Hero’s Child C1

Chapter 1

 

PART 1

 

“You’re seven weeks pregnant.”

 

“……”

 

“They’re twins.”

 

Ha Uichan froze at the doctor’s calm words, his lips pressed together as silence filled the room. He couldn’t quite determine whether what he had just heard was real or a mistake. Doubting his own ears, he finally managed to speak after a moment.

 

“…Doctor. I’m a man.”

 

“Haha, Mr. Ha, it seems you’re not too familiar with how things work these days. Last year, the hero Jin Gichan from the Zinder League gave birth. I was the attending physician for him. That’s probably the same reason you’re here at a male obstetrics and gynecology hospital.”

 

The young doctor, rather composed for such a situation, spoke while looking at the data on his monitor instead of meeting Uichan’s bewildered gaze.

 

“Male pregnancies have occasionally been reported in academic journals since about a century ago. It’s not common, of course, but it’s not unheard of either. You just happen to be one of those extremely rare cases.”

 

“…Are you saying a man can get pregnant with twins?”

 

“Yes. If you look here, you can see two gestational sacs. They’re fraternal twins, meaning both eggs were fertilized separately. For men, the gestational cavity doesn’t expand as well, so you’ll need to apply warm compresses to your abdomen regularly. Relaxing the muscles will help the cavity expand faster. You must also be careful until about the fifteenth week. In particular, male patients should monitor carefully for any bleeding.”

 

As the doctor continued speaking smoothly, Ha Uichan unconsciously placed a hand on his lower abdomen. It was still firm and flat. Though lean in build, his body was defined with compact muscle — his abdomen no exception.

 

If his stomach is this firm… does that mean the baby won’t grow properly?

 

“Oh, and the male gestation period lasts a total of 385 days — roughly fifty-five weeks. It’s a bit longer than for women. About one year and three weeks, give or take. Since the gestational cavity forms later and men don’t absorb nutrients as efficiently as women do, fetal development tends to progress more slowly. So, make sure to eat well at every meal. And don’t forget to buy folic acid — it’s an essential supplement.”

 

“So you’re saying I’ll have to carry the baby inside me for over a year?”

 

“Yes, that’s right. For men, the belly doesn’t usually show much, but since you’re carrying twins, your abdomen will become quite prominent by full term.”

 

The doctor smiled faintly as he adjusted his glasses and handed over a sheet listing precautions. With a dazed expression, Uichan accepted it and looked down at the ultrasound image. Seeing the small bean-sized dots nestled inside the circular sac, his fingers unconsciously tightened around the paper.

 

It was a strange feeling. Something welled up in his chest — perhaps awe, perhaps fear, or something in between.

 

“Um… do you happen to know who the father of the babies is?”

 

“……”

 

“I’m sorry to mention this, but under current law, both biological parents with abilities must give consent for the birth to be officially registered. It’s due to the child’s potential powers — we need to know what kind of ability they might be born with. I know this must be difficult, but please try to speak with the father, Mr. Ha.”

 

That was the problem — the father. Or rather, the fathers of these twins.

 

Ha Uichan hadn’t dated anyone in years. His views on relationships were almost old-fashioned in their purity. Even when he did meet someone, it would take over two weeks before he’d even hold hands, and he’d never gone further than that.

 

But recently, he had broken that principle. Two months ago, while working as a security agent at a charity gala, something had happened. He’d ended up spending the night with someone. But coincidentally…

 

“…Is it possible that the twins could have different fathers?”

 

“Haha, that’s absurd — wait, what?”

 

The doctor, who had been chuckling, abruptly froze, his expression hardening. Behind his glasses, his eyes widened in disbelief as his brows furrowed in confusion.

 

“The fathers… could be different?”

 

The doctor awkwardly adjusted his chair and sat forward. He ran a hand down his face and flipped through the charts for no real reason. But clearly, this was an important matter.

 

That night, Ha Uichan had slept with three people. Three, on the same day, at the same time.

 

“Oh no… well, biologically speaking, it is possible. But… the fathers aren’t heroes, are they? Right? They’re not, are they?”

 

“…I think they are.”

 

“If they’re heroes, then this… oh no, what are we going to do?”

 

“Would I really know how to answer that?”

