Although a Villain, My Wish is World Peace

Kang Yi-sin took scissors out of his bag and cut off the girl's hair without giving anyone a chance to say anything.

"Wh-what are you doing!"

"This is better than getting hit by a car!"

The girl froze looking at her hair that had been cut off. At Kang Yi-sin's sudden action, all the children froze like stones.

"Oh, my..."

Kang Yi-sin quickly moved his hands to cut off the rest of the girl's hair. The only thought in Kang Yi-sin's mind was that he had to save the girl before the car came here.

But the car didn't come to the alley where the children were and turned the steering wheel right in front to disappear in another direction. The children who had been very tense sat down on the ground in surprise.

Perhaps because the tension was released then. The children who had been frozen at Kang Yi-sin's sudden action each opened their mouths.

"Yi-sin. No matter what, doing that to her hair..."

At someone's words, the girl felt her hair. Her lusciously swaying hair was gone, and all that remained at her fingertips was short hair cut messily and unevenly.

"Wh-what do I do..."

At the words coming from around her, and the terrible feeling at her fingertips, the girl burst into tears.

"Youuu!"

The girl approached Kang Yi-sin and shouted.

"It's because of you! You cut my hair!"

The child immediately poured out resentment towards Kang Yi-sin. Kang Yi-sin frowned and said:

"But I thought the car was coming here..."

"It didn't come! It didn't come! You just ruined my hair like this! I hate you! I don't like you!"

The girl pushed Kang Yi-sin hard. Kang Yi-sin, who was smaller than the girl until then, fell on his butt.

"Ugh."

No one looked at Kang Yi-sin. Everyone was busy comforting the girl whose hair had been ruined. When the girl started running forward leaving fallen Kang Yi-sin behind, the children who had been glancing between Kang Yi-sin and the girl moved their steps following the girl.

And Jeong Ho-san also moved his steps that day to comfort the girl. Kang Yi-sin was left alone.

Jeong Ho-san, who had spoken up to here, rolled his eyes and added to Do Chae-hee:

"Until then, I wasn't that close with Yi-sin."

"He just cut off her hair like that? Without any hesitation? Ah, didn't you say earlier that Kang Yi-sin liked that girl a bit?"

At Do Chae-hee's shock, Jeong Ho-san let out a low laugh.

"Yes. That's why he stepped up willingly. Because he wanted to save that girl."

"So what happened?"

"What do you mean what happened? The girl trembled every time she saw Yi-sin after that day. All the kids who were friends with the girl started ignoring Yi-sin. Honestly, I think I thought Yi-sin went a bit too far then too. Yi-sin didn't even apologize."

"He didn't even apologize?"

"Do you know what Yi-sin said when I told him to apologize to that girl?"

"What did he say?"

"He said he'd do the same thing even if that incident happened again, so he couldn't apologize. Saying you should only apologize for things you regret. That it's worse to apologize and then make the same mistake again. So he said he couldn't apologize."

Kang Yi-sin's face as he said that was crumpled as if about to burst into tears. As soon as he saw the swollen eyes that looked like he had already cried hard somewhere, Jeong Ho-san could tell.

"That's the kind of kid Yi-sin is. When a problem arises, he does what he thinks is best without looking back. Even if he gets hated for it, he thinks it can't be helped. He was always like that. Whether the results were good or bad. He was always the first to step up, and always chose the most certain and dangerous method."

"...Like cutting off her hair without hesitation as soon as he saw the car."

"Yes."

Even if he was hated for it, even if his relationship with the girl was ruined forever, Kang Yi-sin didn't regret that act itself. Because he saved that girl anyway.

"He got so much hate for not being able to say even one sweet word despite that. Looking back, there's no irony like the fact that he later awakened the talent of 'lying'."

Saying why should he say things he doesn't mean. Seeing Kang Yi-sin questioning himself, young Jeong Ho-san slapped his forehead. Wondering what to do with this frustrating guy. Seeing him pouting his lips saying not to interfere with his business, while still glancing at him...

"I just couldn't leave him alone."

"He's the type that makes you worry."

In the end, it seems that side of him weighed on my mind.

"Before I knew it, I was taking care of that guy wherever we went."

At the orphanage, Jeong Ho-san volunteered to be Kang Yi-sin's spokesperson. 'Yi-sin has his reasons for doing that. He didn't do it because he dislikes you.', 'He has good intentions, I'm telling you.' Jeong Ho-san always did his best to convey Kang Yi-sin's true feelings, but people who saw Kang Yi-sin glaring and pouting didn't believe Jeong Ho-san's words.

They just thought Jeong Ho-san was trying hard to defend his inadequate friend.

The deeper that misunderstanding grew, the more Jeong Ho-san was busy protecting Kang Yi-sin.

"Maybe that's why. I always thought Yi-sin needed my help. I thought he was a friend I always had to take care of."

Even after becoming an adult, that thought didn't change. Until Kang Yi-sin suddenly committed murder and left him.

"I feel like Yi-sin hasn't changed at all even now. A problem arose that Yi-sin absolutely couldn't overlook, and he chose the method he thought was best."

"That's joining Weltschmerz."

"Yes. Just like when he was young and thought it was better to cut off hair caught in a thorn bush with scissors rather than carefully pull it out."

