Chapter 88 — The Peacock Display
Just then—
Leonard's voice suddenly dropped to a near whisper.
"…No way."
Ethan could clearly feel his breathing quicken.
Turning his head, he saw Leonard frozen in place, his expression stiff as if iced over.
"What's wrong?" Ethan asked.
Leonard swallowed.
"That's… Penny's ex. Kurt."
---
Ethan followed his gaze.
In the middle of the crowd stood a man who was impossible to miss—
Well over six feet tall, completely shirtless, wearing nothing but a pair of fur shorts.
His muscles were absurdly defined, like a barbarian warrior who had just walked out of some primitive tribe.
Ethan couldn't help commenting:
"Wow. So that's Penny's type… hardcore aesthetic."
---
Sheldon chimed in:
"Why is he here? To disrupt the local gravitational field?"
Leonard added under his breath:
"If he were any bigger, the moon would start orbiting him."
"You're being mean," Sheldon said, glancing at him—then added quietly,
"…which is why we should probably leave."
---
Ethan turned to them, curious.
"Did something happen between you guys? Why avoid him?"
Leonard immediately denied it.
"Nothing happened."
Sheldon, expressionless, added:
"He took our pants off."
Ethan: "…What?"
Sheldon nodded.
"Yes. He and Penny had broken up, but he refused to return her TV."
"She asked us to help get it back. That's when the incident occurred. My middle school trauma score officially increased by one."
"That was an accident!" Leonard protested.
"And he was the one in the wrong! Why should we leave? He's the one who showed up uninvited—Penny doesn't even want to see him—"
Before he could finish—
In the center of the crowd—
Penny and Kurt hugged.
Leonard froze on the spot.
Sheldon calmly turned to him.
"Do you have an alternate hypothesis?"
Leonard forced himself:
"Maybe… they just want to be friends."
Ethan narrowed his eyes.
"She doesn't look that willing… but based on what you just told me, Leonard—"
"I'm starting to think Penny might not be right for you."
Leonard frowned.
"Why? You said she was great before."
"She is. But… never mind. As long as you're happy."
Sheldon raised a hand like he'd been waiting for this moment.
"I've said countless times—they are fundamentally incompatible."
"In fact, I believe Mr. Kurt is a more suitable match for Penny."
"Neither of them is particularly intelligent, but both possess exceptional muscular development."
"Though currently, she wants friendship—and he clearly wants more."
Leonard immediately latched onto that last part.
"That makes him just like me!"
"And compared to him, I live closer. That's an advantage!"
Sheldon nodded.
"Geographically, yes."
"But if this were 1500 years ago, with his physique and strength, Kurt could choose any mate he desired."
---
"But this isn't 1500 years ago!" Leonard rallied.
"This is the information age, Sheldon! We're the superior ones!"
"You say 'we,'" Sheldon replied calmly,
"but that clearly excludes height and muscle mass."
Leonard clenched his fists.
"We shouldn't back down! He should!"
Sheldon corrected him immediately:
"Not 'we.' You."
"In that case, why not text him and ask if he's willing to concede Penny?"
Leonard took a deep breath.
"No. I'll confront him face to face—and demonstrate my advantages."
Sheldon blinked.
"Face to face? Do you intend for him to sit down, or for you to stand on a coffee table?"
---
Before Sheldon could finish—
Leonard had already charged forward.
He shot across the room like a rocket with insufficient thrust—
Straight toward Kurt.
He puffed up his chest, trying to block Kurt's line of sight toward Penny.
The music was too loud—Ethan and Sheldon couldn't hear a word.
They could only see Leonard's exaggerated gestures…
…and Kurt's towering, mildly confused expression—
Like someone watching a squirrel try to stop a truck.
"Wow," Ethan took a sip of beer and commented calmly,
"Two males displaying physical and social dominance in front of a female to compete for mating rights."
"A classic human version of a peacock display."
Sheldon glanced between Leonard and Kurt.
"Your analogy lacks precision."
Ethan smirked. "Oh? How so?"
"Biologically and visually inaccurate," Sheldon replied coolly.
"If we must use avian courtship models—"
"Kurt could, at best, be described as a large male peacock with dull plumage."
"And Leonard…"
He paused, searching for the perfect phrasing.
"…is closer to a rooster attempting to attract attention through vocalization and jumping."
