Cyan sat up in bed when she heard a strange noise.
"...What?"
She looked around the room as she let out a yawn.
Again...
Getting up from the bed, she walked out of the bedroom and into the living room, where she could see Lin Ling in the kitchen preparing something.
"Hey..." Cyan approached slowly with a worried expression.
Lin Ling, who had seemed distracted before, looked at her with obvious surprise on his face.
"Hey!... Sorry for waking you up... I'm... making pancakes for breakfast... have you eaten yet?" Lin Ling said awkwardly as he smiled in the same style.
Cyan remained silent, not answering the question.
"Are you okay?" She asked, looking directly at him.
This time it was Lin Ling who remained silent, staring intently at the frying pan.
"... I have a lot to tell you."
Last night
"I'm sorry..."
Lin Ling said as he sobbed weakly, leaning on Cyan.
In response, Cyan gently stroked his back to help calm him down.
"It's okay... I'm glad you're back," Cyan said softly.
They stayed like that for a few minutes, until Cyan noticed the silence on Lin Ling's part; he had fallen asleep.
Cyan quickly picked him up and carried him gently to the bedroom, laying him on the bed.
"I can get my answers later..."
She said to herself as she left the room and let him rest.
Cyan decided to put away everything on the table and decide later what to do with the food so as not to waste it.
The image of Lin Ling crying still lingered in her mind.
I really haven't changed anything...
That thought crossed her mind as an emotionless expression remained on her face while she finished putting things away.
"I think I'd better take a shower..." Cyan said to herself as she put away the apron she was wearing.
In the shower, Cyan let the cold water fall over her head as she looked at her own feet, the water draining down the drain as she maintained the same lifeless expression.
37 A.C - months before the orphanage incident
"They still haven't found anything!?"
Cyan stood in Mickey's office with a distressed expression as she questioned the CEO of DOS.
"Cyan, please calm down." Ken stood beside Mickey's desk and said calmly.
"NO!" Cyan said in a voice that was almost a scream. The agreement was that you would help me find Luo, but so far you haven't told me anything! Have you at least found anything?" Cyan said with tears in her eyes.
Mickey sighed as he got up and walked over to Cyan, his glasses hiding whatever expression he had at the moment.
"The results of our search have not been... effective..." Mickey said calmly as Cyan looked directly at him. "We searched for evidence of accidents similar to the one Luo suffered, patients who were taken to emergency rooms in recent years, and we even questioned the orphanage and its employees directly, in addition to searching the premises." Mickey now looked back at Cyan, and to her surprise, his expression was new, one she had not seen before, an expression of empathy.
"I'm sorry... but the results of our search indicate that he died in the accident."
"Huh?" Cyan felt her world collapse when she heard those words.
"What-no... he... Luo." Cyan fell to her knees on the floor as tears streamed down her face.
Ken approached and knelt beside her to help her through this moment.
Cyan screamed and cried like never before that day.
Back with Cyan
"I set myself to continue with the dream of being a hero for him, for what he dreamed of... for what he sacrificed so that I could be..."
Cyan remembered what it was like to meet Luo on the day she broke into the orphanage.
But in the end, I was just stealing his dream while he was suffering alone...
The sight of Lin Ling crying again struck her.
I haven't changed at all...
Cyan thought, trembling and sobbing slightly as the shower water hid any tears.
After her shower, Cyan put on her own set of light green pajamas, with deer stickers all over them.
She entered Lin Ling's room and saw that he was still sleeping soundly as before.
Cyan then knelt beside the bed and saw how his face still bore the marks of his own tears.
Without realizing it, Cyan reached her hand to his head and began to gently stroke his hair.
I know... that life isn't simple... that I can't just live as if it didn't affect other people, people I care about...
Cyan then rested her free arm on the bed, and then rested her own head on it.
But is it wrong for me to ask for everything to be simple?
Cyan thought as she watched Lin Ling's face, until she herself fell asleep.
Back to the present
Cyan and Lin Ling were sitting in the living room table. Cyan hesitantly picked up her cutlery and ate a piece of the pancakes Lin Ling had made.
"So, what do you think?" Lin Ling had a slight smug smile on his face. "I don't want to brag, but my grandmother always praises them."
"It's good..." Cyan said simply, emotionlessly, with her head down.
"I can teach you, now that I have more..."
