On a weekend afternoon, an Armani ready-to-wear fashion show kicked off at Lincoln Center.
The organizers selected 42 male and female models from over ten modeling agencies in New York. Among them were Kate Kelly from IMG Models, Adriana Lima from Elite Model Management, and newcomer Luca from Ford Models.
Before the show started, the three were still wandering around Hearst Plaza.
"Kate, Lima, we should head back and get ready."
Luca glanced at his watch—it was already past two o'clock. He had to hurry the two women, who were still casually browsing.
"We've got over two hours left, no need to rush."
Kate picked up a wide-brimmed vintage hat and put it on her head. Wearing an oversized knitted sweater and a knee-length leather skirt, she looked like a noblewoman from the Victorian era with the hat.
Beside her, Lima was also trying on hats. She turned back and laughed, "Luca, you're too nervous. We agreed you wouldn't check your watch, but you've already done it. Kate, how many times has he looked at his watch?"
"Thirty-two times," Kate replied casually.
"Ha, thirty-two times!" Lima teased.
Luca curled his lips—yeah, right.
"Luca, stop checking the time."
Kate took a bowler hat and placed it on his head, speaking gently, "Your walk and outfit are fine. All you need to do now is forget about the time, forget about the show, and completely relax. This is just a regular runway show, and you're an actor. There's no need to overthink it."
Luca pondered for a moment—he was indeed a bit nervous.
It was his first time walking a show, and not just any show, but for Armani, a world-renowned brand.
He was worried about wearing the wrong clothes, messing up the order, tripping on stage—so many worries, like giving a presentation for the first time, with his mind in a jumble.
But Kate was right. He was an actor, and modeling was just a side gig. If he failed, it just meant no more modeling gigs. What's the big deal?
He exhaled and smiled, "Got it!"
Kate smiled slightly, putting an arm around his shoulder and leading him to a full-length mirror. "How's this hat? Do you like it?"
Luca hadn't paid much attention earlier. Now, looking closely, his face darkened—it was a green hat. A dark green one, at that.
"This hat doesn't suit me. Let's check out others."
"What about this one?" Lima held up a gray-green wool hat.
Luca curled his lips again—why do they keep picking green?
"Let me pick for myself!"
"You? Your taste is terrible. We can't trust you."
"Alright!"
With his nerves eased, he focused on shopping with the two of them.
Before they knew it, they had lost track of time. By the time they left the mall at 4 PM, there were only about thirty minutes left before the show started.
"Luca, why didn't you remind us?"
Lima complained.
"You told me to forget about the time."
"But you shouldn't have forgotten *completely*."
"I—"
What could he say?
Luca was bitter.
"Don't worry, we have plenty of time," Kate said with a smile.
Hearst Plaza was right next to Lincoln Center, just a five-minute walk away. With their long legs, they moved even faster, reaching the road outside Lincoln Center in no time.
"Help! Help!!"
As they were about to cross the street, a sharp cry suddenly came from the other side of the intersection, switching between English .
Luca looked over in surprise. On the slope across the street, a baby stroller was rolling downhill, gaining speed as it neared the street.
About ten meters away, a young woman was screaming for help while chasing the stroller. But the downhill momentum was too strong; her legs couldn't keep up with the wheels, and in her panic, she fell.
Beep, beep, beep!
Just as the stroller was about to roll into the street, a bus came speeding down the road.
Due to a curve between the slope and the bus, the driver couldn't see what was happening. The bus was headed straight for the stroller.
"Oh my God!"
"Someone save that baby!"
People on the street noticed the danger, but they were too far away to reach the stroller in time.
It seemed a tragedy was inevitable.
"Help!!" woman's screams grew more desperate as she lay on the ground.
"Poor thing," Lima sighed softly.
"Oh God, someone save that baby!" Kate crossed herself.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a gust of wind swept past them. Kate turned to see Luca sprinting toward the intersection, racing toward the rapidly moving stroller.
He moved with powerful strides, like a cheetah. In the blink of an eye, he had covered over ten meters, rivaling the speed of a track athlete.
Watching him sprint, Kate was reminded of three years ago, at the World Youth Football Championship, where he had thrown himself into the game despite injuring his ankle to fight for his country. Was he going to do it again today?
But he was injured, and he wasn't as fast as before. Why was he still being so reckless?
"Luca!"
