Miss Mercury's smile widened as she stared gleefully at her phone screen, rereading Nightwatch's simple reply for what must have been the fifth time:
[@NightwatchOfficial: Hello…? 🤨]
The little emoji felt so out of character—or at least based on what she'd seen of him online.
She'd watched his streams in detail, so she definitely hadn't expected emojis from him.
Honestly, she'd expected something more awkward, maybe a bit corny and distant. But she didn't know any corny loners herself, so it was hard to think of an exact example. She chuckled quietly, feeling a bit warmer inside.
For someone who looked so serious in all his photos, seeing him use an emoji showed a softer, almost playful side to him.
A new spark of confidence bubbled up inside her, and, almost without thinking, her fingers flew over the screen.
[Would you want to go on a date to Cheesecake Factory?]
The moment she finished typing, she froze.
『Cheesecake Factory? Really?』
She felt her cheeks burn.
She shook her head and quickly deleted the message.
『He's probably never even set foot in one of those places. No… I'll sound like a kid…』
Her fingers hovered as she thought of something else.
[I love you…]
Her thumbs froze as the last words lingered in the text box.
Her eyes went wide, and her heart started pounding all over again.
"Wait… no, no, no! Too much!"
She backspaced quickly, face red as she groaned.
"Gosh, what am I, some crazed fan? What's wrong with me for fuck's sake?!"
She covered her mouth and stifled a giggle.
She looked at her reflection in the vanity mirror and was surprised by how flushed and bright her eyes looked.
She hardly recognized herself; the nervousness, the rosy cheeks… it felt just like being in high school again, having a crush for the very first time.
It was a weird feeling… wild, exciting, and a bit scary.
She placed a hand on her chest and let her heartbeat settle.
"It's been… so long since I felt like this…"
She murmured to herself.
For years, she'd been the untouchable Miss Mercury—the face of MegaCorp's heroes, a household name with the power, fame, and fortune to match. But along with all that fame came a strange, lingering loneliness, like everyone admired the image but didn't really know her.
『With him… it's different… it really is…』
She didn't want him looking at the photoshopped posters or glossy magazine covers; she wanted him to see the real her and tell her she was beautiful that way.
『Awww, I feel so cheesy right now…』
It was refreshing.
For the first time, she felt beautiful in a way that had nothing to do with her fame or powers.
She bit her lip, feeling an unexpected tear prick her eye.
『Maybe it's not the powers or longevity that make someone beautiful or timeless…』
Her fingers trailed along her cheek.
『Maybe it's moments like these that make people feel young, alive, and… real.』
Her phone buzzed and snapped her from her thoughts.
"Oh fuck──!!"
Her heart jumped as she glanced down.
[@NightwatchOfficial: Is everything okay? 🤔]
Her breath caught, and a smile pulled at her lips.
『Ufufu~ he sent another emoji!』
For a moment, she imagined his face—maybe a slight look of concern, his brow a little furrowed, an expression that was somehow both cute and intense.
She giggled softly, hugging her phone to her chest.
"Wonder what he looks like right now…"
She murmured and went back to picturing his face.
『Cute or devilishly handsome? Actually... I've never really been the type to well… have a type. So, do I really care about that? I don't know.』
But just as she started typing out a response, a knock sounded at her door which made her jump.
Her manager's voice echoed through the room.
"Hey, Mercury? We're ready for your photoshoot! They've got the Weekly Hero's cover set up for you. Front page and everything."
Her shoulders tightened.
The weight of her job simply snapped her back to reality.
She looked at her phone, then over at the door.
『Another front page, another cover, more glam and lights… more of the same.』
With a sigh, she ignored the voice calling her and dashed to the back door, using her superspeed to race up all forty floors of MegaCorp's building in seconds. She reached the rooftop and stepped into the open air, letting the breeze whip through her hair. Up here, she could finally breathe; it was quiet—no cameras, no managers—just her and the wide-open sky.
She looked down at her phone.
"Alright…"
She told herself as she took a deep breath.