"You didn't answer my question," Cyan said as she put her cutlery on the table and pushed the pancakes aside.
The smile on Lin Ling's face disappeared when he heard these words. He left his own cutlery on the table as a melancholy look came over his face.
"What was the question again?"
"... Are you okay?"
A silence stretched between the two, the air in the room feeling heavy.
"Look... Cyan, what happened was nothing... I just..."
"What happened?" Cyan asked firmly as she raised her head and looked directly at him.
Lin Ling tried to look away, but at that moment he couldn't.
"Lucius happened, he wanted answers, he was no longer who he once was or who he tried to be... he wanted me dead." Lin Ling clasped his hands on the table and lowered his head slightly. "I'm afraid, afraid of dying... dying for someone who, to many, could have been a hero. He may not have been the best example, but there were people who trusted him as one... I guess I just didn't think about that possibility before, a hero killing someone like me..." Lin Ling said sleepily.
Cyan trembled slightly upon hearing these words.
"Did he give up?" Cyan asked, trying to sound firm.
"I tried to fight back, I tried to fight, but in the end I was saved, X... the number one hero saved me," Lin Ling said with a weak smile. "You should have seen it... it was..."
Lin Ling remembered what it was like to see X fighting.
"Magical."
"I'm sorry," Cyan said as she clenched her fists tightly on her knee.
Lin Ling raised his head in response.
"It's my fault... if I hadn't done that to him, if I wasn't here..." Cyan spoke weakly.
"Cyan, we've had this kind of conversation before, you're not to blame for any of this..."
"Then why does this keep happening!?" Cyan asked, standing up abruptly. "It's not the first time... before that, Luo-damn it... I just use the people around me... I..." Tears began to fall from Cyan's face.
Lin Ling, in response, quickly stood up and hugged Cyan.
Cyan's eyes widened slightly at his action.
"Cyan... everything that has happened in my life over the last few weeks has to do with you..." Lin Ling said softly as he hugged her tightly.
"I can no longer imagine my life without you in it... and I'm sure Luo and the others feel the same way..."
Cyan returned the hug tightly, and silence hung between them for several minutes until Cyan slowly pulled away from the embrace.
"I... I just don't want..." Cyan began to wipe the tears from her face. "My friends to get hurt."
"Well..." Lin Ling smiled sincerely at her. "Then let's work on it together."
Cyan looked up and smiled slightly when she saw the expression on his face.
"...Yes."
A person was watching the morning news while riding the subway on another day in city X.
Another record of an attack caused by fear? Last night, a bus was attacked and destroyed in half. Residents living near the site reported that when they arrived at the scene, only the bus driver was found unconscious. The driver, who woke up a few hours ago, reported that a person wearing armor and carrying a sword had caused the incident. He also reported that he does not remember if there was anyone else on the bus at the time of the attack. The bus's security cameras were not working at the time of the attack, and the company in charge of the service regrets what happened because its servers were being updated at that moment.
A police officer reported that he found a man falling from the sky in front of the police station where he works, who resembles the suspect described in the bus attack. So far, the information we have about the suspect is that he has not said anything to the authorities and will remain in custody until the investigation progresses. There is still no confirmation of the Spotlight organization's involvement in this case...
Location of the bus attack
Several photographers and reporters recorded the scene of the incident while the police cordoned off the area and kept the crowd away as a team from the association approached the scene.
"I ask everyone to step back, this area is cordoned off."
"Please, just a few more photos!"
"Sir! Do you have any confirmation about the suspect's identity yet?"
"We have nothing to say, now step back!" The police officer was getting fed up with all the commotion.
Further back in the crowd, a middle-aged man in his fifties with brown hair, wearing a dark brown suit and dark-rimmed glasses, was Liu Zhen, Liu Yuwei's (Queen) father. He took a few photos of the scene with an expressionless face as he watched the Commission agents doing their job.
"Isn't this incident strange?"
Liu Zhen began to listen to the conversation of a group of reporters near him.
"What exactly?"
"Everything. This being a case caused by fear and most likely by the Spotlight organization, why a bus? At night? All the other attacks were carried out in busy places."
"Thinking about it that way... it's even stranger to think about how no one saw anything and nothing was recorded. All of this is a meaningless coincidence. Was his target the driver? How is he still alive?"
