Chapter 171: I think I’m not a good Hero.

Upon hearing Tomoko’s resolute words, everyone turned to look at her with slight surprise, but Nemuri quickly let out a soft sigh before commenting in an equally serious tone.

“…You’re right, and even if that hadn’t been the case, I’m not going to change my opinion of Kai. I’ve known him all my life, and I know he wouldn’t do something without a reason, so even if he made a mistake, I’ll stand by him and make sure we can repair the damage together.”

(After all, it’s highly likely that Kai will do something reckless if he finds the ‘traitors’ who sold out Jiro and Alisa…)

Nemuri silently added to herself because she knew him far too well to ignore that side of him. At the same time, she made a silent vow to prevent something like that from happening. In the event she failed, she steeled herself to give up her career and devote her life to helping him through his time in prison. Because Kai was the love of her life, she loved him with both his virtues and his flaws.

So if she couldn’t remedy the inner demons of the man she loved, she was prepared to stand by him and face the consequences together. Besides, from what she had heard, prisons allowed conjugal visits and the like, so although it would be rather complicated, there would still be ways to keep their love alive.

“…The shock from everything that happened affected me a bit, but in the end, you’re right. We know Kai and what he is and isn’t capable of. There’s no point focusing on that. The situation was really complicated.” Soon, Shino reacted and spoke seriously, prompting Chatora to nod and add in a similar tone.

“I feel the same way. But I think after this, we should have a talk with Kai, or at least give him the chance to see a therapist. Even what we’ve seen so far is quite traumatic, and there’s still more to come.”

“Yes... Given how Kai arrived, he was on the brink of death. That must’ve affected him greatly; I even think I need some help myself. I feel pretty bad right now.”

Ryuko added in a serious tone, though her voice trembled slightly. While the scene of the killing shocked her a bit, she had known from the start who she was getting involved with. Though Kai hadn’t had to fight much, she still remembered what happened so many years ago with that ogre woman, who hadn’t fared well afterward—her last bit of information was that the woman ended up in a coma.

But since no one in the family bothered to investigate what happened after that—or at least, no one ever mentioned it again—she kept what she knew to herself, firmly convinced that her Kai was a loving man who resorted to violence only as a last resort. Time ended up proving her right: after that, Kai never again found himself involved in any kind of trouble or fight, even though he possessed the strength to kill with a casual blow.

Because of that, from the outset, what worried her most was the condition Kai was in when he arrived. The sight had been so brutal that just remembering it sent a tremor through her body—if not for his absurd quirk, the wounds he had would’ve killed him multiple times over. It filled her with infinite terror because she wouldn’t know what to do if Kai disappeared from her life. She wouldn’t be able to bear it.

“I feel the same way… Maybe we really do need some help.” Momo added in a troubled tone, prompting Nemuri to comment seriously.

“I know someone quite good. I’ll arrange appointments for whoever wants them.”

“Count me in.” Chatora was the first to speak, immediately followed by Ryuko, Shino, and Momo, who all spoke in unison.

“““Me too.”””

“…I think I might need some help as well.”

After a moment, Tomoko spoke in a soft tone, a world of difference from her usual demeanor—a clear sign of how affected she was. But her words caught everyone’s attention because of the one person who hadn’t said a word.

“Nejire…? Are you okay?”

Nemuri asked with some concern, looking at the beautiful blue-haired girl, who was staring fixedly at Eva on the screen. Nejire noticed and turned to look at her, responding in a slightly distant voice.

“…I think I’m not a good Hero…”

“What do you mean?” Ryuko quickly asked with concern, and Nejire answered in a complex tone, filled with countless emotions.

“I mean that, although I know helping the mother and child in that situation was the right thing to do—though I would’ve done the same myself—I can’t help thinking it was all her fault. If not for that woman, Kai wouldn’t have had to end up the way he did. No matter what, I can't help but think he should have kept his word and not saved a ‘stranger’…”

Upon hearing Nejire’s words, Momo immediately stood up and hugged her tightly, causing all the adults to look at one another with bitter expressions. They understood the young girl’s feelings perfectly. After all, even they, as pro heroes, couldn’t help feeling the same. But after a few seconds, Nemuri approached Nejire and began to stroke her lovely blue hair before speaking in a gentle tone.

“Feeling like that is normal. Even though we’re heroes, we’re also human, and we want our loved ones to be safe. What you’re feeling is what every hero’s family experiences when they see their loved one risk their life for others—it’s natural. But in the same way, if Kai hadn’t done anything, how would you feel knowing he let a mother and her child die, even though he could’ve saved them?”

“…”

Nemuri’s words left Nejire completely silent. After thinking it over for a moment, she quickly realized that she would’ve felt incredibly uneasy. Even though Kai was always saying that he didn’t care about strangers—and she truly didn’t mind, thinking she herself could save them—if he were actually to keep his word and leave someone in danger right in front of him, she’d feel terribly disappointed.

