Saving My Favorite in a Doomed World

In a world where heroes existed, it was natural for related posts about heroes to circulate on the internet. From sites where ordinary people anonymously post to sites dedicated to hero fans.

 

Hwashin browsed all these sites whenever he had free time.

 

#Hero Free Forum

 

[Title: Does the SH Unit actually do anything? ㅋㅋ]

 

Seems like they just have a fancy name but don’t do anythingㅋㅋ. What are they even doing?

 

ㄴ They’re just wasting tax money. Their uniforms probably cost more than my monthly salary.

 

ㄴ In the first place, the purpose of the SH unit itself is to solve the high-risk gate in the city center, but such a gate has not occurred since its establishment. They don’t always work together, either. According to the news, they mostly operate in pairs.

 

ㄴ Don’t care.

 

ㄴ ㅋㅋㅋEven when explained, you don’t read it. Are you illiterate?

 

ㄴ Who asked for an explanation? ㅋㅋㅋ Someone’s overreacting.

 

#Cha Jaeha

 

[Title: Come watch 8 pm news quickly ㅠㅠ]

 

I heard he’s going to show up there so I have to watchㅠㅠ ㄹㅇ Cha Jaeha is usually so secretive, so there’s rarely content to fangirl over. …I am so happy these days.

 

ㄴ He’s been appearing more lately thanks to SH Unit’s promotion, even though high-risk gates rarely appear + there are fewer casualties as a bonus… Oppa, keep up the good work.

 

ㄴ I hate high-risk gates, but I want Jaeha to keep working… or maybe not… no, he should work.

 

ㄴ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋOther fans worry when their oppa is on the news but we only see our oppa’s face when he’s on the news ㅋㅋㅋ

 

ㄴ True

 

#Jeong Mueum

 

[Title: Tick tock 4:12 pm Mueum time]

 

(Jeong Mueum article photo)

 

ㄴ (heart)

 

ㄴ (heart) Mueum time (heart)

 

#Yoo Jian

 

[Title: Anyone see Jian unnie at Chungmuro?]

 

There was a false gate alarm today, so Jian unnie was waiting at Chungmuro for about an hour. She’s so pretty.

 

This is my first time seeing her in person as her fan…

 

ㄴ Wow so jealous

 

ㄴ Insane

 

ㄴ Recently, there have been a lot of false gate alarms… It’s nice to see heroes often, but it’s unsettlingㅠ

 

ㄴ I feel you… I wonder if casualties will start happening again… The Hongdae incident was so scary

 

Scrolling down and reading only what he wanted, Yoo Hwashin never checked his own articles. He thought there was no point in looking at it anyway. After all, in the original story, there was no such character as Yoo Hwashin in the first unit.

 

“Mr. Yoo Hwasin, you can go in now.”

 

At the receptionist’s call, Hwashin got up with a bright smile.

 

It had been a week since his first hospital visit when he was called back. The hospital needed time to determine his mana adaptability and damage levels. Rumor had it that the longer the results took, the worse they were.

 

So, was a week considered long or short?

 

“Mr. Hwashin.”

 

The doctor, flipping through the results, told him with an extremely gentle face.

 

“Your damage level is high. Um, you said your ability manifested after the Hongdae Gate incident, right?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Perhaps, during that time, your mana adaptability forcefully increased, causing your S-rank ability to manifest, which your body couldn’t originally handle. It’s like an incompatible soul entered your body.”

 

Wow. It sounded like some sort of possession. In his previous world, priests were good at this kind of diagnosis.

 

“Really?”

 

“Of course, your soul hasn’t actually changed… Do you have any discomfort or issues anywhere?”

 

Hwashin shook his head. No, nothing. At that answer, the doctor made a strange expression and looked over the chart again.

 

No matter how he thought about it.

 

‘This can’t be right.’

 

According to the chart, Hwashin’s mana adaptability was optimal, which was expected for an S-rank. However, the damage levels were absurdly high.

 

High mana adaptability could be attributed to exposure to immense amounts of mana, but for the damage levels to be this high…

 

It was as if he was a walking corpse.

 

But just look at this man.

 

With a bright face and a weasel hanging around his neck, he was smiling cheerfully. He wondered if there was a problem with the machine, so he checked again, but that wasn’t it either.

 

Moreover, Hwashin even resolved two high-risk gate incidents during the week he didn’t come to the hospital.

 

The doctor asked again in a calm tone.

 

“I heard you coughed up blood when you used your ability last time, is that correct?”

 

“That’s right. But I recovered quickly.”

 

“Does this happen often?”

 

“Well, it depends on the situation.”

 

When Hwashin gave a vague answer, the doctor bit his lip tightly.

 

‘He’s avoiding the question.’

 

The doctor’s expression immediately darkened upon hearing the answer. The nurse listening to their conversation beside them was the same.

 

Generally, when a patient gave an ambiguous answer or avoided a question…

 

It usually meant.

 

They were hiding something.

 

‘…Yeah, it can’t be fine.’

 

The doctor had already viewed footage not released to the public through the Association.

 

There was no way he wouldn’t be in pain after coughing up blood like that. With this level of damage, he must be experiencing excruciating pain that turned his internal organs inside out every time he used his ability.

 

What drove this man to go to such lengths?

