Warm Milk

The major events that would happen in the future, things he needed to pay attention to, and also… the heinous crime committed by Chu Myungki which resulted in the death of thousands… 

Kang Jinha was actually hesitant whether he should include the last part, but with the mentality of preparing an umbrella for rainy days, he still penned them down earnestly. As the chosen scapegoat, there were some things only he knew. Who knows, perhaps this might come handy in the future.

At last, he managed to fill three whole pages before he was done. But Kang Jinha was still feeling fairly dissatisfied. 

He was too much of a shut-in previously and had no habit of keeping up with daily news, so there must be a lot of things he had missed out on. The book of the world he had read after death wasn't of much use either because the perspective followed Chu Myungki ninety nine percent of the time. 

Therefore, what Chu Myungki knew, he knew, but what the man didn't know, he had no way to find out either. 

Not to mention, there was also five years of blank time which he had spent in prison… 

Sighing, Kang Jinha let go of the pen and rolled his sore shoulders. He glanced at the clock and was shocked to discover that nearly three hours had already passed, and the hour had pointed at eleven! No wonder his entire body felt so sore! 

Foregoing his plan to unpack his belongings, Kang Jinha grabbed his notebook and circled around the room twice before he decided to lock it in the bottom cabinet of the wardrobe. Next, he grabbed a change of clothes and trotted to the en suite bathroom for a brief shower. As he expected, the toiletries had been prepared for him to use, wholly brand new.

Along with the sound of running water, warm mist billowed in the air and fogged up the mirror, sending the temperature rising by a few degrees. Kang Jinha tilted his head up, allowing the water to cascade down his body and washing away the sweat from the day.

It had been so long since he could have a peaceful warm shower without anyone urging or threatening him, so he could not resist taking his sweet, sweet time, staying until his fingers turned all pruney. 

Only then did he reluctantly turn off the shower and grab a towel from the nearby rack. 

Under the bright lights, the freshly showered Kang Jinha stood in front of the mirror and used his hand to wipe away the fog, revealing his clear reflection. Since his rebirth, this was the first time he had a chance to take a proper look at himself. Staring back at him was a youth with delicate features, finely arched brows, flushed cheeks, full lips akin to wet crimson petals, and smooth skin without blemish. He looked just like an alluring fruit on the verge of ripening, oozing with the freshness of youth mixed with budding adulthood. 

The only feature that looked out of place was his eyes.

They were too heavy, desolate, and world-weary, making the original brilliant blue of his orbs appear darker like the color of the deep sea where the sunshine couldn't reach. 

They were not the kind of eyes a nineteen-year-old could possess. 

Kang Jinha was extremely aware that despite his rebirth, he could no longer return to his former self. The immature, sensitive, and naïve youth had died in the previous lifetime, in a world everyone had forgotten— but him. 

"Grandma, Aunt, Cousin, and Narae…" he spoke through gritted teeth, his eyes blazing with determination as he made a vow to himself. "In this life, I will make sure nothing happens to them!"

Stepping out of the bathroom, Kang Jinha used a towel to wipe his hair haphazardly before tossing it to the back of the chair. He plopped down on the bed and almost jumped in shock when his body bounced lightly. 

"Wow…" he couldn't help but stroke the soft and fluffy mattress with his two hands, marveling at the velvety sensation. 

Just two days ago, he was still curled up on a wooden plank which was laid directly on the ground with nothing but the inmate uniform covering his body. His pillow, blanket, and even his bed had been forcefully snatched up by others. 

He could actually fight back to reclaim those stuff, but in the end he felt that the momentary comfort was not worth the future trouble that would come back to kick him in the ass. 

He knew how the inmates' minds worked very well – they relished in bullying the weak and enjoyed their tormented reactions. That's why, if Kang Jinha resisted or even so much as showed that he was bothered by their ruffian behavior, the more they would play with him until he eventually broke down, both in body and mind. They were no different than a pack of hounds getting excited at the slightest whiff of blood from their prey. 

On the contrary, when Kang Jinha displayed nothing but indifference no matter how hard he was beaten or bullied, the others quickly grew bored and left him alone to search for a new target. 

This was how he secured a semblance of peace in that forsaken place. 

He simply needed to endure a little hardship when the weather began to cool down, but that was nothing. In the middle of the night, cockroaches or other small insects would also crawl across his body, but he had gotten so accustomed to them that he could brush them off before turning over to sleep again. 

He had forgotten how a proper bed felt like, let alone such a huge and expensive one. 

In the end, Kang Jinha could only lie down with some nervousness and apprehension. Despite the spacious bed, he took up only a small, pitiful corner with his body curled up in a fetus position. He wrapped his arms around his head in a defensive gesture, with his hands loosely curled into fists. It was a position that allowed him to protect himself first and foremost in case of a sudden attack. 

He did this all subconsciously without realizing that he was fully safe and sound in this house, and no longer would there be obnoxious people who liked to vent their frustration and beat him up without reason. 