"I'm Miss Mercury. I have over five hundred million followers across social media. Four SEA honors. A multimillion-dollar bank account."
She squeezed her fists tight and puffed out her chest.
"If I can do all that, I can text a guy… right?"
But her stomach twisted in knots.
"Right?"
Her face flushed again as she imagined typing anything.
It was as if, for all her accomplishments, this small, vulnerable moment felt like the most daunting thing she'd ever faced.
『Maybe…』
A bittersweet smile appeared on her face.
『…I'm braver in battle than in love.』
She took another deep breath, steeling herself as she looked at her phone screen.
"Alright, just… just write what you feel, Mercury…"
She murmured, trying to steady her nerves.
She opened the chat, her fingers trembling slightly as they hovered over the keyboard. And for once, it wasn't about saying the right words or putting on a perfect face.
It was just… real.
Just her, feeling what she felt, with no filters or edits.
After a moment, she typed:
[Hey, sorry for taking forever to reply. I, um… got a little lost in thought.]
She hesitated for a second then pressed [send].
Miss Mercury held her phone down and exhaled a long, relieved sigh, as if she'd just conquered a mountain peak.
She even wiped her forehead theatrically as she muttered.
"Mission accomplished."
But just as she started to relax, her phone buzzed again, making her jump like a startled cat. Her heart pounded as she looked down at the screen while her fingers nervously gripped the phone.
"Wait, I just texted him! How is he that fast?"
Miss Mercury's heart started racing again. Frustration mixed with excitement bubbled inside her as she gulped and held her breath while she lifted her phone to read the message.
[@NightwatchOfficial: What were you thinking about? Me? 😏 Wouldn't mind a pretty lady like you lost in thoughts about me.]
Her eyes widened as a blush exploded across her cheeks and turned her pretty face as red as a tomato.
"OH MY GOD!"
She stared at the message in shock.
"NO FUCKIN' WAY… R-, RIGHT──?!"
Her grip on her phone loosened, and it almost slipped from her hands, but she managed to fumble it back just in time. With a pounding heart, she read the message again as she felt a giddy thrill race through her.
"Why is he flirting with me all of a sudden?"
She could only ask herself.
While she felt excited, she was also filled with disbelief.
"Is… is he into me already? No… that doesn't make any sense, does it? I-, I don't know…"
But she couldn't help but remember the hints he'd dropped about a girlfriend—wait, ex-girlfriend, if she was remembering right.
"Maybe it didn't work out with her. Maybe they broke up?"
Her face lit up with a spark of excitement, and, in a rush of joy, she threw her arms up toward the sky.
"I'm winning today, universe!"
She shouted while laughing to herself.
She glanced back at her phone right away and a grin spread across her face as she thought about how to reply. Her thumbs moved quickly over the screen, and after a moment of thought, she started typing:
[Are you… trying to flirt with me? 😏]
She hit send and bit her lip, unable to wipe the smile from her face. Not two seconds later, her phone buzzed with another reply.
[@NightwatchOfficial: Is that a bad thing? I thought that's what you came here for. 🤨]
She chuckled, feeling a bit more at ease now.
『Alright, if he's going to play along…』
She typed back, feeling a little mischievous.
[Maybe. At least it's one of the reasons. I'm starting to enjoy it, though. Didn't expect Mr. Vigilante to be so smooth with words.]
His reply came almost instantly.
[@NightwatchOfficial: And I didn't expect Miss Mercury to be so easygoing. Usually, celebrity women are more guarded about who flirts with them. 😉]
By now, she was fully wrapped up in the conversation.
Her cheeks were flushed, and there was a strange, eager excitement bubbling up inside her.
『I feel so good… right now~ ♡…』
She bit down on the tip of her finger and reread his messages over and over, as if searching for some hidden meaning in each word.
『This is unnecessarily sexual, I feel kinda… ♡ kinda turned on by this ♡♡! Kyaaah~♡! It feels so wrong…』
She let out a tiny, giddy moan and giggled, feeling her heart flutter in a way that made her feel young and wild.
