11 Virtues A Hero's Civilian Friend Must Uphold (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 7
Final year of high school—the last internal exams are a blood-draining battle.
Besides, just thinking about the upcoming college entrance exam makes your stomach ache, so the awkward tension from earlier vanished into the heat of studying as if it had never existed.
Na Eun, redoing the mock exam problems her teacher had told them to review, collapsed in despair onto her desk.
“What on earth made me confident enough to choose physics…?”
She felt like traveling back in time to give her sophomore-year self a good pinch on the cheek.
Jae Kyung, also working through the mock exam, smiled and said,
“At least it’s interesting, right?”
“It’s not fun anymore.”
And honestly, she now wondered what good all these physics laws were anyway.
Ever since she’d actually seen beings who fly through the sky and support buildings with their hands, all these countless laws of physics felt utterly meaningless.
All of this can be broken. Gravity? They just ignore that stuff.
Thinking of the two friends she sees every day at school, Na Eun grumbled, and Jae Kyung asked with a curious tone,
“Don’t your friends react at all?”
“What kind of reaction?”
“Now that you know.”
Since what they’d pretended not to know was now openly revealed, he was asking how her friends had reacted.
Na Eun hesitated before speaking.
“…Not really. Maybe when you’re too close, stuff like that just doesn’t matter.”
As if it wasn’t even surprising anymore. His friend’s indifferent response made Jae Kyung press further.
“Aren’t you even curious? Like how they got those abilities, what kinds of powers they usually have, stuff like that?”
“The news shows it every day—it’s nothing new.”
“Hmm…”
Jae Kyung seemed genuinely interested in them, probably because he greatly admired those who guarded citizens day and night without rest.
Na Eun grasped Jae Kyung’s hands—both of hers clasping the one holding a pen—and pleaded,
“Jae Kyung, didn’t I already tell you? We’re not supposed to be curious about that kind of thing!”
It’s the first step toward an early death! Don’t go setting off pointless death flags! Her tone sounded just like a mother scolding her young son, and Jae Kyung laughed.
“Is that so?”
“That’s exactly how it is.”
Of course, if anything ever happened, I’d protect you myself! At her resolute tone, Jae Kyung rested his chin in his hand and stared straight at her.
“Isn’t that something I should be saying?”
“It’s my responsibility because you got dragged into this because of me. No matter what happens, I’ll definitely protect you.”
She didn’t regret becoming friends with those kids.
But if, by any slim chance, something terrible happened and both she and Jae Kyung ended up in danger, Na Eun vowed she’d do anything to keep him safe.
After all, Jae Kyung had absolutely nothing to do with it—he’d only gotten involved because of her.
“…”
Jae Kyung silently gazed at his girlfriend, who held his hand tightly in both of hers and looked at him with serious eyes.
Soon, his eyes softened into a gentle curve—close enough that Na Eun could clearly see it.
“…Thank you.”
“…”
Ah.
Here it was again—that same stillness from earlier.
The natural atmosphere was instantly swallowed by awkwardness.
What should I do?
What do I do?
Na Eun hesitated for just a moment before gathering her courage.
She leaned forward across the desks facing each other.
The fleeting touch against his cheek startled Jae Kyung, freezing him momentarily.
His expressionless face somehow frightened her, so she ducked her head, cheeks flushed red.
There was no taking back what had already been done; all that remained was to wait for Jae Kyung’s reaction.
A fragile thread of hope peeked into her chest—but soon faded away.
“Finished all the problems? Here’s the answer key.”
Jae Kyung casually changed the subject as if nothing had happened, and Na Eun nearly cried inside for just a moment.
[This is the timeline separator]– How to kiss your boyfriend.
– Been dating your boyfriend for a year.
– It’s been a year—what about physical affection?
– What does it mean if you’re dating but haven’t kissed?
“Sigh…”
With final exams looming, the precious self-study period provided by school.
Under normal circumstances, she should be intensely reviewing predicted problem sets, but since last weekend, Na Eun had been slightly out of sorts.
After secretly searching her phone here and there, she finally found her own behavior so pitiful she collapsed face-first onto her desk.
That’s right—they still hadn’t kissed. Not even once, despite dating for over a year.
At first, it had actually been fine.
It was her first-ever relationship, and physical contact of that sort felt burdensome, so Jae Kyung’s reserved attitude had even seemed cooler to her.
But after nearly half a year with nothing beyond holding hands and hugging, her boyfriend started feeling frustratingly distant—and now, a year in, she even felt a bit hurt.
Am I the only one wanting this?
A slightly gloomy feeling crept in.
It’s only natural to feel fluttery just being near someone you like.
Every time she saw those countless movie and drama scenes, her fantasy about a first kiss kept growing—but in reality, there’d been no progress at all.
Her friends probably assumed she’d already kissed by now, but she’d never been able to admit—out of sheer embarrassment—that she hadn’t even tried once.
It’s been a whole year! In Western dramas, a relationship this long would’ve caused a full-blown crisis by now.
It was only because she was Korean—and steeped in Confucian values to her bones—that she could settle for this level of disappointment.
