Why Does This Man Have Three Golden Donuts on His Head?

In the blink of an eye, a month quietly passed.

Under Locke's attentive care, Dio finally recovered and was discharged from the hospital.

Although the kid had been bouncing around full of energy the whole time, Locke had forcibly kept him pinned to the hospital bed.

During that time, Clark, Jonathan, and Martha took turns helping Locke care for the stubborn blond boy.

Even Anthony found time to visit once, bringing a basket of fresh fruit and an exaggerated greeting:

"Oh, my little hero! You scared me to death!"

However, Lex Luthor never appeared.

Perhaps Lionel was still shaken by the incident and feared his son might suffer another accident, or perhaps the Luthor family's affairs were simply too busy.

But Locke did not care about that—after all, LuthorCorp had already covered all of Dio's medical expenses. They had arranged the highest-class VIP room, and even his daily meals were specially prepared by top chefs.

And according to Jonathan, LuthorCorp had also stepped into the dispute between their farm and the insurance company.

The insurance company's manager had decisively given them a large sum in compensation on the grounds of falling objects from above.

That money was enough to match an entire quarter's crop purchase orders for Jonathan and Locke's farms.

Of course.

This was merely Lionel's goodwill. They could not take it for granted.

Besides, if Dio kept eating food made by top chefs, his tastes would soon be completely spoiled. Locke would not be able to afford feeding him then.

So, today.

The sunlight was just right, and the breeze was gentle.

Dio stood at the hospital entrance, squinting up at the long-unseen Kansas sky.

He wore a short-sleeved shirt, his blond hair gleaming beneath the sun. The wound on his collarbone had long since healed, leaving behind only a faint scar.

Locke patted his shoulder. "Come on, brat. We're going home."

Dio curled his lips, but unlike usual, he did not argue. He merely gave a soft hum.

In the distance, Jonathan's old pickup slowly drove over. Clark stuck his head out the window and waved excitedly.

"Dio! Mom brought your favorite blueberry pie!"

Dio rolled his eyes, but the corners of his lips rose slightly despite himself.

The afterglow of sunset spilled over the wooden house at Kent Farm as the old pickup rattled down the gravel road and into the yard.

Martha and Jonathan exchanged a knowing glance. The moment Dio got out, they each grabbed Clark from one side when he tried to follow.

"Come on, Clark."

The woman gently but firmly pulled her son by the arm. "It's time for us to go home."

"?!"

"But I want to—"

Clark stared longingly at Dio's retreating back.

"Enough, Clark." Jonathan slung an arm around the boy's shoulders. "Your Uncle Locke and Dio need some time alone."

The pickup started again and carried the three of them toward the nearby farm.

Dio raised an eyebrow. "They're pretty tactful."

"You brat." Locke laughed as he scolded him and pushed open the front door. "Go take a shower and change. I'll make dinner."

"Okay, Dad." Dio licked his lips, clearly already looking forward to it.

So when he emerged from the bathroom, toweling his wet blond hair, he caught the enticing aroma drifting through the entire living room.

The dining table was filled with his favorite dishes—

Slow-roasted beef ribs drizzled with black pepper sauce, golden crispy onion rings piled into a small mountain, and a steaming bowl of creamy corn chowder.

"Wow."

Dio whistled. "Dad, you didn't spend all that compensation money already, did you?"

"There's plenty left."

Locke gave a soft snort. Compared to those ten thousand dollars, this was barely anything.

"Enough nonsense." He poured apple juice into two glasses. "Sit down and eat."

The candlelight flickered across the table, adding a touch of warmth to the long-awaited time alone between father and son.

Dio cut into his ribs and suddenly spoke. "That... medical bill."

Clearly, he really had been worrying about whether the compensation money had run out.

"LuthorCorp paid it all." Locke took a sip of juice. "But the little Luthor you saved never showed up again."

Dio's fork scraped lightly against his plate. "Who cares about that brat?"

Outside the window, night gradually blanketed the fields around Smallville.

Watching his son's quiet profile in the candlelight, Locke suddenly realized that the little bastard who was always causing trouble seemed to have grown up a little.

"Dio." Locke put down his utensils. "About that day in the cornfield."

"Dad." Dio interrupted him, his red eyes gleaming strangely in the candlelight. "I discovered something."

"What?"

"The World..." Dio's voice carried suppressed excitement. "It seems like it can stop time!"

"..."

"And how long do you think it lasts?"

"One to three seconds, maybe? It felt pretty long to me."

"Is that so?" Locke could not hold back a smile.

It seemed the kid still was not very sensitive to time. In reality, he could only stop it for 0.1 seconds.

