***From ancient times, it was said that spiritual energy accumulates in old things.Even in this era when people born with supernatural abilities were as common as pebbles on the road, the world still experienced unexplainable mysteries. Historical relics weathered by time, or once-worshipped natural objects, would suddenly awaken one day, taking on flesh. Such things were no longer surprising.Old things bring misfortune. Those born from accumulated spiritual energy carried calamity with them, striking villages and stealing human souls. Since ancient times, people had called such phenomena “Dongti.”The “Aengak” that Uichan was chasing was also a Dongti born from a thousand-year-old tree.“But who could’ve known… that Aengak would become the villain shaking the modern world. And not just him. There are constant reports about some new Dongti showing up somewhere…”The man with dark circles under his eyes muttered in a gloomy voice. Uichan sat down on the bench with a lunchbox wrapped in cloth.“Yesterday, they said lightning flashed in Japan, and then a yokai walked out of a shrine. Three heroes faced it and ended up hospitalized. The thing supposedly came out of an old sake cup. Must’ve woken up after going Dongti. Ugh… The world’s gone to ruin.”“Nothing new. It happens all the time.”Uichan casually replied while unwrapping his cloth. The man with drooping eyes glanced at the lunchbox. He looked at Uichan, who had brought his own lunch again today, with admiration.“Uichan, you brought a three-tier lunchbox today.”Across from them stood a shabby three-story building. On its second floor hung signs that read, “We collect your debts,” and “We solve noise disputes.” Next door, separated by a wall, was the Non-Hero office. Thanks to its neat manager, the office windows gleamed as always.“Don’t ask me why I brought up Aengak. I couldn’t sleep for two nights because of it. Songhee-noona kept asking what we’d do if something like Aengak showed up and told me to make her contact lenses that shoot lasers and analyze an opponent’s combat power. If I could make that, do you think I’d still be here instead of working at Noatis?”Uichan placed each tier of his neatly packed lunch on the sunny bench and handed chopsticks to the man beside him. The man was tempted but soon shook his head, apparently lacking appetite.“At least you didn’t spill it today.”“Our Uichan… not listening to me again.”As he aligned the three-tier lunchbox, tidy side dishes revealed themselves. Uichan poured a cup of warm water from a thermos and picked up his chopsticks.“Rolled omelet today, huh… You’re pretty good at making eggs, Uichan. I couldn’t even reach the dirt under your toenails…”“What are you talking about? You’re good with your hands too. You make support gear without a hitch.”Uichan ate some vegetables and omelet. His tone was flat, but he could feel a gaze brushing his cheek. Sitting beside him on the bench was a black-haired foreigner, hugging his knees, looking up at Uichan with a gloomy face.The man had black hair like an East Asian, yet sharp features typical of a Westerner—a high nose bridge and deep eye sockets. His eyes were strikingly clear blue.“When the equipment boom comes, I’ll be the first one buried, just like Tuvalu… You know Tuvalu? The island country that’ll be the first to sink when global warming worsens.”He had graduated from Asia’s top hero university, yet bore the eternal label of “failing student.” Was he untalented? Not at all. Every support device Uichan used was his creation.“I’m… I’m a hopeless nerd!”He slammed his nose into his knees with a thud and started sobbing.Park Rion—registered hero name, “Giyon.” Though a black-haired foreigner, he was born and raised in Korea, a true Korean at heart. Uichan looked at him, ready to offer comfort, but Rion suddenly lifted his head and looked up at him like a sunflower.“Uichan, you’re going to Seonghwa University today, right? Can I come too? I want to get guidance from a professor.”“Probably not. All the professors will be at the training grounds for mock exams today. I doubt they’ll have time for you.”“Why… why is only Uichan invited as a hero test supervisor? Why not me? Isn’t that too ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) unfair?”“It’s not an invitation, it’s a job request. The school asked local offices to send capable people because they were short on on-site supervisors.”“Don’t joke. It’s Noatis again, isn’t it? Uichan, that guy’s weird. First it was just Noatis, now even Blacktan’s giving us contracts. Does that make sense? Yesterday I heard La Épée’s side sent one too. Why? They’re definitely plotting something. And I bet you’re the target!”Rion grabbed Uichan’s leg and shook him desperately.