‘What am I even doing here?...’ Ian sighed to himself while questioning his life's purpose. 

Under a violet sunset, two people were walking down a crowded street surrounded by towering skyscrapers. One was a young boy in a baggy blue t-shirt covered in strange red stains (blood lol), and the other was a tall beautiful woman. They were holding hands in a way that made them look like a lovely mother and son out for an evening stroll.

…Nothing could have been further from the truth.

Noticing the stares from the people passing by, Ian struggled desperately against the smiling woman’s strong grip. He'd only met her a couple of minutes ago and yet the lady had demanded him to be her son! The absurdity of the situation was comparable to a poorly written novel!

‘She’s a stranger! A suspicious stranger who I don’t even know the name of! I’m being kidnapped! Get a hold of yourself, Ian! You’re getting kidnapped for fricks sake!'

Ian tried his best to reach out to his common sense but failed miserably due to the soft sensation that was currently enveloping his right hand. He had never experienced such a feeling before and was deeply disturbed by how much he was actually starting to enjoy it. The intense but soft warmth of the delicate palm was already making him lose his mind. 

‘What is this witchcraft? Is her ability hypnosis?’ The poor boy could only follow the whims of the strange woman, and so they walked for another ten minutes before arriving at a family restaurant. He was surprised by their sudden destination but he didn’t question it as he was undoubtedly very hungry.

The moment Ian went inside, he was bombarded by warm orange lights. They were arranged in circular patterns and flooded the entire space with a cozy atmosphere. The wooden style of the furniture also exuded a hearty vibe which offered a fresh breath of air for the city folk who grew up with streets dominated by skyscrapers. Ian was whisked away by the suspicious lady towards a table in a quiet corner of the restaurant. 

If it was up to him, he would’ve gone to a local steakhouse instead, but after adapting to the calming aura for a few minutes, he concluded that this was also fine. It was a new experience and he would welcome any type of food as long as it was delicious. If the strange woman could offer such services, then he wouldn’t mind staying for a few hours. 

And to pay her back for 'kidnapping' him, Ian decided to order only the most expensive dishes! The food was coming from her pocket in the first place, so why not let loose?

‘I’ll eat until she's broke, and by the time she realises, I’ll already be halfway across London!’

Or at least, that was the plan....

One hour later, a stack of empty plates had grown to the height of a small child and there was still a pile of uneaten dishes in front of him. The list of foods that he had already devoured was endless, consisting of roast beef, curry, meat pies, and a whole bunch of local delicacies. Ian felt like his stomach was about to explode, but he could still see the chef staring directly at him behind the kitchen windows. The chef was in the middle of grilling another steak with a flashy fire ability coming out of his hands, and his eyes were filled with intense determination. 

"There is no way such a little boy can eat that much. I’ll make his stomach explode! Mwahahaha!!!"

In the chef’s previous life, he had probably been a super-villain. Ian felt a cold chill run down his spine. He had been utterly crushed. Even if his stomach could expand twice its size, he still wouldn’t be able to finish everything before the woman in front of him ran out of money. 

The lady smiled at the little boy who looked like a drowning seal and laughed shyly.

‘Curse you, you vicious woman!’ Ian wanted to shout aloud, but he held back after nearly vomiting. However, despite his uncontrollable urge to puke, he had to admit that the strange lady was rich. The thugs from before couldn't compare in the slightest.

"Are you finished?" She giggled while tilting her head in a cute fashion.

"Urghh," Ian could only groan in reply.

Throughout the meal, the lady introduced herself as Cherie Rose. She said that she had only come to London half a year ago and was living a modest life as a normal bookstore owner downtown. However, Ian still doubted her proclaimed occupation because a normal bookstore owner wouldn’t be able to summon a human-sized shield out of nowhere. 

‘Yup, definitely still suspicious.’ 

Either way, he couldn’t run away anymore like he planned to because his stomach was about to burst. Maybe that was Cherie’s plan all along, but he would never find out anyway.

"Cherie, why did you bring me here?" Ian decided to get to the point.

"Why? You’re here for dinner, of course! How could I bring you home with an empty stomach?"

"Home?" Ian couldn’t understand what she was saying. 

"Yes! You'll be living with mummy now, so just leave it all to me!"

"Wh-Wh-WHAT!? What in the world? When did I ever agree? I refuse! I’d rather go back to the streets!" 

"Awww, poor thing, living without a proper home. You must have been so lonely and cold. It’s okay now. I’m here. Mummy's here." 

Cherie sniffled with watery eyes as if she was looking at something pitiful.

"No! How could I live with someone so suspicious? We only met two hours ago!" 

"Oh, don’t worry about that. I used to work for the government in national security, so there’s no need for you to question me. Poor thing, it must’ve been so hard not trusting anyone." 

"Stop looking at me like that! And how did someone as suspicious as you come from national security?"

Cherie proceeded to take out a golden badge and an identification card that listed her as an operative of the International Hero Association, a highly prestigious organization that saved the world from ending plenty of times. And on the badge was a name printed in bold letters: Cherie Rose.

Ian had often seen the exact same type of badge on the internet, but it was his first time seeing one in real life.

"Mhm. I used to be a superhero, ya know!" Cherie put her arms on her hips proudly and puffed up her chest which only emphasised her ample breasts even more.

Ian was dumbfounded by the massive bomb that had just been dropped onto his common sense.

’Damn…. This crazy woman...’

“Cherie, you can’t expect me to just go along with this right? Even if you were a superhero you’re still a complete stranger! Sorry, but I’m leaving.”

Ian got up from his seat and started walking towards the exit. He didn’t have the mental strength to to deal with Cherie’s antics any longer and becoming someone’s adopted son was not on his list of priorities. Learning from his past mistakes, Ian was resolved to never agree to her wish.

Cherie on the other hand was expressing concern for the first time since they met.

“Wait, Ian! We haven’t even gotten to the main point yet!”

Licking his fingers clean, Ian ignored the flustered woman and trudged into the cold streets. Cherie was still squealing and reaching out with all of her might but before she could even stand, Ian had left.

“I still have something to tell you!” Cherie cried out in a panic but the only reply she received was from the whistling wind.

‘I should’ve just told him. I should’ve just told him straight away instead of all that mummy stuff! Urrgghhhuuuu! Why couldn’t I just say it?! Please dont go. Pleaaaaaseee! No, pleeeasee!’ Cherie didn’t care about the watchful gazes of those around her and whimpered in her seat all alone. 

Without looking back, the young boy disappeared into the night. 
‘I probably won’t see her again, but damn… what a strange woman. I wonder why she wanted to be my mother so desperately.’

Meanwhile, the chef who had just witnessed the scene raised an eyebrow with a stunned face. “Did she just get dumped by a little boy?…. What a strange world we live in, huh.”