The Tough Guy Hides the Villainess - Chapter 102



102 – When the Wills of the World Collide #1

102 – When the Wills of the World Collide #1

This was when Nam Woojoo was still called Baek Woojoo.

Baek Yeoul was around 7 years old at the time.

Baek Yeoul once broke a flowerpot that his uncle cherished while visiting a relative’s house.

Crash-!

Seeing the orchid, which his aunt cherished when she was alive, rolling in the dirt, Baek Yeoul felt the blood drain from his body.

‘I’m going to get scolded by Uncle!’

Uncle Baek Daewon was a scary person.

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Baek Yeoul had never even seen him smile.

Baek Wooju, who discovered such Baek Yeoul, said.

“Stay quiet.”

That day, high school student Baek Wooju was beaten 100 times on the calves by his uncle. It was a punishment for breaking his mother’s keepsake jar.

Slap, slap, slap-!

Although Baek Wooju was continuously beaten with a switch, he never mentioned that Baek Yeoul was the real culprit.

He didn’t even let out a small groan.

“I’m sorry, oppa!”

Baek Yeoul was just scared and sorry, so she cried her eyes out, but Baek Wooju, applying medicine to his red, swollen calves, just patted Baek Yeoul’s head.

“We’re family. Family needs to cover each other’s mistakes and bear them together. But be careful next time.”

Baek Wooju was that kind of man.

A man who could cover for others’ mistakes.

Baek Yeoul followed such Baek Wooju like a real brother, and Baek Wooju also cherished his only cousin, Baek Yeoul, exceptionally.

Even after his uncle died in an unexpected accident and Baek Wooju started working as an awakener, receiving dangerous missions inside the “Great Labyrinth,” he would bring small gifts like flowers or pebbles for Baek Yeoul.

“Oppa, when are you going to the Great Labyrinth next? Huh? What will you bring next time? Aren’t there any small animals? Like squirrels or bumblebees!”

At that time, Baek Yeoul thought exploring the “Great Labyrinth” was just an exciting adventure. She thought it would be great if her cousin brought back amazing gifts from the “Great Labyrinth” every day.

Every time, Baek Wooju would just pat Baek Yeoul’s head.

Time passed, and they grew older.

Baek Wooju became Nam Wooju.

Baek Yeoul also grew older and eventually became a high school student.

They grew up like real siblings, but as they led busy lives, they had less time to meet like before. Especially Nam Woo-joo, who was called the great hero of Korea, spent his days without a moment to rest.

However, Baek Yeoul was proud of her cousin who often appeared in the news and newspapers.

Even though she was being bullied and going through tough times herself.

It was then that Baek Yeoul met Han Nam-jin.

Their first meeting was the worst!

She got kicked in the butt and even her phone was broken!

But seeing Han Nam-jin, who lost his parents and lived alone, reminded her of her cousin Nam Woo-joo, who had also lost his parents.

Maybe that’s why, she couldn’t hate him.

They were alike.

In that they had gone through sad events but didn’t cry.

In that they seemed to be doing well alone, but were actually lonelier than anyone else.

To Baek Yeoul, Nam Woo-joo, who had become a monster, looked just like Han Nam-jin.

In fact, there was no significant meaning in distinguishing between the two.

“Oppa!”

Baek Yeoul called Nam Woo-joo with the same feeling as when she watched her cousin apply medicine to his red, swollen calves in their childhood.

She wanted to deny that the kindest family member she knew had become a monster hurting people.

Even though she couldn’t find a single strand of the person she knew.

Nevertheless, if there was even a sliver of hope left─.

【──.】

Nam Woo-joo said something.

It was an incomprehensible story.

“…Aren’t you provoking it for no reason…!?”

“Mr. Suho! What should we do!”

“I don’t know either!”

People were tense or flustered as they looked at the Star’s Demon and Baek Yeoul. Even for the veterans, this was the first time experiencing such a situation, making it difficult to decide on a course of action.

Srrr-.

The Star’s Demon, which had been floating in the air, landed on the ground. He now began to slowly approach the subjugation team, and everyone heightened their vigilance to the maximum.

“He’s coming!”

“Prepare to counterattack!”

“Wait!”

At that moment, Han Namjin raised his fist to his ear.

It was a signal to stop.

