Sense of Crisis
In that fraction of a second, Kang Jinha's entire body stiffened.
It was an instinctive response to danger which he could not control. He knew he couldn't have mistaken this feeling, for he had spent the last five years of his life in prison.
What kind of place was it? Let's say that… it was a forsaken cage for the scourge and trash of society. A dark place crawling with filthy maggots. It reeked of death and desperate madness, leaving no space for a smidgen of hope to shine through.
Imprisoned within were not only criminals who had been sentenced with life imprisonment, but also those awaiting trial and who would eventually receive the death penalty, like Kang Jinha. One could imagine how treacherous and vile the environment was.
And Kang Jinha was thrown into this place for the whole five years, left to rot and fend for himself.
It wasn't only once or twice that he nearly lost his life, and later, he eventually learned to protect himself. And the first and foremost lesson he engraved into his flesh and bones was how to recognize danger. It was the instinct that had been tempered through countless near-death situations, keeping him alert and vigilant even when he was supposed to rest, and that instinct was currently screaming at him— this person is dangerous! Even more dangerous than anyone you've ever met in prison!
But fortunately, this horrible sense of crisis only lasted less than one second because the other person swiftly averted his gaze as though he had just happened to sweep a casual glance over the surroundings. He then lowered his head, listening to whatever Kwon Minhyuk said with a bored, devil-may-care posture.
Kang Jinha couldn't help but let out a soft gasp, his heart pounding erratically in his chest. His back was soaked in cold sweat just from this brief eye contact and he had an odd feeling as if he had just brushed shoulders with death.
W–What a terrifying aura…
He swallowed hard before turning away to the restroom as if he was fleeing. How– How could someone possess such oppressive momentum even when he literally did nothing at all? Kang Jinha had never sensed anything like this before, not even on Chu Myungki, the protagonist with dual awakened abilities!
Does it mean that person was… an S-Class Esper?
But the only S-Class Espers written on the book was— alright, stop thinking about it, Kang Jinha!
Kang Jinha splashed cold water to his face, forcibly bringing his rumination to a halt. He raised his head and stared at his own pale reflection on the mirror. Water droplets clung to his thick and dark lashes like morning dew hanging on leaves, making his dazzling blue eyes look darker than usual. He took a couple more deep breaths and slowly brought his heartbeat back to normal rate.
So what if Kwon Minhyuk was acquaintanced with the one and only S-Class Esper in the country, Ryu Chanwook? Perhaps they had important business to discuss or perhaps they were actually friends before Doomsday descended – not that it had anything to do with him.
Either way, it's not like they would cross paths ever again. The world of S-Classes was far beyond his reach, just like two parallel lines that would never meet.
***
When Kang Jinha left the restroom, the suspected S-Class Esper was already gone, and the mother-son pair were waiting for him.
"Your grandma is now asleep after drinking the porridge you cooked," Oh Yoonji informed him in a gentle voice as though she was talking to a little vulnerable animal, causing Kwon Minhyuk to cast her a few odd glances. But she acted like she noticed nothing at all and flashed Kang Jinha a motherly smile, "The doctor advised her to have lots of rest, so would you like to come with us? Or do you have any other plans after this? Don't hesitate to tell us, the family driver will give you a ride. Oh, that's right, this is my son, Kwon Minhyuk," she playfully hit the shoulder of the tall man beside her. "He's twenty eight years old this year. You can just call him Hyung if you want."
At the cue, Kwon Minhyuk pushed up his glasses and offered a slight nod. "Kwon Minhyuk," was all he said.
Kang Jinha dared not to be so informal and bowed slightly, "Hello, my name is Kang Jinha. I will be under your care from now on."
Oh Yoonji cast a dissatisfied look at her rigid son, but her smile instantly became as soft as a spring breeze when she faced Kang Jinha, "How is it, Jinha-ya? Do you have other plans?"
Kang Jinha dug into his memory and recalled that he did have a practice lesson coming up since it was less than a month away until he had to perform. Previously, he had missed it altogether because he still had not recovered from Grandma's death and was in no state of mind to continue practicing. In the end… he never asked or tried to find out what had become of that show. He was afraid that everyone would blame him for disappearing arbitrarily, so he simply ran away and hid like the pathetic coward he was.
He buried his dreams and aspirations under the bottomless pit called 'remorse' and 'guilt', for he felt like he no longer had the right to be happy… to be so shameless and continue doing the things he liked after indirectly causing the death of his only family member.
Nevertheless, he had never truly let go. He couldn't bring himself to.
This incident ended up becoming a fishbone stuck in his throat even until years to come. A profound regret he lamented over and over during the nights when sleep eluded him.
Kang Jinha felt his heart pound faster and faster at the thought that he could still redo everything. He wouldn't let this chance slip through his fingers again! Definitely not! Clutching the strap of his sling bag, he said, "I have to go to ballet school at ten…"
Oh Yoonji checked her watch and beamed, "Perfect, there's still time. Shall we have breakfast together first?"
How could Kang Jinha ever refuse her invitation? As far as he could remember, the number of times they had sat and dined together on the same table could be counted with two hands. And it was on the account that he had been under their care for ten years! What kind of ungrateful bastard was he? The more Kang Jinha thought about it, the more he itched to beat himself up!
