Saving My Beloved from a World on the Brink of Destruction

The guide’s voice was clear and resonant. The other heroes were nowhere to be seen even after walking down the hallway for quite some time, implying that each waiting room had a different order to exit.

It’s a shame that I couldn’t see Cha Jaeha.

“As a result, this year’s SH Unit selection exam will be held in a tournament format.” The heroes who applied will have 30 minutes total, and you will choose your opponent from among the heroes who were in the same waiting room as you. To ensure fairness, the order within each waiting room will be determined at random beginning with waiting room 1….”

Huh? Why does she keep staring at me as she speaks? Well, I can guess why.

‘Jeong Mu-eum is certainly attractive.’

Throughout her explanation, she kept looking at Mu-eum’s face, and Hwa-shin could completely understand her emotions.

“The match ends when one side is judged to be unable to continue the fight or declares defeat,” the guide said, clenching her fist lightly in front of her lips. “However, killing your opponent is strictly forbidden, so please keep that in mind. Let’s have a pleasant experience without any discomfort! Heroes, please show your full potential!” her voice remained upbeat until the very end.

She’s so energetic. Is she a rookie? …Ah, I’m a rookie too. Although my body had become younger, but my age has not.

Hwa-shin,with a soul that had lived for 200 years, listened to the guide’s passionate explanation half-heartedly. With Jeong Mu-eum beside him, he couldn’t concentrate on the explanation.

At this rate, Jeong Mu-eum and Cha Jaeha would meet in the arena at this rate. A past that had not been adequately described in the novel.

As a reader, Hwa-shin’s heart was pounding with anticipation for the novel’s unreleased prequel episode. And, of course, his gaze, which had been blatantly stealing glances, was naturally caught by Mu-eum.

Mu-eum, who had previously ignored the man next to him, sighed heavily and finally opened his mouth, “Mister, can you please stop staring at me?”

“Oh, is it obvious?”

“Yes, very much.”

At those words, Hwa-shin didn’t hesitate to flash a wide smile. “Actually, I’m a fan of yours, Mu-eum.”

“…A fan?”

Of course, in the novel, Cha Jaeha was unquestionably his favorite. The protagonist was his favourite and also considered his reverse scale.

But that didn’t mean he disliked the rest of the SH1 team. All of them did rely on each other and trusted each other exclusively. It was impossible for Elric, the man who had read “Your Hero Is Here,” not to admire the SH1 unit, which displayed a bond stronger than blood brothers.

“How am I going to survive without you, hyung?” What’s the point of living in this world?” raged Jeong Mu-eum, claiming that Cha Jae-ha’s death rendered the world meaningless. Even in a monster-infested world, he refused to give up. After all, even if the world without Cha Jaeha was unworthy of protection, it was still the world that his hyung wished to safeguard.

How could I hate Mu-eum when I knew exactly what kind of guy he is?

“Are you really my fan?”

Hwa-shin, who had received a full dose of Jeong Mu-eum’s suspicious gaze, hung a smile on the corner of his mouth, “Yes. I’m a fan.”

For some reason, Jeong Mu-eum couldn’t fully trust the man’s eyes, which were tracing him up and down in a lyrical manner, much like a con-artist. He then pursed his lips grumpily, indicating that he wouldn’t believe the other person’s words anyway.

“Where did you see me? I don’t think I’ve been on TV much, though.”

“Well, you were pretty famous on the internet. Oh, will you take a picture with me later?”

Hwa-shin shook his phone like a pet owner shaking a treat for their cat. Jeong Mu-eum, on the other hand, was never a cat.

“Do I look like someone who takes pictures for 5,000 won?”

“If I give you the money, will you take one?”

“… Hah!”

What kind of person is this?

To Jeong Mu-eum, Yoo Hwa-shin seemed out of place, like a character who suddenly jumped out of a book.[1] Despite the man’s youth-looking face, he had addressed him with formal honorifics and seemed far too comfortable speaking in this manner. The man’s appearance and actions were completely mismatched. Moreover, Hwa-shin’s face also looked like it had never been stained in his lifetime.

Who is your favorite hero, Jeong Mu-eum? Oh, is it Ms. Yu Ji Ahn by any chance? And do you have any side dishes you don’t like?

He was also asking questions like this.

