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Jeong Ha-yul, after nearly killing Jack the Ripper, started running to find Jeong Gyeoul and Team Leader Jeong Ho-min.

While running along the expected route, she noticed an unusually noisy area and slightly changed her direction.

The cause of the commotion was a collaboration between the Association’s heroes, police cars, and ambulances.

Convinced that Jeong Gyeoul and Team Leader Jeong Ho-min would be there, Jeong Ha-yul stopped, gathering her magic power.

“Ah, Hero Jeong Ha-yul. Are you okay? What happened to Jack the Ripper?”

The heroes who approached Jeong Ha-yul were all looking up at the sky, unsure of how to handle the situation.

Though she didn’t understand why they were acting this way, she finally realized when she saw her reflection in a car window.

‘It’s not like any important parts are showing, why are they acting like this?’

As a hero, she had experienced worse. Like when her underwear melted from a monster’s breath during a raid, or when she had to strip off her clothes to fight a villain emitting highly corrosive acid.

Jeong Ha-yul ignored it and continued speaking.

“That guy is knocked out over there, and I’m fine. But… has anyone seen my sister?”

“Ah, Gyeoul? She’s receiving treatment very calmly over there.”

“…Treatment?”

The hero who greeted Jeong Ha-yul said something that shouldn’t have been said.

‘Treatment? With Team Leader Baldie there, why is Gyeoul receiving treatment?’

Only Jack the Ripper, an S-Class villain, was a direct threat. The other energies she felt were insignificant.

‘There’s no way Team Leader Baldie would lose to those guys…’

Team Leader Jeong Ho-min, though retired now, was once an A-Class hero. Even after retiring, he could last three rounds in sparring with her, making him one of the stronger A-Class heroes.

She trusted his abilities, which is why she left Gyeoul with him…

‘It must just be minor bruises, right?’

She hadn’t yet gifted Gyeoul the hero suit she had commissioned from the Association.

Whether the team leader carried her or Gyeoul ran with her magic power, moving at high speed could cause minor scratches.

She tried to stay positive, but her legs instinctively charged with magic power.

“Gyeoul!”

Behind the ambulance, Jeong Gyeoul, covered in blood, was sitting next to Team Leader Jeong Ho-min.

Gyeoul, with her suit torn and bleeding in various places, looked similar to Jeong Ha-yul.

In fact, when Jeong Ha-yul saw her, Gyeoul winced in pain, making her look severely injured.

“Uh… Sis?”

“Ah, Hero Jeong Ha-yul.”

“What happened! How badly are you hurt? Are you okay? Does it hurt? Painkillers! Bring painkillers here! Why aren’t you taking her to the hospital!”

She banged on the ambulance, urging the paramedics to hurry.

It seemed like she was about to break the ambulance.

“Regardless of how this happened, what are you doing sitting here! Do you really want to see me go crazy?”

The large gash on Team Leader Jeong Ho-min’s back wasn’t visible from Jeong Ha-yul’s angle.

From the front, both the team leader and Gyeoul looked similarly injured.

Jeong Ha-yul started scolding, unaware that the team leader was much more severely injured than Gyeoul.

“Uh, Sis, calm down! I’m fine! Look, this isn’t my blood… well, it is my blood, but I’m not seriously hurt!”

Gyeoul extended her arm to show that the blood wasn’t hers, but blood started flowing from her wound.

She had to change her words mid-sentence.

‘The kid who never let go of formal speech with me…’

Gyeoul, who usually spoke formally to Jeong Ha-yul, suddenly switched to informal speech.

Jeong Ha-yul suspected she might have a head injury.

At that moment, blood started flowing from Gyeoul’s nose again.

“You’re bleeding like that and you’re not hurt?!”

“I’m sorry… My abilities were insufficient…”

Team Leader Jeong Ho-min could only bow his head and apologize as Jeong Ha-yul raged.

Jeong Ha-yul had trusted him with Gyeoul. Regardless of the reason, Gyeoul was injured.

“Team Leader, you did your best! Don’t say anything! Look at this!”

Gyeoul pulled Jeong Ha-yul’s hand to show Team Leader Jeong Ho-min’s back, scolding her.

“…”

First shock: Gyeoul was injured.

Second shock: Gyeoul was siding with someone else.

Third shock: Gyeoul was raising her voice at her for the first time.

Jeong Ha-yul was speechless, her mind in chaos from the triple shock.

