Saving Nora Episodes 311-315
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Transcript
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00:19Iran had always been very good at remaining calm, cool, and collected. But with Joel,
00:26it was different. She always felt like he could see right through her. The past 10 minutes had
00:32been the most unbearable of her life. The air of confidence she had always projected completely
00:37dissipated in front of her older brother. It was like he could hear her every thought and see her
00:44every flaw. He deliberately sat there saying nothing. She felt as if a whole year had gone by.
00:52She had been too candid in asking that question after the assistant came in.
00:56She felt like she had exposed herself. She internally cursed herself as she turned to Joel.
01:02Sure enough, he was looking straight at her. His usually friendly countenance was now sharp and
01:08chilly. Yvonne swallowed hard and lowered her eyes. The assistant could clearly feel the tension
01:15between the two siblings. He replied as gently as he could. The card was used for the first time
01:21in a foreign country five years ago. Although it's an anonymous card, it was without a doubt
01:27Miss Norris-Smith who used it. Yvonne was too afraid to speak while Joel stared at her.
01:33Even though she was astounded, she bit her lip, hiding her emotions. Did she know Mr. Hunt at the
01:40time? Her words took the assistant by surprise. He glanced at Joel, who looked over at the door
01:47in a silent signal to leave. He quietly exited the study, closing the door behind him as soon
01:53as the door closed. Joel's cold and mellow voice reached Evan's ears. Are you hoping that this card
02:00belongs to Justin? She looked up in a panic. No, let me explain, Joel. That's not. But when Evan's
02:09eyes met Joel's mocking gaze, she shut up. There was no use in trying to talk her way out of this.
02:17He knew. Yvonne lowered her head. Joel, in your eyes, who is more important here,
02:23me or her? I'm Dad's legal daughter. Then do you remember what your legal name is? Yvonne was taken
02:31aback. Yvonne. Smith, she suddenly paused. Yvonne. Smith. Her name had been a topic of discussion
02:41ever since she was a child. Of course, her adoptive father's romantic history was also
02:47the talk of the town. However, he never seemed to care about all the gossip, even though people
02:53talked about how Yvette had betrayed him. He had never shown anything but love for her. He had even
02:59stayed single after Yvette had left. Later, he had adopted a daughter who would marry into the Hunt
03:06family in the future, and he named her Yvonne. Yvonne lowered her head, her fingers balling up
03:16into even tighter fists. Do you think that just because Dad liked that woman, he would also like
03:23the daughter she had with another man? Joel was silent, but Yvonne wasn't one to back down.
03:30She regained her composure and stood up to Joel. Aren't you afraid that Dad would be
03:35disappointed if you defend Nora? Everyone talks about how I'm just the adopted daughter,
03:41but I care about him as if we were related by blood. If he doesn't like Nora, I don't like Nora,
03:48and you're not just his nephew. You're pretty much his son. In fact, you're even closer to
03:54him than I am. How could you let him down like this? Joel pressed his lips together again,
04:01but he really let Uncle Ian down. He recalled how his uncle had reacted when the DNA report
04:07was first released. He remembered his own internal struggle at the time and how he had defended Nora
04:14at the Hunt's family party. Joel slowly lowered his gaze. Just don't do anything rash. Uncle Ian
04:22hasn't even made a decision yet. Seeing that he wasn't going to argue with her, Yvonne breathed
04:28a sigh of relief. I promise, she said nodding and standing up. Just after she left, the office
04:36window was suddenly wrenched open and Quentin climbed in, nimbly from the outside. The thin,
04:43fair-skinned young man stared at the door. Yvonne had just clicked shut, his lip curled. Are you
04:50really not going to do anything about this? Joel had always handled family affairs fairly. However,
04:57he'd definitely been a bit biased with Yvonne just then.
05:01There's nothing I can do, he said. Quentin was taken aback. Giving Yvonne a warning was tantamount
05:08to slapping Ian in the face. Yet, if he defended Nora, it would also shame Ian. But Nora is our
05:16cousin. She has blood ties with us. Joel sighed and said she's also the daughter of the woman
05:23that had broken his heart. Quentin scratched his head and kept quiet for a long while.
