[English][DC-Batman] Nora - Extra Chapter: If We Had Met in College 4.1The Quietest Dream in Gotham

Leila walked down the sidewalk, smiling helplessly as she spoke into her phone.

"Alright, alright. Don't be mad anymore. I'm on my way to your favorite bakery to pick up some bread. I'll be home soon."

Her voice carried an easy warmth, but her pace never slowed as she headed toward the familiar bakery on the corner.

The person on the other end was clearly still grumbling.

Leila listened, unable to keep herself from laughing.

"I know. I wanted to go too."

"But it wasn't your fault we had to cancel. Really, I'm not upset."

She stopped in front of the bakery instead of going inside right away.

Standing before the display window, she continued soothing the person on the other end of the call.

It took quite a while,

but after plenty of coaxing,

she finally managed to calm down her still-pouting boyfriend.

The truth was, Jason wasn't angry with her at all.

The people he was actually furious with were the ones who had ruined their chance to see the opera.

They had planned the evening weeks in advance.

The tickets had already been bought.

Both of them had cleared their schedules.

Jason had even finished his work early for once and gone so far as to read about the opera's story beforehand.

He had genuinely been looking forward to it.

Then, just before they were supposed to leave,

two gangs had started shooting at each other inside his patrol territory.

And it hadn't been some minor street fight.

The violence spread from one alley to an entire city block,

leaving Jason to spend the entire night cleaning up the aftermath.

Naturally,

the opera was ruined.

So he had made this phone call.

Officially, it was to apologize.

In reality,

more than half the conversation consisted of him cursing every last one of those worthless gangs.

Leila didn't even need to put the call on speaker.

She could clearly hear dull impacts in the background,

the unmistakable sound of fists connecting.

Mixed in with the occasional scream from some unfortunate thug.

Every so often,

Jason's voice would cut through the noise.

"Quiet."

Then—

Thud.

Leila was completely used to it by now.

She could listen to her boyfriend complain while mentally adding subtitles to all the background sound effects.

Once Jason had finally finished venting,

she smiled and said,

"Alright."

"Come home when you're done."

"I'll buy the bread, and we'll go see the opera another day."

There was a brief silence.

Then his familiar deep voice came through the speaker.

"See you soon."

The corners of Leila's lips lifted.

"Love you."

There wasn't even a pause before the reply came.

"Always love you."

Hearing those words,

Leila smiled in satisfaction.

She ended the call,

then shook her head with quiet amusement.

Her boyfriend really was wonderful.

Gentle.

Dependable.

The kind of person who carried every little thing in his heart.

His only tiny flaw...

was that he was a little too clingy.

The thought made her smile again.

She slipped her phone back into her bag,

adjusted the strap on her shoulder,

then reached for the bakery's glass door.

The little bell above it chimed brightly.

The rich aroma of butter and freshly baked bread washed over her the moment she stepped inside.

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Leila picked up a tray and a pair of tongs from the stand by the entrance, then slowly made her way along the bakery shelves.

The shop was filled with the rich aroma of freshly baked butter.

The display cases overflowed with every kind of bread imaginable—golden croissants, powdered donuts dusted with sugar, and freshly baked baguettes that were still steaming.

Every item was tempting enough to make anyone stop for a second look.

As she walked, Leila began selecting bread with practiced ease.

"This one... Jason likes."

With a gentle click of the tongs, a bacon-and-cheese roll landed on her tray.

A few steps later, she picked up a chocolate croissant.

"This one too."

Then she added two meat pies.

They were Jason's favorites whenever he watched movies.

He never ate while reading, though.

He hated getting books dirty.

Remembering how her boyfriend had spent the entire phone call grumbling about missing the opera, she couldn't help smiling.

Then she turned toward another shelf filled with savory bread.

"This one's for Tim."

She chose several simple savory rolls.

Tim wasn't picky.

As long as the food was convenient to eat, he'd quietly finish every bite.

Finally, she grabbed a whole loaf of sliced bread.

It was something the household went through every day.

Leila looked down at her tray and silently did the math.

That should be enough.

Just as she turned to head toward the checkout—

a flash of gold caught the corner of her eye.