Feeling bold, she typed back:
[What if I want you to do more than flirt? 😉]
She hit send and barely had a moment to catch her breath before his response popped up.
[@NightwatchOfficial: Oh? And what would you want me to do?]
Her heart pounded heavier, and her cheeks flushed an even deeper red. This was getting intense, and she felt a strange, almost desperate excitement growing inside her. It felt too easy, too quick for them to fall into this kind of flirtation. Her body felt warm in ways she hadn't felt in ages, and even though her mind said she should slow down, the rush of it all made her hesitate.
Swallowing her shame, Miss Mercury's hand reached for her crotch and she felt herself there for a while.
『I feel a little hot here… so unfair…』
She exhaled, but all that pushed out was a moan and hot breath full of hunger and desperation.
『Wait… is this really Nightwatch?』
She took a quick glance at his profile, scrolling up and down just to be sure.
Yes, it was him—his official account.
『He's really talking to me like this. How is he coming up with these replies so fast?』
Her stomach flipped, half-ecstatic, half-nervous as she stared at his last message. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, while her mind sparked with excitement and the faintest hint of disbelief.
『This feels… so liberating, ahhh~ ♡』
━ ━ ━ ━
Scott remained seated on the bench.
His eyes hadn't left the holographic screen floating a few inches in front of him.
The green glow from the System cast a faint light on his face in the dark, highlighting his focused expression. His eyes drifted over the steady stream of messages from the desperate superheroine, Miss Mercury.
"[Hey, sorry for taking forever to reply. I, um… got a little lost in thought.]"
He chuckled, leaning his chin on his hand.
"Lost in thought, huh?"
He could see it all—every single word she typed, erased, and retyped.
Messages that didn't make it past her doubts:
"[Would you want to go on a date to Cheesecake Factory?]"
"[I love you…]"
There was a surprising shyness to her, a sweetness that she kept hidden beneath the corporate superhero persona she played.
The System immediately chimed in his ear with a crisp, almost smug tone:
[Probability calculation: Had you met her in your childhood, an 82% likelihood exists that you would have married by this time, despite the age difference.]
Scott shook his head, barely able to hide his smile.
"Freaky…"
Pulling a lollipop from his pocket, he unwrapped it, popped it into his mouth, and leaned back.
"This isn't how I pictured spending my night, System, but I guess I don't have a choice, do I?"
[Incorrect. You do, in fact, have a choice. If you desire, you could simply ignore her. She would continue to spiral into desperation and obsession until—]
Scott rolled his eyes.
"Alright, calm the fuck down, System. I didn't say I wanted her to lose it. Miss Mercury's a pretty hot superheroine. Sure, she's a corporate puppet, but… I've learned enough about her to know she didn't exactly choose that. Just needs someone to point her in the right direction."
He sighed and closed his eyes.
"And, honestly, she seems fun. A little clumsy. I could use someone like that right now. I'm not in the mood to handle some 'perfect' woman, you know?"
[Understood. Terminate the yap and resume communication with the superheroine.]
Scott frowned.
"Terminate the yap?"
He bit down on his lollipop as he angrily muttered.
"Whatever."
With that, he looked back at the screen to reread Miss Mercury's reply. Her nervous response was hesitant, with a stammering tone he hadn't expected.
He laughed quietly.
"Stuttering in texts? Aren't older women supposed to be more confident? Sigh~ I guess I've been reading too much onee-san content, haven't I?"
He hadn't even finished musing over it when the System brought up three rapid text suggestions on his screen:
⦿ [Response Option 1: What were you thinking about? Anything interesting? 😉]
⦿ [Response Option 2: Lost in thought about me? 😏 Wouldn't mind a pretty lady like you thinking about me.]
⦿ [Response Option 3: Got a little distracted, huh? Guess I've got you thinking too much already. 😂]
Scott shook his head in a "you did your best, but it wasn't good enough" motion, then laughed smugly.
"Do I really need text tips from a machine?"
But as he read over each one, he had to admit, they were surprisingly on point. He tapped the second option, feeling a slight twinge of curiosity about what her reaction would be.
