I Became the Academy’s Kibitz Villain

An ability user became a demon when their mentality collapsed.

If they were unable to satisfy their deep-seated desire for something and ended up throwing away everything they’ve built, they became a demon.

The strongest desire that fueled this transformation is ‘love.’

“Did you know? The second most common reason for ability users turning into demons is love.”

Harang, tracing a heart on my chest with her finger, began speaking softly.

“Everyone experiences love. Whether it’s love for family, love for country, or the ultimate love—love for another person, don’t you think?”

“Like the love you feel for me?”

“It’s a bit annoying hearing you say it so openly, but you’re not wrong, so I can’t really argue with you. Hey, you.”

Harang lightly grabbed my collar and brought her face close to mine.

“Of course. How would you like me to prove it? Want me to bring you a star from the sky?”

“Not like that. I want a more direct kind of proof.”

Harang’s hand slowly traveled up to rest on my chest.

“Say you love me.”

“I love you. Just a moment.”

“Why?”

“I’m not sure whether I should call you Seol-hee or Harang.”

“Pfft.”

With a slight smile, Harang pressed her face against my shoulder, her gaze softening.

“Saying you love Harang is the same as saying you love Baek Seol-hee, so don’t worry about that at all. Hehe, though I do feel a bit sorry for the original.”

“For what?”

“Right now, she’s probably thinking, ‘I wonder what my clone is doing with Goblin,’ and in her imagination, she’s envisioning a date with you. She’d never guess that we’d be lying in bed in a hotel room like this.”

“She might imagine it.”

I gently ran my fingers through Harang’s hair.

Harang quietly accepted my touch while I glanced up at the ceiling.

“All that’s on Baek Seol-hee’s mind is patriotism. Isn’t that right?”

“I can agree with that. But, isn’t it you who made her that way?”

“That’s rich, coming from the woman who walked into an open-air bath in a swimsuit.”

“Do you believe in that stuff? Love at first sight.”

“I do believe in it.”

Since that was exactly what happened to me.

The moment I saw the Chief, I fell in love.

It was undeniable, a love beyond logic.

“Sometimes, I wonder. Why on earth did this woman fall for me?”

“Maybe because your face is her type? Or… maybe she was subconsciously drawn to you?”

“In what way?”

“Perhaps because she discovered the true self of a man named Goblin, whom she was already intrigued by.”

“…What kind of nonsense is that?”

I met Harang’s gaze directly.

“So, you’re saying Baek Seol-hee approached me because she knew I was Goblin? That’s absurd.”

“I told you, it was subconscious. She was drawn to you without even realizing it.”

“….”

“In other words, you could call it destiny. Don’t you think so?”

“Destiny, huh. I’m not one for believing in fate.”

“Baek Seol-hee might see meeting you as fate—whether it’s Do Ji-hwan or Goblin, whether she sees them as two separate people or as one. The fact that she met you and grew close to you doesn’t change.”

Harang pressed her thumb firmly against my chest.

“If you hadn’t accepted Baek Seol-hee’s feelings, she might have turned into a demon by now.”

“That’s a pretty dangerous thing to say.”

“Why? You, of all people, should know how terrifying a woman in love can be.”

“That’s why I’m saying this. I was the one who approached Baek Seol-hee first.”

Even if Baek Seol-hee thinks meeting me was fate, I was the one who created the opportunity for her to fall in love with me.

“To be honest, yes, I made her fall for me. But let’s be clear: out of all the women I could have approached, you were the one I went after first.”

“It wasn’t because she was the second-ranked S-class?”

“A beautiful woman who also happened to be the second-ranked S-class hero, with similar hobbies, no less.”

“Hmm.”

Harang squinted slightly, staring at me intently.

“This feels nice.”

“What does?”

“The original doesn’t know your true feelings, your heart.”

“But it’ll all go back to the original anyway.”

“But for this moment, these are my experiences alone. There’s something inexplicably satisfying about the fact that the original doesn’t know. Hehe. The fact that Goblin, who ignored all the other women, specifically approached me first… even though he could make anyone S-class, like Yoon Iseon if he wanted, he still chose Baek Seol-hee. That’s enough for me.”

Harang pressed even closer to me.

“When you tell the original, she’ll be thrilled. Make sure you tell her, out of all the women you could have chosen, you chose Baek Seol-hee first.”

“Isn’t that a bit too male-centric?”

