He tossed the brush aside and mockingly patted Clark's pale face.
Clark could only return the coldest glare he could muster.
Whitney stuck out his tongue in a taunting gesture, feeling on top of the world.
He had taken out all the frustration he felt earlier when he faced Soren Hargreaves on Clark, and the more Clark suffered, the happier Whitney became.
He kept making harsh comments at Clark before finally leading his teammates away.
Clark was left alone.
He was tied to the wooden cross in the middle of the empty cornfield, enduring the pain in silence.
The pain made every second feel incredibly long.
He had never felt this powerless before.
He had always been incredibly strong, never sick or injured.
This was the first time he truly understood what real pain felt like.
Despite the extreme pain, he started to calm down.
He thought about how this was what normal people experience.
They deal with broken bones, burns, illnesses, and drownings. Accidents can happen at any time, and yet people face these pains and misfortunes with a calm attitude.
People are so fragile it's startling, yet they are also brave and worthy of respect.
He wondered if this strange stone could kill him.
Could he die from this little stone?
Jonathan had told him he was from another planet, so could this stone be connected to his origins?
He had actually seen this type of stone before.
The news office had many reports about these stones.
They had come to the town with meteor showers.
When the showers first happened, many meteor enthusiasts rushed to buy these stones, so now there were hardly any left in Smallville.
This meant that growing up in Smallville, besides Lana's necklace, he had never encountered another one of these stones.
Clark thought a lot in the dark, not knowing how much time had passed or what would happen to him.
He could only immerse himself in his thoughts to distract from the pain until a boy's voice brought him back to reality.
He realized that besides Martha and Jonathan, there was a third person in the world who could cry for him.
...
Clark and Soren trudged their way back home through the uneven ground of the cornfield.
There were no streetlights on the country road, making the stars above seem especially bright and clear.
Ever since Soren had rescued Clark, he had been walking with his head down, quiet and sulking.
Clark followed closely behind him.
He glanced down at Soren's legs, which had turned red from the chilly night wind.
Feeling worried, Clark asked, "Soren, are you cold? I can carry you on my back."
Soren didn't respond and only shook his head.
"Are you mad?" Clark asked carefully.
"I'm not… Okay, fine, I am. I'm really mad," Soren sighed deeply, as if trying hard to calm down his emotions, "How could Whitney do that to you? How dare he?"
Soren couldn't believe that this town, which Clark held so dearly in his heart, had also given him so much pain and humiliation.
—Yet, even with all that, Clark still loved his small town and Kansas deeply.
What was going on in that Kryptonian's head?
Why was Clark always so kind to everyone?
Even after Soren saved him, the first thing Clark did was try to comfort him, instead of worrying about himself!
Soren was mad at Whitney and frustrated with Clark.
His anger also mixed with feelings he couldn't quite describe—like sadness and concern, making his stomach twist up inside.
He wanted to find Whitney right now and punch him in the face until his face turned black and blue.
Clark awkwardly rubbed his nose.
Compared to Soren's obvious fury, Clark himself seemed much calmer.
After all, he had always known he was different.
He was stronger than everyone around him.
The difference in strength had become so large that it only took a tiny bit of effort from him to throw a grown man several yards.
Because of this, Whitney's bullying felt like nothing more than an ant biting at his feet.
Clark knew that if he fought back, people would get hurt, and that was something Jonathan had strictly forbidden.
Jonathan had made it clear that Clark couldn't show his powers to anyone, and he definitely wasn't allowed to fight.
So when his classmates bullied him, Clark had no choice but to endure it quietly.
At first, he used to get angry, but over time, he realized anger didn't help.
Eventually, he just accepted it.
They can't really hurt me anyway, Clark would tell himself.
Then Soren came into his life.
Soren stood up to Whitney for him, wiped off the cruelly drawn "S" on his chest, and even shed real tears for him.
Soren was genuinely upset on his behalf.
Clark couldn't help but wonder, How could someone as kind as Soren even exist?
Soren was not only good-looking and kind-hearted, but he also made friends with everyone so easily.
He seemed to naturally shine, like a bright light that made Clark feel a bit insecure.
Does he even deserve someone like Soren to cry for me?
Clark thought.
He was just a dirt-covered farm boy.
Is he really good enough to be friends with someone like him?
Clark felt a heavy weight in his chest, a mix of sadness and self-doubt.
He stepped closer to Soren and saw his pink-tinted nose and red-rimmed eyes from crying, which made Clark's heart warm up immediately.
He looks... so cute...
Clark's ears immediately turned red.
"W-we should hurry back. You look cold," he stammered.
Soren who is still pouting, said, "Why do you keep saying I'm cold? I'm not cold at all."
"Oh, sorry, I just thought... Well, do you want me to carry you?" Clark offered, feeling flustered.
All Clark wanted was to get Soren home as quickly as possible, so he could be warm and cozy in his big house, sipping a cup of hot milk, rather than trudging through the cornfield in the cold night with him.