Meeting Spun By Fate (2)

A sedate shriek permeated from the boiling kettle as steam rose, moistening the air in the room. The capricious rain rattled against the apartments window, interchanging between ponderous droplets that could shatter that glass to light taps testing the surface.

Night had now settled after several hours of unrest, ever since I rescued the man in serious condition as he began tossing and turning in my bed. His crimson hair frolicked on my pillow as a pained expression marred his sharp and handsome features.

No! What am I thinking! I don't swing that way!

I hurriedly slapped both of my cheeks and shook my head, a smile easing onto my face. It felt good to help people.

"Well, I can't sit beside you the whole night, but I'll be right back after making myself some tea, okay?" I searched for a response from the man, but as expected I wouldn't recieve it. "Haaagh...I guess I was a bit too hopeful."

I slowly raised myself from the floor and paced into my small kitchen just outside my room. I then opened my main cupboard and reached in for one of the three cups I had. I placed my cup at the side of the kettle and poured in the boiling water, dipping in a fruit infused tea bag that spilt its contents of pleasant burgandy. The beguiling cherry aroma wafted through the apartment and relinquished the nerves quelled within me after a small gentl sip, obviously mindful of the temperature of the beverage.

"That hits the spot." I whispered to myself, the cup edgeing near my parched lips.

I swiftly then returned to my room, being extra ample as to not spill the contents of the cup.

I then slowly relinquished the cup onto the side of the window sill as my eyes glazed over to the man in my bed, his face turned towards me as he pulls the cover up to his face, staring at me with eyes of confusion but surprised contentment at the finding of him waking up in a pleasant and supple bed.

After a moment of awkward silence, my eyes widen at his sudden awakening. "Gahhhhh!" I fall backwards, tripping on my discarded shirt left on the floor.

I get up rapidly in an stiff position as his unimpressed eyes continue to ogle me. He then childishly covers his widening smile as he releases a quite, "Tee-hee-hee."

"Ah, when did you wake up mister?" I asked, scratching the back of my head with an akward smile, my cheeks flushing a tinge of pink.

"I'm going to kill you." He spoke indifferently, my eyes opening to look at him again only to find him behind me with his fingers at the base of my neck. My body rang stiff and sweat trickeled down me.

Is this my end? Mum always told me not to let strangers in my house, but I couldn't leave a poor injured person unnattended. Fair well, life. Lucky may not have blessed me, but look over my family!

"Please make my death painless." I begged without resistance, fully aware that even my countless years of martial arts and dedicating my body to becoming a weapon, I would never be able to escape this person who within a fraction of a second, vanished behind me.

I closed my eyes and prayed, readying myself for the blow to severe my neck, only for another brief moment to pass.

"I'm not going to kill you. I was just joking!" He laughed behind me, my face caught between two reactions of feeling relieved and feeling absolutely baffled as he smacked my shoulder repetetively and jumped back onto my bed.

"T-thank you?" I replied in a confused manner.

"God, you're a funny one. Your reactions are perfect!" His hand reached to pull up the top I lent him and he began scratching his belly like a gorilla.

What. The. Fuck?

"Erm, so are you feeling better, mister?" I asked.

"Hmmm..." He began as he looked up at the ceiling, scratching his chin like an old sage would with his long silver strip frolicking down to the floor, "Yep. I'm feeling much better now. But I am hungry."

"Ah right, I actually cooked some rice porridge while you was asleep. It's not much, but if you'd like some I can serve it to you." I offered, my foot already halfway past the door of my room.

"Thanks~." He shouted in a monotone voice to the me who was already reheating the porridge in the kitchen.

I promptly returned back and handed him the hot bowl of rice porride, passing him his spoon and a pair of reusable chopsticks. A smile of appreciation jerked on his face as he sat up in my bed.

"So, mister. Why did you end up like that?" I asked, sitting at the side of the bed whilst he spoonfed mouthfuls of porridge in his mouth, but then he paused. His childish demeanour fazed out and his eyes darkened.

"That's not something that you need to know." My skin crawled at the intent left behind in the words he enunicated.

"Sorry..." I apologised, lowering my headn into my knees and leting out a sigh.

"So kid, why did you help me out? Why bring a random stranger like me who could have killed you into your house?"

"Erm...I suppose I just couldn't ignore you. I thought of calling the ambulance, but I was worried you'd bleed out to death before then. So I took you back and treated you." My cheeks rose in temperature as I smiled to myself, a gentle hand reaching out to me fading in and out of my memory.

"Tch. You're too kind for your own good, kid." He warned, his gold eyes enticing mine to gaze in to his for longer.

"Are you a Ranker, mister?" I asked and his spoon audibly dropped into the bowl of porridge.

I thought my question would be ignored, indicated by his extroverted and unsual yet reticence behaviour. "I am a Ranker." He replied to which my head snapped back to his in surprise.

His eyes bleakly looked at mine. "Wow. I've never met another Ranker aside from myself and the ones I saw in commercials and on television."

"Another Ranker? Are you one as well kid!?" His guard actively built around himself as he pushed himself back further on the bed, spilling some of the now lukewarm food onto the sheets. He grasped at his wound in anguish, the hue of his iris glowing a sweltering flame from his fierce nature.

"Ah no, it's not like that! I'm sorry for startling you, but I have no intent of harming you. I may be a Ranker, but my ability is so weak I practically regard myself as a normal person." I placed my hands up in the air and stood up a distance away for him to relax again.

His eyes continously pestered me, keeping me in check if I tried to approach him in a way he saw not benefitting.

A solem expression filled out my face in response. "It must be hard right?"

"Huh?"

"You know, partaking in a world where you can't seem to trust anyone, right?" This was mostly my speculation, but his reactions clearly indicated trust wasn't common between Rankers.

"Looks like you do have some brains past that cinnamon roll act, ey?" He smirked at me.

"Thanks, I guess." I smiled back. "So mister, can you tell me your name? You know, since you'll probably be staying for a while to recover, I suppose we should introduce ourselves then, right?" I proposed to him, extending my hand before him slowly, careful not to instigate any suspicion in my movements. "I'm Jihun Seo."

His pupils swelled and his mouth slowly tore open. "Wait, you don't know who I am? Even though you're a Ranker? No, even as a normal person. You don't know who I am?" He spoke, disregarding my hand in front of him.

"Huh?", I titled my neck, "Are you someone famous by chance?" I asked sincerily.

"...I'm not just famous kid. I'm known worldwide for my strength and prowess as a Ranker. I am the strongest Ranker in the Global Rankings." He finished, and a sense of desiderium overwhelming me and wrapping me in its string of red that locked us together.

This is the man who I want to be, isn't it?

I pulled away my hand on reflex and immediately bowed awkwardly to show my respect. "Oh! I-I'm sorry. I didn't know I was speaking to you, sir."

A pause struck between the two of us again as I stared at the floor and bowed to the man before me.

"Raise your head, kid. There is no need for such gestures." He then extended his hand towards me. "Since I'm the one imposing on you, let me introduce myself to you, my saviour. My name is Ray Leighley." His crimson hair fell sharply into his eyes as he smiled toothily at me, his sharp and handsome features enrapturing me in a way unknown to me.

I reached out my hand to meet his with an uncontained shimmer kindling in my iris. "Jihun Seo. Pleasure to meet you.

"The pleasure is all mine, saviour." He returned.