While Kang Shin-hyuk was directly facing the students, Claire joined Shinyoung’s system support team. She was the core developer of the Royal class management system, as well as an expert on magic-based programming, which created artifacts with machines as well as alchemy. If she had worked on the system of the first gymnasium, it could’ve ended without such a big sacrifice from Jormungand’s attack. Now, she had the task of reforming Shinyoung’s system. In particular, in both security and early warning, Claire’s full intervention was urgent.

  “Up until now, even though I was asked, I refused because it was a bother.”


  Claire was leaning against Kang Shin-hyuk’s chest with her eyes closed as she discussed her new job with a bitter laugh.

  “I must’ve made a mistake. Until now, there must’ve been something else I could’ve done while running a bar.”


  “That’s ridiculous. It’s arrogant to take responsibility for everything because you have the ability.”


  “Well…… Yeah, I think Eunah did it.”


  Shin Eunah didn’t hesitate to use her abilities to protect others. Sometimes, she even seemed to have a sense of mission. There were times when it went as far as an obsession that dominated her. Kang Shin-hyuk hadn’t yet fully realized that it was an effort to remain a good child until the day she met Anvil again.

  “Every human has to live for himself…… I really don’t like the way of life that throws yourself out for others.”


  “Huh…… I’ve lived thinking that way too. When I saw Eunah this time, I wondered if I was wrong.”


  “Claire and Eunah are different.”


  “Yes, I know, but uh, that’s annoying. It’s like a curse.”


  Claire, looking like she wasn’t convinced, pouted.

  “What do you think about Eunah in this situation where we can’t play well because of her?”


  “From the outside, it looks like a couple of cockroaches.”


  When the two talked, Shin Eunah naturally came up, and the atmosphere subsided. But, even considering that, the two of them were too sticky. Perhaps it was because they couldn’t stick to each other very much because of their identities, so they took the chances they could.

  “No, but it’s not enough.”


  “It’s not enough?”


  “Yes. Hug me.”


  “Okay.”


  Kang Shin-hyuk stretched out his arms and hugged her from behind, but Claire shook her head firmly.

  “Hold me a little tighter.”


  “Yes, yes.”


  “Yes…… Huh?!”


  Kang Shin-hyuk, feeling playful, hugged her so tight that she couldn’t escape.

  “Kah, now, it tickles, kk.”


  He blew on her nape, having no intention of letting go even if she got annoyed. Claire began to wriggle as he used his God Wind to carry his breath.

  “Hah, don’t, stop, weak there……”


  “Hey, are you two doing this on purpose?”


  “Huh?”


  Bridget Poulsen spoke up; the woman sat across from them with several beers as she watched the lovey-dovey couple. She was sitting comfortably in her casual clothes. Despite radiating the aura of a model, her expression was a mess.

  “What?”


  “Aren’t you two sticking together too much? Besides, I haven’t even talked about it.”


  “So, who wants to interfere when this happens?”


  They had been able to calm their minds after a few days barely, and now they were just about to spend some alone time together. However, Bridget, who had vanished after Shin Eunah’s disappearance, appeared now to interfere with them! That’s why they had a desire to show off intentionally.

  “It’s really too much; if you’re not going to talk about it, you can insert something else! Oh my, it looks good……”


  “Do you have a disease that you’ll die if you don’t say stuff like that?!”


  They worried about her leaving for a few days, but they weren’t ready for her to return.

  “Then, will you talk to me now?”


  “Whoo, we said everything we could last time.”


  Claire said this with a displeased look, having no intention of leaving Kang Shin-hyuk’s arms.

  “Well, that’s what, right.”


  Immediately after the incident, Kang Shin-hyuk gave a short explanation of the current situation to Bridget. He couldn’t tell her of the Hero Universe, so he lied that Shin Eunah had an artifact made by Kang Shin-hyuk that served as a locator. In fact, considering the existence of the Great Heavenly Spirit, it wasn’t really a lie. When it finished evolving, it was possible to use it to find Shin Eunah.

  “I’m sure there’s something you’re still hiding, but I don’t think you’ll tell me that far.”


  “That also gave me a hint. You need to be strong?”


  “Ah……”


  Bridget glanced at Kang Shin-hyuk sulkily, but he wouldn’t tell her. Bridget was someone who could be trusted, but that wasn’t enough. He had to wait for her to become a member of the Hero Universe. Even the administrator said it wouldn’t be too long.

