Uichan felt that if he did not ask now, he never would. It took all the courage he had gathered through a sleepless night to finally speak.“If you happened to have a child without even knowing it yourself, Mr. Noa, what do you think you’d do?”Apparently, Noa hadn’t expected such a question. He stayed silent for a long time, leaning back against the bench, eyes lost somewhere in the air. Only when the wind brushed through the trees did he finally open his mouth.“Well… I’ve never really thought about that. It probably wouldn’t happen, but… let’s see. I suppose, right now, I’d say no. For heroes, children can be put in danger sometimes. Villains could target them. And right now, I think my duty as a hero comes before having children.”Without realizing it, Uichan’s hands clenched together tightly, his gaze sinking downward.“…Then maybe someday, would you want children?”“That’s such a faraway thing that I can’t say. It’s not that I dislike the idea, but… maybe I’m just not ready for it. And I’m, uh… the type who thinks that as long as I share my heart with someone, I don’t necessarily need a child. Sometimes, having a child can become a burden for that person.”On the surface, Noa seemed calm, but Uichan’s heart was pounding like a cart running downhill.“So, in other words, you don’t want any right now.”“Something like that. I don’t like seeing the person beside me struggle. If that were to happen, I’d rather leave it to the heavens. Well… though I can’t say the world ever goes the way I want.”“……”He had once wondered, Maybe... Maybe when he told the three fathers about the baby, even if they didn’t welcome it, they would at least respect his choice. After all, the pregnancy had been the result of all their mistakes.At the same time, there had been nights he couldn’t sleep, terrified that they might try to take the baby away. He had even decided that if it came to that, he would fight to the end—tell them that since he was the one carrying and raising the child, they had no right to interfere.But… today, he realized all of that had been just his own foolish dream.So Noa doesn’t want a child. Feeling embarrassed for no reason, Uichan scratched the end of his brow. Well, thinking about Noa’s age, it was too early for him anyway. He was still young and bright.And as Noa said, if it ever became known that one of the Three Great Heroes had a child, villains would target them endlessly. It was obvious. And yet, even so, Uichan’s chest burned as if scorched.Ah, then I can’t tell him about the baby.Condensation from the melting drink had soaked the cup holder. Uichan kept fiddling with the wet cardboard until Song Ojun suddenly threw open the window and shouted.Screech—Bang!“Uichan! We’ve got a job! You know Maengsoon from Grandma Sunja’s place next door? Granny went out to a meeting and forgot to feed her! Go give the cat something to eat! That rascal likes you best, so move it!”Maengsoon was the house cat Grandma Sunja raised. Whenever she couldn’t feed or find her cat, she often requested help from the Non-Hero office. So today’s mission was a feeding job, not a rescue.“I should get going. Thank you for the drink.”“You’re going to take a job in that condition? Uh—no, wait, I’ll handle it. Please just go home and rest, hyung.”Noa gathered the trash and stood up right away. Uichan tried to insist he was fine, but as soon as he rose, Noa followed right behind him. Flustered, he caught Uichan by the shoulder and pressed him back onto the bench.“Just sit, okay?”“No, it’s just that… Maengsoon scratches people if it’s not me. That’s why I have to go.”“Don’t worry. I’m good with animals too. They all like it when I make them float.”…That just meant he tied them up in midair, didn’t it? As he said it, Noa gently brushed away the damp hair sticking to Uichan’s forehead. When Uichan closed his eyes briefly, the touch at the back of his neck didn’t feel unfamiliar—it made his pulse jump.His gaze lifted to meet Noa’s. That single touch dragged an old memory back up like a rewound reel. Maybe it had been Noa who kissed him first that night, in the pit.The hand that had gripped the back of his neck had pulled him close without hesitation. Noa’s lips had pressed against his, soft, fluttering like a bird. When Uichan had gasped, he had awkwardly pushed his tongue in and rubbed insistently, clumsily.It had been Uichan’s first time too. He hadn’t even known when to breathe, just tilted his head back helplessly. The hand that had cupped his neck then—this was the same hand. Noa’s hands were much larger than anyone else’s; there was no mistaking them. While Uichan blinked in confusion, Noa suddenly spoke.