Amidst the scrolling inter-dimensional bullet comments, the focus of the movie screen temporarily shifted to Tendo.
This was the first time the Stars Production Team had revealed information about Tendo's family.
"Grandma, I'm home."
Little Tendo pushed open the worn wooden door, and a flood of warm light instantly poured out.
The living room was small and the furniture somewhat old, but everything was tidied up perfectly. On the coffee table lay freshly washed grapes, translucent and clearly very sweet.
Hearing little Tendo's voice, a white-haired old woman emerged from the kitchen. She wore a blue apron and her face was illuminated by a kind, loving smile.
"Little Tendo, you're back? Hurry and wash your hands. Grandma has stewed pork rib soup, and it will be ready soon."
"Okay, Grandma."
Tendo put down his schoolbag, walked to the sink, and seriously washed his hands.
His movements were precise, even the order of rubbing his hands was unchanging, like he was executing a program.
The old woman watched him, smiled, shook her head, and turned back to the kitchen to continue cooking.
"Wash slowly, don't rush. I put your favorite corn in the rib soup. You can drink it in ten minutes."
Tendo nodded, then left the kitchen, skillfully picked up the remote control on the table, tuned the TV to the Tokusatsu channel, and sat on the sofa to watch.
On the screen, a hero in red armor was fighting a monster. As light and shadow flickered, little Tendo's eyes brightened. He straightened his posture slightly, watching with intense concentration.
At this moment, he showed none of the arrogance of his later self, who treated everyone as a 'passing guest.' He was merely an ordinary child captivated by a Tokusatsu hero.
The 'clanking' sounds from the kitchen, mixed with the aroma of the rib soup, mingled with the fighting sounds on the TV and the turning of the ceiling fan, creating a warm, everyday atmosphere.
'Tendo watched Tokusatsu when he was little. I watched Tokusatsu when I was little. By approximation, Tendo and I are the same.'
'So Tendo lived with his grandma when he was little! That's so heartwarming!'
'The old grandma is so kind! Rib soup with corn sounds delicious!'
'Tendo looks so well-behaved eating grapes! Completely different from the current 'King of Posing'!'
'Come to think of it, if you ignore Star Source and just watch Stars as a slice-of-life inspirational anime, it wouldn't be bad.'
'Inspirational anime? Are you sure with a monster like Tendo, this anime can be inspirational?'
'"Zero Effort, Pure Talent"'
As Tendo's scene ended, the next featured the family life of the siblings, Chen Xing and Chen Kong.
Similar to Tendo's side, since it was already dinner time, the Chen Xing and Chen Kong siblings were also eating dinner at their home.
On the rectangular dining table, there were three dishes and one soup.
Chen Xing and Chen Kong sat on small stools, their eyes sparkling as they stared at their father not far away.
Seeing the hopeful eyes of the two little ones, Father Chen put down his chopsticks, patted his chest, and spoke proudly:
"I have good news for you! My business has taken a turn for the better recently. In a little while, we can move into a bigger house!"
"Wow!"
Chen Xing immediately jumped up, her twin pigtails bouncing wildly.
"Then I want a princess room! Pink wallpaper and lots of hanging dolls!"
Chen Kong also nodded, saying excitedly, "Then I want a game room! With lots of game discs!"
"You'll get all of it!"
Father Chen beamed, constantly patting his chest to promise them.
But the moment he finished speaking, Mother Chen gently tapped his back, scolding playfully, "Stop talking about these unreliable things. Focus on living well right now."
Though she said that, her eyes were smiling, and she quietly put a piece of meat into the bowls of both children.
The family's laughter, mixed with the aroma of the food, wafted out the window.
At this moment, they did not know what the future held. They were merely immersed in the small expectation of 'moving to a big house,' simple yet happy.
Just as the audience expected the next scene to be Jing Liuli's heartwarming family, the camera suddenly dimmed, as if hinting at something.
