Concerning the recent events, I filled Stella in on the details, and she asked me that if the dark hero showed up at my house again, I should ask him to sign an autograph for her. Classic Stella. She even insisted on coming over to spend the night so she could meet the dark hero in person. Despite her persistence, I agreed, but unfortunately, the dark hero never returned.
It's been two days since Stella stayed over, and there's still been no sign of him, which finally led her to give up. Now, I find myself gazing at her disappointed expression from outside my home.
"He didn't come," she said with a pout, her mood clearly downcast. I sighed and gave her shoulder a reassuring pat. "There'll be another opportunity, Stella. I promise, I'll call for you the moment the dark hero arrives." My words seemed to brighten her spirits.
"I'll hold you to that," she replied, her face lighting up with joy as she skipped away like a child delighted by the prospect of ice cream. She radiated happiness and cuteness.
Once back inside, I decided to tidy up. I washed my clothes, swapped out the bed sheets, and changed the curtains. Two hours later, I surveyed my work with satisfaction and set about preparing some buldak. I'm genuinely thankful for Felix, who sends food supplies each week. I glanced around to see several unopened boxes stacked safely by the kitchen.
I began heating water in the rice cooker. For those who don't know, you can actually prepare buldak in a rice cooker—I've done it plenty of times, and it's perfectly safe. My thoughts drifted to Felix, pondering how he's been. It's been two days since we last saw each other, and while I've been busy here, I know he's occupied with his own life.
"I miss him…" I murmured to myself as I settled down, waiting for the water to boil so I could add the buldak. Leaning against the counter, I stared up at the ceiling. "What should I do?" I wondered internally.
Should I pay Felix a visit? I felt worn out from all my chores. It's not that I dislike going over; I genuinely enjoy spending time with Felix and exploring the high life. But I suppose my body could use a break.
As soon as I heard the water beginning to boil, I added my buldak to the pot, allowing it to soften slightly. A helpful hint for cooking buldak is not to let it become overly soft; since it's a drier dish, a little bit of softness is all that's needed.
I settled back, waiting for my buldak to cook to perfection so I could enjoy my meal in peace. I have a strong affection for spicy foods. My eyes shifted towards the window to check if it was already dark outside, considering I lack a phone. I figured it was best to pay attention to nature for clues. As I saw the sun setting, I realized it was past 5:30 PM.
With the buldak prepared, I moved to the couch, mixing the pack of ingredients with chopsticks before happily starting my meal. "Whoo! Spicy!" I exclaimed with a wide smile.
While relishing my food, I suddenly heard a knock on the window. I turned to see who it was and gasped in surprise.
Stella had been here for two days hoping to see the dark hero, but now he had finally returned. Was he avoiding Stella, or did he prefer that I see him instead? I shrugged it off.
I placed my bowl down on the table and walked over to the window. He always showed up at night, which explained why everyone referred to him as 'the dark hero.' I opened the window to let him in, and he still wore his recognizable costume.
The dark hero remained silent but handed me something. Looking down, I saw it was a phone. Confused, I glanced back up at him. "Do you want me to take this phone?" I asked. Is he alright? It looked brand new. He nodded and encouraged me to accept it, leaving me with no choice but to take it.
I gazed at the phone in amazement. "Is this really mine?" I queried again, and he nodded. My instinct was to jump for joy, but I tried to play it cool; I didn't want him to think I was overreacting. After all, it was my very first phone.
"Why did you give me a phone?" I asked, my eyes shining with curiosity. He simply shrugged in response, leaving me to sigh in disappointment. "You don't want to talk?" I probed, and he shrugged once more. "Are you uncertain?" I raised an eyebrow, and he nodded.
"Hmm..." I scrutinized him suspiciously before suddenly remembering something. I quickly grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and handed them to him. He looked at them, perplexed, then back at me, his body language seemed to ask, 'What am I supposed to do with this?'
"Just sign it. I'd like your signature," I said with a smile. In truth, I didn't actually want it, but my friend Stella did, and I wanted to make her happy since she's the best friend I've ever had.
The dark hero nodded, took the pen and paper, and began to sign. After completing it, he handed the paper back to me and gently patted my head as if I were a child. I was taken aback by his gesture, as I hadn't expected it, but it felt nice nonetheless.
