...
The next day.
Hughie's room.
"Ah—"
When Hughie woke up with a start from his bed, he immediately took off his shirt in the room under the surprised gazes of the rest of The Boys, then felt himself all over, checking for the non-existent gunshot wound.
"How can this be?!"
"How can it not be there?!"
"Annie, did You secretly go to the small forest outside the hotel last night?!"
Hughie questioned with certainty.
"Hughie, what are You going crazy about?!"
Starlight's voice trembled as she spoke, making it seem as if she was angry to those who didn't know.
"But I clearly saw it!"
Hughie pressed on relentlessly.
"I......"
Starlight couldn't even speak clearly.
At this moment.
Leon stepped forward to explain for Starlight: "Hughie, my friend, as a true man, You should believe Annie."
"Annie was actually with me all last night, I can vouch for her."
As soon as these words came out.
Not only Hughie was stunned, the others in The Boys were stunned, even Starlight herself, the person involved, was stunned. They all simultaneously cast surprised glances, different in origin but identical in expression, towards Leon.
No, buddy?!
You just said it so blatantly?!
However.
To their surprise—
Leon motioned for Arcee, who was parked outside the hotel, to drive over automatically, then had her hover in mid-air outside the window, projecting the scene of Leon earnestly teaching and training Starlight to use her superpowers.
But the location was not in the small forest, but the secluded underground parking lot with surveillance cameras where Leon had originally summoned Arcee and the soldier boy suit.
And in the footage.
Aside from their bodies being somewhat close due to the irresistible nature of superpower training, Leon and Starlight were completely innocent, without any superfluous movements.
Yes.
The footage of their interaction was spiritually edited by Arcee.
Then she used a nearly 100% realistic scene simulated by her AI to perfectly splice together the footage of Leon training Starlight's superpowers and the environmental factors of the underground parking lot.
It was a digital version of 'shifting scenery'.
Unless an intelligent AI with more computing power than Arcee could find some clues, this was perfect video evidence of the two being innocent.
Moreover.
Arcee also conveniently forged surveillance footage of Hughie going out to the bathroom in the middle of the night, tripping, hitting the back of his head, and knocking himself out.
This was also the reason why all of The Boys were present; when they found Hughie, he had been sleeping on the bathroom floor for an unknown amount of time.
"Sorry, Annie, Leon, for a moment just now, I really almost misunderstood You two."
"I don't know what happened, but the dream I had last night felt especially real, just like it was happening right in front of me."
After watching the video, Hughie awkwardly rubbed the back of his head, which still felt a slight bruise, and sincerely apologized to the two people he had misunderstood.
"It's alright."
"Men understand men best."
"I understand how You feel, Hughie."
"It was my oversight, not considering your feelings."
"Next time I train Starlight's superpowers, I'll definitely call You to join us."
Leon said with a sincere face, as if it were true.
"No, no, no!"
Hughie quickly waved his hand in refusal: "No need to call me! No need to call me!"
"You two just train your superpowers, I'm an outsider without the same superpowers standing by idly, I'll only disturb You."
"Please don't call me, whoever calls me, I'll get mad at them!"
After saying that.
Hughie got up with shame and went to the shower room to wash up. After lying in the bathroom all night, he now smelled like swill all over:
I'm truly despicable!
Leon and Annie are so sincere towards me, yet I, with a petty mind, judge a gentleman's heart, only suspecting them!
While Hughie was showering, Starlight pulled Leon aside, trying to avoid the notice of the other members of The Boys as if covering her ears while stealing a bell.
"Leon, how did You do it? We clearly..."
"Shh~"
Seeing that no one was around, Leon familiarly put his arm around Starlight's waist, placed a single finger on her lips, and then said personally:
"My dear, I told You, I know far more than You can imagine."
"Mm-mm-mm!"
...
After Hughie finished showering, Butcher gathered all of The Boys and announced: "I've roughly pinpointed Mindstorm's location, but this time I only plan to take Hughie and Leon with me."
"Why?"
"I want to go too!"
Starlight, who was a small bean controller, said.
"Hey, Annie, this situation is special, the fewer people who go, the better. Only Butcher, who is bold and meticulous, and I, who have teleportation superpowers, are more suitable. Don't worry about my safety..."
"Who's worried about You? I'm reluctant to part with Leon."
Hughie tried to take Starlight's hand, but Starlight stepped back half a step to avoid him, then naturally moved closer to where Leon was.
"Annie, I... I'm sorry."
Ever since the last misunderstanding about Starlight and Leon having an affair, Starlight had been ignoring him. Hughie thought Starlight was still angry with him and speaking out of anger, and he didn't know how to win her back, so he could only apologize.
"It's alright, Annie."
Leon familiarly and generously put his arm around Starlight's shoulder in front of Hughie, confidently saying: "I will protect Hughie, don't worry about his safety."
Saying that.
Leon subtly made the same gesture to Starlight that Soldier Boy had made to the hotel cleaning lady in the original show when she left the hotel.
He also gave Starlight a wink that only the two of them understood the meaning of.
"!!!"
Starlight, startled by Leon's bold move, immediately dared not speak.