"Dio."

Locke set down his glass and clasped his hands beneath his chin.

"Hmm?"

The blond boy kept cutting his ribs without looking up.

"Listen to me." Locke spoke softly. "You saved that stranger. Even knowing it was dangerous, you still chose to protect someone weaker than you. That is precious."

Dio's red eyes flickered, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously rose.

"But."

Locke changed his tone. "I have to tell you what real courage is."

"Huh?" Dio's smile froze on his face. "What do you mean, old man? Didn't a miracle happen in the end? Aren't we all alive?"

"But, Dio."

Walking to his son's side, Locke placed a large hand on Dio's shoulder. His voice suddenly caught.

"As your father, I don't want you to have that kind of courage."

"I'm sorry that I taught you such difficult things when you were so young."

"Let's talk about miracles first."

"A so-called miracle only counts when it is possible to happen and you have enough strength of your own."

"I hope that unless you are truly at the end of your rope, you never place your hopes in such intangible things."

"After all, even if a student who never attends class or does homework gathers the courage to take an exam, all that awaits him is failure."

The wind outside the window suddenly fell still.

Dio stared at his distorted reflection in the apple juice. The scar on his collarbone and the star-shaped birthmark faintly burned.

He remembered the deadly red light in the cornfield, Lex's terrified scream, and the boiling, almost reckless fighting spirit that had surged within him in that instant.

Dio was silent for a long time.

At last, he looked up, complicated light shining in his red eyes. "So you're saying I should have left that person behind?"

"No."

Locke gently shook his head. "I'm saying that next time something like this happens, make sure you and the people around you are safe first, then find the most reliable way to help. That is the kind of—"

"Courage!"

"...So annoying."

Dio turned his face away, his blond hair falling over his expression. "Next time, I'll remember to memorize all that nonsense you said before I save anyone."

Laughing softly, Locke ruffled his son's soft blond hair.

"That's my son. Now—"

He turned and took a steaming little dish from the oven. "Try this. I came up with a new spicy apple pie."

"Spicy?!" Dio's disgusted expression was especially vivid in the candlelight. "Old man, have your taste buds finally completely died?"

"You little brat."

"Fine, just for tonight." Locke raised his glass. "To celebrate your discharge."

Dio grinned, revealing his sharp canine teeth. "To surviving a near-death experience?"

"To family being together again," Locke corrected him.

The father and son's laughter echoed beneath the farm's night sky.

In the distance, a shooting star streaked across the heavens. This time, it was pure gold, just like Dio's hair shining in the sunlight.

In the blink of an eye, summer vacation came to an end.

Locke returned from the fields with Clark and Dio, the heavy ears of wheat signaling that harvest season was near.

That was right, even Dio had been forced to join the labor force, sweating in the wheat fields every day—

After all, not using something as useful as a Stand to harvest oats would be a terrible waste.

Naturally, Clark was the same.

With his superhuman body, not using it to harvest oats would also be a terrible waste.

Clark was quite happy about it, though. It gave him an excuse to become a permanent fixture in Locke's household, letting him cling to Dio all day like a piece of gum that could not be shaken off.

Dio's assessment of this was—

"This guy is practically my second Stand. Once he sticks to you, you can never shake him off, and he'll even grow legs and chase after you himself!"

Watching the two boys play-fighting among the piles of wheat, Locke pressed a hand to his forehead. "All right, you two, stop messing around."

"Let's go inside first—"

"Hmm?"

The front door was not closed?

Raising a hand to stop the two children behind him, Locke's gaze sharpened.

Star Platinum flickered faintly into view behind him.

"Stay behind me."

Exchanging a glance with Clark, Dio silently stopped walking.

Locke slowly stepped forward and gently pushed open the door.

The first thing that hit his nose was a rich aroma of meat.

Locke knew that smell all too well.

It was the premium ribeye Dio had been saving, a top-grade steak that he would only take out and cook on special holidays.

Had that thief gotten hungry and made himself a meal?

"Haha... Hahaha!"

A hearty laugh came from the living room.

How arrogant!

This was absolutely intolerable!

Bang!

Locke violently shoved the door all the way open.

What greeted his eyes was a man with three golden donut-shaped rolls of hair on his head. He sat sprawled on the sofa, chewing steak while happily watching television.

Hearing the noise, the man actually turned around without a hint of embarrassment, even flashing a brilliant smile.

"Yo! Long time no see—"

"Grandpa Locke!"

"Oh? And Cafeteria Spicy Sauce is here too. Hahahaha, you're also—"

"Ciao~"