The next day, Kang remained asleep. His uncle as well stayed with him and nursed him back to health.
Sitting on the visitor's chair Altren peered at the two sleeping peacefully, Kang's body temperature had already returned to normal but his uncle refused to leave his side.
"What are you looking at kid..." Aaron hurriedly pulled up the sheets over Kang's naked shoulders. "Go to class."
"It's break day. Why can't I spend time with my uncle and my friend," he grumbled as he was peeling the apple. "Why is he still not awake?"
"The doctor said it was normal... Kang is just weak..." he sat up sighing. "Did I do a mistake... he kept begging me not to bring him here. Yet...."
"You didn't do a mistake or anything he needs to be trained. Or else he might end up hurting someone. You know human laws, right? One mistake and they condemn him as a super villain and throw him in that contained jail." He cut the apple slices in the shape of small rabbits.
Aaron sighed. "Still... I could have trained him privately. i.. I could have even let him stay at my place."
Altren paused with his eyes narrowed. "You think he will stay with you? I'm sure the second you let him out of your sight he will run. That's Kang for you. That bugger kept running after spreading a nasty rumor about me. He was slippery, I tell you," he jokingly poked the back of his neck.
His hair parted slightly, exposing a small mole there.
"Ah he has a mole here. How cute,"
His uncle swatted his hand away. "Keep your paws to yourself boy,"
"Tsk says the old man who is hugging him half-naked. I'm telling you, Kang is going to freak out if he finds you half-naked like this," he warned him softly.
Aaron just smugly smirked. "He has seen me naked before. What's wrong with this"
The knife in his hand slipped and sliced through his thumb.
"Careful. go put a band aid or something.." he worriedly looked at him.
Altren just lowered his head and wiped the blood away on the bottom of his shirt. "Just a small cut..."
The apple slices were already coated with his blood.
"Shit kid, who even asked you to slice apples. I don't even like them," Aaron got up to tend to him.
Altren shot up. "It's for Kang. Not for you old man," pouting he stormed out of the infirmary.
Sighing, Aaron shook his head. "I swear, this kid is getting childish the older he gets," he picked up the apple slices which were not stained with blood, and ate them. the grainy texture of it did not sit well in his mouth.
Even so, he ate them all.
"Agh.... I prefer oranges."
He laid down again.
Kang instinctively stuck to his side, hugging his waist tightly.
He turned to his side and pulled him closer. His body was still cool to touch, but not that cold. It was a normal body temperature; the doctor had said.
"It's all that Eryst's fault….."
She was a person he knew for a very long time for a moment he thought he could trust her with Kang. But who knew she would mess him up so badly.
'It's protocol', she said.
It was one of the newer rules established right after this sister passed away. The major culprit was a villain who masked himself as a new awakened. He was an older fellow, twenty-five, handsome and sweet. His sister fell for his charms even though she was married at that time.
She thought of him as a comrade.. a friend…
As a governing person of the mighty lights academy at that point, she got him a special entrance into the school and was trained meticulously.
But no one knew…
This guy was a spy sent to their base. He let out all the secrets to a notorious gang, the snakehead.
His sister and her husband's location were exposed and a few powerful villains came for revenge.
A powerless person….She couldn't fight them off…
Aaron took a deep breath. 'it was long ago… it doesn't matter. What matters is the fucking protocol.'
He was the one who actually came up with it in the heat of the moment.
The rule was to test the newer members to check if they are villains. The test might include various levels of hard tasks.
The super's ability to deal with it was noted down. Even if they show a slight familiarity in their moves and powers, they were imprisoned and interrogated until their identity is cleared.
'I did it because of my sister… now… Kang got hurt because of it…' he gently combed through his silky smooth hair.
'Poor kid must be traumatized…' he gently caressed his ruddy cheeks. The skin turned a slight shade of pink from the heat of his palm. 'Why are you so pale…'
He pulled him close and peered over his shoulders at the mole Altren mentions.
It was very small and insignificant, but on his pale neck it stood out so much.
He pressed on it softly. "It's beautiful…."
"mnnn." Kang sighed softly.
"You're beautiful Zhu kang…my little koala."
Kang, who woke up right at this moment, started sweating on the inside. 'What now… koala? My god! What's going on? Am I dead? Is it the afterlife? Do I ever have an afterlife? System tell me do I have afterlife?"
{'illegible question. automated system does not have a answer for this,'}
'Ah fuck you system… you're automated, right? If it was a real system manning this host program, it would have been fun chatting with that person,'
To be honest, when he was a system he enjoyed chatting with the hosts. Most of the time, it was the only fun thing he had.
The sadistic pleasure when he sent out the notification that their coin balance was insignificant was immense.
'It's all fucking karma. I used to laugh at others for being broke. Now look at me. Zero money in my bank balance, zero coins in my system balance….. Stuck in a pseudo jail. Yeah me,'
A hand gently caressed his brows. "You look so perfect..
'ah stop. Stop touching me so weirdly. When will this guy fall asleep?'
The last time he was in this exact situation, he was lucky enough that Aaron was asleep.
Now this guy was fully awake and brazenly touching and calling him pet names.
'Why a koala? They are not cute. Che, bad naming choices..'
He grumbled on the inside but when Aaron pulled him close; he complied willingly.
The strange heat dulled his mind.
At proximity like this, he could also feel Aaron's strong heartbeat. It was weirdly in sync with his.
'You're a weird guy Aaron.. a weirdo…'
He let out a small breath and hugged him close.
'Ah what the hell? Might as well enjoy it while it lasts? I've never been this warm in my dorms.'
His college dorm had centralized air conditioning. Since he was on the top bunk, the wind was too chilly.
Even if he bundled up and slept, he still woke up with stiff joints.
Only hot showers at night and morning released his symptoms.
'A person who craves the heat and a person emaciated heat. What a combo. A least this guy is not my target, thank god. Or else this might be dangerous as fuck..'
This made him curious.
'System, why didn't you give me any tasks for today?'
{'Host has been tasks assigned today.'}
'What task? Is it a daily task? I don't think I can drink a three-liter of water and run a mile or do anything exerting. Give some something like water plants or take a stroll.. give me something good.'
{'Task has already been assigned:
Target task:…"}
As the system was about to announce, the door opened.
'Ayia stop, stop, don't say another word. I won't do any of my target tasks. Just focus on my daily task,'
Altren enter the room and silently sat on the chair opposite.
"You back?" Aaron grumbled.
"Why would I leave? I just went to get a bandage bozo.…" Altren suddenly took a hold of his hands. "He still needs heat patches.. look how cold his fingertips are. His nails are turning blue.' He cradled his hands and blew hot air.
"Let go, I can warm him," Aaron pulled his hand back and gripped his palm in his warm ones.
Kang decisively learned to ignore this stupid banter and concentrated on what was at hand.
'What was the task system? You are remaining suspiciously silent…'
{'Hold the target's hand. Complete. 10 coins received.'}
'um what? Fuck Altren, why did you hold my hand? Should I avoid physical contact too!!!'