Chapter 4: CHAPTER 4

The afternoon training session lasted only half an hour, during which the rookie team scored an impressive 12 points. This was despite Clark intentionally holding back to avoid overpowering the game.

"Looks like I can just ride Little Superman's coattails!" Kaius sighed contentedly.

What delighted him even more was that, in just half an hour, his friendship with Clark had increased by another 5%.

On the other side of the field, the senior team couldn't hide their frustration. Originally, they were supposed to teach the newcomers how to play football, but instead, they were being outscored, which was a serious blow to their pride.

"I'll block Clark and try to take him down. Then we'll switch to the B formation," Whitney announced while arranging tactics. He had quickly realized that Clark was the key player for the rookie team. If they could neutralize Clark, they still had a shot at winning.

The game restarted, and Kaius passed the ball to Clark before falling back to play support. He had a smug look on his face, confident that his assist would help clinch another victory.

Suddenly, Whitney dashed out from the side and went for a slide tackle aimed directly at Clark.

Wow, this guy's got guts! Kaius thought, his respect for Whitney increasing slightly. Sliding into Superman—what a real warrior!

Clark, meanwhile, was riding the high of consecutive goals, fueled by Lana's cheers from the sidelines. He was practically floating on air.

However, Whitney's unexpected slide tackle caught him off guard. Clark knew he couldn't let Whitney touch him—otherwise, it'd be like colliding with a speeding truck.

And what happens when someone slides into a high-speed truck? Broken legs, at best.

"Oof!"

Clark instinctively stepped forward, narrowly avoiding Whitney's tackle. But the sudden movement threw him off balance, and he stumbled backward.

Who was behind him?

Kaius.

Kaius, who had been standing back and waiting to enjoy Whitney's failure, suddenly realized with horror that Clark was falling straight toward him.

If it were anyone else—even someone built like The Rock—Kaius might have tried to catch them. But this was Clark Kent, the future Man of Steel. Having a literal piece of steel fall on you was a death sentence.

Kaius's instincts screamed for him to move, but his reaction time wasn't on par with Superman's. All he could do was watch as Clark got closer and closer.

"Big brother, please don't kill me!"

That was Kaius's last thought before impact. The next second, there was the sickening sound of bones breaking, and Kaius found himself flying through the air.

It felt like being hit by a sports car going 120 mph.

"Oh no, Kaius!"

"What just happened?"

"God, his bones are broken! Call an ambulance! Dial 911!"

Kaius's consciousness wavered, but the mention of an ambulance jolted him. He knew all too well how expensive medical care was in America. The thought of the ambulance bill was enough to knock him out cold.

It's over for me. I'm done for.

What upset him most was that he wouldn't be able to visit Lana's house that evening to "help her with homework."

When Kaius finally regained consciousness, he found himself lying in a hospital bed.

The room was small, with just one bed. Sunlight streamed in through the open curtains, bathing the room in warmth.

"Thank God, you're awake!"

The voice came from a middle-aged man in a police uniform. His eyes were swollen, as though he hadn't slept all night.

Kaius recognized him immediately—it was his uncle, James Rogers.

Kaius tried to move but was met with excruciating pain. James quickly pressed him back down. "Don't move! The doctor said you've broken three ribs and your right arm. You need to rest."

"Uncle James," Kaius said weakly, "how long was I out?"

"You were unconscious for an afternoon and a night," James replied, sighing heavily. "Don't worry, I've informed the school, and you've been excused from classes."

James shook his head in frustration. "That Kent kid was too careless..."

Fortunately, injuries during football games are not uncommon, so no one suspected Clark of anything unusual.

"Don't blame him. It's football—bumps and injuries are inevitable. If anything, it's on me for being in poor health. I need to start exercising more," Kaius said, trying to brush it off.

Kaius wasn't going to blame Clark. For one, it wasn't intentional, and for another, he still had hopes for that Superman card!

As soon as he thought about the Superman card, Kaius closed his eyes and entered the system space.

He expected that this incident would improve his friendship level with Clark, but to his dismay, it had dropped to 30%.

"What the…!" Kaius's face turned pale, and he nearly coughed up blood in frustration.

Not only had he ended up hospitalized with serious injuries, but he'd also lost the chance to "help Lana with her homework." And now, his friendship with Clark had taken a nosedive.

I've truly lost everything!

The more he thought about it, the more it made sense, though. Clark was someone with a strong sense of responsibility. After this incident, he probably blamed himself for what happened and felt too guilty to face Kaius, leading to the drop in friendship.

Yeah, that must be it! It definitely isn't because he suspects anything between me and Lana, Kaius reassured himself.

Uncle James, hearing Kaius's words, gave him an approving nod. "Good, that's a healthy way to look at things. By the way, the flowers on your bedside were left by a little girl—probably someone from the Lang family!"

Kaius's heart skipped a beat.

"Yeah, she came by last night, along with the Kent family. They'll probably stop by again today," James added with a shrug.

As if on cue, footsteps echoed from the hallway. A moment later, the door opened, and a middle-aged couple walked in, followed by Clark, who had his head down, and Lana, holding a fresh bouquet of flowers.

"Sheriff Rogers, I'm so sorry for all the trouble this has caused," said the middle-aged man in a worn denim jacket as he stepped forward to shake James's hand. The two exchanged a few pleasantries before turning their attention to Kaius.

Kaius immediately recognized them as Clark's adoptive parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent.

Although Martha was middle-aged, her warm demeanor was captivating. She smiled kindly and placed a lunch box on the table beside Kaius. "Kaius, on behalf of Clark, I want to apologize. I made some soup for you. I hope it helps you recover quickly."

"Aunt Martha's soup is amazing!" Lana added cheerfully as she placed the flowers by Kaius's bedside. She then nudged Clark and gave him a subtle wink, urging him to say something.

Clark hesitated for a moment, clearly weighed down by guilt. He looked like he hated his powers—wishing, just for once, that he could be a regular high school student, playing sports and hanging out with friends without complications.

"Sorry," he finally mumbled.

Kaius sighed and turned to the group. "Can I have a moment alone with Clark? I have something to say to him."

Martha looked concerned. "Can't you say it in front of us?"

Before Kaius could respond, Jonathan stepped in. "It's fine, Martha. Let them talk. Clark, we'll wait outside."

Jonathan's calm leadership set the tone, and the group reluctantly exited the ward. Lana, however, pouted in protest. "What's so secretive that you can't say it in front of me?"

Kaius pretended not to hear her as the door closed behind them.