Chapter 1: Help Me, Hero! (1)

Arch-enemy.

The term merges 'arch,' implying foremost, with 'enemy.'

In essence, it means a nemesis.

Inevitably, they are inescapably intertwined, their battles never conclusively resolved.

In this irony, they come to know and understand each other best.

Even I have such an arch-enemy, as the ranked number one in the villain danger ranking.

Naturally, the counterpart is the ranked number one hero.

'Solace.'

Her beauty is obvious even behind a mask and helmet.

Her artistic figure is accentuated by a tight hero costume.

When her powers activate, her hair and eyes glow brightly, and a golden aura, like the sun, radiates around her.

It was impossible to deny how incredible she was.

She was a hero one couldn't help but admire.

---

---

Regaining consciousness, I found 'Solace,' the hero, pressing firmly on my wounds with both hands.

Her voice and expression were panicked.

Tears streamed from her shining eyes.

I was startled but lacked the strength to show it.

A lot of my blood had already been lost.

Whispering was all I could manage.

".....This is unexpected, Solace."

Startled by my voice, Solace looked up at me.

"....Y-you're awake, Dice. Stay calm. Okay? Everything will be alright."

I still couldn't fully understand.

Was this a dream?

But even in this dire situation, I didn't want to show weakness to her.

".....Shouldn't we....not be like this?"

Solace shook her head, unable to wipe her tears or hide her expression while staunching my bleeding.

"You must live, Dice.... You must live...."

"Get a grip, Solace. I'm not on your side."

She continued shaking her head, crying more desperately at the sight of my endlessly flowing blood.

"Cough, cough...!"

"It's okay...! Just hold on...! I've called a healing specialist hero...!"

"...South Korea's top hero has.....Stockholm syndrome*. If someone sees this, it'll cause an uproar. Cough...."

Biting her lip, she said with a choked voice.

"...I'm just....returning the favor."

"....."

It was then I began to understand her actions.

As my arch-enemy, there was little she could hide from me.

".....You've saved my life many times...not just once or twice, I know. When I was unconscious.... every time.... every time I woke up safe, I knew it was because of you..."

"...."

Tears kept streaming down her cheeks.

When had she realized?

"Dice....! I'm admitting this for the first time....! Sob...! I've always felt something odd about you..."

Knowing my time was limited, I no longer wanted to deny it.

For her, I wanted to pretend to be a bit cooler till the end.

"As much as I am your arch-enemy, I'm the one who knows you best. I know that you killed the other villains. I also know that you've declared this land in Seoul as your territory to keep other villains at bay... Dice... I know that you.."

"...."

"....I know that you're actually... good at heart..."

I let out a stifled laugh at her absurd words, though even that was now a painful effort.

I forced a smile and replied.

"...If I were truly good at heart, I wouldn't have become a villain. Why would I choose such a troublesome path?"

".....You... You must have had your reasons."

As I looked at Solace, who believed in me, I found myself at a loss for words.

Contrary to her expectations or guesses, I am not that good a person.

My choice to become a villain was entirely my own, a product of my stupid youth.

I took the easy path and let my anger take over and consume me.

My greed was endless, yearning for more than I could count.

But.... a lot has changed in recent years.

The good deeds Solace discovered were like my own acts of repentance.

I've grown deeply skeptical of my lifestyle, questioning its very foundation.

Why am I living this way?

Spreading fear among citizens.

Hated by heroes.

Distrusted by villains.

For whom am I doing this?

Alone... nothing seems fun.

Even after acquiring all the wealth I ever desired, it held no meaning for me.

Like how you no longer crave food when you're full.

Money didn't fill my void.

Then came Solace.

Risking her life for others, spreading happiness and hope.

Why did she seem so different from the other heroes?

I still haven't figured out the reason.

....Anyway.

I envied her.

She was loved wherever she went.

And I was so lonely.

So, in a desire to be like her, I started doing good deeds secretly, just to pass the time.

I never expected things to turn out like this.

"....Heh."

....But listening to her, I felt a profound sense of fulfillment.

I had to admit that my decision to do good was the right one.

The top-ranked villain feeling happy about being praised for good deeds.

"....Stay alive, Dice.... You must live..."

I glanced at my pierced stomach.

There was no hope in sight.

".....That's going to be difficult.....I took on heroes ranked second to seventh all at once.... It's greedy to hope to survive."

A battle had raged over several days.

A fight that broke out after the persistent pursuit of heroes.

It was the culmination of their determination to finally end me, the villain who had been ranked number one for seven years.

I managed to incapacitate everyone, so in a way, I won the battle.

But in the end, I'm the only one losing my life.

Does this mean I've lost after all?

This end doesn't feel regrettable.

The fact that this is all the punishment for my misdeeds almost feels inadequate.

Sure, I've never killed innocent people or committed terrorism.

I was the top-ranked villain because no one could stop me.

Yet, I can't shake the feeling that my punishment is too lenient, perhaps due to my deep regret for the past.

Solace continued to shed tears.

....I felt a pang of disappointment.

I knew these tears weren't shed solely for me.

Solace always had a warm heart.... though some might say she's too easily moved to tears.

Perhaps that's the reason behind her tears now.

I've seen them on TV many times before.

I could feel my time running out.

Deep breaths felt suffocating, and my vision was gradually fading to black.

"....Solace."

She seemed to sense my fate from the sound of my voice.

"No, don't...! Hold on...!"

".....Thank you."

"....What do I have, that you're thankful for....?"

I smiled.

Then I said to her.

"....You wouldn't understand."

I wonder if she knew that my refusal to give up my position as the top villain, to remain her arch-enemy, was due to my small desire to be with her.