Otherwise, I’d look like some desperate girl obsessed with kissing.
Though she genuinely was obsessed, Na Eun refused to admit it and just kept sighing deeply into her desk—until suddenly,
“What’s this?”
Huh? Had self-study time already ended?
Na Eun looked up to find Seung Joo standing beside her desk.
Her eyes widened in horror—Seung Joo was holding the phone Na Eun had tossed onto her desk in frustration.
Since they were so close, Seung Joo already knew each other’s phone passwords by heart; she unlocked it immediately and frowned at the screen.
Na Eun desperately flailed her arms to snatch her phone back, but unfortunately, it was useless against someone whose strength surpassed that of a normal human.
Seung Joo easily restrained Na Eun’s arm, dodged her attempts, and began flipping through the screen—her lips slowly curling upward.
Na Eun sincerely wanted to die.
“Seung Joo…”
Had she ever called her name this desperately since they became friends?
Sadly, her pitiful, tearful plea didn’t reach Seung Joo’s heart.
“Seon Jin Lee!”
Seung Joo loudly called out to Seon Jin, who had been playing a mobile game with another friend outside the classroom.
Now not only Seon Jin but everyone else in the classroom turned their eyes toward Seung Joo and Na Eun.
Kyaaah! Kyaah!
Na Eun shrieked as if a bomb had just dropped, while Seon Jin, unable to hide her twitching lips, called out cheerfully,
“Come look what Yoon Na Eun searched for!”
“Kyaaaaah!”
Seung Joo, please! I’m sorry!
Despite Na Eun’s desperate struggle—clutching Seung Joo’s neck and trying to cover her mouth—the world’s most mischievous hero refused to listen.
Seon Jin, eyes gleaming like a hyena that had spotted prey, immediately dropped her game and rushed over.
If there’s a God, please help me.
Na Eun prayed sincerely in her heart—but sadly, her prayer never reached the heavens.
[This is the timeline separator]“—So, you really haven’t done it even once?”
After dating for a whole year? At Seon Jin’s incredulous question, Na Eun nodded gloomily.
After school, before heading to their academies, the three of them had gathered in a quiet corner with few passersby to discuss today’s biggest issue.
At Na Eun’s unintended confession, blunt Seung Joo—never one for sugarcoating—threw a direct pitch.
“Does he not like you?”
“…”
“No way. You saw how his eyes drip honey for you, right?”
Though she rarely saw her friend’s boyfriend, Seon Jin remembered their occasional encounters well enough to reject the idea.
But Na Eun herself didn’t deny it—instead, she just squeezed her hamburger harder and harder.
“Didn’t you once cry your eyes out in front of his school, begging him to take you back? Maybe he’s just tired of you since then?”
“Hey, stop it.”
Seon Jin shot a warning glance and elbowed Seung Joo’s side.
“…Maybe he’s only dating me out of pity.”
After all, it was always me who initiated holding hands or hugging, and Jae Kyung just went along.
Maybe he truly doesn’t like me—maybe that’s why he doesn’t want to touch me.
Watching Na Eun sink deeper into despair, Seon Jin quickly shoved her cola into Na Eun’s mouth.
Patting her as she automatically took a sip, Seon Jin reassured her,
“It’s not like that. If he really disliked you, he wouldn’t still be dating you. It’s probably just because we’re students—he’s being careful.”
“But he’s being way too careful.”
“Kwon Seung Joo, just shut up for once.”
Can’t you see her expression? At Seon Jin’s glare, Seung Joo just snorted and popped a fry into her mouth.
“If you’re so curious about what’s going on in his head, why don’t you just try it yourself?”
Try what? At Seon Jin’s question on Na Eun’s behalf, Seung Joo replied,
“Just go ahead and kiss him already.”
At the word “kiss,” Na Eun rolled her eyes.
“…I tried kissing his cheek, but he pretended not to notice.”
“Heh.”
“Wow, Yoon Na Eun, seriously.”
Both friends were openly shocked by Na Eun’s unexpectedly bold move.
They say even the meekest cat will jump onto the stove first.
Who’d have thought the most well-behaved of the three would pull something like this?
“You really like him that much?”
Seung Joo asked while sipping her cola, and Na Eun shot her a frustrated glare.
“Yes. I do.”
“Your answer says one thing, but your eyes are burning with anger right now.”
“…”
Well, that’s because I really am angry. Na Eun bit her lip tightly, no longer hiding her boiling frustration.
Why can’t he just accept it? All I want is something normal couples do! Is that really so hard?
“…I want to kiss him.”
“Whoa.”
“Look at her.”
For a brief moment, the two were amazed by Na Eun’s open declaration—
“I reeeally want to kiss him!”
“Crazy.”
“Oh my god.”
Na Eun’s sudden outburst nearly shook the burger joint apart, and the two heroes jumped up in alarm.
Seung Joo hastily clamped a hand over Na Eun’s mouth, while Seon Jin quickly scanned the area to see if anyone else was around.
Thankfully, the indoor space was empty besides them. Seon Jin let out a sigh of relief and gently gave Na Eun a light pinch on the head.
