The promotional video on the big screen was a livestream clip from the night Starlight joined The Seven—her official welcome party.
Russell glanced up, uninterested.
But many pedestrians passing through the busy plaza stopped, pointing and murmuring curiously.
On the massive screen, superhero Starlight appeared in a dazzling costume interwoven with white and gold, designed to perfection. She walked confidently down the red carpet, flashing a radiant smile.
Alongside the carpet, a cascade of camera flashes burst like a galaxy pouring light. Hundreds of shutters fired simultaneously, tearing a blazing rift across the night sky.
It was as if the air itself had ignited—every inch of space crackling with electric excitement.
"Starlight! Over here!"
"To the left! Left side!"
Shouts surged from all directions. Journalists raised their cameras like a forest of arms, lenses capturing countless perfect reflections of Starlight—each one flawless, each frame dripping with star power.
The relentless flashes formed a blinding sea of white, within which Starlight's figure flickered in and out like a goddess of light from myth.
Just days ago, she had been a relatively unknown superhero. But with Vought International's announcement of her induction into The Seven, her popularity had skyrocketed to global levels.
Now, Starlight didn't need to sing or dance—just a wave of her hand sent the media and fans into a frenzy.
"—Joining The Seven has always been my lifelong dream!"
Her voice echoed from the plaza's speakers in an interview clip, reaching every corner.
"She's so beautiful..." a girl in the crowd said with envy, gazing up at the screen.
"I heard she was a teen superhero competition champion. She really deserves it," another passerby chimed in.
"Heh, 'deserves it'…"
On a nearby park bench, empty beer cans lay scattered on the ground. Firecracker Girl stared fixedly at the screen, her face tinged with drunkenness and a mocking sneer tugging at her lips.
It was unclear if she was laughing at the flawless, glamorous Starlight, or at her own sorry state.
Starlight's bright laughter from the screen pierced her ears like a knife.
—Why her?
What a joke. That two-faced bitch, who as a kid smeared her rivals by claiming they slept with old male judges, not only escaped any consequences but was now being worshipped like a goddess.
And her?
She had worked for years, trying to surpass Starlight and one day redeem herself. But now, it all seemed meaningless. Her efforts, her persistence—what were they worth?
"…It doesn't have to be just the characters from the show. This is a real world. There must be more flying superheroes. You could look them up. The information should be online..."
As Russell mused to himself, a drunken figure staggered past, reeking of alcohol so strongly it made him wrinkle his nose.
But the woman didn't move on. Instead, her bleary eyes lit up when they landed on him. She stopped and spoke in a deliberately sultry voice.
"Hey, I'm drunk and can't find my way home. Wanna take me back, boy?
I could teach you things they don't cover in school."
"Get lost."
Russell brushed off the hand she placed on his shoulder, annoyed by the interruption.
But when he looked up, the tight-fitting red-and-blue superhero suit that hugged her curves looked oddly familiar.
"Firecracker Girl?"
Brown hair cascading down, almond-shaped eyes full of emotion, a well-defined nose, and a beautiful face with a classic kind of charm—it didn't seem like cosplay.
"Oh? You know me? Are you my fan?"
To his surprise, Firecracker Girl straddled him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and flirted face-to-face with bold aggression.
"You're drunk?"
It was hard to believe this was the same cunning and calculating Firecracker Girl from the show. But when Russell looked past her at the glowing image of Starlight on the screen, he understood. He gave a small smile.
Of course. Not surprising.
What hurts even more than being down and out… is being down while your enemy basks in glory at the top of the world.
"I am drunk. So what? Got the guts to take me home, boy?"
She tilted her chin arrogantly, teasing him with a provocative gaze.
"How about I take you to my place?"
Since she offered herself up, Russell smirked coldly.
He wouldn't be polite.
Researching which superheroes in this world could fly? That could wait.
"I… where am I? My head is killing me.
Water… I need water…"
Morning sunlight spilled through the curtain slits. A hand emerged from under the white covers, groping blindly along the nightstand. Firecracker Girl's head throbbed as if it had been split open, her throat dry as a desert.
More concerning was the soreness in multiple parts of her body—what the hell happened?
A glass of water was handed to her.
She looked up along the arm offering it and saw a young man wrapped in a bath towel. He had sharp features, a tall frame, clear muscle lines, a tight waist—he looked like a powerful, agile predator.
"You didn't look it in your sweats… but you've really got a body under there," she muttered.
Memories rushed back. After taking a sip of water, she sighed and flopped back on the pillow.
Whatever. Her years of hard work meant nothing. She had no more chance to get revenge or even mock that woman.
At least the boy was decent—young, strong.
Firecracker Girl sat up and examined him. His body moved with strength and fluidity—a perfect balance of power and grace.
Not to mention… stamina.
Her lips curled into a faint smile.
"What's your computer password?"
The youth—who still hadn't told her his name—sat against the headboard, casually pulling over her laptop and attempting to turn it on like he owned the place.
She frowned slightly.
Images of broke high school punks who always needed cash flashed through her mind. Still, she gave him the password.
"Didn't expect you to be so… hmm? You surprise me," Russell said while rapidly typing, clearly preoccupied.
That dismissive tone, like a classic playboy, made her uneasy.
His casual attitude triggered her. She instinctively snapped back in a biting, sarcastic tone.
"What? Surprised?
A slut who was willing to sleep with old judges just to make it to the finals at ten years old—what dignity would I have left?"
"That was a rumor Starlight spread about you, wasn't it?"
Still staring at the laptop screen, Russell spoke calmly without turning his head.
His indifferent tone, as if he had known all along, startled Firecracker Girl. She hesitated.
"You… really are my fan?"
Back then, she had tried explaining herself many times. But those clarifications were drowned out by whispers and strange looks. Eventually, she gave up.
She poured all her energy into maintaining her personal blog instead.
Though she had a decent following, very few people actually believed she'd been slandered. People preferred to believe the juicy version.
A teenage girl sleeping with old judges to get ahead? That was scandalous. That was entertaining. That scratched the public's itch for dark gossip.
........
[300PS= 1Bonus chapter]
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