Soon, I couldn't see anything anymore.

The world turned pitch black.

Ha.

As always, I was alone again.

Then, through my hand, I felt a warm sensation.

I knew it was Solace's warmth.

Her voice reached my ears.

"...Dice."

For a moment, she suppressed her tears, then spoke with a more determined tone.

".....I'm grateful too. Having you around... it allowed me to grow."

A sense of peace enveloped me.

"I promise. I won't waste anything you've taught me. Thank you, Dice. Thank you..."

I thought to myself.

I've been completely defeated.

Utterly overpowered by her.

I had to admit that my way was wrong, and her way was right.

If there's another life.

I would live like her.

Not misuse my powers, act for others.

Not out of altruism.

For myself, for others, that's how I'll live.

What a pitiful life it was.

Look at the outcome.

A lover... no, that's too much to ask for.

.....A friend.

Yes.

I don't even have a friend to mourn my death.

Without Solace, my honorable adversary, there would have been no one to grieve over my death.

Loneliness.

That's what changed me, and that's what defeated me.

And then, my last breath left me.

---

---

....Gasp!!

And suddenly, my eyes opened.

"...What?"

It was a familiar ceiling.

"....Hmm."

After spending half a day in a daze, I found myself lost in thought while eating gukbap at a nearby restaurant.

Everyone around me was enjoying their dinner so naturally.

No one seemed startled to see me, nor did anyone run away.

This sensation itself felt strange to me.

Unlike other villains, I never wore a mask, so people used to scatter at my appearance.

Now, I could seamlessly blend in with others and enjoy my meal.

"....Was gukbap always this cheap?"

I found myself pondering trivial thoughts in my newfound leisure.

Was it because I had returned to the past, or because my sense of money was skewed after becoming the top villain?

Even the modest price of the meal evoked a small sense of wonder in me.

After piecing together various pieces of information, it appeared I had traveled back 11 years in time.

From 33 to 22 years old.

My body was younger, and my criminal record, my regretful past, all gone.

Even the memories with Solace.

Of course, I remember her, but she wouldn't remember me.

It's somewhat regrettable, but if this is the price for a chance to start over, it seems like a good deal.

-Ding!

"...."

I reacted sensitively every time someone entered the restaurant, out of habit.

Really, it's strange even to me.

Me, fitting in here.

But now, how should I live my life?

One thing's for sure, I won't live as a villain.

That much is definite.

I contemplated living as a hero, the opposite of a villain... but to even come close to being half as good as Solace, honestly, I didn't have the confidence.

.....Anyway, I don't want to live a lonely life.

I did want to emulate what I learned from Solace, even just a little.

Having started to grasp the warm feeling that comes from doing good deeds, I thought I might live this life in that direction.

.....Well, I'm not exactly sure how to go about it in detail.

After wiping my mouth with a tissue, I walked up to the cashier.

Everything felt new.

Paying.

Me, paying for something.

It didn't feel bad to regain a sense of normalcy.

"I'd like to pay."

I said confidently.

The lady from the kitchen came out with a smiling face.

"Young man, did you enjoy your meal?"

I generally find most foods delicious.

"Of course."

"Alright, that'll be 9,000 won."

Then suddenly, I was struck with a question of how to pay.

How did I pay for things ten years ago?

Originally, my face was my guarantee.

I used to pay like that everywhere.

But now is not then.

I had to pay like an ordinary person.

I rummaged through my pockets, but no wallet appeared.

".....Uh?"

My eyes blinked involuntarily.

I wasn't this flustered even when surrounded by heroes.

Wanting to live a good life, and the first thing I do upon returning is a dine and dash.

Front pocket, back pocket, no matter how much I searched, the wallet didn't magically appear.

"...Just a moment."

"Young man."

"Ma'am, I didn't plan this, I just..."

"Young man, it's alright."

As I looked up at her, she was smiling warmly at me.

"Really?"

"If you enjoyed the meal, that's all that matters. Just leave for today."

"....."

I was at a loss for words.

I couldn't find the words to describe this warm feeling I was experiencing.

"You looked so pitiful eating alone. Oh my... are you job hunting? Must be hard?"

".....I'll come back after going home. I have money there."

"No, it's okay. Let me feel like I'm a hero today. The heroes on TV look so cool."

Hero.

That word sparked something in me.

After a moment of hesitation, I spoke again.

"No, but still-"

"-No no no, go go go."

"-But ma'am-"

"Go go go go go! Come back another time then."

After that, pushed by the insistent refusal of the lady, I reluctantly left the restaurant.

The cool night air welcomed me.

Like my encounter with Solace.

Like my farewell with Solace.

I was certain this moment would stay in my memory for a long time.

I felt like I was beginning to grasp how I should live my life.

Yes.

Perhaps this kind of good deed is still a good deed.

After all, it was hunger that led me to the path of a villain.

What about opening a restaurant that provides free meals to those without money?

At 22, I was in the period of collecting money for villainous activities.

I'd need to check how much I had, but with some loans, I figured I could open a small restaurant.

The shortfall in funds could gradually be covered through the stock market.

As I resolved in my mind and was about to walk away, a voice stopped me.

"Excuse me."

".....?"

I turned to see a young schoolgirl standing there.

".....What?"

A dumbfounded sound escaped my lips.

But taking it as a response, the girl continued.

"...Mister, I'm so hungry, could you please buy me a meal?

It wasn't the approach of a stranger that startled me.

I was taken aback because the girl's face was strikingly familiar.

Villain name, 'Luna'.

In my previous life, she was the second-ranked villain.