An SSS Level Villain Became My Girlfriend

3 – The First Encounter with Her

“Um, wait, just a moment.”

“Is there a problem, Handler?”

Team Leader Lee Tae-seok had a composed expression.

It looked even more so with the sunglasses obscuring his eyes.

“We were just kidnapped less than an hour ago, and you’re telling me to meet Luina in 10 minutes? This is not just a problem, it’s a whole mountain of problems!”

“It might be better to say ‘accompany’ rather than ‘kidnap’.”

“More importantly…! I haven’t even had a chance to wash up after coming to work, let alone eat at the cafeteria, and now I’m about to face an SSS-class villain!”

As I complained, Team Leader Lee Itaeseok glanced at me again.

As if he knew I would say that, he took out a small bottle of Cheongsimwon from his black suit.

“Have some.”

“………….”

I took the Cheongsimwon he handed me with both hands politely.

Gulp, gulp.

The bittersweet yet refreshing liquid flowed down my throat, clearing my body.

“Ah.”

A deep sigh escaped involuntarily.

I had become the hero I had always dreamed of.

And it’s really great that I can make a lot of money.

But as the sudden task began, I couldn’t help but feel flustered and tense.

From now on, my job is not just to do office work, but to act as Luina’s lover as a hero handler.

I couldn’t help but feel nervous.

Especially since I’ve never had a girlfriend before…

I wish I had at least a day to calm my mind…

“What if Luina doesn’t like me?”

“Even so, don’t give up on your role as a handler. We will continue to support you as much as possible.”

Irresponsible…!!

I have to stand in front of a villain who can destroy everything with just one finger!!

“If you think it’s irresponsible, I have nothing to say. But, handler, you are the only qualified person for this operation. We plan to entrust everything to you, the only one who can hold the reins of Luna.”

“I… the only one…”

A hero always overcomes adversity in crisis and saves everyone.

Right now, I was in exactly that situation.

If I handle this crisis well, Luna won’t go wild, and I might even prevent disaster-level damage.

The words of Team Leader Lee Taesuk, as if he had read my mind, were once again stirring up the feelings I had lost during my academy days.

I covered my face with both hands.

I exhaled hot breath through my nostrils with determination.

“…Alright. Let’s give it a try. Luna’s handler.”

I steeled my heart.

As a hero’s handler.

* * *

After the van arrived at the destination.

I was led by men in black suits with my eyes covered as if I were boarding a car.

They said it was a simple security measure.

I thought the treatment was a bit rough for someone who was supposed to be the key to this operation.

Anyway, from the perspective of someone on board, there was no point in spreading information about Luna all over the place.

But I could roughly predict where this place might be.

The eyes were covered, but the nose was not blocked.

The smell tickling the nostrils right now was the strong scent of grass.

At least I could vaguely tell that this place was not downtown.

“These are the stairs. Please be careful.”

With the help of the man in a black suit, I reached down the stairs.

While clumsily descending the stairs,

The scent that was now irritating my nose was a nauseating musty smell.

So, the place I’m heading to must be underground.

Step by step like that,

It was after descending the stairs longer than I expected.

“We have arrived at Room 1828, Mr. Lee Tae-seok.”

“Unlock it.”

“Yes.”

After hearing the conversation between the man in a black suit and Team Leader Lee Tae-seok,

My eyes finally met the light.

“Wow.”

I thought to myself.

A dimly lit, high-ceilinged underground space welcomed me with almost no light.

In front of me, a faint yellow light was on, and a huge metal protective wall was firmly closed.

Is that where the Louis I saw in the video is hanging?

“…Gate open.”

The short command from Team Leader Lee Taesuk, who was looking down at his wristwatch.

Two agents quickly went to the ends of the protective wall and took out the keys.

Eventually, they simultaneously inserted the keys into the keyhole.

“Count. Three. Two. One.”

Clank!

At the moment when the two keys turned at the same time,

Weeeng──!!!

The blaring sirens, emitting flashing red lights, tore through the eardrums as if to shatter them.

Despite the noise exceeding a certain threshold, Taesuk, who was blocking his ears,

The protective wall gradually opened.

However, what lay beyond was not another SSS-class villain, but another protective wall.

Whether the sirens were blaring or not,

Team Leader Taesuk, who had been standing nonchalantly, approached the second protective wall.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

Taesuk raised his hand and brought his eyes closer to the digital panel attached to the protective wall.

It was like a serious, high-tech protection system seen only in movies.

Well, if you think about who might be on the other side, it’s only natural to have this level of security.

Amidst the cacophony of the red lights and blaring sirens,

The second protective wall also slowly began to open up, up and down.

I had a rough idea of what to expect, but what came next was the sight of the third barrier.

“Well, it’s human nature not to be satisfied with just two.”

“Handler! You’re up for the last one!”

“What!?”

As I muttered to myself,

Amidst the sirens, Team Leader Lee’s shout reached my ears.

