Chapter 1: Collapse

The moment I first realized this was the world of a novel, I hesitated.

Should I interfere with the original story? Could I make the future better?

Today, the Hero School is Peaceful.

The main genre of this novel isn’t battle. It’s romance. A light romance.

If you dig deeper into the worldbuilding, there are certainly dark elements, but they aren’t highlighted within the story itself.

Villains appear occasionally, but only as devices to add obstacles for the male and female leads. Serious incidents rarely occur.

The title couldn’t be more honest.

Simply put, there’s no place for me to interfere.

Even if I do nothing, this world will keep moving in the right direction, like a ship sailing smoothly with the wind.

The balance between heroes and villains has already tipped significantly.

“Are you looking for Gwangmyeong Reminis? She just went out on a mission…”
“Was it a villain attack?”
“How are you related to Reminis?”

The first-floor lobby of the Hero Association Headquarters.
The receptionist, wearing a polite smile, cut off her words mid-sentence.
Rather than being suspicious, she spoke as if dealing with a young fan.

“Let her through. She’s family.”

Just as I opened my mouth to answer, another receptionist appeared from behind.
She had helped me a few times before.

“Family? Of Reminis?”

Her eyes widened as she looked at me.
It was the same reaction people had when seeing a rare creature.
By now, I was used to it.

I handed over my card and took the staff elevator.
My destination: the 46th floor hero lounge.

Heroes without a second job often spent their time here, where state-of-the-art entertainment facilities were available.

Of course, not just any hero had access.

– 46th floor.

As the elevator doors opened, the eyes of the people sitting in the hallway seats turned toward me.
Familiar faces.

“Oh? Gwangmyeong’s little sister! You’re here again today?”
“Nice to see you~”

I visited at least three times a week—my attendance rivaled that of an actual hero.
Thanks to that, the heroes all recognized me now.

“Hello! Skull Knight, Elysia!”

I greeted them as brightly and cheerfully as possible.
After all, my behavior directly affected Gwangmyeong Reminis’s reputation.

“I brought some snacks today!”
“Wow~ snack time~”

Elysia, grinning from ear to ear, trotted over.
Her light blonde hair framed her half-lidded eyes.
She was an elite hero who appeared in the original story.

Her favorite treat? Sweet cookies.

When I handed her a generous amount from the basket, she beamed with joy.

“Iran~ why don’t you just become my little sister instead~?”
“I’d be honored! I’ll tell my sister she has a new eldest sibling.”
“Hmph~ As expected, Reminis really knows how to hoard good people~”

Elysia muttered in disappointment before biting into a cookie.
Skull Knight, who had been watching from a distance, chuckled.

“You must have it tough, kid.”
“It’s nothing. But Skull Knight, aren’t you going to have some?”
“I’ll pass. Share with the others.”

Let’s see… If I remember correctly, in the original story, this guy liked…

“I have mint chocolate, too.”
“…What?!”

Soon enough, Skull Knight’s hands were full of green-colored chocolates.

“Both of you, stay safe and good luck!”
“Thanks~ If you ever need help, just call~”
“Heroes aren’t supposed to act outside of official duties, but… I’ll make an exception a few times.”

I made sure to greet every hero in the lounge.
Once I finished with the 46th floor, I moved to the next lounge above, and then the one above that.
I rode the elevator up and down countless times.

By the time I had visited all the lounges, someone tapped me on the shoulder from behind.

“Hm? …Ah!”
“You don’t have to do all this.”

Wavy golden hair. Peach-colored lips curled up slightly on one side.
Mysterious red eyes that scanned my face with sharp precision.

“Reminis!”
“Call me ‘Unni.’ People will think we’re heartless sisters otherwise.”
“No one here thinks that.”

At the teasing remark, Seoran shot a glare at the man standing beside her.
I also turned my head and then smiled brightly as I bowed.

“Hello, Do-hyun Ajusshi!”
“Iran-ah, can’t you please drop that title?”
“Why? No one thinks it’s weird.”

As Do-hyun ran a hand over his face in frustration, Seoran looked utterly satisfied.
Then, as usual, the two of them started bickering.

I kept smiling as I watched them, but my thoughts were complicated.

Kim Do-hyun. One of the Seven Pillars of the Hero Association, standing shoulder to shoulder with Gwangmyeong Reminis.
I called him “Ajusshi,” but in truth, he was the same age as Seoran—
And more importantly, he was the male lead of the original novel.

Considering the genre of the story, I didn’t even need to say what kind of relationship he had with Seoran.

