The next morning arrived quickly.
It was Gray's rest day after 2 days of teaching Chloe. Still, instead of sleeping late, he decided to wake up early to prepare breakfast for Lily and help her get ready for school.
As soon as Lily woke up, she took a shower and changed her clothes. Afterward, she sat on the couch in the living room, tying her shoes with messy hands while still almost half-asleep.
"You look like you fought a battle in your dreams, Lily," Gray teased lightly as he knelt beside her to help her fix her loosened laces.
"Yes, brother. I dreamed that I was a fairy and that I was fighting a dragon," Lily puffed her cheeks and pouted as she recalled her dreams.
"Oh? Our Lily is a princess now?" Gray chuckled in amusement that made the two of them laugh.
"Yes, brother."
"Alright, Princess Lily. Eat breakfast now so we can go to your class."
"Yes, Brother!"
Lily quickly ate her breakfast. When she was done, they immediately stepped out of their apartment's building, the morning sun greeting them. The weather today was gentle, and since it was early, the streets were still quiet.
The two quickly boarded a bus. When they got off, they walked for a few more minutes to get to Lily's school gate.
Gray crouched down again like always and gave Lily's bag a quick look to see if her lunch was inside.
"Listen, Lily. I'm not working today," Gray told her. "So, I'll come pick you up, alright?"
Lily's eyes lit up instantly. "Really, Brother? You're not busy today? Promise?"
"Yes. I promise. I'll be there." Gray let out a soft chuckle as he briefly nodded his head as an assurance.
Gray's words immediately brightened Lily's Day.
"Okay! I'll look forward to it!" she grinned, then ran off with a little wave. "Bye, Brother!"
"Bye, Lil' one," Gray called back, watching until she disappeared into the school building.
With nothing planned for the day ahead, Gray decided to take a walk first.
Gray didn't know where he was going. He just kept on walking and walking, trying to familiarize himself with the location of Lily's school. It was probably his first time roaming around the area since he didn't have the chance in the past.
Now, he realized that there were a lot of small restaurants and café around the place. Some places even had displays of good-looking desserts. He was sure that Lily would like them, so he mentally took note of it.
Eventually, his walk led him to a food truck parked at the corner of the street. It wasn't fancy, but the smell of grilled meat and rice was enough to make his stomach growl.
There was a long line in front, so Gray had to line up patiently. The foodtruck had varying menu, but their best-selling dish was grilled marinated chicken with rice and a sweet soy sauce.
Just by looking at the people's food in front of him, Gray knew he had to order one of it too. That was why when it was finally his turn, he ordered the same thing and leaned against the nearby railing as he waited.
Gray glanced around casually since there were still a few people before him. He watched the people walked around, letting his mind drift to nothingness.
However, something caught the edge of his vision.
An elderly man, probably in his late sixties, was slowly making his way across the nearby intersection with a cane in his hands. He was well-dressed, but he was alone. His steps were slow, and his back was a little hunched due to old age.
The old man was talking to someone on the phone, completely unaware of his surroundings. The traffic light on the pedestrian was still green, a sign that people could still cross over, but there were only a few seconds left.
The man was clearly not going to make it in time with his speed.
Gray narrowed his eyes, already tense. For a moment, his heart skipped a beat. There was no car on the road but he couldn't seem to relax for a little.
10 seconds...
9 seconds...
8 seconds...
And then—
From the other side of the road, a delivery truck appeared, speeding. It was way too fast, maybe a little bit rushed as if it was chasing time or something.
7 seconds...
Gray's breathing caught.
[Ding!]
[Urgent Mission Alert!]
[Mission: Save the civilian man in danger!]
But Gray didn't even see the notification. He just started moving on his own. He knew that he'd feel guilty if he didn't do anything about it.
6 seconds...
He was already moving. Without thinking and without checking around, he sprinted. His speed was in all time high, exerting his every muscle as he ran.
5 seconds...
The old man barely passed half the road.
4 seconds...
The truck didn't show any signs of stopping.
When the people saw it, people screamed out loud, asking someone to hurry over and save the man. However, no one moved. Instead, they only stayed on the side; some even took their phones out to video what would happen.
It was a shame.
Real shame.
3 seconds...
Gray didn't slow down for a moment. Instead, he even increased his speed. Just in time, he reached the old man, just as the speeding truck came into the turn.
2 seconds...
"Watch out!" he shouted out loud, wrapping his arms around the man and pulling him back with a force he didn't even know he had.
The truck screeched past, missing them just by a few inches. It honked violently and disappeared into the distance without stopping as if it didn't care that it almost crashed into someone.
Gray and the old man tumbled onto the sidewalk, breathing heavily.
The old man was petrified. His eyes widened, and he was out of words. In his hand, he was still gripping unto his phone, in a call with someone.
The world around them was silent for a second.
"Are you... alright, sir?" Gray asked between breaths, breaking down the silence between them. He glanced down at the man who was now gripping his arm tightly.
The old man just stared at him in disbelief, eyes wide. It took a few seconds before the old man realized that he was now safe.
"You... you saved me..." the man whispered.
Gray smiled faintly, still catching his breath.
"You should be more careful while crossing the road, Sir."
Behind them, people were starting to murmur, a few approaching with worried faces.
Gray glanced upward, and only then did he see the translucent screen flashing in front of him again.
[Urgent Mission Cleared!]
[+1 Power Gained]
[+1 Influence Gained]
[Bonus Reward: $5,000]
'Huh? What is this?' He blinked at it, stunned.
But there was no time to process the words written on his face when the old man reached out to his hand.