The Trash Wants to Live

He bowed his head as he approached me.

“Please accept my apologies, Mr. Ki Yoon Jae. We had obtained permission from your guardian because you’re a minor, but it seems like we’ve made a mistake.”

“…”

“Now that I’ve spoken to you, would you mind if we stayed here? However, if you are displeased, we’ll leave immediately.”

He didn’t seem to be lying when he explained his actions. I shook my head however, because my rage had not yet subsided.

“No… You arrived here with permission from my father and grandfather, so I can’t possibly make you leave. You may go wherever you wish.”

“Sir… Please accept my heartfelt apologies.”

“I won’t.”

Since I wasn’t planning on accepting an apology, I slipped past him and went into the corridor. Following closely behind, Ki Hyun Joo licked her lips, unable to contain her laughter. It appeared that a lot had transpired while I was gone.

“I’m hungry.”

“Oh you are? Then let’s go and eat.”

She grinned and wrapped her arms around my shoulders. Jung Yi Joon silently followed us as we walked.

When I peeked out the window after entering the dining hall, the machinery and researchers in the garden were nowhere to be seen. With no one troubling him, the bull in the garden slept on his stomach.

Now that the disruptors appeared to have dissipated, it was up to me to do my part.

“I have something to say.”

At my words, Ki Hyun Joo turned to me.

“Make a phone call to Ha Eun So—”

Is that individual someone I can trust? I opened my mouth as I came to a decision.

“Kwon Jae Hyuk too, everyone should be aware of this.”

Ki Hyun Joo assured me that she would do it and directed me to the living room.

Jung Yi Joon asked as we were sitting on the sofa, “Are you going to talk about that?”

“I have to tell them—”

Jung Yi Joon pouted his lips and showed a displeased expression in response to my statement. 

We were aware that our secret should remain hidden.

“You see… it’s not good to do that a lot with other people.”

“What makes it so bad?”

“Just… just trust me okay? That’s not good because you can get sick!”

I laughed when Jung Yi Joon told me that I could get sick because of it.

“Since I’m not supposed to get sick, I won’t do it with you.”

“Wait, what?”

Jung Yi Joon, taken aback by my statements, paused for a moment before speaking again.

“It’s okay since you’re type AB and I’m type B.”

“What?”

“In any case, you’re not going to get sick with me!”

Jung Yi Joon cried out angrily when he repeated his own argument. He took my hand and asked whether I understood; I simply nodded my head, yes. He let me go.

Ki Hyun Joo led the guests into the living room while biting her tongue. I thought it would be tough to match Jung Yi Joon’s rage.

“I brought them all.”

“Thank you; please have a seat, we have a story to tell.”

A small In-Young ran up to me and clung to me as soon as I finished my sentence. Ha Hyun Seo held my hand in his and examined me.

“Is everything all right, Hyung?”

“Yes, are you alright?”

“They double-checked and they stated there was no issue.”

“Thank God”, said Ha Hyun Seo, smiling as if relieved.

“I wanted to go in too, but Jae Hyuk hyung was the only one who went in.”

I was taken aback by the name Ha Hyun Seo spit out. I was frightened right away that Kwon Jae Hyuk would slit my throat open by saying, ‘You’re not Ki Yoon Jae!!’

Was it possible that he hadn’t changed his expression since he was caught in this mess? I softly shifted my eyes and gazed at Kwon Jae Hyuk.

Thankfully, Kwon Jae-hyuk did not have such a vacant expression, but instead smiled as normal. I had no idea what he was up to. It was terrifying.

“What I’m about to say cannot be spread to outsiders.”

Once it looked like everyone was seated, I opened my mouth. I told them how to use the gates and the new talent I had acquired.

I briefly discussed the situation inside the gate, in case Jung Yi Joon or Kwon Jae Hyuk found it odd, but neither of them responded.

While I was watching Kwon Jae Hyuk, I was relieved to see that he didn’t have a strong reaction. But now that I was speaking, I couldn’t help but feel scared once more.

‘Because it shouldn’t have happened in the first place.’ 

Ki Yoon Jae was a dunderhead. If Kwon Jae Hyuk was a returnee from the future, he would have questions about my talents because last time, Ki Yoon Jae had died without awakening any abilities. Thinking of this, I opened my mouth,

“And… I have powers.”

