11 Virtues A Hero's Civilian Friend Must Uphold - Chapter 60

The final exam period had ended. After successfully completing all her major exams and the last liberal arts subject, Na Eun left the lecture hall with a sense of satisfaction.

Hee Won, who now followed her like an appendage, stumbled along, tousling his flattened hair from oversleeping while letting out a long yawn.

Looking at him, still visibly drowsy, Na Eun shook her head.

“How can you sleep during exam time? You’re a peculiar specimen.”

“It’s quiet, isn’t it? There’s even the ASMR of pencils scratching. The desk height is just right. Exam time is the most suitable for a good nap.”

Na Eun sighed, recalling Hee Won openly sleeping face-down in the seat right next to her during the same exam.

She wondered if his back wasn’t burning from the professor’s fiery gaze.

She refrained from asking why he even bothered coming to take the exam, knowing the reason was herself.

Instead, she asked a different question.

“Are you planning to graduate?”

“Well…”

Though he was older and his mother had already threatened him to graduate quickly and join his father’s company, Hee Won was indifferent, as he could count on one hand the times he had properly listened to his parents in his life.

He figured he had his main occupation anyway, and had only come to university to give his mother less reason to fuss over him, so he didn’t particularly care whether he graduated or not.

After pondering for a moment, he turned to Na Eun.

“When are you planning to?”

“I’m aiming for next fall.”

Na Eun, who had never missed a class except for her leave of absence semester, blinked and answered promptly.

Hee Won inwardly resolved to put in a bit more effort to maintain his grades next semester.

Once Yoon Na Eun left school, there would truly be no reason for Hee Won to remain.

“That looks like Kwon Seung Joo over there.”

Instead of answering Na Eun’s question about what he was thinking, he pointed out a figure in the distance with his good eyesight.

Na Eun followed Hee Won’s gaze and was startled to discover her friend.

She scurried towards Seung Joo, who was standing blankly in the middle of her school campus.

“Hey! How did you get here?”

You didn’t say you were coming. Na Eun asked, not hiding her delight, but Seung Joo seemed quite flustered, apparently not expecting to run into her friend and team leader in this vast school.

She rolled her eyes for a moment before answering in a muffled voice.

“…To meet someone.”

“Huh? Who?”

Who could you be meeting at this school besides me… Oh. Na Eun tilted her head before deducing the answer and opening her mouth.

At the same time, one person from the crowd emerging from the building to their left ran towards them excitedly.

“Seung Joo! Sorry. Did you wait long?”

Na Eun stared blankly at Seok Hoon, who was panting with his shoulders heaving from running over. Hee Won’s gaze wasn’t much different.

Seung Joo gritted her teeth inwardly at being caught but deliberately tried to act nonchalant.

“…Oppa, did you have plans to meet Seung Joo today?”

Na Eun cautiously broke the silence, and Seok Hoon greeted her with a bright smile, seemingly unperturbed.

“Yeah. Na Eun, it’s been a while. Did your exams go well?”

“Yes. But with Seung Joo…”

“Ah, yes. You know there was a big accident at XX Church recently. The churches in Seoul are joining forces to hold a bazaar to raise funds for damage recovery. The church Seung Joo and I attend is participating, so we have a lot to discuss together.”

“Ah…”

That’s quite a plausible excuse.

Na Eun smiled sweetly as she looked at Seung Joo, who deliberately avoided her friend’s pleased gaze, reminiscent of a hyena that had found its prey.

Seok Hoon, being the youth group leader at church, seemed accustomed to taking charge in such matters, but Seung Joo, despite her deep faith, wasn’t usually one to be so actively involved in group activities.

Moreover, just the two of them? Meeting as a group at church would be one thing, but…

“You must be very busy.”

Na Eun said with a wide smile towards Seok Hoon, who simply smiled kindly, completely oblivious to the emotional exchange occurring between Na Eun and Seung Joo.

“Yeah. But since we’re doing it for a good cause, I’m trying to work hard.”

“I see.”

Na Eun nodded vigorously, implying, Oh yes, Seung Joo is very enthusiastic about these kinds of activities.

Having her budding romance exposed to two out of the three people she absolutely didn’t want to know, Seung Joo hastily grabbed Seok Hoon’s arm.

