DOS Agency - Training Center - 15 days after Lucky Cyan's departure
"Argh..." Little Johnny fell with an audible thud in the ring.
"You're still leaving obvious openings," Queen commented as she stood in front of Little Johnny.
Little Johnny wore an orange tank top with white shorts.
Queen wore a black shirt with gray shorts.
"Okay... just give me a second." Little Johnny suppressed a groan of pain as he began to get up.
His son, Big Johnny, who was sitting on a nearby bench, watched as he ate some snacks with a cheerful expression.
"How are you doing?"
The three heroes turned their faces toward the new voice.
"I'm glad to see our best heroes in such good shape." Mickey entered the room with his typical smile on his face, accompanied by his assistant Ken.
The Johnnies did not hide their sour faces when they saw him.
"Anything to discuss, Mickey?" Queen showed no strong reaction when asking the question.
"It seems I don't mind seeing how our heroes are doing?" Mickey made a slightly dramatic expression, but his smile remained.
Queen frowned at him.
"Okay... I'll get straight to the point. Two things to discuss. First is about Lucky Cyan. The association has decided that her position in the rankings will remain unchanged for now."
"What?" Queen asked, slightly surprised.
"This is a delicate moment... the whatisyourcolor movement has attracted more controversy and discussion among fans than expected. For now, the association is avoiding taking any action that could make the situation more aggressive. After all, this story involves more issues than just spreading the music around."
"And Cyan, how is she? Does she know about this?" Little Johnny asked seriously.
"She's recovering well... and as for her knowing about this movement, we're avoiding anything that might make her recovery more difficult. It's not the best choice, but we want to make sure she doesn't overreact when we tell her about it."
"And when will we be able to see her?" Now it was Queen's turn to ask seriously.
"Soon... and I'm glad you're being patient... in your own way." Mickey looked intently at everyone as he finished speaking.
"Now, about the second thing to discuss, it concerns the big event that is approaching. DOS has confirmed your attendance." Mickey smiled a little wider.
"I thought DOS would avoid this event because of what you just said," Queen commented, curious about Mickey's decision.
"We can't ignore the fans who are so eagerly awaiting this event; they need to see that their heroes are still here." Mickey adjusted his glasses as they glinted slightly.
"Let's make sure it's unforgettable for everyone."
A black minivan drove down a highway while a family and their guests enjoyed the trip.
"I'm glad you accepted, it'll be more fun this way," Wang Ming commented as he drove, unlike his usual self, he wore a green floral shirt and white shorts.
"And we needed friends for this kind of thing," commented a woman with short black hair and brown eyes sitting next to Wang Ming. This was Chen Yue, Wang Ming's wife. She wore a light white dress, and one could say that her youthful appearance did not match her age.
"Thank you, I've never been to the beach before, so I'm curious." Cyan confessed with a slightly nervous tone. She wore a black shirt with a coin print and light white pants.
"What about me, Mom? Aren't I your friend?" A child of about 6 years old spoke up. This was Wang Yan, daughter of Wang Ming and Chen Yue. She had black hair and the same eyes as her mother, and was wearing a dress just like her mother's.
"Of course, dear, it's just that your father and I want more friends, but you will always be number one."
Wang Ming laughed softly at his wife's comments.
"Did you hear that, Jake?" Wang Yan's eyes were now shining with joy as she looked at the family dog sitting next to her. "I'm number one!"
Jake barked happily in response. Jake is a Doberman, a loyal and friendly family dog.
Cyan watched this scene with a smile. She couldn't remember the last time she saw a family acting like this.
Looking to the side, she felt her smile slowly fade. Lin Ling was next to her, browsing on his phone with a lost look on his face. He was wearing a yellow sweatshirt and black shorts.
Cyan then nudged him to snap him out of his reverie.
"Ah!... What?" Lin Ling looked at Cyan in surprise.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, I was just curious..."
"It's about Lucius, isn't it?" Now it was Wang Ming who asked loudly for them to hear.
"A little... I thought there would be something new on Fomo about him, but I didn't find anything, not even the video of him falling that went viral."
