Everything felt like something out of a novel.
It was absurd.
She had only gone on a short trip, and yet she had run into something like this!
In a chaotic place like New York, she had never had any trouble.
But for something like this to happen in Seattle—a city promoted as "the most livable and functional city in the world"—was undeniably ironic.
It couldn't have been worse.
A burly man approached, a dagger clenched in his hand.
But a much slimmer man suddenly lunged at him, threw a punch, and knocked him to the ground, clutching his stomach.
At the same time, Catherine was shoved down, and the two thugs came after her, daggers raised.
The man dodged them with ease. Before Catherine could even see what was happening, he slammed one of them to the ground, then spun around and kicked the other away.
"Are you okay?"
the man asked as he walked over.
"Thank you so much."
"I'll call the police," he said.
"No, that won't be necessary." That would only cause more trouble. In times like these, American police were practically synonymous with parasites. Things might be fine here, but they could turn tragic at the station.
"Then I'll take you somewhere safe first. Where are you staying?"
"Over there, at that hotel."
The man was clearly of Chinese descent, but his English was quite good. Still, Catherine couldn't help feeling that his face looked familiar—like she had seen him somewhere before.
Soon, they reached her hotel.
"My name is Catherine Edson. Thank you so much."
"It's nothing. No need to dwell on it. I'll be going now."
"Wait—what's your name?"
"My name is Bruce Lee."
With that, he turned and left.
Catherine finally let out a breath of relief.
Wait…
His face felt familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had seen him before.
Bruce Lee…?
Suddenly, it clicked.
Hadn't she thought about him before? Wasn't Lee Jun-fan the one who had just graduated from Edison Technical School in Seattle this year?
Seattle.
1960.
There was only one celebrity connected to that.
Bruce Lee.
Wait—
Had Bruce Lee just saved her?
He hadn't gone far when Catherine immediately chased after him.
"Excuse me—are you Mr. Bruce Lee?" she asked.
Bruce Lee looked confused, but nodded.
"I'm a fan of yours. Could you please sign an autograph for me… please!"
The stage name "Bruce Lee" had first been used in 1948 in the film Little Cheung. His acting career was roughly the same age as Catherine's. Although he was only twenty, Bruce Lee was already quite a popular film star in Hong Kong. However, it would still be several years before he became active in the United States.
Catherine was incredibly excited.
Bruce Lee, on the other hand, was a bit puzzled.
He had acted in many films in Hong Kong and had even just finished a new one before coming to school, yet his fame clearly hadn't spread overseas yet.
Still, he signed an autograph for her.
In any case, the incident was finally resolved perfectly.
The first thing Catherine did after returning to the hotel was change out of her dress and put on pants.
She had to admit—it had been absolutely awful getting kneed by that man.
To be honest, Catherine didn't dislike dresses, but after this incident, she developed a strong aversion to them.
She carefully put away the autograph. It was a precious keepsake.
Bruce Lee hadn't yet created Jeet Kune Do, but he still practiced Wing Chun, and his teacher, Ip Man, was likely still alive.
It was a shame that Bruce Lee would later die so suddenly—a tremendous loss.
There were many theories about the cause of Bruce Lee's death. Some said it was an allergic reaction to medication, others claimed it was a mafia hit, and some even blamed the Japanese. The official cause of death was listed as an allergic reaction to painkillers that led to cerebral edema.
Regardless of the truth, each theory had its own logic and evidence, making it hard to dismiss any of them outright. That was precisely what made it so baffling.
"But for now… there's nothing I can do about it,"
Catherine could only tell herself.
After all, it was still thirteen years away, and it would be difficult for her to intervene.
Still, if she truly could help him, she didn't want a martial artist and superstar like him to die that way.
Catherine was quite frustrated that she hadn't asked for Bruce Lee's contact information—she had been too focused on getting an autograph.
After that, she never saw Bruce Lee again. Her family continued traveling, visiting various tourist attractions, and after Christmas and New Year's, they finally flew back to New York.
Even so, Catherine felt uneasy.
She was very pretty, and many boys stared at her whenever she went out, but she had never cared before. Now, however, she felt incredibly uncomfortable whenever a man looked at her.
This dazed state only gradually improved after she returned to school. After all, there were only a handful of male teachers there.
Even though she felt better, she was still unsettled.
The scene from that day kept replaying in her mind.
What was worse was that she constantly imagined what would have happened if she hadn't met Bruce Lee.
Good heavens—she thought about it all the time. She even dreamed about it.
She felt like she was on the verge of breaking down.
"Kate?"
"Ah!"
At a meeting of Angel Costume Design Company, Catherine was pulled back to reality by her friends.
"What's wrong?" Lily asked with concern.
After all, Catherine had been like this since the start of the school term.
"Nothing," Catherine said with a smile.
After the meeting ended, Ida walked over.
"Kate, what's been going on with you lately?"
"Nothing… I just feel a little off."
"Should we see Mr. Bitman again? His treatment worked pretty well last time, right? Or maybe a hospital checkup would be better. It could be something physical. Maybe you need treatment?"
Catherine shook her head.
"No… I have a strong aversion to men right now."
In fact, Catherine felt like she would get goosebumps if a man touched her. She hadn't expected it to be this serious.
Damn it—how could she end up like this?
She had never thought there was anything wrong with normal interactions with men, but now it was obvious that the aftermath of nearly being taken advantage of was catching up to her.
"Treatment? What are you talking about?"
Jenny walked over.
"Kate isn't feeling well, so I suggested she see a psychologist. I know a doctor who does hypnotherapy—it's very effective. But Kate says she now has a strong aversion to men," Ada explained.
"In that case, maybe I can help. Though honestly, I think you should still go to the hospital for a checkup. If it's really just psychological, I can help you with that."
Jenny knows hypnotherapy too?
This modest top student… was she really that capable?
"My parents are doctors. My mom is a surgeon, and my dad is a psychologist with experience in this field. Kate, what's wrong? Tell me, and I'll help you."