Hero’s Child C32

Chapter 32

Despite the doctor’s suggestion that he stay one more night for observation, Uichan returned home with a bag of medication and the ultrasound photos in hand. Park Rion, still pale and dazed from shock, followed behind him in silence.

Once inside, Rion sank to the floor in front of the sofa and stared blankly into space, clearly still processing everything. But Uichan didn’t have the luxury to wallow—he was starving, and he had to take his medication.

When he got up to prepare dinner, Rion suddenly jumped up as if snapping out of a trance and rushed to snatch the spatula from his hands.

“Sit down, Uichan! You just got back from the hospital—what kind of pregnant man cooks after that? You’re injured too, for crying out loud!”

Rion flipped eggs with the ferocity of a soldier on the front lines and fried slices of ham until they were golden brown, setting the hearty meal before Uichan like a sacred offering.

Then, as Uichan quietly ate, Rion sat across from him, eyes glassy, wiping at his tears with a tissue.

Uichan looked up, bewildered. Is this really something to cry about? He awkwardly rubbed the bridge of his nose, unsure of how to respond.

After dinner—complete with yogurt and plums for dessert—Rion insisted he go to bed early so his wounds could heal faster.

Uichan ended up lying on the bed while Rion spread a blanket on the floor beside him.

“Hey, go sleep in your room,” Uichan muttered. “If I start getting morning sickness, you won’t sleep at all.”

“Oh, and that’s supposed to make me leave? If anything, that means someone should be here with you! And where the hell are those so-called fathers? Huh? What are they even doing while you’re over here suffering alone? I hope they trip and break every finger and toe they have!”

Rion flung the blanket aside in a fit of rage, only to collapse again, sniffling, grabbing for another tissue.

“I—I think I’m going through menopause or something,” he wailed. “I can’t stop crying, Uichan. I’m just so… so sad…!”

“…You’re the one crying? I’m the one who’s pregnant.”

“I know, I know, but still—what if that doctor’s just some fraud? He looked like he was making up treatment plans on the spot! I mean, come on—telling you to, to—”

He couldn’t finish the sentence. He pressed his face into the pillow and groaned miserably, his hair sticking up in every direction.

“That can’t be right… No sane doctor would tell a pregnant patient to do something like that! How is that even scientific? You know what, I’ll just steal that paper myself. I’ll translate it. That guy probably can’t even read English properly—just another quack relying on his own stupid ability.”

“Why are you overthinking it like that? What if he’s right?”

“Then my poor Uichan…” Rion’s voice broke into a whimper, his face twisting into sheer anguish.

Uichan understood. Really, he did. Because even he had sat there, half-convinced he’d misheard the doctor’s words. But Juhyuk’s expression when explaining had been too serious to dismiss.

The doctor had said Uichan’s case was one of the rarest he’d ever seen, and that while the situation was complex, there were ways—if they were willing to try them together.

“First, you need to speak with the fathers.”
“What you felt today might only be the beginning. The pain may continue until one of the fetuses detaches.”
“That’s why it’s crucial to inform the biological fathers and find a solution together. Don’t worry—I’ll guide you through it.”

Easier said than done.

The babies had three fathers—each one a well-known hero. None of those encounters had been out of love or even mutual affection. They’d been accidents, one-night consequences of chaos. And now, here he was—pregnant.

How was he supposed to explain that?

Worse yet, explaining it meant revealing that he was Under Doom, a villain. Neither he nor his doctor even knew for certain who fathered which child.

“Coincidentally, all three are potential candidates. We can’t identify the fathers without a DNA test after birth. Even clairvoyance wouldn’t help—no ability could.”
“That means you’ll have to confirm it the hard way… one at a time.”

Which meant what the doctor had delicately implied: he would have to meet with them again. Intimately.

Uichan had been too stunned to reply. The doctor, clearing his throat, had said if he couldn’t contact all three at once, he should at least start with one.

And so, numbed and overwhelmed, Uichan had only managed to nod. For him, the babies’ safety outweighed everything else. Whatever it took, he would do it.

“Hey, Uichan… we can’t tell anyone about this, right? Not even the Captain?”

He shook his head. Not even the In the Hell brothers knew. Telling Song Ojun, their leader, was out of the question for now.