Even the questions Hwa-shin threw at him were unsatisfying. Also, the fact that the man didn’t appear to be looking for information about him raised suspicions.

….Is he really my fan?

Ignoring Hwa-shin’s questions, Jeong Mu-eum spat out one word: “Did you even hear the staff’s explanation earlier?”

Explanation?

Hwa-shin blinked his eyes open and replied, “Ah~~,” before continuing, “Of course, I’ve heard the match’s explanation.”

“Then you can roughly predict what happens next,” Jeong Mu-eum said, jutting his chin at the man in front of them both. The man who had earlier fought Yoo Hwa-shin in the waiting room was now walking ahead of the staff.

“I’m sure that guy will pick you. He’s also notorious for having a bad personality.”

Besides, based on the employee badge he’s wearing, he’s clearly an F-rank, Mu-eum reasoned.

As a result, he warned Yoo Hwa-shin to be cautious. At the same time, he was perplexed as to why he was saying this. He could have simply ignored him. What difference did it make if someone he met for the first time today failed the exam?

…Is it because he said he’s my fan? Ugh! It’s making me worry for no reason!

Mu-eum clicked his tongue quietly.

Yoo Hwa-shin later responded to Mu-eum’s advice with a playful smile devoid of seriousness, “Don’t worry.” He leaned in, pretended to look around, and whispered into Mu-eum’s ear, “That guy seems weak,” emphasizing the word ‘weak’ strangely.

“Heh.”

Mu-eum looked up at Hwa-shin with a bored expression.

Is he delusional? Does he really think that muscle man looks weak with his current body?

Mu-eum arched his brow like a caterpillar. “If that guy hits you, you’ll break, in my opinion.”

“Hahaha, is that so? Well, I’m not as strong as an old man on the inside.”

“……What are you saying now.”

Whatever he said, the relaxed F-rank didn’t seem to take his words seriously. Mu-eum eventually turned his head again.

“Anyway, I warned you.”

There’s nothing more I could do for him anyway. This is troublesome. Plus, I’m not some philanthropist.

◈◈◈

“We’ve arrived!” the staff stretched out both arms with a refreshing expression.

Dozens of LED lights, separate from the hallway lighting, shone brightly on the stadium.

Separate from the hallway lighting, dozens of LED lights shone brightly on the stadium.

The exam was held in the basement of the Association’s headquarters. There was a separate training ground for heroes, which appeared to have been renovated to make way for the stadium.

A massive oval-shaped arena, with reinforced glass separating it from the ceiling-side spectator seats. High-ranking officials from various departments were chatting amongst themselves. It was only natural for such dignitaries to attend, given the newly established special forces to protect the country, the SH unit.

“When you go down, you’ll find other heroes there. Good luck! And please continue to look after our country!” the staff member bowed politely, opened the door to the hallway, and left.

Hwa-shin descended down the stairs with light footsteps. As soon as he stepped on the ground, he spread his arms wide. He took a calm breath of air and exhaled.

The entire SH1 unit had gathered here, and now he could finally see them in person!

“I’m so excited!”

Jeong Mueum, who had been watching from behind, looked at him with a “hmm” expression. ‘…What a strange man.’

In the center of the stadium, heroes were gathered, and those who were acquainted or had connections were already engaged in conversation. There were so many unfamiliar faces.

‘Anyway, I just need to find Cha Jaeha.’

<Your Hero is Here> was a novel centered around protagonist Cha Jaeha’s SH1 unit. Naturally, descriptions of heroes belonging to other units were limited.

‘Cha Jaeha, Cha Jaeha. Where are you, Cha Jaeha~?’

Hwashin shifted his gaze. Indeed, most heroes ranked S or A-class appeared to be managed and had exceptional appearances.

‘Am I not going to find him at this rate?’

All he knew about Cha Jaeha was the few lines of description in the novel: Common black hair, an emotionless face among the colorful crowd. Yet, well-organized, and harmonious features. Sharp and fierce eyes.

Despite all that, a radiant face, a distinguished aura.

…Wow.

‘…Sorry I said that.’

An involuntary sense of awe filled the area.

The time he wasted worrying about not recognizing Chae Jaeha was rendered meaningless the moment he discovered him.

‘With that face… he could’ve been royalty in my world. Is it because he’s the protagonist?’