"Specifically, one missing several tail feathers, resulting in reduced visual impact."
Ethan: "..."
"That's… a little harsh, don't you think?"
Sheldon replied calmly:
"Evolution does not concern itself with dignity. It selects outcomes."
"Only those capable of producing stronger offspring earn the right to continue."
Meanwhile, whatever Leonard said finally escalated things.
Kurt stepped forward—
Barely exerting any effort—
And simply lifted Leonard off the ground with one hand.
Like picking up an agitated small mammal.
Ethan moved immediately.
Sheldon followed behind at a leisurely pace.
Penny shouted:
"Kurt! Put him down. Now!"
Kurt shrugged.
"He started it."
"I don't care who started it," Penny snapped, clearly holding back anger.
"I just want both of you to stop. Put him down."
Kurt glanced at her, then shrugged again.
"Fine."
He set Leonard down, muttering:
"Lucky little gremlin."
Sheldon blurted out instinctively:
"He's a Hobbit!"
Kurt shot Sheldon an annoyed look and turned to leave—
But a hand stopped him.
Ethan's.
His voice wasn't loud—
But it carried weight.
"You should apologize."
Kurt stared at him, as if trying to decide whether this was a joke.
And in that moment—
Shadow energy quietly gathered within Ethan.
Shadow Word: Pain.
Kurt's pupils shrank violently—
As if something invisible had stabbed straight through him.
Then—
Calm Mind.
The man who, just a second ago, radiated raw aggression—
Was suddenly slammed with an invisible brake.
Kurt's breathing slowed almost instantly.
That explosive tension in his shoulders and back—the kind that looked ready to snap at any moment—was forcibly suppressed.
The anger was still there, churning in his eyes.
But his body… hesitated.
---
He stood there for two seconds.
Then, as if something was pressing down on him, he forced the words out through clenched teeth:
"…Fine."
A pause.
Then, reluctantly—
"Sorry."
---
Leonard: "..."
Sheldon: "..."
Ethan: "???"
No one responded.
Which somehow made it even more awkward.
Kurt's irritation visibly spiked.
He tilted his head slightly, voice lower, more impatient:
"That enough?"
Penny froze.
This… wasn't how she expected things to go.
The conflict she had braced for never came.
Sure, his tone wasn't exactly polite—but for Kurt?
This was already an astonishing level of restraint.
The words she'd been about to use to kick him out—
Got stuck in her throat.
She frowned at him, confusion written all over her face.
Kurt rubbed the back of his neck.
"Don't know why… just suddenly didn't feel like making a scene."
He stepped back, giving space.
Not gentlemanly—just instinctive distance.
"I'm grabbing a drink."
He turned and walked toward the bar.
His steps were slightly unsteady.
The tall, imposing figure was still intimidating—
But now…
It felt like someone had injected his presence with a dose of sedation.
---
"YEAH!"
Sheldon threw his hands up in celebration, like he'd just won something.
Then he turned to Ethan.
"What did you just do?"
Ethan swallowed.
"I just… asked him to apologize."
Of course, that wasn't the whole story.
He'd slipped in a low-grade Shadow Word: Pain—still ticking away inside Kurt.
With that kind of physique, it wouldn't do much physically, but mentally? Enough to make him uncomfortable for a while.
And he'd almost used the wrong ability.
His instinct had been to cast Psychic Scream—
But with so many people around, that would've turned into a full-blown chaos event.
So, at the last second, he switched—
To Calm Mind.
…And, unexpectedly, it worked very well.
---
Sheldon frowned thoughtfully.
"So despite appearing barbaric, he is in fact a civilized individual?"
"His previous rudeness—merely the result of no one ever requiring him to apologize?"
Are you serious? Ethan thought.
Out loud, he said:
"…I'm not sure."
Penny's expression shifted.
From anger—
To something more complicated.
She didn't forgive Kurt.
But she didn't escalate either.
She just stood there, watching his back as he walked away—
A flicker of uncertainty in her eyes.
Ethan: "..."
"…Did I just make things worse?"
Leonard leaned in, whispering:
"So… are we safe now?"
Ethan glanced toward the bar.
Kurt stood there, visibly annoyed—
But holding himself back.
He rubbed his temple.
"Physically speaking—yes."
He paused.
"Emotionally speaking…"
He looked at Leonard.
"…I think your future with Penny just got a lot more dangerous."