· · ────── ꒰ঌ·✦·໒꒱ ────── · ·
Translated by BiasNil
· · ────── ꒰ঌ·✦·໒꒱ ────── · ·
I loved Stardust.
Stardust. She is the star of the comic.
Why do I like Stardust?
Of course. She was pretty.
She wasn't that pretty in person, but she was drawn very beautifully in the comic.
Anyway, isn't it the fate of a sad creature called a man to instinctively like a pretty woman?
Also, she maintained a good balance between being a hero and being a normal person.
On a daily basis, she's just a normal, slightly blunt woman, but when she's a hero, it's fun to see her saying stuff like, "You punk! What do you think you're doing?" in that uniquely awkward tone.
I'm not sure whether it's to distinguish her daily image from her non-daily image or to hide her usual way of speaking. But honestly, in my opinion, she probably thinks she looks cool doing it…
Well, my favorite of all was her unique sense of justice.
Since her parents died in an incident caused by villains when she was a child, she cultivated revenge and hatred for villains.
The girl who dreamt of becoming a hero.
But she had no superpowers, no talents.
She could only wish upon the stars.
Please let me awaken my powers.
So, let me avenge those villains myself.
Did the stars respond to her request?
Because she miraculously gained an ability.
When she awakened her superpower, peculiarly, her hair began to turn blonde like starlight.
That was how she got her name: Dust of Stars—Stardust.
But the Association suggested that five syllables are too long for a hero's name, so they shortened it to "Stardus." (We'll stick with "Stardust.")
Anyway, a hero's life began with revenge, but through many events, she came to realize—
A hero is not a bully but a protector of the citizens.
Just like that, she became a real protector. She became a hero.
As a child, I fell for her story.
In fact, many heroes with impressive storytelling and views about justice came out, but I think she became my favorite because she was Korean. Because I could relate to her story.
…So why am I making such a fuss right now?
Because my favorite character suddenly appeared in front of me.
"Egostic!"
"Stardust?"
Oh, god.
What is going on?
In this crowded place.
After achieving my goal of eliminating Teleporter, I was about to head home.
I was definitely going to kill him quietly, but I pulled too much aggro.
Ta-dah! All of a sudden, Stardust appeared.
How long have I been here for her to have had time to fly in?
Unfortunately, she couldn't land since there were too many people, so I looked up at her floating.
She was covered in sweat—guess she flew here in a hurry. Perhaps she took off the moment she heard I was here. Even so, she still had time to change into her red latex suit.
"Egostic, you punk!"
"Yeah, yeah. I'm listening."
[Hyung, what are you doing? Hurry up!]
Gosh, Seo-eun. Just give me a minute.
My favorite character actually flew all the way here to see me. I want to hear what she's going to say.
And so many people are here—if I just go "POOF!" and disappear, she'll be so humiliated and embarrassed. How can I let people laugh at my Shin Haru!
"You, just now. What have you done?"
Looking at Teleporter lying at my feet, Stardust glared at me and spoke.
The citizens were already in position to watch, excited that the two of us might fight. People, what are you going to do if you get hurt? Wow, they're even taking out their phones to film. Wait, wasn't that person filming from earlier? That's even more serious…
In front of these insensitive citizens who don't understand how dangerous this is, I decided to banter with Stardust a little more.
"What am I doing? I just eliminated the parasites of this society. I only did what the heroes should have done. Like what your people should have done. Well, you don't have to thank me. I didn't do it to get your gratitude. Haha!"
"You…"
Tendons started to stand out on Stardust's forehead. Her face turned red—she was very angry. Oh, what's the matter? Did I say something bad?
Her trembling body looked ready to drop the act at any moment. Hey, hey. Calm down! I was just teasing you a little and you're already pissed?
Before she exploded, I quickly spoke up.
"Of course! Of course, I didn't borrow public power, but I did impose a private sanction! I did, but I think it needs to be taken into account. Teleporter—wasn't this brutal guy graded as Class A because of the power of his ability and the danger of his escape skill? Isn't it possible for heroes to make a judgment on the spot if the villain is Class A?"