"His agency must have done the work to clean this up, but it won't be enough. There will always be a copy, and I found out from the boss that no one recorded the part where you were involved. It's a shame, because you would have definitely gained a lot of trust."
"All right..." Lin Ling looked at his wrist. The numbers now showed that two people trusted him. It was still hard for him to believe that he would see something like this, but he already had a good idea of who it was.
"Did you really punch a hero? Why?" Wang Yan asked innocently.
"W-well..." Lin Ling was nervous about this question. For some reason, a child asking him this made it more difficult to answer.
"He wasn't a hero, just a bad guy pretending to be one." Cyan answered for him.
"Lin Ling just made him realize that." Cyan smiled at him.
Lin Ling scratched his cheek in embarrassment in response.
"So if the guy is bad, can I punch him too?" Wang Yan asked with her youthful enthusiasm.
"No." Chen Yue replied in a firm tone. "But Daddy here can."
"Oh... we're here." Wang Ming laughed nervously as he parked.
It was a small town on the coast, with a dense forest visible in the background.
Getting out of the car, Lin Ling was surprised by the house he saw. It was a two-story house, more luxurious than he had expected.
"Surprised?" Wang Ming approached him with a smug smile. "All those years of hard work have paid off-"
"It's rented." Chen Yue walked past them with a smile as her husband's mood soured at her words.
"At least let me enjoy this moment a little..." Wang Ming commented as he walked into the house.
Lin Ling stifled a giggle at this scene.
"Hey," Cyan approached him with her own luggage and began to speak in a low voice. "Didn't you tell him?"
"Tell him? Tell him what?" Lin Ling spoke in the same low tone as her, both of them walking slowly into the house.
"About me... he's very close to you, so I figured you would have told him."
An uncertain expression appeared on Lin Ling's face.
"I just didn't want to take any chances... I trust him, but... I wanted to make sure he wasn't doing anything stupid."
"Okay... but surely he has to see him as a close friend to do all this."
"Yes..." Lin Ling let a calm smile appear on his face.
I think I just thought too much about work before I realized that...
They both entered the house, and Lin Ling was a little surprised again.
After the entrance, there was a huge living room with the kitchen in the back, after the kitchen, an entrance to the backyard, a staircase to access the second floor was next to the walls, and near the staircase, there was a door.
Cyan didn't seem surprised.
"Okay..." Chen Yue began to speak to both of them. "The bedrooms are on the second floor, and the main bathroom is behind that door." She pointed to the door near the stairs.
"Why don't we go to the beach right away? We can leave our luggage here in the room and then organize everything later." Wang Ming said as he placed the luggage in a corner of the room.
"That's fine with me, how about you guys?" Chen Yue looked at Lin Ling and Cyan with a smile on her face.
The two nodded in agreement.
Arriving at the beach, Cyan let a slight look of surprise appear on her face. She had seen what a beach looked like on TV and in photos, but seeing it in person was different.
Lin Ling watched this with a smile. It was good to see her experiencing new things.
"Let's go, Jake!" Wang Yan ran off to the beach with Jake happily following her.
"Hey, you two! Don't forget your sunscreen!" Wang Ming ran after them.
"Cynthia... are you going to stay dressed like that?" Yue asked curiously why she was still wearing the same clothes.
"I didn't actually bring a swimsuit..." Cyan confessed nervously. She had forgotten that she didn't have anything.
"What? You won't get the most out of it that way. There's a store nearby." Chen Yue grabbed Cyan's arm and began to lead her away.
"O-okay." Cyan hadn't expected that.
Lin Ling watched this with a nervous laugh.
I think they both have that kind of side to them.
"Lin Ling."
Lin Ling turned his gaze when he heard his name being called. It was Wang Ming waving at him. Wang Yan and Jake were running back along the beach.
"Where did Yue and Cynthia go?"
"Well... Yue went to help Cynthia buy a more appropriate outfit for the occasion." Lin Ling replied, trying not to sound nervous.