Instinctively, she turned her head.

Standing in front of the sweet pastry display was a young woman.

Her long golden hair fell softly over her shoulders.

She didn't look very old,

yet she had a baby strapped to her chest.

The soft baby carrier covered most of the infant's face, revealing only a tiny bit of one chubby cheek.

Leila couldn't get a clear look at the baby.

The young woman stood in front of the cinnamon rolls, looking down at them as if she couldn't decide whether to buy one.

Leila watched for a moment.

A young mother...

The thought crossed her mind.

She gave a small shake of her head, thought nothing more of it, and walked toward the register.

It wasn't long before it was her turn.

Just as Leila was about to hand her tray to the cashier—

a baby's cry suddenly echoed through the bakery.

It was loud.

Sharp.

Urgent.

Instantly, everyone's attention was drawn toward the sound.

Customers waiting in line.

People browsing the shelves.

Even the cashier instinctively looked up.

Leila turned as well.

She saw the young blonde woman hesitate for barely a second before setting down the cinnamon roll she had been about to pick up.

She quickly walked outside, stopping near the entrance where it was quieter.

With practiced ease, she supported the baby's tiny body.

One hand cradled the back of the infant's head and neck,

while the other gently patted the child's back.

She murmured soft words of comfort,

her movements natural,

gentle,

without the slightest hint of panic.

The crying continued for a little while.

Then it gradually softened.

Until all that remained were occasional little sniffles.

The baby had calmed down.

The young woman quietly let out a relieved breath.

Leila watched the entire scene in silence.

After a few seconds,

she looked up and offered the cashier a small smile.

"Excuse me."

She pointed toward the cinnamon roll the young woman had set back down.

"Could you add another cinnamon roll to my order, please?"

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Carrying a paper bag filled with bread, Leila pushed open the bakery door and stepped outside.

The afternoon sun bathed the sidewalk in warm light.

The blonde young woman was still standing near the entrance, her head lowered as she gently patted the baby in her arms until the crying finally stopped.

Leila took a quiet breath and slowly walked over.

Offering a friendly smile, she spoke softly.

"Excuse me. I noticed you were about to pick out a cinnam—"

After all, going out with a baby wasn't easy.

And the poor woman had just had to give up her place in line because the baby started crying.

But before Leila could finish,

the blonde looked up in surprise.

A pair of beautiful green eyes met hers.

They were bright.

Clear.

Filled with quiet curiosity.

Leila froze for a moment.

As the young woman lifted her head,

the baby carrier shifted slightly.

For the first time,

Leila caught a clear glimpse of the baby.

She stopped dead in her tracks.

Only then did she realize...

it wasn't a real baby at all.

It was an incredibly lifelike infant simulator,

crafted so realistically that it could easily fool anyone.

Leila's mind went completely blank.

She opened her mouth,

but every word she had prepared disappeared.

Nora looked at the black-haired woman standing before her, staring in complete shock as though her brain had simply stopped working.

She immediately realized there had been a misunderstanding.

With an awkward smile, she spoke first.

"Um..."

"I'm an early childhood education major."

She gently patted the baby strapped to her chest, looking a little helpless.

"This is my parenting assignment."

"It'll be graded."

Leila blinked blankly.

Her brain finally started working again.

She looked down at the realistic infant simulator,

then back up at the slightly embarrassed blonde standing before her.

At last,

the whole situation clicked into place.

The next second,

she couldn't help but laugh.

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Leila carefully took the infant simulator into her arms.

A moment earlier, Nora had asked hesitantly,

"Um... do you know how to hold a baby?"

Leila laughed.

Her hands had already instinctively moved into place, one supporting the baby's head while the other cradled its body.

She held it with the ease of someone who had done it countless times.

Gently rocking the infant, she smiled and replied,

"Of course."

"I held Tim when he was a baby."

It had all started because of a cinnamon roll.

That was the reason two complete strangers exchanged their very first words.

Then, after introducing themselves,

they were both surprised to discover they knew the same person.

The moment Leila introduced herself as Leila Drake,

Nora immediately thought of someone else with the same last name.

