Hero’s Child C4

Chapter 4

 

“There’s no prescription in these…”

 

An item that erases presence, huh? Must be nice to say things like that. People like me can’t even get noticed to begin with…

 

A gloomy thought crossed his mind as he recalled the blue-eyed foreigner who had handed him those thick-rimmed glasses with an equally melancholy tone. When worn, the glasses reduced Uichan’s presence by half — a “support gear” created by a perpetual failure from the Hero Support Department.

 

Hidden by the emergency exit, Uichan put the glasses back on and brushed the dust off his tuxedo, stepping out naturally as if nothing had happened.

 

Just as he began walking toward his assigned position, a massive shadow appeared around the corner without a sound, blocking his view. Startled, Uichan stepped back, and so did the other person — but they were already too close. Their bodies nearly collided when an arm caught him around the shoulders.

 

“Ah, my apologies.”

 

A cool, clean scent brushed past his nose. A low voice followed as strong arms steadied him. When Uichan looked up, he met eyes as green and calm as spring leaves.

 

“Good thing I caught you before you fell… ha, sorry about that.”

 

“Oh, no… it’s fine. I wasn’t watching where I was going. My fault, really.”

 

Of all people to bump into — why him? Uichan quickly dropped his gaze, afraid of drawing attention.

 

The man before him was huge — nearly twice his size — with soft, wavy light brown hair and gentle, rounded eyes. Despite his imposing build, his expression was mild and warm.

 

A very famous man. One of the Three Great Heroes of Korea, and the youngest ever to rank within the top ten worldwide — Noatis.

 

“Well, I suppose we were both careless. Let’s just call it even, shall we?”

 

As rumored, he was kind and polite to everyone. Thinking it best to apologize and leave before things escalated, Uichan simply nodded. As he tried to step away from the man’s hold, his hand brushed the wall, searching for support — but finding none, he swayed slightly to the side.

 

Noatis reached out again, catching him before he could stumble. In that moment, Uichan’s glasses slipped halfway down his nose. Seeing this, Noatis glanced around quickly and whispered,

 

“Quick, put them back on.”

 

Uichan hurriedly did as told, and Noatis exhaled in relief. For a brief moment, awkward silence lingered between them until Uichan spoke first.

 

“…Thank you. But, um, I really should be going now.”

 

He bent slightly to excuse himself, but a large arm blocked his path. Uichan looked up in confusion just as a big hand reached toward him — and brushed gently against his cheek.

 

“You feel warm… are you alright?”

 

“Huh? Oh, I… I’m fine. I’m always like this, really.”

 

“You’re always like this?”

 

Noatis’ brows furrowed slightly as he looked around. The hallway was quiet and empty; everyone else must have already gathered in the ballroom for the opening address. Uichan really should have been there by now too.

 

“Why not take a short break? The opening speech is happening anyway — you won’t miss much.”

 

So this is what they mean when they say he saves people even in dire moments, Uichan thought bitterly. Such excessive kindness — the kind that bordered on meddling. He gave Noatis a puzzled look, then bowed again, intending to slip past and return to his post.

 

Noatis tried a few more gentle suggestions, but when Uichan persistently declined, he gave a sheepish smile — and then acted without warning.

 

“Pardon me for this.”

 

“What—?”

 

Before he could finish, the man effortlessly lifted him up, slinging him over his shoulder like a sack. He strode through the hall with confident steps, smiling charmingly at anyone they passed. “He’s feeling a bit unwell,” he explained casually. His harmless expression disarmed everyone — no one would ever think to call it what it was: an abduction.

 

Crossing to the other side of the ballroom, Noatis opened a door to a private reception lounge. The interior was elegant and quiet, with plush furniture and polished floors. He set Uichan gently on the sofa and knelt in front of him, resting one arm on the armrest.

 

With no escape route in sight, Uichan’s eyes darted toward the half-open door.

 

“Why do you keep looking over there? Oh… the door?”

 

Perhaps he shouldn’t have — a breeze swept in, pushing the door closed with a quiet click. Now, all he could do was look at the man in front of him. Despite his towering physique, Noatis’s expression remained soft, even gentle.

 

“…Thank you for bringing me here, but I’m still on duty. I really should go back.”

 

“I’ll let them know. Just rest for a bit.”

