smiled brightly at him. Her face was a refreshing sight. Then, she spoke to the two espers, who hesitated and retreated.
"next,"
Jungkook, who was moving to a new dorm with his new team members, smiled helplessly.
"Really… you're really disobedient."⚒