Chapter 5

    Claudia glanced left and right without paying attention and ended up bumping into someone.

    "Ah!"

    A strong hand steadied his slender waist to keep him from stumbling. Even so, he lost his balance and his face collided with a firm chest, causing his cheek to ache. He could even clearly hear the other person's heartbeat.

    At the moment, the aura between them made them feel strangely familiar.

    The bustling chatter along the roadside was surrounded by the vibrant colors of the night. Everything around them seemed to pause when the two of them met.

    Time passed without them knowing, and they still remained in the same position. What was this drama-like atmosphere in the middle of the slum? Claudia felt oddly embarrassed and wanted to stop this awkward situation. To avoid being rude to the other person, he quickly apologized.

    "Uh, I'm sorry for not being careful and bumping into you..." Claudia gently pushed the other person away, but the strong hand still lingered on his slender waist until Claudia looked up at the taller man.

    And when he saw the person in front of him, his eyes widened in shock. How could it be the protagonist!

    "Alan Miller!" Claudia inadvertently shouted the protagonist's name rudely. Realizing his mistake, he quickly raised his slender hand to cover his mouth.

    "Claudia." But it seemed the person already knew who he was.

    “Ah, I'm sorry, Mr. Miller. I was rude to you,” Claudia apologized, feeling guilty.

    “It's alright,” Alan didn't seem to mind.

    “Thank you... By the way, what brings you here, Mr. Miller?” Claudia expressed his gratitude sincerely, and his curiosity led him to ask.

    “My old house is around here. And you can just call me Alan.” Seeing Claudia's discomfort, Alan released his grip on the smaller man's waist, though his sharp gaze remained fixed on him.

    “Oh, you must be my senior then. Can I call you Brother Alan?” Claudia guessed Alan was about twenty-three years old.

    “Sure, and what are you doing here?” Well, calling him that would help them get closer.

    “Uh, I have some business to attend to.”

    “What a coincidence.” Alan knew Claudia was hiding something, but if he didn't want to share, there was nothing he could do.

    “Yes, haha.”

    Claudia felt his heart race with anxiety as the protagonist stared at him unblinkingly. Was he acting suspiciously, or was there something on his face?

    Claudia was unaware of how much he had changed. Alan remembered that the other man had amber eyes like Jonathan, but now they had transformed into a mesmerizing pearly white with a hint of rainbow, and the alluring red tint at the corners of his eyes made it impossible to look away.

    Alan's gaze traveled down to see a nose tinged red, as if from heavy crying, followed by lips that were crimson as if bitten.

    His sharp eyes darkened with a flicker of concern, and his large hand gently brushed against the lips, afraid that any more pressure might cause the other man to vanish.

    "Your eyes and your lips... What happened? Have you been crying?" When he realized, he withdrew his hand from the beautiful lips. 'What has he been up to?'

    My eyes? My lips? Claudia didn't understand. His slender fingers rubbed his lips with such force that he hissed in pain, suddenly recalling what he had done back then.

    "Take it easy," Alan swiftly grabbed the slender arm.

    "Oh, my lips? It's just—" Alan seemed overly worried, causing Claudia to stammer and feel unsure of himself.

    Ding!

    [Additional Information: Your eye color has permanently changed due to the skill Diana's Insightful Eye (Claudia's face)]

    When Claudia saw the message before him, his eyes widened in shock. He hadn't expected his eye color to change so drastically!

    Why didn't you tell me from the start, System! How was he going to come up with an excuse now? But since he couldn't hide it forever, especially with such striking eye color, he had to explain it to the protagonist.

    Alan was still waiting for an answer, wondering what was going on with the person in front of him.

    "I'll tell you, but first, let's go sit inside the café," Claudia quickly adjusted his expression back to normal and glanced at a cozy café nearby. Talking in the middle of the street with people passing by wouldn't be ideal.

    Fortunately, his clothes and hair were dry now; otherwise, Alan might have wondered where he'd fallen into water. Things were already awkward enough.

    "Alright."

    They then walked into the café and found a secluded spot at the far end. Both of them ordered a few light dishes.

    Once the waiter left after taking their order, Claudia gathered his thoughts and began the conversation with Alan.

    "Uh, you might be surprised why I'm here. It might sound strange, but last night I dreamt that I awakened my powers from this place. I was so restless that I couldn't sleep, so I decided to come here. And it turns out, my powers really did awaken. I still can't quite believe it."

    If he said that this world was just a fictional one and he was a reader who had crossed dimensions, the protagonist would surely think he was crazy. So, he decided to tell the protagonist part of the truth.

    ‘Only the smallest part, of course.’