 

“But… you’re assigned to external security, aren’t you? They’ll come looking for you.”

 

Besides, this was the first time they’d properly spoken. Sure, Uichan had seen him before — as Under Doom, during villain activity — but as a civilian? Never.

 

One of Noatis’s strong arms moved slightly, and Uichan instinctively clutched his glasses with both hands. The man chuckled softly, amused. It was as if he knew exactly what he wanted — and sure enough, his hand rose to touch the bridge of Uichan’s nose, deftly removing the glasses.

 

“This event’s hosted by Verta, you know. I only dropped in to give the opening remarks as one of the organizers — and to check on the security arrangements. So don’t worry too much. I can’t just leave someone who’s sick alone.”

 

“…You’re very… considerate.”

 

“It’s part of being a hero.”

 

Uichan was speechless. Maybe it’s because I’m a villain, he thought wryly, but I’ll never understand people like him. What kind of person removes someone from their job just because they “look sick”? And what about his day’s pay now?

 

As he debated whether to ask, Noatis scratched his cheek and said,

 

“By the way… you seem to know exactly where my post is?”

 

“……”

 

More than just “seem.” When Uichan was hired for this job, the first thing he’d checked was whether those three — the heroes — would attend. For the sake of his plan, he’d memorized not just their positions, but also their movement routes.

 

Noatis turned the glasses over in his hands, examining them.

 

“Where did you get these? You looked… blurrier when you had them on. But now…”

 

Before he could finish the thought, Uichan swiftly snatched the glasses back and put them on again. Yet even that didn’t stop Noatis; his hand brushed Uichan’s cheek once more as he gently removed them again. Even the act of taking them felt oddly polite.

 

“Well, that’s what glasses do, right? They change how someone looks. Make the eyes smaller, dull the impression…”

 

And indeed, whenever he wore them, people barely noticed him — he was nothing more than background noise, a passing face in the crowd. Perfect for staying hidden. Keeping a straight face, Uichan replied coolly,

 

“That’s normal for glasses.”

 

“Haha, I suppose you’ve forgotten who I am.”

 

“……”

 

He said it with a laugh, but Uichan couldn’t bring himself to smile. Noatis — heir to Verta Corporation. Everyone knew what that meant. Perhaps he’d already figured out the glasses’ peculiar nature.

 

“What agency are you from?”

 

“…Why do you ask?”

 

“Ah, sorry — that came out wrong. I just need to inform the supervisors to take you off rotation, that’s all. You’ll still get paid, of course.”

 

“You probably wouldn’t know it.”

 

“I’m familiar with most hero offices. Try me.”

 

Uichan hesitated. It wouldn’t really matter if he told the truth, but he didn’t like the idea of being remembered by this man — being noticed by him.

 

Though he’d encountered Noatis before as Under Doom, the man had always treated him with strange leniency. Toward other villains, Noatis showed no mercy. The inconsistency had always unsettled him.

 

But there was no way Noatis could recognize him now. Under Doom used a facial-disruption field — his real face was unknown to the world.

 

Besides, in his civilian life, Ha Uichan’s presence was as plain as could be. With the glasses on, he blended perfectly into any crowd. Still, using a fake name or office might cause trouble later — and Noatis was known to be meticulous.

 

After a brief pause, Uichan answered truthfully.

 

“…Nonhier. Just a small agency.”

 

“Ah, I see… can’t say I’ve heard of it. I’ll inform the staff on my way out, then.”

 

The man smiled faintly. His elegantly curved eyes softened, and the corners of his lips lifted pleasantly. His light brown hair shimmered as he moved, revealing his green eyes — which brightened in color whenever he was in good spirits. On his right earlobe, three silver piercings glinted faintly.

 

Noatis. At just twenty years old, he was already a top-ranked hero, one of the pillars holding up Korea’s power. His real name — Min Noah.

 

He was the kind of man anyone would call beautiful — radiating warmth and sincerity, born under a star that seemed to love him. If anyone could be described as “heaven’s favorite child,” it was him.

 

“By the way, do you know any Support Heroes personally? Whose signature is this?”

 

Still examining the glasses, Noatis squinted at the small engraved signature inside the frame. Uichan, sensing that he was about to dismantle them, reached forward quickly and grabbed the glasses. Noatis let them go without resistance.

 

—