Chapter 18: Reaction

Reese groggily rubbed his eyes as he stirred awake, the warmth of the morning sun seeping through the curtains and casting a soft glow across his room. Glancing at the clock on his bedside table, he blinked in surprise at the late hour displayed on its face. "11:30 A.M. already?" he muttered to himself, his voice thick with sleep.

With a stretch and a yawn, Reese swung his legs over the edge of the bed and pushed himself upright, the events of the previous night still fresh in his mind. Despite his exhaustion, a sense of satisfaction lingered within him, a reminder of the exhilarating escapade he had embarked upon under the cover of darkness.

Dragging himself out of bed, Reese shuffled towards the kitchen, the tantalizing aroma of lunch wafting through the air and stirring his appetite. As he entered the room, he was greeted by the sight of his parents and younger brother engaged in conversation, their voices mingling in animated chatter.

Taking a seat at the table, Reese joined his family, his stomach rumbling in anticipation as he eagerly dug into his meal. However, his appetite soon diminished as his brother suddenly piped up, his eyes wide with excitement as he recounted the events of the previous night. 

"Hey, Bro!, do you know the latest news?" his brother began, his voice tinged with a mixture of awe and trepidation. "I heard some people talking about it today, saying a couple saw someone in the haunted area last night."

Reese paused mid-bite, a flicker of concern crossing his features as he listened to his brother's words. 'Shit! Did someone see what I did last night?' Though he remained composed on the surface, inwardly, he couldn't help but feel a pang of worry at the thought of his nocturnal adventure being discovered.

"Really?" Reese replied casually, masking his unease with a nonchalant tone. "That's... interesting." 

Then Ryan told Reese about what happened last night. He said, "There was a couple last night looking for some fun." He emphasized the word 'FUN'; he even made an air quote. Ryan then continued; he said, "The couple ventured into the haunted area, thinking that no one would disturb them, but as they got deeper, they heard this ruckus, like trees falling. They were curious, so they went in deeper to investigate. To their shock, they saw this man in black punching and kicking the trees."

'Fuck! They really saw me last night. I should have scanned the surroundings last night.'  Reese was troubled; of all the places this couple could go, they chose the place he was at. 'Damn it!' Being horny really makes people fearless of the unknown. 

"They definitely got more than what they bargained for," Reese dad said, clearly intrigued by what the couple saw in the haunted area.

"Hahaha, you're right, dad," Ryan agreed with his dad. "Well, anyway, after that couple saw the man in black, they filmed him, and now the video is all over TikTok and Facebook. The content of the video was unbelievable, to say the least," Ryan continued.

Hearing his brother, Reese stood up suddenly, and he shouted. "They film me—I mean, the man in black!?" He was deeply worried now.

His parents and younger brother were shocked at his reaction; they looked at him suspiciously. "I'm sorry." Embarrassed, Reese sat back in his seat, trying to hide his anxiety. 'If I'm recognized in the video, I will be royally screwed.'

Then Reese took out his own phone to see the video the couple took last night. He noticed that there were many chats from Rey and Renz. 'I guess they also know about the video.' Reese thought, but he did not read their messages. When he found the video, his heart almost dropped. Clearly, the couple was in a good spot while they filmed him lifting the boulder, throwing it, and jumping all around the area, but the good thing was that he was not recognizable at all. The video was zoomed in, and it was blurry. Seeing this, Reese heaved a big sigh of relief inwardly. 'I'm still good. Thank God!' Clearly, the couple was scared to get a closer look.

Then Reese looked at the comments in the video. As Reese scrolled through the comments about the mysterious "man in black," he couldn't help but feel a mixture of frustration and amusement at what he was reading. Most of the comments were filled with speculation and wild theories, with little regard for the truth. 

"Bro, who would have thought that there was a superhero in our city?"

"LOL, is this dude trying to audition for a superhero movie or something?" 

"Superhero? Are you kidding me? That's clearly a monster."

"Idiot. If that was a monster, clearly the couple would be dead by now."

"This looks fake as shit. This kind of video is always fake."

"Probably just some wannabe ninja practicing his moves in the woods. Nothing to see here, folks!"

"No, it's not, you idiots. The police went in that area earlier this morning to investigate, and I guess what they found?"

"What did they find?"

"Bitch! Don't let us guess; just say it already."

"Fine2, the place was destroyed. So many trees were cut, and a large boulder was clearly thrown."

"That's it? Bitch! You got me hyped up for nothing."

Despite his annoyance at the frivolous nature of the comments, Reese couldn't help but feel a twinge of relief that no one seemed to have recognized him in the footage. Still, he made a mental note to be more careful in the future, lest his secret identity be exposed to the world.

"So, Kuya, do you think it's real? I think it's real. That dude is awesome; I wish I had his abilities," Ryan said with a mix of amazement and envy in his voice. 

Reese chuckled lightly at his brother's enthusiasm, appreciating the mix of awe and envy in Ryan's voice.

'I wonder what's the reaction of my brother if he finds out it was me on that video?' Reese wondered

Reese smiled at his brother and said, "Whether it's real or not, it's none of our business. Besides, there are more important things to worry about than some guy in a black outfit kicking and punching trees in the woods." 

Ryan nodded in agreement, seemingly satisfied with Reese's response. "Yeah, you're right, Kuya. I guess we'll never know the truth unless we see it for ourselves."

Reese forced a smile, hoping to alleviate any suspicions his brother might have. "Exactly. Now, let's not dwell on it too much. How about we finish up lunch and head out to catch a movie or something?" 

Ryan's face lit up at the suggestion, eager to move on from the topic of the mysterious man in black. "Sounds like a plan, Kuya! Let's go!"

As they finished their lunch and prepared to leave the house, Reese couldn't shake the feeling of guilt weighing heavily on his conscience. Little did Ryan know that his own brother was the mysterious man in black who had captured the attention of the internet overnight.