KOF: Rise of the King of Fighters

Li Mei got up and ran behind the counter, pulling out a bulging plastic bag filled with various packaged snacks: seaweed rolls, dried fish, chocolate pies, and several bags of potato chips.

He picked up a bag of potato chips, only to find that his hand was somewhat unresponsive.

He, who could calmly face the gangsters just moments before, now seemed somewhat at a loss under the gaze of a young girl.

[Damn it! How can a little girl like you flirt with me?]

"Is it delicious?" Li Mei sat to the side, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at Yan Yue with curiosity in her eyes.

"Brother Yan, you've been wearing a hat the whole time, what do you look like? Do you look like the male lead in a tokusatsu drama?"

Yan Yue wanted to explain that she was just afraid of her identity being exposed, but seeing the expectant light in Li Mei's eyes, she swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

"Just... normal appearance," Yan Yue said vaguely.

"Let me see the normal version too!" Li Mei persisted, moving even closer.

"Look how many snacks you've eaten from me, shouldn't I at least see the true face of my savior? Otherwise, how can I brag to others that my savior is a masked hero!"

Yan Yue sighed inwardly, unable to resist her pestering.

He knew that Li Mei had no ulterior motives, was just curious, and that he had indeed eaten quite a bit of her food.

"Okay." Yan Yue put down the snacks in her hand, took a deep breath, slowly raised her hand, and took off the old baseball cap on her head.

As the hat was removed, Yan Yue's true face was revealed.

Long-term training gave him sharply defined facial features, yet without an overly harsh or aggressive look. Instead, he possessed a youthful innocence and heroic spirit that fell between adolescence and youth. Coupled with his golden pupils, this made Yan Yue appear even more extraordinary.

Li Mei, who had been chattering away, suddenly stopped, as if a pause button had been pressed.

Li Mei's cheeks instantly turned bright red, the blush spreading from her ears all the way down to her neck, and she felt her heart pounding rapidly.

Although she had imagined what Yan Yue would look like before, she never thought she would be so...beautiful.

He was more handsome than any male lead in any tokusatsu drama she had ever seen. His gentle and serene yet still dazzling aura made it impossible for her to look away.

"You...you..." Li Mei opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but found that her tongue seemed to be tied in knots, and she couldn't squeeze out a complete sentence for a long time.

Yan Yue sighed and tried to put her hat back on, but Li Mei stopped her.

"No...don't wear it!" Li Mei looked up at him, mustered her courage, and then looked away shyly. "It looks great! Brother Yan, please don't wear a hat all the time!"

"No, I have many enemies, my life would be in danger..."

"Huh?" Li Mei quickly looked up, her eyes showing some disappointment. "Oh..."

"Alright, let's get down to business..." Yan Yue felt a little uncomfortable under her gaze, so she could only continue the previous topic.

"Um...isn't the boss here?"

He remembered Li Mei saying that the boss had been injured by gangsters, and he couldn't help but feel a little guilty. Since they had already beaten up the gangsters, if he left like this the next day, the laundromat would probably suffer even stronger retaliation.

When the boss was mentioned, Li Mei's smile faded, and a hint of anger flashed in her eyes.

"Those bastards from the Xuan Tie Gang came to collect protection money last week. The old lady said business was bad and she couldn't pay, so they smashed the shop to pieces and pushed her to the ground..."

She clenched her fists, her knuckles turning slightly white. "Grandma is old; she fell and couldn't get up. She's still in the hospital..."

Because I work at the laundromat, I was targeted by those thugs…

Yan Yue frowned, her eyes under the brim of her hat darkening, and asked, "The Xuan Tie Society... is it the power of the local financial magnates?"

Li Mei said through gritted teeth, "The Xuan Tie Society is indeed backed by the Que Clan financial group, and this area is also under the jurisdiction of the Que Clan financial group..."

I was planning to visit my grandmother at the hospital after closing the shop today, but they blocked my way in the hallway. Luckily, I ran into you.

"Have you considered what might happen next?"

Li Mei's face paled instantly. "You mean the Xuan Tie Society will continue to send people?"

"Of course they will, and they're mainly after you for revenge."

"I..." Li Mei was simple-minded and had never considered too many things afterward.

However, after Yan Yue said that, his face turned pale, and he was clearly frightened.

"The Xuan Tie Society said they wanted to offer you to the young master of a wealthy family..."

"Then... Brother Yan, what should I do?" Li Mei panicked and grabbed Yan Yue's arm, tears welling up in her eyes.

Yan Yue couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, "As expected! Girls' emotions change so quickly..."

"Hey... don't rush... don't rush..." Yan Yue couldn't stand seeing girls cry, so she quickly comforted them.

"How can I not be anxious... Although I'm not afraid of the Xuan Tie Society, I don't want to be tortured by them..."

Yan Yue quickly came up with a solution: "Don't you really like Taekwondo?"

"So, take me to Busan to find Kim Kaphwan, and I'll find a way to make him your teacher!"

Li Mei didn't understand Yan Yue's words at all and retorted, "What a joke? Making Master Jin my master..."

“That’s right…” Yan Yue prompted, “Kim Kap-bum is the most influential martial arts master in all of Korea. If Master Kim helps you, the Xuan Tie Society will definitely not dare to approach you again…”

Li Mei was still somewhat incredulous, "But... how could Master Kim possibly accept me as his apprentice..."

"Don't worry, even if he doesn't help you, I'm here. Actually, Kim Jong-un can't beat me, I'm just too busy..."

"How could that be? Don't brag! Kim Gwan-jang is my idol. I know his skills better than anyone. You're just better looking than him..."

Seeing Li Mei acting like a fool, Yan Yue couldn't help but smile wryly. [If Master Jin really won't help you, then I'll just wipe out the Xuan Tie Society when I have time...]

……

As night deepened, Li Mei laid out a blanket for Yan Yue in the warehouse.

She returned to her room and applied the medicine that Yan Yue had given her.

He took out paper and pen and, under the dim light, began to write a letter to the old lady who owned the shop.

She leaned over the table, writing carefully stroke by stroke, her face serious: "Grandma, I've offended the Xuan Tie Society. They'll come to arrest me, so the laundry shop is safe for now."

I'll be leaving in the next few days to find a helper; he'll definitely help us deal with the Xuan Tie Society...

When I get back, I'll make sure the shop is spotless, just like before..."

……

The next morning.

Li Mei changed her clothes.

She wore a short-sleeved shirt with a frog pattern, white sweatpants and sneakers, and sunglasses perched on her forehead. Her overall look was sunny and cheerful, radiating youthful energy.

She was also wearing a belt that exuded an overly chuunibyou (adolescent delusions of grandeur) vibe.

Li Mei carefully placed the letter in a prominent position on the counter.

She stood at the entrance of the laundromat, talking to herself with a serious expression and a childish tone.

"I am the righteous frog girl! I am a hero! I must defeat the Black Iron Society and save the laundromat and the old lady!"

Yan Yue watched her like this, and the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned up. "Alright, stop fooling around and let's get going."

Li Mei stuck out her tongue and followed Yan Yue on her journey to Busan.

Along the way, Li Mei chattered on and on, asking Yan Yue about Kim Kap-bum, sharing anecdotes about her Taekwondo training, and even mentioning tokusatsu dramas like Masked Hero.

This made Yan Yue feel that Li Mei in front of her was exactly the same as Shun Ying and Locke—a severely delusional teenager.

So, to pass the time, Yan Yue started talking nonsense in a serious manner.

Li Mei listened with great interest, just like a curious child.

"I do know one story about a hero, his name is Kamen Rider..." (Author: Applause, please!)