The Monster Aspires to Be a Hero!

Thanks to the consolation from people I normally knew, I was able to somewhat calm my mind. I also intentionally avoided people’s gazes as I had to prepare for the midterm exams soon… They say heroes with strong mentality can last long in this profession, and I’m experiencing that firsthand.

Truly a ridiculous occupation.
Greed lamented between ideals and reality while munching on peanuts. Perhaps his palate became refined from eating so many, as he was peeling the shells to eat the peanuts themselves, just like a human.

Don’t associate me with filthy creatures like you!
Greed’s misanthropy seemed to have deepened after this incident. Well, he had reason to feel that way.
Ignoring Greed’s complaints while munching on peanuts, I was studying at home.

Hmm?
Greed, who was web surfing on the computer, tapped my head.
“What is it?”

The incident is proceeding strangely. Take a look at this.
Greed brought my smartphone that was charging beside the bed and shoved it towards me.
The screen Greed had opened showed an article about Insoo again.
It was an article titled something like “The Truth Behind the Recent Ability Rampage Incident?!”
“The perpetrator of the violent incident was Kim Insoo (18), a student attending Hwayeon High School.
He has a physical disability, with a hunched back like an elderly person and a turtle neck. As a result, his gait was also strange, leading to subtle ostracization within his class.
However, no one openly bullied him until the recent human-disguised monster incident, after which the atmosphere changed.
Jung XX and Kim XX, who held leadership positions in the class, along with their cronies, began actively bullying him.
Under the pretext of checking if he was a monster, they tore his shirt, pulled his hair, and tormented him by demanding he reveal his true nature.”
The article continued with details along those lines.
“Insoo lost control of his abilities and rampaged over the weekend, injuring 2 students who had been actively bullying him. It’s speculated they called him out to torment him even on weekends, leading to retaliation.”
The article was written in that vein.
The author claimed to be a student at Hwayeon High School and posted the message on an anonymous bulletin board, saying it would be covered in the news soon.
However, the post was deleted within an hour.
Whether the author self-deleted or someone else removed it is unknown…
“It’s fortunate there are still people like this in this society.”
Ah, my concentration broke.
I stood up briefly to stretch, and turned on the TV to check if the news reported the incident like the post described.
Unfortunately, the news did not cover that incident.
Well, it was just an anonymous post after all…
I was about to dismiss it when something changed within just 2 hours.
Starting with Greed’s commotion, the TV began airing extensive news coverage.
The full footage of me hugging and consoling him was released, detailing the treatment Insoo had faced at school.
The news was marked as [Special Bulletin] and explained why I had acted that way towards him.

Do you remember the recent assault incident involving a high school student’s abilities?
The reporter’s explanation that followed was exactly what I had wanted to hear.
“When trying to subdue Insoo, he discovered traces of assault on Insoo’s body that could not have occurred today. So instead of threatening or attacking Insoo, he judged there were circumstances and acted accordingly.”

How was such action possible?

Apparently, the hero who apprehended that student had been continuously volunteering for 3 years in college. Ah, he even exceeded volunteer hours starting from middle school.

Ah, was it because of that experience?

Perhaps. By interacting with many people at places like childcare centers, kindergartens, and nursing homes without discrimination, he may have realized it instantaneously.

According to relevant personnel, Insoo had a hunched back, turtle neck, and limped, exhibiting movements of someone who had never fought before, making subdual easier.
The explanation continued regarding why I subdued him and acted swiftly.
It mentioned that I was a multiple ability user with bodily enhancement and physical hardening abilities. And that Insoo, being physically disabled, could not control his abilities like others.
“The recent ‘Monster Slaying Game’ trend of ostracization and violence should have been prevented by the school, but their indifference has hurt the students.”
How ridiculous these people are.
Not a single report leaned that way until today.
Still, I felt relieved.
With this, Insoo transitioned from a violent perpetrator to a victim.
Public sympathy formed for him, while condemnation shifted towards those hospitalized after attacking him.

The 2 students hospitalized with serious injuries and 1 with minor injuries from attacking that student have been revealed to have continuously verbally abused, cursed at, and assaulted him…
The 2 students who actively bullied him and the 1 student who subtly bullied him seemed to be from politically or economically influential families.
There were reports of politicians and businesspeople apologizing, with companies’ stock prices plummeting and resignation calls in the National Assembly.
The school Insoo attended was not having an easy time either.
Posts criticizing the homeroom teacher who did nothing despite Insoo being constantly bullied updated by the second, and the school’s information was exposed.
The mass media camped out at the school daily, with school officials bowing and promising to prevent any reoccurrences, bringing a temporary conclusion.
And my own reputation soared rapidly.
Records of exceeding volunteer hours through middle and high school, being in a volunteer club in college with good grades… and a little embarrassingly, comments about my good looks also emerged.
Amidst the frenzy, there were successive posts saying I looked far more heroic while protectively consoling him compared to heroes who immediately try to kill.

