The Monster Aspires to Be a Hero!

Boarding Una’s limousine without showering after camping made me quite uneasy.
“Does it bother you that much?”
“…”
I wasn’t too concerned about the cost of limousines, but it surely wouldn’t be cheap, right?
At least in the millions of won?
Getting in smelling like this felt quite daunting.
So instead of leaning against the seat, I sat hunched forward, prompting Una to stare at me intently.
“Why are you sitting like that?”
“Uh, well…”
“It gets cleaned periodically, so it’s fine.”
She was likely trying to put me at ease.
Yet I still couldn’t sit comfortably.
“If it really bothers you that much, should we walk instead?”
“Ah…”

If she were my host, I’d have lived more comfortably.
Isn’t that a bit too harsh?
I had thought you held at least some mild dislike toward her, but now I feel bad for her…

Just an American joke!
Do Americans really joke like that?
In the end, I leaned back against the limousine seat.
It truly was nice…
Far softer and more luxurious than my bed at home.

This is how good money feels. With money, you wouldn’t need to worry about utilizing the core or acquiring a suit.
Well, my lack of money is what led to these troubles.
“I’ll get off here.”
“Very well.”
The place Una stopped was surprisingly an ordinary Japanese restaurant frequented by regular folk like me.
As I blankly gazed at it, Una covered her mouth with a slight laugh.
“Did you think wealthy people only eat steak and caviar daily?”
“Ah, no… my apologies.”
Without realizing it, I had preconceived notions that she would act stereotypically wealthy.
This was clearly my own failing.
But entering like this felt rather…
“Jinwoo, could you extend your hand for a moment?”
“Hm?”
“Go on.”
Perplexed, I held out my hand as she retrieved a cologne from her handbag and spritzed my wrist.
“Does that help reduce any self-consciousness?”
The mildly unisex fragrance was sufficient to mask my odor.
“Th-Thank you for your consideration.”
“No, I was the one who dragged you here so abruptly.”
After helping Una to her seat, I took the one opposite her.
We ordered our desired sushi from a nearby menu and cleansed our hands with the provided wet towels.
Wet towels.
Normally, I wouldn’t wipe my face with these like some boorish uncle, but right now I wished I could use one for that…
As I conflictedly eyed the towel, Una seemed to realize something and requested an extra one from the staff.
“I was rather inconsiderate, wasn’t I?”
Telling me to make myself comfortable, she handed me the extra towel.
“Th-Thank you, Una.”
“Not at all. And no need to be so formal…”
As I used the towel to wipe my face, I heard some murmuring.
“Pardon?”
“…It’s nothing.”

Hmm?
I couldn’t gauge the appropriate distance with Una.
According to Greed, to some degree I needed to accept recompense for this relationship to flow smoothly.
But that made me feel uneasy.
It was quite a complicated situation.
“Ah, that’s right… have you decided where you’ll intern, Jinwoo?”
The food had arrived, and in the ensuing awkward silence, Una was the first to speak up.
“Not yet. I’m still uncertain where would be best.”
Greed had said I should aim for a hero office, scoffing that working for national institutions would just make me a ‘servant of the masses.’
However, being affiliated with a national institution wasn’t necessarily bad.
Even as an intern, the support provided was quite substantial.
Just considering the over 6 million won annual training room fees made my head spin.
But with a national institution, interns received subsidies for training rooms and gyms.

Kuhuhuh. See, even with monsters appearing and heroes arising, it still comes down to money. And before you sits an ATM!
“If you haven’t decided yet, do you have anywhere in mind?”
“Well, I did receive some business cards…”
During the hero certification exam, the proctors and staff had given me their cards.
The famously stern hero Ironma, who shared my hardening ability, had encouraged me to join, saying he could provide much guidance.
I had accepted them for now while pondering where to go, but that deliberation was still ongoing.
As Greed needed to utilize the core’s true power first, and I still had to prepare my hero name and suit, I had planned to only begin internship activities afterwards.
“You’re not considering joining a national institution?”
“I have given it some thought.”
“Giving it thought means you’re leaning toward a hero office, doesn’t it?”
“Yes. National institutions have ample manpower.”
The heroes affiliated with national institutions were all professionals.
Quite a few applied for internships too.
But they were constrained to follow orders and procedures.
What came to mind was that traffic accident at Buwonjaebyungwon Hospital.
Affiliated with a national institution, following orders, waiting in the standby room until an incident occurred.
In the meantime, a young child like Woojin could get caught up in an unrelated traffic accident crisis.
I wanted to help anyone I encountered needing assistance, if possible.
So I was leaning toward a somewhat freer hero office that allowed more active patrols.

Haah… looks like I’ll have to switch from almonds to peanuts for a while.
Greed scoffed that its snacking would become quite dull for the time being.
Offices that conducted frequent patrols tended to be smaller in scale.
Smaller offices couldn’t rely on subsidies, so they increased patrols and public visibility to raise awareness instead of remaining confined to the office.
If I interned at such a place, I would likely need to tighten my finances.
Hence Greed’s remark about switching from almonds to peanuts while snacking at night on the computer.
Though not snacking at all would suffice too.

Just as humans cannot live on bread alone, I cannot simply leech within you to survive.
…It felt like I could no longer win any verbal spats against Greed.
After hearing my reasoning, Una gazed at me with a dazed expression.
Why that look?

Probably because you’re spouting such nonsensical drivel.
Drivel?
“That’s… incredible…”
“Pardon?”
“During their internships, most aspire to gain visibility in prominent locations to raise their profile.”
Without heroes, thermal weapons would need to be deployed to hunt monsters.
Causing considerable human and property damage.
But with heroes, such collateral damage was minimized.
Hence, the government subsidized heroes.
Top heroes could even secure lucrative advertising deals for quite comfortable lives.
To achieve that required first raising one’s profile.
Yet here was someone actively avoiding that…
Presented that way, I could see how I might seem deranged.

Deranged.
This rascal…?
“Admirable. As expected…”
Una gazed at me like beholding some dazzling existence.
Reminiscent of my childhood self exclaiming “Insane!” upon seeing First.
Feeling oddly self-conscious, I hurriedly ate, prompting Una to follow suit with slight bewilderment.
After that peculiar meal, Una said we would meet again before departing.
“Phew…”
One meal had been so draining.
As I walked while thinking that, my smartphone rang.
It was Jieun.
“Hello?”

Ah, Sunbae. Where are you right now?
“Hm? I just stepped out briefly. I’ll be near home soon.”

My parents received strawberries and melons as a gift from an acquaintance, more than they could finish, so they gave me some.
“For me?”

If you don’t want them…
“Ah, no, I’d love some!”
Delighted, I said I’d be right over before pocketing my phone.
As I began running toward home, the previously still Greed started laughing “Kuhuhuhuh.”
Why was this rascal behaving that way again?
Lost in thought, I soon spotted Jieun standing blankly outside my home.
“Jieun-ah.”
Calling out to her while waving, Jieun welcomed me with a smile.
“Ah, Sunbae… huh?”
Jieun’s pleased expression gradually contorted as she waved back at me.
Her eyes widened, pupils constricting to dull, lifeless points as she stared unblinkingly.
A chill ran down my spine, as if my spider-sense had activated.

Kuhuhuhuhuh! What a pity I don’t have any popcorn!
What was that about?