"Will the seaside park still be closed off?"
Lock tightened his grip on the small key in his hand, walking along the familiar coastal path as the cool autumn wind brushed against his face.
The question had been on his mind since morning.
After all, Iron Shark—that deranged villain—had slaughtered several police officers and Pro Heroes at the Dogu Seaside Park.
The tragedy had shaken the entire city.
Families of the victims had already organized protests, demanding the death penalty for the killer.
But Lock knew how this world worked.
Even monsters like Iron Shark wouldn't face execution.
No matter how heinous their crimes, villains were simply imprisoned for life.
Even the infamous Hero Killer had been spared.
He'd murdered Pro Heroes, crippled others—and still, the law had chosen restraint.
And maybe that was the problem.
Leniency breeds confidence in evil.
If punishment loses its bite, there's nothing left to fear.
Lock sighed, shaking the thoughts from his head.
The law, politics, morality… none of it was his problem right now. Not yet.
He turned his attention back to the park ahead.
The salty wind carried both the chill of the sea and the faint scent of rusted metal.
There were no warning tapes or barriers left.
The police had cleaned up the scene, though the ground still bore faint traces of dried blood beneath the sand.
Lock wrinkled his nose.
Even with the waves washing over it, his heightened sense of smell still picked up the lingering scent of blood—and something else.
A light, sweet fragrance that didn't belong.
"Wait… a perfume?" he muttered. "No… that's definitely a girl's scent."
Then came the sound of clattering metal.
Ding, clang, dong.
Lock turned toward the noise.
Among the piles of discarded electronics he'd sorted days ago, someone was digging.
A girl with short, bubblegum-pink hair crouched among the scrap, her golden eyes glinting behind a pair of thick goggles perched on her forehead.
She wore a black turtleneck sweater that clung to her figure and a huge backpack that seemed far too heavy for her slender frame.
She was completely absorbed in her work, rummaging through old wires, bolts, and circuit boards like a treasure hunter.
Lock blinked. Then recognition struck.
"…It's her," he murmured. "Hatsume Mei."
Her black sweater, that lion-like gleam in her eyes, her boundless enthusiasm—
There was no mistaking it. UA's genius Support Course inventor.
And, he noted privately, one with quite the figure.
His eyes flicked up and down for half a second before he cleared his throat.
"She's just like Ryuuko in the chest department," he muttered under his breath, then shook his head quickly. "Focus, Lock."
He stepped closer and spoke up. "Hey—what are you doing?"
The girl's head snapped up. Her golden eyes widened for a moment when she saw him—then sparkled with delight.
"Scavenging!" she said brightly.
"Scavenging?" Lock echoed.
Five minutes and one frantic explanation later, he pieced it together.
Apparently, Hatsume Mei lived in the same city.
After hearing about all the illegal dumping around Dogu Seaside Park, she'd started coming here every few days to collect spare parts.
Old screws. Copper wiring. Tiny batteries. Anything she could repurpose.
To anyone else, it was junk—but to her, it was gold.
She was a born inventor, obsessed with engineering since childhood.
Her dream: to spread her inventions across the world and support Pro Heroes with her "babies."
And she was serious about it—so serious that she'd come alone to this half-abandoned park to dig through garbage.
Lock couldn't help but admire her a little.
Her energy was… infectious.
"So you're the one who sorted all these piles, huh, little Lock?" she said cheerfully, holding up a broken sensor.
"Little—Lock?" he repeated, blinking.
Her tone was so casual it threw him off.
Should he say something? Probably.
But before he could, she grinned wider.
"Don't like that nickname? How about Xiao Zhe then? Sounds cuter!"
Lock let out a quiet sigh. "...Sure. Whatever you like."
"Perfect! Oh!" Her eyes widened suddenly. "You're that boy, aren't you—the one who fought in the Hero License Exam at just fourteen!"
Lock tilted his head modestly. "That's… me, yeah."
They talked for a while, sitting cross-legged on the ground.
It was strange—Mei didn't act shy or formal at all. Her hands were constantly moving as she fiddled with random wires, explaining this or that new project.
Lock found himself genuinely entertained—until, out of nowhere, she lunged.
"Eh—what are you—"
Before he could react, Hatsume was practically on top of him, eyes sparkling with manic excitement.
"Xiao Zhe! That flaming red armor you wore during the exam—can you lend it to me?! Just for a day!"
Lock blinked, stunned. "You mean… my Yandi Armor?"
"Yes! Yes!" she leaned in closer, her nose almost touching his. "Please, I swear I won't take it apart! I just want to study it! For science!"
Her tone was frantic, pleading—and far too close.
Lock's brain short-circuited for a moment.
He tried to speak, but all that came out was a stammer.
"Uh—Mei—maybe you could—just—"
Too late.
She leaned even further forward, her black sweater straining dangerously as she practically pressed against him.
Lock's eyes widened in pure panic.
Oh no.
Her hair brushed his face, carrying that faint scent again—the same one he'd noticed in the air.
Sweet, warm… dizzying.
For a split second, his brain felt like a ship tossed in a storm.
And like the sailor who'd underestimated the sea, he was sinking fast.
Waves… big waves… I'm going under.
"Please?" she begged again.
Lock swallowed hard. There was no winning this.
"…Fine," he said quietly, defeated. "You can borrow it."
"Yay!" Hatsume threw her hands up in triumph.
And Lock decided that if she ever asked for his soul next, he'd probably agree just to get her to stand up.
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A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
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