Saving My Favorite in a Doomed World

“…Ha. Let’s go to the hospital tomorrow. You must have received the check-up notification.”

 

“I haven’t received the text yet, but I heard about it. What’s wrong? Is our Mueum worried about me now?”

 

Late at night on the day he heard those words from Mueum.

 

[From the web.

 

… Mr. Yoo Hwashin, you are scheduled for a special health check-up for high-ranking heroes. Please visit a nearby association-designated hospital by 11 AM on Month/Day. No prior appointment is necessary. Please follow the instructions below for registration.

Thank you.]

 

The check-up text Mueum had mentioned arrived. For F-ranks or E-ranks, even if they had awakened, they rarely used their abilities. So they received the same health check-ups as ordinary people, but it was different in the case of B-ranks and above.

 

Hwashin, who had recently re-awakened, also needed to receive a new awakened person’s health check-up unlike before.

 

The nationally designated hospitals of the Hero Association were concentrated around Seoul and the metropolitan area because that was where high-risk gates mainly appeared.

 

Heroes who came to large hospitals instead of infirmaries were mostly those who were on the brink of life and death or needed thorough examinations.

 

‘Oh, weaklings. I’ll never come here like that, you guys.’

 

Hwashin approached the desk and tapped it as if knocking.

 

“I’m Yoo Hwasin. I’m here for the awakened person’s health check-up.”

 

When they saw Hwashin’s face, the murmuring voices at the desk grew louder. Due to the big break from Kangsan’s article and the live news coverage, his face was already known to the entire nation.

 

The true superstar of Unit 1!

 

“…Oh, yes. Please, wait for a moment.”

 

The desk receptionist who handed out the waiting number blushed.

“Understood.” 

 

As he replied, his soft eye corners curving down, the gazes of the desk staff all focused on that face.

 

‘Do S-class get upgrades to their faces too?’

 

‘…I want to confess.’

 

‘With a face like that, shouldn’t he wear a mask? No, isn’t it a crime to smile with that face?’

 

‘Colleague, can I guide that person instead?’

 

‘No, you can’t^^.’

 

Hwashin, not able to read all their thoughts, leisurely took a seat and looked around.

 

‘The hospitals in this world are really clean.’

 

There were hospitals where he originally lived, but they felt quite different from these buildings.

 

Although it was a familiar place from his memory, it somehow felt awkward. It was an impression that didn’t match at all, but it was true.

 

Crossing dimensions and possessing someone was illogical from the start.

 

“Yoo Hwashin, what were you doing exactly?”

 

“Pii!”

 

As if reading Hwashin’s thoughts, Pii in his pocket responded. Pii was now always stuck to Hwashin wherever he went.

 

“What is it? Are you curious about the hospital too? Well, there wouldn’t have been anything like this where you lived. …Though I don’t know where you lived.”

 

Pii came from a crack.

 

What could be inside the dimension Pii lived in? Hwashin had sealed numerous cracks but had never been curious about the inside. Pitch-black darkness. That was all he saw through the cracks.

 

Hwashin gently patted Pii’s head as it rolled around on his thigh.

 

“Come to think of it, what did you eat to survive there, Pii?”

 

“Pii?”

 

For life to sustain itself, there must have been at least something to eat.

 

“I’m getting curious about what kind of place you lived in.”

 

Hwashin tapped Pii’s twitching black nose. At that moment.

 

“Mr. Yoo Hwashin?”

 

One of the desk staff, having finished the preparations, called him. Startled by the voice, Pii quickly retreated back into his pocket.

 

A different staff member than the one who initially guided him was standing at the reception desk. Her reddened earlobes spoke for her emotions.

 

“…Just in case, I’ll give you additional instructions. The basic procedure for the awakened individual’s health checkup is the same as a general health checkup.”

 

According to what he heard from her, the order of the awakened person’s health check-up was the same as a general health check-up. However, there were additional items to measure mana adaptability or the degree of physical damage.

 

“The mana adaptability test is primarily for patients who experience strong side effects from mana or for heroes who frequently use magic.”

 

“Mm.”

 

Using that face to hum softly.

 

Barely managing to calm her pounding heart, the staff continued.

 

“In the case of heroes, the mana adaptability often comes out very high. This is because they need to use mana in their bodies or handle abilities as awakened individuals. However, in this case, the degree of physical damage is also often measured to be high.”

 

Mana wasn’t originally a force that existed in this place.

 

It was an unknown force that spread widely in daily life after the gates opened. ‘Mana’ was just the word chosen to explain this force.

 

Handling a power that one didn’t originally possess naturally came with corresponding side effects.

 

The more frequently they used their ability, the more it could eat away at their life force.

 

“That concludes the explanation. Now, please take this paper and go to the 6th floor. From there, you can proceed downwards floor by floor for your examinations.”

 

“Yes, thank you for the explanation.”

 

Hwashin lightly bowed and started to walk away. The woman stopped him for a moment.

 

“….Excuse me, um.”

 

“?”

 

“I mean…. Good luck with your unit activities!”

 

The staff member mustered all her courage and made a fighting pose.

 

“Ah.”

 

‘….Ah, it’s meaningless.’

