Hero’s Child C21

Chapter 21

“W–wait a second. It’s fine now. I can stand on my own.”

“Hyung.”

But before Uichan could step back, Noah’s strong arms wrapped tightly around his neck and pulled him close. The sudden nearness made him inhale sharply. Noah buried his face against Uichan’s shoulder, and Uichan froze, startled—like an animal caught by the scruff of its neck.
Why… why was he suddenly doing this?

He drew in a slow, shaky breath and exhaled just as slowly. When Noah finally lifted his head, he was smiling again. His hands were still firm around Uichan’s waist, making escape impossible. Then, with that same bright tone, he said—

“I think… today’s my birthday.”

The words were so out of nowhere that Uichan just blinked, dumbfounded. Birthday? Now? What was he even talking about?
But then, it dawned on him. Noah had transcended the Extreme. That must’ve been what he meant.

Just then, crimson rain began to fall from the sky. Noah reached over Uichan’s shoulder and pulled him slightly back. A piece of the broken structure above tilted just enough to shield them like a roof, keeping the blood from splattering down. The sound of thick droplets hitting the wreckage echoed for a few seconds—and then, suddenly, the rain stopped. The sky cleared. The furious winds died out.

“I don’t think I’ve ever felt this happy in my life,” Noah said softly.

Uichan tilted his head up, looking at him. Noah smiled, almost bashfully.

“I finally got what I’ve always wished for. So this is what it feels like.”

What could he have possibly gained?
But then Uichan sensed it—the overflowing energy emanating from Noah’s body, that rich, boundless current of power. It was what all heroes longed for. The mark of someone who had crossed the final threshold.

“You… reached the Extreme?”

“Yeah. Something like that.”

As Uichan looked up at him, his body suddenly lifted off the ground. Noah had wrapped an arm around his waist and effortlessly hoisted him into the air. Caught off guard, Uichan flailed, his legs kicking as Noah spun them both around in dizzying circles.

“W–what are you doing?! Noah, stop! You’re making me dizzy!”

“Sorry! I can’t help it, hah—! I’m just so happy. It feels like I’ve been reborn! A minute ago, I swear I saw the River Jordan!”

Still laughing breathlessly, Noah spun him one last time, then raised him higher—so high that Uichan’s head was nearly a forearm’s length above his own. The green in Noah’s eyes gleamed like wet jade as he looked up at him.

His face, framed by the gentle breeze, was striking and radiant. He looked, absurdly, like a giant golden retriever playing with a beach ball under the summer sun.

Above them, pieces of corpses and debris drifted down from the sky like grotesque confetti. The world had turned the color of maple leaves—stained red, soaked in blood. Noah set Uichan back down gently, raising a broad hand over his head to shield him as droplets fell from the ruins above. One landed on Noah’s knuckles, bright and red against his skin.

In that ruined mock cityscape, only Min Noah stood upright—his white smile cutting through the devastation like light through fog.

And for a fleeting moment, Uichan thought—
It’d be nice if the children took after him.

The Seonghwa Hero University Attack Incident soon became headline news across the country.
The sudden invasion of villains in broad daylight, targeting the most prestigious hero academy in Korea, sent shockwaves through the hero world.

At the time, some of the most renowned heroes—including Noahtis himself—had been present on-site. The fact that villains had dared to strike such a place was unthinkable—a crime beyond forgiveness.

However, thanks to Noahtis’s overwhelming display of power, all invading villains were eradicated on the spot.

Civilian casualties: three.
Hero casualties: thirteen.

The public mourned the dead, but the live footage of the arena’s total collapse left them speechless.

Jekyll Jack had also been there that day—but by sheer luck, he survived. When Noah’s hurricane began to tear the arena apart, “the other Jack” emerged just in time to save their shared body.

Jekyll Jack suffered from Dissociative Identity Disorder—but unlike most, his alternate personality was not just mental.
They were entirely separate beings, differing in both appearance and demeanor.

The other man who lived inside Jekyll Jack’s body was named Ji Woo-jae.
While Jack was loud, brash, and violent, Woo-jae was his polar opposite—gentle, timid, and painfully shy.

Physically, Woo-jae’s form was even larger, more bear-like, but his spirit was soft. He hunched his shoulders and avoided people wherever he went.

Right before Noah’s hurricane had reached full strength, Jack had slain two goblins—and then suddenly transformed into Woo-jae.
Frightened out of his wits, Woo-jae had fled to the safest corner of the arena, curling up and trembling like a child.

Uichan later found him there and finally allowed himself to breathe again.

—U-Uichan… Hyung was scared… I was so scared…!

As soon as Woo-jae saw him, he scrambled over on his knees and wrapped both arms around Uichan’s waist, sobbing uncontrollably. Uichan, exhausted but patient, wiped the man’s face, helped him blow his nose, and comforted him as best he could.

