Meeting Spun By Fate (3)

The next morning I awoke to the uncomfortable cold and rigid floor. My eyes slowly adjusted to the morning sun that blissfully blinded me with awe.

"Aughhh..." I groaned in agony, placing my hand over the sun and casting a looming shadow over myself. I slowly supported myself into an upright position and in the midst of stretching, turning my head in each direction. Ray, the man who I took in yesterday and supposedly the strongest Ranker in the world, seemed nowhere in the near proximity, his presence absent in my bed which he occupied for the night.

I extended my arm to reach for my phone on an elevated surface to notice a new notification.

Voicemail (1)

"A voicemail? Is it from my mum?" I muttered, pressing on the notification.

"This is a pre-recorded message from an unknown number." The automated voice of my phone informed me as it went on to play the message. "Hi Jihun, this is your boss. I'm recording this to tell you that I've decided to give you paid leave for the next week. I've actually just won a 10,000 thousand dollar jackpot for a contest I submitted myself for in America and I will be heading over to collect it. Use this time wisely and let yourself recuperate. Once I return, I'll treat you to some chicken."

"Woah...seems like the boss has finally done it. Good for him." I smiled, pulling of the remaining blanket covering me and putting on a shirt and some pants before heading into the kitchen.

Upon entering the cramped space, a cacophony of disorganised grumbling rattled my ear as a man rummaged through my cupboards trying to locate something, steam rising from the kettle.

"What is this!? Do you not have coffee? Are you broke or something?" Ray began complaining, knowing I entered the room, his backside facing me as he shuffled from side to side searching the darkest crevices.

"Hahaha..." I laughed disheartened. "Actually I am kind of broke." I replied and Ray immediately came to a stop, digging his head out of the cupboards and facing back at me.

His animated eyes that had no intent of hurting me but rather playing a joke, turned sour with self hate at the question he asked. "I'm sorry..." He softly spoke, scratching his head.

I reciprocated his smile. "It's okay. It's not like I'm ashamed of it. Though it is an undesirable living condition, I have to live with it either way. So cheer up and how about we go to the store to buy some things. I got paid by my boss this morning, so let's go!"

We followingly left the house in the pursuit of some groceries, and for the first time in a while, my mind seemed light looking at the prices that totalled up. We grabbed our purchased goods and slowly paced back to the house.

"So~ how are you feeling Ray?" I asked, attempting to break the uncomfortable silence and aware of his still awkward and hindered movements.

"Better than yesterday kid." He replied briefly and once more we fell into an abyss of deafening silence.

His eyes occasionally swerved towards me, a troubled expression daunting him. "Hey, do you not want anything from me?"

"Huh?"

"Ahh...you know. Look, what I'm trying to say is if you want me to help you in some way as a Ranker. Because if you are, I'll stop you ri-"

"I don't want anything." I cut him off.

"I see. Then as an awakened person with gifts that others envy, why do you not want my guidance or help? People usually try to help me with the pretext of just being helpful, but then they try to make demands of me to take them in as my disciples or such. So why?" His hands shuffled in his pockets as his eyes gazed at the sky, his neck leaning into the hood covering his face.

"Because I helped you out. There was no direct ulterior motive and I don't think being kind and thoughtful should be rewarded. I think it's something that should be universally expected." I replied, a smile spreading throughout my face.

"But that doesn't apply to this world. Do you still choose to be this kind knowing that?"

"Of course. A change starts from a small place and that's called the heart. Hopefully my feelings will eventually be spread throughout the world and something like that can be expected. But even if I can't, it would be lame if I couldn't stand by my ideal, even if it is foolish."

"Foolish it is indeed." He acknowledged, but he didn't reprimand my way of thinking nor try to change my view. He was just simply and openly listening to me venting.

"So, Jihun. As a Ranker in the world of fragile humans, what do you want to be?" He came to a stop and looked at me as I continued walking. I also stopped and turned back.

"I want to become strong! The strongest Ranker in the world and help my family!" I announced back to him, firmly grasping my shirt as a bright flame kindled in my amethyst iris.

His crimson hair wafted in the air royally, like a lion prowling on a cliff, his mane flowing vigorously. A smile slipped onto his features. "I understand."

Ray Leighley POV:

"Hey Ray! What do you want for dinner?" A shout prolonged from the kitchen into the one bedroom in this cramped apartment, where I found myself comfortably sprawling over the boy's bed.

