Chapter 3

Kim Dokja knew that the most likely explanation for what was happening was that he had a neurological problem. After all, even if such a thing as reading people's minds were possible in the fantasy stories he'd read, gaining magical powers was the sort of thing that happened to teenagers with great destinies. Not with thirty-year-old office workers.

And yet after Han Yoosung mentioned again the urban legend she read about, there was a part of him that couldn't help but think that maybe it was true. Or at least hoping it was true. He tried not to blame himself too much for wanting that, it seemed natural for him to have a desire in himself for something magical when so much of his life was spent reading about people who could do amazing things. Especially when the reality was so disappointing most of the time.

During the course of that day he spent a considerable part of the time he should have been working trying to test every kind of power he could think of. He grabbed a coffee and tried to make it freeze with his thoughts. One moment when he was alone in the bathroom he jumped up trying to see if he could fly. And he spent a ridiculously long time concentrating on the objects on his desk trying to get them to come to him using only the power of his mind.

None of this worked.

But he kept hearing voices throughout the day whenever he came into contact with other people. During the surprise party for his birthday he was able to test the limits of his powers a bit.

After they sang him happy birthday Kim Dokja went to cut the cake and at that moment Shin Yoosung one of the apprentices of his team was by his side, and although her skin was not in direct contact with his, both covered by the cloth their clothes, he still was able hear the girl's voice in his mind.

I hope Ahjussi gives me the first slice of the cake, Shin Yoosung thought.

And the girl's face lit up when Kim Dokja did precisely that.

She's going to be so smug because of this, I can't believe Hyung is buying this nice girl routine, Lee Gilyoung thought.

Kim Dokja for a second didn't understand how he could hear this since the boy was across the table, but then he looked down and noticed that the tip of his shoe was touching Lee Gilyoung's sneakers lightly.

.

.

.

Due to him spending so much of his day so focused on testing his new skills he ended up a little late with his work, and to not let it accumulate too much he decided to stay a couple of hours after his shift to finish the technical reports of the errors that he'd checked into one of the company's MMORPG games to have it ready for the programmers team to fix it tomorrow.

It was already dark when he picked up his things and headed for the elevators.

He was sure he was the last person still on that floor, but apparently he was wrong because as soon as he pressed the button calling the elevator to the tenth floor, Yoo Joonghyuk appeared.

His plan was to just wait for the elevator in silence, but then Yoo Joonghyuk said:

"I heard today is your birthday."

"You heard right, it is my birthday, thanks."

"I didn't congratulate you."

Rude, Kim Dokja thought.

"Alright then, I take back my thanks…who told you it was my birthday?"

"Lee Jihye."

It made sense, Yoo Joonghyuk's assistant was one of the people who was present at his surprise birthday party during break, except for her the only ones who had participated in the celebration were those who were part of his team, Han Sooyoung and Yoo Sangah who worked in the human resources department.

The elevator arrived and the two entered. There were only three other people in the elevator when they entered. But when it stopped on the eighth floor, more people got in and they moved to the corner to make room for the new passengers.

And as soon as they touched, Joonghyuk's voice was inside his head.

Fuck I should have taken the stairs. Yoo Joonghyuk thought.

Is he claustrophobic? Kim Dokja thought.

More people entered the elevator on the seventh floor, leaving the elevator with the maximum number of occupants allowed, and Yoo Joonghyuk was practically on top of him.

Shit he's so close. It doesn't look like he's thirty already, his skin looks so soft. Yoo Joonghyuk thought.

Kim Dokja looked up and Yoo Joonghyuk was looking at him with that same intense and focused expression he had seen the day before.

His hair looks soft too, and his lips. Fuck he's so close, his eyelashes are so long. Have we ever been this close? This is ridiculous, my heart is beating so fast, can he hear it? Stop this, control yourself, don't be a creep. I should have taken the fucking stairs. Yoo Joonghyuk thought.

The elevator door opened on the ground floor and people started to leave, and soon everyone was outside except for Kim Dokja still paralyzed trying to process what he had just heard.

"What are you waiting for?" Yoo Joonghyuk said holding the elevator door.

"I forgot something on my desk, I need to go back."

"Alright then…happy birthday." he said and took his hand away from the door.

And the elevator door closed before Kim Dokja answered.

When he spoke it was only to himself and what he said was:

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?"