“Was it a gift?”“…I just bought it at an auction.”“Instead of using uncertified supporter gear like this, use our company’s products. I’ll give you one as a gift later.”“No. It’s fine. I’m used to this one, there’s no need to change it.”Once his hand was free, Noa rested it again on the armrest of the chair. Searching for any possible escape route, Uichan realized he was completely trapped. He glanced toward the door, but unlike before, it was firmly shut. Even if he ran and tried to open it, it probably wouldn’t budge.Judging by the fact that his own communicator remained silent, nothing special seemed to be happening in the hall either.They must have started the opening ceremony by now. The other security personnel were probably standing off to the side, clapping politely. Maybe stepping away for a few minutes wouldn’t be a big deal.“What’s your name?”“……”Ha Uichan had never been lucky, and things always spiraled into disaster no matter his intentions. He’d thought himself fortunate for avoiding heroes until now, but to get caught—by one of the Three Great Heroes, no less—was beyond his imagination.“At least we can introduce ourselves, can’t we? Feels like fate to meet like this.”“…Ha Uichan, sir.”If he’d made up a fake name, it might have come back to bite him later. After rolling the name around in his mouth a few times, Noa withdrew his hand from the sofa. Uichan thought he might finally be released—but instead, Noa changed his target, reaching for the communicator at Uichan’s waist.“It suits you. Mature and tidy-looking.”His large hand slipped behind Uichan’s back and yanked out the comm line without mercy. Before Uichan could stop him, static crackled in his ear.“Just take this off for now. It’s recording. Wouldn’t want anyone else to overhear.”“Wait—be gentle. If it breaks during my shift, you’ll have to pay for it, Mr. Noa.”Noa could replace a broken communicator easily, but if Uichan failed to respond in time, the disciplinary action would fall on him. And once the opening ceremony ended, he was supposed to return to duty; missing a call could mean losing his daily wage.“Shift? Ah… I told you not to worry about that. I’ll talk to the security team leader. You’re with me right now, so it’s not neglect of duty, is it?”Smiling like sunlight itself, the man looked up at Uichan. People often compared Noa’s light-brown hair to a golden retriever—because with his big frame and friendly aura, he seemed like the kind of dog that would bound across a beach with a rugby ball in its mouth.But to Uichan, if Noa were to be compared to a dog at all, he’d be a Sapsaree—a Korean guardian dog. When Noa entered combat, he transformed completely. Those pale green eyes turned ghostly and sharp, freezing everything around him with an aura of killing intent.Just then, a beeping sound came from somewhere. Looking down, Uichan saw Noa glance toward his own waist—his communicator was ringing.“Mr. Noa, sounds like a call from the hall.”“It’s fine to ignore it. It’s just the signal for the opening speech.”…All the more reason for him to go, then. Yet Noa casually unplugged the wire and redirected the channel entirely. A moment ago he’d seemed like an enlightened hero; now he looked more like a mischievous delinquent rivaling a villain.Calmly wait ten minutes, Uichan told himself. When the chance comes, leave without hesitation. Surely Noa would attend the ceremony soon. But as he counted silently in his head, Noa’s solid chest brushed against his knees, pushing him back with the smallest motion.“Ah, sorry. I just wanted to take a closer look at your face.”Uichan stared at him, bewildered and a little irritated. His dark-blue eyes held a quiet depth—an emotionless calm that could easily be mistaken for beauty. The upturned corners of his eyes gave him a naive, almost innocent air when he blinked.He was a man, with stronger lines and a lean, toned build, yet for some reason Noa’s eyes kept drifting toward him. Noa had a good intuition, and right now that intuition was screaming that he’d seen this person before.But he had never met anyone like this before—someone so quietly striking, someone who looked both older and somehow unfinished, clumsy in a way that reminded him of… someone.Still, that gap felt too large.Noa smiled awkwardly to himself, suppressing a laugh. Uichan didn’t know it, but every blink of those black eyes reflected confusion—like ripples across still water.“Why… why do you keep looking at me?”“I was just checking if you were really unwell. Do you have a fever?”Uichan shook his head quickly, embarrassed. It wasn’t a fever—he’d just lost sleep. But explaining that would only make the conversation longer.Noa moved his lips as if to say something, then reached into his back pocket. He pulled out a black card key, flicking it toward the ceiling with a little gesture.