WIth the exception of Kwon Jae Hyuk—-Jung Yi Joon did not respond because he knew ahead of time— all the others gave diverse reactions.

I couldn’t tell if Kwon Jae-hyuk was surprised or not. He just stood there; his face lit up with an unusual smile.

“You found your powers?”

Ki Hyun Joo was the one who inquired. Knowing how inept I was, I felt that it was unusual. She didn’t know anything about this ability, so she probably just assumed that the ability meter wasn’t accurate.

“What skill do you have?”

“It’s borrowing someone else’s abilities—”

“Really? Is it okay if you borrow mine as well?”

Ki Hyun Joon extended her hand for me to immediately borrow her power, but when I only glanced down at her hand without doing anything, her countenance became bewildered.

“How are you gonna do it?”

“I need to—”

“Yes?”

“It has to touch lips–”

“What?”

“Kiss.”

It was difficult to look into Ki Hyun Joo’s eyes because I was somewhat embarrassed. 

No! Of course I didn’t mean that I have to kiss her! 

I was just saying that my ability could borrow abilities from others!

But Ki Hyun Joo, who heard me, was startled and contorted her face.

“Should I give you a kiss? Us?”

I was able to read the words ‘wow’ on her face when she found out I had a new ability. I was worried whether she would choose the bull over me if I had to kiss her in public.

Her curiosity to confirm whether my skills were real or not seemed to have been doused by her extreme reluctance to kiss me.

I turned my head to meet Ha Eun Soo’s eyes, depressed by Ki Hyun Joo’s subsequent  reaction. Of course, I had no intention of kissing Ha Eun-Seo either, but she recognized my stare and turned her pale face away.

I felt devastated since every woman present had turned me down.

‘It’s not that Ki Yoon-Jae is particularly attractive—’

Sure! I! I didn’t mean to imply that I genuinely wanted to be with Ki Hyun Joo, my sixth cousin! Of course, I never imagined myself in a relationship with Ha Eun Soo either.

While I was enraged by the violent rejection before my eyes, my confidence plummeted. I wondered aloud, ‘Am I not that special?’

At that moment, there was someone who healed my freshly injured heart.

“Wow, that’s incredible. Hyung! Can you borrow my abilities too?”

Was it possible for me to borrow it right now? 

‘Did you want to join me in my transformation?’

When I saw Ha Hyun Soo, who healed my injured heart by soothing my pain, I was brought to tears. I was hesitant to respond to someone of the opposite sex, let alone someone of the same sex, but the gracious Ha Hyun Soo seemed to have done it on purpose after noticing my disappointment.

Bittersweet. I stroked his tresses. As I massaged him, Ha Hyun Seo squinted his eyes and suddenly burst out laughing.

“This… small crab.”

“Why are you attacking me, Yi Joon hyung?”

When violent-tempered Yi Joon saw the compassionate Ha Hyun-Seo, he reached out and shoved honey chestnut beans into his mouth.

As I smiled seeing the two of them battling over me, I felt someone’s attentive gaze. 

It was Kwon Jae Hyuk.

I didn’t ask anything.

Since it was impossible for me to look at the other, I quickly averted my gaze; my pulse pounded with fear. What did Kwon Jae Hyuk have on his mind?

I dispersed the crowd as the meeting ended; Ha Hyun Seo clung onto me and asked when I might borrow his ability while Jung Yi Joon tormented him.

“I can’t share with you… no…. If it’s an emergency, I can help a little.”

Ki Hyun Joo approached me and stated that even if she thought about it again, she couldn’t do it with me. However, she said she could do it a little if her life was in danger and then walked away. 

Should I be happy that she declared kissing me was preferable compared to dying? 

Ha Eun Seo hid and fled because she was frightened I would suggest something. When I saw that, I was on the verge of crying.

Kwon Jae Hyuk remained deafeningly quiet. There was nothing to talk about or anything like that, so I was going insane from anxiety.

I fought to control my emotions and returned to my room to rest for a bit before falling asleep. It was already night when I awoke, staring blankly out the window at the moonlight floating in the gloomy sky and illuminating the room.

For some reason, I felt compelled to see Kwon Jae Hyuk right at that moment.