05:29At last, he said, forget it. The previous generation's relationships are too complicated.
05:37Better to pretend. I don't know anything. Joel cast a confused look at him. Aren't you supposed
05:44to be protecting her? Quentin looked back distinctly. Yeah, she's home. Wait, here she is
05:51now. A big black jeep pulled up to the manor with a screech, afraid that Joel would confiscate his
05:57cart again. Lewis had slipped away quickly in his rush, though he almost ran directly into the jeep.
06:05He stood in front of the car, his hand on his heaving chest. What are you doing driving like
06:10that? You scared me half to death. He walked around to the driver's side window, upon which
06:17he saw Nora's cool and expressionless face through the open window. Lewis frowned, dissipated, and a
06:24huge smile blossomed on his face at once. Nora. What's up with this sudden change in attitude?
06:31Nora wondered. Sorry about that. I didn't know it was you. How could I be mad at my cousin?
06:40We have to have each other's backs, after all. He paused for a moment before continuing.
06:47Speaking of, Joel has taken the card. Do you think you could transfer some money to me?
06:53He asked, his voice sweeter than honey. Again. Poor kid. It seemed like he was always having
07:02money troubles. All right. How much do you need? She took out her cell phone. Only then did she
07:09realize that Lewis had left her a voicemail. She raised her eyebrows. What did you call me about?
07:17She was about to play the message when Lewis abruptly grabbed her phone. He remembered the
07:22nasty things he had said to her. Fumbling a bit, he hastily deleted the message. Only then did he
07:29return the phone. It is nothing, he said, laughing nervously. Nora was off, put by his sneaky behavior,
07:40but she didn't want to prolong the interaction with further questions. Instead, she picked up
07:46her phone and asked him again how much she needed. Lewis held up five fingers. His monthly allowance
07:53was $50,000, although that was considered rather low for a family like theirs. It was just enough
07:59to pamper both himself and the cats and dogs. Even though Joel had returned his credit card,
08:05the limit of which also happened to be $50,000. Who would ever say no to more money? Nora tapped
08:12away on her phone. Then a beep sounded as Lewis received a notification. She tossed the phone
08:19onto the passenger seat and left without saying goodbye. By Nora, Louis called out in a saccharine
08:25voice. He picked up his cell phone, and when he saw the transfer amount, his jaw dropped. The text
08:33Lewis received read, Your bank account has been credited with $500,000. Lewis felt like he was
08:40seeing things. He read the message a second and third time. It was definitely $500,000.
08:48He turned and chased after her car. Nora, wait up. Let me open the door for you. With a sister like
08:56her, what would he need his older brother for? Joel would never have given him that much money.
09:02As someone whose pocket money had always been under someone else's control,
09:06Lewis had never personally had access to an amount of money like that. He trotted behind Nora to the
09:12garage after she parked the car. He walked eagerly to her side and opened the door for her.
09:19Watch your step. Giving him a wary look, she sidestepped Lewis and entered the house. He
09:25looked down again at his phone in delight. But just as he was about to leave, someone blocked
09:30his path. It was Quentin who was wearing a baseball cap that had almost all of his facial features.
09:36Well, look at you, Lewis. Have you run out of money? Who are you sucking up to?
09:44Your cousin, he asked in her chummy voice, still high off of his good fortune.
09:51Lewis replied without hesitation. If she has money and she isn't afraid to share it with me,
09:57then she must be my real sister. You're good for nothing, Quentin said disdainfully.
10:03Uncle, Ion watched you grow up, you know. Did it ever occur to you that you're really letting him
10:09down? Uncle, Ion is very important to me, but so is Nora. How am I supposed to pick one over the
10:17other? If only she was Uncle Ion's daughter. Quentin stared at him, his face a mask of
10:24disapproval. After thinking about it, Lewis finally said, I don't care anymore. I'll follow
10:31my heart instead. There hasn't been a girl in our family for many years, and I like Nora. Uncle Ion
10:38wants me to stay away from her. Sure, I can do that. Just give me a million bucks and I'll do
10:45whatever he wants. Just look at how much of a letdown you are, Quentin said. All you care about
10:51is money. If she were the senior student of the Quinn School of Martial Arts, would you still have
10:57something against her? Quinn didn't hesitate. Of course not. Apart from Quinn and Irvin, the two
11:05great martial arts masters, the senior students of the Quinn School and the Irvin School were the
11:11idols of every martial artist in the world. Quentin frowned disdainfully. Your question
11:17makes no sense, though. There's no way she's the senior student of the Quinn School of Martial Arts.
