I'm Not Your Dad, I'm a Villain - Chapter 1

Chapter 1
Bus Robbery (1)

***

Gift.

A special power that a part of humanity suddenly awakened to, called a god-given gift.

But despite being called a blessing, that power did not always have a positive impact on humanity.

Innate power itself is akin to a bomb, and those who refuse to control and restrain that power are rightfully classified as villains (criminals) in society.

Right, I was also a part of an organization composed of such villains…

“Humanity remains the same.”

Three years after the collapse of that organization.

As I was preparing breakfast in my one-room apartment, I suddenly heard a voice.

Was it the sound of that old TV I bought from the junkyard?

“What do you mean?”

No, it was the one sitting in front of it, seated with grace.

A red-haired girl, radiating maturity and elegance even while sipping milk from a cup adorned with a cartoon animal.

“Even if Justice disappears, new hope can always appear.”

“Haha, it’s quite ironic. We struggled to change this society by forming an organization, but in the end, they immediately found something to replace the hope we destroyed.”

Was that self-deprecation coming from the girl’s mouth?

No, she was someone who wore a calm expression even when the organization was said to have collapsed.

She must just want to tease me.

“Bread.”

Just when I started feeling unease, she suddenly called me.

Reacting to that name, I lifted my head to see her placing her mug on the floor and quietly asking,

“Do you like this too?”

While still staring at the TV.

What was showing on the screen was a typical morning broadcast, mainly introducing new-generation heroes.

Right, she was asking me if I liked hero broadcasts.

Ridiculous. A villain like me enjoying hero bragging?

-Twinkle Twinkle Little Star~ Hello everyone, nice to meet you! My name is Spiritas! I’m a new idol who appeared like a comet from far away space to become your hope~

A magical girl, of all things…

No matter how varied the heroes’ appearances and personalities were, I never thought there would be one targeting young girls.

But why is her name Spiritas when she’s labeled a magical girl?

Isn’t Spiritas a name for a drink?

“Coincidentally, it’s not to my taste. Besides, that’s targeted at young girls.”

“Something young girls like…”

As I belatedly answered, she rested her chin on her hand and looked back at the screen with interest.

“In other words, as a mere girl myself, I should start taking an interest in that being.”

“No, I didn’t mean it that way…”

“Haha, got it. I’ll take that advice to heart.”

Saying so, she took another sip of milk from the mug.

Seeing that, I almost said something but quickly shook my head and turned towards the kitchen.

-Ding~

Looks like the toast is ready.

“Breakfast is ready.”

“Alright, I’ll be there soon.”

Turning off the TV, she followed me to the kitchen table.

I carefully set the modest meal in front of her.

This had become a familiar routine in the three years since the collapse of the organization.

***

Yes, the organization had collapsed.

After the war, the survivors, including the executives, scattered, and now their whereabouts were unknown.

Of course, the association continued to track them, but the villains were fiercely competing to fill the vacuum left by Ouroboros.

Because of that, the association’s surveillance had gaps, and I took advantage of that to blend into their society under the alias Ginger Bread.

Obviously, for a proper disguise, I had to pay attention to my identity.

“Did you say you have an interview today?”

As I stood at the front door in my prepared suit, she stood there to see me off, looking up at me.

With her hair tied back with a headband and wearing a fluttering girl’s dress, she appeared to be an ordinary 7-year-old girl, but the look in her eyes conveyed a sense of maturity.

“A newspaper company… Being a journalist is an indispensable job in a society led by heroes. The information the public receives today is all handled by them.”

“I thought it would be good to find a job where I can gather information.”

“Haha, information. You don’t seem very satisfied with your current life.”

Not satisfied? Of course not.

Now, I was merely hiding from society’s eyes, unable to even dream of rebuilding the organization.

“Just a word of warning, but avoid going out.”

But how could I express that frustration to her?

“And don’t mess with the kitchen knife or the gas stove out of curiosity like last time. If there’s an accident and the police show up, it’ll be trouble.”

“Don’t worry. While you’re gone, I’ll just gather information from that thing called TV.”

“If you’re hungry, order from the delivery app. Do you remember what I taught you last time?”

“I remember. You taught me, so how could I forget?”

“…Yes, indeed.”

Feeling the awkwardness, I hastily turned my head away from her.

The revered boss treating my words as teachings—something the old executives would surely have much to say about.

“Well, since we’re done talking, let’s do our usual greeting.”

But the most incorrect part was this.

“My father, please return safely.”

The sight of my boss kindly smiling and seeing me off.

Even after three years, it was something I could never get used to.

***

The continuous sound of car horns from the road. The countless people walking along the sidewalks.

