Alpha (4)

Despite various things happening, I was still undoubtedly Korea’s hero.

There was no one strong enough to replace me in my generation, and citizens who knew this well, except for some, weren’t expressing opinions to strip me of my hero position.

“[Hey. Just come to Russia.]”

“……”

“[Crazy Koreans! They treat you like a tool without knowing how hard and difficult it is for you. Just come to Russia with me, with you we can quickly arrange citizenship and various support..]”

“It’s okay.”

Viktor grumbled.

He was gruff, but inside there was undisguisable worry for me.

“..How could I do that.”

But even at that sight, I could only shake my head.

“My home is here, how could I do that.”

At my words, Viktor wondered if he had heard wrong, tapped his translator but seeing it working normally, he couldn’t say anything more.

“The traces of my wife remain intact there, as if she’ll warmly welcome me as soon as I enter.”

I was quite mentally cornered at that time.

“……”

“Asking what happened today, if I wasn’t hurt, talking about when our baby will be born..”

As if she’d smile at me right away.

I looked at Viktor with empty eyes.

After that, Viktor stopped bringing up talks about naturalization.

He just briefly apologized later as if he had said something wrong.

It wasn’t his fault.

It was just the situation that it was.

‘..You’re the best hero no matter what anyone says.’

Nevertheless, I continued my hero activities.

I was.

The best hero.

[Flood of criticism towards S-class hero Alpha.]

[Nationally disliked hero Alpha. People say ‘It’s useless..’ about his donation of saved money.]

Even if people criticized me, I ignored it and moved on.

‘..You’re the best hero no matter what anyone says.’

I was..

The best hero.

“Die, you bastard! You useless hero who can’t even save people properly!!”

“Amidst many people injured in this terrorism, some citizens are raging saying they’ll sue hero Alpha..”

Even if unavoidable factors caused trouble, strange reasons caused conflicts and I became people’s entertainment, I continued being a hero.

‘..Honey… no matter what.. best.. he..’

I was..

The best hero..

[Heroes Association, public apology.]

[Large-scale drug cartel occurring in Heroes Association, is hero Alpha the owner?]

Even if the Heroes Association I believed in tried to pin their crimes on me, taking advantage of the opportunity.

‘……’

Was I…

The best hero?

“..Ah.”

The strong me crumbled before I knew it.

“……”

People say heroes don’t crumble.

That a hero who crumbles like that is just a pathetic guy.

Heroes are always brightly shining justice, and they shouldn’t yield to any adversity.

Then the moment they yield, the moment they crumble, do they stop being heroes?

Those who pushed me into hell. Just because they have no power, should I, who has power, not do anything?

‘Should I endure?’

Always, always.

Even after my identity was revealed, always.

Even if I’m criticized for not saving hundreds when I saved tens of thousands, always.

Even if those I should save hate me, always.

Should I always protect people?

Even if I gave up my family to save people, even if the end of trusting people is insults, even if the end of trusting the association is being discarded after use.

Am I a hero?

No, should I be a hero?

“Why..?”

Idiot.

Perhaps it wasn’t a bad word to describe me.

And so I was eaten away by the suffocating malice directed at me.

---

And again one day.

That day was a midsummer day filled with particularly stifling heat.

I was facing a man.

“..So, why did you call me?”

“..Alpha.”

The one who called me was a friend I had known for quite a long time.

A man who became a friend after I saved him when he was about to be caught up in terrorism, and through various coincidences and connections.

Now he had become the husband of a woman and the father of a child.

Thump.

And this man suddenly knelt before me.

“..I’m sorry.”

Sunken eyes and a trembling chin, cold sweat dripping.

At a glance, his appearance looked extremely anxious, and he was fidgeting towards me.

“..What’s wrong?”

“W-Well..”

He repeatedly swallowed, breathed excessively, then let out a painful sigh and tightly closed his eyes.

“……”

That appearance was quite strange.

There was no reason for him to act like this towards me, and this meeting was entirely initiated by him.

Thump thump thump-

And on the other hand, a strange intuition seemed to sharply pierce my brain.

No way. No, really.

“..I’m sorry.”

The man’s words continued.

Finally, I looked down at him as he swallowed the words that couldn’t escape his mouth as sentences.

I gathered my thoughts and painfully opened my mouth.

“..For what.”

“……”

The man didn’t say anything.

At that, I impulsively grabbed his collar.

“For what.”

The man trembled, then turned his head to avoid my gaze.

A chilling sensation swept up my spine and went to my head.

Thump thump thump!

My body temperature suddenly rose as if my whole body was heating up, and it became increasingly difficult to control my emotions.

“Speak.”

“……”

“I said speak.”

The man’s appearance, frightened and not knowing what to do.

Grr.

My facial muscles tensed for a moment, and my voice rose.

“Say something quickly, you son of a bitch!!!”

A gaze filled with killing intent.

The man trembled and started to cry.

“..I’m sorry. Hick.. I’m sorry..”

The words he delivered were quite shocking.

“Your identity being revealed. It was actually because of me..”

Ping-

As a ringing in my ears started, a headache that felt like it would crush my head flowed out.

While I wondered if I had heard correctly just now, my body was trembling rapidly to match my fast-beating heart.

My vision turned white, and I felt a dizzying shock.

Thump!

Before I knew it, I was grabbing the man’s neck.