11:24It's just an example, Lewis whined. She's the same to you as money is to me. Quentin's face lit up in
11:32indignation. She might be my idol. She's better and more talented than anyone. How can you compare
11:40her to something as crude as money? Lewis bounced toward the gates. Money may be crude to you,
11:47but it isn't at all to me. The mere smell of it is enough to send me straight to heaven,
11:53Quentin snorted coldly and scoffed. I'm not as childish as you. I wouldn't lose control of
12:00myself just from being in the senior student's vicinity. Suddenly, his cell phone rang.
12:08He calmly picked up the call in a voice full of self-importance. As ever, he said,
12:13as ever, he said, speak. The caller was his subordinate boss. I found out some info about
12:22your favorite senior student. Quentin's eyes lit up in interest. This was quite a coincidence.
12:29He suppressed the excitement in his voice. Where is she? She's at the martial arts tournament.
12:36After taking a bath, Nora prepared to lie down in her room and relax for a bit.
12:41However, as soon as she entered her bedroom, she received a call from Quinn. The old man spoke in
12:47a solemn voice. There's a martial arts tournament starting today. It's held only once every ten
12:54years, and I've signed you up for it. Nora, who was towel-drying her hair, paused. I'm not going,
13:01she said. Quinn knew her well. Are you sure you're not going? Yes, she preferred not to.
13:11She preferred to sleep. The people she would be competing against were simply too weak, and she
13:16didn't want to waste her precious time on them. The senior student from the Irvine School of
13:21Martial Arts will be there, Quinn said. Nora suddenly sat upright. Tell me where and when,
13:28she said. Quinn had been talking about the other senior student ever since she had started
13:33learning martial arts as a child. Nora felt that they had been friends in spirit for a long time.
13:39She couldn't pass up the opportunity to finally spar with him. She tossed the towel aside and
13:44flexed her wrists. She was going to beat him up so bad that even his mother wouldn't recognize him.
13:51Several schools are fighting for the top spot this time. The senior student of the Irvine School of
13:57Martial Arts took first place ten years ago, which allowed the devious old man to show off in front
14:03of me for ten years. I don't know if you remember, but I told you to go that time, and you didn't.
14:10Nora had only been fifteen years old back then. She had been receiving hormonal injections at
14:15the time, and getting out of the house was just too difficult for her. Moreover, she wasn't of
14:21age back then. Her mother had told her to lay low, to not take any risks or reveal who she was
14:27until she had the power to protect herself. And even though she still didn't have the ability
14:32to protect herself, after all, she presented herself as a frail woman. She could pretend to
14:39be someone else today and give the other senior student a good thrashing. Quinn knew that she
14:45wanted to protect her identity. I know you want to keep a low profile. You don't have to participate
14:51under your name if you don't want to. Just think of a name, and I'll get someone to make a contestant
14:57card for you. Being there will broaden your horizons, and it wouldn't hurt to make the
15:02Quinton School of Martial Arts a little proud, right? All right. All right. Then, how about the
15:10name Smith-Ra? Quinn suggested. Nora was about to tell him that the name sounded pretty good,
15:16but Quinn cut her off. I've already asked someone to sign you up. Oh, and by the way, the first
15:24match is tonight. It seemed that he had called less to discuss this with her and more to inform
15:30her about it. She wanted to give Quinn a piece of her mind, but he continued talking. Every school
15:37in the tournament is required to participate anonymously. Only the winner will reveal their name
15:43and which school they are from. This is to prevent any drama between them. Nora frowned. Why were they
15:53making this so mysterious? Will the senior student from the Irvine School of Martial Arts be there
15:58tonight? Yes. Okay, Nora said before hanging up. She dried her hair, using a hairdryer, and changed
16:07into a well-fitted outfit. As she was leaving, she found Quinton standing outside her door.
