Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

358  Zara’s flying kick!?

"Give it back!"

The creep suddenly lunged, trying to catch Ethan off guard and snatch his phone back.

But before he could even get close, Ethan, without even looking up, slapped him across the face, instantly calming him down. His eyes were now wide and clear, like he'd just been hit with a reality check.

He stood there, clutching his reddened cheek, looking like a scolded child, too scared to even breathe.

Then, in the next moment, the creep watched in horror as the high schooler in front of him casually gripped his phone.

With a sharp crack, the phone crumpled in Ethan's hand like a piece of paper, bent into a V-shape.

"What the hell did you just do!?"

The middle-aged creep was stunned, his jaw practically on the floor.

But then, a twisted sense of relief washed over him, like he'd just narrowly escaped something worse. His fear quickly morphed into a crazed arrogance.

Pointing at Ethan, he screamed at the top of his lungs, "You've got no evidence now! And I'm gonna sue you for destroying my property and assaulting me! You're gonna pay for this!"

Ethan's response? Another slap.

This time, the sound was sharp, followed by a low grunt.

The creep was kicked square in the chest, letting out a pitiful wail as he was sent flying backward.

Ethan calmly walked over, placing a foot on the man's chest, leaning down to look him in the eye. "I think you've misunderstood something. I'm not worried about the photos getting out. And did I ever say I was handing you over to the cops? Why would I need evidence?"

The creep felt like his bones had shattered, and with Ethan's foot pressing down on his chest, he could barely breathe.

At this point, sheer terror gripped him. He was starting to realize that what awaited him might be far worse than getting arrested. The cold, dead look in Ethan's eyes made it clear—he wasn't dealing with someone who played by the rules.

"You've got two choices."

Ethan held up the broken phone. "Either you eat this."

Eat the phone? How the hell was that even possible!?

The terrified creep, desperate, blurted out, "The second one! I'll take the second one!"

Ethan's expression turned slightly amused as he slowly revealed the second option.

"Or I'll shove it up your ass."

The creep froze, his face going pale, drenched in sweat.

...

As Ethan left the station bathroom, he made a quick phone call.

Sure, he'd given the guy a choice, but he never said he'd let him off the hook.

Besides, Ethan thought the punishment for creeps like him wasn't nearly harsh enough. That guy was clearly the type who had nothing to lose, and Ethan didn't have any superpowers to stop him from doing it again.

So, Ethan figured he might as well send him off for some "re-education."

Luckily, he knew some professionals from a job he used to work. They could arrange for the guy to go tuna fishing in the Pacific, or maybe even send him to a certain "specialized" institution in Thailand to start a new career.

Either way, it'd be a contribution to society's employment rate.

As Ethan was about to leave, someone suddenly called out to him.

"Uh, um…"

He turned around and saw Elise, still standing there.

Looking at the girl, who seemed as awkward as a penguin, Ethan raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You're still here?"

"I… I was waiting for you…" Elise mumbled softly.

Her words came out haltingly, like she struggled with social interactions.

Ethan, being the easygoing guy he was, just smiled at her and asked, "Did you call a friend to pick you up?"

"Yeah, I told my friend," Elise replied.

So now it was time to see who Elise's real friend was, Ethan thought.

He then offered, "Want me to wait with you?"

"Thanks." Elise nodded, not refusing. Then, after a moment, she lowered her head and said more earnestly, "Thank you."

Ethan understood what she meant.

The first "thank you" was for staying with her, and the second was for helping her earlier.

Elise noticed that Ethan was just standing beside her, not saying much, as if he was simply there to make sure she was okay.

This kind of quiet company made her feel at ease. He was a kind person.

Elise wanted to express her gratitude, but when she spoke, it didn't quite come out the way she intended.

"You're a good guy."

Ethan turned to her, a bit taken aback. Wait, what? Was Elise really giving him the "nice guy" speech? What did I do to deserve this? Is this what it feels like to get friend-zoned by someone you just saved?

Man, girls like her are dangerous, Ethan thought, half-jokingly.

Elise, oblivious to Ethan's inner thoughts, suddenly realized that it would be rude not to know the name of the person who had helped her so much.

So Elise opened her mouth again, "Um, my name is—"

"Elise."

But before she could finish, Ethan interrupted her, calling her by name.

"Huh?" Elise blinked, looking as confused as a lost penguin.

She had no idea how he knew her name.

"Because I'm your fan," Ethan said, a little annoyed.

He was still a bit salty about the whole "nice guy" comment from earlier.

Seriously, Elise, this is just unfair. You're totally taking advantage of a good guy here, he thought. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

But his reaction seemed to amuse Elise.

Still, she was puzzled by what he said.

"A fan?" She tilted her head, penguin-like again, and then quickly realized, "Wait, are you a fan of VibraMyst?"

Seeing Ethan nod, Elise's mood visibly dropped. "But VibraMyst has already disbanded."

Ethan noticed her change in demeanor and asked, "Was VibraMyst important to you?"

The answer didn't require any hesitation. Elise nodded firmly. "Very important."

"Have you ever thought about getting VibraMyst back together?" Ethan asked.

"I…" Elise fell silent for a moment before speaking again, "But it's because of me that… someone like me…"

She had always blamed herself for the band's breakup. If she had just tried harder, maybe Nessa wouldn't have…

At that moment, Ethan looked at her seriously and said, "Don't sell yourself short. You're the lead singer, right? You should have the spirit of a main character."

Is he… encouraging me?

"The spirit of a main character?" Elise asked, a bit confused.

Ethan thought for a second and then gave an example. "Yeah… like Naruto Uzumaki. He went through something similar to you. Maybe you could take a page from his book."

Elise hadn't watched Naruto, but she knew who Naruto Uzumaki was. Still, what did Ethan mean by "similar experience"?

She decided she'd check out the anime when she got home.

As Elise was lost in thought, Ethan suddenly heard an angry voice from a distance.

"Hey! What the hell did you do to Elise? Get away from her!"

He turned to see a girl with black hair and striking purple eyes.

The beauty mark near her eye and the familiar café uniform made it easy for Ethan to recognize her—Zara Steele.

The goddess of pressure.

But there was no time to celebrate her claiming the top spot as Elise's true friend.

Because in the next second, Zara, her face full of fury, charged at Ethan like a berserker going into battle.

Ethan, still trying to figure out what was happening, watched as Zara closed the distance, using her momentum to leap into the air and deliver a flying kick straight at him.

The sight left Ethan completely stunned.

Holy crap, a flying kick… wait, Zara's flying kick!?

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