Hero’s Child C3

Chapter 3

 

“Uichan.”

 

The once lively air fell silent, as if someone had snuffed out a flame. Jekyll Jack, who had been playfully squishing Uichan’s cheeks like rice cakes, cleared his throat awkwardly and dropped his hands. Uichan turned toward the voice that had called his name — the man sitting lazily atop the stone table, smiling faintly.

 

Whenever Hyde spoke, the entire room quieted. He always wore a kind expression, but no one could ever tell what truly lay beneath it. Uichan belatedly realized that he hadn’t yet greeted him.

 

“Ah… I’m sorry.”

 

Uichan hurried over and fell into his arms. Hyde opened his arms wide, and Uichan’s body fit perfectly against his broad chest like a missing puzzle piece. Smiling, Hyde gently patted his back.

 

“It’s been what — about half a month since we last saw each other? How have you been?”

 

“I’ve been well, as always. And you, Hyde? And everyone else? I hope nothing’s happened?”

 

“What could possibly happen to us?”

 

Though Hyde’s mask changed frequently, his outward appearance usually stayed similar — refined and handsome. No matter what face he wore, his pale, marble-like eyes never changed. In those white eyes, the constellation of the Big Dipper shone year-round.

 

“Now that everyone’s here, have a seat. There’s something we need to discuss.”

 

The figures lounging along the porch rose slowly to their feet. As they took their seats around the stone table, one spot remained — right beside Hyde. After glancing at his “brothers,” Uichan quietly sat in the empty seat.

 

The public called In the Hell a ruthless, lawless villain syndicate, spreading chaos wherever they went. But even among them, there were strict rules.

 

First: Outside of villain activities, no one was to interfere with another member’s personal life.

Second: Meetings were to be held every fifteen days without fail, at a location announced by Hyde.

Third: Anyone who killed a comrade would face a fate far worse than the eighth level of hell.

Fourth: Though their individual goals differed, they must never forget their shared purpose when working together.

 

These principles had kept In the Hell functioning in relative peace until now. Each of them lived a double life — some led ordinary jobs, others lived as villains full-time, and some… might even have been heroes. But no one ever asked about another’s origins or identity. There was only one exception — Ha Uichan.

 

“It seems the heroes have been looking for Uichan lately.”

 

“Hmm, indeed. On my way to fetch him, I saw heroes patrolling nearly every street.”

 

“Tch, those uncultured fools. If only we knew why, we could deal with it properly. Let’s see… they’ve been like this since about two months ago — that means it started with the charity event.”

 

“Those bastards! Don’t tell me they did something to our youngest that day! They act so righteous, bragging about sparing his life — heroes, villains, they’re all the same damn trash!”

 

Each member added their complaints, their anger simmering. Uichan sat quietly with his hands clasped, heart pounding. He had nothing to say — or rather, he couldn’t say anything. Hyde, resting his chin on one hand, finally spoke.

 

“Well… only the person involved would know the full story.”

 

“Yeah, Uichan. Think carefully — after you fell into that pit with those guys, what exactly happened?”

 

Pressed by an impatient Jekyll Jack, Uichan could no longer remain silent. He fiddled nervously with his hands beneath the table before finally murmuring,

 

“Well… they… put their coats over me.”

 

“…Coats? You mean… the ones you wear? That’s it? Nothing else?”

 

“Ah… I wasn’t feeling well, so one of them laid me down in a corner. It was dark every time I opened my eyes.”

 

Uichan deliberately skipped over the important parts. The truth was, his memories from that night were blurry, fragmented — but some scenes were still vivid. He remembered being trapped in the darkness, catching glimpses of dim light now and then, each time seeing their faces, and feeling his breath hitch.

 

But how could he possibly tell them the truth — that he had slept with three men that night, and now… he was carrying their children?

 

If In the Hell ever found out Uichan was pregnant, they would tear those heroes limb from limb. He couldn’t let that happen. He wanted to safely give birth, and for that, he needed the fathers’ ability certification documents to register the babies’ births legally.

 

So before that day came, Uichan planned to steal their ability data — quietly, cleanly. Then, he’d officially register the twins and raise them in peace.

 

“Of all people to fall into a pit with, why did it have to be those bastards?!”

 

Jekyll Jack slammed his fist against the stone table. Mother Ship sighed deeply beside him.

 

“Do you have any idea how terrified we were? It’s a miracle you made it out alive. That Seok Myeongcheol’s witchcraft isn’t something to take lightly. They say even if you hang him upside down and beat him, his curse won’t break until a full day has passed.”

