Rachel is Happy
"Rachel. Mind carrying this too?"
"Huh? W-wait a sec..."
"Eung~ Thanks~ C'mon, girls, let's go!"
Kyarrururuk~
"....."
Rachel watched her classmate dash off lightly with her friends, having dumped her bag on her. Ahead of Rachel, on her back, and dangling from both arms were not just that girl's bag, but several others besides.
"...It's heavy."
It was far too many bags for her slender frame to handle. But Rachel didn't drop them. She followed after the fleeing girls.
Thud-
"Ow...!"
Wham-!
Unable to see properly because of all the bags, Rachel had been walking carefully when her foot caught on something, sending her tumbling down.
"Puhahaha! Look at her! She tripped all by herself with nothing there!"
"....."
Laughter poured down on the fallen Rachel from the kids above her. Not a single one among all those children reached out to help her up. They just mocked her.
That's right. Rachel was being bullied at school.
Somehow, everyone knew she came from a poor single-mother home. Even the fact that she'd been kidnapped by a criminal organization for a whole year had spread through the school.
With nowhere to lean on, Rachel became the target for kids who loved picking on the weak.
There was nowhere for Rachel to ask for help. The teachers always sided with the kids from well-off families.
"Must be 'cause she's a beggar? She looks right at home on the ground."
"Hey, don't be too harsh. It's like calling a retard a retard and hurting their feelings—calling a beggar a beggar hurts theirs too."
"And didn't they say she's buddies with criminals? The security guard said she even slept with them? Total slut."
"For real? Eww, gross!"
"....."
Rachel bit her lip as she heard the kids whispering nearby. Still sprawled on the ground, she forced herself to stand as if nothing had happened.
At first, she'd denied it over and over, insisting nothing like that had happened. But the kids never believed her. What they wanted wasn't the truth—it was an excuse to attack her.
The unusually mature girl for her age realized that and stopped trying to explain herself.
Slap-!
"What the hell?! You dirtied my bag! What're you gonna do about this?! This is a $100,000 designer bag, you know!"
"....."
The moment Rachel stood, she got slapped. The girl who'd hit her was the one who'd dumped her bag first and run ahead.
Her name was Becca, and with her dad as the police chief, she had high status at school. Even the teachers couldn't reprimand her freely.
"If you're a beggar, at least do what I tell you right! You're such bad luck. Get me a bag just like this by tomorrow! Or else you're dead! Got it?!"
"....."
Becca shrieked like a banshee. Rachel clamped her mouth shut.
School was hellish, but Rachel endured it steadfastly. Hadn't she survived far worse and scarier things? And if they were talking hardship, her mom had it tougher. Working part-time at a mart, her mom labored intensely every day for her sake.
Deep-hearted Rachel never told her mom about the bullying. She didn't want to make her sad.
"This is ridiculous!"
"Ack!"
Maybe Rachel's silence irked her today? Becca grabbed her hair and yanked, then slapped her cheeks a couple more times.
"Ignoring me, you bitch?!"
"Ugh...!"
Becca raised her hand to hit her again. But a blaring car horn from behind made her let go.
"Becca."
"Daddy!"
Seeing the man in police uniform step out of the car, Becca beamed and threw herself into his arms like nothing had happened.
"....."
Rachel's face darkened as she watched.
Daddy. One of the things Rachel didn't have.
Her dad had died shortly after she was born, so she had no memories of him.
"Let's head home quick. Oh, these your friends, Becca?"
"Yeah!"
"Hop in then. Uncle'll give you a ride."
"Yay! My dad's the best!"
Becca and her friends piled into the police chief's car. Rachel approached with the dirt-smeared bags.
"Here."
"Eek! What're you doing, you filthy thing?!"
"You know our house, right? Bring it there."
"Get lost! We're leaving!"
"Ah...!"
Becca, in the passenger seat, shoved Rachel. Her foot caught on the curb, and she teetered on the brink of falling.
Thud—but Rachel didn't fall. Someone caught her.
"Gotta be careful. If my little miss gets hurt, Uncle'll cry bloody tears."
"....?"
Rachel looked up at the familiar voice and saw the man waving cheerfully at her. Her face lit up.
A man in a black suit with a skull-patterned mask flipped over his face—Steel Armor.
"Uncle!"
Overjoyed, Rachel hugged Steel Armor. He lifted her effortlessly like a baby and perched her on his right arm.
"Miss me?"
"Yeah!"
"Yo bro~!"
"Heehee! Yo bro!"
Steel Armor bumped his fist out, and Rachel grinned wide, tapping hers against it.
"....."
"....."
Right now, the only happy one here was Rachel. Steel Armor's arrival froze not just the kids heading home, but their parents too.
"S-s-s-s-Steel Armor?!"
The most shocked was Becca's dad, the police chief. Pale-faced, he broke into cold sweats from sheer tension.
"....."
Steel Armor turned to glare at the police chief.
"Rachel, cover your ears for a bit?"
"Huh? Why?"
"Uncle's about to say some rough, nasty stuff. Too vulgar for our Rachel's ears. So plug 'em up? I'll buy you ice cream later."
"Okay!"
Obedient Rachel plugged her ears and squeezed her eyes shut.
"Rachel dummy."
"....."
"Rachel retard."
"....."
"Mm! Good job blocking."
Testing if she'd blocked properly, Steel Armor relaxed and fixed the chief with a glare.
"Hey."
"....."
"Ignoring me?"
"N-no, sir!"
The chief floundered. He had a gun on his belt, but it wouldn't work on Steel Armor. His mind reeled.
"We friends?"
"N-no, sir!"
"Then why stutter 'S-s-s-Steel Armor' like that? Wanna die? Want me to send you off?"
"No, sir!"
