The Villain's Sister - Chapter 84

With every heartbeat, a tingling current ran through my body.

I don’t know what word to use for this feeling I have right now.

Euphoria? Fear? Satisfaction? Embarrassment? Thrill?

When all of this mixes together, it settles as hesitation on my lips.

“…That wasn’t a joke. It wasn’t funny.”

“So you’ve realized the difference between a joke and a bad remark. I didn’t hope you’d realize it this way.”

In other words, he didn’t like what he said was being taken as something unpleasant.

Which meant, this man was now…

“Next time, I’ll teach you the difference between a joke and sincerity.”

Johan shrugged his shoulders and continued eating.

He said something that made my head feel like it would explode, then casually chewed his food.

He still looked completely composed. There wasn’t a trace of the trembling or nervousness that usually came with confessing one’s feelings.

Why?

Why him?

What was between us?

But I was afraid of the contents of the box I would open if I asked.

Johan was not someone I could control.

Could that even be possible?

For a man called a villain hunter, ruthless as they came, to like me made no sense.

“I’m finished.”

I put down my utensils and returned to my room.

Past the closed door, I couldn’t hear the sounds of dinner anymore.

***

As night turned to dawn, the streetlamps shone brightly under the cold moonlight.

Red Shadow, looking down from the rooftop of a building, leapt off when he heard the distant sound of a motorcycle.

His body was wrapped in mist midair, and he appeared above Black Pistols’ head.

Tap.

Landing smoothly, Red Shadow was met with a string of curses from Black Pistols.

“You bastard. Who the hell taught you manners, dropping down on people’s heads? You could’ve killed someone.”

Ignoring him cleanly, Red Shadow asked, “Are you looking for Sunshine?”

“Who else? Gotta find that dumbass kid brother and throw him back in prison. If you spot him, give me a signal.”

Instead of begging him to keep his connection with Sunshine a secret, Black Pistols spoke casually, as if it were nothing.

“I see. Have you seen Black Cloak?”

“Not since the day Raphael turned himself in. If that bastard’s distributing Blue Gas, yet no one’s seen him in the city, it means he’s got help.”

“Sunshine has allied with Big Bear. Since Big Bear wants the Blue Gas, it’s highly likely Sunshine and Black Cloak are working together.”

“Then the one who helped with the prison break was Black Cloak.”

Black Pistols, feeling a headache come on, changed the subject.

It was the question he had wanted to ask Red Shadow when they met.

“What about Giselle? You’re the one who took her from the hospital that day, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

“She qualifies for protection. Tell her to apply for police protection. Then I can stick with her 24/7. She should know the details well enough herself, so that’s all she needs to say.”

“You think the police can protect her?”

“They deal with villains every damn day. They’ve got experience… and I said I’d be there. Me.”

“I’ll protect Giselle. Stay out of it.”

His tone was sharper than usual.

Black Pistols holstered his gun and asked in a serious voice, “You didn’t lock her up, did you?”

“No.”

“Then are you using her ability to make money?”

“What the hell do you take me for?”

Red Shadow’s voice was laced with irritation.

“Think about the things you’ve done. Doesn’t that make the question natural?”

After spending so much effort searching for White Hands, who knew what he might do to Giselle?

There was no reason for Red Shadow to protect Raphael’s sister.

And yet, seeing him risk his life with mental magic to wake Giselle made it seem like he was sincere, at least to some degree…

“What’s your number? At least let me hear her voice so I can relax.”

“I’m more worried about her than you are, so stay out of it.”

“Bastard. You sound like you’ve got other intentions with her.”

Red Shadow didn’t respond.

It wasn’t unusual for him to ignore words, but after knowing him this long, it was possible to guess his thoughts even without seeing his face.

“…Fuck,” Black Pistols muttered and smacked his head.

Of course, since he was wearing a motorcycle helmet, what his palm hit was the visor.

A groan echoed from under the helmet.

So he is human after all. But why Giselle, of all people…

“More importantly, there’s something I want to ask.”

“What? I’m in a bad mood, so if it’s nothing, you’re dead.”

“…Do you have time to watch TV?”

“What? The hell are you talking about?”

“Forget it. Never mind.”

“No, hold on. TV? Why suddenly TV…? Hey, don’t tell me she’s talking shit about me behind my back? Saying I’m obsessed with TV?”

“A slip of the tongue. That’s not what I meant.”

