On the day New York was attacked by aliens, everyone was watching the Avengers. I, Lisa Takahashi, was working at Starbucks when I looked out the window. Iron Man flew across the sky, Captain America threw his shield. Everyone cheered. But I noticed something. In the shadow of a building, a man was moving quietly. He wasn't fighting. Yet he was placing small devices here and there. What was that? I dropped my register and followed him. Because at that moment, my heart was pounding so hard. Just
After the Hero Left - His true feelings, and the resolve to step in.
Monday night, Lisa Takahashi tossed and turned in her apartment bed, over and over.
*(Kyle's fingers were trembling then, too.)*
Staring at the stain on the ceiling, she recalled the events of yesterday. The Neutralizer Beacon—a small disc-shaped device Kyle had modified to neutralize the radiation leaking from Chitauri weapons—she had helped inspect it. That moment when Kyle nearly dropped his toolbox, that fine tremor in his hands.
"I'm fine, really. I'm okay."
The face that smiled as he said that wouldn't leave her mind. He wasn't fine at all. Behind that smile, something heavy was sinking.
Lisa rolled onto her side and picked up her phone. The screen's glow floated in the dark room. It was just past one in the morning.
*(Will I see him again tomorrow?)*
Kyle's workplace. Where did he work, and how? She thought about the Ground Fall reconstruction zone visible from the window of the Starbucks on Lexington and 42nd. A place where the scars of the New York invasion still remained raw. Beyond that fence, Kyle was facing dangerous debris alone again today.
Lisa pinched the small braid above her left ear between her fingers. The little charm her mother had braided for her. On restless nights, she always found herself touching it.
*(But still, I can't stop thinking about him.)*
Excuses to herself floated through her mind. It's just curiosity. No, that wasn't it. She'd already fallen for him, long ago.
Lisa placed her phone on her chest and closed her eyes. But she couldn't sleep. Kyle's deep blue eyes were burned into the back of her eyelids.
Tuesday morning came.
Lisa stood at the register of the Starbucks on 42nd Street, handling the morning rush. The sound of steaming milk, the aroma of coffee beans, customers' orders. All of it was routine, soaked into her body. But today, she was somewhere else.
"Sorry for the wait—one grande latte and... oh, was it caramel?"
The man in the suit gave a small nod. Lisa hurriedly grabbed a cup and finished the drink. The store manager, Pratik Sharma, narrowed his eyes at her from across the counter.
"Lisa, that's the third time today. Did you make eye contact with an alien again?"
"N-no, not at all! I'm just a little sleep-deprived."
Pratik snorted a "hoooh" and disappeared toward the oven. *Aliens or not, we serve lattes*—that was the mantra of this store's realist manager. Apparently, even on the day of the New York invasion, when every window shattered, he'd opened the store the next day.
*(Where is Kyle's workplace?)*
While making lattes, Lisa's mind was stuck on that single thought. Until yesterday, she'd barely managed to ask him to let her help. But now she wanted to know more. What kind of place he worked in, what kind of people he worked with.
Three in the afternoon. Her shift ended.
Lisa removed her green apron and stowed it in her locker. She slipped on a thin denim jacket and slung her crumpled shoulder bag over her shoulder. Outside, the soft spring sunlight touched her skin.
*(Is it that way?)*
Her feet naturally carried her toward the outer edge of the Ground Fall reconstruction zone. Where was Kyle today? The place he'd been working before was beyond the fence, near the rubble. But she sensed there was something further in, some other location. Where was the headquarters of the debris disposal specialists, Section Gray—the department that officially belonged to no organization, the hazardous materials unit that had secretly remained even after SHIELD's collapse?
Lisa stopped and surveyed the street. Construction cranes stretched into the blue sky, dust swirled in the wind. People hurried past, and no one looked beyond the fence.
*(A place only I found. Just like the day I found Kyle.)*
Lisa stepped into the old road beside the construction site. The south side of the Ground Fall reconstruction zone—a back street lined with abandoned warehouses. The fence broke off, and faded letters reading "KEEP OUT" were visible on a wall. Beyond that stood an old brick factory.
"...This place, somehow..."
Lisa stopped. A small plate hung at the entrance of the abandoned factory. "Harborside Industrial Warehouse"—but beneath it, there was a newer electronic lock panel.
*(This isn't just a ruin.)*
Deep in her chest, curiosity leaped. Lisa glanced around, confirmed no one was there, and circled to the side of the factory. Through a gap in a broken shutter, she could see a dim staircase leading underground.
*(I'll go down.)*
Curiosity won out over fear. Lisa took a deep breath and stepped onto the stairs. Cold air crept up from below. One step, then another. The deeper she descended, the colder and heavier the air became.
Eventually, the stairs reached a landing. A single metal door. Beside it, another biometric panel. But the door was slightly ajar. Lisa quietly peered through the gap.
White fluorescent lights. A sterile corridor. Procedure charts on the walls. And from deeper inside, a voice.
"...A visitor. Though I don't recall inviting one."
Lisa froze. Beyond the door, at the end of the corridor, stood a woman with silver hair streaked with white, swept back neatly. A black suit. An old military watch on her left wrist. Sharp light-brown eyes pierced straight through Lisa.
"U-um, I'm—"
"A civilian. This is a Section Gray controlled area. It's protocol. Leave."
Margaret Sawyer. She'd heard that name before. Kyle had mentioned it once—his superior. Lisa's legs trembled, but there was something she absolutely had to ask.
"Wait, please! It's about Kyle... Kyle O'Connor. There's something I need to ask."
Margaret's light-brown eyes narrowed slightly.
"I don't have time. Besides, I have no obligation to speak with civilians. It's protocol."
