If she knew he'd gotten caught up in such a major incident from the start, even Sooah might have opposed it.
Of course, it was also a chance to prove his skills—but he needed to prepare for the worst-case scenario.
"Ah, the bracelet."
Only then did Soohyeok realize he was still wearing the license bracelet on his left wrist. He instinctively grabbed it.
"What are you doing?"
He turned to see Sooah staring at him, their eyes meeting.
Soohyeok awkwardly covered his left wrist with his right hand and let out a strange groan.
Sooah narrowed her eyes suspiciously and tilted her head.
Then, she moved.
Leaping up from where she sat, she lunged at Soohyeok and reached for his arm.
If he had wanted, Soohyeok could have easily dodged her right there.
But in that moment, a thought crossed his mind.
"I was planning to tell her anyway…
Do I really need to hide it?"
In that brief hesitation, Sooah grabbed his left arm and pulled it up.
Her eyes widened in shock at the sight of the shiny silver bracelet.
"Oh my god. I had a feeling, but it's really true?"
"Kind of just happened," Soohyeok replied calmly.
Sooah's brows shot up sharply.
"Do you even realize you were a patient until just recently?"
Her tone was sharp. It clearly bothered her that Soohyeok was doing something dangerous.
"I do. That's exactly why I started this."
"What does that even…"
She trailed off, unable to finish, then looked up at the ceiling in disbelief. A moment later, she sighed and stared at the ground.
"Haa…"
She roughly scratched her head, walked into the kitchen, and opened the fridge.
Pouring a glass of cold water, she downed it in one go. Her face turned slightly red.
Her breathing was so intense that even Soohyeok, standing at a fair distance, could sense it.
"Have you been hurt?"
That was her first question. Soohyeok shook his head.
"Not once."
"There haven't been any dangerous moments—ugh, what am I even saying?"
She took another large gulp of water and slowly walked back toward Soohyeok.
"I don't want you doing dangerous work."
Her words had weight, and Soohyeok stroked his chin.
There was only one thought in his mind:
"How do I convince her?"
If he couldn't persuade Sooah, convincing their parents would be impossible.
Soohyeok didn't notice, but Sooah's eyes were trembling as she watched his deepening expression.
"How did you end up becoming an awakened?"
He gave the answer he'd prepared in advance.
"From the moment I woke up… I could suddenly see something."
"A status window?"
"Yeah, exactly."
"Oh my god. So from the very beginning…"
Images of Soohyeok throwing himself into rehab after being discharged flashed through her mind.
She had assumed it was just for his health. That had been a mistake.
Now that she thought about it, Soohyeok had gotten even healthier than before he became a patient.
His physical changes were plain to see.
He seemed to have grown slightly taller, which made no sense since his growth phase was supposed to be over.
Not only that, but if she looked closely, every part of his body appeared toned with compact muscles. It wasn't a body you could get from normal workouts.
Sooah had already been harboring some suspicions while watching Soohyeok change.
Maybe that's why…
The realization and acceptance came so quickly.
"You wouldn't listen even if I tried to stop you, right?"
Stubborn as an ox.
That had always been Soohyeok.
Since he was young, once he set his mind to something, he never gave it up.
It had cost him at times, but more often than not, it worked out in his favor.
"Ugh…"
"I really can't deal with you," she muttered, biting her lower lip.
Then she glanced at his left arm and asked,
"You're already a Silver-tier? But you only awakened recently."
"I might hit Gold soon."
"No way."
"I'm serious. Turns out, I'm pretty talented."
Soohyeok said with a confident tone.
Sooah gave him a sideways glance and crossed her arms.
"Not a chance. Do you think I'll just relax because you say that?"
"It's true. Think about it. It hasn't even been two months since I awakened."
"That's… right."
And the training period for awakened is usually at least a month.
Such a short time.
Realizing that, a quiet "Oh…" slipped from Sooah's lips.
She was smart—and she'd already taken a deep interest in the topic of awakened.
Not just her. Everyone on Earth had an interest in awakened now.
They were essentially soldiers who protected the nation and the world. Since the formation of the Dimensional Alliance and the easier monster harvesting and portal suppression, it had also become one of the few careers that could truly reverse one's social status.
Sooah, too, had often wished she could awaken, hoping to lift her struggling family.
So she couldn't help but be shocked.
Something that had seemed so distant… had suddenly hit home.
"Silver-tier means you're at least 6th rank… I heard even Baek Mu-hak was 4th rank when he first awakened."
"I finished trainee training yesterday."
"You're kidding, right?"
"Why would I lie?"
"True…"
Sooah nodded slowly, trying to stay calm.
Otherwise, her legs might have given out right there.
A genius who surpassed even Baek Mu-hak—the man known as the world's greatest Awakened—had appeared in South Korea.
