Chapter 10: Crossing Paths Without Colliding
Fate was quieter than people imagined.
It didn't crash into you with dramatic music or slow motion. Most of the time, it brushed past your shoulder in a crowded street, shared the same air for a few seconds, then kept walking—leaving only a strange sense of déjà vu behind.
That was how I first properly crossed paths with them.
It happened on an ordinary afternoon.
I was near the shopping district, picking up groceries, mind relaxed but awareness spread wide like a thin net. The city felt restless again—not dangerous, just energetic. Growth always created friction. That was inevitable.
I sensed Johan before I saw him.
His presence was sharp, narrow, and painful, like a blade honed too much without rest. He was walking fast, hood pulled low, hands clenched. Not looking for trouble, but never backing away from it either. His power wasn't small—high eight territory—but it was unstable. Emotionally overextended. Physically strained.
He brushed past me.
For half a second, his steps faltered.
He turned around.
Not aggressively. Not suspiciously. Just… confused.
"Hey," he said, eyes narrowing slightly. "Do I know you?"
"No," I replied honestly.
He studied my face longer than most people did. Fighters like him trusted instincts more than logic, and his instincts were screaming without explanation.
"…You feel annoying," he muttered.
I almost smiled.
"Take care of your eyes," I said instead. "You're overusing them."
His pupils shrank.
"What did you say?"
But I was already walking away. He didn't follow. Pride told him to ignore it. Something deeper told him not to push.
That was Johan Seong—too stubborn to listen, too sharp to forget.
A few streets later, noise pulled my attention.
Raised voices. Anger. Familiar ones.
Daniel Park stood between two groups, arms slightly out, body tense but determined. Zack Lee was beside him, fists clenched, jaw tight. Vasco loomed behind them like a human wall, veins bulging, trying very hard not to throw the first punch.
Across from them were mid-tier delinquents—nothing special, power levels hovering around the sixes. Enough to cause trouble. Not enough to survive consequences.
"Back off," Daniel said, voice shaking but firm. "This doesn't concern you anymore."
One of the delinquents laughed. "Who are you to decide that, pig—"
He didn't finish the sentence.
I stepped forward.
Not fast. Not slow.
Just enough.
The temperature of the situation dropped immediately. The delinquents felt it first. Shoulders stiffened. Breathing changed. One of them swallowed hard.
"Leave," I said.
That was all.
Zack glanced at me sharply. Vasco blinked. Daniel turned, surprised.
"Hyung?" Daniel asked instinctively, the word slipping out before he realized it.
Interesting.
The delinquents hesitated. Pride struggled against instinct—and instinct won.
"Tch," one of them clicked his tongue. "Whatever. Not worth it."
They left quickly, glancing back once or twice like prey checking if the predator was still watching.
Silence settled.
Daniel stared at me openly now, eyes wide but curious rather than fearful. Zack narrowed his gaze, evaluating. Vasco straightened, then bowed slightly out of habit and respect, though he couldn't explain why.
"Uh… thanks," Daniel said awkwardly. "They were—"
"Loud," I finished. "Yes."
He laughed nervously. "Yeah."
Zack stepped closer, voice blunt. "You're strong."
It wasn't a question.
"Enough," I replied.
That answer bothered him. I could tell. Zack measured strength through struggle and effort. Someone who said "enough" without context felt unfair.
"What's your name?" Daniel asked.
I paused.
Names had weight. Too much, sometimes.
"…Call me Hyun," I said, choosing one that fit this life.
Daniel nodded enthusiastically. "I'm Daniel. This is Zack, and that's Vasco."
"I know," I said, then corrected myself smoothly. "I mean—you look like you'd have those names."
Vasco grinned. "You're a good guy!"
Zack snorted. "You don't know that."
Smart kid.
Jay Hong appeared a moment later, silent as ever, eyes flicking to me briefly before moving on. He noticed more than he showed. Always had.
We didn't walk together for long. Just one block. But even that was enough for lines to cross.
Daniel talked too much. Nervous habit. He filled the air with thoughts, worries, hopes. About training. About getting stronger. About protecting people without becoming someone he hated.
I listened.
That mattered more than advice.
When we parted ways, Daniel bowed slightly. "Hope we see you again, Hyun-hyung."
"Maybe," I said.
Zack watched me leave, fists unclenching slowly.
"…That guy," he muttered. "He didn't even tense up."
Jay glanced once more in my direction, eyes sharp.
Vasco waved enthusiastically.
Further away, Johan stood on a rooftop, staring down at the street.
"…So it's not just me," he whispered.
Elsewhere, Gun received reports of an unknown man interfering without fighting. Goo laughed when he heard.
"A pacifist monster?" Goo said. "That's new."
Gun didn't laugh.
James Lee paused mid-step during a run, heart rate steady but mind alert.
So he's touching the story now.
Charles Choi's fingers tightened around his cane.
Contact had been made.
Back home, I sat quietly, letting the restraint settle again. Interacting with the main cast had shifted something subtle. Not dominance. Not interference.
Alignment.
They weren't weakened by my presence.
They were being framed by it—given contrast, perspective, pressure without oppression.
That was how legends should exist.
Not as obstacles.
But as gravity.
And from now on, their story and mine would continue to overlap—slowly, carefully—until the day restraint would no longer be enough, and the city would finally demand an answer rather than silence.