"Just one more lap and you can do it! Go! Go! Go! Ouch! What was that?! Who was it that kept throwing things at me?!"
Mission success.
A satisfied smile blooms on Payne's lips. He stabilizes his running pace and controls the overly excited energy merrily jumping inside like a child giggling after pranking an adult. The energy settles down and spreads itself in Payne's strained muscles, healing and rejuvenating them. His progress in strengthening himself is thriving, he already surpassed the power in his first life. Yet, it's still not enough...
Payne arrived at the finish line, his face flushed and full of life and energy, unlike the first time when he was gasping for air and that death was waving at him. He walks to the bench and removes his sweat-soaked shirt, he still feels a bit shy but when a refreshing breeze cools down his body, he willingly shows his bare upper body.
"So handsome!"
"Ahh! I think my nose is bleeding!"
Payne uncaps and finishes drinking his daily dose of rehydration. He didn't look back and casually tossed the container to the source of the noise.
"You are so sexy, please share your---Pow!"
"Hahahaha, you deserve it!"
The water container is a bit heavy, so Payne was assured that silence will last a bit longer. Sadly, the other person's skull seems stronger than an average human's.
"Brother Payneeeee, why did you throw that bottle at me? Look, my face got injured boo-hoo!"
"Don't worry! Plastic surgery can still fix it!"
"Are you saying that I'm ugly?! Did you forget that we are twins?!"
"We are twins! But I am beautiful and you are ugly! Accept it already!"
"Brother Payne! She's bullying me!"
"Brother Payne, he's so ugly!"
When the twins are about to hug him, Payne stood up and ran, acting like he would do another lap. However, instead of running on the running track, Payne sped up his pace and run straight into the exit. Then he heard his little cousins', Sven's, and Rorise's shouts.
Normally, he would wake up at four in the morning to do his jogging routine but when the twins tag along, he increased it to three and then to two a.m. but to no avail, they never miss his jogging so he resumes it at four in the morning. The teens in this timeline are quite scary. They don't sleep, not at all.
Payne enters his bathroom. He gazes at the showerhead as he let the cold water run to his body. He closes his eyes and enjoys the cold.
...
"I don't want to go home nor do I want to get rehabilitated." Payne expressed.
"Payne!" Sophia called desperately.
When Payne woke up, there was no vitality in his eyes, just like the first time he woke up after being hospitalized.
"We can go home, and be rehabilitated there! Our home---" Sophia was cut off.
"--is nothing but a hell hole," Payne interjected. He did not look at them, not even a glance. He was staring outside the room. The flora outside was flourishing, with lots of plant varieties. It was stunning and peaceful. Payne smirked, sadly, these healing plants do not want to stay as plants, but contend to be at the top of the food chain. Really fits the phrase, ' beautiful but deadly.'
When the three of them saw Payne's smirk viciously, they misunderstood and thought of their family affairs. Even they could not refute him.
"You remember..." Ava murmured.
"I lost my memory, but who knows? My being still remembers how I've been through, like survival instincts...heh."
His response created silence, and anxiety for them. It clearly expresses the severity of the trauma that their family inflicted on Payne.
Clark patted the shocked Sophia and responded:"School dormitory, that's all I can permit."
Payne only responded with a hum, and then he heard it again.
"Payne, brother is here..."
He tried to ignore the other person's whisper that is full of longing, sadness, and affection. That man is just outside the door staring and mumbling the name of this body. He was standing outside for almost an hour, and he just kept stating his name over and over again, like a spell that can induce resentment. He bit his lip to stop his unorganized feelings of rage. He wants that abominable person to stop but Payne is afraid that if he let out just a tiny fragment of his hostility, it will all gush out.
Sophia suddenly went out and the cause of Payne's suffering disappeared. But before it stopped, they heard a sound like a hand hitting a flesh. Clark only sighed in return, he patted Payne's head:"Rest well. Grandpa will sort out some family discipline."
For the following days, Payne did not see that man's shadows nor any of his 'family' s', he only saw them when he was on his way to his new dwellings.
"Don't forget that you can call Mommy every time you encounter a problem, okay?" Sophia hugged Payne and even teared up, then he felt her hand stuffing something in his pockets.
Clark half-hugged him, and then also felt his hand stuffing something into his breast pocket."Have some fun as much as possible..."
When they arrived at the school, they were welcomed by his Aunt, with two teenagers beside her.
"Payne! My dearest nephew!" Once again, Payne was hugged and felt something being stuffed into her back pocket.
Payne:"..." Calm down.
Ava smiled at him. "Payne, these are your cousins. I know that you're having a hard time adjusting but these little kiddos will assist you! Sven, Rorise!"
"Cousin!"
"Cousin!"
...
When he met those two, he almost became deaf. From then on, he experienced having two little chicks call out cousin cousin every damn time.
Payne wore his uniform and fish out the three black cards that were stuffed into him. A tender smile bloomed on his face and all the fatigue vanished. These three black cards are his happy pill, so he always brings them everywhere.
"Ah, money makes me happy!"
From being an orphan to being a company slave, then being a rich young master. Payne thanked this family for their 'farewell ceremony.'
He went out and then saw the twins lazing around in his room.
"Brother, you're out!"
"Brother, we bought our breakfast! Aren't I filial?!"
Instead of being annoyed, Payne smiled at them and showed one of his black cards.
Didn't his dear family tell him to use these black cards to have some fun to forget their family's issue?
"Brother Payne will treat you well."