Unlike the rude Jinwoo, Hyunsoo is much softer. Personality wise.
For some reason unknown to Hyunsoo, his family reunion was delayed. But now, it's happening. One at a time.
---
Hyunsoo was sitting on the metal chair, waiting patiently for his guardian to enter.
The door creaked open, and from it entered. Harin. Her usual green uniform as her dress code.
"Last time I checked, that's Jinwoo's sis, isn't she?"
For no reason at all, she frowned right at the moment she looked at him. Seeing her hazel eyes show off such intense hate, he could guess what it was all about.
"Hello!" He greeted otherwise.
Harin did not reply. He thought it was rude of her, but considering her sibling, he accepted it was natural.
Harin kept on frowning, before letting out a heavy sigh and speaking coldly. "You will be meeting your sibling first."
Hyunsoo was taken aback, "Eh? Isn't it supposed to be like.. uh.. Guardians only?"
"Pretty sure even that kid could be called more mature than people like you."
Hyunsoo silenced himself.
Harin suddenly looked satisfied, then she opened the door.
A little kid walked in. Her short black hair reached just to her shoulders, styled in a bob, along with her shiny brown eyes, glistening with some kind of anticipation. She wore a colourful hoodie, striking a green and yellow combination. With the same green colour, she wore a simple short and black slippers.
Hyunsoo did not say anything. He simply waited. The kid who walked in was none other than his sister. Jang Yeonji.
This was a situation he had not accounted for.
Say, if he met his dad. He would just say 'yeah', 'sorry', 'I understand'.
If it was her mom, he would say 'I know', 'sorry', 'yes'.
But neither of the two were here. Here, was a kid, who he obviously knew. That's why it was even worse for him. She was incredibly, unhealthily, in love with hunters and superpowers.
It was normally understandable for kids to be interested in topics like these, but this was not simple interest.
Yeonji grabbed the seat and jumped on to sit. To Harin, it reminded of a certain guy who had once stole her seat in the very same manner. Although this greatly angered her, she held back. She would not attack an innocent kid for a reason someone else had upset her for.
She would simply extract that on her brother, or the reason himself.
Hyunsoo waited for the kid to sit comfortably before he gave the usual greeting.
"Hel—"
"HELLO!!" Yeonji shouted, waving her hand in unruly gesture. This surprised both Hyunsoo and Harin, especially Harin.
"this is the first time I have ever seen someone being out-hello-ed."
Hyunsoo chuckled a bit, a reunion with a family member was not a bad thing either way.
"How did you lose? I thought you were super strong." Yeonji innocently asked, but the innocence was the sole reason that made Hyunsoo feel even more shameful. Hyunsoo smile faded in an instant.
Being held back from embarrassment, he chose to lie rather than being truthful this once.
"I was too strong, those puny hunters had no choice but to use dirty tricks and gang up on me, even then I had won but—"
"Can you stop lying at least in front of your younger sibling, I don't think it's a good manner to be teaching as an older brother."
"What do you know about a good brother." Hyunsoo shot back.
Harin held herself back. Seriously, very much back.
"This fucker's pushing it."
Just as she calmed herself, she opened her eyes to see the same guy smiling ear to ear.
"Fuck you."
Hyunsoo and Yeonji paused to look at her, confused at the sudden curse. However, she was not someone who would back away, not after that brown haired bastard said that.
"This brown-haired dingle sucker."
Hyunsoo ignored the insult, this was not the first time someone had cursed at him, and it probably wouldn't be the last time either.
"As I was saying, I defeated everyone!"
"Wah!"
"A fatty(Minsoo) hunter came at me with a sword bigger than his belly, I punched his belly and sent him flying!"
"Waaah!!"
"Some camper shot me with a magic bullet, "OUCH!!" I was heavily damaged.."
"ohh…"
"And then, BOOM! Even with an injury that could kill even an A-rank hunter, and even though I was in such a dire situation. I overpowered them!"
"OHH!!"
"What the hell are they doing…"
The story went for almost half an hour, exactly the same time Yeonji was given for the meeting. She left with a very big smile, too big for someone who was visiting a criminal. No, she did not visit a criminal. That was her brother. That's all there was for her.
The conversation with his father was very smooth, his dad was unnecessarily calm, which made Hyunsoo feel even more complicated on the subject. He asked simple questions, and also nagged quite bit. A guy who should have been studying medical in Busan was out here breaking bones, of course he would be worried.
His mother did not meet him. It was sickening for her to meet her dear son behind the bars, his father told Hyunsoo.