She saw Luca charging toward the stroller as the bus sped closer. If Luca was determined to save the baby, he would surely be hit by the bus. Yet, seeing the oncoming bus, Luca didn't hesitate—he rushed straight ahead.
"Stop!!"
Tears welled up in Kate's eyes.
Bang!
It was too late. The sound of a collision echoed through the intersection. The stroller was flung into the air, its wooden frame shattering. Luca rolled in front of the bus, disappearing from sight.
Kate froze, her body trembling as she stumbled forward, trying to rush over.
"Kate, don't worry, Luca will be alright," Lima said, unsure how to comfort her.
She had been stunned when Luca suddenly dashed out. In Brazil, people were used to seeing gang violence and death; the idea of risking your life to save someone was foreign.
She never expected Luca to act that way, and with such speed. It was like watching him dribble past opponents on the soccer field again, but this time he wasn't facing an opponent's defense—it was a bus. So reckless.
"Look! He's standing! He's not dead!"
Suddenly, someone shouted from the street.
Kate and Lima looked up and saw Luca emerge from behind the bus, holding a baby above his head, shouting with excitement.
"Oh my God, he caught it! He actually caught it!"
"Wow, thank God! Is he a superhero?"
"He saved the baby! Is he an angel sent by God?"
The crowd buzzed with excitement and admiration.
Everything had happened so fast. When the bus approached, everyone thought tragedy was unavoidable. No one expected someone to rush out at the last second, run past the stroller, and keep going without stopping.
No one saw how he grabbed the baby, so they assumed the rescue had failed. But he had done it—it was unbelievable.
His bravery and quick actions earned everyone's applause and cheers.
"Kate, I'm fine! I didn't get hurt!" Luca shouted from across the street, still holding the baby.
Kate bit her lip, her chin trembling slightly.
"Kate, Luca's amazing! He's a hero!" Lima exclaimed, staring at Luca in admiration.
Kate shook her head. She didn't need a hero, nor did she want Luca to act like one.
"Hey, Kate, why are you crying?"
Luca handed the baby back to the woman and walked over with a big grin.
"You idiot! I told you to stop—didn't you hear me? Are you deaf?!"
Kate grabbed his ear, scolding him, "You're injured, you're not the soccer genius you used to be, why are you still risking your life? Are you stupid?"
"Ow, ow, it hurts! Kate, let go! I won't do it again!"
Luca grimaced, pretending to be in great pain.
Lima couldn't help but laugh. Was this how a hero should be treated?
"Kate, don't be mad. Luca's really hurting," Lima said, trying to ease the tension.
"Hmph!"
Kate let go of his ear but grabbed his collar. "We're going to the hospital!"
"I'm fine, Kate," Luca said, spinning around in place and even jumping a little. "I moved fast—I grabbed the baby and rolled across the street, just like tackling on the field. Except this time, it was a handball. Hopefully Coach Luis didn't see, or he'll scold me for being slower than a penguin."
"You're still afraid of the coach, even though you don't play soccer anymore?" Lima teased.
"Of course I am!"
Luca said in a voice that was just loud enough, "Lima, I'll let you in on a secret. There are two people I fear most—Coach Luis and Kate. When Kate gets mad, she's scarier than the coach."
"Haha!"
Lima laughed softly. Watching the man beside her, she suddenly found him very charming, though she couldn't quite pinpoint why.
Kate bit her lip to keep from smiling. She helped Luca straighten his clothes and lightly pressed on his waist. "How's your back? Is it broken? I hope it is!"
Luca gritted his teeth. He had actually twisted his back earlier and heard a cracking sound, thinking he might be paralyzed again. But to his surprise, he was able to stand up and
keep moving.
The bus driver was stunned when he rushed over, thinking Luca would be crushed to death, but Luca had saved the baby and shielded his own head in time, avoiding the wheels. He wasn't sure how he managed to dodge the impact.
Seeing her eyes turn red,
Luca spoke softly,
"Kate, I'm really fine. Let's get going, it's almost showtime."
"After such a big accident, you're still thinking about the show?" Lima asked in surprise.
"What else? Should I just give up the $2,000 appearance fee?"
"$2,000? We're getting $50,000!" Lima responded.
"Are you showing off?" Luca asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, I am!" Lima said, flashing a cheeky smile.
"You two are amazing!" Luca sighed with mock exasperation as he hurried the two of them toward Lincoln Center.