Scott and Gwen finished the last of their food, leaving wrappers and empty cups scattered across the bench between them.
Gwen took one last, unpleasant sip of her tomato juice, then let out a contented sigh as her face brightened with satisfaction when she put the drink down.
"Energy replenished!"
She said with a grin as she winked.
Scott stretched his arms over his head then leaned back.
"Yeah, I feel stronger, too. Like I could take on the world now. Who knew small burgers could do that?"
Gwen chuckled, but her face softened as she looked down and rested her hands on her knees. Slowly, she took hold of the edge of her skirt, almost nervously, and lowered her head before she started to speak.
"Scott… I'm sorry."
Scott blinked.
"HUH?"
He was completely caught off guard.
He raised an eyebrow, looking at her in mild confusion.
"Huh? What are you sorry about?"
He wasn't trying to press her for an explanation or make her feel bad; he honestly just didn't know what she meant. For as long as he could remember, he'd never really been mad about anything Gwen had done. It was all just… well, Gwen.
Silence settled between them as Gwen bit her lip, thinking.
『What am I even apologizing for?』
She wondered if it was about something from way back, like middle school, or if it was just dragging him out to a random convenience store tonight… or maybe… something else.
She sighed, fidgeting with her skirt.
"I guess… I'm sorry about the whole Elena thing…"
She finally talked.
"She escaped because of me. I should've kept my annoyance with you under control until we'd caught her."
"Really?"
Scott couldn't help but chuckle a little.
He elegantly crossed his legs.
"You're still hung up on that?"
Gwen gave him a small, playful punch on the shoulder, though she looked genuinely annoyed.
"It's not funny, you know! I messed up."
But Scott only reached over and placed a hand on her head, ruffling her hair gently.
"Listen, the stun dart I hit her with had a tracker. It's in her bloodstream now—audio and GPS feed, too. We're watching her movements and, when I'm ready, I'll figure out our next move."
He patted her head one more time, softer this time.
"So, see? There's nothing to be sorry about."
She slapped his hand away as a slight blush creeped up her cheeks.
"Don't pat me like that! I'm almost two years older than you, remember? If anything, I should be the one patting you like a kid."
Scott raised an eyebrow, giving her a smirk. "Oh?"
Gwen's face turned an even deeper shade of pink as she looked away.
"But I… kinda… enjoyed it…"
She mumbled, almost inaudibly.
Scott grinned, shaking his head as he started gathering up the wrappers and bags, stuffing them into a nylon bag.
Standing up, he looked back at her with a casual smile.
"Alright, then, let's head home."
She got up and brushed off her skirt.
"Aight…"
But as Scott started walking away, she couldn't help but watch his back. The sight stirred something deep within her—a memory of a younger Scott, standing in front of her with that same hopeful look he'd had back in middle school when he'd confessed his feelings. She'd turned him down in front of everyone.
Now, she felt a strange feeling in her chest, an old ache she hadn't felt in years.
"Scott…" she called out softly.
He turned, giving her a quizzical look. "Huh?"
"I… I don't want to go home yet."
She turned to look toward the road and the small river nearby, where a gentle breeze stirred the night air.
"I want some fresh air, just for a little bit longer."
Scott tilted his head, studying her for a second, then shrugged.
"Alright. I'll wait for you here—"
But before he could finish, Gwen had already walked off, making her way to the riverside. She stood by the water, closing her eyes as she took a deep breath, letting the calm of the night wash over her.
Scott took out his phone, absentmindedly scrolling through messages, and suddenly, a notification popped up.
[@MercuryOfficial ☑ : Hi ❤️]
A private message. From Miss Mercury herself.
He stared at the screen, heart racing.
『How… how did things end up like this?』
━ ━ ━ ━
Miss Mercury froze and stared at her phone screen as her message on Instaflick hit [Sent].
The little checkmark glared back at her, mocking her, and she could feel her heart starting to pound.
[Hi ❤️]
She clasped her hands over her mouth in horror.
"Oh no. No, no, no, no!"
She gasped as her phone slipping from her hand and clattered onto the table.
"Just great! FUCKIN' GREAT!!"
Suddenly, she was zipping around the dressing room at superspeed with her hair flying everywhere in a wild, tangled mess.
"What was I thinking?! I shouldn't have sent it! I SHOULDN'T HAVE SENT IT!"
She paused to glance at the phone again, praying he hadn't seen it.
