11 Virtues A Hero's Civilian Friend Must Uphold (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 16
I never imagined the memorization skills I’d honed so obsessively throughout all three years of high school would one day be used to save the world.
Of course, Na Eun had absolutely no idea what this jumbled mess of English, numbers, and Hangul—utterly devoid of any discernible pattern—actually meant or why it was even necessary.
And she couldn’t even be sure if what she was doing right now truly counted as “saving the world.”
Still, believing that all heroes probably did similar kinds of things, she summoned her sharpest concentration since her third year of high school and committed to memory two full pages densely packed with encrypted codes.
Her short-term memory was second to none, and after roughly ten minutes of intense focus, she finally succeeded.
Since even the most advanced technology couldn’t scan information engraved in her mind, she left the VIP floor calmly and climbed into the car headed home.
All the way back home in the car, Na Eun kept silently repeating the information in her head, determined not to miss a single syllable.
The moment she stepped into her room upstairs, she found two uninvited guests already standing inside—despite never having unlocked or opened the door herself.
They must have slipped in through the window or found some other sneaky way in.
She’d clearly told them over comms that she’d deliver the intel once she got home, but she didn’t even want to ask how they’d managed to infiltrate the place faster than she could arrive by car.
Something more urgent demanded her attention.
Na Eun hurried to her drawer, grabbed any notebook she could find, and tore out a blank page.
Before Seung Joo or Hee Won could even speak, she pulled out a pen and immediately began writing down everything she’d memorized, line by line in exact order.
Short-term memory faded fast—speed was critical.
She was so rushed that she ignored the nearby table entirely, crouching on the floor and scribbling furiously onto the paper. The two heroes simply watched in silence, careful not to disturb her concentration.
After about twenty minutes, four blank sheets were completely filled.
“Phew….”
Thank goodness. She’d made it all the way through without forgetting anything.
With a sigh of relief, Na Eun set down her pen and leaned back against the bed.
Weakly, she handed the papers to Seung Joo, who quickly took them and said,
“Seriously, seriously, thank you, Na Eun.”
“…Just go already. You’re busy, right?”
Na Eun shook her head tiredly as she spoke, accompanied by another sigh.
Apparently confirming that, Seung Joo turned away without another word—and Hee Won did the same.
Now that a major hurdle had been cleared, Hee Won seemed relaxed again and tossed out his usual sly, teasing remark with that trademark smirk.
“I’m grateful too. Next time I get the chance, I’ll give you a proper, deep kiss.”
Too exhausted to retort, Na Eun simply raised her middle finger quietly.
Hee Won laughed again—at this, genuinely pleased.
As Na Eun stared blankly at their backs vanishing through the window—as if it were their natural exit—she suddenly remembered something and called out.
“Hey! Seung Joo Kwon, you’d better answer when I call!”
Seung Joo, halfway through the window, turned back and crinkled his eyes above his mask, nodding in acknowledgment.
Only after receiving that confirmation did Na Eun finally collapse onto her spot, drained from the day’s overwhelming events, and closed her eyes.
As sleep slowly pulled her under, she recalled anew the fourth item on her personal diary list:
The fourth virtue a civilian friend of a hero must uphold—
Though she hoped it would never happen, she must always be ready to help when needed.
[This is the timeline separator]What does it mean when an insignificant connection keeps colliding with you again and again?
[Sorry, the professor won’t end class. Can you wait just a little longer?]Around lunchtime, Na Eun sat on a bench near the student cafeteria waiting to eat with her boyfriend. Reading Jae Kyung’s message, she frowned.
She wasn’t upset about having to wait for him—it was the unexpected, unwelcome visitor who’d just happened to appear that bothered her.
“Who’s that?”
“Someone I know. Do you want to go in first?”
A man walking across campus with someone who clearly looked like his girlfriend immediately changed course toward Na Eun’s bench the moment he spotted her, without a hint of hesitation.
His companion, looking visibly disappointed, huffed and strode off in the opposite direction—but Hee Won didn’t seem to care at all.
She really wished he’d just pretended not to see her.
But ignoring someone who openly acknowledged her was difficult—especially when that person happened to be her lifesaver—so she gave a small nod in greeting.
Hee Won shoved his hands in his pockets and glanced around near Na Eun.
“Who are you waiting for?”
“My boyfriend.”
“Must be from the same school then. Please tell me you’re not even in the same department?”
Citing ancestral wisdom passed down for decades—that one should never date within the same department—he smoothly continued the conversation as if it were perfectly natural.
Na Eun was a little flabbergasted.
Since when had they been close enough for him to just start chatting like this? It seemed he’d developed some sense of familiarity after helping her a few days ago—but she didn’t particularly welcome it.
