Sung-min was a lonely child growing up.
A child who was antisocial and had a problem communicating with his peers. They thought he was simply shy but then suspected he was autistic.
But aside from his antisocial behavior, he was good at everything else. He did not throw tantrums and his speech was not distorted either.
So, it wasn't autism, but just his inability to communicate properly with the people around him.
Why was it so?
Because of this, his parents, who had another baby soon after, began to neglect him. Since they believed he didn't have excessive needs like a normal child did and didn't even need their love and affection, it was alright to give him to his grandparents to raise.
Sung-min was never bad-mannered. He was just... Never outspoken. It was also a case of not being able to be in tune with his emotions, so he could not relate properly to the seven types of emotions others had.
He couldn't get angry if he wanted to. He couldn't be sad. He couldn't be greedy. He couldn't get excited and be happy. He couldn't get anxious. He couldn't feel anything.
His life was just bleak. He learned the basic communication tactics to use in a conversation with others and the right responses, and that was how he was able to communicate, but it didn't help since people thought he was being rude and arrogant.
And then he just so happened to become an Esper. An ice-wielding Esper. Someone so dangerous that getting so close could get you frozen by just his ice energy.
It was as if the world wanted him to be alone. And his emotions darkened even more.
So when he was blamed, when he was hated, when he was scorned, he didn't feel it all too well. He doesn't try to explain or give an excuse, taking all the blame even when he did not deserve it.
He looked fine with it and didn't care.
At least, that was how it seemed, but his heart... I knew his heart was wailing.
He probably wished he could've been like everyone else. Normal.
I thought of this in my last life too but... Sung-min is extremely lonely. And only after he met me, after he loved me, did he get in tune with his heart.
It was too bad it was short-lived, all because I stubbornly... Sigh.
But I'm glad I was able to give him various emotions earlier in this life. He got announced, angry, anxious, suspicious, suspicious again, contemplated a lot, and then... He smiled like a warm spring after months of blizzard blowing in his heart.
What I would do to let the spring blossom more.
Sung-min's watch beeped and he knew he had to leave.
"I have to go." He said and I bit the inner walls of my mouth. Already?
I hated to part with him but... It was only for a few hours.
"Then, let me have your number now," I said to him, and he gave it to me. "Oh, and I'll keep my GPS on at all times so you can come to my live location if I'm not home."
He simply nodded and started heading for the door.
I knew he wouldn't look back. So, I decided to make him then.
"Sung-min?" I called and he paused, glancing over his shoulder. "I want you to know that I consider you a friend, before the guy I wish to pursue."
He heard this and I saw the corner of his lips quiver. Only slightly, and not very noticeable, but it was there.
"You should have your dinner now, Choi Joon-ho." He said and turned to the door. "It's getting cold."
Aw, Chucks. Was that him having a comeback after not knowing what to respond?
He was becoming so sly, haha.
I touched my chin. The coldness was falling due to my heart and I sighed.
If only I could have his hand on me for a moment longer.
I went to the dinner table and opened the pot. It was still steaming but not as hot as it was when I dropped it from the fire.
I looked over at Sung-min's empty bowl. It was quite a big bowl, but he finished it, and I offered him seconds, so I could selfishly watch him eat more.
I smiled and touched the pot. After a few seconds, the broth began to boil.
"Hm,"
There were so many benefits of having this power. I don't even need to take the pot back to the fire to heat it up.
And I was careful enough not to set the table on fire.
I dished it on my bowl, pressed my hands together to say a little prayer, but then a smile tugged at the corner of my lips.
Maybe I should've done this with Sung-min as well.
After taking just a bite, I hummed at my exceptional skills, smacking my lips as the spice got to my mouth, and waved my spoon in the air.
"I still got it." I laughed and continued to eat in that solitude.
The meal was warm and delicious but with no one to eat with me, it felt so empty even when I was full.
This solitude... I hated it so much.
'I definitely should've eaten with Sung-min.' but then what would I be doing at this point if I had already eaten?
Wallowing in my depressing thoughts and waiting for the right time to strike.
'Hm, I want to live with Sung-min. Then, should I let the fire dragon destroy my house first before calling for help?'
Unlike the past, where Sung-min had to take care of the aftermath of the Earthquake and couldn't do his patrol duty around the crack, he was active now.
So, unless he gets called away, he might even find traces of the fire dragon trying to escape before I even get the chance to call for help.
Well, it works out well if that happens. Since then, I wouldn't raise his suspicion bar about me.
After eating, I went to take a bath. Nothing fixes a tired body more than a sweet and comfy bath. It takes out the fatigue quite a lot.
Walking out with a towel on my dripping hair, I decided to check Sung-min's location.
He should be very close to the crack by now.
When I shared my location with him, I used the opportunity to take his live location as well so I would be able to follow his movement.
I opened his location and my mouth dropped to the floor, along with the towel I was using to dry my hair.
Sung-min should be close to the crack by now, right?
Then why in the world was he across town? An entire hour drive from here!