“Think about it! Why would they send jobs to some hole-in-the-wall office like ours? And they keep insisting you show up on site. What is this, Hansel and Gretel? They’re fattening you up to eat you!”“They haven’t taken me yet. And I’m not exactly underweight.”“What are you talking about! Your stomach’s flat!”Uichan, munching on a neatly halved tomato, suddenly widened his eyes and looked down at his belly. He blinked a few times, as if gauging something, and laid a hand on his abdomen.“…Maybe they like tomatoes. They’re quiet today.”“Our Uichan… tomatoes matter more than my advice, huh?”Rion looked at him with teary amusement, wiping his eyes. Guess the three-legged tiger incident had scrambled his brain.Uichan reached again with his chopsticks. He pinched at a round cherry tomato, but it bounced away, rolling across the cloth and onto the bench. He picked it up.Just as he was about to eat it, Rion gasped and slapped it from his hand.“Don’t eat that! Why are you eating things that fell! You know I can’t relax when you eat like this! Don’t eat anything off the ground! It’s dirty!”“The surface is smooth. It’s fine.”“You—you! Don’t think I forgot about that steamed bun you dropped and peeled only the outer layer off before eating it!”Seeing that the tomato had landed on a pile of dirt, Uichan sighed. He gave up on the dirt-stained one and instead picked up a neatly fried meat pancake. But before he could put it to his mouth, the building’s glass window in front of them burst open with a loud clatter.Thud! Clack!“Where’s the rookie? Oh, there! Uichan! Hurry up and finish eating! Loti’s coming to pick you up! Get ready quick!”Song Ojun, scanning the park from the building entrance, spotted Uichan and shouted loud enough to shake the neighborhood. Rion flinched and crouched, while Uichan lowered his gaze to the fallen meat pancake.This time, it had landed between the cloth and the bench.“……”When he glanced to the side, Rion was clutching his head, eyes tightly shut. He probably wouldn’t notice. So Uichan quickly reached out with his chopsticks and aimed for his mouth—but his plan was foiled by a firm hand gripping his wrist.“Don’t eat that.”The cold hand stopped him before he could take a bite. Because of the sudden restraint, Uichan froze mid-motion, his mouth slightly open like a startled sparrow.He looked down at the hand holding his wrist—a cool touch, carrying a faint scent of wind. The man’s hand was so large that even wrapped around Uichan’s wrist, two fingers still overlapped.“Were you about to eat something you dropped again?”A faint smell of dry sunlight lingered, with an occasional fresh breeze mixed in. Uichan’s gaze slowly lifted. Curved eyes softened with a gentle tone. Brown curls. Three piercings dangling from plump earlobes.A balance of softness and strength like a smooth tailwind. Looking at those green eyes made one’s heart flutter and emotions stir.“I told you not to do that.”Noatis—or rather, Min Noa—was bending over the bench, one hand on the backrest, smiling at Uichan.Rion, frozen mid-reach, let out a scream and scrambled backward on his knees. Song Ojun, half hanging out the window, yelled, “Oh, you’re here, sir!” and bowed repeatedly. Uichan dropped his gaze to the small patch of earth where short wild grass grew.There, the fallen meat pancake dangled from where Noa had grabbed his wrist, before rolling off on its own into the dirt, covering itself completely.Uichan watched the sight helplessly, then sighed in defeat. These days, it felt harder than ever to finish a meal.The sun was already tilting west. To arrive at the exam site on time, he had to hurry. With regret, he gave up on the dirt-covered pancake and raised his head.“If your hand’s too weak, I can feed you myself.”“…No, thank you. My strength’s doing just fine.”Noa sat beside him, inspecting the side dishes with great interest, showing no intention of leaving until Uichan finished eating. His complexion was especially bright today, his build somehow larger than usual. Maybe because Uichan had eaten less, he found himself hoping the babies in his belly would grow as strong as Noa.It was a day that required more movement than usual. No matter who had come to fetch him, he couldn’t afford to leave food unfinished.Clutching the container to his chest, Uichan began eating like a soldier in battle, while Noa stayed beside him until he’d cleaned out every last grain of rice.

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