In this quiet, warm, and pleasant-smelling room, Kang Jinha fell asleep in a daze.

It had been a long and tiring day; not to mention, he had only gotten a scant few hours of sleep on the hospital bench yesterday. It stood to reason that Kang Jinha should have a deep and undisturbed rest, but an hour had not even passed when his eyelids began to twitch restlessly. 

Chaotic noises exploded in his ears – people swearing, laughing, jeering. The empty space in the room seemed to have transformed into a grotesque monster with its mouth open wide, itching to swallow him up until not even his bones remained. 

He felt his body sinking and sinking deeper until— 

"... Gasp!" 

Kang Jinha jolted upright, his pupils blown wide and shaken. He could not quite catch his breath with how frantically his heart was beating in his chest. His body tensed, his sharp and gloomy eyes scanning the surroundings, and it took him a few good seconds to realize where he was. 

This… this was his new room. That's right, he was no longer in prison. He had died and became free…

"Damn it…" he buried his face into his hands, fingers tugging on his hair. "Snap out of it, Kang Jinha."

He checked the time and saw that it was only ten minutes before one in the morning. Thus he laid down again and tried to hypnotize himself to sleep, but alas, his eyes remained wide awake and his mind was more sober than ever. He could finally pinpoint the reason behind his restlessness – the bed beneath him was too soft, the room too large, and his surroundings too quiet… so quiet he could hear a pin drop. 

Having gotten used to the prison's noisy and chaotic environment 24/7, this kind of stillness only served to make him uneasy. It felt as though something or someone was hiding in the dark shadows, only waiting for him to lower his guard down before pouncing on him. 

Kang Jinha saw no way he could fall asleep now. With a frustrated exhale, he sat up, put on his slippers and gingerly snuck out of his room like a little thief. 

He then made his way to the kitchen on the first floor with ease. Under the veil of darkness, he opened the refrigerator and his eyes flared wide in surprise at the assortments of frozen dishes and desserts wrapped up neatly inside. There were even sticky notes on each box, instructing in detail how it should be prepared or how long he needed to put it into the microwave. 

Aunt really wasn't joking with the midnight snacks, he thought helplessly. 

However, the thing he wanted to find was not there, so he closed it again and moved to scour through the cabinets. Alas, he had just moved to the second one when a low voice suddenly sounded behind him, spooking him so much that he nearly leaped out of his skin,

"Can't sleep?"

Kang Jinha: "...!"

He jumped like a startled cat and turned around so fast he almost tripped on his own feet, only to find Kwon Minhyuk blocking the doorway with his broad stature. S–Since when had he been standing there?! 

The faint moonlight reflected off Kwon Minhyuk's gold-rimmed glasses, rendering Kang Jinha unable to gauge his expression. It was fortunate that Kang Jinha wasn't holding onto anything or he would have dropped it all for sure! Nevertheless, he couldn't help but feel nervous and jittery at being caught red-handed. 

Just what are you doing, Kang Jinha?! He berated himself harshly. How could you not notice him standing behind you?! 

"Y–Yeah…" With the lack of words to say, he could only nod honestly. 

But as soon as the answer came out of his mouth, he wanted to beat himself up again. What if Kwon Minhyuk asked what he was searching for? He couldn't possibly admit that he wanted to drink some liquor to help him sleep, could he?! 

Just as Kang Jinha was frantically racking his brain for an excuse, Kwon Minhyuk took his first step into the kitchen and with a crisp 'pa', he accurately pressed on the switch. In an instant, the pitch-black darkness was dispelled and light flooded the space. The sudden brightness caused Kang Jinha to squint his eyes reflexively. 

It was then that he realized that his cousin was still wearing the same shirt as he did during dinner, just with the top two buttons undone and his sleeves rolled up. 

He walked past Kang Jinha toward the refrigerator, retrieved a large bottle of milk and poured some into a pan to be heated. As he waited, he deftly brewed a cup of coffee, and in no time at all, the rich and tantalizing aroma filled the whole kitchen. 

All the while, Kang Jinha could only stare at him sluggishly, trying and failing to guess the line of his thoughts. It wasn't until Kwon Minhyuk took a sip of the coffee that he recovered some of his senses. 

If the coffee was for Kwon Minhyuk, then the milk should be for… him, right?

Kang Jinha's suspicion was confirmed true when Kwon Minhyuk proceeded to pour the warm milk into another cup and handed it to him expressionlessly, "Mn."

Dazed, Kang Jinha accepted it with both hands. The warmth it emitted seemed to permeate his palms and merge into his bloodstreams, chasing away the chill caused by the nightmare. Tension he was unaware of uncoiled from his body in waves, and a faint sigh escaped his lips. 

Unable to resist, he peeked at the other person through his long lashes. Lo and behold, Kwon Minhyuk did not directly take his leave but instead leaned against the counter while taking slow sips of his coffee, his stern gaze scrutinizing Kang Jinha from head to toe.