“I have the key card for one of the rooms upstairs. Go get some rest and come down later. Working while sick is miserable. Don’t overthink it.”Who knew what kind of trouble awaited him if he went there? There could be heroes lying in ambush who’d recognized his true identity. Uichan shook his head firmly. In response, Noa bit the card between his teeth, stretched his arms out, and with a grunt, grabbed him by the waist as if he fully intended to carry him again.“Mr. Noa, why do you always try to solve things by force—”“Ah, my strength’s about as good as an Amur tiger’s, you know. And besides, I’m from the spiritual realm, ha ha.”But just as Noa started to stand—Knock knock.A knock came from the other side of the door. Noa’s large brows twitched faintly in annoyance.“Noa, your wife is calling for you. You should go.”The voice belonged to his sidekick, Cha Dohwan. Noa’s massive frame stilled, uncharacteristically hesitant. After a brief silence, he looked up with a sigh.“Ah… haah.”He tilted his head back, staring at the ceiling for a moment before bowing it low again. A heavy sigh slipped out from beneath the curtain of his hair.“…I’ll just do the opening speech and come right back. Don’t go anywhere, alright? My lady seems determined tonight.”Before standing up, Noa took the glasses from Uichan’s hands and carefully settled them on his nose. Fearing he might change his mind, Uichan quickly adjusted them. The sight must have amused him; Noa let out a quiet laugh.He slipped the hotel key card into Uichan’s jacket pocket.“Keep this. If you really feel unwell, go up and rest.”If Noa was leaving, then Uichan had no reason to stay either. The moment Noa stepped out, he would leave this place without looking back.He watched Noa’s broad back as the man opened the door. Through the gap, Uichan’s eyes met those of Cha Dohwan, Noa’s sidekick. Dohwan merely gave him a polite nod before stepping aside.Once Noa, neatly dressed, disappeared down the hall, Uichan immediately reattached his communicator and left the reception room. He returned to his assigned position and resumed his post as if nothing had happened.By then, the party hall was buzzing with the opening ceremony. Beneath the glittering chandeliers, heroes, politicians, and the nation’s wealthiest gathered with champagne flutes in hand to celebrate the charity gala. And amid them all, one figure shone brighter than the rest—Min Noa.It was said that nearly every hero suit in the world came from Berta Corporation. The company’s founder, Chairwoman Kang Harin, and Director Min Nohun had once been Korea’s most famous hero-and-sidekick duo. People used to call them .After retiring in their forties, they entered the private defense industry. Through years of tireless effort, they developed what would become classified defense equipment: nano suits and auxiliary devices for heroes. They amassed enormous wealth from weapons, armor, and other defense gear.Now, the company ranked ninth among global conglomerates, exporting ability-user suits worldwide.Min Noa was the company’s only heir. Born late in his parents’ lives, he was precious beyond measure—but perhaps because they were heroes themselves, they didn’t fear his hero work. They were prouder of him than anyone else.“…There he goes again.”Rubbing his forehead, Uichan sighed heavily. Without reason, his body felt sluggish and his lower abdomen throbbed faintly—maybe it was just fatigue. Slipping away from the crowd, he quietly headed for the emergency exit.There, by chance, he caught sight of two large men exchanging something near the entrance. It happened so quickly that no one else seemed to notice.They were in a narrow gap beside the doorway, half-hidden from view. Once the men disappeared, Uichan moved closer. Tiny specks of white powder dotted the carpet. He touched it with a fingertip and brought it to his nose—sharp musk filled his senses.He remembered «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» hearing rumors that a new musk-based drug was circulating through Itaewon. If he recalled correctly, it was a narcotic heavily laced with sexual stimulants.Lifting his gaze, Uichan traced the direction the men had gone—toward the west gate.“…The west gate, huh.”That area was packed with politicians and business executives—mostly civilians, not heroes. Most of the security detail had been dispatched there too. The men had been dressed like guards themselves. Something felt off.The charity gala had been advertised globally for over a month, and on nights like this, villains tended to crawl out of every shadow.The ones making the most noise lately were the escaped criminal Seok Myeongcheol, and the newly rising villain group Maphiroa.And the one Uichan had business with tonight—was the escaped convict, Seok Myeongcheol.

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