I see, the forest dwellers.
What’s that?

It means the detractors who spent a week ripping into and savoring this are now changing their tune, acting like they knew it all along. Hypocrites, aren’t they?
Greed snickered in amusement while munching on popcorn and drinking cola.
“I don’t have money, so don’t overindulge, you brat.”

The popcorn was popped from popcorn kernels, so it’s not expensive!
Greed raged at the thought of me depriving him of even that indulgence, leaving me feeling oddly at ease watching him.
I suppose people’s judgmental stares were quite distressing.
“Hey.”

What is it?
“Now that I have a core, shouldn’t you be able to leave my body?”

…I suppose so.
“Then why are you still attached? Wasn’t your wish to obtain the core and become a free entity?”

Initially, yes. That’s why I cooperated.
“But?”

The core is too small. At minimum, I need a B-class core!
“You think I can make a core that huge?”
The D-class core is the core vomited by monsters that would die from being hit by a car.
It’s small in size and wouldn’t feel out of place even for a novice hero like me to possess.
But a B-class is on a different level.
If I had a B-class core, questions would arise about where I obtained it.

Just as you can’t make a B-class core, I have no intention of leaving. Regrettable, isn’t it, that you can’t make out with Jieun because of me?
“You little…”
Did that potty mouth just accuse me of lewd behavior?
After a physical tussle bordering on self-harm with Greed, I felt completely drained of energy.
Today’s incident involving the human-disguised monster garnered media coverage about the ostracization under the guise of monster slaying.
Such acts in classrooms will likely not occur openly now.
An anchor even criticized that such behavior was no different from villains or monsters.
Kids nowadays who idolize heroes might disregard that and continue bullying, but that would be an extreme case.
With this, the commotion stemming from me seems to have subsided.
Thankfully, I feel I can face Hyunsung Ajeossi with a bit of dignity now.

It’s a bit strange.
As I sighed in relief, Greed, who had been most amused this past week, spoke in an unusually serious tone.
“What is?”

Children of politicians and businesspeople, children from households below the third income quartile, the one-week gap… doesn’t it seem strange?
“…”
Indeed.
If it was going to be revealed like this, they could have done so from the beginning.
But after that one-week information blackout, it felt like a dam had burst with an overwhelming influx of information, hinting at someone’s intervention.
“Could it be…?”

Perhaps this is her way of repaying you.
“…”
It’s certainly not easy for public opinion to suddenly reverse in such a situation.
As Greed said, perhaps she did intervene.
Seo Yuna.
The daughter of South Korea’s top conglomerate family, who owes me a debt of gratitude.
Does she consider this as simply repaying that debt…?
Rather, I’ve become indebted to her in this situation.
A hero’s image is their lifeblood.
That’s why disheveled heroes immediately smile and stand upright when cameras appear.
My image had been scraping rock bottom, fluctuating between victim and perpetrator, while Insoo might have ended up in a juvenile detention center.
The power I despised so much had saved two people’s lives.

But there were victims in that process too.
Yes, that’s right.
In that process, students attending that school suffered, and the homeroom teacher faced calls for disciplinary action.
They must be struggling considerably now.
Nowadays, teachers don’t unnecessarily interfere with students more than required, unlike before.
And given the students were children of businesspeople and politicians, the teacher likely exercised caution.
Perhaps new victims emerged as well.

The human society has always been that complicated. What matters is that we survived and that guy didn’t go to prison. That’s most important.
Greed tapped my head, telling me not to dwell on it further.
Yes, he’s right about that.
Now, I need to focus on Yuna.
I had kept my distance due to her family situation and how she treated me, but it seems I should at least express my gratitude.
I called the number on the business card I received while visiting the training room.
After about 10 rings, the call connected.

Hel-hello?
“Hello, is this Yuna’s mobile number?”

Ah, yes it’s me. What can I do for you?
“I… called to express my gratitude. But doing it over the phone seems inappropriate, so perhaps I could treat you to a meal…”

Hmm. Hmmm. Alright. Let’s meet in front of your place in about an hour.
Yuna hung up after saying that.
It felt inappropriate to just express gratitude verbally, so I invited her for a meal, but I’m not sure how she’ll take it.
If I make up my mind, I could…

I told you she’s not the type to demand caviar or steak daily, so just relax.
Right, that’s true.
Yuna isn’t that kind of person.
I had simply prejudged her.