"Oh... I see..." Wang Ming approached Lin Ling with a smug smile. "I can't judge you for wanting to see your girlfriend like that."
"I-I already told you she's not my girlfriend!" Lin Ling replied with an obvious blush on his face.
Wang Ming laughed at Lin Ling's reaction.
"Okay... okay... I just couldn't pass up this chance." Wang Ming smiled sincerely at him. "Now I need your help..."
"What?" Lin Ling looked at him a little irritated, the blush slowly fading.
"Could you put sunscreen on my back?" Wang Ming held out the sunscreen to him.
Lin Ling sighed in exasperation at this.
I deserve this...
"This is something I'll want to forget..." Lin Ling muttered to himself.
"So Cynthia..." Yue began to speak as she looked at the options in the store, Cyan was already in a dressing room trying on some options. "How did you two meet?"
"Well... I can say it was chance, he basically found me at a time when I needed help..."
Yue smiled slightly at that answer.
"He really seems like the kind of person Wang Ming always talks about. Again, I'm glad you came. We're always busy and don't have friends for these occasions, so we're happy to enjoy this time with someone else."
Cyan smiled at this, but a slight melancholic expression appeared on her face as she remembered her friends, Luo, Queen, and Little Johnny.
We were always busy, and there were few times when we could enjoy some free time...
Memories of the times they got together to watch a movie, play a game, and even patrol as a team were memories that made her feel nostalgic.
Now they don't know exactly how I am at the moment, they must be worried...
"...Cynthia... CYNTHIA!"
"AH!"
Cyan jumped in the locker room when she heard her name being called.
"Sorry..." Yue had her head inside the dressing room. "You weren't answering, so I got worried."
"I was lost in thought... that's all." Cyan smiled lightly, trying to erase any trace of sadness from her face.
"I see... did you dye your hair?" Yue asked, trying to lighten the mood.
"Huh? Well..." Cyan sometimes forgot that her hair was currently black.
"It's okay..." Yue walked away, returning to look at the store's options. "I only asked because I used to do it a lot... as a hobby... so I can notice these kinds of things, I was just curious."
"I did it because I thought it would be an interesting change... even necessary." Cyan said the last part quietly to herself as she looked at her own hair.
"Yeah... it's always nice to try new options—I found a perfect one!" Yue exclaimed when she found something specific.
"What?" Cyan looked curiously at what she had in her hands.
"This color combination suits you, I bet Lin Ling will like it."
Cyan felt a slight blush rise to her cheeks at this implication.
"That's not the case..." She murmured as she accepted the new option Yue gave her.
"It's over... finally." Lin Ling said with relief after finishing helping Wang Ming.
They were both in a small area where they had placed their belongings such as chairs, a parasol, and some mats.
"Thank you..." Wang Ming stood up, stretching. "Would you like me to apply sunscreen for you now?"
"Let's go back."
Before Lin Ling could answer, he could hear a cheerful voice. Turning toward the voice, his eyes widened at what he saw.
Chen Yue was wearing a blue ruffled bikini that covered her body well, while Cyan was wearing a cyan and white striped swimsuit.
"So, Lin Ling, what did you think of Cynthia?"
Cyan had her head down, preventing anyone from seeing her face at that moment.
Lin Ling felt a blush rise to his cheeks again.
"It... it was cute..." Lin Ling turned his face away, avoiding looking in Cyan's direction.
They couldn't see another small blush appearing on Cyan's face.
Yue put her hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh.
She's really excited about this.
Wang Ming watched his wife with a slightly exasperated look on his face.
"Honey, don't you want me to put sunscreen on you?"
"Oh, sure." Yue moved away from Cyan and walked happily over to her husband.
"Don't you think you're overreacting?" Wang Ming asked Yue in a low voice.
"Maybe... I can't resist, it's so cute to see young people acting like that." Yue replied in the same low tone as her husband.
"Not so young, look, we can give them a little push, but they're the ones who have to take any real steps... if that's the case."
"You talk as if you're much better at it than I am." Yue smiled smugly.
