Chapter 19

“Today’s weather is quite chilly, isn’t it?”

“……”

I turned my head and looked out the window.

Even though the year has changed, it still feels like winter. Outside, snow was falling heavily.

‘It looks pretty from the outside, but if you were to sleep out there in thin clothes, you wouldn’t last long, right?’

If you were to sleep outside on a day like today, you might just sleep forever.

I turned my head back and looked at Gayeon.

“Do you have a place to go back to or a place to sleep?”

“…No.”

She lowered her head as if embarrassed.

I shouldn’t clumsily try to comfort her here. Kids these days are so sensitive to that kind of thing.

Every bit of pity could end up hurting them.

So, I pretended not to care at all.

“Then, why don’t you stay and sleep at our place tonight?”

“!”

At my words, her eyes sparkled, and she quickly lifted her head. Though she didn’t say anything, her eyes were asking, “Is it really okay?”

“It’s already late, and it’s cold outside. I wouldn’t be able to sleep if I sent a kid out on a night like this.”

“……”

“We have plenty of rooms, so you can sleep in any one you like. If you’re worried, you can lock the door, and I’ll give you a blanket too.”

“……”

As I spoke, Gayeon fidgeted with her mouth.

“…Are you a hero?”

“Unfortunately, I’m not a hero.”

In response to her question, I took off my half-mask and smiled at her.

“I’m a very, very evil villain.”

“……”

Gayeon stared at me intently.

“Helping you today wasn’t for free. I plan to make you pay dearly for it later.”

So.

I patted Gayeon’s head.

Her hair was dusty and dry, like an old broom, but I didn’t mind at all.

“You can rest comfortably today.”

“……”

“It’s okay to just relax and not think about anything.”

By the time I finished speaking, she finally started to cry out loud.

***

…I liked dreaming.

While dreaming, I wasn’t hungry, in pain, or tired.

And today, I didn’t want to wake up from the dream.

‘It’s warm…’

I was afraid that if I opened my eyes, all of this would just be a dream.

That everything that happened yesterday was just a dream.

I couldn’t open my eyes because I wanted to feel this warmth a little longer.

-Knock knock.

‘Gayeon, are you still asleep?’

A man’s voice calling me.

It was different from the other uncles.

It was kind, soft, and clear.

I slowly opened my eyes as I listened to that voice.

And at the same time, I prayed desperately. Please, let this not be a dream.

“…I’m awake.”

When I finally opened my eyes.

The warm sunlight filled the room.

It was a relief.

***

As I left the room and came downstairs, I smelled something delicious.

“Are you awake?”

The man smiled at me.

It was Gang Ian, the oppa who brought me here.

“Come and have breakfast. I made something simple so it won’t be too heavy.”

What he made was a sandwich filled with bacon.

“Is it good?”

…Nod.

I ate everything he made without leaving a single bite.

Oppa smiled and patted my head as he watched me eat.

“Gayeon, can you come here for a moment?”

After eating and resting for a while, I quickly ran over when he called.

“Can you help me clean up here?”

I nodded at his request.

If I could repay his kindness even for a day, I would work hard.

Scrub. Scrub.

“Let’s have lunch first.”

At his call, we ate together again.

Scrub. Scrub. I continued cleaning.

“Good job. Here’s dinner.”

By evening, the sun had set.

Oppa made dinner again.

I was about to eat hurriedly like at lunch but stopped and looked at him.

‘…Is this the last time?’

It felt like I couldn’t properly repay his kindness and was just eating and leaving.

But even if it was shameless, I thought it was happiness.

‘I wish every day could be like this.’

But no matter what, that wouldn’t happen, right?

I ate slowly, trying not to forget this taste. And because I didn’t want to leave this place, I ate slowly.

As I finished eating, he watched me with a smile.

“Today’s weather is quite chilly, isn’t it?”

“?”

“If it’s okay with you, why don’t you stay and sleep here again tonight?”

“?”

Before I knew it, I was lying in the room, staring at the ceiling.

And so, I spent my second night at oppa’s house.

***

The next day, oppa handed me toiletries and a towel.

He asked if I wanted him to wash me, but I said it was okay and went into the bathroom to wash myself.

The warm water pouring over my body felt good after so long.

The day after that, he had me clean again.

He said he was thinking of opening a cafe soon and even made a few drinks for me.

“Is it good?”

“…Yeah.”

The drinks he made were so delicious.

The day after that, I became his conversation partner.

He said he was bored while washing dishes, so I kept him company.

“Are you listening?”

“Yeah… I’m listening.”

Oppa found something so funny that he laughed every time I spoke.

Later, he baked me cookies as a reward.

I ate the cookies contentedly.

Days passed, and before I knew it, a week had gone by, and I had been living at oppa’s house for two weeks.

‘…Why isn’t he kicking me out?’

Oppa still didn’t seem to mind me being here.

In fact, he even told me to let him know if I needed anything.

‘…I need to repay his kindness.’

He helped me escape from bad men, gave me food, and a place to sleep.

The kindness I received was overwhelming, and it felt like the debt was piling up.

‘I can’t keep going like this.’

In my current state, I felt like I was just being a burden instead of repaying his kindness.

“Hmm.”