Kang Yi-sin was the same. But there were things that changed too.

"If it was in the past, Yi-sin would have pretended to reluctantly accept my help. Though it doesn't look like it, Yi-sin gets extremely lonely. He gets hurt incredibly easily too."

But Kang Yi-sin chose the method of cutting Jeong Ho-san off so decisively it was excessive. He didn't give any information and just tried to disappear.

At first, he couldn't understand that choice at all.

But as time passed, as he mulled over the words Kang Yi-sin had sent, he was able to gradually accept Kang Yi-sin's thoughts.

"I think I was still seeing Yi-sin as just a child. A child who I had to set the direction for and interfere with."

You're clumsy, so you always make mistakes. I have to help you. Did he unknowingly think like this?

"But that's wrong. Yi-sin isn't a child who has to follow someone else's orders. I think until now, I thought Yi-sin had to move the way I wanted. With the mindset that it's right. So I ignored Yi-sin's choices and just tried to catch him and bring him back."

"But I think even I would have made the same choice as Jeong Ho-san. If I found out my best friend had become a criminal."

At Do Chae-hee's words, Jeong Ho-san smiled bitterly.

"Still, what I did before was wrong. I think that's probably what Yi-sin wanted to tell me too. That he's an adult now, so let him take responsibility for his own choices. So live your own life."

"You interpreted the message Kang Yi-sin sent like that?"

At Do Chae-hee's question, Jeong Ho-san scratched his cheek and said:

"I told you. He's a guy with terrible speaking skills."

"He really must have terrible speaking skills."

Jeong Ho-san burst out laughing at Do Chae-hee's response.

"Yes."

Ahem, Jeong Ho-san cleared his laughter and said:

"Anyway, I think this incident is similar too. He probably did it without even thinking about the aftermath. I don't know what he's trying to do, but that guy will think this method is the best."

As time passes, we'll probably be able to know for sure what Kang Yi-sin was trying to do.

"Until then, I'm going to focus on my work for now."

And that work was investigating this damned Gate. Do Chae-hee also nodded at Jeong Ho-san's words.

* * *

Even after the shift change time passed, not a single person appeared at the Gate. They watched the Gate until the end of Do Chae-hee's suspension just in case, but the result was the same.

They must have set a code in advance with the people inside the Gate, with orders to abandon this Gate if the code didn't reach them.

In the end, the two had no choice but to give up on stakeout duty and come outside. Do Chae-hee checked the information with Kim Young-won's help.

"I searched all the phone numbers in the address book, but they all came up as missing persons. They probably used the names of people who were working inside illegal Gates."

They're called missing persons, but it's obvious what happened to them. Unfortunately, it seemed there was nothing more to find by tracing this lead.

The managers who might have known something all took their own lives, so the investigation reached a dead end.

"But it's not like we didn't gain anything at all."

Though the contacts were a bust, there was one message left on the phone that hadn't been deleted.

"Director Cheong. It definitely said Director Cheong."

"Cheong isn't a common surname."

"Yes. Fortunately it's not Kim, or Park, or Lee."

Jeong Ho-san smiled at Do Chae-hee's words. It was shabby for information obtained after struggling for weeks, but it was better than nothing.

"Starting tomorrow, you're returning to work at the ACD?"

Do Chae-hee nodded at Jeong Ho-san's words. Her suspension ended today.

"You said you'd join the ACD next week, right?"

"Yes. If possible."

"Unless they've gone crazy, there's no way they'd fail you so don't worry."

The ACD was constantly recruiting awakeners. Someone like Jeong Ho-san should be able to pass the test and enter without difficulty. Do Chae-hee swallowed hard and said to Jeong Ho-san:

"As I said before, let's pretend not to know each other once we're inside the ACD."

"Are you serious?"

"I told you. We can't trust everyone in the ACD either."

On the day she realized the true nature of Park Cheol-wan, whom she had trusted and followed for half her life, Do Chae-hee had to suffer terrible betrayal.

Now she didn't want to feel that betrayal ever again.

"I just can't trust other people anymore."

"There are people you worked with as teammates."

At Jeong Ho-san's words, one person came to Do Chae-hee's mind. Like Kim Young-won. But it's been a while since she's been unable to meet him. Though she can trust the information he gives, she has no intention of trusting that information in return and spilling all her thoughts.

Seeing Do Chae-hee making a complicated expression, Jeong Ho-san casually threw out some words:

"Would you like to have dinner together?"

Do Chae-hee shook her head.

"I'm sorry, but I have something I absolutely must do today."

"Something you must do?"

Do Chae-hee nodded at Jeong Ho-san's words and said:

"Yes, something I absolutely must do before returning to the ACD."

* * *

In the evening, Park Cheol-wan who returned home first took off his thick coat and draped it over his arm. Park Cheol-wan smiled at the delicious smell tickling his nose.

"Honey, I'm home. What did you make that smells so good?"

"Oh, we have a guest. Come see who it is!"

"Huh? A guest?"

Park Cheol-wan, who entered the living room, froze seeing the person sitting at the dining table.

"Hello, ahjussi."

"...It's been a while, Chae-hee."

Because a guest he absolutely couldn't welcome was here.