Chapter 48: Joyful News and First Battles

“Mom!”

Upon returning home, Myungwoo didn’t look anywhere else and immediately searched for No Yeonhee.

She was the person he wanted to tell about becoming the lead as soon as possible, so his gaze quickly scanned the house.

“Oh my, Myungwoo, did filming go well today?”

No Yeonhee, who had been preparing dinner inside, greeted him with her usual smiling face.

Spotting her, Myungwoo ran over with an excited expression.

“Mom!”

“Goodness, my son, why are you so thrilled?”

“I became the lead in the movie I’m filming right now!”

Blink blink. No Yeonhee blinked at Myungwoo’s words. Then she tilted her head.

“The lead?”

“Yes. The movie’s protagonist!”

“No, um, I know what that means…….”

No Yeonhee looked at Myungwoo with confused eyes.

“Is it common to get a lead role like this, less than a year after debuting?”

“No, not common at all. I’m a rare case.”

Myungwoo mentally raised a question mark at No Yeonhee’s reaction, which wasn’t as immediately joyful as he’d expected.

That’s strange. I thought she’d be over the moon as soon as she heard the news.

But what was that complicated expression? Without realizing it, Myungwoo glanced at No Yeonhee cautiously.

“Is something wrong, Mom?”

“Huh?”

When Myungwoo asked, No Yeonhee snapped out of it as if realizing something. She quickly smiled brightly and hugged him tightly.

“Ah, no, I was just thinking about something. So my Myungwoo came running like this because he wanted to brag to Mom about becoming the lead?”

“Yes, as soon as I heard, I really wanted to tell you!”

“My son is amazing. How long has it been since you started, and you’ve already won a rookie award and landed a movie lead.”

“Hehe.”

Myungwoo beamed at No Yeonhee’s praise.

On one hand, he recalled her complicated expression when she first heard the news, but he brushed it off, thinking she must have had something on her mind today.

*My son really has talent in acting…….

So much. I had no idea.*

No Yeonhee bit her lip gently while holding Myungwoo.

*All I’ve done is send him to one acting academy…….

Yet he’s doing so well, and somehow it makes me feel sorry for Myungwoo.*

For not noticing sooner.

For not supporting him more.

For not being there to praise him more.

Though it was to make a living for him, the fact that she couldn’t be with him often because of work always weighed heavily on No Yeonhee’s heart.

Her son came to share good news like this, and even without much support, he forged ahead on his own.

As a mother, was it okay to give so little help?

Especially to an eleven-year-old who was far from adulthood.

Complicated thoughts chained together in No Yeonhee’s mind.

What hurt her most was that, even if she thought about it, there was no proper way for her to help him.

Sigh.

It was just regrettable. From what she’d heard vaguely, other kids’ moms went with them to filming sites and looked into things for them.

All she did was pay for the acting academy.

Yet Myungwoo was satisfied with just that and showed achievements far beyond other kids.

*How did I end up with such an undeserved son…….

A small tear formed in No Yeonhee’s eyes.

To hide it, she hugged Myungwoo even tighter.

“? Haha.”

Myungwoo vaguely sensed something off in the atmosphere but just laughed.

He didn’t know exactly what, but it seemed like something he couldn’t solve.

All he could do was think that he needed to do even better for his mom from now on.

***

After filming all the minor intermediate scenes and the behaviors of people in the shelter.

The next scene was the first day Song Seojun went outside with Choi Dowon, utilizing his special ability.

Thanks to the grueling efforts up to that point, Song Seojun could now control his barrier to some extent.

The strain on his body remained, but it had lessened, and most importantly, he could create and dismiss the barrier when he wanted.

Since Song Seojun’s special ability was a secret, Baek Seongjae used the pretext of Choi Dowon’s training and his exceptional combat skills to send just the two of them out.

The people in the shelter mocked Choi Dowon for it. Saying that after protecting the kid so much, this was how it ended.

It was understandable. The outside situation was too dangerous for an adult man and a child to wander around normally.

Amid that, only Nam Yeji, who knew the truth, watched them with an inscrutable gaze.

But what differed from people’s expectations was,

Pow!

Choi Dowon fought exceptionally well,

Whoosh-

And Song Seojun possessed outstanding defensive abilities.

Like that, they handled the monsters outside without much difficulty or effort, gathering resources one after another.

“Mister, even so, this is a bit…….”

“Quiet. If you collapse for no reason, that’s even less helpful. Just stay on my back quietly.”

After each battle, during movement, Choi Dowon carried Song Seojun on his back.

He also carried all the resources they found.

Choi Dowon wasn’t a fool; he knew the burden Song Seojun’s special ability placed on his body.

So this was his way of showing consideration and thoughtfulness. He worried about Song Seojun’s body, and ultimately, his barrier protected Choi Dowon himself too.

Of course, from Song Seojun’s perspective, it just felt like he was constantly relying on Choi Dowon.

“Ah, I forgot to say this.”

“What?”

“Congratulations on awakening your special ability.”

Song Seojun’s eyes widened at Choi Dowon’s words.