Before sending him home, he even filled Woo-jae’s hands with candy.

It was almost ridiculous—by some twist of fate, Woo-jae’s destructive potential was actually higher than Jack’s. The problem was, Woo-jae couldn’t bring himself to hurt anyone. Every time Jack reemerged and saw how his gentler half had wasted that power, he’d rage and curse, pounding his chest in frustration.
What’s the point of having power if you won’t use it?!

And just like that, the case came to a close.

Uichan was questioned several times as a witness, and by the time he finally returned home, the sun had long since set.

Noah, for his part, never once mentioned Uichan’s abilities or his own injuries. He merely laughed it off, saying he’d been lucky—“just managed to take down the villains without getting hurt.”

But the real problem was—

“…the goblins.”

Uichan muttered it under his breath, half-curled on his side. He blinked lazily, reaching for his phone to check the time. 5 a.m. He hadn’t slept a wink.

Lately, the pain in his abdomen had been getting worse. When the nausea subsided, the cramps would come; when the pain eased, the sickness returned.

He’d tried searching online, but every source said the same thing—it was normal for early pregnancy.

Inside him, the bean-sized twins were waging their own private war, and he couldn’t get any rest.

Eventually, after another sleepless stretch, he found himself staring at the ceiling, lost in thought. Then, on impulse, he opened a new post online.

[Title: Hello, I’m a soon-to-be dad.]
Content: A few months ago, I slept with several people. Now I’m pregnant with twins. How do I tell them? I don’t even know who the father is. Please give me advice.

[Comments]
ETT**: ?? What the hell are you saying? You’re a guy and you got pregnant? Bro… first a hero gave birth last year, now this? Why does this keep happening?! Why don’t I ever meet people like this IRL?
sdg98**: LOL what kind of beast are you? What kinda world you livin’ in, man
nideth**: Bro… just disappear. Seriously. Don’t drag anyone else into your mess. I swear, people talkin’ about “open relationships” these days are frying my brain lmao
esow11**: These posts are pure delusion, block and move on
SKDK**: Look, whatever people say, here’s my advice. Just test the waters. Casually ask if they’d be okay with having kids. You’ll need documentation anyway if the dad’s an Esper. Drop hints, have the baby, then do a DNA test. Find out who it is—but prepare yourself. If the baby’s got strong abilities, someone will try to sue for custody. Can’t say I support you, though.
WEE**: If I were the baby’s dad, I’d lose my damn mind.

Uichan flinched at that last comment, but it wasn’t unexpected. For people who didn’t know the situation, that was a natural reaction.

The post blew up overnight. It felt like the whole world had seen it. Comments poured in—mockery, disbelief, unsolicited advice, conspiracy theories, even people threatening to “expose” him.

Overwhelmed, Uichan deleted the post and logged out in a panic.

After that, he just lay there, staring blankly at the ceiling until dawn crept in.

“…This won’t do.”

He finally muttered, sitting up. He couldn’t just stay like this.

He stepped out of the bedroom, the pale green light of dawn spilling across the living room, and went straight to the fridge. He gulped down a glass of cold water, the heat in his body finally cooling.

Then his alarm went off, jolting him back to the present. He pulled out his notebook and sat at the table.

“Let’s see… today’s May 29th.”

Exactly two weeks had passed since he’d first learned he was pregnant.

The cover of his notebook read “Mother’s Record Book.”
Inside, the first page held two small ultrasound photos of his twins, neatly pasted in place. Uichan stared at them for a moment, then picked up his pen.

The next hospital visit was scheduled for four weeks later. The doctor had said that active babies were healthy babies, and Uichan had nodded—because it was true. When he placed his hands over his stomach and felt those tiny heartbeats, steady and strong, all the world’s noise seemed to fade away.

“…Ah, right. Today’s meeting day.”

Checking the calendar, Uichan realized that tonight was the In the Hell meeting. He would’ve forgotten, but Phantom Thief Kill always came by around seven to pick him up. Together, they’d pass through his “Card Gate” to the ever-changing meeting location.

With that in mind, he started making a to-do list for the day.

He thought briefly about going to the hospital early—but it’d only been two weeks. He didn’t want to seem overly anxious. Instead, he decided to run errands.

As soon as the sun rose, he got to work.

He cleaned first—scrubbing the bathroom and tidying the rooms. He emptied out the old food from the fridge, then prepared a simple breakfast. The babies liked cherry tomatoes, so he made a salad with plenty of them.

Scrub, scrub—swish.

Afterward, he went grocery shopping and filled the empty refrigerator again. Then, finally, he sank onto the sofa, peeling open a yogurt cup and allowing himself one small luxury: a moment of quiet, just him and the twins.