“We have a lot to do. Let’s go.”

“Oh, right! Na Eun, see you next time! …See you later!”

The kind-hearted Seok Hoon even greeted Hee Won, who was standing blankly next to Na Eun.

Hee Won responded with a small nod and a smirk, and as Na Eun watched Seok Hoon being led away like a fragile deer by Seung Joo, she burst into laughter.

Seung Joo, why are you leaving in such a hurry? …We’re busy. Let’s go quickly. Okay! But could you let go of my arm? It hurts. Oh, I’m sorry! I couldn’t control my strength… No, it’s fine.

Even as they moved away, parts of their whispered conversation could still be heard, deepening Na Eun’s laughter.

As soon as the two disappeared from sight, Na Eun immediately picked up her phone, as if she had been waiting for this moment.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m letting Sun Jin know!”

How could I not tell Sun Jin about this big news? She might get upset! Na Eun’s expression was full of mischief as her fingers moved rapidly across the screen, making Hee Won smile as well.

As expected, Sun Jin, upon receiving the news, went wild, and the two of them gushed over blessing Seung Joo’s love in the group messenger chat.

Of course, Seung Joo’s read receipt didn’t appear for a while. She probably thought ignoring it was her only way out.

After walking for a while with her phone in hand, Hee Won warned her to put it away.

He had been increasingly nagging about her bad habit of walking while looking at her phone.

Since he wasn’t wrong, she put the device in her bag without much resistance.

As they crossed the campus and descended to the underground parking where her car was parked, Na Eun suddenly asked, as if remembering something.

“Oh, right. Jae Won took the college entrance exam, didn’t he? How did it go?”

“…”

Oh no. I messed up. Na Eun closed her mouth, feeling awkward for asking something she shouldn’t have.

The exam was over, and she wanted to treat him to something nice, given the bond from tutoring and previous promises, but it seemed she had stirred up something unnecessary.

Noticing Na Eun glancing at him cautiously, Hee Won let out a small sigh and said,

“He couldn’t go take the exam.”

“What?”

Na Eun stopped in her tracks. She abruptly approached Hee Won, who was a few steps away, surprised.

“Why? What happened?”

If a South Korean high school student couldn’t take the college entrance exam, there must have been an extremely serious reason.

As Na Eun looked up at him with eyes full of concern, Hee Won exhaled deeply again instead of answering.

He was feeling intense fatigue from constantly having to worry about new issues when his mind was already full of concerns about Na Eun.

He remained silent for a moment, only rubbing his face, while Na Eun urged him, saying they should go see Jae Won instead of just standing here.

Hee Won stared into the distance for a moment. His head felt like it was about to explode from complexity.

There are only twelve superhumans officially affiliated with the Center, including the Center director.

Someone once joked about wondering where the thirteenth would pop up from, but even Hee Won never expected that person to be his own brother.

‘Hy, hyung. What should I do?’

On the morning of the college entrance exam, while on his way to school to take the test, he said he instinctively stepped forward when a traffic accident unfolded before his eyes.

Jae Won, who unknowingly blocked a truck rushing towards an elderly woman with one hand, called his brother instead of his parents as soon as the accident occurred.

It was natural since Hee Won had a stronger influence on him than his parents.

As soon as he heard the news, Hee Won first managed the accident, and while he was stunned by the sudden manifestation of his brother’s ability, he worried about his well-being first.

He reported to the Center, but unlike other heroes whose abilities had all manifested before the age of fifteen, they couldn’t just send his brother home when he was unable to control his newfound power.

Lying that he had taken the exam and using a graduation trip as an excuse, Hee Won first placed Jae Won in a separate accommodation provided by the Center where he was staying.

This was possible thanks to the protection of their father Jung Hwan and their uncle, the Center director.

But what good was it if only his body was fine? Jae Won’s already unstable psychology was further shaken by his suddenly changed state.

He struggled to accept the mind-blowing fact that his brother was the hero he had only seen on the news, and that he had now become the subject of that thirteenth spot.

The Center, of course, said that activity wasn’t mandatory, but in reality, it was common to join the Center in such circumstances.