"Please. Kyle let me... he let me help with his work. Inspecting the Neutralizer Beacons. But his fingers kept trembling. He was smiling, but he looked so terribly sad. I want to help him. That's why I need to know. What he's carrying. Why he seems to be in so much pain."
Lisa's voice trembled toward the end. Tears were welling at the edges of her eyes. But she bit her lip, refusing to cry. Margaret watched with sharp eyes as Lisa's fingers touched her braid.
"...Come in. Three minutes."
Margaret turned her back and walked deeper into the corridor. Lisa hurried after her. The underground air was cold, and the fluorescent light illuminated the walls with sterile clarity. Eventually, she was led into a simple office. Several desks lined up, maps and schedule charts on the walls. Margaret pointed to a folding chair.
"Sit."
Lisa obediently sat down. Margaret took the chair across from her, glanced at her old military watch, then spoke.
"Your name?"
"I'm Lisa Takahashi. I work at Starbucks."
"I know. Your name appeared in Kyle's report. You entered the site without authorization and approached hazardous materials. Afterward, he let you assist with equipment inspection."
"In his report...?"
"Knowing his character, he didn't write anything bad about you. That's what irritates me. That man tries to protect others even at his own expense."
Margaret pulled a thin file from the desk drawer. On the cover: "O'CONNOR, KYLE." Lisa caught her breath.
"You want to know about Kyle's past. Then I'll tell you what I know. However, this information is meant as a warning to you. Prepare yourself."
Lisa clasped her hands tightly on her knees.
"Kyle O'Connor is a former SHIELD scientist. He was deeply involved in a classified project called Project Remnant. Project Remnant—a byproduct of a weapons development program SHIELD was conducting in secret. I can't discuss the details. But it continues to eat away at Kyle from the inside, even now."
"Project Remnant..."
The depths of her chest grew cold. The reason behind that deep sadness hidden beneath Kyle's smile—it felt like it had finally taken shape, just a little.
"And one more thing. Kyle was once deeply involved with Natasha Romanoff—the Black Widow, a member of the Avengers."
Her mind went completely blank.
Black Widow. That incredibly famous hero. She'd seen her on TV countless times. A red-haired woman dancing across battlefields. That woman was Kyle's ex-girlfriend.
"...No way."
"It's true. The two met during their SHIELD days and built a deep relationship. But the Project Remnant incident drove them apart. Kyle still hasn't been able to let go of his feelings for her."
Lisa's chest throbbed with pain. Jealousy. Frustration. An overwhelming sense of inferiority. She was just a Starbucks barista. The person who'd stood beside him was a superhero who saved the world.
*(I can't compete. Not someone like me. Never.)*
Heat rose behind her eyes. But Margaret's cold gaze was fixed on her. Lisa couldn't cry like a child, so she gripped the hem of her skirt tightly.
"Kyle's heart is still trapped in the past. If you approach him, you need to be prepared to face mortal danger. You'll be caught up in what he carries."
"...Even so."
Lisa raised her head. Tears blurred her vision. But her voice didn't waver.
"Even so, I want to help Kyle. No matter who his ex is, no matter what his past holds, I don't want to watch him suffer alone. The things I can do are just making lattes, listening, and... being with him. But even that might mean something."
Margaret listened to Lisa's words in silence. Expressionless. But deep in those light-brown eyes, something flickered for just a moment.
"...I see."
Margaret gave a small nod and placed the file on the desk.
"My personal opinion: someone like you might be a sign of change for Kyle. But if you approach him knowing the danger, don't ever come crying to me afterward. It's protocol."
"...Yes."
Lisa bowed her head, deeply, deeply.
When she emerged from the underground of The Grave—Section Gray's headquarters—the outside air felt strangely warm. Spring evening was approaching. The sky was tinted a pale orange.
Lisa walked from the back road of the abandoned factory toward the perimeter of the Ground Fall reconstruction zone. As she walked, she replayed Margaret's words. Black Widow. Natasha Romanoff. The presence that remained in Kyle's heart.
*(The reason his eyes sometimes look so terribly sad...)*
Kyle's smile surfaced in her mind. And hidden behind it, the wavering of those deep blue eyes. Feelings for his ex. The shadow of Project Remnant.
Lisa stopped and gripped the braid above her left ear tightly.
"...I won't lose."
Saying it aloud made her feel just a little stronger.
That was when it happened.
"Lisa?"
Lisa spun around with a start. Kyle was standing there, she had no idea since when. His dark brown hair was slightly disheveled as always, the collar of his gray work jacket rumpled. His deep blue eyes looked at her with surprise.
"Kyle! Um, where did you—"
"That's my line. Why are you here... no, more importantly, you didn't—"
The usual gentle smile vanished from Kyle's face. He grabbed Lisa's wrist and peered at her with serious eyes.
"You went into The Grave, didn't you. You met Margaret. She contacted me. Said a civilian had made unauthorized contact."
"No, I mean, yes, but... I just really wanted to know where you work, so—"
"Why? Why do you always wander into dangerous places on your own like this? That place isn't somewhere a civilian like you should be. Section Gray handles things that can't be made public. Do you have any idea what could happen if you get involved?"
Kyle's voice was rushed. He was panicking. She'd never seen him like this. Lisa's chest tightened, but she wanted to argue back.
"The one who doesn't understand is you, Kyle! I know you're scared, and suffering, but you smile and pretend you're fine all alone. That's why I wanted to know. Your work, your past—everything."
Kyle looked at her as if struck.
"...What did Margaret tell you?"
"About Project Remnant. And about your ex-girlfriend."
Kyle's expression twisted with indescribable pain.
"...That woman, honestly."
Kyle release
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