American comics farmer: start by adopting the villain savior.

Chapter 103 Salafir: Brother? Oh, he works at the club.

Chapter 103 Salafir: Brother? Oh, he works at the club.
The school bell had already rung.

The setting sun shone through the dusty windows, turning the dust particles floating in the air golden.

Clark slumped in the creaking swivel chair, like a fish just pulled from the water.

"Anyway, that's how it is," he concluded listlessly, his fingers unconsciously picking at the worn edges of his football wristband. "Dio simply wouldn't tell me, and threatened to beat me up if I asked again."

After a brief silence—

"Pfft!"

Pete was the first to lose his temper, and the camera almost slipped from his hand.

He hurriedly caught it, but his shoulders began to tremble uncontrollably.

Immediately afterwards, Chloe burst into unrestrained laughter.

She laughed so hard she almost fell over, her glasses sliding down to the tip of her nose: "So you really were scared back? Clark, the star running back on the football team, scared off by just one look from his own brother?"

Clark rolled his eyes in exasperation: "You guys didn't see his expression. It was like he wanted to tear me apart."

"Come on," Chloe wiped away tears of laughter, "you still can't do anything about your brother, as always."

“There’s nothing we can do.” Clark scratched the back of his head resignedly. “What can he do? He’s Dio.”

He stood up, grabbed his schoolbag, and slung it over his shoulder:
"I have to go pick Salafir up from school now. If that kid gets impatient, he'll probably go feed the squirrels again."

Watching Clark's hurried departure, Chloe suddenly raised her voice: "See you at the usual place tonight!"

"old place?"

Clark stopped at the door and turned around with a blank look on his face.

"The usual place?!" Pete was shocked. He jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "You guys wouldn't..."

"Of course, we're going to investigate the cake shop where Dior works!"

Chloe interrupted him impatiently, quickly tidying up the manuscripts on the table. "Are you really going to interrogate him?"

"correct."

She looked up, wanting to say something more, but only saw Clark's figure disappear around the corner of the corridor.

The tall rugby player waved from a distance, seemingly agreeing to the impromptu reconnaissance mission.

Pete let out a groan and slumped back into his chair: "I knew it. Every time Dior gets involved with you, it's never a good thing."

Nothing good is coming.
?
As Chloe watched Clark's retreating figure outside the window, a sly smile crept onto her lips.

Thanks, Dior

She murmured to herself, her fingertips lightly tapping the table, "This is the only good thing you've ever done."

Smallwell Elementary School's playground is always vibrant during lunch break, with children running around like a flock of cheerful birds.

But beneath the oldest, most leafy white oak, a strangely quiet area remains, as if an invisible barrier keeps the noise out.

Salafir Kent crouched beside the tree roots, carefully holding a few acorns in her small hands.

He wore that new outfit with the little dinosaur print on it today on purpose—

Aunt Martha brought it to him not long ago.

Not far away, a group of children were playing hopscotch with great enthusiasm. Their crisp laughter and leaping figures were as vibrant as sunshine, drifting over in gusts of wind.

"Hey…"

Salafir looked at them and took a deep breath.

He mustered his courage, took two steps closer, and tried to offer a friendly smile:

"Can...can we play together?"

As soon as the words were spoken, the little girl who was diligently drawing squares on the ground looked up.

But the moment she saw who it was, she cried out in surprise, as if burned by something invisible.

The chalk in his hand broke in two due to the sudden force.

The other children around seemed to receive some kind of silent alarm; their laughter stopped abruptly, and they instinctively took a few steps back, instantly creating an awkward and glaring vacuum around Salafir.

"S-Sorry..."

The little girl stammered, her eyes darting away, avoiding his gaze, "We...we have enough people...really..."

Salafir's outstretched hand slowly fell down, his fingers silently tightening. The rough shell of the acorn pressed against his soft palm, bringing a slight, painful sobriety.

He said nothing more, but silently retreated into the huge shade of the oak tree, sat down with his knees drawn up to his chest, and quietly watched the children quickly resume their playful antics, as if his question had been nothing more than an insignificant breeze that had never existed.

Just a short while ago, he was able to barely join in the game.

But lately, they've been avoiding themselves like mice encountering a cat.

"Brother? It's their instinct."

A chilling voice echoed deep within his eardrums: "They fear you. Like livestock instinctively fleeing from a wildfire."

"It's just about seeking advantage and avoiding harm, brother."

"but."

"As long as you wish, brother."

The voice of "Divine Capital" suddenly became shrill.

"I can make those ants never laugh again. Want to try? Just like I did to that tin toy."

"It's alright, God..."

Salafir shook his head inwardly, as if trying to soothe a volatile companion.

“At least… I still have you with me,” he added softly.

"."

"Brother."

"Can we please stop getting sentimental at this time?"

The voice of "Shen Du" suddenly turned helpless, "Show me some respect."

"whee."

Salafir gave a sly, quiet smile, as if he had won some game that only he knew about.

