Saving My Favorite in a Doomed World

– It’s not our job to decide, judge, or calculate whose life to save.

 

– A hero’s job is to save people.

 

– If you can’t do that, what’s the point of having such an ability?

 

It was an iconic scene. Truly iconic.

 

If Dragon had been next to him, he would have joyfully smacked its scales with the book several times.

 

The Cha Jaeha moving before his eyes almost exactly as Yoo Hwashin had imagined. Perhaps that was why he felt familiar. His expressions and way of speaking, even from a distance. Maybe that was why he felt even more attached.

 

Hwashin, looking contentedly at Bae Deokho who was cast aside, stretched out his arms and yawned.

 

‘Watching the matches of kids I know well is so much fun.’

 

Now that it had turned out like this.

 

He should manipulate Yoo Jian’s match to see it earlier too. Once you get a taste, it keeps pulling you in. Should he try manipulating the match of Mueum was who right next to him? Simple things could be manipulated without speaking, so it should be fine.

 

Would he get caught?

 

He glanced sideways at Mueum. The little genius noticed his gaze with uncanny perception.

 

“Do you have something to say?”

 

“No, nothing.”

 

Yep, he’d get caught.

 

“Huh?”

 

While he was racking his brain on how to advance the game without Mueum knowing, a small spark occupied a space on his sleeve. Hwashin’s white sleeve slowly turned black.

 

It was strange. Cha Jaeha clearly hadn’t used his ability.

 

“Huh.”

 

He expected Cha Jaeha to still be unskilled in his control, but it seemed Cha Jaeha was really unskilled.

 

An awakened’s abilities were affected by various small stimuli. That was why education centers were necessary, and unregistered people had restrictions on using their abilities.

 

But no matter how excellent the education, it was impossible for a person to become perfect without any mistakes.

 

Having abilities leaking out due to intense emotions was also a common occurrence. Cha Jaeha was just particularly sensitive to this.

 

‘Is that why he moved alone?’

 

Still, it was impressive to control this level of power to this extent.

 

Besides, even in the early to mid-stages of the novel, this unrefined protagonist became much more remarkable. His reputation was worthy of being called a man close to perfection.

 

Of course. He was the main character of this story.

 

Hwashin, watching the quietly burning sleeve, snapped his fingers.

 

‘A protagonist who’s still inexperienced…’

 

With a crackling sound, the spark disappeared from the space.

 

‘Hehehe.’

 

A broad smile spread across his slightly shadowed face.

 

‘…I rather like it.’

 

Wasn’t that how it usually was? Being able to see the imperfect times of a perfect person was quite exciting. Hmm. As he started humming, he felt like he could hear Dragon’s voice somewhere directed at him with a tone of pity.

 

– Are you still fooling around? Aren’t you going to prevent the apocalypse?

 

Dragon was already dead, so this voice must be an auditory hallucination.

 

– I knew you’d be like this. You good-for-nothing fool!

 

No, Dragon. Since you’ve sent me this far, I should enjoy everything to the fullest.

 

– And why are you using your ability so carelessly? Didn’t you just think about being careful around Mueom just a few seconds ago?

 

‘This much is nothing.’

 

What Hwashin extinguished was a very small spark, and it seemed Cha Jaeha himself didn’t notice the fire had spread.

 

So he probably didn’t see it. Besides, he didn’t need to extend his gaze all the way to this distant seat.

 

Thinking casually about how to get along naturally with the protagonist, Hwashin briefly closed and then reopened his eyes.

 

And.

 

Blink.

 

Hwashin’s open eyes met Cha Jaeha’s, who was looking up blankly from just below the spectator stand railing.

 

‘He’s looking up blankly.’

 

Actually, it looked that way only to Hwashin’s protagonist-filtered eyes. To Mueum and other heroes in the same waiting room,

 

‘It’s a goblin, it’s a goblin, it’s a goblin, it’s a goblin.’

 

‘Cha Jaeha has come to kill the F-rank.’

 

‘There’s a person killing someone with their eyes—’

 

It was a gaze that could only be interpreted as such.