Back when I was just a reader, I fully supported this couple.
I even rooted for Do-hyun as if I were in his shoes.
Since coming here, I hadn’t had any conflicts with him either.

And yet… Now that I was in this world, the idea of losing my only sister felt strangely unsettling.
In the original, their bond went beyond romance—they were practically soulmates.

That’s my place.

“Ajusshi, do you want some snacks too? I saved some candy just for you!”
“If it’s my favorite candy, don’t tell me…”
“Yep! Your absolute favorite—red ginseng candy!”

For some reason, Do-hyun’s face turned pale.
Really, I had no idea why.

Suppressing my amusement, I handed him a generous amount of the last remaining candies from my basket.

“T-thanks…”
“Hehe. I knew you’d love it. I’ll bring even more next time!”

Do-hyun didn’t respond.
He just gave me an awkward smile while patting my head.

How about it? If you want to end up with Seoran, you’ll have to spend the rest of your life eating red ginseng candy. Can you handle that?

“…Heh.”

As I smirked to myself, Seoran suddenly leaned in close—so close that her lips nearly brushed my ear.

“You little devil.”
“…Hmph~”

I simply rolled my eyes, making Seoran chuckle.
Then, her gaze softened like a warm spring day.

“Don’t worry.”
“Hm?”
“You’ll always be my number one priority, Iran.”
“…Even more than Ajusshi?”
“Of course.”
“…What if you have kids?”
“It’ll still be you.”

Without hesitation, I threw myself into Seoran’s arms.
She froze for a moment before gently stroking my back.

The three of us—Seoran, Do-hyun, and I—chatted for a long time after that.
Fortunately, there were no emergency calls, meaning we could relax until late evening.

And on the way home, it was just me and Seoran.

“Hey, Unni.”
“Hm? You’re actually calling me ‘Unni’ for once.”

At her amused reaction, I laughed sheepishly before continuing.

“I wish things could stay like this forever.”
“…….”
“Unni is a great hero, I visit you every day… and I get to play pranks on Ajusshi.”
“……It will.”

I no longer knew what the future held for this world.
I had already caught up with the original storyline.
Seoran had graduated from school, and Do-hyun had officially become her partner.

For all I knew, the original novel had already ended.

I didn’t expect the future to be completely smooth.
The Villain Association was still out there, and monsters continued to pour out from the portals.

But I wasn’t worried.

My sister—
The greatest hero—
Would always protect us.

“You promised, okay?”
“Promised what?”

As I met those ruby-red eyes looking back at me, I reminded her once more.

“No matter what happens… I come first.”

It was just another peaceful day.
One of many happy days I wished would last forever.

…Liar.

“Liar….”

A woman in a white coat grinned, her lips curling with eerie amusement.
Her unnaturally long fingers rested atop the young girl’s head.

A dark, murky energy flowed from her fingertips, seeping into the girl’s mind.

“How’s the progress?”

The woman lowered her smirk and looked up.
Right across from her, a man in a black hood stood like a ghost.

“You nearly made me drop the kid. Can’t you make some noise when you move?”

But the hooded man paid no attention to her complaint. His gaze remained fixed on the girl slumped in the chair. Sighing, the woman shook her head before answering.

“The brainwashing will be complete by the end of today.”

The man reached out and flicked the girl’s forehead. Her head tilted back, revealing her face.

“Liar… liar….”

The girl—Iran—looked completely different.
Sweaty bangs clung to her forehead.
Her ruby-colored eyes, once full of life, were now empty.
Her lips were dry and cracked.

Her mouth kept moving, repeating the same meaningless words.

“…….”

The man stared at her for a moment before withdrawing his hand.
His pitch-black eyes—like the abyss itself—shifted to the woman.

“As soon as it’s done, hand her over to Durek.”
“Durek? You must have high expectations for this little thing.”

The man didn’t reply.

“Hey? Hello?”

The woman blinked.
She looked around, but she was the only one left in the brainwashing chamber.

“…Always in such a damn hurry.”

Well, the leader of the Villain Association should be busy.
She convinced herself of that much and turned her gaze back to the girl.

A slow, sinister smile stretched across her lips.

“I can’t wait to see it. Will Gwangmyeong be able to kill her fallen sister?”

If she did, it would make for a spectacular show.
But if she couldn’t…

“What kind of chaos would unfold if the beacon of justice was slain by her own little sister? …Heheh.”

Deep underground, in the Villain Association’s brainwashing chamber, A low, eerie laughter echoed through the small, dimly lit room.