Aladdin x Rapunzel: Book 3 Chapter 3

## Verse 1

――The girl **screamed**.

――And a man **overheard** it.

That was three days before the world changed.

On that day, a day trader left his high-rise to stock up on his depleted energy drinks.

He entered the convenience store only 30 seconds away, emptied the shelve of cans into his basket, and went on his way.

The matter only took three minutes. And yet...

How was it possible for to catch a woman's scream?

"...Guess that's my wake up call."

And so, the man took off running towards the direction of the voice, as if **fate** was guiding him.

 Stop! Someone help!!!

**Citizen:** Don't scream and do what I say!

 ...Are they shooting for a drama here?

**Citizen:** Who the hell are you?

 As a fellow man, let me give you some advice.

 It's pathetic to force yourself onto someone weak and

 unarmed just to satisfy your desire of power.

**Citizen:** B-Bastard! What the hell would you know?!

 I also wouldn't pick a fight with a stranger

 and risk getting the crap beat outta me!

## Verse 2

On my way home from a hotel, a man came out of

nowhere and attacked me. I tried to scream, but

what came out was barely audible. Even so, he

heard my cry for help. A prince came to rescue me.

## Verse 3

The girl I protected from her attacker sat down and

looked up at me with dismay. Her thin neck and

frail body reminded me of 'someone' from a far off memory.

## Verse 4

"Are you all right, miss?"

The man who saved me reached his hand out. I took it

without hesitation.

## Verse 5

"Thank you for saving me," she said, her voice still trembling.

'Thank you.' ...Yeah. That 'someone' said that, too.

## Verse 6

"You shouldn't be walking the streets alone at this

hour. It's not safe. Here, I'll call you a cab," he said,

escorting me gently towards the main street.

## Verse 7

"No, I... I shouldn't. I mean the cab. I, um... don't

have money to pay for it." The girl fumbled over her words.
By the looks of it, she seems to be a student. But of

course, it always comes down to money.

## Verse 8

"Would this be enough?" The man took out his

wallet and pulled out a wad of bills.
――This guy is rich!

## Verse 9

"I-I can't take all this! It's not right!"

"Why not? You need money, don't you?"

"I'm perfectly fine walking!"

"What, so you can get jumped again?"

## Verse 10

*Before*

(Have I been dropped into some **comic book**?! In what world does a guy offer hundreds for a cab after saving you from thugs?!)

The day trader chuckled at the girl's expression as she stared dumbfounded at the **wad of money**.

"Don't look so alarmed," he reassured. "It's not like I'm going to have you pay me back. Lending this much is nothing to me."

He'd easily make twice the amount in stocks a day anyway.

"I-If that's the case, then at least let me thank you..."

"...It might be too soon for that."

His eyes caught the gleam of something sharp and dangerous.

Ahead of him the thug he'd just beaten to a pulp stood there with a **knife** in hand.

**Citizen:** You're just talk! I'll kill you!

 Maybe I should have called the police instead.

 Whatever. It was good exercise.

 Even day traders need to keep in shape!

*After*

However, this time the girl's savior took out his phone.

"Are you calling the police...?"

"No. Just calling a friend to finish up the job for me. This scum's not worth my time."

Tilting her head at his words, she looked back at the bloodied thug with pained eyes.

"I'm sure he isn't all bad. Somewhere inside him there's **good**."

"Good or not, it doesn't excuse him for assaulting you in the first place. **Scum** is scum."

The girl smiled back feebly.

And so, what was a small incident went unnoticed in the city that night.

## Discordant Poem

It was by chance the day trader and the love hotel

girl met. And incidentally, he saw 'someone' in that

terrified girl being assaulted by a thug. It was as if

fate was playing some kind of joke on him.

It was as if she met a real-life prince from a

fairytale. The man not only saved her life, but he

even gave her money.

And so, the day trader saved the girl and she

thanked him for his kind gesture. That's all there

was between them. Nothing more and nothing less.

An encounter that ended before it could even begin.