Saving My Favorite in a Doomed World

About 30 heroes applied to the SH Unit. Many heroes had already given up on applying to the SH Unit, so most of the applicants were S-rank or A-rank.

 

In front of the SH Unit waiting room, two public officials from the PR and Management Departments were organizing paperwork. They were there to verify the identities and documents of the heroes who were gathering for the SH unit selection test.

 

“Did this person apply too? They’ve been so busy lately.”

 

“All S-rank heroes must participate. It would be strange if an S-rank didn’t show up for the SH Unit test.”

 

“True. Ah, I envy the S-rank. …No, wait, isn’t it great that we can at least see them in person?”

 

Even other heroes rarely got to see S-rank heroes. Just as you couldn’t see top celebrities every day, encounters with S-rank heroes were very rare.

 

Their popularity was also comparable. In terms of recognition alone, heroes might even surpass celebrities.

 

Among S-rank and A-rank heroes, there were many who had fans comparable to celebrities due to their attractive appearances and skills. Just looking at online communities, there were several forums for top heroes, and searches for their names yielded endless comments.

 

– Is the headphone Hero Jeong Mueum wears from Apple?

 

ㄴ Yes, he switched to the new silver line. I bought the same one ㅋㅋ

 

– Grandma. Even if I meet a monster. I’d die without regrets if I could see Cha Jaeha’s face.

 

– God must be shocked when sculpting Chanyeoung’s face. Imagine creating someone more handsome than yourself.

 

ㄴ

Have you even seen God’s face?

ㅋㅋㅋ

 

– God.is.Chanyeoung. Believe.in.Chanyeoung.and.go.to.heaven. If.you.don’t.believe.prepare.to.fall.into.the.hell.of.disbelief.

 

– Mueum, I love you (heart fluttering)

 

Just being able to see their faces in person and talk to them made the competition for this job fierce.

 

“Jian-nim is coming too. Should I get an autograph?”

 

“She already went in while you were in the bathroom.”

 

“Ah, are you crazy? You should have told me earlier.”

 

While exchanging useless chatter, one of the staff noticed an unusual application form and spoke up.

 

“What is this? Did it get mixed up with the other applications? It’s F-rank.”

 

“It’s correct. I personally registered the application.”

 

A man wearing glasses responded curtly. Even he found it ridiculous after saying it.

 

F-rank, Civil Affairs Department, Yoo Hwashin. No proper attack ability, just slightly better basic physical abilities than ordinary people due to being an awakened one. His abilities didn’t even register when he was measured for strength or mana levels.

 

“If you say it’s correct, then it must be correct, but… You didn’t try to stop him? This person looks like he’d be done for after one hit from an S-rank.”

 

“What can I do when he insists on participating?”

 

Who wouldn’t have wanted to stop him? Just thinking about that man made him sigh. A person so oddly cheerful that he stood out in his memory. If only his abilities were good, he might have gained some popularity with his decent looks and personality. The more he thought about it, the more he shook his head.

 

What could you expect from an F-rank anyway?

 

“Hello.”

 

There was a peculiar tone in the greeting. Hwashin, looking around curiously, stood in front of the two men. Unlike the solemn atmosphere emanating from the waiting room, Hwashin showed no sign of nervousness.

 

“I’m Yoo Hwashin from the Civil Affairs Department, applying for the SH Unit. …Oh! It’s you! Did you come to see me?”

 

Recognizing the staff, Hwashin cheerfully offered a handshake first. The staff, with an unhappy face, let out a short sigh and handed him a number tag instead of shaking his hand.

 

“Unfortunately, I’m just assigned here. We’ve already verified your identity, so you can just go in.”

 

Hwashin, wearing a disappointed expression, waved his hand that was only given the number tag.

 

“You won’t even shake my hand? You’ll shake it after the competition, right?”

 

Faced with this absurd question, the staff member mumbled a vague response.

 

“If you’re still alive, sure.”

 

“Haha, I’ll take that as a yes. I just go into the waiting room here, right? …Alright then! Everyone, good luck with your work. Fighting, fighting.”

 

Hwashin entered the waiting room leisurely. It seemed that all the anxiety had transferred to the staff watching him instead.

 

‘Hah.’

 

Thinking that he felt queasy for no reason, the staff pressed his temples firmly.

 

***

 

Following the number tag marked ‘Waiting Room 2’, Hwashin headed to his room.

 

Since it seemed all the rooms on this floor were being used as hero waiting rooms, he wondered if Cha Jaeha might not be here.

 

It looked like they were using conference rooms as waiting areas. Upon opening the door, he saw a large rectangular space with five two-seater sofas and a conference table with snacks.

 

In the waiting room Hwashin entered, four heroes were doing their own things. One of them was sprawled out sleeping on a sofa. As Hwashin grabbed some snacks and sat on a random sofa, the hero opposite him glared. Surprisingly enough, it was that person who spoke first.

 

“Hey.”

 

Hwashin, who was opening a snack, briefly looked the man up and down.

 

‘….Was there a guy like this in the novel?’

 

At the same time, he placed the creamless top of the cream sandwich on his tongue. Hmm, sweet. Snacks in this world were indeed delicious.

 

The man’s scowl deepened as Hwashin just ate the snack without responding to him. He crossed his arms, though his large build and muscles made it difficult.

 

“What’s your hero rank? I haven’t seen you among the S or A ranks.”

 

Hwashin replied only after swallowing the sandwich he was chewing.

