"You're overthinking it, ma'am. Kids just say what's on their minds no harm done. I wouldn't take it to heart."
Hiro's warm voice cut through the tension, his trademark sunny smile disarming the young mother immediately.
"On the contrary," he added gently, "your little boy here is quick-witted and sharp. With the right guidance, he could even grow up to be a fine detective someday."
The young mother blinked, caught off guard as Hiro neatly shifted the conversation away from her own flushed embarrassment.
What a kind man… so thoughtful… too kind…
Her heart practically fluttered as she let out a quiet breath of relief though she still couldn't stop herself from stealing glances at him.
Meanwhile, Xiao Ming's eyes sparkled.
"No way! Handsome big brother, I don't wanna be a detective. I wanna be an assassin!"
That made Hiro chuckle. At least the kid's attention was off his poor mother.
From the corner, Milluki who'd been silently watching the whole exchange couldn't help but mutter under his breath, just loud enough for Hiro to hear:
"Tch. Lovesick idiot. Just like all the others blinded by a pretty face."
Hiro shot Milluki a sidelong glance, then turned back to Xiao Ming, his smile never faltering.
"Hey, little man if I told you this big brother next to me is actually an assassin, would you believe me?"
Xiao Ming's gaze followed Hiro's finger to Milluki, who stood there laden with bags, panting slightly, and looking as round as ever.
The boy squinted, sizing him up from head to toe.
Then shook his head, dead serious.
"Nope. Not a chance."
"Oh? Why not?" Hiro asked, clearly amused.
"Because…" the boy said matter-of-factly, "this big brother's way too fat. He's probably lazy and never works out. Not cool at all no way he's an assassin."
Hiro grinned and gave Xiao Ming an enthusiastic thumbs-up.
"Well said. Logical and convincing. You're a smart one, kid."
Xiao Ming beamed under the praise.
Behind them, Milluki's face had gone dark, his shoulders sagging as he grumbled silently to himself.
Enough already, big brother… I get it, okay? I'll lose weight! You can stop now…
Hmph. Whatever. I'll just eat my feelings when we get home…
But before he could even properly sulk, someone decided to throw oil on the fire.
"Smart, huh? Bah. Any idiot can see that fat pig could never be an assassin! Hahaha!"
The mocking voice came from the back of the bus.
A bald, hulking man with a scar down his cheek leaned forward in his seat, sneering at them. His laughter was thick with disdain.
Milluki froze.
His eyes narrowed.
For the first time all day, his true assassin's instincts flickered to life. His aura spiked faintly, like a shadow coiling under his skin.
But just as his killing intent started to leak, a hand gently landed on his shoulder.
"Milluki," Hiro said calmly, "stand down. Let your big brother handle it."
Hiro's voice was light, almost casual but something in his tone made Milluki swallow his anger instantly and back down.
Hiro straightened, stepping forward toward the bald man. His demeanor didn't change still calm, still smiling, still looking every bit like some harmless university student.
But his eyes…
His eyes were ice.
The bald man caught the look and scoffed, clearly unimpressed.
"What's this? Pretty boy wants to stick up for his fat pig brother?"
Hiro stopped in front of him, tilting his head slightly.
"Sir," he said softly, "given your poor conduct… I'm going to have to ask you to apologize."
The bus went silent.
Even Milluki, standing behind him, held his breath.
Because even though Hiro was still smiling…Even though his voice was still polite…
Everyone on that bus could feel it the pressure. That subtle, suffocating pressure that seemed to coil around the bald man's throat like a noose.
And Hiro hadn't even raised his voice yet.
Hiro still didn't look angry. Not even a little.
His smile didn't waver. His voice stayed calm.
"Oh? You want an apology, do you?"
The bald, burly man suddenly stood up, his chair screeching against the bus floor.He yanked a dagger from inside his coat and leveled it at Hiro with a sneer.
"Come on, pretty boy here's your apology, damn it!"
At that, chaos erupted in the back of the bus.
Passengers screamed and scrambled forward, climbing over seats, clutching their children and their bags as they rushed to the front of the vehicle.
"Assassin big brother, go! Beat that big bald bad guy!" Xiao Ming cheered, even as his mother frantically dragged him toward safety.
The young mother's face was pale with panic, her mind spinning as she scooped up her son and sprinted to the very front of the bus.
Oh no. This is bad. He's got a weapon. The handsome guy might mean well, but he's young… naive… he doesn't know how dangerous this really is. This is going to end in disaster.