As soon as I finished, she shot back like she'd been waiting.
"Yes, it is possible. Then, are you a hero?"
She looked like she wanted to jump in and deck me. But if she did, I might escape, or the citizens might get in her way. Hmm, I don't think sticking around will help me. I should slowly find my exit.
"Well, I understand what you're saying, Ms. Stardust. It means only a hero should kill trash that deserves to die, and it's meaningless if a villain like me does it. As expected, Ms. Stardust's thinking has a strong sense of justice."
First of all, I roughly defended Stardust.
My plan is to make Stardust a popular hero. So first, compliment her!
Normally, when Chulsoo says, "I'm good at studying," it somehow sounds unreliable. But if his rival, Younghee, says, "I don't know about other things, but I acknowledge his studying," then people start thinking, "Oh, Chulsoo is good at studying." Nothing is more effective than compliments from your opponent!
But I guess the citizens had different opinions.
"What, only heroes can catch villains?"
"Who does she think she is… So rude."
All of a sudden, tiny voices rose from the crowd.
Excuse me, I can hear you all.
I realized this after I fell into this world.
People here are crazy.
Safety insensitivity is standard. A hero and a villain are confronting each other here, and they start defending the villain.
Are they out of their minds?
"She just came after everything was done. I can't believe her."
"Honestly, what did Egostic do wrong?"
I almost lost my mind.
Is this conversation for real?
As the murmurs grew around us, Stardust's expression and mine gradually stiffened.
They blamed Stardust, not me. The innocent Stardust began to be vilified.
Why? Did people go crazy after seeing blood?
Anyway, this is not what I expected. I wanted a picture where I got criticized and Stardust was praised. I never thought it would turn out like this.
Why are the citizens siding with a villain? What is this?
Stardust's face hardened as public opinion turned strange. I felt I needed to patch it up fast. Quickly—hastily—I spoke.
"Me too! I didn't say a word that I did a good job. I was only asking if that's how it is! I have been—uh… I will keep doing evil stuff! I hope Ms. Stardust tries to stop me! Then… I'm going to take off now!"
I shot out the words like a gun, then flipped my cape forward and teleported. Something is wrong. I have to escape first.
After teleporting, the view in front of me spun. I couldn't even stand properly because my stomach lurched, and I ended up collapsing. Honestly, I'd been pushing myself to catch Teleporter for a while, and my body couldn't hold out after traveling long-distance again.
"Huff… Huff…"
As I collapsed, barely breathing, the door burst open and someone came in.
"Oppa!"
It was Seo-eun. Seo-eun rushed in, grabbed me, and started whining while trying to haul me up.
"Oh, why are you so heavy! Oppa, wake up! This isn't working—unnie! Help me!"
"Oh! I'm coming!"
And after a moment, Su-bin jumped in. Well, I guessed it might be Su-bin. I couldn't even keep my eyes open; they kept rolling back. Wow, I'm definitely going to die at this rate.
"Now, one, two! Let's get him up!"
They both started to groan while trying to lift me. Honestly, it felt like Su-bin was doing the heavy lifting with only a little help from Seo-eun, but she said nothing. And I was in no condition to say anything either.
"Phew, please teleport right in front of the fatigue-recovery capsule from now on."
Seo-eun, who finally managed to shove me into the recovery capsule, wheezed and scolded me. Yeah, I'll do that next time. I couldn't think straight earlier.
"…Thank… you…"
"If you get it, then rest. You look like you're dying."
She grumbled and left.
Su-bin stayed next to me. "Get well soon," she cheered, holding up a little fist. So adorable.
I passed out just like that.
I needed a good night's sleep and some rest, but my head wouldn't settle because of anxiety.
Because of those whispers about Stardust.
***
[(Favor Survey) If you like the manly Mangostic more than the 'kkondae[1]'* Stardust, press Recommend.]
I'll go first, hahahahaha.
[Upvote] 1380 [Downvote] 28
[1] TN: *kkondae: slang for an overbearing, old-fashioned person who forces their views on others.