"Anything's fine~!" I replied.

I recently found myself invading the private space of a young boy named Jihun Seo, who rescued me after I fell unconscious due to the severity of my injuries. He's supposedly a Ranker just like me, but he doesn't feel like it, nor act like one. No ulterior motives linger behind his words, his motivation is distinct and clear and he is a very earnest and kind young man. Nothing about the way he walks or the way he talks gives away the air of him being a Ranker, but the source Qi that lingers within his body, even without any cultivation or serious adaptation, certainly seethes deep within his body like a desperate monster hungry for power. It's awfully eerie, even when so faint, but the blue aura that drifts around him perpetually attempts to devour my Qi. A complete contrast when looking at him from the outside. He doesn't notice it, but he holds a talent I haven't seen even in the best of the youngest generation.

Something malevolent.

He explained his desire to me. He wants to become the strongest Ranker in the world. In a sense...he reminds me of you. You two are so similar it's scary. It really is. To the point that when I look at him, I find myself desperately digging a hole in his eyes I can hide in without confronting him. Or the image I see in him.

I originally wanted to leave his apartment immediately after I woke up, but his appearance and personality enraptured me in a trance that I can't snap out of. He reminds me exactly of you. But I know he isn't your replacement. He is his own person and so were you. I know this...but for now I wish to observe him. Maybe even help him.

That afternoon he served us some fried chicken with a special hot sauce he developed for dinner.

"Ooooo~ boy! How did you know my sweet spot is spicy food!?" I cried out, my tastebuds elated at the discovery tumbling in my mouth.

"Hahaha! I'm glad you like it, Ray. Anyway, I'll be heading out, so eat your fill." He continued to talk amidst changing after placing down the final side dish onto the table.

"Going out? Oh~....I see. Mr popular ey?" My eyebrows rose suspiciously as I nudged him with my elbow smirking.

"Huh? Mr popular?" His head fell to the side, confused at my joke.

"Never mind." I sighed, my head collapsing down to the chicken and going back to snack on it. "But for real, where are you going?"

"To train." He replied shortly.

"Wait for me then. I'll tag along. I need to stretch after all the laying and recovering I've been doing."

"Are you sure you should be working out and such so soon?" He asked in consideration.

"Don't worry about me kid! I'm not the strongest Ranker in the world for no reason!" I flexed my arm as he looked at me with a deadpan expression.

"Okay, then."

We then made our way to a local outdoor gym with the sun dimly hiding behind the tall building complexes. Fortunately it was empty and not many people were in the area at all so we would be able to get a good workout in without any commotion.

"You know, I didn't ask you this before, but do you practice martial arts?" I asked, my head tilting back as I stretched.

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"You have the physique of a seasoned martial artist. Your physique is arguably the most impressive out of all that I've ever seen. Even from those who have abilities that enhance their physiques. Did you take any substances?"

"Nope. See, since I found out I was a Ranker, I knew this was a ticket I could use to support my family and become something in this lifetime. So I started training two years after I awakened at six. I didn't know and to this day don't know how to strengthen my ability, so I honed my physique and learned martial arts from the internet. It's all I could do and it was certainly better than sitting around and doing nothing." His look was hardened and he didn't turn back once to face me throughout his reply.

"Hmmm. You are one earnest kid." I smiled.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing."

Whilst he continued stretching, an urge began to build inside of me. Whilst his back was turned, I slipped behind him, my fist leveraging towards his liver. His body responded on instinct, jumping out the way and spinning back with the momentum to deliver a heavy axe kick at my cranium.

He is just like you, I can even see his silhouette directly in your movements. I was right.

The kick to anyone's eyes looked like it would have kicked me, but when Jihun's eyes refocus back on the settling dust cloud, he realised I stood an inch back barely avoiding the brunt of the attack and pressing down on his foot with mine.

"Why did you attack me?" He called out.

"Are you serious about wanting to become the strongest Ranker? Do you want to take that title from me?" I asked, grabbing the collar of his shirt and dragging him towards my face. An animalistic craving brazenly burnt in my eyes as I gazed into his eyes.

His malevolent energy already taking shape behind him, unbeknownst to him, he smirked back with a fool's confidence and hunger.

"I do want to be the strongest!" He replied.

"Good...then let me congratulate on becoming the world's greatest disciple!"