“I’ve been thinking this since the first time I saw you.”“Yes?”“You have a habit when you walk.”A habit? When Uichan unconsciously looked down at his legs, Noa crouched in front of him with an awkward smile. His gaze rose slowly, tracing Uichan’s face.“Don’t take it the wrong way. Have you ever injured this foot?”“No, never.”He truly hadn’t. He’d never been seriously injured before, so he couldn’t imagine what Noa meant by a “habit.” When he moved his foot slightly, Noa shook his head and gently touched the ankle of the other leg.“When you take your first step with this foot, your head dips forward, and your shoulder tilts out. Most people wouldn’t notice, but it stands out to me. Do you know why?”“How would I know…”Noa’s hand was warm as it brushed over his ankle. Checking carefully for any wound, he continued in an even voice.“There’s someone I know who does the exact same thing. That’s why I thought I’d be the first to find him. I’ve never seen anyone else walk like that.”Uichan realized instinctively that he shouldn’t respond. The “someone he knew” was almost certainly the person he was thinking of—Under Doom.“……”Uichan stared at the ground as if counting each block, but then Noa leaned in, lowering his head under Uichan’s. Startled, Uichan leaned back, and Noa smiled innocently.The problem was—they were too close. If he exhaled, their lips would touch. He wanted to move away, but there was nowhere to go. «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» He forced his pounding heart to stay calm, afraid that if he spoke, he would start rambling.Then a hot breath brushed over his lips.“But you have that habit too, hyung.”“……”“What a coincidence.”Uichan’s eyes widened. He flinched, turning his head, but as he did, Noa’s lips grazed his cheek—soft, fleeting. From ahead, Song Ojun’s voice boomed, yelling for Uichan to hurry up. Thankfully, the bushes hid them, and Ojun didn’t notice their compromising position.“Ah… too many interruptions.”Noa’s hand still cupped the back of Uichan’s neck. Sweat had gathered there, yet Noa didn’t seem the least bit bothered.“The drink you had—it was a Vanilla Cream Choco Frappuccino.”The wet cup holder was still in Uichan’s hand; the drink itself had two mouthfuls left. Maybe Noa liked the sight of him holding it so tightly, because he smiled softly one last time.“You seemed to enjoy it. I’ll take care of the cat, so please go home and rest.”Before Uichan could respond, Noa’s hand withdrew. Footsteps faded—tap, tap, tap—until they were gone. Only then did Uichan lean back against the bench and let out a long breath.“Haa…”His insides were a mess. Did he realize it? Had he figured it out? There must have been a reason he said all that—maybe he suspected Uichan was Under Doom. How sharp would his eyes have to be to notice? He’d said he’d recognized that habit from the very beginning?“No… no way.”Maybe it was just something he said casually. Uichan rubbed his burning lips hard with the back of his hand, but the soft, yielding sensation wouldn’t go away. He squeezed his eyes shut.A moment later, worried that Noa might come back for him, Uichan hurriedly left the park.***Leaving the park, Uichan walked straight past the office and toward the main street. His original plan had been to tell Song Ojun that he’d be taking some time off, then stop by the hospital to get his thigh injury checked.But after running into Noa and not managing to say anything, he didn’t know what to do anymore.“Should I go to the hospital first, then stop by the office afterward?”By then, Noa would have gone home. Uichan stopped in front of a tall building plastered with hospital signs. He found one that offered both orthopedics and dermatology. Unfortunately, right beside it hung a bright obstetrics and gynecology sign.—Well… I’ve never really thought about that. It probably wouldn’t happen, but… let’s see. I suppose, right now, I’d say no. For heroes, children can be put in danger sometimes. Villains could target them. And right now, I think my duty as a hero comes before having children.Uichan’s first plan had been to steal the heroes’ Ability Verification documents and use them to register the twins’ birth.But there was one thing he hadn’t considered—once those documents were submitted, it would publicly reveal that the fathers of the babies were the Three Great Heroes.

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