Lin was still lost in the romance novel she was holding.
She sat quietly at the reading table, legs crossed, wearing a serious expression as if she were genuinely trying to understand the human concept of love—which, in her opinion, was… strange.
Across the store, Arou and his boss were busy helping customers. The bookstore was fairly crowded that afternoon. Children, teenagers, and a few adults wandered between the shelves.
Then—
CLANG!
The front door was thrown open.
Five people walked in together.
They were dressed in dark clothes. Several of them carried bladed weapons, while one casually held a handgun as if it were nothing more than a toy.
The entire bookstore froze.
Arou immediately turned toward them.
Why are there robbers in a bookstore…?
Arou's boss panicked.
"Everyone! Get to the back! Quickly!"
A few people screamed. Parents immediately pulled their children closer. Everyone began moving in a panic.
Everyone—
except Lin.
She slowly closed her novel.
Then stood up.
And calmly walked toward the robbers.
"You've got some nerve," Lin said flatly.
One of the robbers laughed mockingly.
"Hah? What's with you? You've got some nerve talking to us like that."
Lin stopped right in front of them.
"Let's fight."
The robbers looked at one another.
"Just me," Lin continued casually. "Bare-handed, against all of you armed with weapons."
One of them smirked.
"You think you can take us?"
Lin nodded lightly.
"Yes. I seriously underestimate you."
"You little—!"
"A weak little girl acting tough!"
Lin let out a quiet laugh.
"Really? That's funny."
"What's so funny? Have you lost your mind?"
Lin glanced toward the shelves where the children were hiding.
"Let's just settle this outside."
"Why outside?"
"There are children here," Lin replied calmly. "They shouldn't have to watch a fight."
For some reason—
perhaps because of their pride, or because they were convinced they would win—
the robbers agreed.
They went outside first.
Lin followed, then stopped at the doorway and glanced back inside.
"Arou," she said casually, "wait here for a moment, okay?"
Arou swallowed.
"…Okay."
The door closed.
Arou's boss stared at him, pale-faced.
"Arou! Why didn't you stop your friend?!"
Arou answered quietly, but with complete confidence.
"In my entire life… I've never met anyone worth stopping her."
"What does that even mean?!"
"I know she'll win," Arou said. "She's the strongest being I've ever encountered."
His boss fell silent.
"Being? What is this, some kind of storybook?"
Arou said nothing.
He simply stared at the door.
---
Outside the Bookstore
One of the robbers raised his gun.
"Ready, girl?"
Lin smiled faintly.
"I've always been ready. I was just waiting for you."
"Don't underestimate us!"
They attacked all at once.
A gunshot rang out.
The bullet struck Lin in the head.
Her body collapsed to the ground.
The robber grinned.
"It's over."
But—
Lin stood back up.
She lightly patted her head, then gave a small laugh.
"Not yet. I was only joking."
The gunshot wound was already gone.
No injury.
No blood.
The robbers staggered backward in fear.
"What…?"
"She didn't die…?"
Lin raised her hand and pointed at them.
"Bang."
Instantly—
A massive black sphere appeared.
It pulled all five robbers toward it, swallowing them completely. There was no prolonged screaming—just a sudden pull, followed by silence.
The sphere shrank…
then exploded.
The blast shook the surrounding area.
Inside the bookstore, everyone screamed in panic.
A moment later, the door opened.
Lin walked back inside, looking as calm as ever.
"Is everyone okay?" she asked gently.
The little child who had spoken earlier gathered enough courage to ask,
"Miss… what happened outside? It sounded like a bomb…"
Lin smiled warmly.
"I just gave those robbers a little pinch."
She giggled.
"Hehehe."
The bookstore fell silent.
Everyone stared at Lin—
a mixture of awe, confusion, and fear in their eyes.
Meanwhile, Arou could only sigh inwardly.
Even now, I still can't imagine Zata ever losing.
---
The bookstore remained frozen.
No one spoke right away.
No one dared to move.
Just moments ago, everyone had been certain that a bloody robbery was about to take place.
Now, the robbers were gone, and a blue-haired woman was standing casually in the middle of the bookstore as if she had just bought a discounted book.
Arou's boss swallowed nervously.
"E-Excuse me… what exactly was that…?"
He tried to continue, but the words died in his throat.
Lin turned toward him innocently.
"Is something wrong?"
The man quickly shook his head.
"N-No! Not at all!"
Several customers began whispering among themselves.
"Who is she?"
"Did that really just happen?"
"Was that some kind of special effect?"
The little boy who had asked the question earlier was still staring at Lin with sparkling eyes.
"Are you a superhero?"
Lin looked slightly surprised, then gave an awkward smile.
"Not a superhero," she said. "I just… happened to be here."
Arou slowly approached her.
"Lin," he said quietly, "you really stood out."
Lin looked at him.
"Hm? I thought I was being pretty polite."
"That's not what I meant…"
Arou's boss finally realized that the situation was under control.
"Everyone, the store is safe now!" he announced, trying to calm everyone down.
"Please stay calm! Nobody was hurt!"
Some customers slowly stood up, still shaken but relieved. Some immediately left the store, while others approached Lin out of curiosity.
"W-What kind of martial arts do you use?"
"Was that some kind of magic trick?"
"Are you a soldier?"
Lin simply chuckled.
"So many questions."
Arou quickly pulled her aside behind one of the shelves.
"Listen," he whispered. "You almost made the national news."
"Hm?" Lin tilted her head. "Wouldn't that be more interesting?"
"Not if you're trying to live a normal life."
Lin stared at Arou for a moment before letting out a small laugh.
"Don't worry. Tomorrow, people will just call it a rumor."
"How are you so sure?"
"Because humans always choose the most reasonable explanation," Lin replied casually.
"And my existence isn't a reasonable explanation."
Arou fell silent.
Not long after, the sound of sirens could be heard in the distance.
The police.
Arou's boss panicked again.
"Oh no… what do we do?!"
Lin raised a hand.
"I'll leave."
Arou immediately turned toward her.
"Now?"
"Yes," Lin replied casually. "If I stay, explaining what happened will only get more complicated."
"At least wait until—"
Lin was already walking toward the back door.
Before leaving, she stopped and looked back.
"Arou."
"What?"
"You see?"
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"Your real world isn't as boring as I thought."
Arou sighed.
"That's because you're in it."
Lin smiled slightly.
"Was that a compliment?"
"Who knows."
Lin chuckled, then disappeared through the back door—
without a sound, without leaving a trace.
---
That night, the bookstore closed earlier than usual.
The police arrived and asked plenty of questions.
Arou's boss nervously explained everything—the robbers, the explosion, and… the strange woman.
But there was no clear footage.
The CCTV cameras had stopped recording at the exact moment the incident occurred.
None of the witnesses could completely agree on what they had seen.
Arou simply stood in the back, silent.
On his way home, the sky seemed darker than usual.
Arou walked alone.
His mind was filled with thoughts.
Lin…
Zata…
A being capable of erasing five robbers as easily as wiping words from a piece of paper—
yet she chose to spend her time reading romance novels in a small bookstore.
When he finally reached home, the living room lights were still on.
Nora was sitting on the couch, yawning.
"You're late."
"Work," Arou replied simply.
Nora looked at his face.
"…You smell like trouble."
Arou gave a tired smile.
"Same as always."
Later, in his room, Arou lay down on his bed.
He stared at the ceiling, his thoughts still spinning.
If Lin keeps showing up…
If Zata really gets bored…
Then perhaps the real world would never truly be peaceful again.
And somehow—
Arou had a feeling…
this was only the beginning.