“Aren’t you worried your girlfriend from just now seemed upset? Shouldn’t you go after her?”
In short: Please leave me alone and go your own way.
But the kind of person who only ever hears what he wants to hear simply shrugged and offered yet another unexpected reply.
“She’s not my girlfriend.”
“What?”
Now Na Eun was genuinely confused. Just moments ago, she’d witnessed a pair clinging to each other so tightly it looked like they shared one body but two heads.
And now they weren’t even dating? Staring at him incredulously, Hee Won just shrugged again.
“You can hug someone even if you’re not dating.”
“…….”
“And plenty of other things are possible too.”
She wished she could buy new ears.
Na Eun bit her lip.
Feeling as though her ears had been dirtied, she irritably flicked at her ear with one hand and snapped,
“Can you just go away already?”
“That’s harsh. Don’t forget—I’m your senior.”
“We’re not even in the same department. What kind of senior?”
Na Eun turned her gaze away with an exasperated expression—and ground her teeth in frustration.
It had just dawned on her anew: this guy really did go to the same school as her.
It was unwanted knowledge she’d acquired while tutoring a student whose mother had insisted on it.
She still remembered Mrs. Kim’s face vividly, pressuring her right in front of Hee Won: “Since you go to the same school, treat him nicely and let him buy you meals sometimes.”
Of course, she’d tried not to be overly shocked by this accidental discovery—but she couldn’t help feeling bitter.
How could this guy possibly be as good at studying as she was?
She’d worked relentlessly, tooth and nail, all through high school just to get into her dream university—and now this guy, whom she found utterly unadmirable as a human being, was studying at the same place.
For the first time, Na Eun directed criticism toward her own university: clearly, they had no eye for character.
No matter how fiercely she raged against Korea’s education system—valuing grades over integrity—the harsh reality wouldn’t change.
Finally, her dislike for him poured out in sharp, arrow-like words.
“That’s exactly why your ex-girlfriend’s dad ended up hating you.”
“I do admit that was my fault.”
Hee Won chuckled awkwardly and readily admitted his mistake—the very incident where Congressman Kang’s dislike nearly ruined something important for him.
He was quick to own up when he messed up, at least.
While she grumbled inwardly and tried to look away, having nothing more to say, Hee Won spoke again.
“Next time you don’t have a boyfriend, let’s talk. I’ll treat you to a meal.”
“I don’t eat alone with guys.”
“It’s not like I’m hitting on you. It’s genuine gratitude.”
“…….”
His tone was still light, but for some reason, this time it felt like she didn’t need to brush him off.
Na Eun lifted her head and stared straight at Hee Won. After a few seconds of locked eyes, he smiled.
“What, do you really want to repay me in some other way?”
“I’ll just accept your gratitude. But seriously—I don’t eat alone with guys unless we’re dating.”
Brushing off his usual flirty banter as effortlessly as breathing, Na Eun simultaneously spotted a familiar figure approaching quickly in the distance—and her expression brightened.
“Jae Kyung!”
“Sorry I kept you waiting so long… Oh, hello.”
Jae Kyung, rushing over with his backpack slung haphazardly over one shoulder, apologized to Na Eun but then widened his eyes in surprise upon noticing Hee Won standing before the bench. His face lit up.
“We’ve met before, right?”
“Yeah, hi. So you’re our junior. Must be doing well in your studies.”
“Haha.”
Poor, poor Jae Kyung. He clearly had no idea about that guy’s dark personality—probably admired him blindly.
Knowing that Jae Kyung was a devoted fan of all heroes, including Hee Won, Na Eun could only look at her boyfriend with pity.
Whether he sensed her thoughts or not, Jae Kyung stepped forward cheerfully toward Hee Won and said,
“I’ve been carefully keeping the autograph you gave me.”
“Really? I gave that to your girlfriend—guess it ended up with you by accident.”
“So you’re a university student! And at the same school—what an honor.”
“Didn’t your girlfriend mention it?”
Hee Won raised an eyebrow slightly, shrugging in mild surprise.
“Then I bet you don’t even know she’s been tutoring my younger sibling.”
“Oh, really?”
Jae Kyung turned to Na Eun, hearing this for the first time.
Na Eun met his eyes and gave an awkward smile.
He knew she’d started tutoring—but that her student was this guy’s sibling was completely new information to him.
To smooth things over, Na Eun quickly stood up and linked arms with Jae Kyung.
“Sorry I didn’t tell you. I thought it’d be better if you didn’t know—after all, you know how it is. Getting tangled up with him never ends well.”
“Oh, you had to say that right to his face? That’s brutal.”