“If it was a woman above a man, it’d be arrogant, but you’re Goblin, aren’t you? A true man’s man.”

“A Snow White under Goblin?”

“Exactly. What does Baek Seol-hee have that’s better? Compared to Goblin… well, or compared to other women, she doesn’t really have any outstanding qualities, does she?”n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Harang stretched out one hand in front of me.

“She’s older than Yoon I-seon, her ability pool is smaller compared to Yumir, as an S-class hero, she’s technically a rival to Goblin, and she’s rarely around. Ah, but she does have one advantage. She’s the oldest.”

“Is that really something you’d call an advantage…?”

“Right. So, why did you choose Baek Seol-hee? A woman full of flaws like this. Was it because of her chest? But Yumir’s is a bit bigger.”

“Isn’t it because of things like this?”

I picked up the remote and turned on the TV right in front of us.

“Relationships between men and women don’t always have to be just about physical attraction or abilities. If it’s marriage we’re talking about, wouldn’t it be best for a couple to share the same hobbies?”

“…Hobbies, you say?”

“To be precise, I enjoy talking with someone while watching things like this together.”

The person who connects with me most closely as ‘the reader I was before coming into this world’ is Baek Seol-hee, rather than the Chief.

“Harang, do you want to be patriotic, or watch a movie?”

“Hmm… I get to choose?”

“Of course. I’ll do whatever you want. This night is for you.”

“Then, I choose this.”

Harang nestled her head close to mine and smiled.

“You.”

“…….”

“Just spending time with you is enough for me.”

“Then let’s watch this together.”

I flipped through the channels and started playing a movie.

“It’s a movie about time. I think you’ll enjoy it.”

“…A movie that came out before I was even born.”

“Have you seen it?”

“No, I haven’t.”

Ha.

She had never seen this masterpiece.

“Let’s pull an all-nighter.”

There was no better movie series than one that concluded before the Great Cataclysm.

“A movie about clones, love, and time. It’s really fascinating.”

And so, I began to indulge in the movie with Harang.

-Which is a bigger problem for society, an S-class villain or an S-class demon?

Static, static.

Baek Seol-hee sat alone on her bed, lost in thought as she watched a documentary about Goblin.

“Villains and demons, huh.”

Both were equally unhelpful to society and global peace.

However, they were fundamentally different beings, and Baek Seol-hee had always considered demons to be a greater societal threat.

-Why do demons arise? When people with bad intentions commit evil deeds, those who suffer become demons. That’s right. Villains create demons. Therefore, we should target villains first.

-But then, what about Pandemonium? Should we really be fighting with those we can communicate with? Shouldn’t we focus on eliminating the disruptive demons first?

Back and forth, the panelists argued, each one fiercely asserting that their view was correct.

Both were undeniably bad.

It was not even a question of which came first, the chicken or the egg.

-Didn’t you see what happened in Thailand? Have you already forgotten the disaster caused by Duoexini?

Yet, if one had to ask which side the public would favor, there was a stronger opinion that demons should be dealt with first.

-We need to address the demon threat first. To deal with demons, we need to establish a specialized unit. A kind of Exorcist Corps, if you will.

-Who will do that? Do we even have the personnel for it? Do we have people capable of that in our country?

-That’s…

Eventually, the chronic problem resurfaced.

-Among the ability users in Korea, do we have more people willing to work for the country, or more who use their abilities purely for personal gain?

-So, what are you trying to say?

-That we need to increase the number of ability users. Not just any ability users but more ‘heroes.’ It’s not just about training ability users at the academy; we really need to…

A chronic manpower shortage.

It was almost absurd to talk about the hero shortage in Korea, yet it was the reality.

-Does Korea have more heroes or more villains? We need more heroes.

“Yes, that’s right. But…”

Baek Seol-hee tilted her head at the panelists’ comments, gently rubbing her abdomen.

“…it shouldn’t be forced like that, ah.”

She suddenly startled and lay back on the bed.

“If I have a child, people would expect them to be a hero from birth.”

It was an issue she had thought about before but has come to mind again.

A hero’s child must be a hero.

If there were a way to solve this problem—

“…Indeed, I need more ability users beyond just my child.”

Creating an environment where her child wouldn’t feel pressured to become a hero.

“Alright. This summer semester…”

Chuckle.

“I’ll make sure they all reach S-class, one way or another, even if I have to trick the detectors.”

After all,

There’s no ulterior motive.