Became an American Retro Novelist - Chapter 227



Only Noblemtl

227.

What sets ‘Kung-Fury’ apart from other superhero films is that it doesn’t go for a heavy tone. And that’s what made Rebecca happy.

The description of each scene, which is exquisitely based on reality, not only makes the reader feel refreshed, but also serves to reduce the gap between superheroes and ordinary people, as Rebecca feels. That is why even people who have no knowledge of superheroes, like Rebecca Wong, can enjoy it.

‘This is truly a great piece of work.’

After a long discussion, she returned to her room and looked at the book cover again.

A muscular man drawn in an exaggerated style. He is wearing a mask, has a red band around his head, and is in a dynamic pose as if he is throwing a powerful punch somewhere.

It must have been stunningly cool for a boy like John Smith.

But what Rebecca was focusing on was something entirely different.

『After surviving the attack by Cyborg Ninja Zero, Kung-Fury and Sodapop immediately contacted the Super-Hero Administration. Usually referred to simply as “the Agency” for convenience, this was a government organization divided into several departments to assist the activities of superheroes.

And the agency came up with this answer:

[Please take a taxi.]

“······Ask them if they can process the receipt.”

[I will do it for you.]

“Ah, shit.”

Sodapop, who wanted to protect his own image, sighed.

Eventually, the two, still dressed in skin-tight superhero suits for their superhero activities, took to the streets to hail a cab (which they never managed to catch), and drove about 20 minutes to the Los Angeles branch of the Super Hero Administration.

“······.”

“······.”

The taxi driver just glanced at me without saying anything, which made it even more miserable.

Just because they’re superheroes doesn’t mean they’re all ‘super’.

“Kikki······.”

It was a scene that made me laugh no matter how many times I saw it.

And the story that followed at the ‘organization’ was also very interesting.

Kung-Fury and Sodapop arrive at the agency and learn from the agents that there is a growing number of superheroes across the United States who have had their powers stolen. Kung-Fury testifies to them.

It appears that he has the ability to take away Zero’s super powers.

And then, a high-ranking official from the agency comes out and tries to silence Kung-Fury. He says that it would only cause unnecessary fear, so it would be better not to reveal the matter. Kung-Fury, who had not expected that the so-called ‘government’ would say such a thing, is shocked and asks if that makes any sense, but they are firm.

The peculiar evils of the so-called ‘government’ were always and everywhere. It was natural. They tried to gain control of society through the imperfect system called ‘voting’. Therefore, rather than justice, they tended to hide or minimize unfavorable things in order to gain one more vote.

[To prevent social unrest.]

The words were nice.

However, Sodapop tells Kung-Fury to come to his senses when he expresses his displeasure with their attitude.

This problem is not something that can be handled by an individual. If Zero really has the power to take away superpowers, then it is a problem that requires special superheroes like Star Chaser and the entire US military to take action.

『“I happened to help you today, but this won’t happen again. I’m busy too! I have to film a commercial! I have to participate in volunteer work…! Sigh, damn it. Sorry, I got a little excited. I guess I was really surprised.”

Sodapop, who had been shouting excitedly, soon admitted his mistake and apologized.

Without saying anything, Kung-Fury could only tilt his head at her attitude. Was it because the fight was so intense today? But Sodapop was doing a great job. If it weren’t for her, he would have been taken to the hospital or would have been in terrible pain and repeated the same thing over and over again.

Kung-Fury opened his mouth, looking at Sodapop with a tired expression.

“Soda pop.”

“why······.”

“Thank you for your hard work today. Thank you so much.”

“······Is this something worth receiving thanks for?”

“Of course. I survived thanks to you. I hope I can ask you for help again next time.”

“Hey, Fury. You think you can try to sweet talk me, but I’m just… a money-grubbing kind of guy? See, I wear a Coke company-made promotional outfit, and I just patrol the streets at night, taking out the bad guys I can. And don’t you think I told you not to expect my help dealing with Zero or anything?”

“But let me say this: it was your choice to show up and help in a time of crisis.”

“Yeah, yeah. I thought I was crazy too. It won’t happen again. ······Goodbye. Oh, and do as the government says. Otherwise, you might disappear without anyone knowing.”

“away?”

