Supernatural Investigation 101: Chronicles Of Nakashima Wakana

"Malleable energy?" She furrows her brows. It's getting confusing for her now.

"Think of it like…" He looks up at the ceiling, leaning back on the chair. "The chance to become immortal and choose a path is only given to creatures with a chance at salvation. So, demons and angels can never have access to immortal energy. Any living creatures except for those who are chosen by heaven or born with magical sources can take the path of immortality; however, not all of them can find that path. Hell is the quickest and shortest trip to immortality though. The other paths are there… like trials."

"Court trials?" Wakana blurts out. 

He laughs. How did she even think of that? "Not that, trials of life… given by the gods or demons or some other powerful entities. Those are also difficult paths, not to be underestimated. To qualify for those trials, one must reach the king or queen level in our world. Then, they must go and find different paths to immortality.

"Aish!" She props her chin on her hand and narrows her eyes. "You say that anyone can become immortal and then, you add the conditions. What if I also want to become an immortal like you?"

"I never said that there's no chance." He studies her for a moment. "If someone like me can cross hell, why can't you? But hell is under construction since Hyung destroyed the walls of separations. It's not accepting any challenger at the moment."

"..." Hell under construction? What did she just hear?

"It might take a few thousand years before it is reconstructed." He sighs. "Anyway, I was telling you how our abilities are quite similar. You can feel emotions and I can read thoughts. When I look into simple creatures, say elephants, I can't exactly read their thoughts because they can't articulate it very well. However, I can see if the thoughts are in the form of pictures. When it comes to human beings or other creatures who have similar minds like us, I can easily read their thoughts. I am sure that it would be the same for you. I don't think that you will ever feel a mosquito emotion since I can't hear their thoughts either."

"..." Mosquito emotions… Do mosquitoes have feelings?

"They are guided by their instincts," He answers her. "They aren't exactly empty."

Somehow, she's relieved that she can't feel the mosquito's emotions. What would she feel? The need to suck?

"I can't read ghosts' thoughts, but you can feel them when they are possessing someone." He frowns a bit. "I can't do that. Combined with your ability to feel the remnants of emotions left by people at places or on objects, it is dangerous. Until you can control empathy, I suggest that you don't stop wearing gloves."

Wakana looks at her pale hands. Why are people in this household fine? Choi Minho isn't afraid of being read by her. Oh Soo-Mi too…

"We are used to it." He interrupts her thoughts, "I grew up with a brother who could feel emotions. Thoughts might cheat people because a person can have a lot of stray thoughts before coming to a conclusion. Thoughts can't represent hearts; however, emotions almost never lie. You can find out someone's true feelings toward you easily."

He stares at the floor, seemingly lost in thoughts of his distant past when his brother had felt their parents' emotions toward them. Was it because of their parents? Human beings are complex creatures. Even if he can read minds, he can't understand them well. 

"Thoughts are like clouds that are passing through the mind," He says, watching her tapping her fingers on the floor nervously. "Unless you pick one of the clouds and give it a shape, they are meaningless and lost into the vastness of the mind. Sometimes, you play with a thought for a moment, musing possibilities before you let it go. So, thoughts are never you until you want them to be you."

He gazes at her. Wakana is staring at him. Her mind is trying to understand the meanings of his words. The way she is trying to understand him, he realizes that nobody has tried to put that much effort to understand him like that before.

"Similarly, you will feel many emotions. They are only passing like clouds. Unless you want them to be you, they can't become you." He tilts his head slightly, taking all of her in him. Her long hair is swept to her left shoulder, making him feel the itch to touch the tips of those dark tresses. 

"Even when you are drowning, I am saying this because you can't avoid being overwhelmed by unforeseen events, you can come out of it as long as you hold on to the truth. That truth is you. You are Wakana Nakashima. You have people who would wait for you to come back to them. Even if you feel like giving up, you must never forget about the ones who are still waiting for you to come back home. If you can't trust yourself, you must trust the ones who would never give up on you."

That is something that he wanted his brother to understand. They were waiting for him. While they were aware of Choi Minjae's pain, they wanted to share that pain and help him go through it. Even if his brother gave up on him, Oh Soo-Mi never gave up on the hope that Choi Minjae would return. If his brother didn't want to believe in himself, he should have trusted Oh Soo-Mi.

"I trust you." Wakana gives him a toothy smile. "You have done so much for me. I am sure that you won't let me become like your brother even if I tell you to stop living like that. I feel like I can relax a little because I know that you are behind me. Then again, my family is there. I am sure that they will do anything to protect me."

Minho notices how she thinks of Sei as her family. He only smiles at her. "I am going to start living for myself though."

She puckers her lips and stares at him. After a moment, she gives him a nod. "I am glad. I want my mentor to be selfish now."

"How many times have I told you?" He walks to her and bends his knees to pinch her nose. "If you keep saying words like this to me, I will become greedy."

"I am telling you to be greedy." She creases her forehead as a distant sound of phone's ringtone enters her ear. "Is that your phone?"

Her phone… She might have lost it in that space.

"Stupid!" He flicks her forehead and saunters away from her, toward his bedroom. He hasn't checked his phone. Meanwhile, Wakana notices that mist is gathering around the house.

"Hano, why is the weather changing so suddenly?" She questions the house spirit.

"There are some travellers in the mountain." Hano reveals it to her, "Minho doesn't like strangers coming to his house. So, I am trying to steer them far away from this place."

"You can do that?" Wakana exclaims. 

"I can do a lot more." Hano replies confidently, "I can also create storms. They will never be able to find this place."