 

Jeong Mueum, sitting next to Hwashin, bristled like a puppy that had encountered a monkey, taking a defensive stance. Hwashin wanted to calm him down with a “Whoa, whoa-” but his own mind wasn’t so simple either. It was rather complicated.

 

Why did Cha Jaeha, who had finished his match, come all the way here? Especially when his seat was on the opposite side, too?

 

…Hmm. No matter how he thought about it, there was only one reason for ‘that action’.

 

‘I guess he saw me extinguishing the fire.’

 

Hwashin laughed awkwardly inside. A long silence, a moment of confrontation.

 

‘Hmm. Is it okay if that’s discovered now? I was going to reveal that I can use abilities in the second round anyway, so does it matter?’

 

Wasn’t he using it too skillfully for someone who pretended to learn it the first time?

 

Ah, it was complicated. It had been decades since he’d had to think this hard.

 

‘Right. Let’s not think about it.’

 

In the end, Yoo Hwashin decided to pretend he didn’t know anything and smiled brightly.

Hwashin greeted with a fresh smile.

 

“Hello.”

 

An F-rank casually greeting an S-rank with a drowsy face. If Ha Cheongwon had seen this, he would have burst out laughing with a “Hah–” It was that kind of scene.

 

***

 

What on earth was this? 

 

Cha Jaeha just stared at the F-rank in front of him.

 

Even though he didn’t use the internet much and lived like a hermit, he still heard things. Even today at the area, he had heard ‘An F-rank applied’ so many times it almost burst his eardrums.

 

“Hello.”

 

But he never imagined that F-rank would have this attitude.

 

In everyday life, the visible differences between S-ranks, F-ranks, and even non-awakened people were minimal. However, in a space where an S-rank opened up their ability or was in combat mode, non-awakened or lower-rank awakened naturally felt a certain level of fear unless the S-rank consciously controlled it.

 

This was also why even though S-ranks had numerous fans, not many fans gathered at the scene when they used their abilities. It was a basic instinct people had developed since the world became like this.

 

“…I watched your match.”

 

“Wow— Really? I feel embarassed.”

 

Yoo Hwashin. F-rank hero. The lucky guy who won the first round thanks to the A-rank’s power going berserk. Other than that, there wasn’t much information about him.

 

Cha Jaeha noticed the burned end of Hwashin’s sleeve. He must already know he used fire, so how could he be so nonchalant about the burn marks?

 

“….There’s just one thing I wanted to ask.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“What was that earlier?”

 

“You’ll have to tell me what you mean.”

 

“The fire.”

 

“Fire?”

 

“You put out a fire on your sleeve, didn’t you?”

 

“Come on, how could a fire suddenly start on my sleeve?”

 

A tense standoff with only one side feeling the pressure.

 

Mueum, who had been silently watching the scene, couldn’t stand it anymore and quickly intervened.

 

“Hello.”

 

Cha Jaeha awkwardly bowed his head in response to Mueum’s greeting. It was quite a historic first meeting—it was regrettable that Hwashin couldn’t record this situation.

 

“I’m Jeong Mueum, and I’ve been sitting next to this hyung the whole time. So, Mr. Cha Jaeha, what exactly did you want to ask?”

 

There was a subtle sharpness to his words. It seemed he still held a grudge over the previous rejection of the partnership. He was young, young indeed.

 

“….I saw a fire start. I came to ask about that.”

 

“You keep mentioning fire, but Mr. Cha Jaeha, you didn’t use your ability in this match. And there’s no way our hyung would have put out a non-existent fire by himself.”

 

Hwashin turned his head in surprise.

 

“Our hyung…?”

 

Cha Jaeha didn’t move an inch, responding calmly in a low, even tone.

 

“I saw the burn marks on his sleeve. That’s the proof.”

 

“But you didn’t use your ability, so why would there be a burn mark? Did you use your ability?”

 

“I don’t think we’re close enough to share such details.”

 

“Our hyung…”

 

In the tight back-and-forth between the puppy and the wolf, Yoo Hwashin was the only one overcome with emotion.