But when she looked… it was too late.
The little [read] indicator had already appeared next to her message. And still… no response.
『Yeah, great…』
Her heart sank as she stumbled over to the mirror, where she caught a glimpse of her own reflection—her eyes wide with worry and her face flushed, yet still beautiful.
"What was I thinking, using my main account? If he screenshots this—oh god, if he posts it on Chirper, people will see how desperate I am. They'll probably laugh at me, say I'm pathetic or… or unbearable…"
She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to shake off the rising sense of panic in her chest.
"I don't want him to think that I'm some kind of… of obsessed fangirl, just stalking his Chirper like everyone else."
But then her expression softened as she looked at herself in the mirror again, noticing the doubt written all over her face. She couldn't ignore the painful knot in her stomach, that small, nagging ache that wouldn't go away.
『Why did I even send him a message in the first place?』
She'd admired Nightwatch's bravery, his honesty… the way he didn't let the fame go to his head. He didn't have to market himself or depend on flashy ads, and he certainly wasn't a corporate puppet like her.
He just… fought.
And people loved him for it.
"I'll bet if he knew it was me that sent those donations on his stream, he'd probably just laugh. He'd never go for someone like me… not ever…"
She whispered to herself.
That thought carried a surprising amount of weight.
One that bothered her deeply.
She looked herself up and down in the mirror, from her designer boots to her styled hair and flawless makeup.
"What am I, really? Just a corporate poster girl… the kind he can't stand."
She could feel the small burn of tears in the corners of her eyes as she stared at her reflection. She had all the fame, all the money, and yet… why did it feel so hollow?
"Everyone loves Nightwatch because he's real. Meanwhile, people only like me for what I can do for them. I'm just… an image."
The phone lay still on the table, almost mocking her with its silence. It had been ten minutes since he read her message.
"Yep…"
With a defeated sigh, she muttered even more.
"I thought as much… he probably won't even answer. And maybe that's for the best."
She lowered her gaze, wiping away any traces of emotion before they ruined her perfect makeup.
"The first guy I actually show interest in, and he's probably about to ghost me. I just need to get over it."
With a resigned huff, she turned back to the vanity and grabbed her makeup bag to touch up before heading back to the studio. She wasn't about to let anyone see her like this, especially not that smug producer.
But just as she was about to leave, her phone buzzed on the table. The sound broke her out of her thoughts, and before she knew it, she was supersped over with the wind swirling around the room as she grabbed it.
There it was.
A response from Nightwatch!
[@NightwatchOfficial: Hello…? 🤨]
Unlike her, he didn't have verification badge, but it was him.
She was sure of it!
She blinked, feeling the grin spread across her face, warmth bubbling up inside her as she reread his reply. It was simple, even a little confused, but just seeing his response felt like the most thrilling victory.
"Oh… h-, he replied…"
She whispered to herself as she grinned like a little girl.
"He actually replied."
━ ━ ━ ━
Meanwhile…
Scott stared at the notification on his phone, still processing the simple "Hi ❤️" from Miss Mercury.
『What the hell?』
He rubbed his chin as his mind ran in circles.
The verification badge next to her name wasn't a fluke—there was no mistaking it. It's really her. He had no reason to doubt it, but it didn't make sense.
He leaned back in his chair, staring blankly at the screen.
Superheroes like her didn't just send random messages to people like him. People like her had teams for this kind of thing. Agents, publicists, PR departments. Hell, she bought an $80 million private jet a few months back—she could probably afford a whole crew of people to handle her social media accounts.
So why was she messaging him?
Scott groaned, rubbing his eyes.
"I don't get it. Agents usually handle these phones, right?"
He chuckled to himself.
"Maybe if I reply, she'll have her team photoshop my words and make it look like I was harassing her or something."
He grimaced.
"Yeah, that'd be just great for my image—make me look like some kind of creeper."
The thought felt all too real, and he almost clicked away from the message, but something about it nagged at him. Miss Mercury—the number one ambassador for a thousand different brands, a global sensation. She had her own fans, her own image to maintain.
Why on earth would she be talking to someone like him?
His eyes shifted over to Gwen who was still peacefully standing by the riverside as the fresh air from the open balcony kept her calm.
『She doesn't even have a clue…』
Then, he shook his head.
『This is insane…』
He looked back at his phone.