“Oh, just kidding. There’s a rumor going around that the government takes superheroes they don’t like and reforms them.”

Sodapop shrugged his shoulders as if trying to shake off his gloom, then turned around and walked away.

Kung-Fury could only stare blankly at the sight from behind for a while.

It was a long night.

But the fight with Zero reawakened Kung-Fury’s spirit once again.

After returning to the dojo, he spent time re-practicing the martial arts he had used that day. Then, in the morning, when he explained the situation to Shifu, who had come to the dojo, he laughed heartily and shouted:

[Old values ​​have won! As always!]

Kung Fury smirks upon hearing that. Then he recalls the past.

Nothing has changed then or now. People held out false hopes to cover up their wrong choices, and through that process, they claimed they were right. The superheroes of this era were people like that. They were all just illusions created by humans who ended up choosing the wrong path.

But just because it’s fake doesn’t mean you can’t do the real thing.

That’s why Kung-Fury decided to become a ‘superhero’.

Star Chaser, Sodapop, they all seem to struggle between their ‘weakness’ and their ‘superheroism’. Kung-Fury has been the same, from his ‘war hero’ days to his current status as a walking kung-fu dojo billboard.

But now I feel like those worries are really trivial.

Because it’s the message that matters, not the messenger.

That’s what I learned from my master.

‘I guess I’ll have to consult Star Chaser about this.’

After reaching that conclusion, Kung-Fury continues his patrol, looking forward to the day he will meet him again.

As the story entered its second half, the work moved in a deeper direction.

Sodapop muses on the words “thank you” that Kung Fury said while filming the commercial.

A star chaser who tries to come to terms with his own identity while investigating Zero-related incidents.

Finally, Zero is intrigued as he recalls the abilities he ‘could not take away’.

The story, which progresses in earnest as the four characters including Kung Fury become intertwined, takes on the form of a troupe drama.

***

The character that Alexa Flair most identified with while reading ‘Kung-fury’ was Sodapop.

It was because I felt that the life that was ‘pretending’ to be so extravagant had something in common with my own.

As Alexa was just starting out in her acting career, she was practically a nobody in the industry, and as a result, she always felt uncomfortable with the discrepancy between the reactions of those around her who did not know the details.

On set, he waits for five hours, takes one cut, and leaves, but he is treated like a Hollywood superstar just because he appeared briefly on television.

······Just with that, people on the street started recognizing me little by little, and recently, I started wearing sunglasses wherever I went.

Anyway, if I had to organize my inner feelings, they were as follows.

It became a ‘burden’.

From her breakthrough in ‘About T: TV series’ to landing a lead role in ‘School nanny’, Alexa Flair is a new actress who strangely continues to have good luck.

But at the same time, I couldn’t help but worry about what I would do if I couldn’t live up to the expectations of those around me.

Sodapop was also a superhero who shared the same concerns as her, although his fate was slightly different.

A character who is anxious about not being able to meet other people’s expectations.

The process of overcoming it really resonated with me, so much so that Alexa often thinks of Sodapop’s story from ‘Kung-fury’ whenever she’s on the move for meetings or auditions these days.

It was the same today.

Audition room for the play, ‘Seven Focus’.

In accordance with California Pictures’ request to steadily gain acting experience in any way before filming, Alexa went to auditions here and there. She was mostly alone, and whenever she felt nervous, the one thing that helped her calm down was the character of Sodapop, who was created by God.

‘It’s okay. Alexa. It’s okay.’

Then, strangely enough, my mind calmed down.

Alexa was a little nervous, but she finished the audition to the fullest extent of her ability, thereby conveying her acting skills to the audition judges.

As such, Sodapop was a superhero who struggled with very realistic issues.

After getting involved in the fight between Kung-Fury and Zero, she vowed never to get involved in something like this again. However, as her rambling suggests, it was more of a rejection reaction from an inferiority complex that she did not consider herself a ‘superhero’.

Sodapop, a superhero who wears a promotional costume for a cola company, tries to build a good image by making as much money as possible while avoiding dangerous activities as much as possible.

And that was the reality for most superheroes.

In an era driven by money and fame rather than a sense of mission, Sodapop humbled and belittled itself.

As she continued her daily routine, her heart would flutter whenever news about Zero came out on the media.

