A gust of wind swept past her, and the bullet was gone.
No... it was still there, caught between two fingers in mid air.
A young man with a neat black coat had intercepted it just before it struck her.
That alone was terrifyingly powerful. She couldn’t see his face clearly, but the aura radiating from him was unmistakable—he was a World Diver.
The thugs’ knees buckled at the sight.
"Shit! Another World Diver? And this one looks powerful... probably an Elite, or even stronger!"
"A monster! How are regular people supposed to live ?"
"Well, that’s our cue to run!"
With trembling hearts and shaking legs, they fled. Every last one of them.
The moment Igaris turned to face her, Shirley froze.
That handsome face, those black strands of hair, those dark, piercing eyes, and that confident posture—he felt strangely familiar... yet unfamiliar at the same time.
"You’re still so reckless," the guy muttered, clearly annoyed, before walking back to his car without another word.
Shirley stood there, fuming at being so blatantly ignored.
"Hmph, hmph... Hateful guy! I didn’t ask for your help. I could’ve handled them just fine!"
She snorted and climbed back into her own car, but not before stealing one last glance at the rusty old vehicle he’d entered.
For some reason, she just couldn’t shake off the image of that arrogant bastard’s face.
As her car began to roll again, Shirley kept glancing into the side mirror, watching the shrinking silhouette of the old car disappear into the traffic.
"Who was that guy...?" she mumbled under her breath.
Maeve, now settled beside her again, spoke up cautiously:
"Are you okay, Shirley? You didn’t look hurt, but... your head’s bleeding a little."
Shirley blinked, then touched the side of her head. Warm liquid. She had completely forgotten about it.
"I’m fine," she muttered. "But that guy... He was weird. Strong. But weird."
Maeve followed her gaze toward the distant shape of the old car.
"Oh that guy? He was super strong wasn’t he? Do you know him Shirley?" she asked excitedly.
Shirley hesitated. "No. I don’t think so."
But inside, something stirred. Like a Deja vu.
"Why do I feel like I’ve met him before...?"
Inside the old car, Igaris sat in silence as Jeffrey resumed driving.
"Young master, why didn’t you introduce yourself to her?," Jeffrey asked with a small chuckle, stealing a glance at the rearview mirror.
"She’s still reckless," Igaris replied flatly, gazing out the window. "Charging into a fight like that without thinking... That’s not courage. It’s foolishness."
Jeffrey paused before asking, "Do you think she still remembers you? It’s been ten years, after all."
"No. If she did, her reaction would’ve been... a little different at least," Igaris replied calmly. "So there’s no point introducing myself in the middle of the road. We’ll meet again—soon enough."
Just as his words ended, the distant shimmer of the ocean came into view, glinting under the golden hue of the afternoon sun. Stargaze City’s shoreline sprawled beyond, quiet and deceptively serene.
Meanwhile, back in the suburbs—
"Mom, I’m back!" Shirley called out as she entered the house nestled in the quiet neighborhood.
The warm scent of stew greeted her nose. From the kitchen, a soft voice replied, "Welcome home, dear! You’re late today."
Shirley tossed her shoes aside and walked in, rubbing her sore knuckles with a tired sigh.
"There was a stupid accident on the way. Some thug thought he could act tough."
From behind the counter, her mother glanced over. She was elegant but with signs of age around her eyes. Shirley and her had similiar cascading fiery red hair.
"You didn’t get into trouble again, did you?"
"Sigh.. Trouble found me, not the other way around," Shirley sighed, plopping into the couch. "But, no need to worry. I handled it."
Her mother gave her a doubtful look. "Handled it... how?"
Shirley smirked. "With my fist."
"Don’t worry, I’m fine. Just a small scratch."
Her mother frowned but didn’t press further. "You’re too much like your father."
Shirley turned her eyes to the ceiling, suddenly thinking of the black-haired guy who had caught a bullet with his fingers like it was nothing.
"Mom," Shirley said quietly, "I met a strange guy on the road. He saved me... then just left. But the way he spoke to me, it felt like he knew me. But I swear, I don’t remember ever meeting him."
"Ah-huh..." Her mother’s voice rose playfully from the kitchen. "So, some young man swooped in to save my daughter, huh? Was he a World Diver too?"
"Yes!" Shirley nodded, the memory still fresh. "He caught a bullet. With just two fingers!"
There was a loud clatter as a spoon dropped into the sink.
"Oh my... so my dear Shirley finally caught a strong suitor’s eye? Now that’s news worth celebrating," her mother teased, stepping out from the kitchen with a mischievous grin.
"Mom..." Shirley groaned, cheeks blooming red.
"Alright, alright, I won’t tease you too much." Her mother laughed, sitting beside her on the couch. "So... how did this mysterious young man look? Was he as handsome as your father?"
Shirley pouted, then leaned over to hug her.
"No one can compare to Dad’s handsomeness, obviously," she said with a smile. "But this guy... he wasn’t half bad. He had neat clothes, black coat, black hair and... oh, his eyes. They reminded me of yours, Mom. Dark, almost like shadows."
Her mother blinked, her smile softening as she fell into thought.
"Hmm... dark eyes, neat clothes, saves my daughter, catches bullets... Sounds like a proper charming black knight." She gave a dramatic sigh. "I’m getting curious about him now."
"Ahem. Can we stop with your fantasy already?" Shirley smirked. "If Dad saw you from heaven, he’d start throwing thunderbolts."
They both laughed, the room briefly filled with warmth and fondness.
Suddenly, there were some sharp knocks on their doosteps.
The duo immediately grew alarmed.