“Don’t dwell on it too much. This just shows that Kai isn’t as indifferent as he wants to appear. Even though he doesn’t want to be a pro hero, he still saved an innocent mother and child at the risk of his own life—something many pro heroes wouldn’t do. So just keep that feeling in your heart, and remember it well: it’s what the people who love you feel every time you risk yourself for others. It’s one of the burdens you have to bear as a hero.”

“I understand…”

After a moment, Nejire spoke in a low, contemplative voice, and Momo also seemed lost in thought. Just then, everyone heard Sage’s solemn voice through the speakers, announcing Kai’s arrival. Inevitably, their attention went back to the screen, where what soon unfolded was a cataclysmic battle, surpassing even their wildest guesses about what might have happened in the few hours Kai had been gone.

…

…

…

As she carried Kai in her arms up the stairs, Keiko couldn’t help looking at his peacefully sleeping face and biting her lip hard, wearing an incredibly complicated expression. She wondered when was the last time she’d seen him so calm, so relaxed, so vulnerable, which inevitably brought to mind the state he’d been in just moments ago—an image capable of shattering her heart into a thousand pieces.

Although she knew Kai liked to maintain a tough, indifferent facade—likely something he did consciously or unconsciously to keep people away or to test them—she never imagined he’d eventually put himself in such danger to save a complete stranger. It was the manifestation of one of her worst fears: that Kai had inherited his father’s “foolishness.”

Even though he always seemed cold, antisocial, and even confrontational, that fear had never left Keiko’s heart. She knew perfectly well that people could say a lot and swear up and down that they would behave a certain way in a hypothetical situation. Yet, the truth was that no one on earth could know for sure how they would really act when the time came.

Many claimed they would be brave, fight to the last breath, or remain steadfast and loyal no matter what, but in the end, they were nothing more than words. A pattern she had noticed throughout her life was that the more someone boasted about something, the more likely they were to do the exact opposite when push came to shove. The one who proclaimed himself the bravest, the fiercest warrior, was usually the first to flee; the one who swore he was the most “loyal” was always the first traitor.

Those repeated proclamations seemed almost like a way to overcompensate for some internal weakness. And there was probably no one who broadcast a greater air of not wanting to help others than Kai, always cold and distant with strangers, repeating like a mantra that he wouldn’t help people he didn’t know—almost as if he feared them unconsciously. Because of that, deep down, she always worried that if Kai found himself in a truly desperate situation, he might do the same thing his idiot father had done—sacrifice himself for others.

Even though she didn’t know the specifics—and to be honest, she didn’t think she could handle them, which was why she’d fled to the second floor—she was fully aware that the situation must have been so dire that even the Symbol of Peace might not have survived it. After all, there was probably nobody who understood Kai’s power better than she did. If he set his mind to it, not even the Symbol of Peace would walk away if Kai wanted him dead.

For that reason, to her, it was entirely justifiable if Kai had decided to step aside. His power didn’t obligate him in any way to sacrifice himself for others. Even though leaving an innocent mother and her child to their fate would be devastating, she still considered Kai’s safety to be more important. Kai was infinitely more precious in her heart than that poor woman, and if the price to pay for Kai’s safety was that woman’s life and her child’s, it was a price she would “pay” without blinking.

They could call her crazy, cold, heartless, or despicable; she didn’t care in the slightest. After all, in her eyes, the world was incredibly small—so small that only two people fit in the center: her beloved daughter and her irreplaceable Kai. Beyond that circle stood eight more people, her non-blood family. Everyone else was just a bunch of vultures who loved to pass judgment but would never lift a finger for her or anyone else, since the ones who would were rarely the ones so quick to criticize.

…

Still lost in her thoughts, gripped by a profound fear for what the future might bring, Keiko soon found herself standing before Kai’s bedroom. At that moment, Yumiko—who, upon seeing Keiko’s expression, had chosen to remain silent the entire way—opened the door with a gentle gesture, revealing on the other side an incredibly simple room, nothing like what one would expect of a teenager.

The room, spacious and well-lit, with huge smart windows overlooking a moonlit forest, contained only a white bed, perfectly made with meticulous care. It rested on a cozy, elegant rug atop a wooden floor, flanked by two bedside tables and a tall lamp on the left. A single wall clock served as its only decoration.

Such a minimalist style, so different from Momo’s or Nejire’s rooms—overflowing with personal touches like plushes, decorations, or even posters—was very typical of Kai, where the only real mark of his presence might be his workshop. It was as if, unconsciously, he wanted to reduce his existence in the mansion to a minimum, as though he felt like a guest in his own home.

“Lay him down on the bed, Keiko. I’ll go get some towels and hot water.”

Once inside, Yumiko spoke in a measured, collected voice and headed to the bathroom. Keiko nodded and carried Kai over to the bed, placing him on it. She began carefully inspecting the young man’s body for any lingering wounds, until her gaze fell on the pair of necklaces around the blue-eyed boy’s neck.

“Even after everything you went through, these are almost untouched…”

Keiko remarked in a low, raspy voice, holding the pair of necklaces in one hand as her other hand brushed over the small marks on both the pendants and the chains. A faint smile formed on her lips. Kai really was too sentimental, though that was one of the things she loved most about him.

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