CRUEL

CRUEL|THIRTEEN

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CRUEL

[SEASON TWO]

 "I thought you weren't feeling well. You look a lot healthier than I thought." Vinny questioned the boy next to him, who sported a love-struck smile that was discernible even beneath his mask. Arezou noticed the smile, her amusement evident as she observed his demeanor. Her future sister-in-law was fortunate to have such a caring companion at her side. 

"I know, right? It must be the healing power of love." Her brother chuckled.

"By the way. Thanks, Vinny for working today. It's much easier to work there when I have such a good bodyguard on my side." The girl joked, eliciting a groan from the red-haired boy. He seemed to be gradually opening up to her, likely due to their weeks of working together. 

"I'm only helping you both for three hours today then I'm out of here. Just so your know." he clarified, making his intentions clear. Rolling her eyes, she reassured him, "Yeah, no problem."

Her attention was drawn to a crowd ahead of them. It appeared that an event was taking place. "Hm? What's going on there?" she inquired, leading the way towards the gathering. The boys followed closely, equally intrigued by the spectacle. A man in boxing attire emerged, holding a shield with the words. 

"10¢ for one minute." He adressed the crowd energetically. Listen up, everyone! Want to relieve stress? Ten dollars for one minute! I will either dodge your hits or stand there and let you hit me for a minute!" he yelled.

Arezou's face lit up upon hearing this. "Oh! Oh! Oppa I want to hit him!" she exclaimed excitedly, tapping her brother's shoulder. He seemed nervously taken aback by her enthusiasm, as if she were imploring him for an ice cream like a child. Being the good big brother he was, he simply nodded, patting her head. "HAHA! Sure!" he granted, igniting a sparkle in her eyes.

However, before she could make a move, her body tensed. A familiar sensation enveloped her, much like the previous day. Her head turned to the side, and there he was, the boy from yesterday. He approached the man in front of the crowd. "I want a proper fight for one minute," he stated in a deep voice, sending shivers down her spine and prompting butterflies to flutter frantically.

"Oh~ You can go after him sis," Dom encouraged her, his gaze fixed on the impending fight. She nodded, her eyes narrowing as she sought to comprehend the unsettling feeling he stirred within her.

As he swung his arm back, a smile on his face, understanding dawned upon her. Her instincts had been right all along. His punch was initially aimed at the man's head, but when the red-clad individual ducked, the trajectory of the punch altered, striking the red target. 

She didn't dare blink, intent on capturing every moment. Despite receiving multiple blows to his face, the silver-haired boy remained steadfast, delivering a powerful punch that sent his opponent sprawling to the ground.

"Holy moly..." she whispered in awe. This guy was formidable, like a formidable fighting machine. How many blows could one withstand to deliver such a powerful punch?

"Hey, doesn't it seem like we've seen him somewhere before?" Dom questioned, turning to both of them. "I'm not sure," Vinny replied hesitantly. Arezou was about to share where they had encountered him before, but Dom's ringing phone halted her.

"Hello?... WHAT?!" he suddenly exclaimed, causing her to raise an eyebrow in confusion. The butterflies in her stomach stirred with unease, though she couldn't yet grasp the significance of his conversation. "What the hell are you talking about? So did you find it? Jeez, where are you? A...All right!"