I’m Not That Villain

102 – Lee Seo-yeon (5)

A new stone rolling in dislodges the one already settled there.

Where could that idiom be more fitting than the current situation?

In the hallway, Seo Ji-soo gnashed her teeth, staring at the pink hair glued closely to the workshop master.

“…Assisting the Master… that’s *my* job…!”

“…Seo Ji-soo-ssi. What are you doing here?”

At the sound of the voice, Seo Ji-soo glanced back.

Standing there was Kim Han-soo, a fellow team leader.

“………”

A hesitant attitude. A voice that trembled slightly even as he spoke.

Seo Ji-soo knew what it was. How many confessions had *she* received, not to recognize *that*?

A man who unnecessarily spoke in a situation he could easily pass by, subtly closing the distance.

It meant only one thing.

“Excuse me.”

“Y-yes? Yes?”

“I’m not interested in you, Mr. Kim Hansu, you understand? I’m telling you this in advance. Just in case.＂

“…I haven’t said anything, though.”

“I just told you. I’m telling you now, just in case. Don’t get any silly ideas. I hate office romances.”

Kim Hansu scratched his head, looking awkward.

He frowned slightly, as if displeased.

“…Wouldn’t you say that Ms. Seo Jisu is currently more involved in a near-office romance situation than anyone else?”

“This is different. I’m just keeping an eye on the moths fluttering toward the Workshop Master’s superior skills.”

“To call Lee Seoyeon a moth feels inaccurate, considering her own proven abilities, no?”

“It’s not her skills I’m questioning. It’s her character. Who knows? Maybe her sticking so close to the Workshop Master is a ploy to steal his techniques.”

“A ploy… a ploy, you say… that may not be entirely wrong either…”

Kim Hansu subtly moved to stand beside her. He glanced furtively down the corridor at their reflections in the glass.

“…Am I so inadequate?”

“Didn’t I just say? I’m not interested in you, Mr. Kim Hansu.”

“…I’m just asking out of curiosity.”

“Doesn’t seem that way.”

Seo Jisu glanced at the man beside her. Their eyes met, and Kim Hansu gave a sheepish smile.

Beneath that smile lay an undeniable confidence. An overflowing confidence that Jisu herself could readily perceive.

And it wasn’t as if Jisu didn’t understand it.

Kim Hansu? Handsome enough. Tall, too, and quite robust. On top of that, he was now a successful artisan, earning a good living.

He’d once mentioned his hobbies were piano and he worked out regularly. Whether all of that was true or not was one thing, but the self-portrait he painted certainly indicated an ideal husband material.

Yes.

An attractive man. Sure. I know that.

But…

Mere attractiveness, those rational elements… they aren’t exactly enough to make one’s heart flutter, are they?

“Mr. Kim Hansu.”

“Yes?”

“It’s true, you’re good-looking. You’re wealthy, too, with several properties, I hear? You exercise regularly, have a good physique… tall, and flawless to boot. Isn’t that right?”

“……..”

“But just because you possess all those perfect, rational attributes, does that guarantee someone will fall in love with you?”

“…I had an ex-girlfriend who once said something similar.”

“And so?”

“I wasn’t interested at first, but later, interest bloomed. I have confidence I can make you feel the same, Miss Seo.”

A straight shot of confidence, unadulterated.

Delivering such words in such earnest, with such a handsome face…

Most women would have to give him even a sliver of a chance.

But what to do?

I’m not most women.

“I’m not.”

“……..”

“So, stop bothering me. You see, I like people I can respect.”

“I don’t believe my circumstances are undesirable, either.”

“Circumstances are adequate. I’m sure there are many things I could learn from you. Starting immediately, in fact. My lifestyle is terrible. I often stay up all night. Watching dramas until the wee hours. Doing things I know are bad for me. That’s just me.”

“……..”

“But what I said was ‘people I can respect,’ not things I can learn.”

“…What’s the difference?”

“Someone special, possessing something others don’t. Someone I feel I could strive my entire life to emulate and still never catch up to their heels. I want to follow someone like that. I…”

Seo Ji-soo smiled sweetly.

“Truthfully, I prefer to be led, rather than to lead.”

“…I could provide that for you as well.”

“Kim Han-soo-ssi. Come closer for a moment.”

“…Yes?”

She drew near to Kim Han-soo, who lowered his head.

Seo Ji-soo whispered softly.

“Why don’t you just fuck off and leave me alone, huh? God. Why do you keep doing this when I said no? Just go hit on some other girl. Seriously. You have all the right conditions, so why are you obsessing over me?”

“……..”

“And even if I were dating the Workshop Head, it wouldn’t be considered office romance. You know why?”

Seo Ji-soo took a step back.

Stuck her tongue out, *blep*.

“If the day ever comes that the Workshop Head and I date, it won’t be an office romance, but a case of *pet ownership*.”

“……..”

“Shall I be off, then? And please, let’s forget everything we discussed today.”

Seo Jisu turned.

