The situation had spiraled out of control.

It seemed that they no longer even tried to hide the fact that they were connected to the current government, as if they were really going to do it now.

The center, which had been duped by the trap set by the enemies, began to be cursed by all sorts of media.

That wasn’t something to worry about, but the most troubling issue right now was the manpower shortage.

The opposing organization, which had now declared an all-out war, began to increase the number of terrorist attacks they set off in the city.

In the past, all thirteen members of the center could have worked day and night, giving up sleep, but now the problem was that public opinion was not favorable to them.

As minor inconveniences grew, the progress of work slowed down.

So even Jihwan, the center chief who mainly oversaw management and administrative work, had to step out into the field.

At the same time, he began to worry about how to protect the safety of two civilians who had been unintentionally involved in their work and were currently facing the greatest threat to their security.

Given the situation, it was no longer possible for team leader-level Seo Heewon to be in charge of personal security as before.

Moreover, even her mother was being secretly guarded, but as they were busy dealing with the rampant terrorist attacks in the metropolitan area, they were increasingly lacking the physical time to guard them.

‘Do it somehow.’

Seo Junghwan, the chairman who was his elder brother and the father of the two heroes, and the backbone of the countless funds pouring into the center, heard a brief summary of the situation and firmly urged.

‘If the wife and children go the same way as Chairman Yoon did, who will talk about justice in the future?’

It was a long piece of advice from his brother, who rarely spoke, if at all.

The urging of the financial sponsor to protect the mother and daughter at all costs could not be ignored.

Besides, even without his words, Jihwan believed that he should protect the surviving Yoon family.

He felt it was the least he could do for Chairman Yoon, who had faced the dark truth that everyone had turned away from and tried to set things right.

Until the daughter of Chairman Yoon turned twenty-five.

And even more so after finding out the plan of those bastards who were going to make her mother live one more year while missing her dead daughter, and then kill her in an accident.

Even the determination to kill them was evident in that schedule, which was reportedly personally arranged by their leader.

It was a glimpse into how much anger they had towards Chairman Yoon.

It was absurd for mere humans to act like gods and set the time for someone to die.

Preventing that was his job as the center chief, so Jihwan stepped out himself for the first time in a long time.

There was a bit of personal desire to meet her in person, too.

He was quite curious about what kind of person his good-for-nothing nephew, who was no different from a villain except for his external abilities, was head over heels for.

Moreover, Yoon Naeun, whom the two youngest troublemakers at the center sincerely cherished as a friend and even his youngest nephew who had recently joined gave good reviews about, genuinely piqued Jihwan’s interest.

The result was more ordinary than expected.

The girl with a cute impression, round eyes, and bobbed hair that fluttered was flustered and at a loss as soon as he revealed his identity, but soon followed him without any suspicion.

Thanks to that, it was easy to take her to the accommodation provided by the center where his nephews were currently staying.

Although he was a bit flustered by her defenselessness in getting into his car without any doubt.

Wasn’t she said to be quick-witted and smart?

Since his older nephew had made a similar judgment even before he liked that child, Jihwan, who had no idea she would be so innocent, laughed inwardly.

If he had been a villain, she would have been a dead girl today.

Still, he didn’t dislike the sparkling eyes looking at him, and the conversation with her throughout the journey was smooth.

Naeun, who expressed her liking without hiding it while maintaining an appropriate distance, definitely left a good impression on Jihwan.

It was also because her sincere hospitality, which she showed while single-handedly erasing the whiteboard filled with curses about them, seemed quite lovely.

Before long, the car arrived at the accommodation, and as Naeun climbed the stairs leading to the entrance first, he was a little flustered to see her smile at his question of whether she had been here before.

She awkwardly smiled and avoided his gaze at the question.

It was an affirmative attitude, but she seemed to have doubts herself about whether it was okay to answer that she had been here before.

Even though this guy was outside, how could he bring a girl to the accommodation provided by the center? While preparing to pour out a bucket of curses later, Jihwan maintained a relaxed appearance in front of her, pretending not to mind.

As soon as they entered the accommodation, Jihwan watched Naeun with a smile as she couldn’t hide her surprised look upon seeing her friends and his nephews.

As soon as she saw Seungjoo and Sunjin in the living room, she ran to them and hugged them.

With an adult’s composure, he leisurely watched from behind as Naeun hugged her friends, asked about their well-being, and exchanged greetings.

After briefly asking about the well-being of the other three, except for Heewon whom she saw relatively often, Naeun habitually scanned their bodies from head to toe with her gaze.

He felt a bit bitter about how she seemed quite used to instinctively checking if they were injured anywhere.

After settling the chaotic surroundings and having her sit on the living room sofa, Jihwan slowly informed her of the current situation.

Of course, only the very essential things were selected, excluding what she, as a civilian, shouldn’t know.

Unlike when she first saw him and was flustered, fidgeting her feet, her expression as she sat across from him on the sofa and listened to his story without interrupting even once was very composed.

The cheeky demeanor when she first met him and didn’t know what to do was nowhere to be seen.

Even when he indirectly informed her that her life was currently being threatened, she showed no sign of surprise, perhaps because she already knew.

She simply had indifferent eyes that seemed to bear the fate given to her, showing signs of having gone through storms that didn’t match her age.

After listening to Jihwan’s story to the end, Naeun took a moment to organize her thoughts and then opened her mouth.

“…In conclusion, since it’s difficult for me and my mom to receive protection like you’re doing now, we need to stay at the place you provide for the time being, right?”

