Olivia’s breath caught in her throat. She had totally forgotten, Kafka had been watching the entire thing.
He had seen her catch that man’s wrist, seen her fling him through the air like a sack of flour, seen his body slam against the ground.
Worse, he had seen her dislocate his shoulder and snap his ankle without hesitation, and she knew how brutal it must have looked.
She hadn’t minded showing that side of herself to the girls, after all, she wanted them to be inspired, to rember that strength could co in many forms, and that standing up against creeps like those two was possible.
But Kafka...Kafka was different. He was her son and also a man, and most n she knew didn’t take kindly to won who were too strong, too violent, too uncompromising.
A shiver of regret ran through her.
What if he thought she was monstrous? What if he saw her as dangerous, soone to be wary of rather than to love?
She even recalled, with a pang of horror, that their very first eting had involved her nearly stabbing him.
That mory crashed back now, layered over what she had just done, and she thought miserably, ’He must see as so unhinged, violent woman.’
She opened her mouth, desperate to explain herself, to soften his impression before it was too late.
"Ka-Kafi, I—"
But before she could say another word, he suddenly broke into a run towards her. Her heart clenched, terrified he was about to scold her, or worse, keep his distance.
Instead, he ca right up to her, eyes wide with innocent excitent, his voice bursting out like a fan who had just t his hero.
"Holy shit, Mom! What the hell was that?!"
Her lips parted in stunned silence.
"I an, what did I just see? One mont that guy was reaching for you, and the next, he was in the air! Just, fwoosh, all the way up, and then bam! Flat on his back!"
He gestured wildly, reenacting the throw with his arms, his whole face lit up as though he had just witnessed the climax of an action movie, while Olivia blinked at him, too stunned to respond.
Kafka pressed on, practically glowing.
"I swear, my brain couldn’t keep up for a second. I was about to step forward, y’know? Thought I’d have to handle it. But nope, you didn’t even need . You just handled everything like, like, god, Mom, you were so cool! So cool!"
Her eyes went wide, as this wasn’t the response she had expected at all.
"And not just the throw!" He grinned like a boy seeing fireworks for the first ti, hands flying as he spoke. "No, no, then you glared at that second guy, said like, three words, and he ran off like a pig! Just from your stare alone!" He laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. "How do you even do that?! I’ve never seen anything like it!"
Olivia’s heart skipped. He wasn’t horrified. He wasn’t angry. He wasn’t calling her violent. He was in awe.
Still, she couldn’t help but murmur, flustered.
"Kafu...are you not...put off by that? Doesn’t it seem...too violent?"
But in response he looked at her like she had just spoken nonsense to her surprise.
"Violent? What are you talking about, Mom? You did what you had to do." His tone was firm now, almost protective of her choice. "Those bastards deserved it. If anything, you went easy on them."
She swallowed, hesitant. "But...I even twisted his shoulder..."
Kafka only shook his head, eyes still gleaming.
"And it was perfect. The way you didn’t even hesitate, snapping his shoulder like it was nothing, like he wasn’t even worth your ti? Mom, you looked like you walked straight out of a movie."
"Honestly, my heart was racing so hard, I couldn’t even move. I wasn’t frozen out of fear, I was frozen because of how damn aweso you were."
Her face heated at his words, relief flooded her chest, and yet, alongside it, a strange new pride she wasn’t used to feeling.
He wasn’t done. "And if that wasn’t enough, you went from icy warrior to gentle mother in a matter of seconds. Talking to those girls, patting their heads, giving them advice, Mom, do you have any idea how incredible that looked?"
"...One mont you’re breaking bones, the next you’re inspiring them like so role model they’ll never forget."
Olivia’s lips parted, her usual timid words stuck in her throat, while Kafka leaned in, eyes glowing with boyish admiration.
"Every second of what you did just now, it was...so damn cool. I don’t think I’ve ever been so proud to be with you."
And for the first ti in a long, long while, Olivia, timid, awkward, easily flustered Olivia, felt her chest swell with sothing bright and powerful. Pride.
He wasn’t ashad of her. He was proud.
This was especially true since Olivia always thought Kafka would see her as timid, fragile mother, soone to be protected, soone too awkward to stand on her own.
That had been her cage for so long: the quiet girl, the anxious one, the one who scowled when anyone so much as looked at her.
But now, standing there under the weight of his wide-eyed admiration, she realized he wasn’t looking at her that way at all.
No, he looked at her like she was his hero.
That gaze gave her a rush unlike anything she had ever felt. Confidence swelled inside her chest, and before she could stop herself, she began boasting, stamring in that childish way she sotis did when she was nervous, yet still trying to sound composed.