『Well, she did walk the red carpet alone at the Superhero Excellence Awards, didn't she?』
He remembered it vividly—her jaw-droppingly perfect appearance, but alone. Most people would've figured she had a significant other in the background somewhere. Maybe it was just for publicity, though. Superheroes, especially the hot ones, always had this kind of icy, untouchable aura.
『Like those ice cold beauties in cultivation novels…』
Scott's lips twisted into a grin.
"I always thought she was a lesbian. You know, those girls who are just unnecessarily hot… they usually are."
His mind tried to dismiss the idea, but then his eyes landed on her profile picture again, and he couldn't help but stare.
"And damn, Miss Mercury is one fine piece of—"
He clicked on her profile before his thoughts spiraled a little too much.
[ @MercuryOfficial
✢ Heroine. Icon. MegaCorp's Golden Girl! ⭐
✢ Bio:
- C-tier Hero | Speed, Power, Precision
- MegaCorp's Hero Division Ambassador | Sponsor of the Future
- Empowering the next generation of heroes ♡!
- Catch me saving lives, breaking limits, and occasionally breaking the internet.
- ♡ "Not just a face. Not just a body. But a force of nature."
✢ Follower Count: 270.8M
✢ Following: 56
✢ Posts: 3,215 ]
The interface opened, showing her Instaflick feed. His eyes scanned through the posts—each one more glamorous than the last. Red carpet events, charity galas, and ads for every brand you could think of.
There was no denying it; this was her.
No fakes, no imposter accounts.
It's her official account.
But that didn't answer the million-dollar question:
『Why was she messaging me?』
Scott slapped his palm against his face, frustrated.
"This makes no sense. She doesn't have time for this—hell, she barely has time to eat, let alone message a nobody like me. I mean… I'm popular, yeah, but not THAT popular. I'm not even a real celebrity in the same league as her."
A deep sigh left him as he tried to think it through logically.
"Okay, so maybe it's a setup. Maybe she's testing me. If I reply, she can have her team make it look like I'm hitting on her, or worse, trying to manipulate her."
The thought sent a shiver down his spine.
The last thing he needed was for his reputation to take a dive because of some calculated move by one of the top-tier superheroines in the world.
His phone buzzed again, the screen lighting up with her name staring back at him.
This time, it wasn't a notification from Instaflick.
It was the System.
[Negative. After your first official stream, Miss Mercury has developed deep feelings for you. These feelings have grown stronger since you began streaming. Before you can attract the next heroine, you must first "pair" with Miss Mercury and add her to your lineup.]
Scott blinked.
『Pair with Miss Mercury? What the hell is that supposed to mean?』
He leaned forward, staring at the screen like it was playing some kind of cruel joke on him.
"Hold up, System. You're telling me this is real? She's actually into me?"
[Affirmative. Miss Mercury's love for you is genuine. Her feelings are not superficial. She views you as the ideal image of a hero, and she feels that in order to become the hero she strives to be, she must first be with you.]
Scott leaned back in his chair, trying to process everything.
His mind buzzed with confusion.
『I don't even know what to make of this.』
"Are you saying that for every crime I livestream, another female superhero is going to fall in love with me? Just like that? This sounds kind of… shallow."
[Negative. The System calculates the most likely superheroine to gain your interest based on your actions. Miss Mercury's love for you is not superficial. She sees something in you that aligns with her own desires for greatness and redemption. She believes that by being with you, she can reach her full potential.]
Scott scoffed, rubbing his temples.
"This is… nuts."
He glanced at Gwen again.
『I'm gonna have to juggle a whole friggin' lineup of superheroes, aren't I?』
His face already looked stressed.
[Affirmative. You are required to pair with Miss Mercury before progressing to the next heroine. You must engage romantically to complete this phase.]
"Work, huh? So, I'm supposed to romance my way through all these women? Seriously?"
Scott groaned, rubbing his hand across his face.
"I can't even get a decent night's sleep without the fate of the world weighing on me."
He stared at Miss Mercury's profile picture for another moment, her radiant smile somehow managing to give him a feeling of both guilt and desire.
She wasn't just a superhero… she was someone who was still trying to figure herself out, trying to be something more than just a brand.
And here he was, completely caught in the middle of it.
The message from her nagged at him.
He had no idea how to respond.
He just stared at the screen for a few seconds before muttering, "I guess this is happening."
Scott finally hit reply, unsure of what would come next, but knowing one thing for certain…
『This is going to be one hell of a ride. Sigh~』