Popularity is everything; I play a super genius.

Chapter 38 Greatness needs no further explanation

Of course, it was obvious that Huo Mu hadn't thought of all that when he rushed out.

It was purely an instinctive reaction.

So, this guy is a complete idiot!

She hates idiots!

I especially hate these kinds of reckless idiots who act without considering the consequences and only act on impulse!

"You idiot! Do you even understand anything?!" At that moment, her chest heaved with anger as she pointed at Huomu and yelled, her voice involuntarily rising.

"You don't have the same effortless strength as Saki-san! What can you do by rushing in like that except die?!"

"But... even without power, there are people I want to protect! Isn't it only natural for adults to protect children?"

Seeing that even though he had apologized, Kouya was still holding onto him, and Huomu's stubbornness began to rise.

Ultimately, he didn't think he had done anything wrong.

Is it wrong to protect children?

Seeing that the two were about to have a big argument, Qi Ji finally couldn't help but shake his head with amusement and stepped forward.

He reached out and gently ruffled Huo Mu's blood-stained red hair, saying:

"I'm just a kid myself, why pretend to be an adult?"

After being unexpectedly patted on the head by Saki, Hōki froze, his mind even going blank for a moment.

In his memory, only his father had done this to him when he was very, very young.

And that... was nine years ago.

Why am I suddenly missing that bastard of a father...?

Although that guy is a sinner in everyone's eyes.

but……

In my memory, my father would carry me on his shoulders, through the crowded night market, and buy me lots of delicious food.

Everyone said his father was a sinner, but his father never made him feel like he wasn't a loved child...

As he thought about it, Huo Mu's eyes welled up with tears, his throat tightened, and he momentarily forgot what he wanted to say.

Seeing this, Saki withdrew his hand, and then Oki spoke:

"Hiki, you should try to understand Setsuna better."

You said you wanted to be a hero, right?

But you should know—

The hero is not the one who saves everyone.

Because such a person doesn't exist in the world.

No matter how powerful you are, there will always be times when you are powerless.

For example, if I hadn't arrived in time, had you considered the consequences of your impulsive actions?

That Tier 2 high-level war eagle requires you and Setsuna to work together to restrain it.

But if you fall, how long can a person hold on at that moment?

But what if, after that, Katsuya also falls down?

Do you think the remaining people have any chance of surviving?

So, don't portray Setsuna as a bad person.

Didn't she want to save everyone?

As Qi Ji said this, his voice softened slightly.

"Listen carefully, Huomu, there's one thing you must remember—"

So-called heroes are those who calmly think things through, save those they can, and then carry the guilt of failing to save others as they continue to live.

This is the path one must take to become a hero.

Saki paused for a moment, then added one last sentence:

"Also, you just said—"

Even without power, there are people I want to protect.

It's not wrong to have someone you want to protect.

But I think there's something even more worthwhile for you to consider before that—

Why do you have no power?

Both Huomu and Shana were stunned by these words.

She stared blankly at the masked, tall and upright young man in front of her.

Watching him calmly say these words, my heart felt as if a stone had been thrown into a still lake, stirring up a thousand waves.

Immediately following, an overwhelmingly strong thought echoed repeatedly in the girl's mind—

he……

He really...

You understand me so well!!!

Saki said everything that Setsuna wanted to say, but didn't know how to say it.

Those complex truths about responsibility, choices, and helplessness were expressed clearly and completely by Saki in such calm yet powerful words.

He's practically my mouth double!!!

After hearing what Saki said, Huo Mu's mind was buzzing.

He hadn't thought about any of that at all.

He's not very bright; he just does whatever comes to mind.

Sometimes, even when my mind is completely blank, my body will act on its own.

Just now, that was the situation.

It wasn't until Saki's earnest words that he finally understood why Setsuna had been so angry.

If it weren't for Saki's timely intervention, his impulsiveness might have killed everyone...

Huo Mu's expression changed, and he couldn't help but reflect on himself.

A moment later, he turned to Sha Na, and this time, his apology was much more formal and solemn than before.

He bent over, and then bowed his head deeply.

"I'm sorry, Setsuna... I was so stupid, I didn't think of any of this!"

You're right, I was too impulsive just now, and almost got everyone into trouble.

I'm really...sorry!

Then, he turned to Qi Ji and spoke sincerely:

"Saki-san, thank you... thank you for reminding me, and thank you... for saving me and everyone once again."

Seeing his genuine remorse yet barely concealed disappointment, Qi Ji smiled and reached out again to pat him on the shoulder.

"Alright, don't act like the sky has fallen or you've made a huge mistake."

Actually, you don't need to blame yourself so much.

Saki's tone softened, becoming slightly encouraging:

"Because of kindness and passion, I can't help but rush to help others when they're in danger..."

This might be impulsive, or perhaps not very "wise"...

But that's precisely your strength, a remarkable quality that I could never achieve.

You don't need to be overly hard on yourself.

The reason I said that was simply so you could understand Setsuna-kun.

As he spoke, Saki looked at the two children who had stopped crying and were secretly glancing in their direction, and smiled.

"At least this time, these two children were truly saved because of your selfless act."

If you hadn't shielded them from that fatal blow, even I might not have been able to make it in time.

So, without a doubt, Huomu, you are their hero.

Hearing what Saki said and seeing that Hōki looked like he was about to cry, the two little ones, encouraged by the older child, went forward together to thank Hōki.

"Thank you, big brother!"

However, to everyone's surprise, once they started talking, Huo Mu couldn't hold back anymore, and tears suddenly streamed down his face.

However, with children present, Huomu felt it would be too embarrassing to cry.

So, she immediately raised one hand to wipe away the tears on her face haphazardly, and pointed at Qi Ji with the other hand, speaking to them with a sob in her voice:

"I...I didn't do anything. It was this guy who saved you."

"You saved us! We will always remember your kindness!"

The older children were precocious and sensible. As the older brother, he held his younger sister's hand, and Okizaki and Haki bowed solemnly.

For a moment, this scene seemed to give people a sense of fulfillment, as if "a world where no one gets hurt has been achieved".

The comments section was flooded with messages praising Saki's outstanding performance in both action and dialogue scenes.

"Holy crap! What an amazing personality!"

"It's very flavorful, so it doesn't need much salt!"

"An absolute powerhouse! A perfect character! What taught Huomu to become a hero was..."

"So you're so gentle, you bastard!!"

"I want to be patted on the head by Lao Ji too!!! (twisting) (crawls) (screams)"

"I declare that this is a man old enough to be my mother!"

"Hilarious! Look at the way Sha Na looked at Lao Ji!"

"How about we look at the way Ruri looks at Setsuna again?"

"Liuli: Oh no, the rival alarm has been sounded!"

……

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