"Of course I am." Wang Ming smiled back as he hugged his wife.
Meanwhile, Lin Ling and Cyan remained silent towards each other.
"You..." Lin Ling began to speak, the slight blush still on his face. "Do you want me to help you with the sunscreen?"
"Yes..." Cyan approached him, the slight blush on her face still visible, but she was already calmer.
She sat down in front of him, pulling her hair out of the way, thanks to her wearing a tank top, only part of her back was exposed.
Lin Ling acted calmly as he applied the sunscreen. He could swear he felt Cyan shiver slightly, but he decided to get it over with quickly.
"All done."
"Thank you."
Lin Ling sighed with relief. This situation had already become awkward thanks to Wang Ming and Yue, but at least that part was over.
"Now it's my turn."
Lin Ling felt paralyzed when he heard those words.
"W-what?!"
"You're not going to wear that sweatshirt in this heat, are you?" Cyan said firmly, taking Lin Ling by surprise.
Lin Ling tried to think of an excuse but couldn't, so he just accepted it and took off his sweatshirt. His physique was nothing special; to Cyan, he was even thinner than she had expected.
Lin Ling lay down on his stomach.
And Cyan began to apply sunscreen as best she could.
Lin Ling didn't want to admit it, but he felt comfortable with Cyan's touch.
"Okay... I'm done."
"Thank you..." Lin Ling got up awkwardly, he hadn't expected this situation.
They both finished applying the rest of the sunscreen before doing anything else.
"Hey!" They both heard Wang Yan's shout.
"Let's go swimming!" She called out to them as she stood near the water, Wang Ming was putting floats on her arms for safety.
"Sounds fun." Cyan smiled at the little girl's enthusiasm.
"Yeah... you can go, I'll stay here."
"Why?" Cyan looked curiously at his decision.
"I... I can't swim." Lin Ling confessed awkwardly.
"Really?" Cyan seemed more surprised than Lin Ling had expected.
"Look, I tried to learn before, but it didn't work out very well..."
"Then I'll teach you." Cyan stood up excitedly at the idea.
"No need, really—"
Before she could continue to refuse, Cyan grabbed his arm and pulled him up, leading him towards the sea.
"Nonsense, I promise it won't be difficult, I learned it easily with DOS training." Cyan said cheerfully to him.
Lin Ling allowed himself to smile slightly at her actions.
I should have gotten used to this by now...
Some time later
"That's it! You just have to keep kicking your legs."
Cyan instructed him as they were both in a deeper part of the sea.
Lin Ling lifted his head out of the water, tired from these exercises.
"How long have we been at it?" Lin Ling asked as he caught his breath.
"I don't know... come on, you're almost there." Cyan was still excited.
Jake swam past them, each in their own style. Lin Ling could have sworn he saw the dog smirking, but he quickly dismissed that crazy idea.
"Why don't we take a break? We can continue later."
"...Okay." Cyan seemed discouraged after that.
"What's wrong?" Lin Ling asked.
"Nothing... I just got too excited about this idea of teaching something..."
Lin Ling smiled at that answer.
"I'm glad to hear that, but we don't need to rush into it."
"I know... but still." Cyan raised her arms to him while smiling sincerely at him. "I just don't want to miss the chance to teach something I'm capable of."
Lin Ling almost felt a blush rise to his face, almost, but a slightly alarmed expression appeared on his face.
Cyan realized this and became confused.
"What?"
She looked back in the direction he was looking.
"Eh?"
A large wave was above them, eventually engulfing them both and throwing them toward the beach.
"What are you guys doing?" Wang Yan asked innocently when she found Cyan and Lin Ling lying on the beach.
"Swimming." "Swimming."
They both replied with a certain discouragement.
"Since the waves have gotten too strong, how about we build sandcastles?"
Yue appeared behind her daughter holding a toy bucket.
"I accept." Cyan got up, already more excited about this new idea.
Lin Ling decided to just sit on a chair next to Wang Ming.
Jake beside them, sleeping in the shade.
"Want one?" Wang Ming offered him a soda.
"Sure."