“Slip of the tongue my ass, hold on. Wow, so you mean she’s ragging on me for watching a game or two? What, I can’t have a private life? On nights off patrol, I can’t have a beer and watch football? And how many times did I give up the remote for her damn late-night movies?!”

“Listening to you, you two sound pretty close.”

Red Shadow, displeased, gave a sharp retort and turned away.

He didn’t want to face Black Pistols any longer.

They had wandered the skyscrapers for over three hours, but Black Cloak hadn’t appeared.

Tomorrow, he would have to look into Big Bear’s gang that had started distributing Blue Gas.

“Then if we confirm the target, we’ll signal each other.”

“Hey, wait.”

Black Pistols stopped Red Shadow as he was about to leave.

“Soon, the fact that Anti-Venom is Raphael will be exposed. When that happens, Death Adder will collapse fast.”

Mist Island had been balanced by three organizations: Two Star, Death Adder, and Lucky Ginger.

Then last year, with Sunshine’s arrest, Lucky Ginger fell.

The past year had been spent ensuring that the broken Lucky Ginger wasn’t absorbed by another group, perfectly dismantling it.

It wasn’t a big problem if Two Star and Death Adder grew to their current size. But if one side grew abnormally large, that was dangerous.

The moment one side gained the upper hand, the underworld would unite, becoming an untouchable existence from the surface.

That was why Black Pistols had kept the truth that Anti-Venom was Raphael hidden, to maintain balance in the underworld.

But there was no need anymore.

“Even if Death Adder falls, the government plans to take down Big Bear to quiet public opinion. If we’re going to eliminate the underworld, now’s the time.”

“So?”

“…To me, he’s a villain, but to Giselle, he’s family. I won’t say sorry. This is my job, and it’s justice for the world. Instead, tell her I said… my condolences.”

One wore a mask, the other a helmet, so they couldn’t see each other’s faces, but they knew well enough the values that drove each other through the night.

The justice of Black Pistols, who sent his own blood to prison, was something Red Shadow could never imitate.

Because protecting was always harder than destroying.

“Alright. I’ll be sure to tell her.”

The eyes behind the mask, which had been glaring as if to swallow the black helmet, softened.

In the place where Red Shadow vanished, only a faint smoke remained.

***

Life really is unpredictable.

A bounty was put on me, Red Shadow confessed, Raphael was sent to the underground prison.

‘It’s a relief the photos weren’t released.’

I silently applauded Raphael’s foresight in warning me not to take graduation photos just in case.

His cooking was disastrous, and he was an infamous criminal, but still, he was smart and dependable enough as an older brother.

‘I wonder how Maria is. I’ll have to leave the city soon.’

I wanted to apologize, but it looked like I’d leave without seeing her face.

Once Raphael left, Big Bear’s control over the underworld would grow stronger.

If that happened, escape from Mist Island would become nearly impossible.

So I decided to leave Mist Island on the day Raphael was escorted to the central government’s underground prison, when all the villains’ attention would be on him.

‘This time, I really have to go.’

Seven years ago, when I woke from my coma and heard Raphael had been arrested for first-degree murder, I decided to abandon everything and leave the city.

I had no attachment to this rotten hometown. I cursed it, wishing it would collapse completely.

I secretly packed my things, broke open my piggy bank, and even bought a ticket to another city.

But I didn’t leave, because of Raphael.

The thought of his lonely face, with no family visiting him in prison, held me back.

I couldn’t turn my back on the one family I had left, the pitiful hero who killed our father Andrew for me and freed me.

But this is as far as it goes.

‘I can’t endure anymore.’

The problem was, I wasn’t sure Johan would let me go.

On the outside, he looked normal, even beautiful, but inside, he was insane enough to confess his feelings to a villain’s sister.

Even now, he was letting me live in his house. Which meant, outside of Mist Island, he’d want to be with me too.

Whether he could really call himself a hero, living like this with a villain’s sister, was questionable. But maybe understanding Red Shadow was impossible for anyone sane.

‘Since I’ll have to live hidden forever, it’s right for me to leave alone.’

Unlike me, Johan had an identity that allowed him to live in the light.

At that moment, smoke swirled in the middle of the living room, and Red Shadow appeared.

Sitting at the table, eating what barely counted as a late-night meal, I cautiously set my food down.

“…What the…”

Turning around, he froze when he saw me.

I was the same.

I hadn’t wanted to face him again without being ready.

Unable to think of a suitable way to start a conversation, I fumbled awkwardly. Then he removed his mask and asked, “Shall I play with you?”