With the mindset of wanting to fix his regret, his tone seemed to contain a hint of eagerness despite the absence of a smile on his face. "Sure, Aunt. Let's go."
Oh Yoonji stared at him for one long moment before ruffling his hair like one would a cute puppy.
Kang Jinha, whose hair was a mess: "...?"
Satisfied, Oh Yoonji took the lead to leave, "Alright, let's go."
The three of them went to a nearby restaurant, with Oh Yoonji keeping up the conversation, asking about Kang Jinha and his grandma's daily life, while Kwon Minhyuk remained as taciturn as ever. He focused on his food while going out to answer calls once in a while, looking extremely busy. Although a little awkwardness still lingered between them, Kang Jinha enjoyed the meal more than he thought he would.
When they finished, it was just in time for Kang Jinha to attend the ballet school.
Oh Yoonji insisted on sending him off and Kang Jinha had no way to refuse her goodwill, thus he could only comply.
"Thank you for sending me here, Aunt," Kang Jinha expressed politely after getting out of the luxurious black sedan.
With huge sunglasses perched on top of her head, Oh Yoonji gave a helpless smile, "You silly child, how many times have I told you to stop being so formal? Okay, off you go. Practice well and don't worry about your grandma. You have your Hyung's number saved on your phone, don't you? After you're done for the day, give him a call and ask him to pick you up."
Kang Jinha hurried to refuse, not wanting to be a bother, "There's no need—"
But Oh Yoonji cut him off before he could finish his sentence. "Ah, I'm going to be late for the meeting!" she exclaimed in mock surprise and urged the driver to go faster, her tone leaving no room for Kang Jinha to butt in.
Feeling a mixture of helplessness and amusement, Kang Jinha could only watch as the car drove away until it eventually merged into the traffic. Why had he never known that his aunt could be so… lively and mischievous before? Oh well, whose fault was it in the first place? It was him who had never given her a chance to get close. It was him who had never tried to rely on her, who had never opened up his heart to her. Therefore, she could only treat him with caution until the very end, resulting in an awkward and stiff relationship.
It was fortunate that things were no longer the same now…
Once again, Kang Jinha couldn't help but marvel about how lucky he was. Among billions of people around the world, he was the one chosen to live again for a second time. Just how lucky it was?
With that thought in mind, Kang Jinha walked through the school gate when all of a sudden, his keen senses detected a presence approaching him soundlessly from behind. Fast.
Before his mind could process, his body had moved on its own as he sharply turned around, his gaze gloomy and fists clenched in preparation to fight, just like a vigilant beast baring its teeth. But then all the tension instantly loosened from his body when he caught a proper look at the other person. The beast closed its eyes and returned to slumber once more, and in its place stood the soft and harmless Kang Jinha.
"Mornin'," he greeted, his tone as casual and sluggish as usual, then he let out a huge yawn.
Kong Narae froze for a second with the hand that had been prepared to surprise the other person. She blinked in surprise. Just now… was it only her imagination that Kang Jinha looked so… fierce?
However, as soon as that notion crossed her mind, she swiftly tossed it to the back of her mind. 'Kang Jinha' and 'fierce' were two entities she had never considered in the same sentence.
Nope, impossible. It must have been the trick of light!
"How did you find me so soon? Do you have eyes on the back of your head or something?" she grumbled softly, falling into steps with Kang Jinha. Then she inched closer and nudged the person beside her with an elbow. "Hey, I saw it," she whispered in a secretive manner.
Not knowing what she was talking about, Kang Jinha cast her a puzzled glance.
"You, getting off that expensive car!" she exclaimed while gesturing animatedly with her hands. "
Kang Jinha had no idea whether to laugh or cry. Kong Narae's reaction was not unfounded, given the years they had known each other. He had no qualms in telling her the truth, "That car belongs to my Aunt's family. She's here to take care of me at the behest of my grandma."
"Aunt?" The doubt in Kong Narae's eyes deepened. "Your blood-related aunt? Why have we never seen her around?"
Kang Jinha fell silent. That, too, was a question he had been asking himself. He could see the similarities between Grandma and Aunt, so he did not doubt even for a second that they were truly blood-related, but why had she never shown up in their lives? For the first nineteen years of his life, he did not even know he had an aunt, nor had grandma ever mentioned anything about her before. It wasn't until Grandma's funeral that she appeared to take over as his guardian.
Why wait until then? Why hadn't she appeared even once during the years when Grandma had to work hard by herself to raise him?
It's not like their relationship was bad per se…
The train of Kang Jinha's thoughts broke at the sound of cheers and sharp whistles from the nearby basketball court. Someone broke away from the crowd and jogged closer to their direction, waving cheerfully,
"Morning, Jinha!"
Dressed in a basketball jersey with a small towel draped around his shoulders, Chu Myungki had a refreshing smile on his face as he called out to him.
…Worthy of being the protagonist, Kang Jinha found himself thinking, expressionless.
.
.
A/N: this book has a slow start, so please read until ch 20 before you decide whether to continue or not ^^ don't forget to leave a comment and review to motivate author, thank you so much!