16:14Don't go out tonight. I have to go out for something. Nora gave him a questioning look.
16:20Quinton noticed that she was wearing a new outfit, trying to scare her. He said,
16:26Don't you know that there are at least five different groups of people watching you right
16:30now? If you leave without me to protect you, you won't live to see tomorrow. Nora's gaze casually
16:38swept across the car that Quinton was holding. Where are you going? She asked to see my crush.
16:45Quinton replied casually. Then he turned and slipped away without heeding his warning.
16:51Nora walked downstairs leisurely after he left. Our youngsters nowadays still chasing after idols,
16:58she wondered. They should take a page out of her book. She had never chased after crushes before.
17:05Besides, those boys couldn't have held a candle to Justin, but Quinton had the biggest illusions of
17:11grandeur she had ever encountered. Who was this star that captivated him so much when Nora bumped
17:18into Joel in the garage? It just so happened that he was also going out. Oh, Miss Smith,
17:26I didn't see you there, he said shakily. Nora looked him up and down.
17:31Is something wrong, Mr. Smith? Both of them were a little uncomfortable.
17:37Although they shared the same last name, there was a strong sense of estrangement between them.
17:42Suppressing his emotions, Joel stiffly took a bank card out of his pocket and handed it to Nora.
17:49Louis, I appreciate your kindness, but you should take this card. It's valuable.
17:55Nora raised her eyebrows. She wasn't entirely sure that it was very valuable, but she reached
18:02out and took it from him anyway. Are you off to work this late in the day? She asked. Joel shuffled
18:09awkwardly, not answering her question. The silence between them was thick. What is it? Nora asked.
18:17I'm picking up the kids, Joel said after a brief hesitation. Perfect. Bring Jerry back with you,
18:24too. Thanks. It seemed that she didn't feel the slightest bit of guilt about forgetting to pick
18:30up her child from school. She got into the Jeep and drove off. Joel stood where she had left him,
18:37completely flabbergasted. Just how heartless was she? Massaging his temples, he left for
18:43the kindergarten classroom. As soon as he arrived, he saw Tanya holding Pete and talking to him.
18:49What's your mom up to lately? She asked him. Tell her to come over to my place.
18:55I'm the only one at home, and it's boring me to death. Oh, okay, replied Pete too young to know
19:02what to say. Tanya was about to say something else when she spotted Joel across the room.
19:08She got up at once and left without giving him a chance to say anything.
19:12Nora followed the map that Quinn had sent to get to the tournament. She saw a group of office
19:18workers, all dressed in well-fitting suits and leather shoes, going in and out. She wondered
19:24if she had come to the wrong place. She dialed Quinn's number. Are you messing with me? She asked.
19:31Quinn let out a sigh. Why would I mess with you? What's the fun in that? Just enter the building
19:37and head to the basement. They'll let you in after you tell them your name. She was about
19:43to hang up when Quinn added, By the way, remember to disguise yourself so that others won't recognize
19:50you. Nora scoffed. If you knew that I wanted to keep a low profile, why did you make me come here?
19:58She was met with silence on the other end. She hung up, rummaged through her car, and took
20:04out a bag of makeup. In her free time, Nora had begun learning some makeup skills. She had gotten
20:11so good at it that she could make herself look however she wanted. She used blue eyeliner to
20:17draw a wingtips at the corner of each eye and gave herself full red lips. By the time she was done
20:24putting on all the makeup, even she was having trouble recognizing herself. Finally, she took
20:30out a black tight-fitting dress from the backseat. After changing into it, Nora not only looked like
20:36a different person, she also looked incredibly gorgeous. She took out a stick of chewing gum
20:42and popped it into her mouth. Confident that no one would recognize her, she sauntered into the
20:48building. Everyone around her looked over her curiously. However, perhaps because there were
20:55so many strange people going in and out of the building, they didn't think much of it.
21:01Nora was about to head down to the basement when she was stopped by two tall, muscular guards.
21:07Here are you, Smith. Row. Nora blew a bubble as if going. There was an everyday thing for her.