"Maybe a mysterious hero must have stopped the suspect..."
"And didn't want the credit for that action? It's hard to imagine a hero like that..."
Liu Zhen, feeling that he had seen and heard enough, moved away from the crowd until he stopped in an alley a few blocks away.
He took out his cell phone and called a specific person.
"So? Did you find out anything behind this unexpected result?"
It was Mickey, CEO of DOS and his close friend.
"Nothing that makes any difference," Liu Zhen said calmly and without emotion.
"Did this quasi-hero seem to react differently to fear? More conscious, to be precise."
"From the data we obtained, he showed self-control and a high level of awareness of his own actions, but before the device lost signal, there were moments when he displayed an uncontrolled increase in his own emotions. The last time we had a signal from him was on the bus itself.
"Probably a trigger. The fact that he acted in a specific way indicates that he acted on what he himself wanted, or perhaps the power of fear broke down his barriers to act against what he was afraid of, probably against someone specific who caused him this fear."
"Even the power of fear can be used consciously, or rather, in a less violent and aggressive way. We will continue with updates on the devices."
"So the tests are yielding results, great... that gives us more assurance about what we're going to do next."
Liu Zhen looked concerned when he heard these words.
"This is risky... we're putting a lot more people at risk—"
"There's nothing to worry about. We have enough contingency plans in case the situation escalates too much. We can't back down now... we must ensure that everything comes to fruition, or at least ease the pressure that DOS is currently under. If DOS falls, everything we dream of will fall... including your daughter's dream."
Liu Zhen clenched his free fist tightly upon hearing these words.
"Yuwei has nothing to do with this." Liu Zhen said firmly, which caused Mickey to chuckle.
"She's grown up, she's not your little girl anymore, but that doesn't mean you should stop supporting her. After all, a father will always be there for his child, right?"
Mickey finished speaking calmly, with a slight mischief in his voice.
"I don't need you to remind me of that, I know what I'm doing and I know what I'll do."
"That's something we agree on."
Mickey ended the call, leaving Liu Zhen pensive.
Memories of his time with his daughter when she was still a child flashed through his mind.
This is all for something better... a better world.
Back at Lin Ling's apartment
After breakfast, Lin Ling and Cyan are now washing the dishes together.
"Why haven't you gone to work yet?" Cyan asked curiously why he is still at home.
"Oh... right, I haven't told you that part yet..." Lin Ling scratched his cheek nervously when he realized he had forgotten to mention it.
"My boss told me to work from home for a while on a special marketing project for Nice."
"Really!?" Cyan couldn't hide the surprise in her voice.
"Yes... after all, they want me to write lyrics for Nice."
"What!?" Cyan asked, even more surprised, but Lin Ling could see her eyes shining with excitement.
'Of course she would react like that.' Lin Ling thought amusedly as he watched Cyan acting this way.
Cyan, realizing how she was acting, turned her face away, a little embarrassed.
"You know, if you want, I can help you..." Cyan said softly.
Lin Ling smiled in response.
"Thanks... but I have to do this, it's my job after all, but I'm not turning down some tips..."
Cyan seemed a little disappointed to hear that, but she knew he had his reasons.
"Well... writing a song is much more about feelings than anything else..." Cyan said thoughtfully. She had never really delved deeply into how to follow a formula for writing a song, sometimes spending days thinking about lyrics.
"Feelings... I think I can start there..." Lin Ling commented as he thought about what she said.
"The other good thing is that now that I'm home more, we can do more things that you're interested in." Lin Ling smiled, waiting for Cyan to jump with excitement once again.
"About that..." Cyan said a little hesitantly, surprising Lin Ling.
"What?"
"I also have something to tell you."
Lin Ling immediately remembered that she had mentioned this to him yesterday.
"I'll be right back."
Cyan left the kitchen and headed for the bedroom.
A few minutes passed before she returned.
"What do you think?"
Cyan appeared wearing a green and white striped polo shirt and matching pants. Lin Ling quickly recognized this type of clothing.
"The convenience store?"
"I got a job," Cyan said a little excitedly.
"What?" Lin Ling asked in surprise.
"It's no big deal, the convenience store nearby had a part-time opening, so now I'm working there. After all, it's only fair that I help out this way too." Cyan said, a little uncertain about Lin Ling's reaction.
"Ah... yes." Lin Ling said blankly.
