Side Story. Our Home Hero

Carbon had never been particularly fond of appearing on television. In an era when more and more people became heroes for worldly reasons like fame and money, Carbon was a rare case, someone who focused solely on the essential work of helping others.

Whenever he was asked why he didn’t do media appearances, Carbon would say he was a dull person by nature, with no wit or charm, and that showing up would only mean sitting quietly like a prop, so he didn’t see the point. The real reason, of course, was simply that he didn’t enjoy the entertainment side of things, but that was what he said publicly.

So outside of the news interviews he occasionally agreed to, the handful of documentary and talk show appearances from his rookie days were about all the broadcast material Carbon had left behind.

Hyde was even more extreme. She had almost no media presence whatsoever, which meant the profile on the office website was essentially everything there was to know about her. The complete absence of information only made her more talked about. Public curiosity about the woman top hero Carbon was apparently considering marrying had reached a fever pitch.

Requests for the two of them to appear on television came pouring in. The broadcast stations begged, saying even a brief glimpse would be enough, and the calls were so relentless that Carbon had to disconnect the office phone lines again for a while.

Public interest in the couple behind the year’s most impactful romance announcement was nothing short of fervent. At first he had assumed it would die down quickly, but months had passed and it showed no signs of fading. Paparazzi who behaved like stalkers had started following them at all hours, making everyday life a nuisance.

“Maybe it would be better to just go on a show once?”

Hyde came inside after catching a paparazzo waiting at the door with her shadows and handing him over to the police, and said with a tired look,

“I think the more we keep hiding, the more curious people get. If we go on a show once and let everyone see, there won’t be anyone clinging to us with talk of mystique and all that.”

“……Do you want to go on one?”

“Yes. But not just anywhere……”

The show Hyde chose was Our Home Hero. A lifestyle observation variety program that naturally showed the private lives of the heroes who appeared on it, it had become popular for giving a vivid look at the usually hidden personal lives of heroes. Its ratings were a remarkable 31 percent. Called a national variety show, it was also a beloved companion to citizens who looked forward to their Saturday evenings.

Cameras were installed in the home and the crew withdrew, with only a cameraman following at a distance during outings. Outside of a brief interview after filming wrapped, there was no intervention of any kind. The program was well regarded for showing its subjects’ natural daily lives as a result.

What set it apart from other observation shows was that instead of fixed panelists reacting to an edited version in a studio, viewer comments posted online while watching the live broadcast were displayed at the bottom of the screen in real time. The added fun of reading along with fellow viewers made live ratings high as well.

News that Carbon and Hyde, currently the hottest couple around, would be appearing on the already highly buzzed-about Our Home Hero immediately set the internet ablaze.

Even with only a preview out, the appearance announcement became a massive topic not just online but in real life too. Amid this enormous anticipation and attention, the Carbon and Hyde episode of Our Home Hero aired.

* * *

⏰ 5:00 A.M.

A dark room without a trace of light. The quiet bedroom where only the sound of breathing could be heard was still enough to feel tedious for a long while. But there was a sound that broke the peaceful silence.

Rrrr.

The moment the ringtone sounded, a massive silhouette on the bed moved. An arm reached out as the body turned, and the phone was in the man’s hand as though pulled there by a vacuum. The speed and quiet of the motion in silencing the alarm was such that the woman sleeping soundly beside him didn’t stir at all.

The face of the large figure who had just moved was revealed in the dim light of the phone screen. Even in the faint glow, the sharp features were captured vividly by the camera.

Even though he had just woken up, Carbon moved with the energy of someone who had never known what grogginess was. He went briskly to the bathroom, washed his face, brushed his teeth, came out, and changed. A comfortable tracksuit.

Rather than heading straight out after that, he walked toward the lump still visible under the blanket. When he climbed onto the bed, the woman, Hyde, stirred and mumbled in her sleep as though sensing his presence.

“Mmh……”

“Go back to sleep.”

His voice, lower and rougher than usual from just waking, was still full of warmth. The hand that swept the hair away from Hyde’s eyes, and the eyes that looked down at her scrunched face, were both full of the same tenderness.

Carbon carefully smoothed Hyde’s hair without waking her, then bent down and pressed his lips to her white forehead. Feather-light kisses brushed her forehead, the bridge of her nose, her closed eyelids, and finally landed on her lips before lifting away. Even half-asleep, Hyde must have felt the affection in the kisses, because her furrowed expression smoothed out and a smile settled at the corners of her mouth.

⏰ 6:30 A.M.

Carbon had come back from his workout and finished showering, but the bedroom was still quiet. He padded silently straight to the bathroom near the living room.

There was a camera in the bathroom too, but to the viewers’ disappointment only a single camera was mounted near the sink, positioned to show no more than the shoulders. This height had been calibrated for Hyde, however, which meant Carbon, significantly taller than her, showed even less.

Carbon’s sweat-damp upper body, clothes removed for the shower, was captured almost entirely by the camera. The moment his glistening muscular torso appeared on screen, ratings hit their peak. Before long Carbon stepped into the shower stall and only the sound of water remained, the screen going black with a caption reading ‘-Adjusting Broadcast-‘, but viewers couldn’t calm down.

Even as Carbon finished washing, got dressed, went to the kitchen, put on an apron, and began preparing breakfast, the comment section talked about nothing but the glimpse of Carbon’s bare body from earlier. One viewer eventually left this comment.

The large kitchen looked a little cramped, but Carbon moved through it with ease and cooked with practiced skill. The sound of the knife was regular and crisp as ingredients were cut into even pieces on the cutting board. He cracked six eggs, added a little milk, pepper, and salt, and made an omelette, while a stew packed with wholesome ingredients bubbled away in a pot beside it.

⏰ 7:00 A.M.

The bedroom door finally opened. Hyde came out with half-closed eyes and a dazed expression, shook her head a few times, but still couldn’t shake off the sleep. She walked out slowly, went to the kitchen out of habit, and hugged Carbon from behind.

“Mister……”

“Sleep well?”

“Mmhm, but I woke up and you weren’t there……”

She had mumbled it into his back and it probably hadn’t come through clearly, but Carbon somehow caught every word and answered faithfully.

“Did you feel empty without me.”

“Yeah……”

Hyde tightened her arms around Carbon. Carbon laughed quietly. Hyde followed with a heh heh of her own. Pressed so close together, every laugh sent vibrations transferring between them.

Carbon took his hand off the pan, turned off the heat, then gently unwrapped Hyde’s arms and turned around. He lifted the blankly outstretched Hyde clean off the ground.

Even being picked up so suddenly, Hyde didn’t seem flustered and hugged him back. Settled stably in Carbon’s arms like a koala on a tree, Hyde was carried all the way to the dining table. Carbon stroked her back and set her down in a chair.

“Wait a moment.”

Carbon said it in the same tone one might use to soothe a child and went to bring the food he had just cooked from the kitchen. He hadn’t rushed, but he moved with a speed that left an afterimage.