As for Leila, she'd only intended to make casual conversation.

But the instant she learned that the blonde girl in front of her was named Nora,

and that the "Tim" she mentioned was her precious little brother,

a scene from a few days ago flashed through her mind.

The day she and Jason had been sitting in the car,

watching Tim standing beside a blonde girl,

both of them convinced she was carrying a real baby.

So...

the baby really had been a misunderstanding.

But...

Leila quietly glanced at Nora as they chatted.

The baby might have been a misunderstanding.

Everything else?

Definitely not.

Sometimes,

a woman's intuition really was that straightforward.

With that thought,

Leila immediately changed her mind.

Smiling warmly, she offered,

"Would you like to grab a cup of coffee together?"

"I've got a little time."

Nora looked down at the infant simulator in her arms,

then at the cinnamon roll Leila had bought for her.

She already felt a little embarrassed by the unexpected kindness.

So she nodded.

"Sure."

The two of them walked into a nearby café,

finding seats by the window.

Before their coffee even arrived,

they naturally started talking about the infant simulator.

Before long,

the conversation drifted to Tim.

"So... you really held Tim when he was a baby?"

Nora couldn't help asking again.

Leila smiled and nodded.

"Of course."

"He was so tiny back then."

As she spoke,

she couldn't resist bringing up some old stories.

"He was actually incredibly stubborn as a kid."

"And he was always taking things apart just to see how they worked."

"One time, he dismantled the TV remote and very seriously told everyone he just wanted to study its internal structure."

Nora listened intently,

her green eyes sparkling with interest.

"And another time, he completely turned his room upside down because he wanted to test one of his theories."

"When it was all over, he looked completely innocent and said, 'Every experiment has a margin of error.'"

Nora burst into laughter.

Still holding the infant simulator, she eagerly asked,

"What happened after that?"

"Did anyone scold him?"

Leila laughed and shook her head.

"No."

"Because he quietly cleaned up the whole mess himself."

For the rest of the afternoon,

Leila did most of the talking,

while Nora happily listened.

Stories about the silly things Tim had done as a child.

The first time he learned to ride a bicycle.

The first time he secretly stayed up all night.

The first time he said something with such complete seriousness that every adult around him didn't know whether to laugh or sigh.

Nora listened with genuine delight.

The smile never left her face.

Leila watched the young woman sitting across from her.

Then she noticed those bright green eyes,

lighting up every single time Tim's name came up.

Quietly,

she nodded to herself.

There's definitely something here.

She couldn't help smiling to herself.

Good taste.

Tim's quite the catch.

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Jason was still handling things in the way that suited him best.

Or, more accurately,

he was solving them with force.

The dull thuds of fists landing echoed one after another.

The alley rang with cries of pain and desperate pleas for mercy.

The gang members who had been shouting threats only moments ago were now sprawled across the ground,

having completely lost their earlier bravado.

Just then,

the phone in his pocket began to vibrate.

Rolling his slightly sore wrist, Jason pulled it out.

He glanced at the caller ID.

Four words appeared on the screen.

Baby Bird Tim.

Without hesitation,

he answered.

"What's up?"

There was a brief silence.

Then Tim's voice came through, sounding unusually hesitant.

"...Red Hood, I feel like something's off."

"I just can't figure out what."

Jason frowned slightly.

Tim wasn't the type to call for no reason,

especially not in a tone like that.

"You're out too?"

A short reply came from the other end.

"Yeah."

In the background were the sounds of metal clanging against metal,

mixed with the rush of running water.

It sounded like he was working somewhere underground.

As Tim continued fixing whatever was in front of him, he said,

"There was a problem in the sewer system."

"I'm dealing with it now."

Jason blinked.

"Didn't you have class today?"

"Nobody else at home could handle it?"

There was a clatter as if someone had set down a tool.

Tim seemed to finish securing something before answering.

"I skipped class."

"Everyone else was busy."

After a brief pause, he added in the same even tone,

"Bruce is giving Damian etiquette lessons."

"Yesterday, Damian called Alfred..."

Tim repeated the words without changing his expression.

"'You servant.'"

Jason let out an amused snort.