"I just didn't expect that. I'm glad you found something to do with your time and to help out. Thank you." Lin Ling smiled softly.
'But in a way, I'm disappointed.'
"What?"
Lin Ling accidentally let his thoughts slip out in a low voice, causing Cyan, who hadn't heard him clearly, to become curious.
"Nothing!"
"I better go." Cyan said as she finished getting ready and walked to the door, deciding to put her hair in a ponytail.
"You look good like that." Lin Ling said without hesitation.
"Th-thank you." That took Cyan a little by surprise, and a slight blush appeared on her face.
"I think... it seems like we've reversed roles a little," Lin Ling said as she approached Cyan, who was now putting on her sneakers at the entrance.
"I'm sure we'll still have time to do something together," Cyan said with a smile.
"Of course," Lin Ling replied, but Cyan could sense some sadness in his voice.
"Here." Cyan picked up Lin Ling's backpack, which she had left in the hallway the night before. "Your backpack—"
To Cyan's surprise, Lin Ling quickly grabbed the backpack and hugged it tightly.
"Did you see it?" Lin Ling asked calmly, he was comically sweating slightly from nervousness.
"See what?" Cyan tilted her head curiously.
Lin Ling remained silent without answering.
"Good luck on your first day," Lin Ling said, smiling as best he could.
Cyan thought about questioning him, but he would surely deny anything for now.
"Thank you..." Cyan said as she walked out the door. "I'll be back soon."
The door closed, signaling that Cyan had already left.
Lin Ling collapsed in relief after that.
"That was close," he said to himself as he looked at Cyan's action figure in his backpack.
"I still have to decide on a gift for her... but I also have work to do."
Lin Ling sighed wearily, remembering that even at home he still had to work.
A few hours later.
Nothing... nothing's coming!
Lin Ling stifled a groan of frustration as he sat on the sofa with his laptop.
Hours have passed and I haven't made any progress...
"Writing a song is much more about feelings than anything else..."
Lin Ling once again repeated Cyan's words in his mind.
"I don't think I have any strong feelings about Nice..."
Ring*Ring
Suddenly, Lin Ling's cell phone, which was next to his laptop, started ringing, its cracked screen clearly visible.
Thank it still works.
Lin Ling thought as he picked up the phone and immediately felt tired just seeing who the call was from.
"Hello... Wang Ming."
"Hey, how's the boss's favorite employee doing?"
Lin Ling heard the playful tone in Wang Ming's voice.
"Favorite?"
"Yes, after all, the boss has never allowed anyone else to work from home like this."
"I can indeed rest more and have more free time, but this request from Treeman is just giving me a headache."
"It wouldn't be Treeman without some meaningless requests, and writing a song shouldn't be the worst thing for you, after all, you have a certain person living with you now."
"I'm not going to ask her to write a song for me, it's my job, and she's on vacation."
"I can understand what you're saying... The boss also mentioned that you won VIP tickets to HeroCom."
"I have no plans to go."
"Really? I always had fun with Yue when we went to HeroCom." Wang Ming let nostalgia slip into his voice as he said this.
"You've been to HeroCom and never told me?"
"I didn't tell you everything about myself." Wang Ming said, returning to his playful tone of voice.
Lin Ling sighed when he heard this. Wang Ming really seemed more excited.
"What about 'Cynthia's' birthday? Have you thought of a gift for her?"
"Even you know?"
"Well... her being who she is, it ends up being talked about a lot among fans around that time, and I'm sure you know when Moon's birthday is."
"Okay, I won't deny that about Moon, and about the gift, I want to give Cyan a gift... but I don't know what to give her."
"I think you're overthinking it, she'll definitely like a gift from you."
"Yeah... you're right."
But still
Lin Ling let a thoughtful expression appear on his face.
"Wang Ming!"
Lin Ling could hear Wang Ming's name being called by someone else on the other end of the line.
"I have to go, bye."
"Bye."
With the call ended, Lin Ling put the phone aside on the sofa and began to look around thoughtfully.
When was the last time this apartment was so tidy?
Lin Ling remembered the old messy appearance of his apartment, which was very different from the current one.
Even though Cyan stayed here for vacation, she refused to not help.
Lin Ling didn't notice, but a small smile appeared on his face with these thoughts.
"I think I'll distract myself by doing something, so I don't get a headache thinking about this song anymore."