"No? This is outside, not inside, right?"
"Pardon?"
"Pardon~? Fuckin' pardon~? Wow, this punk's got no discipline. Pardon~? Ha... Unbelievable. Bring all your superiors under me right now. Hurry up, asshole!"
"Pardon?"
"This fucker's still 'pardoning'? You Yuneunim or some shit? Why you 'pardoning' like that?"
"....."
"This fucker ignoring me?"
"N-no, sir!"
"That's right! It's outside, so why keep saying no?! Can't tell inside from out?! Retard? Mental case?!"
"No, sir!"
"Aaaargh!!!!!! Driving me insane! Why! The fuck why! Why say no when it's outside, you dog-fuck!!!!!!!"
"Aaaah! Sp-spare me, sir!"
Shoving his face close and roaring, Steel Armor made the chief collapse backward in terror. A wet patch spread in his crotch. He'd pissed himself.
"Whew. Torture officer my ass. If you'd been my underling, I'd have shot you on sight. Lucky you. Anyway, Chief."
"....."
The chief eyed him like a frightened pup.
"Why'd your spawn slap my girl's cheek? See her face? It's all swollen. What're you gonna do about it?"
"D-daughter...! That girl's your blood, Steel Armor?!"
"Nah... Not blood. Just the daughter I birthed from my heart. I'm Rachel's godfather. Godfather. So yeah, my girl."
"N-no way...!"
The chief despaired at Steel Armor's words. He'd seen Becca bully Rachel but hadn't stopped her. Rachel was just some low-class nobody not worth kindness. But her godfather being the infamous S-rank villain Steel Armor?! If a polar bear rips a man, Steel Armor rips the polar bear.
"Someone I know told me: power's for using from behind. I got principles too, so I don't touch kids? But rude brats... I can't just walk by."
Steel Armor leaned slowly toward the chief.
"How 'bout I pull some strings with their parents from behind?"
"Hiiik?!"
Staring down the terrified chief, Steel Armor stood.
This warning was enough.
"Chief. Teach your kid proper. When she bitches, smack her so she learns bitching outside gets her smacked. Or your girl's gonna get in big trouble anytime. Got it?"
"Y-yes! Got it! I'll grab the rod for sure!"
"Tch."
Steel Armor clicked his tongue, hurling Rachel's bags far away. He couldn't stand the sight. Glaring fiercely at the bullying kids, the gawkers, and adults, he took Rachel and left the school.
"....."
Like a storm had raged through, the once-noisy after-school street fell silent.
"Rachel. Ears open now. Eardrums! Please!"
"Huh? All done?"
"Yeah."
Good thing he wore the mask. Without it, she'd have seen the pity in his eyes.
She was so mature, he had to handle her carefully.
"But Uncle, how'd you know our school?"
"That? Emily told me."
"Mom did? But why'd Mom tell you?"
"Hm? Our Rachel... You didn't forget what day it is, right?"
"Huh? What day... I know! I know!"
Thinking a moment, Rachel remembered.
"It's Mom's birthday today!"
"Right. Smart as always, Rachel. Today, Uncle and you prep a birthday party for Mom."
"Whoa! For real?"
"Obviously!"
That's right. Today was Emily's—Rachel's mom's—birthday. Of course they'd throw a party. But prepping alone felt off, so he decided with Rachel.
He'd asked Emily which school out of missing Rachel, learning about the bullying that way.
'Gotta stick some kids on her. Or a clone.'
Declaring godfather status would draw punks scheming at Rachel. Better attach protection for emergencies.
"Rachel."
"Yes?"
"Want Uncle to punish those kids too?"
"No."
"Huh? No?"
He'd expected at least hesitation, but the instant no threw him.
"They're still kids. Doesn't mean they're right... But when they grow up, time'll teach 'em their childhood mistakes. Kids need time to realize their wrongs themselves, not just blind punishment."
"....."
Her answer left him speechless. Was this really an 11-year-old?! Second life maybe?!
"You're more adult than me."
"Heehee."
He stroked her beaming cheek.
If she didn't want the kids punished, he wouldn't.
'Warn the parents instead. And that security fuck—definitely beat his ass.'
He'd overheard the kids. They said the guard claimed Rachel slept with criminals. Kids might not know, but the guard was an adult—no forgiveness.
"Kyahaha~!"
Rachel ran laughing through the yard. Today had been too fun.
Prepping Mom's party with Steel Armor was great, watching her jump at the fireworks even better. Especially giving her the letter and gift—Rachel cried with her.
"Waaah! Tears are corona! Don't infect me! Kyaaah!"
Steel Armor cried most, of course.
"Whoa! Rachel! Shooting star! Make a wish quick!"
"Ah! Don't go!"
At Steel Armor's urgent shout, Rachel looked skyward, clasped her hands, shut her eyes tight, and wished on the shooting star.
"Heehee."
Satisfied, Rachel stood.
"What'd you wish?"
"Heehee! Secret!"
"Aww~ Tell Uncle~ I won't tell Mom. Pleeease?"
"Um... No! Secret!"
Steel Armor poked her side begging, but Rachel never spilled.
'Embarrassing!'
Her cheeks flushed.
'Please make Uncle my daddy!'
How could she tell him that?
"Heeheehee. Oh? Butterfly!"
Fleeing Steel Armor, Rachel spotted a dying butterfly on the ground.
Cupping it gently in her palm, she whispered,
"You're strong. You can fly more. Hang in there."
She blew softly—
Flap~ Flap~ Flap~
—and amazingly, the dying butterfly flew off vigorously.
"So that's what I did..."
"Really?"
Steel Armor and Emily, chatting, missed the eerie scene.
"Heeheehee~"
Watching the butterfly, Rachel grinned wide.