“Who was it that openly threatened to kill me if I spoke out of turn? And are you really okay with spreading your personal info everywhere like that? Can’t you be a little more careful?”
Na Eun scowled, turning her complaint toward Hee Won instead.
Hee Won, amused by her unexpected response, just smiled.
“I never expected you’d keep your mouth shut even from your boyfriend.”
“Do you have any idea how many years I’ve survived hanging out with Seung Joo and Seon Jin? If you want to live long, you learn to keep your mouth shut!”
“Typical—you’re sharp as ever.”
Jae Kyung nodded approvingly—but as he watched the two converse, his expression grew slightly complicated. He asked Na Eun,
“You two seem… kind of close now.”
Was it because he was a guy too? Or just naturally perceptive? Hee Won quietly chuckled inwardly, catching the faint irritation in Jae Kyung’s tone.
He instantly realized that Na Eun hadn’t told her boyfriend a single thing—neither about their encounter at the hotel nor the recent incident stealing the book from the VIP floor.
Her silence wasn’t just discretion—it was next-level secrecy.
He liked that.
For the first time, he found a civilian tied to his line of work not annoying at all—and rather enjoyed the feeling. With good timing, he gracefully excused himself.
“My lover’s waiting. I’ll head out first.”
“Weren’t you just saying she wasn’t your girlfriend?”
“Might as well give it a try starting today.”
When Na Eun gave him a look of disbelief, Hee Won casually waved and strolled off into the distance.
Shaking her head in renewed amazement—at his incomprehensible, carefree approach to relationships she neither understood nor wished to—Na Eun felt Jae Kyung take her hand.
She turned to look up at her boyfriend.
“Hungry? Let’s go eat.”
Meeting his gentle gaze and warm tone—as if nothing had happened—Na Eun answered without hesitation.
“Did it hurt your feelings that I never told you anything about him? I’m sorry.”
“…….”
“But I was worried you might get hurt if you found out unnecessarily…”
Right? In movies, regular people like us are always safer the less we know about these things.
Carefully, yet fully aware that she’d hurt his feelings, Na Eun tried to soothe him.
After all, if their roles were reversed—if Jae Kyung had kept secret his ongoing contact with another girl and never explained it—she certainly wouldn’t have been happy either.
And, though she hated to admit it, the fact that the other guy was that handsome would’ve made it even more irritating.
Wanting to avoid any misunderstanding, Jae Kyung looked down silently at Na Eun for a while as she honestly shared her feelings.
Then, just as Na Eun began to feel the grip of their clasped hands tighten slightly more than usual, he spoke.
“It’s okay. I understand.”
“No, you’re not okay.”
Na Eun shook her head at his textbook-perfect, picture-book response.
Jae Kyung blinked in surprise—she’d outright contradicted him.
Linking her arm with his again, she said,
“You’re clearly upset right now. Don’t say you’re fine when you’re not.”
“…….”
“I’m sorry for making you feel left out.”
As a gesture of apology, she quietly leaned her head against his shoulder—and he didn’t pull away.
After a brief moment of stiffness, he slowly raised his free hand and gently stroked her hair.
“Na Eun, how about a date at my place this weekend?”
“…Huh?”
Lulled by his faint cologne as she rested against him, Na Eun suddenly lifted her head.
Wait—what did he say?
“We never got to watch that movie you said you wanted to see last time. It just came out on a streaming service.”
“…….”
“Let’s watch it together at home. I’ll cook for you too.”
How about it?
Faced with her boyfriend’s innocent, clearly well-intentioned invitation—free of any hidden agenda—Na Eun froze for a moment, then gave an awkward nod.
“Y-yeah! Let’s do it!”
Male lead reborn without memories — but he still falls for her.
The person he finds displeasing in this life turns out to be his cherished wife-master in previous life…
Xie Zhi and Fang Xianxing who had known each other for less than three days through a blind date sat in the same car in front of the civil affairs bureau. They had a disagreement and failed to get married.
Xie Zhi immediately took out his phone, slid through his contacts, and randomly selected the next marriage candidate.
The woman snatched his phone and hung up. Looking at his phone wallpaper, she awkwardly changed the subject: “An ancient painting, eh? It looks pretty good, it’s just that the person in the painting looks a bit like me.”
When he heard this, he sarcastically mocked her for being so delusional, completely unaware that, the person in front of him was the reincarnation of Wen Ru, the famous prime minister of Yuan Shun whom he most admired…
The female CEO who doesn’t want to get married with a divorce agreement in hand × The male archaeological researcher who will only get married if he’s sure he can get divorced
Wow! Finally a glimpse of the Center Directors scolding >.<