Hyunsoo had no reply for that remark, he was in no way right, he knew that himself. He also knew how weak his mother was to stuff that involved mental pressure. Even though the whole conversation was in small talks and silence. There was enough to know for the both sides.
"Mr. Jang, the time is over." An officer reminded.
His dad left.
---
"Status window" Jinwoo muttered to himself, checking the same thing over and over again. He sat on the metallic chair, thinking it was much more comfortable.
The screen showed the same information as before. No change, whatsoever.
"Hey system, is there some kind of loophole that can get me out of this prison."
[Yeah. Kill yourself.]
[No, actually I doubt they will even bury you outside. Maybe they will just let you rot here.]
The voice left no chance to let go of its witty answers.
Angered by absolutely nothing, Jinwoo clicked his tongue. But before he could call out the system once again. The door creaked open.
He did not look up, who could it have been? His bedridden mother, obviously not. His hot-tempered father, the first choice would make more sense. His sister, then he didn't give a single shit.
But it was neither of them. Not even Seokjin, who wasn't even a choice.
As the figure entered, the click of heels echoed in the entire room. Strange, Harin doesn't like heels.
The person who entered was a young woman. A bit on the tall side, her black hair was tied in a messy high pony, as if she had rushed here. Her amber eyes were locked onto him, as she approached the chair with a blank expression.
She stretched a little to fix her suit, before carefully sitting on the chair. Even though she tried to act stoic, her soft features, her stuttering lips, and the occasional rubbing of her hands gave away her nervousness.
That was the same for Jinwoo. The woman who has just entered was someone he was extremely familiar with. Yes, "was".
They both sat in silence. Just staring at each other with anxious faces.
The silent room faintly echoed the heart thumps of the two, their shallow yet fast breathing. It was all too weird for Jinwoo.
"What is she doing here?..."
After a long moment, Jiwoo broke the silence.
"Been a while, no?" Her soft voice despite the bitter expression caught Jinwoo off guard. She spoke first, just like always.
"...Yeah." He replied with a long hesitation. He had never thought he would meet her again, and even worse was for it to be in a prison.
Once again, silence followed. They had many things to say, many things to talk about. Both of them, for each other. But, despite his unruly and rude personality, where he would talk shit to anyone. There was one single person he wouldn't be such with.
He remained silent.
What had changed? Just because he had gotten powers, his weak mentality would occasionally haunt him.
During middle school, he was an introvert. No friends, no personality, not even good grades.
The school he attended was famous for delinquents. Those same people who think true freedom stands with their aggressive methods. Jinwoo was a victim of the said.
Every other day, he would come home with injuries. Bandages on hand, bruises on face. This was not good, this was not right at all, he knew it very well.
So, he told teachers. They said it was just friends playing with each other. He told his parents, they ignored him, blaming him for even hanging out with them.
Why? Why was no one understanding him? Why was no one on *his* side?
The bullying did not stop. It got even worse.
Gradually. He realized there was one, and only one solution for this.
Retaliation. He fought back. And he won. That was the day he had realized the only thing he was good at. Fighting.
Soon after, this realization became the turning point of his life. He would get into fights, day after day.
He would get into arguments, he would refuse to do stuff he didn't want to. This was the same as those delinquents. Was this the *freedom* they would fight for?
As much as he had grown, there was still a weak kid hiding behind the shadows.
Why was he remembering all this? The reason was obvious. It was because of Jiwoo. She went to the same middle school as him, and the same high school, and even the same college. Though he had dropped out in the second month.
To be said exactly, she knew everything about him. What he liked, what he disliked and worse of all, how he used to be like.
As much of a "kind" or "nice" guy he used to have been, as much as people thought that his past self was much better. He hated it, extremely so.
"Are you alright?" She continued the conversation once again.
Seeing her slightly frowned eyes, he swallowed hard. He knew that was not anger, it was pity, the same pity she had during that time.
"Well, not qui-" Jinwoo stopped, his eyes widening as he stared at nothing.
Confused, Jiwoo said. "What, is there something wrong?"
Jinwoo immediately looked back at her, his face still carrying an anxious expression.
"Ah.. No. I just.. chocked on my spit."
Jiwoo was now even more confused, but she took for his words.
"You should be more careful, then." She casually teased him, but Jinwoo was not listening.
He was still staring into the air. What he had seen was no ghost, but a message from his system. A message which had left him in sudden shock.
[Congratulations!]
[The Black Tower of Abyss of the 35th dimension has chosen you for an early visit.]
[Would you like to enter?]
[Y/N]