Convenience store.
"Thank you, and come back soon."
Cyan said with a smile as she handed over an elderly gentleman's purchases.
Cyan walked around the store after the last customer left.
It's been quieter than I imagined.
So far, Cyan had only done simple things like working the cash register and restocking some items on the shelves.
Suddenly, two new customers entered the store, catching Cyan's attention.
Isn't that them?
They were both wearing what looked like baseball uniforms.
They're heroes from DOS!
Cyan quickly lowered her head in an attempt to draw less attention.
"I'm tired of these useless patrols."
One of the heroes carrying a baseball bat said as they walked through the aisles of the store.
"We have nothing to complain about, our ranking has been falling, we're lucky DOS didn't cut us because they have a job for us to do." Said the hero walking with the baseball glove.
"I know, idiot, I just don't like the reason. Forget about that sensitive idol."
The one with the baseball glove sighed at his friend's words.
"Be careful what you say, but I can't deny that I'm tired of this drama, especially her friends. They've been in a bad mood with everyone, even that alien cat or dog growled at me."
"He never liked us anyway... besides, I don't blame them, I'd be like that too if I lost my lucky charm." The hero with the baseball bat said mockingly.
"If that idol really cared about them, she would have come back somehow. In the end, it was just another act that anyone does nowadays."
Cyan, who was listening, clenched her fists tightly upon hearing these words.
'It's not a show... I just-'
Cyan imagined what state her friends would be in now without any news from her after so long.
"Damn, I can't believe they don't have the cookies I like here."
The pair of heroes approached the cashier, pulling Cyan out of her thoughts.
"I told you we should have gone to the other store."
"You and your warnings," said the hero with the baseball bat irritably as he left the purchases at the cashier.
"Is that all, gentlemen?" Cyan asked as she kept her head down to avoid looking at their faces.
"Yes." The hero said as he took his wallet.
"Thank you and come back soon."
Cyan then handed back the purchases as the heroes left without bothering to look at the store again.
Cyan, who had calmed down a little after they left, was still deeply reflecting on their words.
"How's it going?" A new voice said, catching Cyan's attention.
"Ms. Khloe?" The same lady and employee who had served Cyan last time was smiling slightly at her.
"Not anymore, call me Miss K." The lady said dramatically, making Cyan sweat comically at this action.
"What?"
"Do you like it? Base it on her." Khloe then showed Cyan a magazine she had in her hands.
The perfect balance between beauty and business, the new manager of the perfect hero exudes confidence.
A tall woman with blonde hair and blue eyes wearing a short blue dress with gold details graced the cover of the magazine.
"Miss J?" Cyan read what was written prominently in one of the corners.
"She is the perfect example of mature and professional beauty, reminding me of my youth," Khloe said dreamily.
I think a lot of things remind you of your youth.
Cyan thought awkwardly as she grabbed a bottle of water to hydrate herself.
"That reminds me, you said you're living with a friend, right? Why don't you take advantage of that and act more mature around him to win him over once and for all."
Cyan instantly choked when she heard these words from her supervisor.
"W-what!?" A slight blush appeared on her face.
"Come on, a grown woman like you has your cute charm, but I'm sure he wouldn't be able to resist if you acted more mature around him." Khloe said seriously, making Cyan even more nervous.
"No, no, no, he's just a friend who's helping me, nothing more!" Cyan tried to speak firmly, but this situation had already made her ashamed.
"Really? I'm no expert, but I think it's difficult for two people living together not to develop any affection for each other." Khloe said, thinking deeply about the question.
"C-can we change the subject, please?"
"Oh, okay..." Khloe seemed a little discouraged by this. "I came to see how your first day was going. A little while ago, you seemed discouraged."
Cyan sighed with relief at this change, the blush slowly fading.
"Yes... everything has been going well, I was just... thinking too much." Cyan said calmly, but she seemed uncertain about her own words.
"You look like someone who is going nowhere."
"I'm just trying to decide to make the right choice... but the more I think about it, the more difficult it seems."
"And why is it so difficult?"
"I'm just worried that I'll regret it again, regret choosing something that hurts someone I care about..." Cyan confessed wearily.
"...I think sometimes we can't think so far ahead, just think about what we can do now, and whatever comes with that, we do our best to move forward in the best way possible."
