Saving My Favorite in a Doomed World Chapter 101

—- 

 

▶ Incident Number G-891, warning confirmed for a total of 3 simultaneous Gate appearances. Heroes belonging to the GH Unit who have received this alarm, please move to your assigned locations immediately.

 

〇 Expected Locations: Gangnam-gu, Seocho-gu, Seodaemun-gu … [View Detailed Information] 

〇 Expected Grades: One A-rank, one B-rank, one B-rank 

〇 In the case of Seodaemun-gu, the A-rank Gate location, one SH1 Unit Hero has been automatically assigned.

 

—-

 

Upon receiving the alarm, Lee Suho headed straight for Seodaemun-gu.

 

The ones going with him were Ko Youngwoo and Chanyoung, Heroes belonging to the GH1 Unit.

 

– Do a good job.

 

– Suho, you can do it! Fighting!

 

While Yoo Hwashin was away, Lee Suho had officially become a member of the SH1 Unit. With the active support of Jeong Mueum and the recommendation of San Ihyeong, getting in itself had been easy.

 

“There are two A-ranks here. Why on earth did they have to bring a kid from the SH Unit?”

 

Ko Youngwoo scratched his head after getting out of the van. Lee Suho’s shoulders trembled in surprise at those words.

 

‘This is the first time I’ve come to a Gate without Hyung or Mueum.’

 

He had wondered if something would actually happen that required him to step up while they were away at the conference, but still.

 

“Ko Youngwoo, don’t talk like that. You don’t even know this friend’s abilities yet.”

 

The A-rank Hero Chanyoung, who was known as a model citizen Hero, spoke up.

 

“Aren’t you just showing more dislike because he’s in the same unit as the hero who humiliated you? Are you okay? The guy’s personality is a bit trash, right?” 

 

“Ah… T-That’s.” 

 

“Hey, I’ve already moved past all that. Besides, I told you I don’t even remember the match very well. I only found out because you told me. That that guy is a real crazy b*stard.” 

 

“Is that so?”

 

Lee Suho, who habitually gripped his pants pockets tightly, observed the two men in front of him. 

 

‘Their personalities r-really don’t look like they match at all.’

 

There was Ko Youngwoo, who looked intimidating with his rugged muscles, and in contrast, Chanyoung, who had a slim build and a calm impression with a beaming smile. Chanyoung rolled up his shirt sleeves and looked at Suho.

 

“Suho-ssi, you joined the unit right after receiving an S-rank evaluation this time, right? Have you completed all your training?” 

 

“Ah, t-to be honest… I’m still in the middle of receiving it.” 

 

“Is that so? ….Hmm, then why did they send you to an A-rank Gate?” 

 

“What else could it be? They probably just want us two to take care of it while the SH Unit kid gets the publicity for being amazing.”

 

Spit. Ko Youngwoo spat on the street.

 

Not even a single ant could be seen around them anymore. Since the alarm had sounded properly, the nearby citizens must have all evacuated. Of course, there were always one or two people everywhere who ignored the rules.

 

Ko Youngwoo shaded his eyes with his hand and scanned the surroundings.

 

“Is the Gate really opening here? If the alarm is wrong this time too, I’m going to tear the Association apart.” 

 

“It’s here. And if you tear the Association apart, you’re the one who loses your job, Ko Youngwoo.”

 

So there are times when Gates don’t open.

 

Lee Suho stood behind them with his mouth agape. His shadow occasionally tapped his ankle, but Lee Suho ignored it. Since it was a fellow that didn’t listen to his words anyway, he didn’t even want to answer it.

 

‘Since they said it was an S-rank ability, I thought I might be of some help to others.’

 

There was still nothing he knew how to do. Was stopping Cha Jaeha-ssi that day just a fluke?

 

Sigh. At that moment, as he bowed his head and sighed.

 

“Hey, kid!”

 

A man shouting in a deep voice suddenly emerged from within the shadow. A Gate had suddenly opened behind Lee Suho’s back.

 

“Shadow! Get out there and block this!”

 

Boom. A monster and a black shadow collided with a thunderous roar. The shadow’s body grew massive in an instant. It gradually became so bloated that it looked to be as high as the fifth floor of a nearby building. The monster that had just emerged from the Gate collapsed straight onto the ground.

 

Ko Youngwoo raised his foot high. The shadow’s foot went up high.

 

Ko Youngwoo’s foot kicked the ground hard. The shadow’s foot kicked the monster’s jaw hard.