After all, my dad has been telling me bedtime stories every day to prevent me from having nightmares.

I will also comfort myself:

"Sarafil, there's nothing to worry about."

“He is your brother, my other son.”

"Our common family."

Do you feel like your left and right hands will fight each other?

"Your father may leave you someday, and Uncle Jonathan and Aunt Martha, even Clark and Dio may leave you."

"but"

“‘Divine Capital,’ that child will stay with you; nothing can separate you.”

Stretching, Salafir snapped out of her reverie.

He tilted his head back, looked at the oak tree's dense, canopy-like crown, put two fingers to his lips, and softly whistled a melodious tune.

After a while.
Then a round, gray squirrel nimbly slid down the tree trunk and affectionately rubbed against his fingers.

"And I have you with me, Little Grey."

Salafil poured the acorns onto the tree roots and watched the squirrels happily hoarding their food.

Stray cats and dogs on campus, and even birds perched on the railings, all like to be close to him.

The animals didn't look at him like he was a monster, but the others...
Several children passing by looked at Salafell, who was playing happily with the squirrel, with horror and quickly walked around her.
-
"Dingling bell~"

The school bell finally rang crisply, breaking the afternoon silence of the campus.

Salafir slowly packed her little schoolbag, watching the other children quickly gather into small groups like a tide, laughing and playing as they left the classroom.

Until the noise completely faded away.

Only then did he slowly sling his schoolbag over his shoulder, lower his head, and walk out of the empty teaching building.

However, when he saw Clark's tall and familiar figure appear at the school gate as always, his small body, which had been tense all along, couldn't help but relax.

"What's wrong, little one?"

Clark easily picked him up and held him in his arms, gently patting his back with his other large hand. "Did those naughty squirrels steal your snacks again today?"

"No, Little Gray is a good squirrel, it's just hungry."

Salafir shook his head, a muffled sound coming from his mouth.

He even paused for a moment before asking in a low voice:

"Brother Clark...am I...really strange? Different from everyone else?"

Clark's relaxed smile faltered for a moment.

He stroked his younger brother's soft black hair, his gaze sweeping over the children who were peeking over from a distance, then quickly averting their eyes or pulling their companions away hastily. He already understood most of what was going on.

“Sarafil”.

Clark lowered his voice and carried his younger brother slowly towards home:
“Listen, sometimes… for those who are special, who have a unique brilliance, the world needs more time to understand and accept them.” He paused, a barely perceptible sigh in his voice, “It takes a lot of patience.”

He has a deep understanding of this as well.

"A high-sounding lie."

"Shen Du" sneered, "I can clearly see he's afraid of you too. Everyone is the same, except for Father."

Ignoring the voice that flashed through her mind, Salafir nodded.

"Then let's go home."

Clark smiled and gently supported the little one in his arms.

The setting sun cast long shadows of the two of them, which swayed and intertwined on the dusty country road.

Salafir lowered her head, watching the dandelions by the roadside being blown by the wind, drifting away like little white umbrellas into the distance.

Clark secretly observed his younger brother's profile.

Those usually bright, dark eyes were now misty, and her long eyelashes drooped, casting a faint shadow on her cheeks.

Ugh.
“Sarafil”.

Clark couldn't help but speak, his voice softer than usual, tinged with a cautious probing:
"You're still unhappy, aren't you?"

The little boy sitting in his arms hesitated for a moment, then
He nodded slightly, and sure enough.
Clark was somewhat troubled.

A five-year-old's world should only consist of candy and rainbows, not these heavy worries.

He recalled that when he was that age, although he had also encountered trouble because of his special abilities, at least...
He also has Dior.

"correct."

"Brother Clark?"

Salafir looked up at him earnestly and said, "Don't tell Daddy."

"Are we going to keep it from Uncle Locke again?"

"Dad will worry."

The little boy said softly, with a maturity beyond his years, “He’s already very tired from doing farm work.”

"how about you?"

Clark felt a slight tug at his heart.

He knelt down and placed Salafir on the ground, then looked directly into his brother's clear yet confused eyes. "Don't you feel sad bearing all this alone?"

"It's alright." Salafir forced a smile, but the curve of her lips looked strained. "Brother, didn't you say I was a special person?"

He mimicked Clark's tone when he comforted him, but this only made Clark feel worse.

"and"

The little boy's eyes suddenly lit up, as if he had found a perfect example. "Brother, your legs go weak whenever you're near Lana, but you still get along well with her, don't you?"

Clark sighed, "That's different."

"It's okay, I think."

Salafir continued speaking to himself, a renewed hope rekindling in his dark eyes.

"Over time, people will gradually accept me."

“Sarafil.”

Looking at this tiny child who barely reached his knees, he saw him struggling to process the pain of rejection with his naive logic.
Clark's voice suddenly choked up.

He felt as if something heavy was pressing down on his chest, making it hard to breathe.

"Ding~"

The sound of cowbells ringing out from the farm as cows returned to their pens could be heard in the distance, startling a flock of sparrows.