“No, um, since you awakened it in a dangerous situation, maybe it’s not something to congratulate. Damn, I don’t know.”

Choi Dowon regretted the congratulations right after saying it.

Awakening a special ability in a crisis and surviving was fortunate, but wouldn’t it have been better not to be in danger in the first place?

Various thoughts complicated Choi Dowon’s mind.

“Thank you, Mister.”

But only briefly—when Song Seojun smiled brightly in response, Choi Dowon chuckled too.

“I’m the one who’s more grateful. Thanks to you, I can seize the advantage so easily without getting hurt.”

It was true.

Song Seojun’s barrier didn’t just defend against attacks.

Through its instant reflection ability, it repelled incoming monsters, and those hit by their own attacks took heavy damage, losing balance and falling.

Thanks to that, Choi Dowon found beating the monsters incredibly easy.

Much more than before.

And Choi Dowon knew very well who to thank for it.

Good thing I saved him.

At first, he saved him due to an inexplicable sense of kinship, and carried him around out of responsibility for saving him.

Now, he’d become a reliable comrade in arms.

Thanks to him, his own survival odds had skyrocketed exponentially.

He had no reason to abandon the kid, and the kid wouldn’t leave him either—so for Choi Dowon, it couldn’t be better.

So this is why you should do good deeds.

Hah, Choi Dowon laughed while recalling an old saying that had nearly vanished after this catastrophe.

Who could’ve known it would save him like this.

“Kid!”

At that moment, as Choi Dowon carried Song Seojun, he shouted urgently, and Song Seojun quickly deployed his barrier.

Soon after, monsters bounced off the newly formed barrier.

“M-Monsters…….”

“……Damn, there’s a ton of them.”

Song Seojun looked around with a terrified expression, and Choi Dowon bit his lip with a sharp look.

Roughly estimating, over ten monsters surrounded them.

“Kid, can you maintain the barrier continuously?”

“It’s possible, but not for very long…….”

“As long as it’s possible. Keep it up as much as you can without overdoing it.”

Then Choi Dowon immediately rushed toward a monster that had fallen after taking damage from Song Seojun’s barrier and swung his weapon.

Whooosh-

The swing was so forceful that it cut through the air with a sound, and soon the weapon struck the monster true.

Like that, Choi Dowon handled the monsters with Song Seojun’s support.

With the harmony of powerful defense and powerful attacks, the monsters fell one by one rapidly.

“Gasp…….”

Then at some point, the barrier vanished, and a groan came from Song Seojun behind him.

“Kid!”

Without the barrier, Song Seojun was no different from an ordinary child. Choi Dowon quickly dispatched one monster and approached Song Seojun, swinging his weapon at the monster closing in on him.

After barely finishing off all the monsters, Choi Dowon hurriedly checked on Song Seojun.

“Hah, I told you not to overdo it…….”

Song Seojun’s condition was clearly that of someone who’d pushed too hard.

His face was pale, cold sweat dripped from his body.

Choi Dowon firmly patted the back of Song Seojun, who was breathing raggedly as if struggling to breathe.

“Kid, snap out of it. You can’t pass out!”

Even if he was exhausted and had no abilities besides defense, the survival difficulty between being conscious and unconscious was worlds apart.

Knowing that better than anyone, Choi Dowon shook Song Seojun’s body vigorously.

“M-Mister……?”

“Are you coming to?”

“I’m sorry…….”

Song Seojun mumbled with a body that wouldn’t move.

At his words, Choi Dowon hardened his expression and said,

“Why are you sorry?”

“I couldn’t block properly, and now I’m just being a nuisance…….”

“Tch.”

What was he even saying? Choi Dowon let out an incredulous laugh.

“What are you talking about, kid? Who do you think is the reason I’ve made it this far without a single injury?”

“But…….”

“Skip the pointless self-blame. Let’s head back.”

With that, Choi Dowon quickly hoisted Song Seojun onto his back.

Then, after gathering all the luggage, he started heading back to where the shelter was.

The two were silent for a while.

“……Mister.”

Amid the continuing silence, Song Seojun spoke first.

“What.”

“Thank you.”

“That’s my line.”

Choi Dowon snorted at Song Seojun’s words and lightly retorted.

“It’s not empty words—I’m serious. If not for you, I’d have had to fight without any means to protect myself. I wouldn’t have secured this many resources or stayed this unscathed.”

“……”

Song Seojun fell silent at the rare sight of Choi Dowon speaking at length.

Whether it helped or not, he could feel Choi Dowon’s intention in deliberately saying that.

“Thank…….”

“……!”

As Song Seojun tried to thank Choi Dowon once more, monsters burst out from one side, lunging to attack them.

Damn, my hands are tied right now……!

Unfortunately, Choi Dowon’s hands were occupied holding Song Seojun on his back.

Inevitably thinking to at least protect the child, he quickly twisted his body.

At that moment.

“You’re still far from ready, Choi Dowon.”

A familiar voice rang out, and simultaneously, the monsters were sent flying.