 

Ko Youngwoo reached out his hand and grabbed the empty air. The shadow reached out its hand, grabbed the monster’s neck, and crushed it.

 

As green blood splattered everywhere in an instant, Chanyoung took out a handkerchief and wiped his cheek.

 

“Really. You handle things so without manners.”

 

Just then, a flying monster that had popped out of the same Gate lunged at Chanyoung. It looked like a bat but had three heads, and its teeth were sharp like a crocodile’s. Furthermore, it wasn’t just one, but five of them.

 

“If it’s an A-rank, we should open this area back up quickly even after the Gate is closed.”

 

Chanyoung put the handkerchief back into his pocket. As soon as he took out the gun he had hidden at his waist, Chanyoung’s gaze turned sharp.

 

“I have to handle this cleanly.”

 

Bang. Bang. Bang.

 

Something was fired, but they weren’t bullets. The monsters in the direction of the muzzle plummeted to the ground. Something was fired once again from the muzzle as he turned it.

 

Transparent bullets.

 

‘Is it air?’

 

In an instant, the five monsters fell and squirmed on the ground. The monsters had been cleanly pierced through their foreheads. Not even blood had splattered. Blood only poured out profusely from the gaping holes.

 

“Even if I handle things cleanly, there’s nobody who appreciates it!!”

 

Ko Youngwoo’s shadow moved according to Ko Youngwoo, who was stomping his feet in anger.

 

Monsters poured out of the Gate endlessly.

 

Every time they did, the shadow tore their bodies apart. Chanyoung, standing at a distance, took care of the monsters that were fast or flew up to avoid Ko Youngwoo’s shadow.

 

‘…I, I don’t even have anything to do.’ 

 

Lee Suho could only watch this situation blankly. He couldn’t see any gap to intervene at all.

 

‘…Amazing.’

 

From naturally helping each other to the way they used their abilities. They were all things Lee Suho couldn’t even dare to imitate. Especially Ko Youngwoo.

 

‘How does he use his shadow so freely? I-I still don’t know how to do anything.’

 

.

 

.

 

.

 

“Yes, the Seodaemun-gu A-rank Gate has been resolved. The Heroes on site are myself, Ko Youngwoo… and Lee Suho-ssi. Should we return as we are? …..Yes, understood.”

 

After tapping his in-ear twice, Chanyoung spoke.

 

“They said we can go back now. Do you each want to go separately, or wait for the van?” 

 

“I have business at the Association, so I’m going when the van comes.”

 

 “Okay, then. I have somewhere to go, so I’ll head out separately. What about you, Lee Suho-ssi?” 

 

“Yes? Ah, I….. I’ll go by the v-van.” 

 

Chanyoung, whose expression showed that Suho’s choice was unexpected, said he understood and offered a greeting.

 

“Next time, let’s meet after you’ve received your training and are in better shape. Since you’re an S-rank, you’ll become a much cooler Hero than us in no time.” 

 

“A.. Ah, yes!”

 

I-Is he an angel? Lee Suho nodded his head vigorously at the warm comfort.

 

“Tch. Look at him taking care of his image. That’s all just him saying you’re still lacking…To think something like this is an S-rank. Tsk.”

 

Ko Youngwoo, with his arms crossed, watched the scene with displeasure.

 

After Chanyoung left, Lee Suho waited endlessly for the van to arrive. Ko Youngwoo was doing push-ups beside him.

 

“E-Excuse me.”

 

Lee Suho plucked up his courage and spoke to him first.

 

“What.” 

 

“H-How do you handle your shadow so skillfully?” 

 

“You’re an S-rank. Why are you curious about that? You guys are beings of a much higher class than us.” 

 

“…B-Because I’m not like that. I feel like I’m only a hindrance to H-Hwashin Hyung. And it feels like I’m just holding Mueum back.”

 

Lee Suho’s voice trailed off. At that sight, Ko Youngwoo jumped up and circled around Lee Suho.

 

“What’s your ability?” 

 

“…Ah, i-it’s handling shadows.”

 

Ko Youngwoo came to a dead stop. After looking down at Lee Suho for a long time with a face that didn’t look very pleasant, Ko Youngwoo scratched the back of his neck and spoke.

 

“An S-rank with the same ability. How horrible.” 

 

“….I’m sorry.” 

 

“I don’t need that kind of apology. …Well, if that’s the reason, try building up some muscle.” 