 

Seok Myeongcheol — the man was a notorious criminal who had escaped prison last year. But he was caught just yesterday. More precisely, he was found unconscious in an abandoned building by police after an anonymous report.

 

He had been beaten so brutally he could barely move, his limbs tightly bound. Now detained by the Hero Association, he was raging nonstop, claiming that “Under Doom” had assaulted him.

 

“Our poor baby must’ve been so furious that he went and turned Seok Myeongcheol into a eunuch! I’m so worried… how can our youngest have such terrible luck?”

 

Mother Ship sighed as she soothed the baby in her arms. The infant’s soft cries sounded less like a baby and more like an animal’s growl.

 

Ha Uichan had always been born under a star of misfortune. If he tripped, he’d fall flat on his face. If he bumped into someone, they’d tumble into traffic just as a truck passed by. Disaster followed him like a shadow.

 

Even his brothers in In the Hell had narrowly escaped death more than once because of him. It was as if his very existence attracted calamity. That’s why they stayed by his side — because they owed him their lives and couldn’t bear to leave him unprotected.

 

They often called his fate “Hong-an Bak-myeong” — a proverb meaning “a beautiful face with a short, ill-starred life.”

 

Perhaps they weren’t wrong.

 

Suddenly, three faces flashed through Uichan’s mind — one sly and cunning, one stoic and loyal like a guard dog, and one whose eyes shone warm as sunlight.

 

His pregnancy truly was an unimaginable twist of fate. And all of it had begun with one man — the escaped convict, Seok Myeongcheol.

 

If that man hadn’t attacked the charity gala, Uichan wouldn’t have infiltrated the event, and he never would’ve ended up sharing a bed with anyone. Furthermore—

 

“……”

 

He wouldn’t be visiting a male obstetrician now.

 

Worried that the little ones inside might sense his thoughts, Uichan placed his palm gently over his stomach. The silence within was reassuring — perhaps the babies were sleeping soundly, well-fed and safe.

 

Then, realizing someone might notice, he quickly dropped his hand, flustered.

 

That day… had been a cold, rainy day. His body ached all over, chills running deep. He’d had to sneak out through the emergency exit several times just to catch his breath. That was how he had become the unlucky witness to the fugitive’s assault.

 

But this was Ha Uichan — the man born with cursed luck. His fate was harsh, relentless, almost cruelly persistent.

 

He had attended the charity event in his capacity as a security guard for personal reasons, but a small, insignificant incident — when met with his misfortune — had exploded into a wildfire that consumed everything. Maybe it had been inevitable from the start.

 

March 27th, during a sleet-filled evening.

 

Everything that had turned Ha Uichan’s life upside down had begun two months ago, at the charity gala held at the Ritzel Hotel.

 

 

—

 

Roughly two months earlier.

 

March 27th, 7 p.m. — the World Hero Development Fund Charity Gala was underway at the Ritzel Hotel. With prominent magnates and wealthy patrons gathered from across the globe, the night was bustling and extravagant. Ha Uichan had been hired by a security agency and assigned to the event as a guard.

 

As the saying went, “A bright flame draws moths.”

In the same way, glamorous nights drew villains like predators to prey.

 

Parties that gathered the world’s richest and most powerful heroes were prime targets for villain activity. To make matters worse, there had even been a public threat of attack from a notorious villain.

 

A week before the event, the organizers had received a bloodstained card from none other than Phantom Thief Keel — his infamous calling card, the symbol of his declaration of war.

 

But no one was too worried. Over a hundred security heroes had been deployed, and among the guests were the nation’s most powerful heroes — the so-called Three Great Mountains of Korea.

 

The elemental ability user La Épée,

the PMC mercenary Blacktan,

and Noatis, the heir to the defense conglomerate Verta.

 

It was said that Korea’s strength rested upon these three heroes. With such high-profile figures overseeing security, the gala grew even grander in scale — a show of national pride to the world, flaunting Korea’s status as a powerhouse of heroes.

 

Surely no villain would dare stage an attack under such heavy guard — or so people believed.

 

But villains, by nature, defied reason. They thrived beyond the bounds of common sense; if they didn’t, they wouldn’t be villains.

 

Inside and outside the hotel swarmed with heroes — more than a hundred in total. Uichan, dressed sharply in a tuxedo and earpiece, stood inside the hall, watching everything through calm, alert eyes. Occasionally, exhaustion crept up on him, and he’d sneak out through the emergency exit to rest.

 

That evening, his vision spun. The glasses he wore felt unbearably heavy, pressing on the bridge of his nose. For once, even keeping them on was difficult.

 

 

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