Chapter 71 : Gyodam’s Dark Side

At times like this, she really hated this world. 

When you do something righteous, you should naturally be rewarded and praised by everyone. 

Instead, you had to constantly be on edge, worrying about retaliation. 

No, perhaps this is just the fate of a hero? 

The protagonist of that series also suffered from always having to hide his identity despite doing good. 

She felt a strange sense of kinship with Spider-Man, probably because he shot webs from his butt. 

Thinking of herself in a similar position helped ease her frustration. 

Besides, unlike Spider-Man, she was actually being compensated properly thanks to the secret broker and the system—so in some ways, she had it better. 

A police officer who had been looking at Iris with pity tucked a file under his arm and bowed slightly. 

“I’m really glad you’re okay. You must’ve been scared—thank you for your testimony. I’ll report that convenience store to City Hall. Please take care getting home.” 

“Okay…” 

The officer gave a polite bow and ran off toward the convenience store. 

As Iris walked toward the exit, she glanced back and saw the store clerk and manager bowing repeatedly to the officer, clearly flustered. 

‘Serves them right. I mean, the clerk isn’t really to blame, but that manager deserves it. Instead of protecting a good citizen, he pushed them into danger. Technically, the clerk did kick me out just because the manager told him to, so he’s not exactly innocent either.’ 

It felt like she had caught a glimpse of the dark side of Gyodam City. 

Just like Teresa, the antique shop owner, and Rainbow Girl were good people, there were also citizens just as evil as the villains. 

It wasn’t hard to imagine how a hero could go dark after being treated like this. 

Still, protecting Gyodam City—where not just good citizens but scumbags like those lived—was the hero’s duty. 

“Iris!” 

Just as she was nearing the exit, Iris stopped. 

A familiar voice had called out to her. 

Turning around, she saw Laika leaning against a dented luxury car, waving at her. 

When she met his gaze, he sighed heavily and pointed at the smashed car window with his eyes. 

‘Must’ve happened during the chaos. Expensive cars really are prime prey in Gyodam City.’ 

Iris glanced at the ground, and her expression hardened. 

Two men were sprawled at Laika’s feet, clearly beaten to a pulp. 

Their faces were covered in colorful bruises. 

Trying to steal from a villain’s car—talk about bad luck. 

As she approached, Laika pressed a finger to his temple and sighed again. 

“Sigh, I left the car here to go look for you, and when I came back, these bastards were wrecking it. I really shouldn’t have parked here. This model is one of only ten in the whole world.” 

“Hmm, I see. But judging by the looks of things, I think they’re the ones who got wrecked.” 

Right, as if he actually came looking for her. 

He had, in fact, searched for her—but Iris had run into his transformed self, and because he’d lied so naturally to her as “Chastity Girl,” she assumed he was lying now too. 

She maintained a nonchalant look, but when their eyes met, she gave him a bright smile, pretending not to be suspicious. 

If she acted too skeptical, he might start suspecting she was the hero. 

Laika gritted his teeth as he looked down at the unconscious thieves. 

“Well, they smashed my car—I couldn’t just let it go. I’m trained, you know. Mastered all sorts of martial arts. Just look at these muscles… ah, though I guess you already saw that much earlier.” 

“Shh. Keep it down… Still, you didn’t use a gun, at least.” 

She glanced around and lowered her voice. 

The thieves were covered in bruises but hadn’t bled. 

Knowing Laika’s temperament, he could’ve easily turned them into Swiss cheese—but he’d restrained himself to just using his fists. 

That was unexpected. 

He probably didn’t use his powers because of the police presence, but guns were common self-defense tools in Gyodam City anyway. 

Laika shrugged. 

“Yeah. They had guns, but I took them down easily.  As an actor, image is everything—no need for bloodshed. Wait a sec, Iris, where were you? I couldn’t find you anywhere. Were you at the convenience store?” 

“No. I got kicked out of there. And since you weren’t around, I had to hide in a public restroom.” 

Saying it out loud made the whole thing feel even more pitiful. 

She knew he was a villain, but still—what kind of guy leaves a girl behind on a date and runs away? 

Her eyes welled up. 

But then she saw Laika’s confused expression and began to doubt herself. 

Maybe he really had come back. 

Just in a different form, and he did try to flirt with her before disappearing again. 

Could he be telling the truth? 

Or was this just another smooth lie to get into her pants? 

‘Ugh. Does it matter? He’s still a villain either way.’ 

Yes, that was the unchanging fact—Laika was a villain.

Whether or not he came back for her was beside the point. 

So then why did she care so much whether it was true or not? 

As the thought crossed her mind, a painful realization hit her: 

She wasn’t just seeing Laika as a villain—she was starting to see him as a man. 

And that was dangerous. 

She could have feelings for other guys, sure—but never for a villain. 

‘Add this to the Gyodam City Survival Guide: Never expect anything from a villain, and you won’t be disappointed.’ 

She was silently repeating the mantra to herself when Laika raised both hands in exasperation, frowning. 

He was clearly frustrated that Iris didn’t believe him. 

“Ugh, again—I’m telling you, I parked somewhere safe and went to look for you! You’re not seriously doubting me, are you?” 

“Hmm… Well, if you say so… No, I’m not doubting you. I’m sure you did.” 

“Ugh, come on! That’s not what I meant—!” 

Well, now that he’s insisting this much… 

Maybe she’d just let it go. 

It didn’t really matter anymore anyway. 

While Laika kept ranting, the police officers approached. 

Laika politely bowed and pointed to the unconscious men on the ground. 

“Thanks for your work. Could you take these guys in?” 

“Ah, Mr. Laika. These men tried to steal your car?  That was close.” 

“Yes, as you can see.” 

In Gyodam City, there was an unspoken rule: violence used to protect what was yours wasn’t considered a crime. 

Eye for an eye. 

If a criminal threatened your life, even killing them on the spot was considered justified. 

In this case, the thieves had tried to steal an expensive car with guns. 

This was obviously self-defense. 

The officers handcuffed the two semi-conscious men and led them away with their arms twisted behind their backs. 

Watching them drag away the petty criminals while the real villain stood free, Iris rolled her eyes. 

‘No, arrest him! That guy! The tumor of society!  The mortal enemy of Gyodam City!’ 

Naturally, the police had no idea what she was thinking. 

They just smacked the thieves awake. 

“You two, get up. What? Totally unconscious? Wake up, damn it. Ahem. Mr. Laika, the station will contact you later about compensation for the damages—” 

“Ah, don’t worry about it.  Getting the press involved would just be a headache.  This kind of stuff happens almost every day in Gyodam City, no need to make a fuss. Thanks for your work!” 

“Ah, I see. Well, take care!” 

The officers gave the dazed thieves a few slaps and walked off. 

Laika crossed his arms, looking slightly annoyed, but then smiled as he glanced at Iris. 

Truthfully, he wanted nothing more than to beat, shoot, and tear those punks apart limb from limb for wrecking his car. 

He could’ve done it under the guise of self-defense and gotten away with it. 

But with cops all over the place, and needing to maintain his public image as an actor, he barely held himself back. 

Just like Iris had expected. 

Staring at his dented car with an even more dented expression, Laika opened the car door and nodded toward Iris. 

“Get in. I’ll take you home.”