Taming SSR And UR RANK Superwomen-Chapter 37 — A Mother on Her Knees

The sound of the alarm shattered the morning silence like a hammer striking metal.

Thomas frowned without opening his eyes and reached out to turn it off. His body felt heavy, as if he had only slept for a few minutes. The fatigue from the previous day still clung to his muscles.

He tried to turn over to get up. He couldn’t. Something was holding him by the neck. His eyes snapped open. A slender arm was wrapped tightly around him. A cheek rested against his shoulder. Long, straight white hair spilled messily across his chest.

Thomas froze for a second. It was Angel—his mother. She was in his bed, hugging him as if he were the parent and she the child.

His expression changed immediately.

"What...?" he muttered, irritation restrained in his voice.

He moved abruptly, pushing the arm away. Angel let out a faint, sleepy sound and slowly opened her eyes. She yawned, bringing a hand to her face and rubbing one eye.

"Good morning..." she said softly, still half asleep.

Thomas sat up in bed, turning his back to her.

"What are you doing here?"

Angel blinked a couple of times, trying to clear her head.

"I was worried about you last night," she replied naturally. "I heard you come in late. I wanted to stay awake to talk, but I was so tired that... I fell asleep here."

Thomas clenched his jaw.

"Leave. Don’t ever get that close to me again."

Angel looked at him in silence. A second passed. Then she slowly pushed herself up a little.

"Thomas... I want to talk to you. About everything."

He stood without looking at her and walked toward the door as he said,

"No."

"Please," she insisted, lowering her voice. "Just one conversation."

Thomas didn’t respond. He opened the door and left the room, leaving her alone on the messy bed. Angel stared at the closed door. Her fingers tightened softly around the bedsheet.

◇◆◇

Breakfast passed in silence—at least on Thomas’s side.

Iris chatted with her usual energy, though even she seemed to notice the tension in the air. Thomas was dressed, groomed, and ready to leave. Angel was also put together, wearing a simple black dress that contrasted with the morning light.

Thomas finished eating quickly and stood up.

"Come on, Iris."

He picked up his sister’s backpack and water bottle and slung them over his shoulder. Angel rose slightly from her seat.

"I can walk with you..."

"No," Thomas cut in without looking at her. "We won’t be back until late. Once you’re done eating, you can leave. You already got the night you wanted."

Iris looked from one to the other, confused. Angel’s brows furrowed slightly. Annoyance flickered across her expression, but only for an instant. She took a deep breath.

’You’ll accept whatever he says,’ she told herself. ’You don’t have the right to complain.’

Thomas took Iris’s hand and left without giving her a chance to say goodbye. The door shut behind them. Angel was alone in the apartment once again.

◇◆◇

After dropping Iris off at school, Thomas began his daily rounds. First place:

"Sorry, we’re not hiring."

Second:

"The position’s already been filled."

Third:

"Leave your number. We’ll call you."

They wouldn’t call.

The sun began to climb. The air grew heavier. Thomas walked from place to place, asking about openings, offering full availability, and accepting any shift.

Rejection.

Rejection.

Rejection.

By noon, sweat was already running down his back. Finally, at a small grocery store with a worn-out façade, a middle-aged woman looked him up and down.

"You know how to use tools?"

"Yes, ma’am. All kinds."

"I’ve got leaks in the storage room roof. If you can fix them today, I’ll pay you for the day."

Thomas nodded without hesitation. He climbed onto the roof under the direct sun. The heat struck mercilessly, as if the sun were trying to melt him into the scorching metal sheets. By the time he finished, his hands were covered in dust and sealant. Sweat blurred his vision, but he worked without complaining.

When he finished, he was exhausted. The woman paid him in cash. It wasn’t much, but it was something. Thomas looked at the money in his hand and then opened his System.

[Daily Mission]

• Attend the gym for at least 1 hour.

[Complete the assigned routine]

• Weighted Squats — 4 x 12

• Bench Press — 4 x 10

• Pull-ups — 4 x 8

• Plank — 3 x 60 seconds

• Treadmill Run — 20 continuous minutes

[If you fail to complete the mission, you will suffer...]