Watching the birds fluttering into the sky, Clark suddenly made up his mind.

"Sarafil, perhaps"

He took a deep breath, his fingers unconsciously tightening their grip on the backpack straps. "You have no problems."

The little boy blinked in confusion.

"Although I promised Dior I would keep it a secret."

Avoiding those pure eyes, Clark's gaze fell on a clump of trampled wildflowers by the roadside: "Actually, it was Dio."

He should have said it long ago—

The strange looks and the cautious fear never originated from his innocent and naive younger brother, Salafir.

As the sun gradually sank below the horizon, twilight enveloped the fields like a gentle blue veil.

“You know what?” Clark picked up a foxtail grass and unconsciously twirled it, “the year you learned to walk, you really liked a black and white dinosaur doll, and you even slept with it.”

Salafir shook his head blankly, the small dragon embroidery on the cuff of his Tang suit swaying gently with his movements.

"One day, I'll take you to play near our home."

"But in the short time I took some time to help Grandpa Bob carry some hay, you were deliberately pushed into a mud puddle by a few big kids."

Clark's voice became filled with helplessness.

As dusk fell, crickets began to chirp under the barn.

"By the time I realized it, it was too late."

Clark gazed at the lights of the town in the distance and continued, "Dior may have just happened to be passing by at the time."

He paused, as if the memory was still fresh.

He went over, picked you up, wiped your face clean, and then took the mud-covered doll away.

"It was stuffed into the mouth of the fat guy in the lead."

Upon hearing this, even Salafir's eyes widened in surprise.

My elegant and polite older brother could actually have such a rude side?!

"Then it's time to go home after school the next day."

Clark smiled wryly, "I don't know what method your brother used."

"He 'invited' all the children in town who were over five years old and whose names he knew to the back of an abandoned mill."

The evening breeze suddenly turned a bit cool, rustling the corn leaves beside it.

"I don't know exactly what happened."

"But according to Pete, who happened to pass by and overheard a few words while hiding in a haystack,"

"Dior stood there, like a golden devil."

He said one thing—

“Remember this: if I ever see my brother lose a single hair again, I’ll stuff you all into that rusty feed grinder in the old mill, one by one, and start testing you from the lowest power setting! I mean what I say.”

“From then on, Smallwell’s children subconsciously kept their distance from you.”

Dusk completely enveloped the fields until the first star lit up the horizon.

Salafir remained silent for a long time, so long that Clark thought he was terrified by the legend of Smallville.

"so."

The little boy finally spoke, his voice as soft as a feather, "Everyone is avoiding me because..."

“They don’t hate you, Salafir.” Clark gently put his arm around his brother’s shoulder. “They’re probably just terrified of Dio because of all the rumors.”

"Your brother built a wall for you that no one dares to cross."

Salafir stood quietly on the lawn, the evening breeze ruffling his soft black hair.

Clark watched his brother's reaction nervously, already prepared to offer comfort.

after all
Anyone would be sad to hear that they were treated like a monster and avoided like the plague since childhood, right?

However, the expected crying did not occur.

Instead, a bright ray of light slowly illuminated Salafir's dark eyes.

The light grew brighter and brighter, finally transforming into an incomparably radiant smile, illuminating the twilight like a sunflower suddenly blooming.

"So that's how it is," he said softly, a smile involuntarily creeping onto his lips.

It was as if some heavy burden had been lifted, and its whole little body swayed easily.

Clark was stunned: "Aren't you angry?"

"Why are you angry?"

Salafir turned her head, her eyes sparkling with pure joy. "I thought Brother Dio, like everyone else, thought I was strange."

His voice was filled with joy, "I never knew he'd been protecting me all along!"

"Like a dragon guarding a treasure, right? Even if the way it's done isn't very good."

Clark looked at his younger brother's radiant face and suddenly smiled with relief.

What are you worried about?

This is Salafir, after all.

She would shed tears for an injured bird and share her snacks with stray cats.
He was the kindest child in all of Smallville.

"What are you going to do?"

Clark ruffled his brother's hair. "Should I go talk to Dio?"

He is ready for battle.

"do not want!"

Salafir quickly shook his head, then winked slyly:

"This is a secret between me and my brother Dior. And..."

"Now that I know the reason, I can figure out a solution myself!"

“Thank you for telling me, Brother Clark. But…” Salafir made a closure gesture, “Don’t tell Brother Dio I know, it’s a secret between the three of us!”

"You little devil."

Watching his younger brother skip and hop towards the house, Clark couldn't help but chuckle.

“Really”

He smiled, shook his head, and followed.

What am I worried about?

"By the way, Salafir."

"what happened?"

"I'm going to the town later."

"Going on a date?"

"What are you talking about!"

"Oh, are you going to prepare a birthday present for Dad?"

"It's still early, Salafir. Next week is Harvest Festival, the week after that is Homecoming Festival, and the week after that is Uncle's birthday."