He watched as his message was delivered.
A little while later, her reply rolled in.
[Are you… trying to flirt with me? 😏]
Scott felt a smirk tug at his lips.
The System, efficient as ever, tossed out three new responses for him:
⦿ [Response Option 1: Is that a bad thing? I thought that's what you came here for. 🤨]
⦿ [Response Option 2: You're sharp, Miss Mercury. You tell me—what's it feel like when a vigilante flirts with you? 😉]
⦿ [Response Option 3: Maybe. But only if you're enjoying it, of course. 😌]
Scott tapped the first option without hesitation.
He couldn't resist the thrill of seeing her taken off-guard.
Each time she messaged, the System worked its magic, instantly tossing him three new replies, almost quicker than he could come up with on his own. He was on a roll now, having fun with the odd back-and-forth they were creating. But after those few rounds of playful banter, Scott stopped as he felt his curiosity start to get the best of him.
"How are you so good at generating these responses?"
[Analyzing your brain waves at faster-than-light speeds, Master Scott. To identify response patterns you would naturally produce. These options are direct projections of what you might say in the situation, only faster, to maintain her engagement.]
Scott chuckled.
"So, these are just… my own thoughts but streamlined?"
[Positive. Efficiency is paramount.]
He leaned back as a grin graced his calm face.
Miss Mercury's latest message appeared on the screen, and each word seeming to carry volumes of excitement.
The System immediately generated three replies:
⦿ [Response Option 1: Glad you're enjoying yourself. I didn't expect Miss Mercury to be so easygoing.]
⦿ [Response Option 2: You're making this almost too easy for me, y'know? 😉]
⦿ [Response Option 3: Maybe you're just not used to a guy who knows how to have a good time with you.]
Scott tapped the first response without thinking twice.
With each message, he felt the connection between them getting stronger—like it was leading somewhere.
He could tell she felt it too.
The positive energy in her replies were contagious.
It made him feel like he was the one enjoying himself tonight.
"Well… maybe I am…"
It was going well, a little too well.
Until… Miss Mercury sent her next message.
Maybe she was just feeling extra bold, or maybe she was always built like that but never had a guy flirt with her who made her feel so free.
Either way, as Scott read the first half of her message, he could only say one word:
"F-, Freaky──!"
What did he read?
[@MercuryOfficial ☑ : Mister Vigilante, I'm just gonna say it. I like you. I've liked you since I saw you bravely fight off those robbers in your first stream. I don't know, maybe I even love you; it's just so complicated. I know I don't even know much about you besides what you do and why you do it, but I feel that's all humans need to know to really connect with each other. I wanna give you the sloppiest head like those pornstars do, and I wanna feel your hot kisses on my throbbing tits and even between my legs. I always wanted to lose my virginity in a romantic and fancy way, but looking at you, I just want you to take me to any phone booth or even a bathroom stall and just bend me over like a dog and make me experience what every woman my age already has… sweet loving from a man.]
Scott turned absolutely pale.
"Bend you over like a what?"
If only that was all she sent.
[@MercuryOfficial ☑ : I can't stop thinking about you. I want you to come over, lay me down, and just make me forget everything except the way you feel. I want you to take your hands and slide them over my *** and down my ***, feeling every inch of me. And then, when I can't stand it anymore, I want you to use that incredible *** of yours to tease me until I'm begging for more. Then **** and **** me until I pass out, and when I'm up just **** me so hard I'm taken to a hospital, but don't let me rest there and just **** and **** me so hard that **** and keep **** until you're so hungry to **** me in my **** and deep inside my ****!!!]
It was so unholy that even the System chose to protect the little innocence it had left by censoring her text before she could even type it down.
[Apologies, Master Scott. I was unable to predict this outcome from the superheroine…]
"M-, Me neither…"
━ ━ ━ ━
Meanwhile…
Miss Mercury was still typing on her phone at super-speed as she drooled thick, slimy saliva.
Indeed, the number one hero of MegaCorp was also a huge closet pervert…
…who was let free…