Thomas sighed and closed the System. He already knew the rest.

"Great..."

He put the money away and headed to the gym he had signed up for.

◇◆◇

The first set of squats set his legs on fire. The bench press made his arms tremble. The pull-ups were hell.

By the time he started the planks, sweat was dripping steadily onto the floor. His breathing was uneven and heavy.

The treadmill was the worst—twenty continuous minutes after spending the entire day under the sun. He finished with his chest rising and falling violently. He even looked pathetic.

When the System finally displayed:

[Mission Completed]

[Rewards:]

Stamina +1

Willpower +2

EXP +20

Gacha Roll +1

Thomas collapsed onto a gym bench, resting his elbows on his knees. He was so exhausted he felt like he might vomit or pass out.

His phone vibrated. Since it was within reach, he checked it. A message from Ashley.

"Did you forget about me already? 😠💗"

Thomas couldn’t help but smile.

"Sorry. I’ve been working all day."

"Excuses. You owe me one message a day. At least one."

"Yes, Madam President."

"That’s more like it. Obedient."

He put his phone away, still smiling. He didn’t reply after that.

◇◆◇

With barely any time to rest, he rushed to pick up Iris, since he was cutting it close.

She came out of school happy, telling him about homework and new games. Thomas listened attentively, making sure to give her stories the attention they deserved, even though his body was begging for rest.

When they reached the building, Iris ran inside.

"I’m home!"

Thomas stepped through the door behind her... and dropped to his knees before even closing it.

"I’m exhausted..." he muttered, lowering his head, barely holding himself up.

He took a deep breath to regain some energy. In his dazed state, he forgot to ask Iris for a glass of water.

"It doesn’t even make sense how many places I went to today... I covered at least an entire district of Ark."

He placed one hand on the floor, pulled the cash from his pocket, and set it down in front of him.

"At least I earned dinner."

He took out his phone and began searching for a market that sold or bought Abyss items. No site mentioned what he was looking for; they only showed news about heroines and their expeditions.

"Abyss item market Ark."

Nothing. He sighed, drained. Then a voice spoke behind him.

"You won’t find an Abyss market inside Ark."

Thomas flinched and turned sharply. Angel was standing in the hallway, on the other side of the door, wearing her black dress. She was watching him closely.

"What are you doing here?" he snapped.

She didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she stepped forward slightly and, without warning, knelt down, placing both hands on the floor and pressing her forehead against it.

Thomas went still.

"Please," Angel said, her voice firm but trembling. "I’m only asking for one conversation. If I can’t convince you... I’ll accept your answer. But at least hear what I have to say."

Thomas’s heart clenched sharply. His eyes grew moist. Anger, resentment, and a compassion he hated feeling mixed in his chest.

’No...’

He didn’t want to allow himself to feel pity. He didn’t want to feel the pain of seeing her like that. He clenched his fists and took a slow, heavy breath.

"One conversation," he said at last, as if the words cost him.

Angel slowly lifted her head. Her eyes were shining, but she wasn’t crying.

"Thank you. I promise I won’t waste your time."

"Your promises don’t mean anything anymore."

Angel accepted the comment without looking away. Then she carefully stood up.

"Let’s go somewhere quieter to talk. Is black chili shrimp still your favorite? I’ll take you there. After that, we can stop and buy Iris’s favorite food so she can have dinner here. What do you think?"

Thomas didn’t respond—but this time, he didn’t leave either. He was so tired that arguing felt like a waste of energy. He closed his eyes, forced himself to stand, and replied:

"I’m going to shower first."

"Of course. I’ll wait out here, okay?"

"No. Come in."

"Huh?" Angel murmured in surprise.

Thomas walked off, leaving the door open. She had been ready to sit on the floor, but she accepted. Angel stepped inside and closed the door.

’What should I even talk to her about?’ he wondered as he walked into the bathroom. ’I’ll just listen. That’s it. I still have too much resentment. There’s no point in yelling everything I feel at her face, but she keeps insisting on being here. Still... should I think about Iris before making this decision? Or am I the one who has to take responsibility for everything?’