Diapers Are Mandatory in Front of a Man Like This!
Bo-reung~!
Bo-reu-reu-reung!
In front of the quaint orphanage, which looked more like a cathedral, the quiet atmosphere was suddenly shattered by the sight of dozens of limousines swarming in.
The children and nuns, wondering what on earth was happening, rushed outside. Hyunwoo and Hayeon followed close behind, breathless.
Screeeech.
The procession of limousines entered the playground, lined up in perfect order, and slammed on their brakes.
Then, in the very front row.
The door of the first vehicle opened, and a familiar figure stepped out.
"...Huh?! Shin Yura?"
"Ah, Hyunwoo. It's been a while... though I suppose that's a lie since we saw each other yesterday, right? Hehe."
Just yesterday.
Shin Yura, the rookie hero who had helped Hyunwoo reclaim the bank from the masked gang. She was the most famous new-generation hero in South Korea, and despite having only recently met, she had somehow tracked down the orphanage where he lived and visited in person.
"Sh-Sh-Shin Yura?! Hyunwoo, you knew the hero Shin Yura?!"
"Ah, come to think of it, did I not mention it to you, Noona?"
"No!! This is the first I'm hearing of it!"
Meanwhile, Shin Yura's appearance had sent not just Hayeon, but the entire orphanage into a frenzy.
"Whoa! It’s really Shin Yura!"
"I, I saw her on TV!"
"Please give me an autograph! Big sister!"
The children swarmed her, begging for autographs, and Shin Yura greeted them warmly, happily signing away. Even with the sudden surge in popularity, her expression remained perfectly composed. Perhaps that was what it meant to be a professional hero. Hyunwoo watched her with genuine admiration.
And right then, another figure emerged.
"Yura, is that the man? The man you were talking about?"
"Yes! That’s right, Chairwoman. Look at that sturdy physique, so unlike most men, and his height—he is the talent I told you about!"
Among the limousines that had followed Shin Yura, one vehicle boasted a particularly dazzling white sheen. A single person stepped out of that car in silence. Even Shin Yura addressed this person with the utmost formal respect. The moment Hyunwoo saw her, he knew exactly who she was.
Her hair was a dim, dawn-like blue. The eyes flashing beneath it weren't just glowing; they were the very embodiment of 'authority.' The silk coat draped over her body looked less like a hero's suit and more like the exclusive dress code of a conglomerate leader. Her stride carried the weight of ten limousines, and the golden business card held in her hand carried more persuasive power than any weapon.
One of only five A-rank heroes in South Korea. And the only one among them to be a native-born Korean. She was the woman who had once plastered every media outlet with the title, 'The First Authentic Hero Created by South Korea,' and now, she was the supreme leader of the 'Blue Dragon Group.' The very pinnacle of that famous elite collective.
"Kim Mija...? No way... Is it really Kim Mija?!"
"Kim Mija? That A-rank?! I, I know her too! Isn't she the one who was on TV with Shin Yura?!"
Even Hayeon, who had no interest in heroes, recognized her. That meant an unbelievable big shot had shown up in person. Honestly, even my mentor, a hero from the US, couldn't hold a candle to her fame. Why would someone like that... come to see a mere sidekick like me?
Just as I was struggling to grasp the situation and tentatively started to walk forward:
"Stop."
"!!"
Chairwoman Kim Mija held out her palm, freezing me in my tracks.
"I do not grant permission for you to accompany me on the path I walk any further. Hyunwoo-gun."
I had just walked forward reflexively because she was heading my way, but... it felt like a serf being warned for stepping too close to an emperor's procession. The energy was overwhelming. The weight of it was hard to describe in words. If I had just been 'Citizen A,' she might have walked right past me. But we were in the same industry now. A newly debuted sidekick, a low-level newbie of less than a week. She, an A-rank hero and the chairwoman of the Blue Dragon Group, had stopped me dead in my tracks.
It was a moment where my position—and the fact that we were by no means equals—was branded into me with just one word.
...Or so I realized to myself.
Drip.
"Huh?"
"...Oh, dear."
Between the legs of Chairwoman Kim Mija, who was standing right in front of me, some heavy liquid slowly began to flow down.
"I even wore a diaper in preparation for a situation like this... but in the end, it leaked."
...Excuse me?
A diaper?
And you 'leaked' even while wearing one?
"I emptied it all out by myself while sobbing yesterday, but... if I had known it would come to this, I should have booked a 1-hour 'torture fountain' course..."
Torture?
What?
What on earth were you trying to extract, and how much of it...?
I couldn't understand it at all. But I felt it would be better for my mental health to just move on without trying to understand. So, I quietly nodded and convinced myself.
'Chairwoman Kim Mija... must just be someone who sweats a lot.'
Meanwhile.
Step, step.
The chairwoman, who had been approaching me just a moment ago, suddenly turned back, entered the limousine, and then reappeared shortly after. But there was white powder on her hand... was that baby powder?
...Surely not.
