I’m Not That Villain

67 – Turning Point (4)

“Here I come!”

Once a month. The hitman who used to sneak in and take bullets appeared upon being summoned.

Still beautiful. That mischievous smile was as bright as ever, like a killer in their prime.

Ju Hwarin.

The hitman I had tangled with once before took the seat in front of me.

“Trying to call me for free… Black Mirror. I’m not the same old Bullet anymore. My stock is currently skyrocketing beyond the sky!”

“Should I stop taking bullet orders now…”

“Ah! Ah! Just kidding! I was about to add that I’d let it slide because we’re friends! So, why did you call me? Huh?”

Ju Hwarin bowed his head obsequiously. I continued the conversation, somewhat satisfied with his quick-wittedness.

“…A bounty hunter?”

“Against heinous criminals, you mean. I’ve heard that the number of crimes happening in this district alone exceeds hundreds per day?”

“Hmm…”

Ju Hwarin nodded.

“You’re not wrong. The public order in Jung-gu is a mess. The newly arrived enforcement agency is in a power struggle with Hundred Eye, and as a result, they’re ignoring other criminals altogether. The same goes for Hundred Eye. The large organization isn’t fulfilling its role properly. I’ve heard there’s friction with White Hand, which controls Gangnam-gu, and a separate war might break out.”

“I know that. What I want to know is about bounty hunting.”

“Hohoho. Then you’ve come to the right place! When it comes to killing people in this field, I’m the most knowledgeable!”

He boasted.

Ju Hwarin sipped his café latte.

“The bounty is usually put up by the large organization in charge of that district. Public safety is directly related to the population, and the population is related to money. If the safety is poor, people leave. You can hold onto a few with force, but if the number increases, you can’t keep them.”

“Hmm…”

“Even now, the Hundred Eyes are trying to raise the fallen safety rate. But due to the war with the enforcement agencies, they are short on manpower, so they are trying to make up for it with bounties. So! For those who are after money, now is the right time… I would say.”

Ju Hwarin shook the cup that only had ice left.

“Conversely, the fallen safety rate also means that more low-quality guys are coming here.”

“Go on.”

“In the underworld, even among criminals, there are those who are shunned. Those who are not like humans. The ones with bounties are usually those kinds of people. And those kinds of people are cunning.”

Ju Hwarin glanced at me.

An empty cup shaking as if to show off. I sighed and ordered another drink.

Ju Hwarin smiled brightly.

“Those vicious villains usually avoid the eyes of large organizations to continue their hobbies. Naturally, the currently chaotic Jung-gu in Seoul becomes their main stage.”

“Who exactly are these vicious criminals?”

“Well. Those who enjoy human flesh… those who say that only instruments made from twisted human nerves produce proper music… those who kidnap and torture people, then tear off their limbs while they are alive to take away their freedom and enjoy it… there are many!”

“Aren’t they crazy b*stards?”

“Crazy b*stards. Right. But there is a reason why these crazy b*stards haven’t been caught yet. Crazy b*stards are strong and know how to handle themselves. The higher the bounty on their heads, the more likely the bounty hunters will be the ones to get caught.”

Ju Hwarin slurped the new drink and diligently put the cake into her mouth.

“Anyway, those expensive guys have recently moved to Jung-gu in large numbers. Even if their actual residence is elsewhere, most of their crimes are committed here. The recent increase in missing persons is also because of them. This place is historically the dirtiest in Seoul.”

“So it needs even more cleaning.”

“But aren’t you a craftsman?”

“Actually, I’ve been hiding it… I’m an ability holder.”

“R-Really?! I knew it! It was strange how you could make those bullets so effortlessly! What kind of ability is that?! Huh?! How about forming a permanent team with me this time…!”

“I don’t want to.”

I leaned back against the chair.

A villain. And an intelligent one at that.

Moreover, most of these criminals with abilities are ability holders themselves.

I lightly tapped the table. Lost in thought.

It might be dangerous. But don’t we have a joker on our side?

Lily Bennettwater.