While Kung-Fury and Star Chaser fought their respective positions, Sodapop tried to ignore the news that the US government had fabricated to reassure the citizens.

Because I needed money.

Money to escape grinding poverty and achieve financial freedom.

And then, just as reality was squeezing her,

“I heard something strange.”

The manager who had been trying to get Sodapop to do so gave him a sneaky hint.

“You said that you fought against Zero, who has a lot to say in the world.”

“······.”

Sodapop, sitting in front of him, kept his mouth shut.

She also knew very well that the management company had some kind of connection with the government. But to try to control their actions by finding out all the details of a simple incident like this was quite frustrating. To be honest, it was a very complicated thing to do.

But that didn’t mean I felt like saying anything.

“Do you remember? The terms of the contract.”

“We will refrain from any actions that may damage the brand image of Sodapop.”

“Yes. If possible, try not to get involved in dangerous things.”

“All right.”

Sodapop answered, slightly hesitant.

The manager knew about this fact, but didn’t point it out.

‘Sodapop’ was working as a model and social figure while also working as a superhero. Therefore, from a business perspective, he had to avoid getting involved in ‘too risky things’ and getting hurt as much as possible.

That was also the reason why Sodapop couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable when people told him they were grateful.

Anyway, ‘Soda Pop’ is just a promotional model and sexy symbol for a cola company.

The newly designed suit that became the promotional model for the cola company also had that kind of feel. It was based on black, with red added to highlight the buttocks and chest. When you wore it and did superhero activities, you almost felt like you were walking cola.

Sodapop returns to the streets at night in deep thought and confusion.

But as she continued to walk, she caught sight of a building with dozens of stories in the distance on fire. As she quickly approached, she saw Kung-Fury and Zero between them.

Sodapop’s eyes widened, not understanding the situation.

‘What on earth is going on?’

Sodapop was troubled as he watched the disaster unfold before his eyes.

Should I go? I was scared. I also received a warning from the management company. However, as she watched the building burning and collapsing before her eyes, her heart naturally began to lean toward the right path.

Suddenly, a thought came to her mind of the girl she had saved while working as a superhero.

Thank you, Sodapop!

And then, one after another, the gratitude and smiles of the many people she was able to save as a mere model for a cola company flashed through her mind.

She clenched her fists and started running towards the building.

Supervillain terrorist Zero continued to operate in secret, carrying out all sorts of operations to reveal the truth about the US government and bring them down. He incited people by claiming that superheroes and the US government were only using evil and deceiving the citizens for their own gain.

However, not all of them were like that.

At least Sodapop had the courage to overcome the pressure and run forward, even though she too was being used by someone.

And through the actions he took, Sodapop found an answer.

It was Alexa’s favorite part.

‘That’s a really, really touching part.’

After successfully completing the audition, she stopped by a nearby cafe before going into the office, took out the ‘Kung-fury: novel’ that she always carries in her bag, and read that part again.

“What Sodapop encountered upon entering the building was chaos itself.

Flames blazing through all the furniture. A room filled with smoke. A building on the verge of collapse.

Many people were in a panic and couldn’t go anywhere. Sodapop tried to save people by sending out smoke using his super power, carbon dioxide. However, those who were gripped by fear were unable to come to their senses.

A child is sitting curled up and shivering.

That was the exact moment when a hero was needed.

That was exactly the moment when courage was needed.

In this way, man becomes someone’s hero.

Sodapop opened his mouth with a smile.

“Pop☆ Pop☆”

Alexa unconsciously read sentences from the novel out loud as if she were reading a script.

Pop, pop.

The sound of slightly opening closed lips.

A somewhat childish line that doesn’t fit with the current chaotic situation.

But, that was the signature that meant ‘the emergence of a hero’.

Everyone realized that Sodapop had arrived when they heard her distinctive refreshing voice, and with her usual cheerful demeanor, she began to reassure the citizens who were relying on her and evacuate them one by one.

Perhaps his acting could also be a special motivation for someone.

So, Alexa is determined to endure the pressure from those around her and be more courageous.

As she read the scene over and over again, Alexa unconsciously let out a sound again.

“Pop☆ Pop☆”

······And the fact that the voice was a bit loud and made the people in the cafe look around, she didn’t realize it at the moment.