Screech-
The shriek of the brakes pierced the air like a death sentence drawing closer. Olivia's mind went blank, her usual pride in her composure reduced to a tangled mess of useless thoughts.
Her trembling hands clutched the child's clothes tightly. The strong wind disheveled her ponytail, scattering it in the air. She couldn't recall what had prompted her to act mere seconds earlier, as she only knew her body had moved faster than her mind, even though it was far from a rational decision.
The icy grip of impending doom seemed to freeze time itself. Gasps and screams from bystanders faded into the background.
Fear, like an encroaching tide, crawled up her spine.
'Am I going to die?' Olivia thought as she stared at the blinding headlights dancing in the dim night. The flickering shadows reminded her of a candle about to be extinguished.
Closing her eyes, she braced for the inevitable impact.
However, the expected collision never came.
There was no dull thud, no sudden sensation of weightlessness akin to a roller coaster throwing her off balance. No pain like being tossed about and crushed like a fragile doll...
Nothing happened.
Olivia cautiously opened her eyes. The cool night air filled her lungs. The sharp clarity of her senses returned as she stepped back from the precipice of death.
The astonished faces of bystanders, the beams of streetlights sharpening from blurred streaks to steady streams, and the sound, brakes screeching to an unnatural stop, all returned to her awareness.
Somehow, there was now an overlapping shadow on the asphalt road. Olivia instinctively turned her head, only to bump into something soft.
The screeching of the brakes was now faint, almost imperceptible. The bus's glaring headlights were overwhelming, but just half a meter below her line of sight, the massive tires were still spinning sluggishly, struggling to a halt.
At the same time, a figure leaned toward her, a body was being gently pushed into her arms. Or rather, it seemed to collapse into her hold.
The headlights' glare filled her view like a blinding spotlight. As her vision refocused, the scene before her felt like something out of a movie.
Seeing this, Olivia's eyes widened in shock.
A familiar figure stood in front of her, blocking the bus with his back. The young man's hands were pressed firmly against the bus's front, his silhouette, illuminated by the glare, radiating an almost surreal strength.
There was something unfamiliar about this aura, something she had never sensed before, yet it brought her an inexplicable sense of reassurance.
His long hair flowed in the wind, stray strands settling on his shoulders as the breeze subsided. From her close vantage point, Olivia could see the faint contours of his neck, the slight rise and fall of his breathing beneath his shirt, and the almost negligible gap between her nose and his.
The subtle fragrance, unknown whether it is his body wash, laundry detergent, or her own, filled her senses, making her heartbeat stumble for a moment.
The bus jolted forward slightly, its massive frame inching closer. The young man's body was forced closer to hers, the already minimal distance between them shrinking further.
Reflexively, Olivia released one hand, shifting slightly to support him, her palm brushing against his back.
Another screech, louder this time, almost malicious. For a fleeting moment, their posture could have been mistaken for an intimate embrace.
The young man seemed to realize this awkwardness and tilted his head slightly to the side, understanding the situation.
Then came the sound of a dull thud!
The young man lifted his foot and kicked the bus with a force that could rival a sledgehammer. The massive vehicle shuddered like a scolded child, wobbling slightly before finally settling into silence.
Olivia's mouth opened slightly and she looked at this scene with some confusion.
…
At this time, the chaos caused by the incident finally subsided, though it seemed to have a ripple effect. The stillness spread across both sides of the street, infecting everyone nearby.
For a moment, the entire scene was frozen in time. But of all the people present, the least affected was the child. The boy, who had just stared death in the face, finally broke the silence with a loud wail, tears streaming down his face.
The sound brought life back to the street, snapping everyone out of their stupor.
Noise erupted again as onlookers began to murmur in disbelief, some rubbing their eyes, others hurriedly dialing emergency services. A few more curious onlookers, unwilling to accept what they had just witnessed, moved closer to inspect the scene more carefully.
"Are you okay?" The young man, Logan, asked as he turned towards Olivia. He released his grip on the bus and steadying his own breathing, which had grown erratic from the sudden surge of Chakra.
At this time, Olivia's hair was disheveled, her face still pale. The aftermath of the ordeal left her struggling to find her words.
At Logan's question, she finally snapped out of her daze. She glanced at the boy in her arms, confirming he was unharmed, and let out a heavy sigh of relief.
"I, I'm fine..." Olivia said, meeting Logan's gaze. Those clear eyes, which normally wouldn't evoke much emotion, somehow made her feel oddly unsettled. The scene from moments ago flashed through her mind.
'I must look like a mess right now...' Olivia quickly tidied up her disheveled hair and said, "Thank you. Thank you for saving me… just now, when the bus came… Are you okay?"
Olivia's attempt to maintain composure was painfully evident, and her shaky voice betrayed her inner turmoil. The sheer absurdity of what had happened, the sight of someone stopping a moving bus with their bare hands, threatened to unravel her thoughts further.
But Logan had no time to concern himself with the chaotic thoughts of the usually composed senior.
The immediate danger had passed, but now came the more troublesome aftermath.
"That's good, I'm fine." He replied nonchalantly, his tone dismissive as he frowned and glanced around.
'There had been too many onlookers earlier. Cameras must have captured the event… traffic surveillance, smartphones, even dashcams. And with a traffic accident came police involvement...'
Logan felt a headache, and even felt a trace of regret. He stole a glance at the aloof and awkward Olivia, who was now clumsily trying to comfort the crying little boy in her arms.
Thoughts swirled in his mind, but the only conclusion he could muster was another sigh. After all, this wasn't a situation where simple pros and cons could dictate right and wrong.
'Fortunately, it was nighttime now.'
At this time, Diane came running over, her hurried steps echoing in the tense atmosphere. After giving Logan a thorough once-over to ensure he was unharmed, she turned and wrapped her arms around Olivia in relief.
Meanwhile, the bus doors hissed open, and passengers and the driver spilled out.
The middle-aged, balding driver was drenched in cold sweat, his panic evident as he hovered anxiously around Logan and the others. It was as if he feared they would vanish into thin air, "I was driving normally! I swear, normal driving!"
He kept repeating loudly to everyone within earshot, desperate for someone to confirm his story...
The crowd of onlookers continued to grow. Curious murmurs filled the air, and the distant wail of police sirens grew louder, signaling their approach.
Logan scanned the scene, his mind racing through his options. Running away? That was a fool's choice. He sighed again, resigned to the situation.
After a moment of contemplation, he sank down against the bus's front, sitting with a defeated expression. The city lights glowed brightly, casting a faint luminescence over the gathered crowd.
Yet to him, they were nothing but a blur of indistinct shadows.
'Life was indeed full of surprises. Getting caught up in a car accident was just another one of those unpredictable twists.'
While waiting for the police to arrive, Logan tried to console himself. Just as he was about to rub his sore arm, a light, deliberate touch caught his attention.
He turned his head and saw a beautiful, focused face. Olivia's eyes shimmered brightly under the streetlights, her expression calm and composed. She crouched down beside him, her gaze slightly averted as she glanced at the ground.
"Your hand must hurt after all that. Let me massage it for you."