"T-This is nothing, Kafi." She said, puffing her cheeks before letting out a tiny laugh. "Honestly, it’s nothing at all for . I told you before, didn’t I? I used to take martial arts classes back in college. I, I know a little bit of everything...tendo, sawata, even so kido. I’ve...mastered quite a lot of techniques."
Hearing this, Kafka’s expression only grew more dazzled, like a boy watching his favorite action star up close and that glow in his eyes made Olivia flush hot, and suddenly she wanted to pile on more.
"I-I even have trophies at ho."
She added quickly, her hands nervously fiddling with the hem of her dress as if to hide her own embarrassnt.
"A bunch of dals too. And if you’d like...you could see them. I-I wouldn’t mind showing them to you."
"Of course I’d love to!" Kafka blurted out without hesitation, practically bouncing on his feet. "I want to see all of them, Mom. And, oh God, you’d look so damn cool in a martial arts outfit. I can just imagine it already...Olivia, the warrior, my mother who’s a warrior."
Her face turned scarlet at the title, but she was secretly thrilled. His energy was contagious, and she leaned in, emboldened.
"Well...if you want, Kafi, I can even teach you so of the things I learned. You’re strong already, but sotis strength isn’t enough. If sothing dangerous ever happens again, technique can save your life. I could...show you."
"Really?" His whole body lit up with excitent. He actually hopped in place like a child who had just been promised his favorite toy. "You’d really teach ? Oh, please, you have to! Especially that move where you flipped that guy like he was weightless! Teach that first!"
"Of course." Olivia puffed up with pride, smiling wider than she had in weeks. "When we get ho, I’ll teach you everything I know."
"I can’t wait!" Kafka said, pumping his fists. "I want to learn everything, until I’m just as good as you!"
That earnest look made her chest feel warm, and for once she allowed herself to bask in her own pride.
Her beloved son wasn’t ashad of her. He wasn’t frightened by her...He was proud.
Then Kafka grinned and said,
"And you know...after seeing all that, I don’t even feel like I should be escorting you anymore, Mom. You’re too strong for that. I should be the one being escorted." He gave her a cheeky look, extending his hand. "So, what do you say? Will you be my knight? Hold my arm and escort instead?"
The request made her blink, stunned, before her face blossod again. But this ti, the blush wasn’t born of sha, it was pride, mixed with shy joy.
And just as he requested, she slowly, she lifted her arm and hooked it out for him, just as a knight would offer their hand to their lord to which Kafka imdiately slipped his arm through hers with a grin so bright it could have lit the whole street.
"Yes...Yes, this feels so much better. I feel completely protected now."
Olivia’s chest swelled at the words. For a fleeting, wonderful mont, she wasn’t the timid girl who avoided eye contact. She was his protector, his knight, and she liked the way it felt.
But then, as she looked down to check if he needed help carrying the shopping bags, sothing else caught her eye, and her heart skipped a beat.
There, obvious and impossible to miss through the fabric of his pants, was the stiff outline of a very real, very undeniable erection.
Olivia’s breath caught in her throat. Her eyes widened, and panic shot through her.
"K-Kafi! Y-Your pants, they’re—oh God, Kafi, you can’t walk around like that!" she hissed, flustered beyond reason.
And in response, he looked down casually, then back up at her with a completely unbothered smile.
"Oh, that? Don’t worry about it."
Her jaw dropped.
"D-Don’t worry about it?! What do you an don’t worry about it, Kafi?! H-How could you, how could that happen now of all tis?!"
Kafka just chuckled, scratching the back of his neck as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"It’s simple, Mom. I told you before, right? I’ve got a thing for strong won. Feisty, bold, capable...it drives crazy. So, watching you throw that guy around, seeing how fearless you were...honestly, it turned on more than anything else could."
She felt her heart lurch in disbelief. "Y-You’re kidding...that actually made you—? That..." Her voice caught as she glanced down again, cheeks burning hotter. "That...hard?"
"Rock hard." He admitted without sha, giving a little shrug. "I can’t help it. You looked too damn incredible. It’s just who I am, I guess. I like won who can scare the hell out of n like that. And Mom..." His grin softened into sothing almost boyish. "...you’ve never looked more amazing to than you did just now."
She blinked at him, utterly stunned.
Kafka...Her son Kafka was really was bizarre in every possible way.
And yet...sohow, in this very mont, she didn’t mind it.
Her embarrassnt faded into a warm, almost giddy smile as he leaned in slightly, murmuring.
"So...my knight...will you escort ?"
The words made her chest swell again. She straightened her back, slipped back into the role, and answered with all the pride she could muster.
"Of course, my lord...Anything for my darling son."
And with that, the two of them continued down the street, Olivia, this ti, walking tall with Kafka at her side, her arm linked with his like a knight protecting her lord.
...But sadly that mont was interrupted when those guys decided to co back with so other goons on hand this ti to teach Olivia a "lesson."
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