The Greatest Showman#1383 - Hands-on

Rooney stood in front of him, looking utterly disheveled. Her hair was a mess, her skirt smeared with dirt, one shoe missing, and the other clutched in her hand along with her handbag. Her makeup was smudged, and she looked as if she had just emerged from a brawl. Yet, despite the chaos, there was something deeply moving about her. Her black and white eyes glowed with warmth and resolve, outlining her delicate features with a quiet strength.

For a brief moment, the only sound that could be heard was the rhythmic beating of their hearts.

Thump. Thump.

In the stillness, a quiet energy pulsed between them.

Renly's lips curved slightly, forming a faint, serene smile. The tension that had settled after the turmoil slowly began to dissolve, softening even the milky yellow glow of the night.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine. And you?" Rooney responded.

"I'm fine."

Their gazes met, searching for unspoken assurances. Once they confirmed that neither was seriously hurt, a subtle, shared smile flickered in their eyes, accompanied by a quiet exhale of relief.

Turning back, Renly gently patted the shaken delivery man on the back. "Do you have a customer waiting? Or were you on your way back? Also, do you need to go to a hospital? You took quite a few hits, and your condition doesn't look great."

The young man, still cradling his head, suddenly panicked. "Oh God, my takeaway! The customer is waiting!" His pupils darted wildly, his body tensing with worry as he scrambled to make sense of the situation.

Renly glanced at Rooney and lowered his voice. "Did you call the police?"

She nodded.

Renly exhaled slightly, organizing his thoughts. "Alright, here's what you should do: Call the customer and explain what happened. Once you have a police report, you can use it as proof. Then, call your store and have them send a fresh order. After that, you should go with the police to file a report—we can be witnesses. Hopefully, those guys will get what they deserve. And if possible, you should still get checked at the hospital."

The delivery man stared at Renly, dazed, as if trying to process everything at once. After a moment's hesitation, he pulled out his phone and dialed the customer. "Yes, sir... I—uh, mentioned Renly Hall just now."

He paused, his eyes widening in shock. It was only then that he fully grasped what had just happened.

He looked at Renly as if seeing him for the first time.

Mechanically, he repeated, "Uh, sir... the customer wants to speak to you."

Renly raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Sure."

He took the phone and calmly reassured the customer, explaining the incident, offering gratitude and apologies. Once the conversation ended, he handed the phone back. "All sorted. The customer understands. Now, you should call your store and focus on getting everything sorted."

As he spoke, the wail of police sirens grew louder until the cars finally pulled up beside them.

From there, everything proceeded smoothly. Statements were taken, the incident was documented, and medical personnel briefly examined the shaken delivery worker. With everything settled, Renly and Rooney slipped back into their taxi, preparing to leave before the growing crowd turned their presence into a spectacle.

Just before they left, one of the officers—a middle-aged man with barely contained excitement—approached hesitantly. "I never expected to see you here. Uh, would you mind signing an autograph? Maybe even a photo? It'd be a great story to tell my friends."

Renly, always composed, signed the autograph without hesitation. However, he politely declined the group photo. "Not the right place," he said, his tone kind but firm.

Once back in the taxi, their driver, Kianush, resumed their route toward Lincoln Center. But the atmosphere inside the car remained thick with the remnants of their earlier adrenaline.

From the rearview mirror, Kianush stole a glance at Renly, eyes wide with curiosity. Then, realizing he'd been caught, his cheeks burned with embarrassment.

"Heh, I'm guessing you have a question?" Renly asked, amusement lacing his voice.

Kianush hesitated for only a moment before blurting out, "You're Renly Hall, right? The lead in Edge of Tomorrow? And The Pacific! Oh man, I love that show—I'm watching it for the fourth time!" Then, as if realizing something embarrassing, he stammered, "Uh, sorry. I, uh... I don't actually have HBO, so I watched a pirated version... You know, you can find anything in Chinatown. Sorry, I— I mean, I just really admire your work."

Renly chuckled. "No need to apologize. I feel bad for HBO, not myself. And yes, that was me." Then, sensing Rooney beside him, he turned to introduce her—only for Kianush to beat him to it.

"And she's the girl from that Facebook movie, right? The really pretty college student? Uh, sorry, I forgot your name, but I remember your acting."

Rooney, far from being offended, smiled playfully. "Yes, I'm the beautiful college student." She emphasized beautiful with a teasing smirk, making both Renly and Kianush chuckle. "I'm Rooney Mara. And wow, it's rare for someone to recognize me before him. You must be a real movie lover."

"Yeah! I actually learned English by watching movies," Kianush admitted, grinning. "My English still isn't great, though. But this—this is just unbelievable. It's like a real-life superhero moment!"

Renly raised an eyebrow. "Superhero? You have a strange idea of superheroes."

Rooney burst into laughter. "I never knew you had opinions on superheroes."

Renly spread his hands, feigning innocence.

But Kianush was undeterred. "In movies, superheroes save people. You just saved someone. And you were wearing a uniform, weren't you?"

Renly, finally understanding, chuckled. "I think you might be giving me too much credit."

Kianush shook his head. "No way. This was real. Not a script."

The weight of those words settled between them. Renly's smile faded slightly as he replied, "I believe that anyone who witnessed what happened tonight would have stepped in. At least, that's what I hope."

Maybe they weren't superheroes. But small acts of courage and kindness could ripple outward, changing the world in ways they might never fully realize.

Then, turning back to Rooney, he murmured, "Forget Wall Street."

Rooney's eyes glowed with amusement. "And Silicon Valley. Even if they wanted to help, it's rare that they actually do."