Walked directly toward Lee Seojun.

“Workshop Master! I have a question! I’m stuck on something!”

“…You’re interrupting.”

“No, *you’re* the interruption, aren’t you?”

. . .

The hallway quickly filled with a racket.

From there, Kim Hansu followed the retreating traces of Seo Jisu with his eyes.

“……. “

A sudden awkwardness made him rub the back of his neck.

Since their first meeting, his gaze kept wandering to her, he even thought of striking up a conversation…

And just as he was about to finally exchange a proper word, he’d been rejected.

“…Haa…”

He wasn’t lacking in terms of conditions.

Nor did he think he lacked in the looks department…

That things would unfold like this.

There had been a few women he’d met who played hard to get. But ultimately, when he didn’t give them attention, *they* ended up clinging to *him*.

He was exceptional. As exceptional as he was, others were naturally drawn to him.

He’d been born with the ability to acquire everything he wanted… even if they rejected him, he was confident he could win them over…

“…Tch.”

Since it’s *that* kind of opponent, he doesn’t even feel like daring to challenge him.

Kim Hansu stared blankly at the man to whom the two beauties were clinging.

The two things he himself possessed.

Charm and ability, both overwhelmingly defeated in one swoop by that man.

Lee Seojun.

Black Mirror.

“…If only he seemed more interested in women, I could at least badmouth him… There’s nothing to criticize, so this is…frustrating…”

Kim Hansu chuckled at the words he’d unconsciously spoken.

In the end, you see. Even he was understanding Seo Jisu’s words to some extent.

A man even the greatest artisan would acknowledge, and hold in reverence.

That man was him.

“…Right. Should just focus on my job… What ambitions am I even chasing?”

Kim Hansoo subtly turned away. Even after being rejected by Seo Jisu, he didn’t feel all that bad.

Perhaps he could accept it because the target of her affection was Lee Seojoon.

Still, his mouth felt bitter, and he quietly smacked his lips.

“…If I’m going to have a girlfriend, I should find someone outside of work. An office romance… seems too complicated.”

. . .

A busy day passed. Within it, I did everything I could.

The war I’d expected to break out any moment unexpectedly hadn’t. Even though the other side must have finished their preparations by now… it was as if…

They were waiting for something.

As if to confirm that thought, the governing bodies suddenly started to move in earnest.

Their target wasn’t Hundred Eyes.

It was an entirely different situation.

The site that managed the largest distribution network within Seoul.

The headquarters of the Black Market was caught in a surprise attack.

“…….?”

Whatever had made the government so impatient, they had suddenly acted in a big way.

Destroying the Black Market, of all things.

And what made that possible was…

The preliminary skirmish in Jung-gu, Seoul.

An overwhelming force, as if to say that had just been a ‘test run’.

“…The government’s forces are this strong?”

Footage of the invasion of the Black Market was uploaded to the internet.

The content was utterly shocking.

The Black Market, of all places. A massive conglomerate that virtually single-handedly handled Seoul’s internal distribution network. Therefore, it possessed power befitting its overwhelming size.

From private forces to dozens of related organizations.

The heart of such a place had collapsed in just one day.

At the hands of an overwhelming force that appeared from nowhere.

I stared at the numerous ability users rampaging in the video. Their new models moved so quickly they were barely caught on camera, and at the same time…

Everything visible was shattering, scattering.

As if they’d truly set their minds to it this time.

“…The government had this many Enhanced operatives…?”

“To be precise, it’s a bit different, Master. Analyzing the footage, bio-signs are present, but their personalities are so broken, it’s hard to call them human. Most of those ruined faces are hidden by masks…but zooming in on a briefly uncovered face…”

The video zoomed in.

And at once, it was visible.

A mask pulled away, revealing the twisted visage beneath.

“…They’re more like biological weapons, a far cry from normal humans.”

“Biological weapons…”

Scarlett’s words left me in thought.

Attacking the Black Market meant the government was prepared for total war with Seoul.

The Black Market isn’t just connected to minor, weak organizations. Major powers are involved too.

Strongmen who control entire districts. To declare them all enemies at once…

…Then why?

Why would they do something like that?

Trusting in these bio-weapons?

“…Could it be…”

No. That’s impossible.

No matter how overwhelmingly the power balance tips, they wouldn’t give cause so abruptly.

This is probably…maybe already prearranged…

-Thunk.

The door opened. I paused my conversation with Scarlett, turning to look.

The boss of Hundred Eyes, dressed in a proper suit, walked towards me.

Black Mamba Baek Soyeon stood before me.

“Busy?”

“No. I’m okay. What’s up?”

“…I have to be away for a while, so I came to tell you.”

“What?”

“A council meeting. A regular summit among the major organizations occupying the districts. The usual thing. Flexing power, fostering harmony…that kind of tiresome event. But this time, it’s not just that…”

Baek Soyeon frowned.

“There’s whispers of the Enforcement Directorate attending the regular meeting. Even Bad Sector themselves, the infamous ones.”