Even though Yoo Hwa-shin, whose body Elric was currently possessing, was quite attractive, Chae Jaeha’s face only… proved to him that he was finally able to understand why there had been so many frivolous comments on the internet.

Moreover,

How can someone describe the thrill of meeting the protagonist of a novel they’ve been reading for several years?

Goosebumps covered his entire body.

“Hehehe.”

Someone tapped his arm as he laughed creepily. Hwa-shin saw Mu-eum as he lowered his head. Mu-eum pointed to the first row of audience seats behind them with an uninterested expression.

“The waiting room number 2 sitting area is over there. …Were you looking at Cha Jaeha?”

Mu-eum also examined the group to which Cha Jaeha belonged. To be more specific, several heroes gathered around Cha Jaeha, bombarding him with things to say.

‘…I want to join them, really,’ Hwa-shin mused to himself and then replied, “Let’s go,” with a face that seemed to say he understood.

Afterward, Mu-eum turned his head, “We have to sit down before it starts.”

Then, Hwa-shin, who had been trailing the small Mu-eum, asked, “Aren’t you close with Cha Jaeha? You didn’t even greet him.”

It was a question born out of pure curiosity. They seemed quite close when they worked together.

“We can’t be close,” Mu-eum replied, furrowing one brow. “We’ve never worked together in the first place.”

‘Hmm. Maybe the two of them didn’t know each other very well at this point in time. After all, Jeong Mu-eum had just started as a hero. They may not have had any contact with one another.’

Following Mu-eum, Hwa-shin took a seat in the far right of the first row. It was the closest seat to the entrance they entered and was adjacent to the arena.

“Is there no hero close to Cha Jaeha?” he inquired. “Like Yoo Ji Ahn?” he later added, casually dropping the name of a hero who was most likely a member of the SH1 unit.

In response, Mu-eum grumbled, “It doesn’t seem like he has any close friends.” He’s not even paired up with anyone, so how can he get close to anyone in the first place? Although, it seems like he’s started pairing up recently.”

“He doesn’t form pairs?”

“No, he doesn’t. He even refused my request, and I’m an S-rank.”

“Huh.”

That was surprising.

The majority of the heroes in ‘Your Hero Is Here’ worked together to solve missions. It made sense for them to form groups so that they could defeat monsters and close gates as quickly as possible, minimizing civilian casualties.

‘It’s funny how he doesn’t pair up when there’s no reason not to.’

However, S-rank heroes were an exception.

The reason? It’s because they’re S-rank.

That’s the reason. It would be fortunate if a rookie hero didn’t hinder an S-rank hero when they are paired up together. Of course, even for S-rank heroes, if a rookie hero was injured or killed, it would be an awkward situation for the government. As a result, one senior hero was required to accompany one junior hero. Mu-eum was also a rookie, so he was no exception.

“I’m a rookie, you know. Cha Jaeha was the only hero around during my first mission, so I asked to team up with him, but he flatly refused.”

“What was his reason? You’re both S-rank heroes, after all.”

“He said that I, along with everyone else, would interfere with him using his abilities.”

Mu-eum leaned back in his chair. He thought he had forgotten about it, but recalling it enraged him. Cha Jaeha. There isn’t a hero alive who doesn’t admire him. There were even people who shed tears just hearing his name.

Cha Jaeha had always worked alone and didn’t want to pair up—although he was criticized for it, he was the only one who could deal with an S-rank gate as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Mu-eum, for his part, was no exception. Cha Jaeha was someone he admired. When he first asked to pair up, he was confident. They were both S-rank, after all. He never expected to be rejected by that person.

When Mu-eum remembered this, he muttered, “….I’m a genius, you know.” “I’m very good at putting my skills to use.”

Hwa-shin, having read the book, knew better than anyone that Jeong Mu-eum, who could manipulate gravity, had no reason to attend the training center. After all, the high school student had an innate talent. He was a genius who would rise to the top of those who taught him the moment he learned something new.

With quite a serious look in his eyes, he stared at Mu-eum.

“You said Cha Jaeha refused you because he thought it was bothersome. “Did he really say that?”

“What?”

“I’m curious if Cha Jae-ha personally said it bothered him.”

Footnote

[1] It’s the  other way around though （⊙ｏ⊙）