21:15She raised her half-closed eyes in a flirtatious way. One of the guards looked at her warily,
21:21while the other keyed her name into his tablet. A moment later, he handed her a wristband and
21:27a number plate. Your contestant number is 28. This is your mask. Nora took the mask from his
21:35hands and stared at it. What is this about? Everyone who enters the basement has to hide
21:40their identity, so masks are given to all participants. The criterion for determining
21:47victory in the tournament is taking off the opponent's mask at the top of the stairs.
21:51Nora called Quinn. Don't you think this rule about the masks is really strange?
21:57Quinn responded evenly. Ever since the country started cracking down on the underworld many
22:03years ago, they've become much stricter on martial arts practitioners. A lot of us don't
22:09want to be recognized, so we wear our masks. It's much more convenient than putting on makeup that
22:15would take too much time. Nora couldn't believe this. She had spent so much time doing her makeup
22:21in the car. Had she known, she would have just entered with a face mask and sunglasses.
22:27She felt a tension headache coming on. Why didn't you make that clear from the start?
22:33She looked down at the mask in her hand. It was made of a silver material and covered only the
22:38upper half of her face. It was made to cling to the skin so that it wouldn't fall off too easily.
22:46She hung up and put her phone away. She followed a staff member down the stairs.
22:51Which school are you from? he asked roughly. The Quinn School of Martial Arts. Nora answered
22:57casually. The Quinn School of Martial Arts? They're amazing. It's been so many years,
23:06yet they're still going strong. You have a promising future there. He began to explain
23:12the things happening around them to her. The number of people participating in the martial
23:17arts tournament this year is less than half of what it was before. Most of them have changed
23:23jobs to make more money after getting married. It's been harder to recruit people these days,
23:29he said with a sigh. Although she didn't say anything in response, the man continued on.
23:35By the way, do you know who the champion was 10 years ago? He didn't wait for Nora to answer.
23:42It was the senior student of the Irvin School of Martial Arts. He was just a teenager at the time,
23:48quite a thin boy. But even now, I remember the way he looked, standing on the platform,
23:55looming over everyone, and asking if they were all ready to admit defeat.
24:00That was a really exciting thing to see. Nora cast her eyes down and said,
24:06frigidly. He only won because the senior student of the Quinn School of Martial Arts hadn't
24:12participated in the tournament. The man chuckled. Yeah, the Quinn School senior student is the most
24:18mysterious person. I've heard that even within the school, there are students who have never
24:24seen her. Have you seen her before? No, replied Nora after a pause. It wasn't a total lie,
24:33after all. Unless she looked in the mirror, she couldn't actually see herself. The man shook his
24:38head. What a pity. I heard that all the students at the Quinn School are completely enamored with
24:44this senior student. He suddenly leaned toward Nora, lowered his voice and said, if you give
24:51me $10, I'll take you to meet the senior student. What do you say? Nora gave the man a questioning
24:58look. What was his deal? Nora narrowed her eyes at the man. He flashed her a huge smile. You're
25:06acquainted with the senior student? She asked, asively. The man nodded. Not only am I acquainted
25:14with her, I also know the Irvine School senior student. Would you like to meet him? If not for
25:20his previous statement, Nora might have been fooled by him. Her lips curled into a smile.
25:26First, tell me how you plan to get either of them to meet me. The man puffed out his chest
25:32enthusiastically. We invited the senior student here, and the Quinn School of Martial Arts has
25:37already announced that she will be participating in the tournament. They say that she will be
25:42taking back the champion title for them. He looked around, lowered his voice and pointed to a room
25:49nearby. She's resting in there. Give me $20 and I'll let you take a photo with her. Nora looked
25:56at him in disbelief. And if you want an autograph? He went on and on. Nora was about to refuse when
26:05she suddenly heard an excited voice ring out behind her. I'll do it. She looked behind her
26:11to see a thin, fair-skinned teenager, wearing all black and walking over in a hurry. As if he
26:18wouldn't be able to meet the senior student if he was too late, a black mask covered the upper half
26:24of his face. He grabbed the man's arm desperately and cried. If you take me to meet her, I'll give
26:30you $100. The staff member fell silent. After a momentary pause, he grinned. No problem. We have
26:39to agree on something first, though. You're not allowed to talk about the martial arts tournament
26:44when you meet her. Also, she doesn't like people getting too close to her. She doesn't like talking
26:51very much. Well, is there anything she does like? The teen asked, exasperated. She likes to sleep,
26:59the man explained, making up whatever lie came to mind. Ironically enough, he was right.
