Ren leans against the wall in the back of the restaurant, eyes drifting lazily over the menu board as he waits for the next delivery order. His mind isn't really on work though. He's thinking about his power. It bugs him that he can't lift heavier objects with it, and the frustration gnaws at him.
I awakened this power not too long ago. But how does this work? I can lift some objects but not heavier ones, why?
"Telekinesis is just a force, he thinks. If I can't lift something, it's just not strong enough. But what if I don't need to lift the whole thing? What if I can just make it lighter? Maybe that's all I need."
The idea sparks a rush of excitement, and he smiles to himself, itching to test it out. If he could make objects lighter, even just a bit, it would make things so much easier to move. And who knows? If it works on objects, maybe it could work on himself.
Before he can try it out, his phone buzzes, signaling the next delivery. He sighs, slipping his phone back into his pocket. "Guess that'll have to wait."
He steps to the counter and stows the packages in his delivery bag. He steps out, unlocks his bike, and heads off for the deliveries. The route is familiar, and he finds himself deep in thought as he rides his bike down the narrow streets, weaving between pedestrians and cars. His mind keeps drifting back to telekinesis, wondering how much control he really has over it.
When he arrives at the delivery spot, an elderly woman greets him at the door with a warm smile. He hands over the food and she looks at him a little sheepishly.
"Could you help me with something, dear? There's a heavy box in the back that I've been meaning to move, but it's too much for me."
Ren looks at her, seeing this as the perfect opportunity to test his theory. "Sure thing, granny, I can help."
"Ahh, thank you, dear. Come in." He follows her inside and his heart begins racing in anticipation. They reach the back room and she points to a large wooden box sitting on the floor, filled with what looks like gardening tools and other odds and ends. It's bulky and clearly heavy.
He says, "That looks too heavy for me to move alone, granny. But I'll try it."
He puts the bag down and folds his sleeves up, let's try it. He steps close to it, kneels, grabs the box with both hands and focuses his mind on it. His thoughts swirl around the idea of lifting it up normally with telekinesis. His muscles tense as he tries to push the box up while pushing it up with telekinesis. At first, nothing happens, but then he feels it—a subtle shift in the weight, a soft pull as if the weight of the box is easing off just a bit. His heartbeat fastens in excitement. He focuses harder and slowly the box lifts off the ground.
He grins, he is actually lifting such a heavy box. His theory is right. Telekinesis is just force. He lifts the box, even though It's still heavy, but nowhere near as bad as it was. He slowly carries it outside, granny following him behind, and sets it down on the porch. Just as he drops it, he sits down, taking deep breaths. Yes, I did it. I actually moved this heavy box. Haha, it works.
The elderly woman behind him claps her hands together, beaming. "wow, dear, you're stronger than you look! Thank you so much, young man."
Ren just smiles, but inside he's buzzing with excitement. "It worked. Not fully, but it worked." after a few minutes of rest, Ren says his goodbyes and heads to his next delivery, eager to test his new theory even more.
He makes two more deliveries and heads back to the diner. He is pedaling fast, excited to experiment even more. But he suddenly slows his bike as he is passing a small café. Out of the corner of his eye, he spots Lina, standing outside, talking to a man, seems to be a customer. She's in a waitress uniform, and he almost doesn't recognize her at first.
"Wow, I've never seen her dressed like this before." His eyes trace the outline of her fitted uniform, the soft colors complimenting her features. She looks more professional and more mature than she does in her usual clothes. He finds himself staring, admiring her in a way that isn't dirty. "She looks… stunning. It suits her."
For a moment, he considers stopping to say something but decides against it. Instead, he quietly pedals away, feeling oddly at peace.
He arrives back at the restaurant. He is still buzzing from his earlier success. He drops off the delivery bag and returns to his spot, waiting for the next order. His mind can't stop racing with ideas.
"If I can make objects lighter, what about my body?" he thinks, excitement building again. "If I can make myself lighter, maybe I can jump higher. That would be insane!"
The thought is too tempting to resist. Glancing around to make sure no one's watching, Ren slips out the back and heads into the alleyway beside the restaurant. The narrow, dimly lit space is perfect for privacy.
He stands still for a moment, focusing on his body. The sensation of lightening an object was subtle, barely noticeable, so he figured it would be the same with himself. He tries to focus the telekinesis inward, willing his body to move up, but nothing happens. He tries again, clenching his fists in frustration. "Come on… up, up. I just need to get a bit lighter."
He focuses on his upper body, willing it to move up as if lifting some object. And he feels it; a strange weightlessness spreads across his body. His feet feel more weightless against the ground, and his heart pounds in his chest as he prepares to test it. He bends his knees and jumps. To his amazement, he jumps high, about 3 feet, without much effort.
A grin spreads across his face. "I'm, actually, doing it. It's feels... Sooo gooood."
He bends again, putting even more force to try jumping even higher this time. Then he jumps, trying even harder and pulling himself even more. Wooohooo, yaaa, he reach even higher this time. He keep jumping, even though it's hard as he doesn't do much hard physical work. But he continues to jump, adrenaline pumping in his body. The lightness is harder to maintain, but with each attempt, he feels himself gaining more control. The thrill of it all makes him giddy.
"It's every guy's dream to be able to jump higher. To be stronger, faster… and I'm actually doing it!"
He runs his hand through his hair, breathing hard as the excitement surges through him. His eyes land on the large dumpster at the end of the alley. It's big, rusty, and looks like it weighs a ton. There's no way he could lift it normally, but he's curious now.
He approaches the dumpster, placing his hands under it. With a deep breath, he focuses, willing the weight to lighten as he tries to lift it. Slowly, the dumpster shifts a bit. His muscles strain as he combines his strength with his telekinesis, and the massive object moves up an inch.
Ren steps back, chest heaving, a surge of pride swelling in him. "I may not be able to lift it, but I moved it. I actually moved it."
Ren quites down, exhausted but elated. He has more control now—he can jump higher, move heavier things, and his powers feel like they're growing stronger each time he uses them.
As he catches his breath, he hears a creaking sound behind him. His pulse quickens instantly as he turns quickly, eyes narrowing as he sees the back door of the restaurant slowly closing. For a second, he's confused, but then it hits him: someone was there, watching him.
His heart skips a beat. "How much did they see?" His eyes dart around, scanning the alley for any sign of movement, but no one's there. He feels a chill crawl up his spine, the thrill of his powers now tempered by the cold realization that someone saw him.
"Who was it? Did they saw me use my powers? Am I going to be exposed this soon?"
With a final glance at the door, Ren quickly walks out of the alley, his mind buzzing with both excitement and unease.