I should call the police. Quietly. But what if he notices…? No, no just protect Xiao Ming and stay out of it. Play dumb. I'm sorry, handsome guy…
Most of the passengers had similar thoughts.Everyone was just an ordinary citizen and in the face of real danger, doing the right thing wasn't as easy as it sounded.
But Hiro?
Hiro just kept walking.Slowly. Calmly.
Like the blade wasn't even there.
"Alright," he murmured, stepping closer, "I'm coming over now."
The bald man's lip curled. He opened his mouth, ready to spit another insult
but nothing came out.
His jaw moved. His throat tightened. But no sound. Not a word.
And then the panic set in.
Not just his voice his body, too. His limbs wouldn't obey. His fingers locked around the dagger, frozen. His legs wouldn't back away, no matter how much he wanted them to.
It was like invisible chains had wrapped around him, holding him in place.
His forehead broke into a cold sweat.
No. No no no this isn't right. What's happening? My brain's screaming, but my body… my body won't move…
And then, realization hit. A horrible, creeping realization.
Oh god. He's one of them.
The man's stomach turned to ice. He'd been around the underworld long enough to hear whispers. About… them.
The others. People who could do impossible things terrifying things. People you never wanted to piss off. Nen users.
And now…Now it looked like his luck had finally run out.
Big brother… I'm sorry. I really am sorry. Please. Please just let me go…
His mind screamed the apology over and over but of course, Hiro didn't hear it. And even if he did…
He wouldn't have cared.
Because if there was one thing Hiro didn't tolerate, it was this:
Being foul-mouthed was bad enough.
But insulting his little brother?
Don't you know?
I'm the only one who's allowed to bully my brother.
Today… I'm going to teach you a lesson you'll never forget.
Hiro's calm smile didn't falter as he stood before the frozen, trembling bald man.
From his seat toward the back of the bus, Milluki who'd finally managed to find a spot to rest his aching legs watched with wide, fascinated eyes.
Oh, I get it now… Big Brother's releasing pure malice with his Nen. No wonder that guy can't even twitch. For a normal person, this is way beyond what the body can handle. Of course he can't move.
But then Milluki's gaze sharpened.
And judging by that guy's expression… Big Brother's not just letting him feel the malice. He's…
Milluki grinned to himself.
Hehehe. This is gonna be good.
Hiro stopped directly in front of the bald man, who still stood there like a statue, eyes wide with terror.
Hiro tilted his head slightly and said, in that same polite, almost gentle tone:
"Alright. I'm here. You can speak now."
For a heartbeat, the bald man's blank eyes stayed locked on Hiro. Then without warning he screamed and rammed his own dagger straight into his thigh with a sickening thunk.
Gasps and shrieks rippled through the bus.
The bald man dropped to his knees, blood already pooling under him, but his face didn't show pain only abject remorse and panic.
And then, like a broken puppet, he began to slap himself. Hard. Over and over, alternating hands, each blow louder and sharper than the last.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
Over and over, as he cried:
"I was wrong! I'm sorry!" "I was wrong! I'm sorry!" "I was wrong! I'm sorry!"
His face quickly swelled, his lips split, and blood ran down his chin. Several teeth clattered to the floor, but he didn't stop.
The other passengers and even the driver stared in stunned horror.
Wasn't this guy acting so arrogant just a minute ago? What the hell happened?!
And… doesn't he feel pain? Just watching him is making me hurt…
Even Milluki, who'd been grinning, found himself shivering slightly at the sheer ruthlessness behind Hiro's calm.
Hiro crouched slightly, still wearing that same warm, sunny smile, and spoke again his tone soft and kind:
"That's enough. Really. I accept your apology. You should head to the hospital you're bleeding a lot."
At those words, the bald man froze mid-slap. Slowly, stiffly, he lowered his hands.
Then he nodded furiously, more teeth slipping from his swollen mouth as he choked out:
"Th-thank you! Thank you for forgiving me! I-I'm so sorry!"
With trembling hands, he stripped off his jacket and used it to wipe up the blood and pick up the teeth from the floor. He even bowed to the bus driver as he hobbled toward the door.
"Driver, please stop here! Thank you!" he shouted hoarsely.
The bewildered driver, still trying to process what he'd just witnessed, instinctively pressed the button to open the doors.
The bald man staggered out like any other passenger, clutching his thigh, his steps uneven as he limped into the distance.
The bus was dead silent for several long moments after he left.
Milluki finally let out a shaky breath and muttered under his breath:
"…Big Brother… you really are scary sometimes."
Hiro straightened, brushed off his sleeves, and turned back toward Milluki with his usual warm smile as if nothing at all had happened.