Kryptonians: Man of Steel

Chapter 1546 Failure of Waiting for a Rabbit to Fall into a Trap
However, that glimmer of expectation, like the most stubborn vine, even though it was severed by the axe of reason, seemed to still have its delicate roots hidden deep in her consciousness, occasionally bringing a subtle, imperceptible throbbing that made her even more restless in the gaps between her focused attention on the sounds at the door.

This made her wait not only a patient hunt, but also a battlefield of intense inner conflict.

The cold resolve and the absurd, despised expectation tore at each other, filling every minute and every second of waiting with complex tension.

Time passes mercilessly.

The hands of the wall clock seemed to be held back by the thick darkness of night, moving slowly, one tick at a time.

Midnight had long passed.

Her stomach began to protest in a low, guttural way, the empty, cramping sensation a reminder of her missed dinner.

Even more overwhelming was the overwhelming fatigue.

The daytime teaching, club activities, and handling of student issues, coupled with the anxiety and insomnia caused by the "rose incident" last night, had already exhausted her energy reserves.

At this moment, weariness, like a heavy tide, was crashing against the dam of her willpower wave after wave.

My eyelids felt like they were filled with lead, and every blink became extremely difficult.

She pinched her thigh hard, the sharp pain instantly waking her up a bit, but soon, a deeper drowsiness enveloped her again.

Her body began to sway slightly uncontrollably, and her head slowly began to fall.

The cold resolve and absurd expectations were still tearing at her mind, but the main body of this tug-of-war—her consciousness—was gradually becoming blurred, eroded by a physiological, overwhelming sense of distress.

"I can't sleep... I absolutely can't..."

She murmured to herself, her voice sounding particularly faint in the quiet office.

She tried to stand up and move around, but her legs, which had been curled up for hours, were numb, like two wooden stakes that had lost all feeling.

She could only lean against the wall in vain, struggling against the overwhelming sleep.

Consciousness was like a kite with a broken string, sometimes drifting far away, and sometimes being pulled back a little by her with her last bit of strength.

Without realizing it, that door, that bouquet of roses that might appear, that mysterious flower delivery person... all these thoughts gradually sank into the chaotic darkness.

Her breathing became even and long, and her head tilted weakly to one side, leaning against the cold wall.

The last vestiges of the city's hustle and bustle outside the window have subsided, leaving only the monotonous, rhythmic ticking of the clock's second hand, as if counting down the hours to this failed vigil.

……

A sharp, chaotic, boiling-water-like clamor violently pierced the deep barrier of sleep.

Hiratsuka Shizuka jolted, her body jerking involuntarily.

Severe pain!

Like countless red-hot steel needles, they suddenly burst forth from her curled-up, numb legs and stiff spine, causing her to gasp and almost cry out.

It took her several seconds to pull her scattered consciousness back to reality from the abyss of dreamlessness.

"I... fell asleep?!"

This realization was like a bucket of ice water poured over her head, instantly waking her up completely.

My heart was pounding wildly in my chest, drumming against my ribs.

Frustration and terror instantly gripped her throat. She looked up sharply at the door—it was tightly shut, just as it had been before she "fell asleep."

But the view outside the window made her heart sink: the blinding, golden sunlight mercilessly pierced through the glass, cutting the office floor into bright spots of light.

Dust particles in the shadows of the corner danced clearly in the beam of light.

Its daybreak!
At the crucial moment when she was waiting for her prey to come to her, she fell into a deep sleep, just like a completely unsuspecting recruit!
She tried to stand up immediately, but her body wouldn't obey her commands.

From my hips to my ankles, it felt as if all my muscles and bones had been removed, leaving only a heavy, cold, and unbearably aching, numb, and swollen pain.

The sensation was like countless ants gnawing at her nerve endings, or like thousands of tiny electric needles piercing through her flesh.

Every attempt to move his toes triggered a violent spasm.

She gritted her teeth, beads of cold sweat forming on her forehead, and futilely rubbed her numb thighs and stiff calves with both hands, trying to awaken the sluggish nerves.

The cold wall pressed against her back, intensifying the chill.

She could only move her ankles and bend her knees little by little, like a clumsy puppet. Every tiny movement was accompanied by excruciating pain and irritating tingling.

Time seemed to drag on endlessly amidst the pain. A full half hour passed before the bone-deep numbness slowly dissipated like the receding tide, and my legs finally regained some feeling, though they were still weak and sore, as if I were walking on cotton.

She leaned against the wall and stood up very slowly and with a limp, each step straining her aching muscles and nerves that had not yet fully recovered.

She practically dragged herself toward her desk, which was piled high with homework and textbooks.

The sunlight was so bright that she squinted.

Then, she was completely stunned.

As if struck by an invisible hammer, her body instantly froze in place, even the excruciating leg pain seemed to be frozen.

In the center of her desk, where she had cleaned up yesterday, a bouquet of blooming roses now stands quietly, even with a touch of ostentation!

The bright red petals shimmered with a velvety sheen in the morning light, full and delicate, exuding a rich, slightly aggressive fragrance that instantly overwhelmed the original smell of paper and ink in the office.

The green stems and leaves stand tall and straight, carefully trimmed, wrapped in elegant matte paper, and tied with a deep red ribbon.

The third bundle!
This is the third bouquet of roses!

It was like a cold and mocking slap on her tired face.

"When?! How did you get in?!"

Hiratsuka Shizuka felt a chill run from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, and her scalp tingled.

She was clearly standing behind the door last night!

Although she was asleep, she was subconsciously on edge. Logically, any sound of a door opening, no matter how slight, should have woken her up!
Unless... the other party has the key?
Or does it possess some kind of ghostly, silent ability?
Or perhaps... I really do sleep like a rock?
This idea made her feel humiliated and deeply frustrated.

Regret, like a poisonous vine, instantly entwined her heart, suffocating her.

Dejected, a wave of exhaustion and frustration overwhelmed her.

Like a gambler who had lost everything, she staggered and slumped into her office chair, the wheels of which groaned softly.

Waiting for the rabbit to run into the tree stump, setting up a tight net, ultimately all efforts were in vain, and they didn't even catch a glimpse of the other party.

(End of this chapter)