The Tramp

Mr. Reynolds suddenly said he had an interview to cover that afternoon and left The Daily Planet in a hurry. Before leaving, he told Jay not to wait for him if he hadn't returned by the end of the day. So, Jay tidied up a bit and left the newspaper office, marking the end of his first day of internship.

It was already evening, and a hint of sunset was painting the sky. The sun gradually disappeared behind the clouds, becoming invisible. The remaining sunlight dyed the clouds a fiery color. Jay walked out of the building, feeling the entire street was warm from the sun, and an involuntary sense of joy filled him.

He carried his briefcase, walking home with a cheerful heart. His mind wandered aimlessly, but he couldn't shake off Kara's image. For six whole years, he felt as if an invisible wall separated him from all other normal people. Most people who knew him thought he was aloof and difficult to get along with, simply because he was too exceptional.

Every time school ended, while other classmates walked in groups, Jay would be seen walking alone on the road. His tall figure cast a long shadow in the sunlight, and they couldn't help but point and whisper, seeing him as a towering, distant presence, unattainable and only to be looked up to. But they didn't know that for Jay, it was those groups chatting idly and making crude jokes that he envied.

Kara Kent's appearance made him feel for the first time in six years that he wasn't alone. He couldn't wait to talk to her, about how she managed her double life, how she integrated into ordinary society. He had so many questions.

But how should he explain it? Float to her window in the middle of the night and tell her that he was also a Kryptonian?

Okay, that sounded incredibly stupid, and he wasn't even sure if he was a Kryptonian.

As he was lost in thought, a faint disturbance reached his ears. What sounded like the chaotic shouts and sobs of children, along with the sounds of scuffling and commotion, drifted on a gentle breeze. It seemed to be at least a street away; without super-hearing, it would have been impossible to catch.

Jay stopped in his tracks. After a moment of hesitation, he decided to follow the sound.

It was in a secluded, deserted corner of Central Park. The scene that greeted him was much as he had imagined. A group of larger, tougher kids had pinned a young boy in black to the ground, raining blows upon him while muttering curses. The boy in black hugged his head, helpless against the bullying, showing no sign of resistance.

It was an infuriating situation, but not an uncommon one.

However, since he had seen it, Jay felt he couldn't just ignore it. He walked forward and sternly shouted, stopping the brutes' actions, and shielded the poor boy. The boy, with his wide, tear-filled eyes, shrank behind him. The bullies, somewhat intimidated, didn't press further. Instead, they spat out threats of "You just wait!" before scattering.

Jay turned around, smiled, and gently pressed the boy's forehead. "There, you're safe now."

The boy's eyes widened, and he remained silent, still sobbing. He looked utterly terrified. Jay led him to a street across from the park and bought him a cup of hot chocolate. Only then did the boy manage to stop crying, but he didn't say a single word until they parted ways, not even a "thank you."

As Jay watched the boy walk away, clutching the warm cup, a voice sounded from behind him: "So, you really are a good person."

The voice was cold and deep, its tone strangely reminiscent of a broken violin string. He turned around and found a disheveled tramp in the dark corner. His hair was matted, his messy style resembling a bird's nest, and his jeans, seemingly scavenged from a dumpster, were covered in patches. He was almost a part of the dark, dirty corner. Jay hadn't even realized he was there until he spoke.

"You must feel pretty good right now," the tramp said. "Feel like a hero?"

Jay frowned slightly. "I just did what needed to be done. I happened to be passing by and saw a good deed that required minimal effort. I had the ability to stop this child from being bullied, so I couldn't stand by and do nothing. It's that simple."

"Hmph, so simple indeed," the tramp scoffed. "If only there were such simple things in this damn world."

Jay found the disheveled man utterly baffling. Perhaps he shouldn't waste his time arguing with him, but deep down, for some inexplicable reason, he felt compelled to set things straight. "It sounds like you were watching the whole time," he said, displeased. "You could have stopped the child from getting beaten further, but you just sat there in your little corner watching the show?"

"Because it's meaningless, and it's not really helping the child," the tramp said calmly. "You chase them away today, and they'll be back tomorrow, perhaps even beating him harder to make up for the ruined fun today."

"You mean what I did was meaningless?"

"Worse. You gave the child false hope, which will only make him fall harder next time."

Jay felt a surge of annoyance. He thought the tramp was being deliberately obtuse, yet he couldn't pinpoint exactly where his reasoning was flawed. He could only shake his head. "You're too pessimistic."

"And you're too optimistic," the tramp said, pausing. "You remind me of an old friend."

"Then he must have been a good person."

The tramp fell silent for a moment. Jay rarely saw a faint trace of sadness in his cloudy eyes, like that of an old man who had seen too much.

"He was," he said. "Much better than me, but he's dead."

Jay blinked. He suddenly felt that this tramp must have many stories hidden behind him.

"I'm sorry," he said.

The tramp shook his head, closed his eyes, seemingly resolved to say no more.

What a peculiar fellow.

Jay thought to himself and left without another word. The tramp sat in the corner, staring intently at his retreating back, his gaze flickering incessantly until Jay disappeared at the end of the street, leaving no trace.