“Let’s watch for a moment. And Bbangdaeng, keep talking. With things that might draw out Nam Woojoo’s memories!”

# #　　　　　　#

Jin Eunbyeol and Nam Sanho.

Both were demons I had fought against.

What do they have in common?

Despite falling to demons due to concepts they couldn’t handle, their preferences were clear.

Jin Eunbyeol liked Wang Jahyun, and Nam Sanho was obsessed with Seo Gaeul.

It was as if other emotions had been cut away like impurities, leaving only pure preferences.

So, what about Nam Woo-joo and Baek Yeoul?

In my view, the relationship between Nam Woo-joo and Baek Yeoul was very close.

Even if Nam Woo-joo, who was full of responsibility and a sense of duty, had fallen into a demon, the likelihood that his affection for Baek Yeoul remained unchanged was high.

No, in some ways, it might have deepened even more.

When Baek Yeoul volunteered for this subjugation squad, I didn’t stop him for that reason. If there were two keys to attacking Nam Woo-joo, one of them was Baek Yeoul.

Anyway!

This time, we might learn about the ecology of demons that we didn’t know before.

In fact, Nam Woo-joo was reacting strongly to Baek Yeoul’s voice.

“Bbangdeng, keep talking! About memories with oppa!”

At my words, Bbangdeng nodded as if he had made up his mind.

The face of the guy, who had mostly been scared, looked quite reliable.

“…When I broke the arm of the plastic model! And when I accidentally saved over oppa’s game save file and it got deleted! And…!”

Is this for real?

Even I, who was listening, was getting angry at these memories.

It felt like memories that shouldn’t exist in my head were being created.

However, it seemed to have a great effect on the person concerned.

I could catch the great agitation of Nam Woo-joo’s starlight with my “emotion.”

“Remember when I took oppa’s hamster for a walk in the park and lost it, and we searched for it together for three hours! And─!”

“Kyaaah!”

It was truly mental contamination.

Memories that couldn’t possibly exist kept stimulating my neurons, and I couldn’t stand it!

You, you scoundrel!

What on earth have you done!

If these things really happened and I was the one who experienced them, I would be extremely angry.

I wonder if it might have the opposite effect.

【…Eliminate the threat to the people.】

Swoosh-.

The star’s mind reached out towards the scoundrel.

Srrng-.

Seo Ga-eul, who was watching this scene, drew his sword.

“Han Nam-jin!”

“Wait!”

The star’s mind stopped the hand that had been reaching out.

Just before it touched Baek Yeoul.

On the edge of a razor.

【The people…? The ones I must protect…?】

The hand that doesn’t reach seems to be in agony.

A resolve to protect something fills him, but he feels like he’s lost what that ‘something’ is.

At that moment, Baek Yeoul took a step forward.

And brought her mottled pink hair to the hand shining with the starlight of Baek Universe.

It was the image of a younger sister being patted on the head by an older man.

For a moment, Nam Woo-joo’s starlit body seemed to shine brilliantly with the change in emotion.

“Baek Yeoul?”

Nam Woo-joo said.

He even patted her head gently.

“You’ve always been a sister who needed a lot of attention.”

Everyone watching was greatly surprised.

“He spoke!”

“Did the star’s mind just speak?”

“Is communication possible?”

Wi Seon-ah, who was recording the entire scene on video, spoke like a scientist continuing an experiment.

“Is the Proust phenomenon, where memories are stimulated by certain smells or touches, applicable to the mind as well? If this is true, it’s a very important discovery! It’s very interesting!”

Whatever it was, Nam Woo-joo’s reason returned.

However, once he regained his senses, he somehow got angry.

“Why are you here! Everyone, get out quickly!”

“We came to save you, brother!”

“You idiots! He’s here! No one can defy the darkness of the Red King! He injected darkness into me and since then, it’s like I’ve been brainwashed…”

Nam Woo-joo babbled incoherently.

Realizing something, he shouted loudly.

“Moon Hyun-ah! Get everyone outside! While I… still have my sanity…! As your superior, I command you! Whatever it is, this operation is over!”

Brigadier Nam Woo-joo’s command.

While everyone was just watching each other, Nam Woo-joo’s comrade and the most experienced, Jeon Soo-ho, shouted.

“Woo-joo! We won’t go back without you! Everyone, take out the stasis field and set it up!”

