Chapter 13: First Skill?
Chapter 13: First Skill?
“Deceptive Delusion? Sounds pretty new to me…”
“Definitely not something I’ve heard of before,” he clasped his hands to the bottom of his shirt, and pulled it up until it was over his head.
Gazing at the screen again, he then put a hand on his chin, “Hmm, what can it possibly do? Just force people into delusions? If so, how’s it gonna do anything when there are so many delusional people out there!?”
“I think it might be pretty useful in this world if you could literally force people into believing whatever you want them to. But I have my doubts; after all, I got this skill at level two so…”
“Probably just some useless skill,” he shrugged, walking to his bathroom.
He took a bath as he was bathing in sweat from the exercising, brushed his morning teeth, and he stood in front of the mirror, peering at himself.
Standing in front of the mirror with a white towel wrapped around him, he raked his curly hair with his fingers, while pursing his pink lips remotely.
Then, he changed into some clothes, and ambled his way out of his room.
His grandmother was the first thing he saw when he left the room. Apparently she was going to him when he unexpectedly came to her.
“Grandma?”
“Good morning, Jin,” she uttered, with her hands clasped together behind her back.
“Good morning.”
“I uh…I was going to wake you up just now. Yesterday or so, I asked if you could sit and chat with me for a bit, it looks like you forgot,” she gazed down at the floor, “I’d like to do so now, please—if you can.”
“Yeah, okay. I’m free…I guess.”
They sat on the dinner table, opposite each other. It was silent for a while; until Jin’s grandmother decided to go all in and pour out her feelings on him; as if she was pouring water into a glass.
“Jin. To be completely honest with you, I’m very worried right now….”
Jin raised a brow and pressed his lips together, “I don’t see any reason for you to be…”
“What reason other than you yourself—the only damn thing…the only person I care about,” she frowned, “Your grandfather ran off with some young Mexican girl, and probably got his ass poisoned by her or something—who knows? But hey, I don’t care. All the more reason for me to stay single.”
“Our family’s been through a lot. You’re going to be an adult soon, and I’m really sorry you didn’t have the family you needed.”
“Grandma—”
“No, don’t…don’t do…that.”
He grimaced at her, “Whaddya mean ‘that’?”
“Don’t pretend you’re fine when you know you’re not. Man up, Jin. If you gotta cry, cry instead of holding it in. ‘Cause trust me, you have no idea how crazy holding things in can drive you…”
“I see it on your face—everyday. You know exactly what I’m talking about. Don’t pretend not to. I understand that you’re a high schooler, and as such there is a lot for you to do. But still, you’re always locked up in your room. I don’t even know you anymore…”
“Come on, Grandma, I just—”
“Let me speak,” she interjected, “You just need to hear me out—that’s what you gotta do. Times are getting hard. We ourselves are running out of money; while the people with Abilities get rich by default. I even got a message on my wristband that your E-coin balance was zero. People are rubbing each other. People of different races are dying every single day. It’s a dangerous world we live in. You know that.”
“On the last day of school, you came home with a swollen face,” she leaned forward, “Tell me…you got beat up again, didn’t you?”
Jin gazed away, “I didn’t…”
“What about during the school term? You came home banged up pretty bad a few times. With scratches and swollen areas on your face, and your clothes ruffled. You’re getting bullied by some kids, aren’t you?”
“For the last time, I’m not, grandma!” Jin snarled at her.
“Open out to me Jin. Am I not your grandma? You could tell me anything—anything you’re going through, and I’ll try to help. I’ve been hearing a lot of things in your room these past couple of days….”
He grimaced, “Where are you going with this?”
“I talked to a psychologist,” she said, crossing her legs, “I spoke to her yesterday about the noises I’ve been hearing. I told her everything about you. Including the fact that you’re crippled, getting bullied, and showing a lot of aggression these days.”
“What aggression are you even talking about!!?”
“Like the fact that you just yelled at me. You also look rather depressed all the time. I’m tired of this. I miss the Jin who used to sit with me, hand in hand, all day. The one who used to smile all the time. Where did that Jin go? Tell me, where did he go!?”
Jin, brows furrowed, shot up from his seat, pushing the chair back, and resting his hands on the table, “That Jin’s long dead, grandma. He’s fucking dead,” he sighed, “And I’m glad. I’m happy I stopped being delusional about life. A goblin and a human can never be true friends like a human and another human would!”
He turned around, and lifted his shirt, showing his back to his Grandmother. On his back, there were scars all over it, as well as bite marks, “Remember Garak? The homeless goblin kid? He did this to me! I almost died. Turns out, he duh—forget it! Just forget it,” he turned around to face her, “That’s not my point. My point is I started seeing the world for what it really is…”
His grandmother continued, “So I told the psychologist about you over the phone, and I told her what your situation is. You know what she told me could be the noise I’ve been hearing from your room?”
“What grandma, what!?” he snarled again.
“A psychological problem.”
Jin immediately sneered.
“One called Displaced aggression. She says that you show all the symptoms and have met the conditions for it,” she stood too, approaching him, “You’re sick, Jin, you’re sick.”
She held one of his hands with both her hands, and looked up at him.
When suddenly, he shoved her away, “You know what, grandma? You’ve been bothering me too much. Stop prying into my business, and study yours instead with the little years again you have to live!”
Her eyes widened.
“Maybe you’re the one who’s sick! I’m totally fine—don’t tell me I’m sick when I’m fine and you’re the one who’s sick. I’m totally fine. The noises in my damn room aren’t even me lashing out on something because I get bullied. The sounds weren’t even loud to begin with.”
“Again, maybe you don’t have hyperacusis. You’re just probably mentally ill. You are mentally ill. I’m a teenager, Pearl, a teen! I’m growing up. Me growing up isn’t some psychological illness! I’m just aging—I’m not a little baby anymore. Of course I’m not the old Jin.”
“You’re sick about me. You’re too over-protective and obsessive. You’ve always been this way. Maybe you need to grow up—I don’t know. You’re so obsessive that you’re even fooling yourself into believing that I’m sick. Were you even hearing yourself!?”
“So you see, you’re the one who’s wrong. You’re the one who needs to grow up. You’re the one who’s sick. You’re mentally sick, and you’re physically sick. You need to go and sleep or something—all the coughing and all that jazz—you’re probably dying!”
“The over dosage of the tablets you took a month back weren’t the cause of your internal bleeding. You were just always sick—mentally and physically.”
“Especially mentally. You’re mental. I’m being serious. You’re sick grandma, and you need help! If this keeps up, you’re not gonna make it pass the age of seventy!”
His grandmother’s draw dropped, and her eyes remained in a widened state. Her eyes were sparkling with moisture, and her expression hinted at the extremity of her sorrow.
They stood there, peering at each other. His chest was expanding and contracting; her lips were sealed, as she gawked in shock. Such deafening silence it was for both of them.
A tear trickled down his grandmother’s face, “I’m sick? Maybe…I…maybe I really am…”
Suddenly, Jin’s vehement eyes started to radiate; luminously glowing green.
What’s more, a screen had appeared before his face, displaying a strange message to him.
[Effect: Deceptive Delusion]