 

Even though he caused this situation.

 

“You put out my fire by yourself without water. I wanted to know how you did that. If you don’t believe me, you can check now. On ‘our hyung’s’ sleeve.”

 

As Hwashin was still chanting ‘our hyung’ like a mantra, Mueum grabbed his wrist.

 

“Let me see your sleeve for a moment.”

 

The white sleeve, clean as new, was neatly intact, not a hint of a burn mark. Waving the limp wrist, Mueum responded triumphantly.

 

“There’s no burn mark.”

 

“That’s impossible.”

 

“Too bad for you.”

 

Mueum shrugged, and Cha Jaeha’s eyebrows furrowed.

 

“There was definitely a burn mark.”

 

“Then show me where.”

 

“…On that sleeve.”

 

Seeing the clean sleeve, Cha Jaeha clamped his mouth shut. The veins on his forehead stood out. Wow, he was angry. Jaeha was angry.

 

He must have been surprised. Seeing the burn mark appear and then disappear, it must have startled him.

 

For Hwashin, erasing such a small mark was as simple as blinking an eye. So he removed it while the two were arguing.

 

“Are you done now? Then please leave. Hyung must have been startled.”

 

He wasn’t startled. He wasn’t startled at all.

 

And Jaeha was angry.

Mueum, your future colleague is angry. What are you trying to do? What are you two really trying to do? How do you expect to prevent the apocalypse like this?

 

Could they even form a harmonious SH1 unit? (Of course, they weren’t particularly ‘harmonious’ in the original work either. During their activities, Jeong Mueum would often refer to them as ‘troublesome family’ with a gentle smile.)

 

In the end, the anxious Hwashin had no choice but to let the protagonist, who was turning away, leave.

 

He had pretended to be fine, but he was actually very nervous. Hmm, should he go catch up to him now? No, he might be seen as a weirdo if he did.

 

– Don’t you think you already come off as a weirdo?

 

Ah, Dragon! Go away.

 

After roughly calming his chaotic feelings, naturally, his next gaze fell on Mueum.

 

“But Mueum, why were you so prickly earlier?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Sigh, I should have taken a picture or something. What a shame.”

 

Jeong Mueom looked at Hwashin in disbelief. His face seemed to say ‘Are you serious?’.

 

“No, would you take a picture in that atmosphere? It was completely murderous. If you’re that disappointed, I can take a picture for you. You said you’re my fan, right?”

 

“No, Mueum, I am your fan, but. Ah. Ah….”

 

***

 

After Cha Jaeha’s match ended, the next match began. Waiting room 6 was where Yoo Jian was, so this time too, Hwashin quickly twirled his fingertip.

 

“….It’s Yoo Jian!”

 

Even the staff member drawing the lots couldn’t hide their surprise at their own selection.

 

‘Why am I picking so many S-ranks today? …I should buy a lottery ticket on my way home.’

 

Of course, this staff member would never win the lottery.

 

Hwashin looked at the most recent photo album containing pictures of Jeong Mueum and himself. The guy who had taken his phone to snap the photo had a sulky expression. Hwashin chuckled, thinking it was just typical of Jeong Mueum.

 

Yeah, those two would figure things out themselves. If it didn’t work out, he’d help a bit.

 

Let’s focus on the match again. This time it was Yoo Jian’s match.

 

Yoo Jian had a bold and straightforward personality, which was reflected in her ability. Her ability itself wasn’t from the natural or mental category, but from the physical enhancement category, making her strength stronger than an S-rank’s physical strength. With her inherent S-rank strength and enhanced abilities, there was no one who could match her power.

 

“Oh, right.”

 

Just before the match began, Jeong Mueum spoke up.

 

“When the match starts, she’ll use her power—”

 

And as soon as the match began, stone fragments that had somewhat maintained their shape until now flew up from the arena floor. They were too big to be called fragments, and with added speed, they were no different from meteors to the spectators.

 

Those meteors came straight towards Hwashin, then crashed down with a loud bang.

 

“Wow.”

 

“—so I’ll be using my power a bit,” Mueum finished.