 

“…Huh? Muscle? Why?” 

 

“What do you need to know for? Just do as you’re told. Haven’t you even learned that? When you’re receiving instruction, be formal and polite. This is why kids these days are a problem.”

 

Kkondae. The word he had heard from Mueum suddenly came to mind, but Lee Suho held it in. Even while grumbling, Ko Youngwoo gave him a few more pieces of advice.

 

The van arrived, and Ko Youngwoo stepped forward to get into the car first. Lee Suho, standing behind him, spoke in a loud voice.

 

“T-Thank you!!”

 

At that voice, Ko Youngwoo, who was getting into the car, stopped for a moment. After a short while, he grumbled with the back of his neck slightly flushed.

 

“…There’s no reason to hear that kind of thing from an S-rank.”

 

***

 

“Would you like something to drink?”

 

Hwashin rummaged through the meager hotel refrigerator. All that was in there was bottled water and green tea.

 

“A-Ah, no. I’m fine. But why did you suddenly bring me to the room like this….”

 

Thump, thump. Izawa Chisaki was sitting on the edge of the bed with a racing heart. Cha Jaeha was sitting across from her. Because he had been scowling even inside the Gate, she had only thought of him as a scary person, but—

 

– That guy is a bit reckless, please understand.

 

– Are you feeling alright?

 

– That ability was really helpful. You have a wonderful ability.

 

Seeing as he had said these things on the way here, he might be a good person.

 

Yoo Hwashin spoke up.

 

“Ah, about that.” 

 

Yoo Hwashin, taking a bottle of water out of the refrigerator, gestured with his chin toward Cha Jaeha.

 

“Because of him, there’s something I want to ask of you, Chisaki.” 

 

“Me?” 

 

“Cha Jaeha-ssi?”

 

The two asked simultaneously. Yoo Hwashin smiled broadly. With that bright smile, he sat down right next to Chisaki. At the close distance from sitting so tightly beside her, Izawa swallowed hard.

 

“Among Izawa Chisaki’s skills, isn’t there one related to ‘memory’?” 

 

“Ah, yes. There is. ….But was even that updated in the Association database?” 

 

“Yes. So I’d like to borrow that ability this time.”

 

Hwashin looked at Jaeha.

 

“Of course, only if he wants it himself.”

 

Cha Jaeha’s trauma was simultaneously important and unimportant in this novel.

 

That trauma,

 

It served as the foundation for his personality—wanting to protect others even through self-sacrifice. At the same time, it held him back and turned his reality into a gutter.

 

In the original work, Cha Jaeha eventually dies without ever knowing whether he killed his parents or not.

 

In the first place, there hadn’t even been an opportunity to know. Because the relationship between Izawa and Cha Jaeha had hardly been revealed.

 

But wouldn’t it be a little different now? If Izawa feels a sense of intimacy with Cha Jaeha, that skill should work well enough.

 

“Uh, that. Then, does Yoo Hwashin-ssi want to see Cha Jaeha-ssi’s past now? A-Ah, no. Does it mean you want to help Cha Jaeha-ssi see his past?” 

 

“That’s right.”

 

Upon hearing the answer, Izawa looked back and forth between the two men. It was to observe Cha Jaeha’s expression regarding that answer. Yoo Hwashin asked as he handed the opened water bottle to Cha Jaeha.

 

“What do you want to do, Cha Jaeha?”

 

The stage was set.

 

– You call that being nosy.

 

He also heard Riel’s indifferent nagging.

 

He knew. How terrifying it was to face a past one didn’t know.

 

It would be even more frightening if it were Cha Jaeha. Cha Jaeha still didn’t give any answer. He didn’t take the water either. Hwashin, getting up from his seat, stepped toward him. Standing right in front of him, Hwashin crouched down exactly as he was before Cha Jaeha.

 

“Don’t you want to see? The truth of that day. If you want to, you can find out.” 

 

“…..”

 

Hwashin looked up at him.

 

“You remember then, right? The monster that showed you that hallucination over and over again.”

 

Placing the completely opened bottled water at his feet, Hwashin continued his words. 

 

“You remember what I said back then too, right?” 

 

“….Why that.” 

 

“Trust me, this time too. Because I’ll make you think it was a choice you’ll never regret. If you really don’t want to trust me, at least trust yourself.”

 

That you really would have done such a thing. Do you really think that yourself, Cha Jaeha?