At Jeon Soo-ho’s command, ten veteran awakeners assembled a mechanical device on the spot.

It looked like a coffin made of machinery.

“Nam Woo-joo, you should know what this is. It’s a stasis field imbued with the concept of ‘stasis’! If you get inside, everything will be wrapped up smoothly! Hurry!”

“There is something more important than me getting out! Go outside and find ‘Kore’! Only by finding her can we stand against the Red King. Only she can…”

Nam Woo-joo, babbling incomprehensible words, seemed somehow hesitant.

Seo Ga-eul asked.

“If it’s Kore? The fairy princess Kore?”

“Yes! Seo Ga-eul, I don’t know how you are here, but you know who Kore is and where she went! Find Kore!”

Kore? It was an incomprehensible conversation, but the important thing was that things were going more smoothly than expected.

If we had fought against the Star’s Demon, we would have been seriously injured.

If there are nine times of terrible misfortune, then once, great luck will come.

That’s why people can live without giving up despite nine times of misfortune, longing for that one time of luck.

Bangdaengi played a huge role.

Full of mistakes, but not lacking to be called the goddess of luck.

“Nam Woo-joo! Don’t hesitate and get into the coffin quickly!”

I kicked the hesitant Nam Woo-joo’s back with all my might.

I thought he might mess things up if he dawdled.

Thud-!

“aaargh!”

Nam Woo-joo stumbled into the stasis field with a scream.

At the same time, his body froze like a stuffed specimen.

The concept of “stasis” seems to be quite powerful.

Was that Nam Bada’s plan?

Indeed, if such a thing exists, it would be enough to capture a demon alive.

“We did it! Mission accomplished! Now let’s all escape!”

Clap clap-.

I clapped my hands towards everyone.

Faces brightened with the hope that we could all return safely.

Sssss-.

At that moment, the Fairy Forest shook violently.

Could it be another monster appearing?

No, my guess is that what’s coming this time is even worse.

Sssssss-.

It was a swarm of rats. A very black swarm of rats came rushing in like a wave.

But upon closer inspection, it was not so much a living creature as it was a “shadow” or “darkness” merely borrowing the shape of rats.

Seo Ga-eul was horrified at the sight.

“Damn! It’s darkness! It’s darkness!”

The usual pretense was gone, and harsh curses spilled out. At the sight, Wang Ja-hyun was startled and trembled, saying, “Seo Ga-eul, you just said…,” but it seemed unimportant to Seo Ga-eul.

“Yeah, damn it! It’s darkness! Teacher Moon Hyun-ah! Open the door quickly! Hurry! We all need to escape!”

“It takes a moment! I never thought they would retrieve Nam Woo-joo so quickly! It will take at least 10 more minutes to set the coordinates!”

10 minutes.

A short time, if short.

But Seo Ga-eul grew even more impatient.

“We’re all going to die! If only Yoo Yeoreum were here─.”

Seo Ga-eul looked at me with a deeply furrowed brow.

It was then.

Pop-!

The darkness, in the shape of a swarm of rats, transformed like icicles rising from the ground and attacked Moon Hyun-ah.

Sreung-!

If Moon Hyun-ah were to fall here, we would have to find another exit. Could we survive until then? So, I kicked off to save Moon Hyun-ah.

Chwaaak-!

Blood splattered as Moon Hyun-ah tumbled to the ground.

Instead, in the place where Moon Hyun-ah had been, Wang Ja-hyun stood, clutching his shoulder.

He had pushed Moon Hyun-ah aside and had his own right arm severed by the blade of darkness.

“Ja, Ja-hyun!”

“Stop making noise and focus on opening the door.”

The pain from his severed shoulder must have been immense.

He didn’t care about that, and instead, twisted his lips in a thrill of having accomplished something.

“I’ll buy us some time. I know how to get things done when I need to.”

His eyes turned to me.

It was a gaze that seemed to boast, “How about that?”

For a moment, his pupils shone like Yoo Yeoreum’s.

It must have been the light imitated by Wang Ja-hyun’s 4th-grade concept, “Replication.”

Flash-!

It was nothing more than a mimicry.

A degraded version, but still.

It was enough to momentarily dispel the darkness like a swarm of rats, and I was honestly impressed.

“Impressive.”