 

Hwashin raised an eyebrow and then smiled gently again. The encouragement from this staff member didn’t help at all in using his abilities. To Hwashin, her encouragement was a meaningless cry.

 

“Thank you. Good luck to you too.”

 

As Hwashin gave his reply with a fake smile, the elevator doors opened as if on cue.

 

***

 

The health checkup for heroes took about two hours. Even an S-rank hero like him couldn’t get his checkup done out of order to finish early.

 

After finally completing the last mana test, Hwashin returned to the third floor to wait for his results. Pii, who had been waiting outside during each test, seemed exhausted and had fallen asleep on his thigh.

 

“Pii must be really tired too.”

 

The sight of its plump back rising and falling in its sleep was adorable.

 

“It’s a weasel!”

 

Round eyes, much shorter than an average adult, and a bright, naive voice filled with energy.

 

The child’s pigtails were tied tightly, standing up straight, indicating her young age. How old was she? About 11 or 12?

 

The innocent voice asked.

 

“Is it yours, Mister?”

 

Hwashin petted Pii’s back as he answered,

 

“…It’s not a thing, so it’s not ‘mine’.”

 

A girl with looks cute enough for anyone to adore.

 

Hwashin particularly disliked such children.

 

“So what? If it’s not yours, can it be mine? It’s so cute, I want to have it!”

 

Hwashin smiled kindly and patted Pii.

 

“No. I mean, it’s not a thing, but it’s my family.”

 

“But you don’t look like a weasel, Mister.”

 

“Just because we don’t look alike doesn’t mean we’re not family.”

 

Hwashin had a clear reason for disliking children.

 

Because they were powerless. Because they were beings that would die easily if not protected by others.

 

It was not that he disliked children’s deaths. He was just annoyed by their weakness.

 

“My brother and I look alike! Are there families that don’t look alike?”

 

The girl, wearing a patient gown, seemed particularly weak.

 

“Of course. I have a family member who doesn’t look like me at all. That one is… well, huge and white.”

 

Despite this, children had always liked Hwashin, ever since long ago. Long ago, yes. From about 50 years old. So, the characteristic of the grand mage who had been loved by children for about 150 years was the constantly smiling face.

 

Children easily approached him because he never lost the gentle smile on his face.

 

“Wow! That’s amazing!”

 

The child hopped onto the seat next to Hwashin.

 

“What’s huge and white? My brother is huge too. He’s much bigger than me.”

 

The child described her brother with short arms spread wide.

 

According to that description, the child’s brother was a monster with a round sphere and rough features stuck on top.

 

“Not that kind of huge. Roughly speaking, your brother wouldn’t be as big as my friend even if there were a hundred of him. And this fellow has blue eyes. See, he’s really different from the huge brother you described.”

 

Hwashin spoke, recalling the appearance of his dragon friend after a long time.

 

The girl’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. But soon, a caregiver found her and led her back to her room. She waved cheerfully as she left.

 

“Bye, Mister! Bye, weasel!”

 

Hwashin waved back with a lifeless smile.

 

Saved.

 

“His name isn’t weasel. Bye~.”

 

“Let’s meet again, mister!!”

 

“Yeah, let’s do that~”

 

Let’s never meet again, noisy kid.

 

After the girl left, Hwashin’s name was called, and he sat in front of the doctor inside the examination room.

 

“First of all, today’s results are from the general health checkup. Your blood pressure and basic metrics are all healthy. That’s good news. Some people have their organs all messed up due to improper awakening.”

 

The attending physician told Hwashin that he fortunately had no problems in this regard.

 

“I heard you sometimes cough up blood or feel weak when using your mana, correct?”

 

“Yes, that’s right.”

 

“Well… The results for the mana tests take longer, so we won’t know today. Once the results are out, we’ll notify you via text. Please make sure to come back then. The health of heroes is national strength, after all.”

 

The kind eyes behind the glasses crinkled into a smile.

 

Hwashin also gave a gentle smile in return.

 

“Wow, I have to come back again, how annoying!”

 

…Did he hear that wrong?

 

Did those words just come out of the mouth of this hero who was looking at him with a peaceful face?

 

“Pardon?”

 

Hwashin got up and grasped the doctor’s hand. The overlapping hands were warm. Hwashin, who had spat out harsh words while smiling brightly, still had a smiling face.

 

“Then I’ll come back when you call me. I’ll see you then, Doctor.”

 

“…Ah. Y-Yes.”

 

Leaving the bewildered doctor behind, Hwashin left the hospital with a heavy feeling.

 

‘Why doesn’t this hospital give all the results at once? It’s so annoying. I barely have time to spend with the members, and now I have to make time to come back to the hospital.’

 

Ah, right. There was something Mueum mentioned. He almost forgot.

 

Hwashin turned around and headed back to the desk. The staff member who had guided him a few hours ago got up abruptly.

 

The hero returned with a bright smile.

Could it be

…

does he have an interest in me?

 

“Do you issue medical certificates on the same day?”

 

“Pardon…?”

 

“I need it for the hero insurance.”

 

– Hyung, if you go for a health checkup, make sure to get the medical certificate. I can claim all the insurance for you.

 

That was what reliable Mueum said.

 

He should do everything Mueum said.