Chapter 3: A Midday Performance

Three ships floated aimlessly on the Han River.

Inside them, people were engaged in a fierce debate.

“What are you doing? Press the button right now!”

“Move! If you can’t press it, I will!”

“Have you all lost your minds? How can you even be sure if the other ships have pressed their button?”

“Exactly! What if they did? Are we all going to die? If everyone presses, everyone lives!”

Three ships.

Three bombs.

Three buttons.

The ships that press the button will definitely survive.

But if they don’t press the button, they might die.

Strictly speaking, they shouldn’t press the button at all.

If everyone could just ignore the button’s existence, they would all be fine. If I hadn’t even mentioned that this button exists, everyone would have lived their lives in blissful ignorance. Pressing the button is meaningless. All everyone has to do is pretend the button doesn’t exist.

But here lies the fundamental problem of human nature:

‘Doubt’.

What if they don’t press it, but others do?

“If any of those two ships press it, we all die!”

Indeed.

The words from the man appearing on the broadcast reflect people’s inner turmoil.

The rule I set was simple.

If any ship presses the button within a 30-minute timeframe, all the other ships will explode.

However, if one presses their button, their ship will survive no matter what the others do.

That alone was enough to make people consider the ‘what ifs’. What if some lunatic on the other ship pressed their button? Are we all doomed? Shouldn’t we press ours too?

That could provide motivation to press the button, but I added another condition to up the ante.

Ironically, if all three ships press their buttons to blow up the other ships, everyone will survive.

“The other ships must be thinking just like us! If we all just press the button, everyone survives!”

Yes.

Precisely, it alleviates people’s sense of guilt.

It raises the justification for pressing the button from ‘If I press it, others die and only I survive,’ to ‘If I press it, others might survive too.’

‘No, if pressing it guarantees my survival and everyone else pressed theirs, won’t they also survive? Wouldn’t I be a fool not to press it?’ This is the kind of thinking it enables.

And my assumption proved correct, as the cameras discreetly filming the three ships captured hardliners advocating for just that.

However, there was one big flaw in their argument.

“What if there’s someone over there who didn’t press the button? Then we’d be killing them!”

A woman’s scream suddenly erupted from one of the ships.

This was the truth that those advocating for pressing the button either overlooked or deliberately ignored.

If someone else trusted others enough not to press their button, then pressing their own would be akin to killing them.

A problem that would have been solved if they trusted others and didn’t press the button, but by pressing the button, they would push the others towards death.

And there were quite a few people who agreed with this line of thinking.

The atmosphere inside the three ships was quickly turning into a chaotic mess.

Yes. This was the scene I wanted to stage.

To trust or betray others. Whether pressing the button is right or wrong. A fierce argument centered on these questions.

It was similar to a scenario involving a moral dilemma I’d seen in a movie, a quantum choice on the high seas.

Although unlike that scene, this one was taking place in broad daylight on the Han River, I was quite satisfied.

Preparing this was exhausting. Unlike the world of the movie I’d seen, smartphones are widespread here, so I had to block radio signals to ensure people on the ships couldn’t communicate. Avoiding the watchful eyes of alert police officers while planting something resembling a bomb was also challenging. But the outcome seems good, so I suppose it’s fortunate.

This act of terror was executed after careful thought to minimize casualties.

Of course, I had no intention of killing anyone. Until recently, I was just an ordinary civilian too. I was just doing this because I have a plan.

I mused on this as I monitored the situation in the cabin again.

The first ship, where the initial consensus was not to press the button, seemed to have maintained the same decision after some debate.

The second ship, where factions for and against pressing the button were sharply divided, was still locked in a frenzied battle.

And the third ship, which had seemed the most rational up until now...

“Okay, everyone close our eyes. Those who think we should press the button, please raise their hand.”

...was holding a vote.

What is this? It’s a bit too civilized. It’s quiet and seems normal, but still.

As I was enjoying the video projected onto the rooftop wall by the beam projector, I momentarily turned my head to look at Stardust, who was standing a little distance away from me.

“.....”

She was still standing there, her face stern and lips tightly pressed, watching the video. Because I had threatened to detonate all the bombs on the ships if she intervened, she couldn’t touch me due to the hostages. So, she was standing there, fuming while watching the video until a better plan came along.

If a ship presses the button, only one or two would explode at most. I guess the plan would be to rescue everyone after that. The association probably has a similar policy.

...Of course, the best outcome would be if all three boats chose not to press the button or if they all pressed it, saving everyone. But looking at how things are progressing, that doesn’t seem likely.

Anyway, those were my thoughts as I looked at Stardust’s profile.

“....”

...Wow.

But, you know, looking at her up close, I realized she is genuinely beautiful.