That person was her brother.
The feeling was… strange.
She was worried because he was doing something dangerous, but how could she try to stop someone with that much talent and potential? Especially someone as stubborn as him.
Sooah was slowly coming to terms with Soohyeok's current path.
[The portal crash incident near Sinchon Bus Station was handled largely thanks to a newly awakened talent in Korea who has not yet revealed their identity. According to the Association, though they cannot disclose details, there is speculation that this person may follow in Baek Mu-hak's footsteps to become Korea's next Universal Rank 8 Awakened…]
Hearing the breaking news from the TV that hadn't been turned off, Sooah turned to Soohyeok and asked,
"Wait… don't tell me that was you?"
She was past shock—just plain speechless now.
Was this guy, who just became a formal Awakened, seriously saying he went into a portal alone?
Even worse, the news had reported that the portal had been a Level 5.
"Hold on. Then what rank are you even at, Soohyeok?"
The answer didn't come from him, but from Oh Shin-woo, who appeared on TV in an interview:
[He is the first person in Korea—no, in the world—to receive an official rank of Level 8 on the very day of his awakening.
And it's not just his abilities or potential that stand out. He has justice.
He has the courage to throw himself into situations that everyone else avoids.
The Association will continue to support him fully—]
"Level 8?"
There was a lot being said, but Sooah only heard that one sentence loud and clear.
And Soohyeok, without denying it, simply nodded.
Thud.
She collapsed onto the floor and let out a stunned laugh.
"…Hah… hahaha…"
Any remaining thought of trying to stop Soohyeok vanished.
It was already too late to pull him back from all this.
To Sooah, the rank was the most shocking part. But to the general public, something else caught their attention:
[Every time he swung his sword, monsters were cleared like weeds.
It was incredible, and I'm so grateful.]
[Reminded me of my military days using a weed trimmer.
Just kidding—it was seriously amazing. If not for him, I'd be dead.]
[I was convinced I was going to die… and then he appeared. I'm so, so thankful.]
And the interviews didn't stop.
One after another, survivors who were saved by Soohyeok stepped forward with testimonies and heartfelt stories.
They all said it differently, but the meaning was the same:
They were deeply, genuinely grateful.
One interview in particular, from a man named Park Tae-jun—who identified himself as a father—went viral online:
[At that moment, all I could think about was how badly I wanted to live.
I wanted to see my daughter again. I worried about my wife. I was on the verge of tears when he showed up.
What can I say… I hadn't believed in heroes since I was 12. But now I do.
There are heroes in this world.]
The word "hero" sounds noble, but also… kind of childish.
As adults, we learn that there aren't people out there willing to bear such sacrifice.
Reality is always cold and cruel.
But Soohyeok, who threw himself in to save people alone, made people feel like the word "hero" wasn't misplaced.
Oh Shin-woo's interview only cemented that image in the public's mind.
Hero. The nameless hero.
From Soohyeok's perspective, it was all quite overwhelming.
"I'm not some amazing person like that…"
All Soohyeok wanted was to do what felt right.
And when all the other Awakened ignored that responsibility, he got angry.
So he acted—even if it meant going in alone.
But he wasn't reckless. He had confidence.
He believed without a doubt that he wouldn't die inside that portal. That's what allowed him to act.
If he hadn't been so enraged in that moment—or if he'd felt his abilities were too lacking—he might've hesitated.
Maybe he would've looked the other way, like Kim Yoomin.
Soohyeok always thought humans were, at the core, incredibly selfish creatures.
And yet, the world was now hailing his actions as sacred and heroic.
And not just in Korea.
International news outlets were broadcasting stories about this mysterious newcomer and his heroic deeds.
Praising him.
Every time Soohyeok turned on the TV, he felt secondhand embarrassment.
It was the same with the internet.
Major portal sites had plastered their main pages with news about a new hero called "No-Name".
Nearly every trending search term was related to him.
And the comment sections were flooded:
L There's still hope in the world.
L Long live Korea! We're now the strongest Awakened nation!
L If No-Name keeps growing, maybe we'll even take back the North.
L Please let him grow well. We've been mocked for having no talents besides Baek Mu-hak.
L Is ability even what matters here? His character is the real deal. F*** it, I'm starting a fan club for No-Name right now.
All the praise, admiration, and expectation made Soohyeok want to throw his phone and hide under a blanket.
He was so embarrassed, he even called Oh Shin-woo to complain:
[You said not to reveal your name, so I didn't.
Even the survivors promised to keep it private.]
"So, still—"
[Enjoy it! No matter what you say, you did it, didn't you?
Honestly, if I weren't in this position, I'd be the first to start your fan club.]
"…Just to check… You're not one of the people leaving comments, right?"
[I'm a man of mystery, thank you very much.]
"Vice President?"
Click.
The call ended.