“Oppa. You shouldn’t say such weird things all the time. Deok-Sung oppa hates it. Nishishishi.”
With a familiar cartoon laugh, the side door opens.
Someone steps into the yard.
A gyaru-type beautiful girl with red-black two-tone hair tied in a side tail.
It was Kurosawa Haru.
“Little one! As promised, I have restored Haru’s identity! How about it? How’s my ability?”
Behind her comes Seira, with a proud expression as if she were a great general.
Of all people, it’s Seira, the president of the Hero Association.
“Oh, yes. Well done, President.”
An empty praise is all I can muster for her.
“Huhuhuhuhu. The little one has acknowledged my competence. Well, this was just a piece of cake for me.”
Seira’s lips twitch behind her lace fan.
Her red eyes curve in delight.
Now I have to deal with Seira’s antics too.
While I’m inwardly worrying about the president’s childishness.
“H-Haru…!”
Yuji’s eyes well up with tears as soon as he sees Haru.
Just like in the original story, he was about to run to her and embrace her.
But—
Poke.
Haru pushes Yuji away with her finger.
“Oppa, come on. You saw me at the hospital yesterday. That look in your eyes is super burdensome. Skinship is super burdensome too. Don’t come any closer.”
“Haru… How could you… When we were kids…”
Yuji is flustered by Haru’s remarks.
As a light novel protagonist, he seems a bit shocked by her attitude.
“Oh, whatever. That was when we were super young, and Haru is totally grown now. I’m an adult, so it’s fine now.”
Where on earth did she learn that phrase?
This is maddening.
Haru, who firmly rejected Yuji, stands before me.
“Nishishishi. Deok-Sung oppa.”
She blushes slightly and smiles.
“Super sister Haru was totally waiting to see the amazing Deok-Sung oppa☆”
With a mischievous grin, Haru leaps into my arms.
What is this? Everyone’s watching, and what kind of act is this?
“Way more than Yuji oppa☆”
Haru whispers sweetly in my ear.
Yuji’s eyes waver upon hearing her words.
What’s happening? This sudden NTR manga vibe?
The atmosphere in the yard thickens with Haru’s sudden hug.
“Ugh… Th-that thief cat again… Iiiih!”
Olivia is the first to speak up.
She lets out a moan and turns beet red.
She turns away, blushing.
“Get away from my Master right now! EriLing, I’ll never forgive you for cutting in line and cheating!”
Next, Eri shakes her fist and jumps up and down.
“Just as Bonaparte said… Haru… what the heck happened? If we don’t stay on guard… Gah…”
Rin, who was beside them, bites her lip and glares at Haru.
“The Black Beast, Junior, cruelly stole my purity and now has taken the heart of Junior’s junior too. Bad boy Junior…”
“Geeeee…”
Kasumi mutters in a low voice, while beside her, Makoto lets out a small noise.
“Hehehe…”
Just as Haru smiles and makes a peace sign at that moment.
“Mr. Kim Deok-Sung. How dare you have inappropriate relations right in front of me… who on earth do you think you are!”
Aris approaches me with a trembling voice.
She speaks to me with a flushed face.
“I won’t tolerate any inappropriate relations even if dirt gets in my eyes! Back away!”
Aris separates me from Haru.
Surprisingly, Haru lets go willingly.
“Hoooh…”
Haru narrows her eyes.
She circles around Aris and observes her.
“A-Chan, you’re super pretty.”
“W-what is suddenly…”
Aris is flustered by Haru’s odd behavior.
Regardless, Haru smiles and says,
“Hehehe. I see now… but my super cute little sister Haru will never back down. From now on, I’ll be your favorite character☆”
“What in the world are you talking about…”
Aris tilts her head in confusion at Haru’s words.
Saying she wants to be my favorite character?
I’m losing it, seriously.
I can’t understand how she can say such things so nonchalantly.
Just when I was about to say something to Haru.
“The preparations for the training camp are complete.”
Han Seo-Jin’s cold voice can be heard.
“Please follow me this way.”
Following Han Seo-Jin’s guidance, we arrive at a location.
There stood a large helicopter on the helipad, and in front of it, a military pilot in army uniform saluted me with teary eyes as soon as she spotted me.
“Respect! Honorable Mr. Kim Deok-Sung and your party! I will do my utmost to take you to Gangwon-do swiftly, safely, and comfortably!”
No way.
Why is the mode of transportation a helicopter, not a train or a car?
Why is there a helicopter here?
What on earth is going on?
Tatatatatata.
The helicopter’s propeller slices through the air.
The helicopter carrying me and my entourage takes off towards Gangwon-do.
Outside the window, the blue sky and the land below are visible.
“Whoa…”
Eri, sitting across from me, sparkles her eyes against the helicopter window.
“EriLing, this is my first time on a helicopter… it’s amazing.”
I let out a wry smile and glance over at the seat next to me.
There was Makoto sitting there.
The inevitable seat battle that happened before boarding the helicopter had resulted in Makoto’s victory.
“Wowowow…”
Just like Eri, Makoto was also gazing towards the window.
Makoto’s gaze shifts from the window to me.
Our eyes meet.
“Eek!”
Makoto hiccups.
Her face flushes bright red.
Makoto’s body trembles.
It’s as if I have chills from a cold.
What’s up with her?
‘Is she sick?’
Her face has turned pale, going from bright red to ghostly white.
She’s really not sick, right?
[Partner… She might have gotten hurt while fighting in Seoul. So worry about her, like a man.]
The Black Prince speaks in my mind.
