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"You want to know what I do every day?"

On a quiet morning street, Lee looked at Su, who had arrived early. "Of course, but it might be a bit boring."

"As long as I'm with you, Senpai, it could never be boring!" Su declared.

Lee is so strong. After everything she's been through, she can still smile as if nothing happened… But even if she acts tough, I know she's hurting.

Su wasn't a therapist, but he felt that to help Lee, he needed to understand her current state of mind.

He only knew she was less energetic, less optimistic… Understanding her daily life was essential.

Lee chuckled at Su's words. "Su, you've learned to charm girls with sweet words."

"No, that's not it! I'm being sincere!" Su blushed furiously. "I would never lie to you, Senpai…"

Lee just smiled. "Alright, it just so happens that today's tasks are a bit more interesting. Follow me."

Lee had been transferred from active duty. Theoretically, she could live comfortably on the Fire Moth's generous compensation, no need to wake up so early. Su had assumed she was going for morning training, but when she led him to a remote residential area outside HQ, he realized he was wrong.

"This is… a shelter?"

Su looked around. Unlike the grand and imposing buildings of HQ, the low-rise structures here were uniform, clearly designed for efficiency and maximum occupancy.

He saw children, elderly people, and injured individuals, all converging towards a single location.

"Yes. Honkai eruptions have become more frequent. Even those who aren't infected with the Honkai disease often lose everything in the disasters." Lee sighed. "The Fire Moth built these shelters for them. This is one near HQ."

"The people here seem much better off than other disaster victims I've seen…" Observing the residents, their clothes simple but their spirits high, Su nodded thoughtfully. "Is it because it's near HQ, so they receive better treatment?"

"Unfortunately, the higher-ups don't care much about these people." Lee's expression was a bit sad. "The situation here is better mainly because of a kind soul."

"A kind soul?"

Before Su could ask, Lee spotted something, her eyes lighting up. "Ah, there she is."

"Good morning, Eden."

A woman with long, wine-red hair, surrounded by people, turned around. Seeing Lee, she smiled warmly. "Good morning, Lee."

"…?"

Su stared, wide-eyed, at the world-famous star. What was Eden doing here?

"Senpai, the kind soul you mentioned… is she…?"

"It's Eden. She's been handling logistical work for the Fire Moth for the past two years. Seeing the poor conditions at the shelter, she used her own funds to improve things." Lee smiled, confirming Su's guess, then introduced him to Eden. "This is Su, a promising scientist newly transferred to HQ, and my Kohai… We even went to your concert together."

"Hello, Su." Eden nodded gracefully. "But I'm still working, so I'm afraid we'll have to chat later."

"Are you distributing supplies?" Su watched the people queuing up. "Couldn't you just ask the staff to handle this?"

"Partly because the Fire Moth's logistics department is… underwhelming, and partly because I feel better doing things myself…" Eden smiled at Lee. "I think your Senpai feels the same way, or she wouldn't spend every week helping me with these logistical tasks."

"At least I can do something…" Lee smiled sheepishly. "I'll get back to work. We'll talk later, Su."

"Wait, Senpai, I'll help you!"

Su quickly followed Lee. He was here to observe her, to understand her. He couldn't just sit back while she worked.

But Lee's tasks were more mundane than he'd imagined: distributing supplies, inspecting facilities, registering residents… These were tasks for low-level logistics staff, not a hero like Lee.

Yet… she seemed happy.

Surrounded by children, thanked by the elderly, her smile was genuine.

Su felt he was starting to understand Lee—perhaps she didn't need excessive protection, but the opportunity to continue contributing, to make a difference?

Why did she have to work so hard? She'd done more than enough for humanity. It was time to rest. But she didn't stop. If her body prevented her from fighting on the battlefield, she would help behind the scenes…

It was admirable, but seeing his beloved Senpai like this made Su's heart ache. It meant she prioritized others over herself.

He remembered the information he'd gathered last night. After Lee's injury, Mobius, wanting to give her something to do, had transferred her to the Australian branch as an instructor. During the Seventh Herrscher incident, Lee, disregarding her own safety, had attacked the Herrscher.

That attack nearly killed her, and after that, Mobius and Mei didn't dare transfer her anywhere else.

Su understood their actions. They knew what was important to Lee, but they prioritized her safety over her wishes…

Idiots!

Using Lee's well-being as an excuse to impose their will on her?!

Even if he understood their reasoning, Su disagreed. He could do better.

If they truly cared about Lee, they should support her wishes while protecting her! Why couldn't they do that? Because they considered their own work more important than Lee's happiness.

Science, truth, saving the world… these were grand ideals, but Su didn't need them. He wasn't a leader, or a renowned scholar, nor was he obsessed with his field of research.

If necessary, he would abandon it all, just to be by Lee's side.

Sometimes, ordinary people had more freedom of choice than those burdened by greatness.