“…What if Noa finds out.”He fretted over useless things, thinking about what to do if the children’s fathers ever discovered the pregnancy. After that, lying idly, he must have dozed off for a moment.Poke—.Someone pressed a finger into Uichan’s cheek.Half-asleep and defenseless, he rubbed his face and turned irritably, but the persistent hand followed and poked him again.“Uichan, are you asleep?”Swatting away the hand, Uichan’s eyes flew open at the unfamiliar voice. He turned his head sharply.Someone was sitting in front of him, bent down so their face hovered close.Between the jet-black hair, eyes of pure white gleamed—and within them, like constellations, the Big Dipper shone clearly.“…Hyde?”When Uichan hurriedly sat up, the man resting his chin on one hand smiled faintly. It was Hyde.Had it already become seven o’clock? When he lay down after finishing a cup of yogurt, it had only been around four.Outside, the sun was already sinking. But was today the day Hyde was supposed to pick him up?“Wasn’t Phantom Thief Kill supposed to come today?”“Ah. The thief said he was busy, so your hyung came instead.”The subtle smile on Hyde’s face came with a different look tonight—more refined, more intellectual than usual.He normally wore a black robe like a coat, but today he had on black slacks and an ivory knit sweater.“I’m sorry. I’ll get ready right away.”As Uichan got up to turn on the light, his stomach dropped. The prenatal booklet—where was it?His eyes darted to the table. Empty. Thankfully, he remembered putting it safely in the drawer that morning.He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and just then Hyde snapped his fingers.Instantly, the room lit up bright.The clock showed twenty minutes to seven.Uichan hurried to throw on his coat—but Hyde tapped his chest twice.“Forget something? It feels a little empty here to me.”Watching the man’s lazy smile, Uichan hesitated, then reached out and hugged him.Among the brothers of In the Hell, Hyde had been the first person Uichan met.About four years ago, Turn Hyde had been something unimaginable by today’s standards—a righteous hero.Hero La Mute.With a handsome face and exceptional ability, he’d made his name the moment he debuted, appearing on every broadcast and in every magazine.And he had a sworn brother in the hero community, nearly family to him.His name was Yuchan.The two had promised since childhood to become heroes who would serve their nation.But time brought discord and greed. When La Mute rose to fame, Yuchan began to slander him behind his back.The higher La Mute’s reputation soared, the deeper the rift grew between them.In the end, Yuchan did something unforgivable—he bribed villains to destroy La Mute’s career.During their all-out assault, La Mute’s face was flayed alive.Then, as if that weren’t enough, they poured oil on his torn flesh and burned him horribly.For seven days he was imprisoned in a derelict building, tortured until his body became unrecognizable.When finally released at death’s door, his story shook the nation.Countless people grieved; Yuchan pretended ignorance, vowing vengeance on the villains who had “hurt his dear friend,” crying red-eyed for the cameras.But La Mute could no longer appear as a hero beloved by the public.People recoiled at his disfigured appearance.From the same mouths that once praised him came the word filthy.He wrapped himself in bandages and wore a mask, enduring rehabilitation while still trying to act as a hero.Yuchan, disgusted by that grotesque sight of his former friend, trembled every time La Mute’s name appeared in the news.Eventually La Mute was captured again by villains.They carved off his flesh piece by piece with knives.Hands and feet bound, he was hung from the ceiling of another abandoned building for fifteen days without a sip of water.And the one who found him then—was Uichan.Looking for a place to sleep, he stumbled into that building and saw a body hanging limp, dripping blood and stench. He thought the man was dead.But when he looked closer, the gray eyes between the flayed muscles snapped open.He expected eyes full of hatred—yet what he saw instead was a faint smile, the corners of the eyes curving softly.—Huff… hey. Untie this for me… and then… I won’t kill you.The man, coughing blood foam, whispered weakly.Uichan stared blankly for a while before cutting the rope. The man fell, but his twisted limbs were all bent backward; he couldn’t stand.—A-are you all right?—I’m fine. But… seems I can’t walk.—Where are you trying to go? You should stay put—look at all this blood…The man stubbornly tried to stand on his broken legs.Cracked flesh split open again, spilling more blood.Only then did Uichan realize a human could still live in that condition. Watching him endure without a single groan made Uichan’s insides twist.The man leaned against the wall, vomited once, then wiped his mouth with his arm.Uichan hurried to support him.—Actually…The man looked down at Uichan and spoke.—I was going to kill every witness.—But you just said you’d spare me…—Ha… you believed that? Didn’t they teach you in school not to trust adults like me?His limbs were grotesquely twisted, his skinned body veined with dark bloodlines, ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) his nose and ears sliced off.Yet he lived—clinging to life like a monster.—…I thought you’d run. I look hideous, don’t I? But… seeing you struggle to help me like this…—……—I don’t want to repay kindness with evil. This time I mean it.The man bit into his own dislocated wrist and snapped it back into place.He didn’t even groan.—At first I thought I was just unlucky. Villains often target heroes, after all. But the second time… I realized there had to be someone behind it. From now on, I’m going to find out who.Hearing this, Uichan used Regression on him.His bent limbs returned to their proper shape.The man watched and smiled faintly.Uichan tried to heal his flayed skin and ruined face as well, but the man raised a hand to stop him.—Leave it. I need this face. My revenge isn’t done yet.—If you go out like that, people will report you.—Then lend me your coat? I’ll bring it back, kid.Uichan tore his own outer garment and wrapped it around the man’s face like bandages, then bound his arms and legs with the rest.It didn’t look normal, but at least the horror was hidden.Before leaving the building, the man looked straight at him.—Thanks, kid.—I’m Ha Uichan. Not “kid.”—Ha Uichan… Uichan. That’s a good name.He bent down and tapped Uichan lightly on the head.—I’ll come back to thank you properly. So… let’s meet here again.After that, La Mute hunted down the villains who had destroyed him.He went alone, slaughtering them one by one—flaying their skins and cutting off their ankles.Perhaps, even then, he had already crossed the limit.Fifteen days later, he finally learned the truth.The mastermind was none other than Yuchan—his childhood friend and sworn brother.La Mute stormed into the interview studio where Yuchan sat, grabbed him by the hair, and slammed his head into the floor over and over.The smashed face of Yuchan was broadcast live.La Mute bent each of his limbs the wrong way, then ripped the skin from his face alive.And when he tore off the last piece, a new, ultimate ability awakened within him—the power to change his skin.The righteous, compassionate hero La Mute died that day.And Turn Hyde, the monster who flayed his friend and countless others, was born.In his eyes appeared an indelible mark—the Big Dipper.No matter what form Hyde took, those seven stars never vanished.That’s why people always looked into his eyes to confirm his identity.So did Uichan.From that day on, Turn Hyde kept his promise.When Uichan found him again waiting at that same ruined building, his heart pounded strangely.Perhaps because he had forgotten for too long what it felt like for someone to wait for him, his chest ached warmly.Hyde, wearing a new face, smiled brightly and welcomed him.Uichan ran to him and embraced him.Since then, they had shared an unspoken rule—first greetings are always with a hug.

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