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I once saw him on the TV news. He was speeding past the streets, seemingly unfazed by criminals rampaging through the city. He defeated the bad guys with ease and then helped someone else with ease. He winked at the camera as the people around him cheered.
"Superboy seems to be doing well."
I looked up at my father's soft voice. He gently patted me on the head and turned back to the TV.
"I haven't introduced him to you yet. I'll ask him to come over next time. You could say that young man is like my alter ego. He's an undeniable hero who protects the city and helps people."
My father's face was very calm as he muttered this.
A large young man stood before Jon. Holding his mother's hand, he managed to look up, and the young man winked slightly. It was the same gesture he'd seen on TV.
"Superboy."
When he called his name, the young man nodded. Crouching down to his same height as Jon, his eyes were filled with the same blue as his father's.
"Hey, Jon. Clark told me you're lively, cute, and mischievous. How are you doing?"
"Of course!"
Jon replied cheerfully, and he smiled happily. He picked Jon up and gave him a loving pat on the head.
"You're so much cuter than I'd imagined. Okay, I'll make sure to satisfy John to the fullest today. Lois, Clark, I'm going to borrow him for a bit."
"Be back in time for dinner."
"Just don't overdo it."
He gave them both a thumbs-up and floated up into the air. Suddenly feeling himself floating, Jon clung to him.
"Huh? Oh, sorry. I guess flying wasn't the right thing to do."
"I'm not used to it yet. You look so happy flying, I'd really like to learn how to fly."
"That's nice to hear. But the truth is, I couldn't fly at first either. Clark did too."
"Superboy, the man who can do anything?"
"That's right. Even I, the perfect superhuman, started out as just a fledgling. By the way, Jon, I have another name besides Superboy that's important to me. What did Clark say?"
"He said he wanted to be introduced to me in person."
"Okay, that's typical of him. Now listen carefully, Jon."
His eyes were straight. They looked the same as Clark's, but a slightly paler blue. They were the same blue as the sky he was looking up at.
"I'm Connor Kent. On your father's home planet, Krypton, we're called Kon-El. Nice to meet you, Jonathan Samuel Kent."
Connor gently shook Jon's hand. Jon immediately shook his hand back. His gentle expression, a sight never seen on TV or in magazines, made his cheeks warm.
"Nice to meet you, Connor."
He gave Connor a tight hug. Connor's eyes widened at the sudden warmth, but he quickly tucked him into his chest. He resolved to protect this little boy, this smiling child, at all costs.
"Okay, let's play! We'll be there in a moment, so just keep your eyes closed."
Just as he'd promised, within a second, he felt the ground under his feet. He opened his eyes and saw balloons floating gently in front of him.
"Welcome to the theme park. Here's a little surprise."
Jon was captivated by Connor's customary wink. He picked up the colorful balloons and resolved to make the most of today.
The two enjoyed many events, including a merry-go-round, coffee cup rides, and a ranger show. Before they knew it, the setting sun was illuminating them.
"This is the last one. Where do you want to go?"
"Okay, I want to ride the Ferris wheel. I've always wanted to. I've been on it a few times, but this is the first time I've been on something that big!"
Connor took Jon's hand and in no time at all, they had taken their tickets. As they went around one after the other, Jon's heart started pounding with a mixture of nervousness and excitement.
"It's okay. I'll be right next to you."
The warmth of Jon's hand on his shoulder was enough to calm him down. He took a deep breath, and his ticket number was called. The large doors of the Ferris wheel welcomed them.
The view of the cityscape from the window gradually unfolded. The beauty of the city illuminated by the setting sun soothed them from the day's fatigue.
"It's been a while since I've ridden a Ferris wheel."
Connor's mutterings went unheard by Jon.
What's more, the sparkling blue he'd seen since the first time they'd met was right before his eyes. It was a different kind of glow than Clark's. Pure, gentle, and above all, he was completely attached to him.
Connor, overwhelmed, pushed his sunglasses aside. He didn't even have the energy to resist.
"Connor, Connor! Connor! Amazing, look at me!"
He seemed about to jump up and down, so he looked up in surprise. There, illuminated by the setting sun, was an angel, intently gazing out at the city. The way her smile deepened was more innocent than anything, and it seemed like a more precious part of nature than the mountains and sea in the distance.
"See, isn't it amazing! It's rare to see the whole city sparkling and shining like this in the setting sun!"
He sat next to the excited boy and gently took his hand. he see, it's so warm.
"Connor?"
"...Ah, so beautiful."
The combination of the sunset and the color blue creates such a powerful chemical reaction. He rubs his cheek against mine, and I do the same to him.
"Connor, let's ride the Ferris wheel again."
"Of course. I'll take you anywhere you want, John."
The clear blue of a sunny day sparkles. Bouncing around like a ball, he finally dove into Connor's chest.
The two leisurely returned from the theme park. Back home, Clark and Lois were preparing dinner.
Connor joined them at their usual meal, and everyone enjoyed themselves. They talked about a variety of topics, from Clark's heroic tales to funny anecdotes about Clark.
Amidst all this, Connor mentioned he was staying the night, as if he were talking about the weather.
After widening his eyes in surprise, John looked like he was about to burst with joy, and the family continued their conversation as if he were calm.
As he sat next to him, Connor gently reached out his hand. When John took it, Connor smiled softly.
"That's right, you two should take a bath together."
"Okay."
"What should we do about the bedding?"
"I'll be staying in John's room, so it'll be fine."
As Jon recalled this seemingly nonchalant but ridiculous conversation, before he knew it, he was soaking in the bathtub.
"How's the temperature of the water, John?"
"Oh, yeah! It's just right."
"Saying that, aren't you getting a little flushed? Even when I was shampooing you, your responses were monotonous."
Jon's gaze was fixed on Connor's ripped abs. He wonder how much training it takes to get something like that.
"I know you're attracted to a well-toned body, but isn't staring at it too much a pain in the eyes?"
Realizing he'd been found out, he looked away. Connor laughed with amusement, brushed his hair aside, and touched Jon's forehead.
"Your temperature seems fine."
Jon moved as close to the corner of the tub as possible.
"What's wrong? Did I tease you too much earlier?"
"T-Connor, you're being sneaky."
"You won't get warmer if you sit too close to the corner."
He gently tugged on his body. Their skin pressed slightly together.
"See, it's starting to warm up, isn't it?"
It was a short moment, less than a minute, but it was etched firmly in Jon's memory. Jon knew it would be difficult to forget his toned abs and hot body temperature.
When Jon got out of the bathtub, Connor took care of everything for him, from bath towels to a hair dryer. When John asked why he was the guest, Connor replied that it was only natural to look after family.
"Well, let's go to bed. Just between you and me, I'm scared of Clark and Lois's reaction when they find out they stayed up late."
As Connor went to turn off the light, he noticed a familiar poster on the wall. It was from when they were doing an interview together with the others, some time ago.
"That brings back memories. I remember the others were posing freely."
"Oh, that poster! I thought it was cool, so I bought it."
"Oh, I see. Thank you, it makes me happy to hear you say that."
As Connor gently stroked his head, Jon muttered.
"One day, I saw the news about you saving the people of Metropolis. You were so cool, I loved you, and I was so happy to meet you today!"
"Call me again anytime. I'll come running, Jon."
Connor gazed softly at Jon, who had fallen asleep within five minutes of turning off the lights. He was like a child, a shining star in the universe. He spoke the name of the most famous star among all the pale stars.
"He's like Sirius, but also like the sun. He shines on me with such gentleness."
After kissing his forehead goodnight, Connor drifted off to sleep. I thought to myself that becoming a hero for this kid might not be so bad after all.