Inside a narrow room, the curtains were drawn tightly shut.
Little Liuli curled up on a broken bed, wrapping herself into a small bundle with the quilt. She tightly hugged a pillow with both hands, not even daring to reveal her head.
Near the window not far from little Liuli, the monstrous silhouettes of Star Beasts flashed occasionally.
The rustling noises made little Liuli tremble all over.
She clutched the pillow tightly, tears welling up in her eyes, but she dared not cry out loud, only burying her face into the quilt.
Just as the shadows outside the window faded, and everyone thought little Liuli was safe, the window was suddenly pushed open with a 'bang.'
Then, a pair of scarlet eyes suddenly appeared in the window, excitedly staring at the small dumpling figure on the bed.
It flipped into the room. Its tall physique blocked the moonlight behind it, and its shadow completely covered little Liuli's figure.
Looking at the helpless little Liuli, the monster's sharp claws reached for the quilt, vicious and cruel.
Just as this happened in the nick of time, a cold light flashed!
The Star Beast's head dropped onto the floor with a 'thud.'
The sudden noise startled little Liuli, making her entire body stiffen. She dared even less to peek out.
But the expected terrifying sound did not occur. Instead, a gentle voice replaced it.
"Come out, little one, it's alright now."
Hearing the voice outside, little Liuli slowly pulled back the quilt. What greeted her eyes was a woman in black tactical gear.
This person was none other than the future instructor of the Stars Children, Yun Meng.
Standing beside Yun Meng was the silver-haired little boy, Tendo, who wore a blank expression.
Yun Meng looked at little Liuli's face, which was filled with fear, and her eyes held a strange look.
"That's odd. Why is my luck so good today? I took a stroll and picked up two little ones whose innate Star Energy is practically overflowing. Could today be my lucky day?"
Yun Meng said this while walking to little Liuli's bedside and crouching down.
She looked at the trembling little Liuli and skillfully pulled a fruit candy from her pocket, handing it over.
"Eat this, little one. After you eat it, just sleep. When you wake up, everything will be fine."
Little Liuli timidly took the candy, peeled the wrapper, and put it in her mouth.
The orange sweetness spread, and her tears suddenly fell.
"W-will sleeping really make everything fine?"
Yun Meng smiled and nodded, gently picking her up: "Of course. I never lie."
Little Liuli leaned in Yun Meng's arms, smelling the faint floral scent on her. Her eyelids grew heavy, and she soon fell asleep.
But even in her sleep, her small hand tightly grasped Yun Meng's clothing, as if she was terrified of being left behind.
Watching the sleeping little Liuli, Yun Meng turned her head to look at Tendo beside her, inquiring meaningfully: "Little Tendo, what do you think of this child?"
Faced with Yun Meng's question, Tendo first glanced at the Star Beast corpse on the ground that Yun Meng had instantly killed, then looked at little Liuli in her arms. After a moment of thought, he gave his answer.
"She possesses talent beyond ordinary imagination."
"I think so too."
Yun Meng smiled, carried little Liuli, and walked toward the door. Little Tendo followed behind her. The moonlight stretched their shadows long, slowly disappearing into the darkness.
The subsequent scenes did not show Yun Meng and little Tendo fighting, but one could understand from the occasional miserable cries of the Star Beasts.
In the ruins of this city, which had been overrun by Star Beasts, these two were among the few 'monsters' who could move freely in this dangerous area.
'That Star Beast's eyes just now scared me to death! Thank goodness Yun Meng arrived!'
'Yun Meng is too gentle! She even brought candy for little Liuli!'
'So Tendo and Liuli met when they were little! The Production Team buried that foreshadowing too deep!'
'Little Liuli cried when she ate the candy, and my heart broke too! Thank goodness Yun Meng saved her!'
'So Yun Meng is specifically looking for children with strong innate Star Energy? Seems like there's a big plot coming later!'
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