Strength and stamina far beyond that of ordinary people, along with superpowers, were too much of a penalty to live normally, and moreover, an unwanted sense of responsibility often came with it, making it even harder.

Hee Won wanted to wait until his brother found stability, but the problem was that his anxiety symptoms were worsening.

He knew that Na Eun was the only one his brother viewed positively, and who could genuinely empathize and worry after hearing about his current state.

He had deliberately not mentioned it because it was difficult to make such a request when she was in a tough situation herself, but as soon as she heard the news, Na Eun insisted on going to see Jae Won.

Hee Won eventually chose to bring her to his accommodation for his brother’s sake, and when they arrived and entered the passcode, Jae Won inside was surprised to discover Na Eun.

He seemed to have been about to get some water, as he was holding a glass.

Unintentionally, Jae Won must have applied too much force. With a crash, the glass in his hand shattered, unable to withstand his grip.

Na Eun flinched as she witnessed the devastation of the cup upon entering the living room.

Hee Won, following behind, made Na Eun stop in her tracks for a moment.

“Don’t move. And don’t get too close to Seo Jae Won.”

Na Eun froze in confusion, and Hee Won said the same to Jae Won.

With Jae Won standing still as per his brother’s words, Hee Won cleaned up the shattered glass with cleaning tools.

“I, I’ll do it, hyung.”

Jae Won, feeling embarrassed that his brother had to clean up after the accident he caused, spoke up hastily, but Hee Won was firm.

“It’s fine. You’ll break the broom too.”

“…”

Jae Won, who had been breaking everything he touched lately due to his inability to control his newly manifested power, quietly closed his mouth.

Caught between the two brothers, Na Eun cautiously spoke up.

“Can I move now?”

“…Teacher. Have you been well?”

Jae Won also greeted Na Eun belatedly. Following Hee Won’s permission to move now, Na Eun carefully walked towards Jae Won.

She couldn’t shake hands due to Hee Won’s advice not to get too close, but Na Eun smiled warmly at Jae Won, who seemed to have grown taller again.

“I heard everything… Well, I’m not sure what to say.”

“…”

“Saying congratulations doesn’t seem right, but then again, it might not be something to not congratulate… If I were your real sister, I think I’d dislike it, and just be worried… That’s how it is.”

Na Eun spoke disjointedly, her words unorganized, with an awkward look.

She was a fan of all heroes, but being friends with Seung Joo and Sun Jin, she had to realize several times that being a close acquaintance of a hero was quite different.

She liked heroes. She thought they were amazing and sincerely respected their dedication.

…But she didn’t want the person she loved to be a hero.

Unable to shake off that selfish feeling, Na Eun couldn’t bring herself to tell Jae Won it was a good thing.

She could somewhat imagine the feelings of Hee Won standing next to Jae Won. No matter how estranged, brothers are brothers.

Moreover, as he directly did that work himself, he would know well how arduous it was.

So there was no way Hee Won would be pleased about his brother getting involved in this business.

“…Being a hero isn’t necessarily mandatory. Since it’s your choice, take your time to think about it.”

…Although she would prefer if he didn’t do it, Na Eun held back her words, feeling it would be presumptuous to say so when even his own brother wasn’t saying anything.

Jae Won, though looking gloomy, seemed comforted by Na Eun’s kind tone and bowed his head with a docile expression.

Knowing his brother who used to rebel silently with an expressionless face in front of Mrs. Kim, Hee Won laughed a little at seeing his brother act so meekly.

“Ah! Jae Won, you like sweet things, right? I brought this.”

Feeling it would be awkward to enter someone’s home empty-handed, Na Eun waved a cake box she had bought in front of Jae Won’s eyes.

Led by Na Eun, who cheerfully suggested they eat together, Jae Won shuffled towards the living room sofa.

Na Eun, who had even prepared coffee to go with it, placed the snacks in front of Jae Won first and gestured for him to eat quickly.

Hee Won had already brought forks from the kitchen, matching Na Eun’s pace.

Jae Won smiled, pleased that she was treating him like her own younger brother, and was about to pick up a fork to eat a piece of cake.

“Ah.”

Na Eun was momentarily at a loss for words as she witnessed the metal fork crumple pathetically right before her eyes.