Our adorable bodyguard.

I glanced at her as she sipped her drink. To be honest, I couldn’t imagine her losing.

No matter what kind of villain comes, it would be the same. But that doesn’t mean I can drag her into this every time…

“Ju Hwarin. Are you busy these days?”

“Huh? Quite busy. Not too little. Thanks to my name value going up a bit. Now, when they hear ‘Matan,’ they take it quite seriously.”

“So, you really stopped borrowing your sister’s name.”

“…I’m already reflecting enough on creating an unerasable failed request. Anyway, why are you asking?”

“How about forming a temporary bounty hunter team with me, if not a permanent one?”

“…Hmm?!”

Ju Hwarin’s eyes sparkled.

“What exactly do you mean?!”

“I want to clean up this street once and for all.”

Unlike the vague understanding I had before, hearing the full story from her made me even more determined to take action.

No, I was just thinking that maybe I had become more like a simple robber…

Following the pleasure killings… what, art? Are there b*stards who make art with corpses?

Hearing it now, I was even more resolute than when I hadn’t heard it.

At the very least, I need to clean up the area where I live to prevent any unforeseen incidents.

“We’ll split the bounty exactly in half, and let’s go villain hunting.”

“…Hmmm…”

Juhwarin’s shoulders shook.

“I, I don’t work with amateurs…”

“Then don’t.”

“Haaang! I wanted to play hard to get! Aren’t we friends? We are! Ask twice!”

I sneered at the guy clinging to my pant leg.

Playing hard to get, huh?

Ju Hwarin exhaled sharply.

“Wow, that’s cool! I want one too! I want clothes like that!”

“It’s exclusive to me.”

You see, this isn’t just any clothing.

Every fiber, every thread is specialized equipment designed to reduce the recoil of my abilities.

It’s a kind of artisan’s privilege. Inside this metal mask, a small amount of enhancer leaks out during combat, strengthening my body.

You could say it’s perfect readiness. I checked my equipment once more, not letting my guard down.

Lily naturally stood beside me. I meticulously checked her outfit as well.

I had offered to make her one several times, but she refused, so what she wore was just ordinary clothes.

“Are you really okay with those clothes?”

“Just worry about yourself, Lee Seo-jun. I’m fine.”

“A team of a monster kid, a craftsman who knows everything about machines, and me… It feels like we’ve already won before we even started!”

We hadn’t even started yet.

We slowly stepped out into the night street. On the sparsely populated road, gunshots were now frequently heard.

We made eye contact with some vagrants. They glanced at us as they warmed their cold bodies by the fire in a drum.

Unlike the brilliant cityscape of the day…

The scene had completely transformed into a street of the dead.

We entered the alley we often used.

A person was lying next to a scattered box. A pool of stagnant blood.

Upon checking the condition, it was clear they were dead.

“…It looks clean in the morning, though.”

“There are many human cleaners in the city. They clean the streets at night. From corpses to bloodstains… they clean everything. Some people hire them, and some are hired by various organizations. Whatever the case, corpses don’t stay in one place for long. They are usually put in a drum and burned alive. Or they are just gathered up and thrown into the sea. To feed the fish, I suppose.”

Juhwa Rin swiped her phone.

“Today, I’m the leader! So follow me well! The target is a bounty of 12 million won! The villain ‘Flesh Donut’!”

“Flesh Donut?”

“Here’s the face.”

She held out her phone. Lily and I examined the photo on the screen.

A bald head with not a single hair. The face was full of scars. For some reason, there was no nose at all, so there was hardly any slope to the face.

It felt like looking at a real bald mountain.

“Villains usually name themselves. Some go around bragging about it. But if they don’t, people give them names. There’s a reason he’s called Flesh Donut.”

“…What is it?”

“He likes to drill holes in the victims’ stomachs. To be more precise… he’s a hole fetishist.

Ju Hwarin loaded the magazine into her custom equipment. The pistol I made for her clicked into place.

“We’re going there.”

…She was trying to act all serious…

Why does she seem so unreliable?