 

“I mean, I’m just saying — there have been cases like this, though very few. For ordinary humans, the odds are almost nonexistent, but heroes have genetically enhanced structures, so it’s technically possible. Still… we won’t know for sure until the babies are born.”

 

Both the doctor’s and Uichan’s gazes fell to his flat abdomen. Silence settled thickly over the room. Watching the doctor’s expression shift from disbelief to discomfort, Uichan felt utterly exhausted.

 

He would have to tell them eventually. But as the saying goes, one mountain after another — and what awaited Ha Uichan was not just the challenge of carrying twins with different fathers, but something far more complicated.

 

And the reason was simple.

 

…I’m a villain.

 

Ha Uichan was a villain. Of course, people wouldn’t recognize his name or face since he kept his identity hidden, but that didn’t change the fact — Ha Uichan was, without question, a villain.

 

And the fathers of these children — or rather, these twins — were famous heroes, known to everyone by name and face alike.

 

A villain carrying the children of heroes? The very thought of how the world would react made Uichan press a tired hand to his forehead.

 

“For now, let’s take things one step at a time, Mr. Ha. Try not to stress and focus on resting.”

 

The doctor reminded him of the precautions once more, recommended essential supplements, and even clenched his fist in a gesture of encouragement as Uichan stood to leave.

 

Walking down the hospital corridor, Uichan absently brushed his hand over his still-flat stomach. Feeling its firmness, he sighed deeply when he noticed people whispering in the waiting area.

 

“Folic acid, right…”

 

And with that, he crossed the hallway with steady, composed steps.

 

 

—

 

It’s known that supernatural abilities began appearing in humanity about four centuries ago. Initially observed among the nobility, they gradually spread to the common people — and from that point on, both heroes and villains emerged.

 

Those who used their abilities to protect society were called heroes. Those who disrupted it — villains. Through generations of inherited power and corruption, heroes and villains became two opposing forces, locked in perpetual conflict for control over peace and order.

 

Among them existed a particularly infamous group of villains — the ones who brought true chaos upon the world. They were called In the Hell.

 

Though only five members were publicly known, the total bounty on their heads exceeded 57.8 billion won.

 

Their crimes were as grand as the heroes’ achievements, and within the villain world, they were worshipped as near-divine beings.

 

Among them, the thief Killer Keel was said to “steal the intangible.” His focus wasn’t on material goods but on events — he’d hijack parties, performances, or ceremonies and turn them into unforgettable spectacles of terror.

 

In the Hell was notoriously individualistic. The puppet master Mother Ship and the dual-personality villain Jekyll Jack couldn’t stand each other — whenever they met on the same scene, they would scream and immediately start brawling.

 

But there was one person they all, without exception, protected and adored.

 

People called him the “Defective Villain.” Despite being part of In the Hell, everything he did was clumsy and unimpressive — so much so that even onlookers couldn’t help but feel pity watching him.

 

He was the youngest member of In the Hell. His name — Under Doom.

 

Even Turn Hyde, said to be the strongest among them, treated Under Doom with special care.

 

Anyone foolish enough to touch Under Doom would end up paying dearly. Heroes who tried usually met gruesome ends, their limbs torn apart in agony. Even notorious villains who crossed the line vanished without a trace.

 

The obsessive protectiveness of In the Hell over Under Doom was nothing new — people had long since accepted it as fact. But then, an incident occurred.

 

Three of South Korea’s top heroes, known as the “Three Great Mountains,” had provoked him.

 

And instead of killing him, they had toyed with him briefly before deciding he wasn’t a threat and letting him go.

 

Everyone expected disaster to follow. People held their breath, certain that In the Hell would retaliate and that Seoul would soon become a battlefield of destruction.

 

But strangely enough, that didn’t happen. While In the Hell quietly shielded Under Doom from the public eye, the ones who lost their sanity were the three heroes.

 

They scoured the entire country in a frenzy, desperate to find Under Doom. Rumors said they even checked inside alleyway trash bins.

 

After more than a month of searching, curiosity spread — what on earth had happened between Under Doom and those heroes?

 

No one knew. And no one could possibly imagine.

 

Because the truth was, Under Doom — Ha Uichan — was now sitting in an obstetrician’s office, hearing the words:

 

“You’re seven weeks pregnant.”

 

 

—