    "The reason I bit my lip and got this wound is because awakening my powers was quite painful, as you can see, Brother Alan. It's embarrassing," Claudia said, lowering his head to hide his blushing face. The protagonist had eventually seen his embarrassing side.

    "Well, don't be embarrassed. You were in pain, after all," Alan reassured him, understanding why Claudia had cried.

    "Are you saying it was a prophetic dream? Is it one of your skills? Can I ask?" Alan inquired.

    "Previously, I had become powerless. I don't know if this is a latent power or not, but when I checked, I couldn't find any skill like that."

    Even though the protagonist asked normally, Claudia couldn't help but feel as if he was being interrogated, making him feel uneasy.

    As Claudia finished speaking, the waiter arrived to serve their food.

    "Your food is here." On the table were a few dishes, a glass of beer for the protagonist, and a glass of fruit juice for Claudia. Once the waiter left, Claudia took a sip of his juice, feeling slightly refreshed, and continued speaking.

    “I can't say whether the premonition is due to a skill or not. As for my eyes changing, that's a result of awakening my powers.”

    This open-ended answer was the best approach. If he claimed to have a skill that predicted the future, he would definitely slip up in front of the protagonist because...

    Ding!

    [Someone has breached your personal data]

    See? He barely finished speaking!

    It's because the protagonist of this novel has the 'Demon Eyes' skill, which can check statuses just like his own skill.

    “Hmm,” Alan looked down, his expression hard to read, making Claudia feel uneasy.

    “It must be your destiny.” And the person in front of him was part of his destiny too, though Alan didn't voice this thought.

    “Perhaps it is,” Claudia replied with a dry smile. Destiny? He was clearly shaping it himself.

    “You should treat your wound. Leaving it untreated isn't good.”

    The protagonist handed him a potion. Claudia hesitated to accept it, until the protagonist gave him a stern look. Only then did Claudia manage a weak smile and quickly reached out to take it.

    Even though he had his own potion, for such a small wound, he preferred using regular medicine. It would heal in a few days after all. And the potion given by the protagonist was a high-level one. Even though it was small, it was quite expensive, making Claudia feel a bit regretful.

    A potion must be used immediately upon opening, as its full effectiveness lasts only half an hour. After that, it's no different from plain water.

    Alan's intense gaze compelled Claudia to quickly drink the potion, leaving not a single drop behind. The wound on his mouth vanished without a trace, his energy fully restored, and his fatigue completely gone, leaving Claudia astonished.

    Previously, he had spent months recovering in the hospital. Why didn't he just use a potion from the start? Well, it was because he was just an ordinary person who couldn't use potions, and they were meant only for those who had awakened their powers.

    If a regular person were to drink it, their body wouldn't be able to handle it, potentially leading to an explosion. That was why medical treatments still exist to this day.

    Afterward, they chatted about various topics until an hour had passed. It was now three in the morning, almost four. He had to bid farewell to the protagonist.

    "Brother Alan, I think I should head back now. If I don't make it home in time, my father will surely scold me for sneaking out," Claudia said, glancing at the time with a nervous smile.

    “If you knew you'd get scolded, why didn't you tell them from the start or bring someone along? You know how dangerous it is out there,” the protagonist reprimanded in a stern voice, unintentionally radiating a pressuring aura.

    “I-I just thought that if I told them, they might not believe me and wouldn't bring me here,” Claudia stammered, eyes wide with fear, his voice trembling.

    Alan saw the small figure trembling, looking as if he might cry, and realized he had scolded him too harshly. He quickly retracted his aura and gently placed a large hand on Claudia's head, softly stroking his hair.

    “I'm sorry. But next time, don't go alone. If no one can accompany you, let me know, okay?” Alan said, his voice became much softer, comforting the smaller figure.

    “Okay,” Claudia replied, sneaking a glance at the protagonist. Was he really trying to comfort him?

    Seeing Claudia's expression improve, Alan smiled faintly.

    Claudia's heart raced at Alan's smile, his beautiful face unknowingly flushed. The protagonist's usual stoic expression was handsome enough, but when he smiled, it was as if the world melted away. He was outrageously handsome, almost disrespectfully so.

    “Let's head back then. I'll take you home,” Alan said, ruffling Claudia's hair a couple more times.

    “Uh, has Brother Alan gone home yet?” Claudia asked, wondering if he was imposing on the protagonist.

    “Yeah, I left home and ran into you just in time. Don't worry.”

    After Alan paid the bill for their meal, his large hand immediately took hold of Claudia's and led him out of the restaurant. Claudia gazed absentmindedly at the hand holding his, following the taller figure without realizing it.

    They had no idea what awaited them next, and it seemed they wouldn't be returning to a peaceful night's sleep as they had hoped.