"Are you finished?" I asked, looking up at him. He seemed to realize he had been patting my head and instinctively lowered his hand. His shyness made me smile; he looked quite adorable. Nevertheless, the memory of him dispatching the man who nearly killed me was far from cute. He truly terrified me.
The brooding figure maintained a steady gaze on me, his blue eyes captivating. Wait, those blue eyes...
"They're beautiful," I murmured, causing his eyes to widen slightly before returning to their usual expression. As I studied him more closely, I found that his eyes resembled the serene waves of the ocean—almost otherworldly. Noticing his puzzled reaction, I chuckled softly and rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly. "What I mean is, your eyes." I continued to gaze at him as he averted his glance, breaking our eye contact.
I sensed his discomfort. After all, we weren't exactly close. I had no idea who this man truly was or what his intentions might be. Perhaps he was here to befriend me only to betray me later.
"I-I apologize if I made you uncomfortable. Sometimes, I just can't seem to keep my thoughts to myself," I said, exhaling in frustration at my own honesty. I really disliked my inability to filter my words.
He waved his hand as if to say it was alright. I could read his body language; he was trying to assure me that he didn't mind or feel uneasy, which eased my worries a bit. "Thank you," I said softly with a small smile. Remembering my buldak, I promptly settled back on the couch to enjoy it while he remained standing, watching me intently.
I felt a bit awkward—was it usual for heroes to just stand there and observe someone eating in peace? I turned to him with an inviting expression, patting the couch beside me. "Please, don't just stand there. Have a seat." I wasn't accustomed to visitors; the only one I usually had was Stella, who acted as if she owned the place. But this situation felt different—he seemed reluctant to act without permission, as if he respected that this was my home.
Without delay, when I invited him to sit, he took a spot beside me on the couch while still gazing at me. I tried to ignore his intense stare and focus on my meal, but it was difficult with his piercing look. After a moment, I glanced at him and offered my bowl of buldak. "Would you like some?" I asked with a smile. Without a moment's hesitation, he reached for the bowl and lifted the edge of his mask as if to remove it, but then paused. He returned the buldak to me and looked away.
My mouth fell open slightly at his reaction. I genuinely couldn't grasp why he enjoyed eating, but then hesitated. Oh, I get it. He's wearing a mask to keep his identity hidden. But how can it truly be a secret when I can clearly see his blue eyes and maroon hair? I sighed, perplexed by this man...
"I guess you've had a change of heart," I remarked, continuing to eat my buldak, while he remained still in that position. Minutes ticked by, and I finished my meal without us exchanging a single word. He kept glancing around my house, which I would describe as modest.
My home is made of sturdy cement, a two-story structure painted gray, boasting four windows adorned with purple curtains, along with a small kitchen, a dining area, a bathroom, and a bedroom upstairs with a balcony. I sometimes think it would be nice to have a TV. But my daydreaming was interrupted when he suddenly turned to face me, took my phone, and began typing.
"What are you doing?" I inquired, curiously, but he didn't respond and continued tapping away at the screen. After a moment, he showed me what he had written.
"Oh, you added your contacts to my phone," I said with a smirk as he nodded. The dark hero resumed typing and then presented the phone to me again, this time using the 'notes' app. It read:
"Text me or call me if you need help."
"Wow, that's really kind of you. Thanks." Just as I started to add to my gratitude, he began typing once more. This man was insistent. He showed me the screen again.
"But don't share my contact. I trust you."
"Of course," I replied, affirmatively. I understood his perspective; he trusted me enough to share his contact information. After all, he is an enigmatic figure still shrouded in mystery to me. Although I've seen him and shared a brief conversation with him, his silence means there's still so much I don't know.
He remains very much an enigma.
"Thank you," I expressed sincerely, and he nodded in acknowledgment. I had many questions swirling in my mind, but I realized he is likely to always be mysterious and may never provide answers.
How did I know that? I figured it was simply because he doesn't talk. Or perhaps he just prefers not to speak. So asking questions would probably lead nowhere.
He eventually stood up, prompting me to do the same. "Where are you going?" I asked, but he remained silent as he returned my phone and approached the open window. "Dark hero?" I called after him, but he merely shut the window and jumped to the other building, causing me to scream in shock. And just like that, he vanished.
"What on earth?!" I couldn't believe what had just happened. This man leaves me more confused every day.