"Another bottle of soju, please!"

  Youngsu shouted amid the bustling noise of the restaurant.

  "Yes, just a moment, please."

  The waitress promptly replied.

  It had been a while since my college friends gathered in one place. We used to meet regularly, but after some friends got jobs, even seeing each other became difficult. An ordinary evening sharing memories over soju-once, I too could forget all my worries in moments like these. But now, things are different. Because of what's inside me.

  "Chul, you were on the news, weren't you? They said you were near where the meteorite fell? Lucky bastard."

  Sangchul extended his soju glass with a mischievous smile spreading across his face.

  I smiled lightly as I picked up my glass. The clinking sound felt strangely loud-a result of my heightened senses since the meteorite incident.

  "Not sure if that's good luck or bad."

  "Come on, man. You witnessed a once-in-a-lifetime meteorite up close. Take it as having paid your dues to misfortune and embrace the experience."

  Sangchul might be right. I survived what could have been a fatal accident, so I had no reason to complain. But they didn't know. They didn't know that something had taken residence inside me that night, turning me into a completely different person.

  From the television in the corner of the restaurant came the sound of news reports. What would normally have been background noise was now crystal clear to me-I could hear every word distinctly.

  [Next story.]

  [A woman was kidnapped in broad daylight in the middle of downtown. The kidnappers demanded a large sum of cash, then ultimately killed the woman and fled, authorities confirmed.]

  The soju glass in my hand suddenly felt heavy. The yellow police lines around the crime scene and the wailing family members on screen captured my attention.

  [Police are facing criticism for their delayed response. Officers arrived at the scene a full two hours after the missing person report was filed, and only then began checking CCTV footage to track the suspects.]

  Something hot began to boil in my chest. What if I had been there? Could this being inside me have saved that woman?

  [If action had been taken immediately after the report, the victim might still be alive. Tragic news indeed.]

  The news sounds emanating from one side of the restaurant instantly dampened the mood around the table. I quietly stared at the screen. As everyone fell silent, only the anchor's voice could be heard.

  "Tsk tsk... What were the police doing during all this? Shouldn't they respond immediately when a report comes in?"

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  Youngsu broke the silence, clicking his tongue. His voice carried anger and frustration.

  "How great would it be if there was a hero who could appear out of nowhere and help in situations like this?"

  Sangchul's words struck my mind forcefully, resonating like thunder.

  'Hero'

  That word echoed deep in my heart. That figure I had only seen in childhood comic books and movies. The noble duty of those with power to protect those who cannot resist. Suddenly, everything became clear.

  The powerless me from the past... those moments when I was nearly killed after being dragged away by gangsters.

  But now, things are different. There's something inside me. And it gives me strength.

  As I clenched my fist, a shiver ran through my body. It was as if something inside me awakened and agreed. I couldn't stay any longer. Something was calling me outside.

  "Guys, I need to leave first. Sorry."

  Ignoring my friends' puzzled expressions, I hurriedly left the restaurant. I could hear Youngsu's "Why so suddenly?" from behind, but my footsteps were already quickening.

  The night air brushed coldly against my face. The city lights appeared brighter and more vivid than before. Everything had changed. The world was the same world, but I who observed it had become an entirely different person.

  After getting off the subway, I intended to head straight home. But somehow, my steps were already headed toward that place from a few days ago. As if my body remembered unconsciously, my legs sought out that location.

  Street lamps pushed back the darkness, illuminating my path. With each step, my resolve strengthened. This power I gained by chance-it was time to give it purpose.

  In a small park shrouded in darkness at the edge of an alley. A place that would have been filled with children's laughter during the day now stood in silence. I slowly approached the pull-up bar among the exercise equipment. The very spot where my hand had shattered days before. But now, as my perfectly fine hand proved, something special existed within me.

  "I'm back for you."

  I thought as my fingertips lightly touched the metal bar. I knew I was standing at a crossroads with no turning back. I could have pursued an ordinary life. But the face of that woman on the news, and the memory of my own powerlessness, constricted my chest.

  Hero... Justice... Power... and 'you inside me.'

  Staring intently at the pull-up bar, I made my resolution. It was clear now. This power fate gave me wasn't just coincidence. It was power with a purpose.

  This power inside me. A being that seems to want to protect me. With it, perhaps I too could create change.

  'I think it's time to give you a name.'

  I took a deep breath. To name something is to acknowledge its existence. And to begin a relationship. The thing inside me and I had decided to become bound by fate.

  I closed my eyes and thought.

  Meteorite... clear liquid... entered my body...

  'What should I call this thing inside me?'

  Heroes from martial arts novels I read as a child flashed through my mind. Protagonists with special powers... Hong Gil-dong with his ability to create duplicates of himself, or Jeon Woochi the wizard with his magical arts...

  'No, this is different from traditional martial arts.'

  I changed the direction of my thoughts. Let's think globally, in line with modern times.

  'Batman? No. Batman is equipped with machines and money... I don't have that kind of money.'

  'Superman? Hmm... his fashion is a bit...'

  What else? Let's broaden the scope.

  'Iron Man? No, the concept doesn't fit...'

  'Thor? He's a god.'

  'Captain America? Well... being enhanced by serum is somewhat similar, but...'

  I continued thinking, lightly tapping the pull-up bar with my fingers.

  'Hulk? Bruce Banner is exposed to gamma rays and transforms whenever he gets angry...'

  I nodded briefly, then shook my head.

  'There are similarities, but it's different. I don't have a dual personality... and with this physique, calling it Hulk would be a bit...'

  "Grraaaaah!"

  Thinking of Hulk, I let out a roar.

  From somewhere both near and far, I heard several dogs howling simultaneously.

  Then suddenly, another character came to mind.

  'Venom... a symbiote from space that attaches to a human host and lives in symbiosis...'

  My eyes widened involuntarily. I seemed to have found the most similar case.

  'Yes, Venom is the closest match. An entity from outside combines with my body and grants special abilities... but Venom has its own consciousness and can communicate. This liquid seems to act only on instinct so far...'

  I organized my thoughts as I repeatedly clenched and unclenched my fist.

  'Venom... Venom... Venom...'

  After repeating it several times in my mouth, suddenly another word with a similar pronunciation came to mind.

  'Venom... nom... nom... nom... Yes!! GNOM!!'

  At that moment, something clicked in my head.

  "Yes, just 'GNOM' will do. Rather than some grandiose name... just 'GNOM' inside me."

  It was a simple name, but one that captured the essence perfectly. A smile spread across my face.

  I clenched my fist firmly.

  "Yes... now I understand clearly."

  "GNOM Inside Me!!"