"That man's reaping what he sowed."

"Going up against the Demon Brat was asking for it."

"Poor Alfred, though."

He casually kicked the thug beside him back onto the ground just as the man tried to stand,

then turned his full attention back to the call.

"Anyway."

"You said something feels off?"

Tim was silent for two seconds.

"I don't know."

"I reran all the computer analyses."

"Everything checked out."

"The security cameras, the data, the intel..."

"Nothing's out of place."

A trace of rare uncertainty crept into his voice.

"But..."

"I still feel like I'm overlooking something."

"My heart just won't stop racing."

Jason thought about it for a moment before offering his diagnosis with complete sincerity.

"You've had too much coffee?"

A faint, helpless huff immediately came through the speaker.

"I haven't."

"I've only had one cup."

Jason shrugged.

"Alright."

"I'll keep an eye out too."

"If anything actually happens, I'll give you a call."

"Okay."

Tim answered quietly.

The call ended soon afterward.

Once the line disconnected,

Tim had almost finished repairing the sewer system.

He packed each tool back into the toolbox one by one,

then inspected the worksite one final time,

making sure nothing had been left behind.

Only then did he pick up the toolbox and head toward the exit.

The strange feeling of unease never left him.

He couldn't help glancing back one more time at the silent tunnel behind him.

Nothing unusual.

No alarms.

Everything was functioning normally.

Tim stood there for a few seconds.

Then he finally looked away.

I'm probably just overthinking it, he told himself silently.

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Jason ended the call and slipped his phone back into his pocket.

He turned around and looked at the bodies scattered across the alley.

It was much quieter now.

Only muffled groans lingered in the air,

punctuated now and then by a few pained curses.

Jason didn't leave right away.

He remained where he was,

listening quietly to the sounds around him.

But his mind kept replaying what Tim had just said.

Something feels off.

I just can't explain it.

My heart won't stop racing.

Jason's brow slowly furrowed.

Even though he'd long since left Batman behind and worked on his own now,

the lessons carved into his bones had never truly disappeared.

Batman had taught him many things.

One of them was this:

Trust your instincts.

Sometimes,

your subconscious noticed danger long before your conscious mind did.

There were moments when something felt wrong.

Your eyes couldn't see it.

Your ears couldn't hear it.

Your nose couldn't smell it.

Every piece of evidence insisted that everything was perfectly normal.

But your body warned you first.

Back when Jason was Robin,

that instinct had saved his life more than once.

Which was exactly why Tim's words refused to leave his mind.

Jason pushed the thought aside for the moment

and walked toward the man leading the gang responsible for tonight's fight.

The man sat slumped against the wall.

Bruises covered his face,

and blood stained the corner of his mouth.

Jason crouched down in front of him.

"Hey."

His voice was flat.

"Why'd this fight start?"

The man looked up.

The moment he saw the red helmet,

he instinctively sucked in a shaky breath.

The taste of blood still filled his mouth as he mumbled,

"R-Red Hood..."

"Haven't... haven't you already beaten us enough...?"

Jason ignored the complaint.

He repeated himself.

"The reason."

His voice turned even colder.

Right now,

he wanted answers.

The sooner this was over,

the sooner he could go home.

Leila was waiting for him.

The man coughed before forcing out a reply.

"I... I already told you..."

"Someone stole our shipment..."

He got no further.

Jason had already drawn his pistol.

The black barrel pressed firmly against the center of the man's forehead.

Jason's face remained completely expressionless.

Only his growing impatience was visible.

The man froze.

The cold steel rested against his skin.

So close that even breathing became difficult.

He could smell genuine killing intent.

The man before him...

would actually pull the trigger.

Within seconds,

cold sweat formed across his forehead.

His throat bobbed.

Finally,

his voice broke into a frightened tremble.

"O-Okay..."

"I'll tell you..."

"I'll tell you everything..."

Jason said nothing.

He merely tilted his chin,

signaling for him to continue.

The man took a shaky breath.

His voice quivered with fear.

"S-Someone..."

"Someone paid me..."

"...to make sure I showed up here today."

"They said..."

"...the bigger the chaos..."

"...the better."

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