"Thank you..." Lin Ling said after a few seconds, taking Wang Ming by surprise.
"For what exactly?"
"For today... for everything, you're definitely one of the nicest guys I've ever met."
"I'm flattered..." Wang Ming smiled proudly.
"But why have you been so nice to me from the beginning?" Lin Ling had been wondering about this for a long time.
As he thought, Wang Ming ended up leaning forward in his chair.
"I think... it was because you reminded me of myself... I used to be a hero..."
Lin Ling's eyes widened at this information.
"What?"
"It was only for a short time. I was young and had big dreams. I passed a test at a small agency and then started doing the activities of a hero... My power was quite simple; I could generate shields." Wang Ming had a melancholic expression on his face. Shortly after, I gave up. It wasn't really what I imagined being a hero to be like. I didn't feel truly happy with it, I didn't feel like myself... but I still needed money, so I started working in an office with the help of some contacts I made during my time as a hero. Over time, I gained experience until one day I was personally invited by Mr. Cheng to join his company." Wang Ming now adopted a happier expression.
"You should have seen him, he still had a lot of hair... but something was still missing, and then I met her." Wang Ming looked in the direction of his wife.
"Years passed and newbies came and went, I didn't even care, and then that day came two years ago." Wang Ming smiled as he remembered.
"I remember the boss and all the supervisors reading your resume, some laughed, some were uncertain... I was one of those who was uncertain about hiring you, an individual with such a low level of trust was not a safe option, at least that's what I thought..."
Lin Ling felt a little frustrated.
"So why was I hired?"
"I ended up reading your reference projects and realized that you had something that everyone else was missing... you still believed that heroes were more than just celebrities, they were an example to the people, a light that appears in times of need. I felt nostalgic and decided that I would take responsibility for your hiring. Some opposed it, but the boss accepted... and I assume you remember the rest." Wang Ming leaned back in his chair.
"That motto of yours... what was it again? Paint black on white, make the impossible possible?" Wang Ming asked curiously.
"Well... I think it fits with everything I do... and want to do."
"You see... you are naturally inspiring, it's something that has more value than you realize." Wang Ming finished with a sincere smile.
"Wow... I didn't expect that, thank you so much—"
"Enough of that... just forgive me for anything else. I don't believe in heroes anymore, or in these numbers, but I believe that someone like you can make a difference."
Lin Ling happily accepted these words as he leaned back in his chair.
"I have something to tell you..." Lin Ling said calmly.
"What?" Now Wang Ming was curious.
Lin Ling looked around to see if anyone was nearby.
"Cynthia is actually Lucky Cyan."
"...What...?" Wang Ming looked astonished.
"It's a long story... but basically she needed help so I-."
"Of course! That explains your sudden interest in her... wow, so you met her on the night of the canceled show?"
"Yes... she wasn't well, she needed a vacation, so I offered to let her stay with me until she rested—"
"Wait a minute! Are you telling me that you offered the lucky heroine to stay with you and she accepted?" Wang Ming looked at Lin Ling even more astonished.
"You make it sound like something very unusual—"
"Even Yue and I didn't move in together that quickly."
"Look! It's different, we're just friends! I just want to help her!" Lin Ling explained, embarrassed.
"Okay... but man, you should take it slow." Wang Ming smiled smugly at him.
"I already regret telling you this!"
"Sorry..." Wang Ming smiled victoriously at Lin Ling's reactions. "I'll keep this secret, and I think I'll leave it out for Yue and Yan for now, they'll be even more shocked."
"All right..."
"Dad! I found a crab!" Wang Yan approached her father, showing him the bucket with a small crab.
Cyan and Yue approached from behind.
"Oh, this is a big one," Wang Ming began to play with his own daughter.
"Are you okay?" Cyan approached Lin Ling, who seemed deep in thought.
"Yes." Lin Ling smiled sincerely at her, and Cyan ended up smiling back at him.
"Looks like it's getting late," Yue commented as the sunset began to take shape.
A comfortable silence fell over everyone as they rested and watched the sunset of another day.