* * *
I loved heroes.
The ones who appeared in front of people suffering from the selfish acts of villains, who defeated evil and restored peace.
Even when they lost someone dear and fell into despair, they got back up and shined even brighter for those who believed in them.
I told myself that if I ever awakened, I would be like them.
I would use my power not for my own gain, but to save as many people as possible—to be a symbol of hope.
That was my childhood dream.
Of course, it was an impossible one.
The chance of awakening was less than 1% of the population.
And among those, only a select few were strong enough to work as Hunters—B-class or higher.
Wishing to be part of such a rare group was foolish.
I was average in every way. I wasn’t particularly smart, athletic, or artistic.
Just an ordinary boy.
The only thing people ever said about me was that I was a little mature for my age.
“But you don’t have to be an awakened to be a hero!”
As I grew older and learned more about reality, I adjusted my dream.
Yes, a small number of awakened people saved many lives.
But society was built on the efforts of regular people.
Even without powers, you could still help others. “Everyone who contributes to society is a hero,” wasn’t that what they said?
“As long as you have the heart to help others, you don’t need to awaken to be a hero.”
That became my second dream.
That dream was crushed when I was in sixth grade.
“Excuse me… can someone turn on the lights? It’s so dark, I can’t see anything.”
I knew people were around.
I could hear voices and movement.
But I couldn’t see anyone.
The world was pitch black. It felt like I was still trapped inside the gate.
“Hold on, let me take a look.”
A doctor approached, prying my eyes open wider.
But still, nothing.
Everything remained dark.
I wished they’d just turn on the lights already, but the adults only kept moving busily around me.
“Try moving your toes.”
“My toes? Like this?”
I did as I was told, and then… silence.
A moment later, I heard my mother burst into tears.
I didn’t understand why.
I wanted to ask, but I didn’t.
If my mom was struggling, then at least I had to stay strong.
“Hm… You just woke up, so this might be tough, but we need to run some tests. Can you do that?”
“Yes, doctor.”
The tests took a long time.
By the end, I was so exhausted I couldn’t move.
Eventually, I drifted into sleep.
When I woke up, the doctor was there, holding my hand tightly.
And then he spoke.
“Jehee, listen carefully and try not to be too shocked. Okay?”
To put it simply, they said that poison had seeped into my body.
The inside of the gate that Taehwan and I were sucked into was filled with toxic fumes from the monsters.
I had spent an entire week in there without any protective gear, completely exposed to the poison.
And that poison had robbed my body of its functions—my eyesight and everything below my waist.
They would try to help me recover, but… as of now, there wasn’t much hope.
It wasn’t a huge shock.
After waking up, all I could see was darkness, and my mother kept breaking down in tears, so I had somewhat expected it.
“…I see. Thank you for telling me.”
“You really held on well. Seriously. An entire week inside the gate… even adults wouldn’t have survived. We’re all so relieved that you made it out alive.”
“……”
“You’re a miracle child. You’re amazing. Everyone is overjoyed that you came back.”
A miracle child.
Just like the doctor said, the news was calling me that too.
An ordinary civilian—just a child—who survived a full week trapped inside a gate.
Apparently, I was the only one.
That alone made my survival a symbol of hope.
After all, there were so many people who were sucked into gates and never rescued, left to be considered missing forever.
“To the families of the missing, you must seem like a hero.”
I wasn’t sure exactly who this doctor was, but they probably had no idea who I was before this incident.
I was never the type to visit the hospital.
The fact that a doctor I had never met was now calling me a “hero” was likely because my mother or someone else had told them to console me in that way.
How could I reject their kindness?
I simply answered, “Okay.”
“Oh, right. Taehwan. What about Taehwan?”
“Taehwan is…”
“I’m right here.”
A hand grabbed mine. It was noticeably smaller than the doctor’s, much warmer too.
And the familiar voice—it was definitely Taehwan.
I wasn’t sure how long he had been watching me, but feeling his hand reassured me.
I knew he had been rescued before me, but I couldn’t be certain.
The rescue team that first entered the gate found Taehwan and rushed him out immediately, so I worried that his condition might have been serious.
I traced his hand upward, feeling my way until I touched his soft cheek.
But it was wet.
Huh? Why was it wet?
As I wiped at it with my fingers and moved up further, I felt his long eyelashes.
That’s when I realized—the wetness on his cheek was from tears.
And those tears were still falling, dripping onto my hand.
Taehwan, who had always been so prideful, who never let me see him cry, even when we were younger.
“Why are you crying? Can’t you see either? Are you hurt?”
“N-No… I just…”
Taehwan took in a shaky breath, but he couldn’t calm down easily.
The hand holding mine trembled slightly.
“I’m fine. I didn’t get hurt anywhere… That’s why… That’s why…”
His voice was so quiet, I had to strain to hear it.
It wasn’t like him at all—Taehwan, who was always so confident, always shouting at me or getting angry over something.
“You’re okay! That’s a relief.”
Taehwan’s eyes were open.
He blinked normally.
He wasn’t lying down or sitting—he was standing.
He was breathing.
He was warm.
Even as I touched him here and there, he showed no signs of pain.
He really was okay.
Once I confirmed that, I couldn’t help but smile.
I was so relieved that I pulled him into a tight hug.
“I’m so glad… I kept thinking about you in there.”
“……”
“I have younger siblings, but you don’t. You’re an only child, so if something had happened to you, your parents would’ve been devastated. And… you’re smart and good at so many things…”
Unlike me, just an ordinary kid, Taehwan was exceptional in every way.
He was so athletic that people told him he should go pro.
He never lost the top spot in academics.
His memory and comprehension were outstanding—no matter how much time we spent studying together, he was always far ahead of me.
He even had a talent for music and art.
So really… he was much more of a hero than I could ever be.
“The doctor said I can’t be a hero anymore.”
“……”
“If I can’t do it… then you do it for me. I… now…”
“……”
“I can’t see, and I can’t walk… If the poison doesn’t leave my body, I might never be able to leave the hospital…”
I had held back so far, but as I said those words, I couldn’t stop the tears.
Even if I didn’t cry, the people around me kept crying.
If I cried, they’d cry even more, so I tried my best to hold it in.
But now, it was just Taehwan and me in the hospital room.
The adults had left to talk among themselves.
So I let myself cry.
But what bothered me was that Taehwan wasn’t saying anything.
He always hated seeing me cry.
Whenever I did, he would get annoyed, scolding me or telling me to stop being pathetic.
I tried to pull away and wipe my tears.
“Sorry. I’m… I’m okay. I really am. Just… I’m just a little upset…”
“Jehee.”
But he didn’t let go.
Stronger than I had held him, Taehwan wrapped his arms around me.
“I’ll take responsibility for you. No matter what it takes… I’ll make sure you’re happy.”
His embrace was so tight, it was almost hard to breathe—but because of that, it felt secure.
Taehwan’s body was always warmer than mine, making me feel, without a doubt, that I was being held.
And I liked that.
“I’m really sorry…”
Even when he once hurled insults at me, calling me a “fatherless beggar,” or when he pushed me down the stairs while fighting with a classmate—I had never heard an apology from him.
So why was he apologizing now?
I didn’t understand.
But at that moment, everything that had happened to me was overwhelming enough.
So instead of voicing my question, I just stayed silent and held onto Taehwan for a long time.
* * *
