I Became a Villain's Hero [Complete]

Chapter 84: Birthday Date (7)

It was my birthday.

I can't recall the last time I had actually celebrated it.

Before my return, in the distant past, I remember buying a cake for myself, lighting the candles, singing alone, and then eating the dry cake.

Laughing at myself afterwards, feeling so full yet so empty.

The emptiness I felt then was still vivid.

Such an unpleasant memory made me stop celebrating birthdays altogether.

...But compared to that memory, today seems to be etching itself even more deeply into my mind.

Despite Solace celebrating with me, I couldn't find peace in my heart.

The guilt over Song Soo-yeon.

The tension over the villain's name.

Worries and anxieties mingled together.

"...Haah."

I had made peace with Song Soo-yeon.

I apologized to her once she calmed down and returned.

She listened to me more calmly than when she had left.

...Thinking back, it still stung.

How angry she must have been to leave the room like that...and how lonely she must have felt to come back.

After that, she never mentioned my birthday again, acting as if she had forgotten it.

She didn't ask about Min-Bom, what we were doing, or where it was.

Naturally, I also didn't mention my birthday.

We just ate together, took a walk... and time passed by.

And so, we reached today.

The clock pointed to 12.

With a 2 o'clock appointment, I started getting ready to leave.

"..."

Song Soo-yeon didn't show herself today, which felt odd.

Whether at the restaurant or my studio apartment, she always came to find me.

But not today.

She acted as if she had forgotten...but surely she must be holding onto the birthday thing in her heart.

It couldn't be otherwise.

After having lunch alone for the first time in a while, I headed to the bathroom to wash up.

-Ding

A text arrived.

It was from Song Soo-yeon.

[Happy Birthday.]

Short and simple.

I smiled at the text, but for some reason, it felt all the more bitter.

---

---

"...Solace is mine."

Tryno couldn't hide his excitement.

Aside from the day he failed to defeat Solace, Tryno had since been unusually good at controlling his emotions.

But now, he had thrown off all restraints, breathing heavily and trembling.

Adrenaline was already coursing through him, a sinister smile on his lips.

"..."

Song Soo-yeon felt a mix of emotions seeing him like this.