 

“I’m an F-rank.”

 

“Ha! I thought you’d at least be a C-rank, but F-rank?”

 

The man raised his voice in displeasure.

 

“If someone like you applies to the SH unit, what will happen to the prestige of the heroes who applied this time?”

 

…What was he talking about? Even a goblin’s cry would make sound less stupid than this.

 

“I don’t know. Maybe it will get higher?”

 

Perhaps due to Hwashin’s characteristic smirking expression and glib response, the wrinkles between the man’s brows deepened.

 

“With someone like you showing up, it makes the selection test look easy. At least someone like me, an A-rank, should be here to maintain prestige. Tsk.”

 

This novel had a character obsessed with ranks too. It was only natural. If you gave people a reason to discriminate, they would act like it was an absolute truth. Really, how did they live before ranks existed?

 

“How about withdrawing now, you weakling?”

 

At those words, Hwashin brought the snack to his ear and nodded.

 

“Huh? What’s that? The weakling doesn’t want to? …Oh my, what should we do? That’s what he’s saying.”

 

“You… Do you know who I am to answer like that?”

 

Hwashin put the remaining half of the sandwich in his mouth, pretended to think seriously, then he spoke again. With a very bright smile.

 

“Why would I care? You’re weak.”

 

Enraged by those words, the man abruptly stood up, strode over, and grabbed Hwashin’s collar.

 

Hwashin dangled helplessly like a doll in the man’s hand. As he contemplated whether to counterattack, the man continued to bellow incessantly.

 

“You F-rank bastard, who are you to call someone weak—!”

 

“…Ha. Hey, you’re really noisy.”

 

A youthful voice filled the waiting room. A boy, who had been sleeping with a sleep mask on, slowly raised his upper body on the sofa.

 

“I’m dead tired from fighting a monster yesterday. Why are you fighting here? Go fight outside or something.”

 

Brown hair, baby perm. White headphones on his shoulders and a school uniform with the tie not even properly tied. Seeing that fearless attitude of speaking up after just waking up, Hwashin’s lips unconsciously curled into a smile.

 

Finally, he met him.

 

Wow.

 

“It’s Jeong Mueum.”

 

One of the colleagues that Cha Jaeha trusted and worked with in the future.

 

Jeong Mueum, the S-rank hero expected to be assigned to SH Unit 1.

 

***

 

Jeong Mueum. Age: 18. Personality: Chihuahua.

 

His fans gave him various nicknames, from ‘My Phone Is On Silent’ to ‘JungMoNoise’ and even ‘ChihuahuaMoo’. The name of his fan club was ‘Silent Mode’.

 

In the novel, Jeong Mueum’s face was described as ‘having a face that could rival an idol’s’ but at that time, Hwashin didn’t understand exactly what that meant. He didn’t even know what an idol was. But now, having absorbed all of Yoo Hwashin’s memories, he understood perfectly.

 

‘Instead of rivaling an idol’s face.’

 

It was more like he completely outshined them.

 

Mueum was the cutest guy he’d ever seen. He could tell even with the eye mask on. They say handsome men have a different aura.

 

Moreover, with that face and that manner of speaking, it wasn’t irritating at all.

 

The gorilla who was boasting about being an A-rank must not have realized that the S-rank Jeong Mueum was in the waiting room. He quickly retracted his short tail.

 

“…I’m sorry if we were noisy.”

 

He left Hwashin with a ‘we’ll settle this later’ before returning to his sofa.

 

‘I didn’t realize we were close enough to settle things later.’

 

After the commotion settled down, Mueum scratched his head and looked around. Then, in an awkward voice, he spoke to Hwashin.

 

“Excuse me.”

 

Hwashin couldn’t help but laugh at what he said next.

 

“I can’t see anything right now. Is there something wrong with my eyes?”

 

“Your eyes?”

 

“My eyes are open, but it’s really dark.”

 

…That’s because you’re wearing an eye mask, Mueum.

 

Mueum often showed seriously careless sides, and those points were so cute that Hwashin had laughed throughout reading the novel. Seeing it in person made it even funnier. Mueum frowned under the eye mask, seemingly annoyed by Hwashin’s laughter.

 

“Hey, I said I can’t see. Why are you laughing?”

 

“Um. One moment.”

 

Hwashin went over to Mueum’s sofa and lifted the eye mask for him. Only then did Mueum squint at the sudden white light before opening his eyes wide.

 

“Oh, right. The eye mask.”

 

“Next time, try wearing earplugs too. It’d be fun.”

 

“If that happens, please help me out again. But don’t just laugh like today before helping.”

 

Jeong Mueum shamelessly responded as he got up and stretched. He was rather short for a high school student, barely reaching 170 cm. Without the mask, his round, monolid eyes accentuated his puppy-like appearance.

 

It made sense that ‘that’ Cha Jaeha would later come to find Mueum particularly endearing. Because even if he got angry, he’d just look like a yapping chihuahua.

 

Hwashin smiled first and introduced himself.

 

“I’m Yoo Hwashin.”

 

“….Ah, yes. I’m Jeong Mueum.”

 

“Well…”

 

Before they could finish introductions, the waiting room door opened. A staff in formal attire gestured towards the corridor.

 

“Heroes in Waiting Room 2, we’ll now move to the arena.”

 

“…Looks like we won’t have time for proper introductions. Right?”

 

Without even a chance to talk more with Mueum, the SH Unit selection test began.