  “Well, I came here to do that, though.”


  “What do you mean?”


  “Well, it’s what I was talking about today.”


  Bridget threw the can of beer in her hand down on the floor.

  “I’ve retired.

  “From Hollywood?”


  “No, all of my original work.”


  “.……”


  Kang Shin-hyuk and Claire had the same shocked expression. She wouldn’t let go of it even when she became a top ranker, but now she quit it? What the hell was Shin Eunah to her?

  “Isn’t it too much? Claire quit bartending too.”


  “Yes? No, if I talk about my bar, it was half my greed, and half that Shin-hyuk tried to flirt with…… Besides, now’s not the time to leisurely play as a bartender.”


  “I thought so too.”


  Bridget raised her head. It seemed that the decision wasn’t that easy for her either as she opened her second can of beer.

  “I don’t know what the two of you think, but I was sincere about my unnie. Oh, as a bonus, even for the Death Puppeteer.”


  “Because that’s done now.”


  “By the way, after I saw my unnie that way and seeing such an uproar in each country…… I feel like I can’t be a fool forever. To put it openly, I don’t think I’m ever going back to Hollywood.”


  It was very straightforward, making Bridget look like a normal person. Kang Shin-hyuk wondered if it was because of the shock she faced from losing Eunah.

  “Besides, the Puppeteer tells me to be strong if I want to meet her again. You weren’t kidding; I know it’s not a joke. I think I have no choice but to live as a real superhuman now.”


  “Then, what you were gone for……”


  “Ah…… Yes, it is.”


  Bridget calmly revealed that she had been filming all night the past few days.

  “All the work that could be finished was forcibly finished, and what I didn’t want to do was discarded at a penalty. I completely said goodbye to my manager.”


  “You even had a manager.”


  “She was pretty and good at working, but still not better than Eunah.”


  “Why did the standard become Eunah?”


  “Because the manager fucks with me……”


  “Okay, that’s it.”


  Some dangerous words came out if you were off your guard. Kang Shin-hyuk shook his head as Claire regarded Bridget.

  “You, have you finished talking with Shinyoung?”


  “Oh, how’d you know?”


  “That’s because you’ve been licensed here.”


  “What?”


  Kang Shin-hyuk nodded. Come to think of it, Bridget couldn’t enter the Royal class if she were an outsider. Yet here she was, which meant she had received permission from the school.

  “To be strong, I have to stick to the Death Puppeteer, right? Give it to me too, Claire.”


  “No, I won’t. I can’t.”


  “Oh, don’t do that. Tonight, the three of us in the same bed……”


  “No.”


  They let in this walking obscene broadcast!

  “Anyway, that’s the way it happened, so please, Mr. Puppeteer!”


  “Huh. So what are you doing at Shinyoung? Teaching?”


  “You’ll find out tomorrow.”


  Bridget giggled and opened up her third can of beer. She was kicked out by Claire and forced back to her room in tears.

  ***

  The next day, Kang Shin-hyuk clearly discovered what her work was.

  “Come on, show a dignified face here.”


  “Ha……”


  The camera on the head of the drone reflected sunlight as it floated in the air. For some reason, Kang Shin-hyuk was asked to pose alongside Bridget.

  “I don’t think there was anything like this in my job.”


  “Well? You said Ms. Poulsen promised to take a poster together.”


  “Bridget……”


  As Kang Shin-hyuk looked at Bridget grimly, she responded with a cute face.

  “Oh, that makes me excited.”


  “Good, I’m very excited too! My blood’s boiling!”


  “Oh, you look really good now! Now! Take it now!”


  Bridget quickly turned to the camera and shouted, and the drone quickly complied. What followed was a fight against Bridget, but the result was really great.

  “The era of movies and dramas is coming now. The world is tough, but who’s watching it? Instead, the video of superhumans fighting against monsters will be a huge hit! Videos of attractive superhumans bravely conquering the gate and defending humanity! Shinyoung’s reputation will increase!”


  “Yes, I see very well that your essence remains the same……”


  It seemed that she was changing the stage! It was a pretty good idea, but……!

  On that day, posters of the two were spread on the internet. Bridget’s Metube account, which had been transformed into Shinyoung’s official promotional channel, featured a video of her and Kang Shin-hyuk. It surpassed 50 million views in just ten hours.

  The times were changing……