Naeun smiled as she accurately pointed out the request he had politely phrased.

“I’ll clean up with my mom and come down next week. You said Jeju Island, right?”

Clearly, he had heard that she was a busy girl.

She studied, ran several private lessons, and must have had a packed personal schedule.

Her mother ran a company, so she would be much busier.

Jihwan was momentarily at a loss for words at Naeun, who said she would settle all of that and go down to Jeju Island without a second thought.

“…Will it be okay?”

It was embarrassing to tell her to do it and then ask if it was okay when she said she would, giving and taking away.

But he couldn’t help but ask.

Naeun nodded with a carefree smile.

“I can persuade my mom.”

“I can’t tell her the truth.”

“Yes. Don’t worry. I can make up an excuse.”

Naeun nodded confidently.

Among the four heroes who were listening to the entire conversation next to them, Seungjoo, who had his arm over the back of the sofa, asked.

“What will you tell your mother? It’s at least a month.”

There was a relatively safe base of the center in Jeju Island, and she had to stay there for more than a month.

It was a big deal for an ordinary person to leave all their livelihoods behind and go.

“I’ll go back to the psychiatrist I used to go to and get counseling. If I show her the receipt for the treatment and tell her I’m having a hard time these days and want to rest, my mom will even tell me to live in Jeju Island.”

It was the confidence that only those who were sure of being loved could have.

Jaewon, who learned for the first time that Naeun had been to a psychiatrist because she was having a hard time, was surprised and rolled his eyes.

Still, he was quick-witted enough not to ask anything and kept his mouth shut, and Sunjin looked at him approvingly from the side.

Meanwhile, Jihwan, who felt sorry for Naeun, who was suffering and having her life threatened by being unintentionally involved, said kindly.

“The school starts in March, right? I promise. I’ll solve everything by then.”

“It’s okay even if you can’t solve it by then.”

Naeun shook her head quite maturely, smiling at his promise tinged with guilt.

“I know that everything you’re doing for me and my mom is not taken for granted.”

She smiled with a solemn face.

“Thank you for protecting us.”

“……”

As someone with a long career, he had received more thanks from civilians than any hero here.

But the pure white face that looked so mature, as if she could overcome the tragedy given to her on her own, without a hint of resentment towards the heroes who couldn’t completely protect her, made him feel strange.

How could he close his eyes leaving behind such a daughter?

Thinking of Chairman Yoon, who had passed away three years ago, Jihwan secretly muttered to himself.

Chairman Yoon Seokhoon, whom he had met once or twice in passing through his brother, was a man with a righteous and kind impression like a scholar.

He was actually like that, too.

“We’re done talking, right? Let’s go. I’ll take you home.”

The one who broke the silence that had settled in the living room for a moment was his damn older nephew.

He seemed to have become impatient because he wouldn’t be able to stick closely to Yoon Naeun and guard her like he was doing now, as he would be busy from now on.

He quickly approached the sofa where Naeun was sitting and urged her to get up.

Look at that obvious motive. Jihwan narrowed his eyes.

It was obvious at a glance that he was making the first move in case the other guys offered to take her home.

But it seemed Naeun didn’t see through the obvious trick.

She naturally got up and stood next to Heewon.

Jihwan suddenly tilted his head at how natural they looked together.

He knew they had been sticking together a lot these days, but wasn’t it a bit… too natural? The instinct of a hero with extraordinary experience was terrifyingly sharp, so he examined the two with a keen gaze.

Before long, Naeun was standing in front of the front door after saying goodbye to her friends and Jaewon, giving a kind final greeting to be careful not to get hurt even though she knew they were busy.

It was the moment when she was about to step out following Heewon.

Jihwan was a little startled to see Naeun, who seemed to have firmly made up her mind about something, turn her body and walk back towards him.

And he made a bit of resolution as he met her serious-looking eyes.

He didn’t know what it was, but it seemed she was going to say something that shouldn’t be taken lightly.

“Why, did you forget something?”

At Jihwan’s kind question, Seungjoo made a vomiting gesture from behind.

It seemed disgusting to him that Jihwan, who didn’t hesitate to speak informally and even curse at them who were the same age, spoke politely to Naeun.

Ignoring Seungjoo’s reaction cleanly and looking at the person who was looking at him with a gentle gaze, Naeun took a small sigh, steeled herself, and said with determined eyes.

“I know it’s a very serious situation right now, and that’s why I know you’re busy and having a hard time.”

So I know it’s not the right mood. So I really tried to hold back. But… She closed her eyes tightly once and then opened them, as if she couldn’t hold back anymore.

“Could you give me just one autograph?”

“……”

A silence of a different meaning from before swept through the living room.

The eyes of the five heroes, except for Jihwan, no, perhaps including Jihwan, changed subtly as they looked at Naeun.

Even though she knew that, she didn’t give up and clenched both her fists.

He was the first hero. The first alphabet.

She might never see him again after today, but she really wanted to get the first hero’s autograph once before she died.

“If it’s too hard, even just one more handshake…”

Of course, if she succeeded, she had no intention of washing her hands today.

At her request, which felt even desperate, Seungjoo, who was standing at the back, lowered his head, covered his face with his hand, and muttered.

“…It’s really embarrassing for the first time in a long while.”

“……”

Since the shock of witnessing her friend’s unexpected clumsiness was the same, Sunjin, who was standing next to him, also turned her head to the side without saying anything, pretending not to see.

When a friend was embarrassing, it was best to pretend not to know.