Anyway, after I got my memory back, I sipped my mango juice sideways, trying to find out what had happened while I was in Carqueas.

What, the protests?

The most bizarre thing of all was the massive protests that broke out among the people over my capture.

I did a quick search and found out that the protests were instigated by members of my fan cafe and involved tens of thousands of people. Why would there be a protest when I, a villain, was captured? Im confused.

Actually, there was a bigger question than that.

More than that, Ive been in jail for a week?

Yes! Do you know how worried we were?

I had been in Carqueas for roughly a week.

And that, it couldnt be happening. It should have happened within three days at the latest, right?

Surely there must have been some sort of catastrophic event in there

I dont know.

I gave up thinking about it but there was something that bothered me.

No. Isnt it a bit cold..?

Im not there, cant you run away?

Egostic, because you asked for it, Ill listen.

Strange memories lingered in the back of my mind, like vague, haunting images.

Especially when I thought about it, my face would flush and my heart would beat so fast that I suspected I had an arrhythmia. Usually in movies, its just an arrhythmia, and its because I like someone, but thats definitely not the case with me, so Ill let Ha Yul check my body.

Plus, Im pretty sure I left a comment that I cant remember.

[Stardus seems to like me.]

..

First of all, I dont think it makes sense.

I still remember Stardus looking at me like I was a bug and calling me you piece of shit early on in my terrorist career, so to change after a few years? Nonsense.

Admittedly, shes been acting a bit strange towards me lately. Holding my hand, her reaction to being trapped in Dungeon Makers Labyrinth Its easy for a guy to say, Does she like me?

And it was clear to me that she was beautiful. Let me fall in love with her, so I can get her to turn herself in.

Perhaps my repeated villainy had pushed her to that point. It broke my heart.

Still, somehow, I kept thinking.

Im sure all men do. What if?

What if what if Stardus really does like me? What if my amnesia has led me to the truth through a bizarre insight, through a tremendous amount of self-objectification? What if she really likes me?

Of course not I think, but somehow, I still wake up in the middle of the night thinking about it.

But I dont feel comfortable talking to Seo-eun or Soobin about it, so when Im thinking about it.

When I went to visit Ha Yul for a health check, I suddenly thought, why dont I tell Ha Yul, because I can trust her.

Da-in, there doesnt seem to be anything wrong with your body. You dont have any arrhythmia or anything, of course, but youre pushing yourself too hard lately, and thats bad for you in the long run, so please dont push yourself too hard. Do you understand?

Okay. Thanks, Ha Yul.

I said, and put on the top I had taken off. For some reason, I was told that I had to take off my top for Ha Yul medical examination?

Anyway, I took the opportunity to ask Ha Yul, who was looking at my face with slightly reddened eyes from the heat.

More than that, Ha Yul, Ive been browsing the internet lately and I heard something interesting

Yeah, whats that?

Apparently, Stardus has a crush on me. Haha, I know its ridiculous, but some people are really insistent about it. Ha Yul, what do you think?

I asked in a lighthearted tone, scratching the back of my head.

She stood still for a moment, her face still smiling.

Then, without changing her tone, she smiled and said.

No, Da-in, not at all.

Really?

Yes, of course. I also know this because I saw other guys dating and flirting in college, but thats absolutely not the case.

Um is that what youre saying?

Yeah.

I nodded in agreement with Ha Yul.

After all, if she could see it, she must be right. Its not just me, is it?

More than that, it was a little scary to see her face still smiling like that from earlier, but I did it anyway. Whats wrong with her?

Anyway, just like that, I pieced together the two weeks Id lost my memory.

All in all, Id say it was a success, as I managed to defeat the final boss of Phase 3, the Wish Granter. Of course, there was the problem that a few other villains escaped in the process, including the Dungeon Maker and Crocodile Man Oh well, well catch them when they start terrorizing again.

Of course, things got a little messy out there while I was gone. And as a side effect of that

[Da-in? Im really busy right now We can talk later, later]

Uh, yeah Im sorry.