I promptly approached him.

“The certification I gave you is the key to the third gate.”

“Is that so?”

I quickly took out the card from my pocket.

It was subtly different from the certification I used to have in the Hero Nation. As if anticipating some kind of contact, an IC chip was neatly attached to the corner of the card.

“From here on, Handler, it’s your solo stage. I’ll leave it to you then.”

“………….”

Gulp.

The calmness brought on by the effects of the elixir was once again disrupted by a surge of emotions.

But I had no intention of backing down at this point.

After all, who knows what trouble I might get into if I did.

Bringing the certification to the panel, in an instant, both the sirens and the red lights went out.

The underground space became eerily quiet in an instant.

As the final barrier slowly opened, the space I had seen in the tablet’s video began to reveal itself.

“The SSS-class villain is right in there…”

The ceiling was significantly high above my head.

Iron pipes hung heavily from numerous chains.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The sound of footsteps echoed loudly in this vast space.

As I walked forward, the taut chains loosened, and the pipes began to descend.

[Handler, do you copy?]

“Yes, I hear you.”

The voice of Team Leader Lee Tae-seok reverberated through the space.

It sounded as if the voice was coming through a poor-quality speaker.

No, it was definitely coming from a speaker.

“No way…”

When I turned around after walking forward, the barrier was firmly closed, just as expected.

[As mentioned earlier, from now on, this is your solo stage. As a precaution against any potential accidents, the gate has been closed again. Please understand.]

Why did it open so slowly like a tortoise’s cousin and close so quickly!?

More importantly, the fact that the barriers had closed meant that only me and Luna were in this space…?

“……..”

I gather saliva in my mouth and swallow hard.

I clench my trembling hands into tight fists, consumed by fear.

I am now like a lion thrown into the den, a trainer or prey.

There’s no way out.

I had no choice but to move forward.

Before I knew it, a sturdy metal coffin had descended to my height.

In the video, the head of the open coffin was now closed, concealing Louina’s face.

“Um, excuse me… U-um, Louina…?”

I knock on the coffin lid and take a deep breath.

Not only because I am facing the villain who shook the world, but also because I am in this position as her lover, I had no choice but to stumble over my words.

Finally, with a hiss, the coffin lid began to open slowly.

My pounding heart feels like it’s about to burst out of my throat.

Somehow, a sweet fragrance begins to waft in.

“hehehe, you’re my boyfriend from today? Oh-ho-ho. You’re much more balanced than I expected. You’re approved.”

Unlike the video, the entire coffin is wide open.

A woman with tightly bound black hair, wrapped in what looks like a pressure bandage, scans me with a flutter of her eyebrows.

Before me stands the ultimate SSS-grade villain, the most fearsome and wicked.

She was even more delicate and beautiful than what I saw in the video.

“Well, I’m counting on you.”

I raised a respectful greeting to Luina, and as instructed by Team Leader Lee Taeseok, I gently reached out towards her head.

The villain of absolute destruction.

Luina’s ability trigger happened to be the same as mine, on both of her palms.

I wanted to gauge whether my ability would work properly by touching her head while she was still tightly bound.

“What’s this? We’ve only met for less than a minute, and you’re already being touchy? A little presumptuous, aren’t you?”

“………….”

If one could touch a girl of such rare beauty, it was only natural for a man to do so.

But Luina was a villain before she was a beauty.

I was essentially staking my life on it right now.

A pounding heartbeat.

Trembling fingertips.

Quickening breath.

It was perfectly understandable for Luina to widen her eyes and tilt her head while looking at my anxious state.

In the slow flow that made one second feel like an hour.

My trembling fingertips touched Luina’s glossy black hair.

And then, firmly.

My entire palm smoothly landed on Luina’s forehead.

“………….”

“………….”

A heavy silence fell between us.

I am just a deer in front of a lion, of course.

Luna also just blinked her large pupils.

“What… did you just do?”

After letting go of my hand.

Luna’s words were full of confusion.

“Oh, no, it’s not… not something different…!”

“My power was blocked by something. Is this perhaps your ability?”

“Well, it is, but… yes.”

“…Ah.”

Luna’s eyes and mouth began to widen at the same time.

Without even enjoying the relief of still being alive.

I was just standing there, trembling in place because of her reaction.

Could she be angry that she nullified her ability on a whim?

“The person of destiny.”

“Yes…?”

“You are the person of destiny. Finally, finally, we’ve met….”

Suddenly, Luna’s eyes began to glisten with tears.

What on earth is this reaction…?

“I’ve been waiting for someone like you for a long time.”

“Someone like me… waiting?”

Not long after, a transparent stream of tears flowed from Luina’s eyes.

“Please take care of me from now on… No, forever. You♡”

Luina, who had been shedding tears endlessly, smiled brightly.

That smile was so fatally beautiful that one would never think of this woman as an SSS-grade villain.