27:06Nora and the teenager stared at the man, waiting for him to go on. Now that he knew she was a
27:12monetary dead-end, he wasn't paying attention to Nora anymore. Instead, he led the boy forward,
27:19telling him his bank details. Were you able to transfer me the money? he asked. Yeah, it was.
27:27No, where is the senior student? Nora shook her head as she watched them walk away.
27:33Where had this rich, impulsive kid come from? She refocused her attention, turned the corner,
27:40and walked toward the other side of the room. She pushed on a heavy door, and as soon as she opened
27:46it, a deafening noise assaulted her ears. She slipped inside, rubbing her throbbing temples.
27:54The door slowly closed behind her as she gazed around the arena. It was no exaggeration to say
28:00that the place was jam-packed. In front of her was a sea of people all turned away from her.
28:07It was hard to tell what kind of material the walls were made of, but the place clearly had
28:12excellent sound insulation. No one would have ever guessed that the basement of this
28:16unremarkable New York office building would be the site of a martial arts tournament.
28:22The lights were so bright that it looked like daylight. There were food stalls, with men
28:27hawking their snacks, but just like in any other tourist destination, the prices were much more
28:33expensive than usual. Nora looked around and found that there were eight fighting rings in
28:38the arena. Matches were in progress, and all of them at the moment. As she was looking around,
28:44a staff member suddenly came up to her. Are you here to watch or compete? Nora showed him her
28:50wristband. I'm here to compete. The staff member nodded. Okay. Follow me backstage. That's where
28:58all the contestants prepare for their matches. Oh, Nora said uncertainly. She followed the staff
29:05member weaving through the crowd. Soon they arrived backstage. He entered her contestant
29:11number into the computer system. You have two matches tonight. The first one is at seven.
29:18Zero. After the first match, you will have some time to rest before the second one starts.
29:24You'll need about an hour or so to rest, I assume. Even through the mask, the staff member could tell
29:31that she was a woman, and a petite one at that. But although he was being sweet to Nora,
29:36he was completely underestimating her. I'll need two minutes, I suppose,
29:42replied Nora. She really just needed enough time to wash her hands after the match.
29:48Perhaps two minutes was longer than necessary. The staff member was completely flabbergasted.
29:54You shouldn't be too confident, ma'am. You could get hurt.
29:59Who will I be fighting? Nora asked, ignoring him. Seeing how persistent and cocky she was,
30:05the staff member decided not to question her. He checked the match schedule.
30:11You'll be fighting someone named Tired Reno for your first match. He's in the renovation industry
30:16now, but he was also a martial artist in the past. Oh. Nora's had tried to hide her disappointment.
30:25As it turned out, most of the contestants' aliases were quite transparent.
30:30What about the second match? she asked. Also a newcomer. Their name is Milk Lover.
30:38Nora stood there, too, shocked by the stupidity of the alias, to laugh at it. How can I get a
30:44match with a senior student of the Irvine School of Martial Arts? she asked abruptly. The staff
30:50member stood there dumbfounded. There's no way a newcomer like you could possibly fight the reigning
30:56champion right away. Nora was confused. What do you mean? Didn't you look at the tournament rules?
31:05She shook her head. The staff member frowned. He was frustrated, but seeing that she was a young
31:11woman, he regained his composure and partially explained it all to her. All the contestants are
31:17split into classes with six classes in total, ranging from A to F. People like you who have
31:24only just registered belong to Class A. You can only progress to Class B after you win 10 matches.