“I’m sorry.. I’m sorry..”

The man stammered and continued speaking little by little.

He said a villain found out about his relationship with me.

And he was being blackmailed.

“He said if I didn’t tell all your information, he would.. kill all my family members..”

Uncontrollable killing intent arose.

“..If only.”

The hand holding the man trembled, shaken by emotion.

“If only it weren’t for you.”

My wife wouldn’t have suffered so much before leaving.

My wife wouldn’t have gone grocery shopping to comfort me, wouldn’t have suffered unnecessary harm.

“If only it weren’t for you..!”

“Kek. Keuk..”

Maybe we could have continued living happy, ordinary days.

Ku-ung.

“Kuk! Kkuluk! Kkuluk.. Haa.. Haa..”

“……”

You wouldn’t know.

“A-Alpha..”

“……”

I looked at the man.

His eyes bloodshot, grabbing his neck and trembling, crying towards me.

But soon he slowly leaned his body towards me and then headbutted me.

Thump!

“..I’m sorry. You becoming like this, it’s all my fault.”

Thump!

“..If it’s okay with you, I’ll atone.”

“..Atone? How are you going to do that?”

I let out a hollow laugh towards him.

It wasn’t because it was ridiculous or funny, but because I couldn’t express this emotion in any way, yet still wanted to express it somehow.

“Are you going to die or something?”

“..If that’s what you want.”

The man trembled in fear, but as if he had already made up his mind, he bowed his head towards me.

“But I know it’s shameless, I hope your anger doesn’t reach my wife and daughter..”

Thump.

“It’s because of me. So I want to bear that pain alone..”

“Ha..”

Seeing that appearance, I hesitated for a moment.

But soon I shook my head.

“It’s not like my wife will come back even if you do that..”

The heat that was boiling up cooled down at once.

What on earth am I doing right now?

It seemed like I and everyone around me were losing our minds.

“I-I’m sorry..”

“..You’re a victim too.”

In fact, I had no right to blame him. He was just caught up in it.

He just unfortunately got involved with me, and unfortunately villains noticed that.

He just did his best to protect his family.

“I roughly understand your feelings.”

“A-Alpha..”

It was something I could say because I had experienced having something precious.

After calming my mind somewhat, I helped him stand up.

As I just said, killing him wouldn’t bring back my dead wife, and he was also a victim.

So I needed to turn my anger in a different direction.

I listened to the story about the villain organization that threatened him, and then I got up from my seat.

“I’ll overlook this incident.”

“..Alpha, where are you going?”

“To vent.”

I went to find the real cause that made this situation.

---

“Y-You’re a hero! I-Is this okay?!”

A villain opening his mouth towards me in fear.

It wasn’t a particularly strange situation.

I had disabled all the villains in this hideout, and as a bonus, cleanly blown off one of the limbs of the guy in front of me.

“Hero?”

“Y-Yeah. Hero!! If you’re really a hero, doing this kind of thing.. Wait! No! S-Stop please!!”

Crunch, crunch crunch crunch!

“Aaaaaaaargh!!!!!”

I grabbed the guy’s remaining arm and body and pulled hard as if tearing meat.

“..If you wanted mercy as a hero, you shouldn’t have done that to me.”

I killed people.

Not by mistake, but intentionally, and quite a lot.

I wondered if I could still be called a hero like this, but I dismissed any further thoughts.

I decorated a futile end that could be called revenge of sorts.

But the emptiness didn’t clear.

I headed back to my friend’s house for now.

I didn’t intend to brag about it.

From what I heard, he seemed to have suffered quite a bit too, so I thought I should at least give him the information that the organization was annihilated.

I thought it would be good to relieve that much anxiety, even if we never see each other again afterwards.

I headed to his house like that.

“……”

And what I saw was.

“..Who are you guys?”

A group of villains invading my friend’s house.

My heart sank and a chilling sensation started circling again.

“Get him!!”

I hurriedly headed inside his house.

I dealt with five or six villains and opened several doors.

And finally, what Alpha saw was.

“..Ah. You.. came? Alpha..”

“……”

His wife and him lying covered in blood.

“..Damn it.”

I frowned hard.

I was arrogant. I didn’t even think about the remaining members.

“What kind of.. face.. are you making..”

That’s why they were harmed again.

Because of those guys, no, more accurately, because of me.

“Originally.. when you came back.. I was going to properly apologize again.. I promised, kuluk!! with my wife kuluk kuluk!!!”

“Stop talking. If you don’t want to die faster.”

“I’m already dying, what..”

Even if he arrived at the hospital right now, he couldn’t be saved.

His intestines spilling out of his half-open stomach and the blood were already beyond help.

“I don’t.. resent you..”

As I was scrunching my face, he dragged his gasping body and placed his hand on my shoe.

“My wife.. thought so too.. kuluk! Kuluk..!!”

“……”

“Sorry.. truly sor..”

After that, the man fell silent.

He bowed his head that had been raised, and his body showed no movement.

“..Hey.”

“……”

“..Damn it, say something.”

“……”

And so the man finally died.

Repeating only “I’m sorry” until he died.

I was gripped by an indescribable emotion towards him.

And.

Creeak.

“..Mom?.. Dad?”

“……”

“U-Uncle.. Mom and Dad aren’t breathing..”

It was the starting point of another tragedy.