QT: Against My Will

° Inside of Bing Shi’s room, Ren Han reached out his hand to catch the tail which just touched his arm, unsuccessfully, “Fuck this snake.” He turned towards the girl working behind the computer, asking for a hug.

° “Stop cursing at Kuro,” reprimanded Bing Shi while drawing a blueprint, “No huggies for you.”

° “I meant... Fuck other systems,” the moment there was no barrier, Ren Han hugged her from behind, inhaling the scent of her hair, “It’s strange that my ability doesn’t work on Kuro,” he curled a strand of her hair around his finger, “What is a chance that there’s another host?”

° “I met a host in my first mission world. I only got to know about him being a host when he suddenly flashed before my eyes. I know what others feel without needing to be told or whether someone is being truthful or lying. Whenever he was near me, I could feel insincerity,” Bing Shi looked down at the arm around her shoulders, “According to quantum physics, everything is made out of energy. Everything we call real is made out of things regarded as unreal. To change energy, there has to be a manifestation. Don’t think of Kuro as an invisible object. If I can see it, you should be able to see it too. It’s visible, but not to your five senses. There are two answers. First, I can see and touch Kuro instinctively. Two, Kuro is creating its image in my brain, messing with my five senses like in virtual reality,” she grabbed Kuro’s body on the desk, “Kuro can’t control your mind, so try using your intuition to recognize it.”

° Ren Han, covering her palm with his, watched intently how Kuro switched between two visible and invisible energies, “Or third, the other energy is similar to your barrier. Connected to your mind, I can pass through it only if you allow it.” He tried to move her fingers with force; they really looked like as if they were holding onto something tightly, “I can sense danger from negative energies like killing intent, lying, or if someone wants to take advantage of me, but there’s none of that when it comes to you.”

° “Oh, my grandson is so smart ??. That’s because I surround myself with positive energy. Do you feel it? The power of my aura?”

° “Yeah,” Lost in the moment, he danced to her aura. He felt his heart leaving. The laughter upon her face guided it to that unknown place. He felt safe like never before; it made him want to stay there forever. Bing Shi was like his home; he never knew he had. He tightened his arm around her shoulders. “Stop calling me grandson,” Ren Han interlocked their fingers to let go of Kuro, so he could locate it himself, “How do I pass through your barrier without your approval?”

° “Hm, let’s say a host is a key to pass through. If we can’t take hold of the key first, we can break through with force. For it, we need greater strength or authority.” Bing Shi moved Kuro behind Ren Han and switched on the observer mode, “Can you tell from which point I’m looking at you or not? If yes, use that moment to surprise me.”

.....

° One eternity later...

° Ren Han put his forehead on her shoulder in defeat, “I don’t know if something is looking at me, but there’s this feeling. Vague, unreliable. Fuck it. I’m tired.”

° Sensing his frustration, Bing Shi patted his head. She thought that Ren Han couldn’t distinguish between emotions and intuition. Emotions were a response to something, while intuition was about feeling and knowing. If she tried to act smart, his frustration would change into irritation. She leaned her head against his, “I’m tired too.”

° Ren Han took a deep breath, closing his eyes, “Can Yi Zen sense Kuro?” When he pointed his sniper rifle at that iceman, Yi Zen could pinpoint his location immediately.

° “He could...even before the trial,” Bing Shi didn’t let Kuro monitor Yi Zen, it would cause him to be more alert, thus making it harder for her to gain his trust, “Jelly?”

° “Of what?” Ren Han snorted, “Let’s continue training.”

° “Sure ??.”

° After a while of training, Ren Han couldn’t hold it in, “Bing Shi, I’m not jealous of him.” Did Yi Zen have Bing Shi? No. He thought smugly.

° “I know.”

° “Bing Shi, really. I’m serious.”

° “I know. I believe you, really. I’m dead serious. Now, focus.”

° “...” Ren Han hugged her again, grinning, “I need to replenish my energy.”

° End of flashback...

Ru Quan, ‘I really did fall in love with someone else...’

Feng Lan felt her skin tingling in a cold sweat when she saw those red eyes through her system’s camera. Like a predator preying on his victim, they reflected the light of the bloody moon.

{“He can’t see you. Continue monitoring him.”}

{Wuwuwu, I’m scared.}

Ren Han turned back and continued on his way, “Hold your host close to your heart till it’s too late...”

The little boy flew back to his host in tears.

{Host, he knows! Does he have a system too? He is going to do something to you! Wuwuwu.}

This time, Fei Lan didn’t stop her system. ‘I have to finish my mission at all costs. I never failed before.’ She remembered Bing Shi’s words. One was a slave, while other was a guard. Fei Lan, who had the upper hand with her family resources, threw the chance away. ‘That bastard’s son made me act like a damsel in distress!’

After the conversation, she had a clear image of their personalities. If she disappeared, Ru Quan would blame Bing Shi for being jealous; their distance would increase. She’ll pawn her valuables in the black market, and change her identity so that she could establish her secret organization. She did it once; she could do it again. But there’s a chance of Ru Quan having a system. What if he’s monitoring her right now?

Fei Lan felt a soft panic growing inside her stomach. ‘Bing Shi didn’t hide the fact that she has the upper hand over Hasan. What is her goal? Does she have a system?’ Those two’s tempo was so fast that she couldn’t keep up. While she did two steps ahead, those two left a trail of dust behind, for her to choke on.

· · — · ???· — · ·

Early in the morning, Hasan’s sleep was interrupted by a knocking sound on the doors, lazy to stand up; he called out, “Come in!”

*knock*

*knock*

The sound didn’t cease; it intensified.

“Master ??.”

*Knock*

Hearing that playful tone, Hasan’s heavy body fell from the uncomfortable couch, cursing, he opened the door for Bing Shi, “...”

“Take this to the new girl,” Bing Shi held a plate of breakfast for two and gave it to Hasan. Sitting behind Hasan’s desk, she grabbed the glass brush and studied its beautiful design. The construction of the glass nib allowed the ink to settle in the grooves of the nib, providing a regular flow and consistent width of the line for a long time.

‘The glass is a bit scratchy, but woah, it’s almost like a fountain pen!’