By the time they reached Nagoya, night had fully settled in. The fading glow of sunset had vanished, replaced by the bright, artificial lights of the city.
The bus hummed to a stop at one of the small stations on the outskirts. Luck stretched in his seat, feeling the tension in his back and neck from the long ride.
He glanced out the window, where neon signs and streetlights reflected off the wet pavement, remnants of a light rain earlier.
The streets pulsed with life, even at this hour, as people hurried home or went out to enjoy the night.
As passengers got off the bus, Luck remained in his seat, because this was not his stop yet.
The girl from earlier stood up, and it looked like this was her stop. A wave of relief passed over him, glad to see her finally leaving.
But just as he relaxed, something else caught his eye. In his peripheral vision, the same middle-aged man from before also stood up, closely following her.
Luck's gut clenched as he noticed the man grinning, eyes fixed on the girl like a predator watching its prey.
'What should I do? '
The odds of that man doing something wrong was extremely high.
But this wasn't his problem.
And besides, the girl had tried scamming him earlier. Maybe this was karma. For all he knew, the girl could have scammed that man and was now out for revenge.
He leaned back on his seat as the bus started moving again.
This was supposed to be the end. He would just turn a blind eye, and this strange encounter would fade in his memory.
"Stop the bus!" he yelled, standing up and drawing confused looks from the few remaining passengers.
Before he could second-guess himself, he rushed down the aisle as the driver slammed on the brakes, bringing the bus to a grinding stop.
Luck got off; his breath ragged while the cool night air bit at his flappy skin.
'What the hell am I doing? 'He scolded himself, knowing full well that chasing after her was probably a mistake.
But when he looked at the girl, memories of his mother flooded back. She had always told him he was special, blessed in ways others weren't.
"When someone's in need, those who are strong and capable should help first." he'd say,
Her voice echoed in his mind, tugging at the part of him he thought was long gone.
With everything that had happened—the long, exhausting days and his recent visit to his parents' grave—those old values resurfaced, little by little.
He stared at the girl and the man trailing her, the indifference that had filled him fading away.
A heavy sigh escaped him.
Maybe this was stupid. Maybe nothing would happen.
But if he did nothing and something went wrong, could he really live with himself?
Without giving it too much thought, he started walking after them.
He followed at a distance, keeping an eye on the middle-aged man. The girl walked ahead, unaware of the two men trailing her—one with bad intentions and the other, Luck, unsure of his own.
To anyone glancing their way though, it must have looked like two guys were stalking a young girl.
'Now I look like a criminal,'
The girl strolled casually, checking her phone.
'How could she be so relaxed? Didn't she sense the danger behind her? '
Suddenly, the man sped up, his hand moving toward the inside of his coat. Luck's stomach dropped. Something was about to happen.
Ahead was a dimly lit alley, a perfect spot for trouble. As the girl walked past, the man lunged forward, grabbing her.
Panic surged through Luck as he ducked behind the corner, quickly dialing the police.
He didn't know if the man had a weapon, and rushing in would be reckless.
The phone rang in his ear, each tone a reminder of how quickly everything was spiraling out of control.
'Come on, pick up. I paid my tax you know! ' He grumbled.
"Yes, this is the police, what's your emergency?" a female answered.
"I-I need help. A man just grabbed a girl in an alley near Nagoya Station 5. I think he's trying to kidnap her!"
"Stay on the line. Can you see the situation?"
"I can't get too close without risking my safety. I'm behind a corner," he replied.
"Stay calm. We're dispatching officers. Can you describe the suspect and your exact location?"
He quickly described the man—his age and clothing. Every second felt like a waste of time.
'Please hurry,' he urged.
"Police is on the way. Stay where you are," the operator instructed. But then he heard a faint noise.
"Help!" she screamed.
Luck made up his mind. He couldn't just wait.
Gripping his phone tightly, he stepped out from behind the corner and sprinted forward.
When he reached them, the sight was something he did not expect.
The girl was lying on the ground, bloodied and gasping for breath with a stab wound in her stomach.
The middle-aged man loomed over her like a maniac, clutching the knife he had used to stab her. Panic must have triggered in when she screamed.
"Stop!"
The man turned around, and both men locked eyes for a moment.
However, the standoff ended abruptly when the man fled.
Luck realized he wouldn't be fast enough to chase after him, so he rushed to the girl.
"Stay with me," he urged, kneeling beside her. "Help is coming!"
More people arrived.
"Call an ambulance! I already called the police!" he shouted, pressing his hands against her wound, trying to stop the bleeding.
The girl's eyes flickered.
"Y-You passed the first test," she smiled, surprising him.
Before he could respond, he jolted awake, finding himself back on the bus, just arriving at the station where he was supposed to get off.
'Was that all a dream? '