“She’s kind of crazy sometimes.”
“Kind of? This is way beyond ‘kind of.’”
Mmmph! Mmmph! Even as her friends scolded her, Na Eun kept struggling to pry Seung Joo’s hand away—until suddenly,
Beep—
An odd mechanical sound rang out, and both Seon Jin and Seung Joo immediately looked at their phones.
Noticing the change in their eyes at that unusual alert tone, Na Eun stopped struggling and picked up her cola from the table.
Feeling Seung Joo’s hand finally lift from her face, she pouted and declared,
“Go ahead. I’ll finish this and head to my academy.”
Just tell the teachers you both caught a cold—Na Eun smoothly prepared their excuse for skipping academy, completely unfazed.
She’d grown used to this scenario after countless repeats since freshman year.
Last week she’d used “family matters” as an excuse, so pretending to be sick was the most fitting choice today.
Ever since learning their secret, Na Eun had consistently offered this kind of discreet support—and now she urged them with a look that clearly said, “What are you waiting for? Go already.”
Though they both knew Na Eun understood everything now, the two still packed their bags sheepishly out of guilt.
After all, they knew very well how often they’d unintentionally left her behind like this during group meals.
Once, they’d even left her eating alone at a salad bar.
Because of that, she jokingly called herself a “solo dining master”—but they watched her with uneasy hearts nonetheless.
Whether or not she understood their situation, their guilt remained.
“In return, all your fries are mine.”
As Na Eun calmly moved Seung Joo and Seon Jin’s fries onto her own tray, both stayed silent—until
Beep—The alert chimed again, now clearly signaling they couldn’t delay any longer.
Seon Jin gave a nod to leave, and Seung Joo, forcing down her discomfort, turned to go—when suddenly,
“Oh, hey, you two.”
Both turned around simultaneously at Na Eun’s voice.
Then, she gave them a clear, bright smile—completely free of any trace of disappointment.
“Be careful and don’t get hurt.”
Actually, ever since I started pretending not to notice, I’ve always wanted to say those words whenever you left—and she smiled.
The two quietly gazed at her for a moment before smiling back.
“…Yeah, thanks.”
“We’ll be back.”
[This is the timeline separator]Na Eun coolly waved goodbye to her two friends, who left with uncharacteristically shy faces, then glanced around the now-empty space and pulled out her phone.
As she habitually took out her earphones and opened a video app to prepare for eating alone, she suddenly remembered the second virtue she, as a civilian friend of heroes, ought to uphold.
Second virtue:
Never feel hurt—even when suddenly left behind alone.
My Arch-enemy Sealed My Memory and Said That He is My Husband
This is an incredibly captivating story that you absolutely shouldn’t miss! I’ll give a brief introduction here, and below you’ll find a detailed synopsis of the plot.
The female lead is a fierce and powerful demon king. The male lead is a once-in-a-millennium celestial lord, admired by the entire cultivation world.
They are equally matched, legendary rivals who have battled for centuries.
In the final duel, the female lead is gravely injured. The male lead saves her, seals her memories, and hides her true identity. He tells her that he is her fiancé. His entire life has been flawless—except for the one thing he never expected, never controlled, and never wanted to control: falling for his greatest enemy. She is his inner demon, his obsession.
When the female lead regains her memories, she is furious at his deception.
She makes his life a living hell.
And somehow, the male lead—possibly a total masochist—doesn’t mind at all. In fact, he’s happy she’s paying attention to him.
Yep, we’re back to my favorite trope: male lead suffering. If you love this kind of story, jump into the pit with me now!!!
Intro
Dong Xia lost her memory.
Her handsome and extremely powerful fiancé Li Qing comforted her: “It’s okay if you can’t remember. I’ll always be with you.”
Everyone thought Dong Xia’s ancestors must have burned incense to get such a perfect fiancé. He was the number one person in the immortal realm, yet he remained chaste and only loved her.
…
The day before marrying her fiancé, Dong Xia finally remembered everything.
She wasn’t suffering from memory loss at all.
Her arch-enemy had made her fake her death, destroyed her cultivation, replaced her memories, and pretended to be her deeply in love fiancé.
No wonder he said, “It’s okay if you can’t remember”!
Dong Xia laughed coldly as she pulled out her long knife: Li Qing, prepare to die 🙂
*
Li Qing, as the supreme being of the immortal realm, was the people’s shining beacon.
The only unknown stain in his life was his affection for Dong Xia, the ruler of the demon realm.
In the final battle of the war between immortals and demons, the sky collapsed and the earth shattered. The ruler of the demon realm was finally slain under the sword of the supreme being of the immortal realm, and everyone in the immortal realm applauded.
The cultivation world lost a ruler of the demon realm.
And in the back mountain of Li Qing’s cave dwelling, he secretly hid away a fiancée.
Notes:
1. The female lead is white on the outside, black on the inside, and the queen of flattery; the male lead repeatedly tests the edge of darkness, a VIP guest at the crematorium.
2. Fantasy cultivation world setting.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
Wow! Finally a glimpse of the Center Directors scolding >.<