31:32After winning another 10 matches at Class B, you'll then progress to Class C, and so on. By the time
31:38you reach Class F, there will probably be fewer than 20 people left. The reigning champion from 10
31:45years ago starts a class of right away. Those in the second to tenth places 10 years ago will start
31:51in class. Also, no one is allowed to challenge anyone outside of their class. This meant that
31:58Nora would have to fight 60 matches before she was allowed to fight the other senior student.
32:02What the hell? She wondered. What a waste of her sleeping time.
32:08Nora was terribly frustrated. The staff member noticed her silence. You should eat something
32:15first so that you won't be out of energy when your match starts. Food is free of charge for
32:20all contestants. All the best to you. All right. Thank you. Nora stared impassively.
32:29She left the backstage area and walked over to the dining section
32:33at the front of the arena. She took a look at the match schedule hanging on the wall.
32:38A contestant could only fight a maximum of two matches a day. She would be expected to exercise
32:44integrity and virtue while fighting, which meant that the matches would take longer. At this rate,
32:50it would take at least a month for her to finally meet the senior student of the Irvine School.
32:56That was too long. Nora couldn't believe this. She had a sudden craving for cake as she was walking
33:02over to the nearest dessert stall. She spotted a familiar-looking tall figure carrying an adorable
33:08little girl. Although they were both wearing masks, Nora immediately identified them.
33:15She would recognize her child anywhere, her brows knitted together. It was Justin and Cherry as she
33:21skipped over to them. She saw a staff member approach Justin. Sir, you're the reigning
33:27champion, right? He called out quietly. Nora stopped in her tracks. She stared at Justin
33:34in utter disbelief. He seemed to sense her looking at him, glimpsing her out of the corner of his eye.
33:41He straightened his back, coughed, and said to the man, I'm sorry. I believe you're mistaken.
33:49The staff member looked back at him, completely confused.
33:53Justin hurried away with Cherry in his arms. He stopped and pointed at Nora.
33:58Look at that person, he said. Why does she look just like your mummy?
34:03Cherry blinked. Her big round eyes and a smile bloomed across her face.
34:08She doesn't look like my mummy. She is my mummy. Is your mummy really that small?
34:15Asked Justin. Cherry tilted her head up. Yeah, I hug her every day, so I know just how big she is.
34:23Justin sighed. It's no wonder you can recognize her, but I can't. I've never hugged your mummy
34:30before. Cherry looked at Justin strangely, trying to figure out what he meant. At last,
34:37she sighed theatrically. Oh, Daddy, you are so silly. Nora observed the two of them.
34:45Justin wore a casual black outfit with a black mask. Cherry was wearing a silver-winged mask,
34:52but even with half their faces covered, they all recognized each other. They were family,
34:57after all. The three of them quickly came together. Why did you bring Cherry here?
35:03Why did you bring Cherry here? Nora asked. When they had lived abroad, Nora always made Cherry
35:11close her eyes during her fights. She had been afraid that the violence would negatively impact
35:16her daughter. Everyone was sparring so fiercely in this tournament. Was it really appropriate
35:23to let Cherry watch something like this? Mummy, Cherry said, I was the one who begged Daddy to
35:30bring me here. I heard him on the phone. He said that there was a martial arts tournament,
35:36so I wanted to come. Don't worry. I know violence isn't good for children to see,
35:42so I promise I won't look. Nora looked over at Justin. And why are you here? He kept quiet for
35:49a moment before replying. I'm here to watch the matches. Men have a natural passion for martial
35:56arts. Nora gave him a questioning look. Why would the busy Mr. Hunt bring his daughter here to watch
36:03some boring matches? She found the whole thing a little suspect, narrowing her eyes. She asked,
36:12why did that guy call you the reigning champion? Justin answered good-naturedly. I suppose he
36:18mistook me for him. Perhaps the Irvine School's champion is as tall and mighty as I am.
36:24Nora's lips twitched a little. Would this man die if he stopped being narcissistic for even
36:30a moment? She wondered. She rolled her eyes and picked up a piece of cake. Do you think he'll
36:37come today? She asked as casually as possible. The actual senior student, Justin Hunt, kept quiet for
36:45a moment before replying. Maybe. Nora raised her eyebrows. Does he have a match today? Which one
36:53is it, and at what time? Justin cleared his throat uncomfortably. He's the only one in class
36:59of the moment, so he won't be having any matches in the near future. He'll only compete once. The
37:05people in class will win ten matches in progress to Class F. Nora did some mental calculations.