Stardust, the hero of the manhwa [Stardust!], whose real name was Shin Haru, was one of the few Korean superheroes created by a South Korean author. Even in the manhwa, she was quite the beauty.

...In real life, she’s even more stunning.

Her golden hair gleaming as if it had captured the stars.

Her body encased in a tight, red latex suit.

And that incredible, almost unbelievable beauty.

I might be biased because she’s my favorite character come to life, but even accounting for that, she’s incredibly beautiful. Seeing my favorite character in real life, I could die happy....

Of course, it wasn’t time to die yet.

Realizing I had been staring a bit too overtly, she cast a quick glance my way and grimaced.

“...You think you’ll get away with this?”

Even her voice was beautiful.

...Right. This isn’t the time to be lost in thought. Stick to the plan.

With that, I cleared my throat and initiated a jovial conversation.

“Why so glum? Have I pushed any buttons and killed anyone? Whatever happens, it’s their choice. I merely gave them a little nudge.”

Before Stardust could retort, I quickly added,

‘We have less than 10 minutes left. Time to move on to the next phase.’

With that thought, I continued to speak.

“Actually, Ms. Stardust, as I’ve said before, I personally admire you. Your unwavering sense of justice in this cruel world. You once said in an interview that everyone has the courage to sacrifice themselves deep down. Ah, what a great quote.”

“So what’s your point?”

“So, I’m giving you an opportunity!”

With that, I snapped my fingers.

Simultaneously, the lights that I had pre-installed flickered on, illuminating the area where Stardust was standing.

As she squinted against the sudden brightness...

I spread my arms wide and shouted,

“Indeed! If you’re as righteous as they say, can you convince everyone else to be the same? Can you persuade them all to choose not to press the button? I give you that chance now.”

—If you unheroically suggest that everyone press the button, it will detonate immediately.

As I say this, the camera next to us turns back on.

“There’s less than 10 minutes left! With just 10 minutes on the clock, our hero Stardust has something to say.”

“Will her speech have the power to influence the people?”

“This broadcast is being streamed live to the passengers on board! Please pay attention, everyone!”

With that, all the cameras around me pivoted to focus on Stardust.

She seemed momentarily flustered by the sudden developments. Shoving a camera in someone’s face and asking them to make a spontaneous speech would unnerve anyone.

But then,

“Ahem.”

Was it her professional hero training? She quickly assessed the situation and stared straight into the camera.

After a brief moment of thought, she spoke clearly,

“Good day, everyone. This is class-A hero, Stardust.”

Yes.

The opportunity I granted her was precisely this.

With one ship refusing to press the button, and the remaining boats hesitating to do so, could she, through her speech, guide them all towards a path where everyone lives? Could she convince them? Can you?

And as if answering my unspoken question,

She began speaking calmly,

“Each and every one of us has a belief deep within our hearts.”

Just like that,

Amidst the bright daylight in South Korea, the sudden speech of the hero reverberated not just among the passengers on the ships, but across the entire nation watching the broadcast.

***

“...So everyone, please put down the buttons in your hands. Trust me, trust the people beside you, trust our collective future. Make it so that you can proudly tell your friends and family about the choice you made today. Let’s show this villain that we are strong—that our faith in each other won’t waver in the face of such trials.”

“...Thank you.”

How much time had passed since then?

Finally, despite the ticking clock, Stardust concluded her compelling speech, her gaze steady on the camera.

And for a moment, the passengers watching the broadcast sat in stunned silence.

[...Yeah, we should trust her.]

[Right! If we all just don’t press the button, won’t that solve everything?]

[Exactly!]

[Hmm... logically, if this video was streamed to all of us simultaneously, then unless it’s a trap, we don’t need to press it.]

Finally, after a lengthy internal debate among themselves,

No one pressed the button until time ran out.

Boat number two, the most aggressive of the bunch, even went so far as to toss the explosive device overboard.

And then the announcement came, echoing through the ship that time had run out. The mechanical voice confirmed that no one had pressed the button. Everyone cheered, hugging each other and dancing in joy.

“...Whew.”

Stardust, who had been standing next to me, also visibly relaxed, relieved that everyone had survived.

This will be on YouTube tomorrow. [K-Hero shocks Japan, astonishes Europe, and makes America envious! Passengers shed tears of unity at her words!]

Something like that.

Anyhow, that was the sequence of events.

Watching it unfold beside Stardust, I said,

“What? Haha... this can’t be happening, right? Humans, selfish as they are, changing so dramatically just because of those words?”

I staggered, clutching my head, a look of shock on my face. The camera angles meticulously adjusted to capture my expression.

“This can’t be...”

While I grumbled aloud in disbelief,

Inside, I was quietly laughing, elated.

‘...Just as planned.’

Everything had worked out perfectly.

Even better than I had imagined.