Cyan spent a few seconds thinking deeply about her supervisor's words.
"I think I can think better that way... thank you." Cyan said gratefully for the help.
"Your shift is almost over, so get some rest." Khloe said smiling as she walked back to the back of the store.
Cyan waved goodbye, already having a better idea of what to do.
Cyan was now entering Lin Ling's apartment.
To her surprise, Lin Ling was not in the living room, but she could clearly see his laptop on the small table.
She then heard a noise coming from the bedroom and walked over there.
Lin Ling was standing on a chair picking up what appeared to be a box on top of the closet, and another box was already on the floor.
Lin Ling turned his attention to Cyan, who was standing at the bedroom door.
"Oh, you're here, I'm just—"
Lin Ling, distracted, lost his balance.
Cyan quickly moved to help him, but it was too late. Lin Ling fell off the chair, taking Cyan with him to the floor.
"Shit... sorry about that—" Lin Ling, who was getting up from the floor, froze when he realized the situation. He was on top of Cyan with both hands on either side of her head, their faces close to each other with a visible blush on their cheeks.
They stood frozen, staring at each other in silence, until—
THUD!
The box that Lin Ling had been planning to pick up fell on his head. He put his hand where the box had hit him and fell next to Cyan.
"Are you okay!?" Cyan quickly got up, worried.
"Yes..." Lin Ling said with a slight grimace on his face. "I guess my head is tougher than I thought." He smiled as best he could, the blush already gone from both their faces.
Cyan sighed with relief when she saw that everything was fine, but then her attention returned to the contents of the box, which were now scattered on the floor.
"Are those comic books?"
"Yes, since I'm home more, I want to do something to distract myself, and I remembered comic books."
Cyan then picked up some comic books, curious about them.
On the cover of one of the comic books was a hero wearing a blue and red costume with a spider printed on his chest.
The second comic book was about a hero who seemed to be floating in the sky, also wearing a predominantly blue and red suit, but this one had a large S on his chest along with a red cape, and it looked like he was wearing red underwear over everything.
He reminds me of Smile.
Another comic book.
A hero different from the other two, a hero who was on top of a building in a gloomy city, wearing a predominantly black costume and what looked like a bat printed on his chest, he looked more menacing.
In the last comic she had in her hands, a heroine, she was also wearing a predominantly blue and red costume, a structured bodice in shades of red and gold with an iconic eagle emblem, a blue combat skirt, as well as accessories such as a gold tiara and belt and silver bracelets.
"Did these heroes exist?" Cyan asked, looking at Lin Ling.
"Not exactly, all of this is my grandmother's. She was always a big fan of heroes. These comic books are from long before today's heroes, long before trust... I would even venture to say that today's heroes are somewhat inspired by them," Lin Ling said, smiling slightly as he picked up the other box that was already on the floor.
"And these ones."
He opened the box, revealing what appeared to be a DVD player along with some CDs.
"They're..."
"Movies of those same heroes. My grandmother and I always took time to watch these movies together..." Lin Ling started to look at Cyan, but he seemed a little nervous. "I was thinking of watching them again, but with you..."
Cyan couldn't help but smile. This idea brought back some good memories.
"I'd love to." She smiled happily at Lin Ling.
As a result, Lin Ling also became excited.
"Okay, then I'll get everything ready so we can watch them. I have a surprise for you," Lin Ling said as he carried the box out of the room.
"Okay, I'm just going to take a shower first," Cyan said, remembering that she had just arrived from work.
Cyan came out of the bathroom after her shower wearing a simple white shirt and black sweatpants.
"I wonder what the surprise could be..."
Cyan's eyes widened slightly when she saw the state of the room.
Pillows and blankets were on the floor near what appeared to be a fort made of chairs and blankets. Lin Ling came out of the fort with a smile on his face.
"Surprise!... It's a pillow fort. My grandmother and I always watched movies in a fort like this, and I thought it would be fitting to make one this time."
Cyan looked at it silently for a few seconds until she put her hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle.
"Ah... well..."
For a second, Lin Ling thought that Cyan found it ridiculous, but the expression she made immediately afterward completely erased that thought.
"Can you always make things fun like this?" Cyan smiled sincerely, her eyes seeming to sparkle for a second.
This reaction caused Lin Ling to blush slightly.