37:12Since she was in Class A, she would have to compete in twice the number of matches
37:17as those in Class E. She would have to wait about twenty days before going up against him.
37:24This was far too slow for Nora. Nothing was more precious than time. She frowned.
37:31How can I meet him? Justin coughed. He was about to speak when he heard a voice behind him.
37:37Why didn't you just go when the guy asked you to? Just now. Nora and Justin looked over in unison
37:45to see the same skinny young man who she had met when she first entered. Nora couldn't help but
37:51feel the guy looked a little familiar to her, but she couldn't pinpoint who he was right away.
37:56The young man stretched out his hand toward her. Pleased to meet you. I'm Smithing.
38:03Based on her own alias, Smith, Rau. She easily figured out who the young man was.
38:10It was none other than Quentin, her young cousin, who suffered delusions of grandeur.
38:15Seeing his outstretched hand, Nora coughed as she extended her own.
38:20Hello, I'm Contestant 28, she said, trying to mask her voice. Quentin immediately let go
38:28after lightly squeezing her palm. You know, he said arrogantly, I just went to meet the
38:34Quinn School senior student. I even took a photo with her and got her autograph. Why didn't you
38:40take up the staff members offer? Nora was shocked. You met the senior student. The real deal,
38:47Quentin scoffed. Of course, she's the real deal. He took out his cell phone and showed Nora a
38:54picture of a large woman. See? This is her. Her face was fleshy, and the muscles on her arms were
39:03bulging. It was obvious at first glance that her physique was achievable only through regular
39:08bodybuilding. Quentin seemed very moved. I've always considered myself a very observant person,
39:16but it was only when I met her that I realized why she is the senior student. It has always been
39:23very difficult for women to build muscles. In fact, it's much harder for women to do it than men.
39:30But take a look at her. It's impossible to achieve that without a few years of consistent
39:35bodybuilding. She is really just like Mr. Quinn described. She's obsessed with martial arts and
39:42has been practicing it since she was in the womb. Are you sure it was really her? Nora asked. She
39:48was trying not to laugh. The corners of her lips spasm. Quentin looked at her doubtfully.
39:56Is there any reason why I should doubt it? Do you know something I don't know?
40:01I'm not sure you actually met her. I don't know why she would want her photo taken for money.
40:07Quentin hesitated, doubt showing on his face more and more. She wanted to say something more.
40:14But Quentin had already started talking again. Well, whether she was real or not, from here on
40:20out, I will never slack. I will work until I'm the third strongest fighter in New York.
40:25Nora was constantly amazed at Quentin's ability to stroke his own ego.
40:30Only a few people from the Quinn School of Martial Arts know her. He went on again. Oh,
40:37and by the way, I also met the senior student from the Irwin School. Nora perked up. Where is he?
40:45Is it really him? Quentin nodded. I had never seen him before, but I saw the champion ten years ago.
40:53How could I possibly not know him? He's sitting right there in the room next to us,
40:58wearing the same clothes and mask he wore ten years ago. His physique is exactly the same.
41:05He suddenly pointed at Justin. In fact, his physique is very similar to his.
41:11Justin and Nora were both speechless. After a moment, Nora returned and started to walk away.
41:17Justin, still holding Cherry, scurried after her. Where are you going? Nora flexed her wrists and
41:24sneered. I'm going to look for him and challenge him to a sparring session. The senior student
41:30that the staff member had gone on about earlier was obviously fake, but maybe the other one was
41:37the real deal. After all, didn't he love being in the spotlight? Justin instantly felt the muscles
41:45in his back tighten. As soon as they left the arena, they spotted a group of people escorting
41:51a muscular woman through the crowd. Step aside. Step aside. The senior student of the Queen's
41:58School of Martial Arts is here. Nora stood stock still. She had no clue what was going on.
42:05She scoffed at the sight of the imposter. Thank you so much for watching. Don't forget,
42:12subscribe to my channel, comment, and like.