[No, its all for the good of the countryHahaHahahahahaha]

I couldnt do much for Seola, who seemed to be overworked and almost out of it, except tell her to cheer up. From the international associations squabbling over Carqueas to the economys faltering, Seola has to take responsibility for everything.Ill have to take some herbal medicine when I go later.

Anyway, thats how it is.

Now, in hindsight, Stardus wasnt the problem.

So, when are you retiring?

Its time to start thinking about my retirement really seriously and specifically.

Im pretty sure Im done with Stardus. Plus, Id finally beaten the final boss of Phase 3. It was time to stop thinking about retirement.

Actually, retirement wasnt that big of a deal. I mean, Im not really doing any more terrorism, so I dont have to run into Stardus every three months or so.

Anyway, now that Seo Eun, the mastermind of the Phase 3 Great Escape, is a good girl, and Ive sent the final boss, the Wish Granter, on a tour over the Jordan River, I can rest easy. Now it was time to get back to work on Phase 4, the last and final scenario of the original story, as planned, though there was still plenty of time left.

Yeah, its about time.

When?

Soon?

I walked into the room, dodging the members of my Egostream who were starting to press me on when I was going to retire. No, why do they want me to retire? Because I came back too injured.

Well, yes. I should retire. Ive raised Stardus already.

..

Somehow, I felt a little disappointed.

I shook it off and focused on what I needed to do right now.

That is

[Villain terrorism rate up fivefold recently Why? Experts say its due to Egostic anomaly]

Yes. This was it.

Thats why I was so intently watching the news on my smartphone.

[Regarding the excessive number of terrorist attacks by the villains this month, the hero experts say that its likely due to the Egostic AnomalyThe problem is that Egostic, who escaped from prison after being captured by Stardus on the 3rd of this month, is currently on the run, and there are rumors that something is wrong with him.]

[The rumors of Egostic weakness are likely causing his villains, who have been hiding in fear of him, to come out of hiding, and experts have suggested that Egostic will need to strike again soon.]

.

The media is saying that a villain should do terrorism is this right?

Well, even with the weird drawing I thought that was right. After all, thats what my villain elimination campaign was all about in the first place.

Right. Ill start terrorizing right away.

And that was the conclusion I came to.

Its not good to be too invisible. I cant have our day ruined because of me.

Wait, its not exactly our day, its Stardus. For a moment, I wondered why I called it that?

Whatever.

The problem with terrorizing like that is that Im going to meet Stardus

There was something off.

The last time I remember seeing Stardus was when she captured me before Carqueas, and I dont know what happened after that.

I do know that she must have come out and met me when I was in prison, though I dont know what Id say, or how shed react.

But at least well be reunited as hero and villain, so itll be fine, maybe well just have a little chase and end it?

Come to think of it, it wont be long before I meet Stardus.

With that thought, I got up from my seat to inform my Egostream colleagues of the attack.

I was only a few months away from retirement.

Stardus, Shin Haru, has been living in a sort of daze lately, day in and day out, mechanically defeating villains and mechanically falling asleep.

Egotistic.

The only thing on her mind was worrying about him.

It had been over a week since he had disappeared, and her worries were growing.

What is he doing? Has he regained his memories?

What if he hasnt?

That was all she could think about.

Its no good for a villain to lose his memory. If anything, its good that he wont be able to terrorize as skillfully as before. Thats what a true hero, Stardus, should think

But Shin Haru, somehow, was thinking the exact opposite.

Whenever she thought of the amnesiac Egostic, she felt a pang in her heart.

She thought they had finally gotten to know each other, but to lose it all nowshe hated it. She hated it so much.

Egostic

And so it was that she stared blankly at the cloak of Egostic she had once acquired, almost touching it without realizing it.

Finally,

[BREAKING NEWS! The S-class villain, Egostic, has finally struck after a long hiatus!]

News of his terrorism reached her.

Immediately, she had already changed into her suit and was flying away.

For some reason, the corners of her mouth were higher than ever before.

Unlike Egostic, for her, all the memories shed shared with him in prison were alive and well.