I’m not sure if worrying is manly, but Makoto looks a bit off right now.
“Makoto.”
Her face turns red at my words.
Her eyes tremble.
“Whaaaat!?”
An out-of-place strange sound comes from Makoto’s mouth.
What’s with her fascination for making weird sounds?
“Are you sick? You look awful!”
“Th-that’s… not it! I’m fine! I’m sorry for worrying you…”
Makoto shakes her head vigorously.
She waves her hands to dismiss the concern.
She bites her lip and lowers her head.
“Hehehe…”
A laugh escapes from Makoto.
Well, at least she looks a bit better now.
Just as I’m thinking that, I notice something.
“Hmm?”
Did she always have long hair?
The girl with the short haircut now has a bob.
“You’ve grown your hair!”
“Ah, ummm…”
Her eyes widen at my words.
She twists her side hair with her fingers and says, “Eri said that if I grow my hair, my femininity will increase, so I tried… but it doesn’t suit me, does it?”
Makoto pouts her lips.
She adds, “My lord, I’ll get my hair cut as soon as possible. This hairstyle doesn’t suit a girl like me…”
Her face looks sad.
She speaks in a gloomy tone.
But I haven’t even said anything yet.
Why the sudden breakdown?
“What’s this nonsense about it not suiting you? It actually looks good.”
In the original, Makoto looked better with a bob than a short cut.
I personally don’t like short hair that much either.
Right now, she looks much better.
“…R-really?”
Makoto asks hesitantly, her face turning crimson.
“Yeah. It looks good, so don’t make me say it twice.”
“…Okay.”
Her face turns a deep shade of red.
She’s trembling shyly with her head down.
She seriously looks like she’s sick.
“It looks good, it looks good, it looks good, it looks good…”
She mutters ‘it looks good’ in a small voice.
Her face begins to lighten up a bit.
“…Thank you, my lord.”
Makoto speaks in a soft voice.
Now she finally looks decent.
Just as I’m thinking that, leaning back into my chair…
“Kim Deok-Sung! We will soon arrive at our destination!”
The helicopter pilot’s booming voice breaks through.
I turn my head towards the window.
There, I see a huge luxurious building with all sorts of facilities that could rival a hotel.
Finally arrived at the lodging place, the resort.
*
Tatatatatata.
With a loud propeller sound, the helicopter lands on the rooftop helipad.
The helicopter door opens.
The vast roof reveals an outdoor air conditioning unit.
A plush red carpet leads to the elevator entrance.
Another red carpet?
‘It seems like red carpets follow me everywhere. At this rate, I might step on more red carpets than ground at official events.’
“The carpet seems to be following me. It’s like I step on the red carpet more than the ground at official events.”
[Partner. That means you are a distinguished guest, a VVIP in this country. The red carpet is rolled out to keep distinguished guests from stepping on the ground. Even our ancestor, Napoleon Bonaparte, walked on a red carpet at his coronation, so think of it as an honor.]
The Black Prince dumps useless information about the red carpet into my head.
Why is Napoleon Bonaparte coming up?
Sighing internally, I step down from the opened helicopter door.
“Your loyalty! Kim Deok-Sung! It’s an honor to serve you! I’ll escort you back too!”
The helicopter pilot salutes me, looking extremely tense.
I reflexively return his salute.
“To receive your salute! What an honor! Kim Deok-Sung! Ooh, ooh, ooh…”
The helicopter pilot collapses in tears.
What am I, some kind of cult leader?
What is this?
It’s so bewildering.
Medical staff, who were waiting somewhere, rush over to carry the pilot away on a stretcher.
Where did they come from?
“It’s an honor to meet you, Kim Deok-Sung.”
As I watch in disbelief, a polite voice whispers in my ear.
I turn my head.
There stands a neatly dressed middle-aged man in a suit.
“I am the general manager of the resort supporting your three nights and four days of lodging. I will do my utmost to serve you and your companions, so as not to bring shame to the name of the hero.”
The manager bows his head.
The manager came to greet me?
He’s trembling with tension.
“Ah, yes. Thank you.”
I’ve grown tired of responding to such over-the-top actions.
“Understood! It is an honor. Now, let’s go inside.”
With the manager’s guidance, we enter the elevator.
The elevator is so spacious that even with all of us in it, there’s still plenty of room.
The unnecessarily ornate elevator quickly arrives at the first floor from the rooftop.
Ding.
With the bell ringing, the elevator doors open.
The first floor of the resort, the main hall, comes into view.
A luxurious chandelier hangs from the ceiling.
As expected, a red carpet is laid out.
An orchestra is performing classical music on a stage set up at one side of the main hall.
Wait, an orchestra?
I turn my head.
[We sincerely welcome Hero Kim Deok-Sung and his companions.]
A large banner hangs in the main hall.
In the middle of a fountain spouting water stands a statue of a familiar face.
I’ve seen that face somewhere before.
If I think it looks like me, is that just too self-conscious?
“Master! Look, that’s your statue in the fountain!”
Eri points with her finger from beside me.
What?
My statue?
I turn back to see the fountain again.
[Statue of Hero Kim Deok-Sung]
I see a metal plaque stuck beneath the fountain.
It’s really my statue?
I’m speechless.
My head is spinning. Why on earth…?
Should I be relieved that there’s no statue of me in Gwanghwamun Plaza?
The thought of my statue being placed next to King Sejong and General Lee Soon-shin makes my hands and feet tingle, and my whole body shivers.
Staff in uniforms bow to me on both sides of the red carpet, greeting me with every step I take.