 

“I’m perfectly healthy. Look, my arms are fine.”

 

The doctor looked with pity at Hwasin who was rotating his arms to show off his health. He flipped over the chart he was reading and clasped his hands together.

 

The doctor pulled his chair closer to Hwashin and asked him.

 

“You seem to really enjoy hero activities, Mr. Hwashin.”

 

At those words, Hwashin paused for a moment before smiling.

 

“Of course. I came all this way to do this.”

 

This man, really.

The doctor couldn’t help but laugh too.

 

“…I see. You’ve come a very long way indeed.”

 

Despite his laughter, the doctor felt like he was about to burst into tears, so he briefly took off his glasses and placed them on the desk. After secretly wiping away the welling tears, he continued speaking calmly.

 

“I’m glad someone like you is a hero for our country. The details regarding your injuries will be sent to the Association’s medical office.  I don’t know what the outcome will be… But I’ll always be cheering for you.”

 

This man was an amazing person.

 

“From today, I’ve become your fan too,”

 

The doctor said this as he extended his hand to Hwashin. Hwashin grasped it and smiled back.

 

‘Why is he offering his hand?’

 

Though he couldn’t quite understand the doctor’s intention.

 

***

 

After leaving the examination room, Hwashin went to the café on the first floor of the hospital.

 

“One mint chocolate bubble tea, please.”

 

“That will be 5800 won.”

 

He had overheard that the hospital café was famous for its bubble tea, so he wanted to try it at least once.

 

Holding a mint-colored bubble tea filled with chocolate chips at the bottom, Hwashin sat at a café table. Pii, who had come scurrying out, hovered around the bubble tea for a while.

 

“What’s wrong, Pii? Do you want some too?”

 

At his words, Pii’s round black eyes sparkled. Its short arms reached out to grab the bubble tea.

 

“No. It’s mine.”

 

While Hwashin wrestled with Pii’s cuteness, he heard a familiar, lively voice approaching. He tried to ignore it, but the liveliness kept getting closer.

 

“Ah, the guy with the weasel!”

 

A child with a blue backpack ran towards him.

 

“Hello, kid.”

 

It was the same kid as before. The kid, holding an orange juice in one hand, sat down right in front of Hwasin.

 

“I didn’t say you could sit down.”

 

“But you didn’t say I couldn’t either!”

 

“That’s true.”

 

The child stared at Hwasin with big eyes for a moment before taking a sip of orange juice. The impatient child immediately asked a question.

 

“Mister, can I ask you one thing?”

 

“Sure. You’d ask even if I refused, so I’ll allow it.”

 

“You don’t like me, do you?”

 

“Huh?”

 

The kid was strangely sharp. No one had ever figured out that Hwashin disliked children. He had always answered their questions and smiled at them.

 

This was why he didn’t like perceptive kids. No, he just didn’t like kids in general.

 

Hwashin asked.

 

“Why do you think so?”

 

“When I feel like fixing someone, it means they’re crooked.”

 

The child took another sip of orange juice. Pii’s interest seemed to have shifted from the mint chocolate bubble tea to the orange juice, as it was now clinging to the child’s hand.

 

“Hahaha, do you want to fix me?”

 

“A little. My brother told me to hold myself back even if I want to fix things, so I’m trying to hold myself back. He said it’s related to my ability.”

 

“You mentioned your brother last time. You must really like him.”

 

The child’s pigtails perked up like a rabbit’s ears. With a triangular-shaped smile and sparkling eyes, the child started gushing about her brother.

 

“Yes! I love my brother so much! He even braided my hair! Everyone says my brother is cold, but he smiles a lot and is a really good person! I wish everyone knew that! He said he always comes home early from work to see me! They call it ‘clocking out on the dot’ at his workplace! Do you know what that is, Mister? It’s supposed to be really, really hard to do!”

 

The child’s short arms formed a big circle.

 

“I see, I see.”

 

Unless your brother is Cha Jaeha, I don’t particularly care.

Hwashin half-listened to the child’s story, then he noticed the name tag on her backpack.

 

– Ha Yoojin

 

“And my brother is a really cool hero! The nurses said I could use this hospital because of him. You’re a hero too, right? I heard you were here for a hero health checkup! Do you know my brother? He’s a B-rank hero too!”

 

…Huh?

 

“Your brother is B-rank?”

 

“Yes! That’s what my brother said!”

 

A B-rank hero with the surname Ha… There were probably a lot of them.

 

But as far as he knew, there was only one B-rank hero with the surname Ha who had a hospitalized sister.

 

Hwashin’s lips curled into a smile.

 

“Kid, is your brother’s name by any chance-?”

 

“Ha Yoojin.”

 

Once again, it was a familiar voice. But this time, it was a voice Hwashin didn’t need to avoid. He looked at the person with a twitching smile, seeing a man who looked as if he’d seen a ghost.

 

After pausing and sighing, the man adjusted his glasses slightly and walked over to where Hwashin and the child were.

 

“Why are you out here?”

 

“Oppa!”

 

Ha Yoojin, Ha Cheongwon’s only sibling.

 

Before the appearance of the red gates, multiple high-risk gates appeared in <YHH>.

 

And after the formation of Unit 1, the first high-risk gate appeared ‘in the city’. The first character in the novel to die in this incident was this child.