The Villain System Is Frustated

The Vigilante and the Fake Villain

The once-raucous orphanage hall instantly fell as silent as a grave. The children, who had been cheering moments ago, were now frozen with their mouths agape. They stared at Bima and Rina, who were standing in a completely nonsensical position. Rina’s hand was still buried deep in Bima’s pocket, and her face was flushed all the way to her ears. Bima’s own eyes were wide with shock, his heart nearly stopping from the sheer intensity of the embarrassment.

"Rina? What are you doing?" Bima asked, his voice hoarse. He felt as stiff as a statue being put on display in the middle of a party.

Rina flinched. She pulled her hand back at lightning speed as if Bima’s pocket were a hot coal. She turned her head away, hiding her shame behind her slightly disheveled long hair. "I... I was just trying to grab something that fell! Don't get any ideas, you idiot!"

[Warning: Female subject's heart rate has reached one hundred and forty bpm. Dopamine levels are surging. You have just performed an action categorized as accidental intimate physical contact. Villainy Points increased: 300 points.]

Bima could only wince internally. "System, you really have a knack for picking the worst time to comment."

Dito, who was standing the closest, broke the silence with a loud, giggling laugh. "So Bima and Rina are actually dating? No wonder Bima kidnapped me and brought me here, just so the two of you could be alone!"

Rina’s face turned an even deeper shade of crimson. She shot the children a sharp, threatening look. "Dito! Quiet, or I’m confiscating all your comic books for a month!"

Bima immediately took charge of the situation. He let out an awkward laugh while scratching the back of his neck. "No, no, you’ve got it all wrong. We were just... we were practicing some secret martial arts moves. Right, Rina?"

Rina glanced at Bima with a look that said she wanted to kill him. However, behind that gaze, Bima could see a flash of intrigue that she couldn't quite hide. Rina took a deep breath, trying to compose herself before speaking. "That’s right. We were practicing physical coordination. Now, the party must go on. Don't mind us."

Bima pulled Rina away from the crowd of children toward a dark corner of the hall near a large window. He took a long breath, steadying the turmoil in his chest. Rina still seemed very unsettled. She kept adjusting her jacket repeatedly a sign that the woman had completely lost her usual composure.

"Rina, I know you suspect me," Bima whispered once they were well out of the children's earshot. "But I swear, I have no ill intentions. What happened at the park and what happened here... it was all beyond my control."

Rina looked at Bima. This time, her gaze was no longer cold or inquisitive. There was a palpable doubt there. She leaned her face closer to Bima's, so close that their warm breaths mingled. "You have something in your pants pocket, Bima. Something you shouldn't have. I know whose identity you stole back at the park."

Bima froze. He reached into his pocket and pulled out Rina’s gold ID card with a trembling hand. "This... I've actually been wanting to return this. But every time I tried to speak, something ridiculous would happen."

Rina took the card with a smooth motion. Their fingers brushed for a moment, and Bima felt a small electric jolt travel from his fingertips straight to his spine. Rina stared at the card, then looked at Bima with an expression that was hard to read.

"You are the strangest person I have ever met," Rina whispered. "You aren't a criminal, yet you're always near the chaos. You possess power you don't even understand, and you always manage to make me feel incredibly unprofessional."

Bima worked up the courage to look into Rina's eyes. "Maybe it's because I'm not the criminal you're looking for. Maybe I'm just a man who happened to get trapped in a broken system, and the only thing keeping me sane is meeting you."

Rina fell silent. She looked away toward the window, watching the busy night view of the city. "Tomorrow night, come to the address listed on this card. There is something we need to discuss. Something far more serious than simple vandalism or kidnapping."

"Dinner?" Bima asked hopefully.

Rina looked back at Bima. She smiled a very sweet smile that nevertheless held a million mysteries. "You could call it that. But be prepared, because I’m going to interrogate you until I get all the answers I need. Don't be late."

Without waiting for an answer, Rina turned and walked gracefully out of the hall. Bima watched her back until she disappeared behind the doors.

[Warning: Relationship with target has increased to a dangerous level. If you proceed with this dinner, the subject's suspicion level will reach one hundred percent. The System suggests canceling the meeting or preparing an emergency escape plan.]

Bima ignored the warning. He felt like his heart was dancing. He had just secured a date with the woman who intrigued him more than anyone else in the world. However, as he turned to rejoin the children, he saw something that made him freeze in his tracks.

In a dimly lit corner of the hall, a man in a sharp black suit stood watching Bima from the shadows. The man held a brown envelope that looked very thick. When their eyes met, the man smirked a smile full of hidden threats.

"Bima, this is for you," the man said in a voice that was calm yet piercing. He tossed the envelope onto the floor right at Bima's feet, then vanished into the darkness of the hallway before Bima could give chase.

Bima picked up the envelope with shaking hands. Upon opening it, he found a photo of himself and Rina standing close together at the city park that night. On the back of the photo, a short message was written in sharp red ink.

"We know who you are, and we know what you are trying to hide. Meet us, or the girl will be the first victim of your failure."

Bima felt the world around him spin. The System in his head began to blare a loud, noisy alarm, repeatedly screaming a danger warning that wouldn't stop. He wasn't just being hunted by a secret organization; now Rina’s life was at stake.

He stared toward the door where Rina had just left, then looked down at the threatening envelope in his hand. Bima knew he had to do something, and he knew this System was his only way out, even if that path might eventually destroy him.

"System," Bima whispered, his voice laced with fury. "Prepare maximum combat capabilities. We're going to show them who’s really in control here."

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed from the hallway. Not just one person, but many. The floor of the hall began to vibrate. Bima realized he had no more time to think. He had to act before the hall was surrounded by the people who sent that threat. Bima gripped the envelope tightly, ready to face whatever came through the door, but as he turned toward the entrance, he saw something that truly took his breath away.

Rina had returned to the hall, but this time she wasn't alone. She was accompanied by a dozen armed men in special forces uniforms, and every single one of them was aiming their weapon directly at Bima's chest!