With a determined heart, I went to oppa.

***

“Oppa.”

“Hmm? What is it at this late hour?”

Late at night.

Gayeon came to Gang Ian as he was preparing to sleep.

She hesitated when she saw him.

Fidgeting and avoiding his gaze, Gayeon finally looked at him and asked.

“Is there anything I can help you with?”

‘Finally, she’s trying to repay the favor.’

Gang Ian thought to himself while maintaining a puzzled expression.

“Help me? Aren’t you already helping enough?”

Shake shake.

Gayeon shook her head vigorously.

“…It’s not enough.”

Gayeon felt that she was nowhere near repaying his kindness.

She wanted to repay him, but part of her was afraid he might abandon her.

She was also worried that she might start hating herself for not being able to do anything properly.

“Hmm…”

‘Come to think of it, Gayeon hasn’t shown her abilities yet, has she?’

So, how should I act in a situation where I don’t know anything?

A villain executive. A kind-hearted villain executive with a very soft heart.

One day, he saved a girl who was about to be harmed by a wicked man, fed her, and let her sleep.

Then, he probably didn’t expect anything from her.

Even though he always joked about making her pay dearly later, expecting something from her would be strange.

‘I guess she won’t expect anything.’

It’s just endearing and cute that this girl came to ask if there was anything she could help with.

‘A powerless kid wants to help me.’

Gang Ian thought he might feel a mischievous urge to tease her.

“Have you thought about what you want to help with?”

“…Anything?”

Gang Ian gestured for her to come closer.

Gayeon quickly ran over.

Gang Ian patted her head and smiled playfully.

“I told you before that I’m a villain organization executive, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then, do you want to work for our organization?”

Without any expectations, Gang Ian casually threw out the words as if to tease her.

‘It’s a bit of a gamble.’

The important thing is that she feels like she made the decision herself.

‘I’ll maintain the stance that I have no intention of using her without knowing anything.’

After spending almost half her life being experimented on and used, and almost suffering outside, it would be a disaster if she thought the person who saved her was also using her for her usefulness.

It would completely nullify all the effort.

So, Gang Ian chose a slightly more cumbersome but safer path to minimize the risk.

Gang Ian hid his slightly nervous heart and looked at her.

And then.

“I’ll do it.”

‘Nice.’

But accepting her just like that wouldn’t be good.

What’s ultimately needed is her ‘ability.’

You can’t just make her do chores without revealing her abilities.

“…Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s really tough for non-ability users in a villain organization. If you’re not an ability user, you’ll just do chores and suffer a lot. I think I misspoke earlier. Let’s forget about it…”

Gang Ian brought up negative points to stir up some resistance.

To make her think, “No? I can do it? I can help?”

“It’s okay.”

She confidently stretched out her arm.

As she was about to use her ability, she hesitated.

“……”

‘It’s okay to show oppa.’

Gayeon glanced at Gang Ian, then steeled herself and used her ability.

“Huff.”

Whoosh-

At first, a small spark appeared.

It was just a spark, like from a lighter.

“So, you’re an ability user. But with this level of power…”

“There’s more.”

Next came psychokinesis. The windows opened, and papers around them started flying.

Then, wind swirled around Gayeon and Gang Ian.

Mental, Nature, Healing, Manipulation, Summoning, Enhancement, Physical, Interference… and so on.

Various abilities, each with different powers and strengths, poured out of her like a storm.

At some point.

Whoosh-

Their location changed to the rooftop, and she released her abilities.

“Huff… huff… huff…”

“What the.”

Gayeon was breathing heavily, as if she had used too much power.

Gang Ian looked at her with wide eyes, seemingly surprised.

“This… much… huff. Can I… be a villain? Oppa… can I help…? Huff…”

‘You’re already accepted, our little treasure!!!’

Seeing her smile faintly at him, Gang Ian found her so lovable.

But he couldn’t show it outwardly, so he held back his rising smile.

He just opened his mouth wide, pretending to be shocked.

***

In Astra’s office, which had a cold atmosphere.

“Huff.”

There, Astra was quietly resting.

‘Maker went out for a hobby, the training room is for member education. The other executives are each doing their own tasks.’

As the Chief’s secretary and the de facto second-in-command, she rarely had time to rest.

Finally, after finishing a pile of documents, she enjoyed the quiet sensation of doing nothing.

‘Ah, maybe I’ll check in with Maker for a bit.’

But staying still was a bit boring, so she decided to switch gears and contact Maker.

“Long time no see, Astra.”

“Ahh!”

At the familiar voice from behind, she jumped up in surprise.

“Oops, the positioning was a bit off.”

“…Sorry, oppa.”

“No, it’s fine. For a first attempt, this is pretty good.”

Swish swish.

Ignoring Astra, who was treated like a transparent person, Maker patted Gayeon’s head, and Gayeon looked proud.

Astra looked at them with a bewildered expression.

“M-Maker? Suddenly, where did you… and who’s that kid…?”

“Ah. Let me introduce you, Astra. This is Gayeon, my first subordinate.”

As Maker introduced her, the girl bowed her head.

“Hello, chicken coop.”

“…Wait, what?”

At Gayeon’s words, a vein popped on Astra’s forehead.

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