It must be my imagination.
Anyway.
She walked toward me again, and before I knew it, she was right in front of my nose. Her gaze was sharp and cold. I felt a chill run down my spine, wondering where the previous mishap had gone, and I reflexively straightened my posture. Hayeon, standing next to me, tensed up as well.
And right then.
Drip, drip.
...Wait, didn't you just go into the limo to change your diaper?
Why is 'sweat' flowing between your legs again...?
"To think the day would come when I'd have to look up at a man... Tell me, don't you want to wrap those thick, rough hands around my throat and squeeze?"
"...No?"
Are you insane?
Choking an A-rank hero in South Korea? What am I, a villain?
"Or... how about kicking my abdomen hard with those well-developed thighs?"
"I told you, no!"
...What kind of insane interview is this?
Chairwoman Kim Mija stood there, twisting her body and asking strange questions. Is this some kind of test?
I was waving my hands, firmly declining, when—
"Ch-Chairwoman! That’s not why we came!"
"Ah, right. That’s true! It’s my first time seeing such an 'unmanly man'... I think my female hormones went on a rampage for a moment."
Muttering to herself and clearing her throat, she regained her cold, rational expression. Then, she carefully held out a golden business card to me.
"Ahem. Let me introduce myself again, Hyunwoo-gun. I am the representative of the Blue Dragon Group and an A-rank hero, Kim Mija."
"Ah, yes... Nice to meet you. Chairwoman Kim Mija."
"Hehehe, you can just call me 'Noona' comfortably."
I smiled involuntarily at that, but honestly, no matter how youthful and beautiful she was, calling a lady who looked twice my age 'Noona' was crossing a line as a human being. I laughed it off and let the comment slide. This wasn't the time to argue about titles.
More importantly, she had just handed me a 'golden business card.'
"Hyunwoo-gun. If you’re someone involved in the hero society, you know what it means for me to give you this card... don't you?"
"...Of course."
"Yes. What is it? What does it mean?"
I pushed Hayeon's question aside; this wasn't just a simple business card. It was the 'Gold Card' that only the Chairwoman of the Blue Dragon Group could use. The meaning was clear. This was a 'scout offer.'
In hero society, the act of handing over an official card was the most direct signal of interest in the other party. Especially since an A-rank hero had handed such a card to a rookie sidekick, it clearly meant, "I want to make you my person."
"But Chairwoman... I’m grateful, but I’m already affiliated with someone else. I must politely decline..."
"Whoa, whoa, listen to what I have to say first, Hyunwoo-gun."
I bowed my head to express my refusal. I already had a mentor. Mentor Baek Seungha, a hero from the US. I had trained under her and coincidentally reached E-rank, but betraying my mentor to go elsewhere wasn't the right thing to do. You have to repay kindness!
However, Chairwoman Kim Mija smiled with composure, as if she had expected all of this.
"I heard from Yura. You signed a contract with a hero from the US, right?"
"Yes, that’s correct. So I can no longer accept a duplicate contract..."
"That’s right. So, why don't you just bring her along too?"
"...Excuse me?"
For a moment, my mind went blank. She wanted to hire my mentor too, just because of me?
"No... even so, I’m just a high school graduate?"
The Blue Dragon Group was a conservative collective that valued academic background and lineage above ability. Even if my mentor could handle it, could a no-spec sidekick like me survive there? I tried to step back, carefully stating my position.
But.
"Hmph. It’s obvious you’re playing hard to get because there’s no 'congratulatory gift,' Hyunwoo-gun."
"...Pardon?"
I had no such intention?
"It’s fine. You don't have to deny it. I’ve seen plenty of men who say they’re vegetarians but then collapse after eating nothing but vegetable tempura."
She laughed, adding some strange metaphor. Then, she clapped her hands together! Clap!
At that signal, massive items started pouring out of the limousine procession behind her one by one.
"First, if you join our Blue Dragon Group, we will provide 100 liters of this 'Ultra-Concentrated Chocolate Shake' free of charge."
Thud!
A giant chocolate barrel was placed in front of me.
"100 calories in a single bite. It’s optimal for men who prefer carbonation over water. Isn't it?"
"Uh... well, people do say that..."
"For your information, this product was made at a factory exclusively for American men. Researchers who almost got diabetes just from the chocolate scent have certified it."
Is that... even food?
At that point, isn't it a biochemical weapon?
But it didn't end there.
"And I was also going to give you a 10-year coupon for male-only MacDaria oil burgers, a 5-year coupon for level 50 spicy Mala-tang that’s spicy enough to dissolve your intestinal walls, and a 15-year package of 'Special Male Nutritional Porridge' that combines cream, chocolate, cheese, and protein powder."
Is this a diet plan or an execution order...
That day, for the first time since being born into this world, I felt like I could genuinely 'die.'
"Doesn't your mouth already water just looking at it? Hyunwoo-gun."
"Uh... I don't know about my mouth watering, but I'm definitely sweating."