“Apologize quickly, Sis!”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Don’t mention it. I’m just sorry I couldn’t protect her properly.”

Team Leader Jeong Ho-min winked at Gyeoul, unseen by Jeong Ha-yul.

‘…I don’t want to receive a man’s wink, but since we’re comrades who’ve shed blood together, I’ll let it slide this time.’

Gyeoul winked back with her right eye and sighed inwardly.

Having averted disaster for Team Leader Jeong Ho-min, it was now time to calm down Jeong Ha-yul, who might throw a tantrum.

“By the way, Sis, you came really fast?”

“Uh…? Yeah…”

Still in shock, Jeong Ha-yul could only respond reflexively.

“You’re really the coolest person in the world, Sis. Jack the Ripper was supposed to be a pretty strong S-Class villain, but he’s no match for you, right?”

“Uh, right…?”

“I’m so happy to have you, Sis. You’re pretty, have a great body, money… no, not that, but you’re strong and reliable. I love you the most in the world!”

Gyeoul, who would never normally flatter or act cute, felt nauseous but continued to soothe Jeong Ha-yul for the sake of world peace.

‘Damn… if you think about it, I’m the most mature. I’m only 8 years old!’

Thanks to Gyeoul’s efforts, Jeong Ha-yul’s mood seemed to lighten somewhat.

After repeatedly pushing her magic power to the limit and even breaking a seal, Gyeoul, who had moved intensely, now lay down in the ambulance, exhausted.

“Ah, whatever, I’m going to sleep now.”

“Okay. Sleep well. I’ll handle the rest.”

Despite her words, Jeong Ha-yul left the aftermath to the heroes from the Association.

“Team Leader, get on that ambulance and follow quickly. You seem badly injured. You need treatment.”

Team Leader Jeong Ho-min also boarded a second ambulance, heading to the same hospital.

***

Outside the window, the fresh spring sunlight shone.

The rustling leaves seemed to tickle my heart.

On such a day, to be stuck in a hospital…

“Perfect weather to die of boredom.”

“Don’t say such bad things, Gyeoul!”

Hayan, who was feeding me apples, was startled and stuffed more apples into my mouth to shut me up.

Beside her, Choi Jeong-min, who had been fidgeting boredly, chimed in.

“Yeah, Gyeoul! Don’t say such bad things!”

…It’s so unlike him to say that.

Normally, I would have snapped back, but…

Choi Jeong-min had brought some medicine that was supposedly good for the body, claiming it was a get-well visit.

Opening the fancy packaging, there was a single pill with a foul smell.

“But is it okay to take this? It’s not bad, right?”

“Ah, no! I, I, I wouldn’t give you something bad!”

When I looked at him suspiciously, he stuttered.

“That’s… really expensive, good for the body. Trust me and just take it.”

Just then, Team Leader Baldie, lying on the next bed, vouched for it.

A potion in pill form, given monthly to A-Class heroes from the Association.

Made by Park Seol-hwa, an S-Class alchemist from the Daehyun Guild, it’s highly effective and trustworthy.

“But how did you get this?”

It was questionable how a kid like him got his hands on it.

“…Ah, I can’t say I know my dad’s safe combination!”

Ah…

So he stole it from the safe of Choi Gang-cheol, an A-Class hero, or rather, a former A-Class hero.

That’s why he stuttered when I asked if it was bad.

Should I praise him or scold him?

Stealing something expensive and good from his dad’s safe to give to a classmate…

If it weren’t for me, I would have scolded him immediately.

But since he gave it to me, what can I do?

Gulp—

I swallowed it whole.

Hayan, who had been watching quietly, handed me a cup of water.

Such a cute and adorable kid.

“But… why doesn’t our Sis get something like this? I heard A-Class heroes get one each. Sis is S-Class.”

If Jeong Ha-yul had such medicine, she would have given it to me.

So it means Jeong Ha-yul didn’t receive any.

Are they bullying our Ha-yul now? Damn it!

“Hero Jeong Ha-yul gets the highest grade… Last winter, I think, she came to the Association and said to use the money to buy the lowest grade potions and distribute them to the poor.”

Team Leader Baldie smiled sadly, recalling how the Association headquarters almost flew off that day.

…

Last winter, huh.

That’s when I chose Jeong Ha-yul.

No wonder I feel choked up.

Damn being 8 years old.

Tears welled up in my eyes and started falling drop by drop.

 

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