"W-well, I try..." Lin Ling replied nervously, then immediately approached the TV, the DVD player already set up.
"How about we watch Spider-Man? It's a really cool trilogy."
"What's the synopsis?"
"Basically, a young man is accidentally bitten by a radioactive spider and gains great powers. My grandmother always said it's a story about living with great responsibilities as a person and as a hero."
"Wow, it sounds serious and even... too realistic." Cyan said, processing what she had just heard.
"Yes... but I promise you'll like the action in these movies."
"I believe you." Cyan replied, and then she noticed something on the living room table, Lin Ling's backpack. She could see something of a familiar color through a crack in the zipper.
"I was forgetting to ask, how was your first day working at a regular job—"
Lin Ling couldn't finish the question. When he looked at Cyan, he froze. She was holding the box with his action figure in it.
I FORGOT TO HIDE IT!
Lin Ling thought desperately as he realized his mistake.
Cyan had her head down as she looked at the action figure, preventing Lin Ling from knowing what expression she had on her face.
"H-hear me out, Cyan... this is—I went to a store..."
I can't tell her the real reason why I was there!
"T-they had some interesting hero merchandise, and I had that coupon, and under some pressure, I ended up buying it."
Lin Ling tried to explain as best he could, but Cyan remained silent, worsening Lin Ling's fears.
I should have thrown it away—
"So..." Cyan then began to speak, taking Lin Ling by surprise.
"Am I one of your favorites now?" Cyan raised her head and had a smug smile on her face.
"Huh?..." Lin Ling was confused by her reaction.
"I didn't realize I had already won your affection as a heroine, I thought you had eyes for Moon." Cyan said playfully as she rested a hand on her cheek.
Lin Ling's blush grew stronger at her insinuations.
"N-no, it's not like that—I mean, I like you—I appreciate you! As a heroine too... and I ended up giving in and buying something like this."
Cyan giggled when she saw him acting like this.
"It's okay... I'm flattered to have a fan like you..." Cyan then handed the box with the action figure to Lin Ling.
"I'm going to make some popcorn." She said as she walked past him toward the kitchen.
Lin Ling was left alone, calming down after this unexpected conversation.
I think I should control my impulses to buy these things better.
"No matter what life has in store for me... I will never forget these words... with great power comes great responsibility... this is my gift and my curse..."
A sequence of the hero wandering around the city using his powers played out on the TV screen until it ended with the credits rolling.
"So what did you think?" Lin Ling asked at the end of the movie.
"Good... but still tragic in a way. I'm sure his uncle would be proud of the kind of hero he will become," Cyan said dreamily. She was really interested in how this hero would live with his life.
"Yes... this hero lives with the difficulties of being something more than a hero. I think it's an inspiring story for anyone," Lin Ling said as he got up from his pillow fort and approached the TV. "The second movie follows him living his life with the difficulties of..."
"With great power comes great responsibility?" Cyan asked in a low voice, but Lin Ling could hear her clearly.
"Yes..."
"It really seems like a common thing for heroes... I want to see them." Cyan said calmly.
"Your friends?"
"Yes... they're worried, it's not fair for me to keep hiding, thinking everything is fine, while they're feeling worse because of me, I want to see them, apologize..."
Lin Ling then turned back to Cyan, looking directly at her.
"Okay... it's your choice, I'll support you."Lin Ling said with a slight smile.
"Thank you... but I still don't know how to get to them without causing a commotion."
They both fell silent, thinking about what to do. Any public appearance by Lucky Cyan at this point would cause chaos.
"There is a way..." Lin Ling said as he walked over and picked up his backpack.
"Here."
He handed Cyan an envelope that was inside the backpack.
"Tickets to HeroCom...!?"
"VIP tickets. They allow us backstage where the heroes rest and prepare for their performances. You can meet Queen and The Johnnies while appearing as Lucky Cyan without anyone noticing, a Lucky Cyan cosplay." Lin Ling was excited by this idea.
Cyan then remembered that he was right, HeroCom is an event where she can appear as Lucky Cyan, anyone can appear as Lucky Cyan.
Cyan then looked more closely at the tickets and noticed something important.
"Lin Ling..." Cyan said seriously, taking Lin Ling by surprise.
"What?"
Cyan then showed Lin Ling a specific part of the tickets.
VIP tickets - for cosplayers only
"What!?"