“You know I hate burdening him,” he said quietly. “I’ll tell him when the babies are stable.”

“…Okay. Then—uh, Uichan?” Rion hesitated, fidgeting with his fingers. “Are you really… going to have them?”

Uichan stared up at the ceiling for a moment. I’ve endured everything for their sake. Did he really think I wouldn’t?

“Of course,” he said softly. “I’ll give birth to them. I’ll raise them.”

“Then I’ll be the uncle!” Rion exclaimed, wiping his nose. “They’re my best friend’s kids—I have to be their uncle.”

Eventually, his sniffling quieted. When Uichan turned to look, Rion was already asleep, curled up beside the bed, brow furrowed even in rest. Uichan gently pulled the blanket up over his shoulders and slipped out of the room.

He walked straight to the balcony.

A sparrow perched on the railing was waiting for him—Mother Ship’s messenger. When Uichan slid the glass door open, the tiny bird hopped onto his palm.

“Mother Ship, what about Podo? Is he all right?”

[Don’t worry about Podo, Uichan. He’s fine. But you… you’re hurt. Oh, my poor boy, what am I going to do? How could I ever repay this debt?]

“I’m fine,” he assured her. “As long as Podo’s safe, that’s what matters. Do you know anything about Hyde?”

The sparrow let out a sigh that was far too human. Uichan stroked its feathers gently as Mother Ship’s trembling voice came through.

[How could he not know? There were witnesses—La Épée saw one of my puppets. Hyde must have heard by now.]

Hyde had made it clear that In the Hell would stay out of this mess, and the others had agreed. But Podo had disobeyed orders, acting alone to help Uichan—and now Mother Ship feared the consequences.

When Hyde punished someone for breaking the rules, it was brutal.

Years ago, when In the Hell was newly formed, Jekyll Jack had broken a rule once. Hyde had hung him upside down for a month, skinning him alive, pouring hot salt onto the exposed flesh.

Even when Uichan begged him to stop, Hyde hadn’t relented. He’d only allowed Uichan to rewind time and heal Jack enough to keep him alive—just to continue the punishment.

By the fifteenth day, the unbreakable Jekyll Jack had finally surrendered.

“Damn it! To hell with your rules! I’ll never break them again—never! Just let me down, you bastard!”

That had been the last time anyone dared defy an order within In the Hell.

It was peace earned through horror.

Uichan ran a hand through his hair and said quietly, “Mother, I’ll talk to Hyde. He won’t hurt me.”

[No. If he takes it out on you, how could I ever face you—or Podo? The rule is his. Podo broke it, so it’s my fault. I won’t let you pay for it.]

“I’m involved too. Podo only stole that artifact because of me. That makes it my responsibility. I’ll talk to Hyde before he summons the group.”

The sparrow sighed again, its feathers trembling. Guilt and sorrow reflected in its beady black eyes. When tears began to glisten on them, Uichan whispered, “It’s all right. Go on home. If Hyde calls, don’t answer—I’ll reach out to him first.”

[Our little one’s grown up so much… Uichan, remember this—no matter what happens, I’m on your side. None of us have ever blamed you. If something goes wrong, call for me, all right? Punishment means nothing to me. If I can protect you and Podo, I’d endure it for a hundred years… a thousand.]

The sparrow rubbed its tiny head against his cheek, then spread its wings and took flight. It landed across the street on a rooftop, red eyes glinting faintly in the dark.

Uichan watched until it disappeared into shadow. Then he turned back inside.

Hyde was the most elusive of In the Hell’s figures—impossible to track unless he wanted to be found. But he had left one line of contact open. For Uichan alone.

He stepped out onto the balcony again, phone in hand, and dialed the unlisted number.

He let it ring three times, then hung up. Waited. Dialed again.

Six times in total.

Afterward, he deleted every record of the calls and crouched by the railing. He didn’t have to wait long. Barely five minutes passed before a shadow dropped silently onto the balcony.

The first thing he saw was a pair of immaculate black shoes, not a speck of dust upon them.

When Uichan looked up, the man straightened, landing lightly inside the balcony. The backlight outlined his sharp frame, each movement deliberate, soundless.

Draped in a long, black coat like a scholar’s robe—
stood Hyde.