The bustling, noisy morning of the city.

Even a slight delay easily leads to traffic congestion.

“Wait, wait!”

As cars began to mass behind me, I rushed toward the bus that had just arrived at the stop, my steps growing urgent.

Damn, I’m going to miss it.

No choice, I’ll have to push myself to catch it.

-Crack.

With strength in my legs, I lunged forward.

Thanks to that, I managed to grab the bus door just before it closed… Damn it, my knee ligaments are gone.

“Are you getting on or not?”

“Oh, yes. Sorry.”

Enduring the pain in my leg, I tapped my bus card, and the driver immediately hit the accelerator, driving onto the road.

The force pushed my upper body, straining my leg, but there was only a slight throbbing now.

Well, a torn ligament is nothing for me.

-Beeep.

Just as I sat down to catch my breath, the bus stopped, and several passengers boarded.

The woman who sat next to me appeared to be an office worker, unlike me. The bag in her hand emitted the smell of freshly baked bread.

Having bread for breakfast on her way to work, huh.

Thinking she must have it tough too, I glanced down at the notebook in my hand.

The notes I had been preparing for today’s interview over the past few weeks. The content filled with my desperate efforts for this interview.

For her sake, I must get accepted. Reminding myself of that, I reviewed the notebook’s contents one more time.

Let’s see, I should probably emphasize being a single father to gain some sympathy…

-Tutatatata!!

…Damn it.

What’s that noise now?

“Everyone, freeze! From now on, this place is under our control!”

“If you resist, we’ll turn you into Swiss cheese, so stay still!”

Hearing the shouting, I looked up in confusion.

The atmosphere around me grew tense.

The eyes of those who realized the source of the noise before I did showed nothing but fear.

When I raised my head, I saw men in black masks pointing submachine guns at the passengers.

“Damn it, what is this nonsense.”

This was entirely unexpected.

I live in District C of Pangea’s 26 districts, a place that’s average in size, economy, and everything else.

Being so average, there’s nothing outstanding, but that means there’s no reason for villains to cause trouble, so the crime rate is quite low.

Normally, the worst incidents are occasional pickpocketing in busy streets…

Damn it, why did this have to happen on the day of my interview?

“W-what do you want?”

“You will be used as bargaining chips from now on.”

“Bargaining…?”

The passengers looked confused as the one who seemed to be the leader began to explain their situation.

They claimed to be an anti-government group, revolutionaries fighting to change the continent’s society, needing hostages to free their imprisoned comrades, and so on…

Every word was so cliché that even without listening closely, I could guess the rest.

“Bus driver! Turn towards city hall immediately.”

“I-I can’t do that. If I did…”

“If you don’t, I’ll kill everyone here one by one!!”

“Ugh…!!”

The bus driver grabbed the wheel with a grimace at the lethal threat.

The passengers, unable to muster any will to resist, began to lower their heads and slump in their seats.

Yeah, holding guns would naturally make them afraid.

Pretending to be a regular citizen, I decided to go along with the mood for now… Damn, what should I do?

Even though the crime rate is low, it’s not because of high arrest rates.

When an incident occurs, the response is slow. Even if there’s a report of gunshots, it’s unlikely the police will arrive in time.

The only fortunate thing is that their attention is not on me.

With no CCTV on the bus and everyone’s heads down, no one is paying attention to me… Alright, at least my identity won’t be exposed now.

The key is to find something to cover my face before solving this.

-Rustle.

…Ah, right.

The bread bag the woman next to me was holding has fallen.

It might smell of bread, but it’ll do in a pinch.

I quickly grabbed the bread bag and used it to cover my face as I stood up to face them.

Alright, if I cover my face like this and stand…

“Mumble, grumble.”

Wait, I can’t see.

“What, are you thinking of resisting!?”

Ah, I’m screwed.

-Tatatang!!

With the gunshots, excruciating pain overwhelmed my body, and soon all strength drained from me.

I slumped to the ground.

In my dazed state, I could faintly hear laughter.

“What’s with this guy?”

“Does he have a gift or something?”

“Does having a gift make you immune to bullets? Hahaha!”

The robbers’ mockery.

Yeah, they can laugh at those who foolishly believed in their abilities and stood before guns.

Bullets can be deflected by covering oneself with superhuman power, but that’s a privilege of the prepared.

“Wh-what? What’s with that guy…”

But I didn’t need such tricks.

I stood up, blood pouring from my body, and faced them head-on.

Of course, the pain didn’t go away.

Having bullets lodged all over my body, it was only natural, but there was one fortunate thing.

‘Two bullets pierced my eye sockets.’

It meant I had regained my sight, which had been blocked until now.

End of Chapter