Chapter 156 - Recollection(1)

After thinking about all these, Randy suddenly recalled the events that transpired after he awakened that day, starting from the day that he came home after awakening to innate ability.

…

Returning home after awakening.

"Mom, I ran into a rift along the way home, and I was not able to come home in time because I was caught up in a fight between two terrifying monsters. I was knocked unconscious at the time and when I came to, the two monsters were nowhere to be found." Randy briefly said to his mother with a slight frown on his face as if recalling his horrifying encounter, shocking his mother greatly.

"What?!"

His mother was shocked for a moment and then she quickly inquired after her son a moment later, "Are you okay?! Did you get hurt anywhere?!"

"…"

'Now what is this? Are you that surprised that I survived, or are you seriously acting worried about me right now?'

'Hold on a minute, why is she touching my body? What's wrong with this woman? She never acted this way towards me ever since I was twelve or thirteen, and now, she suddenly reverted back to her usual warm and kind mother that I used to know? What is this? Just what are you doing right now? If you don't like me then act like it already? Just act like you used to! Stop confusing me with these things! I don't like this uncomfortable feeling!' He inwardly screamed silently with emotional pain in his chest.

Randy recalled how his mother used to treat him and was instantly appalled by this sudden treatment that came out of nowhere.

Despite thinking all these things as he gritted his teeth inwardly with inexplicable emotions welling up within, he still calmed himself a moment later and then spoke to his mother without showing his true feelings. 

"Mom, I am fine. Luckily, those creatures did not pay any attention to me as they were engrossed in their own fight otherwise…" Randy said with a grim look on his face. Right now, he was trying to act as pitiful as possible so that his mother would believe his white lies more, however, this act of his had the opposite response.

"Hmph! How pathetic! You were so weak that even the monsters decided not to spare you a single glance. How disgraceful! I have no idea why I even have a son like you. How come you cannot awaken your ability when your little brother, Rex, had already awakened his ability, and now, he even showed a promising future and was already recruited by an organization that wishes to sponsor him. Your little sister had also awakened hers at an early age, but we still don't know what ability she has but she is still better off than you!" Randy's mother looked at him with a disdainful expression on her face as she spoke to him and then she turned around, walking towards the living room's couch, and then she sat down and proceeded to watch the news on the television.

"…"

Randy was stunned by this sudden turn of events. Where did her worried expression from earlier go? What was he thinking when he thought that his mother had changed her expression towards him?

'Ah, that's her usual reactions to anything that was related to me. I was the fool to believe that anything would change if I acted pitiful enough… I was just stupid to have a slight hope for a better family. If this is how I will always be treated then…' Randy inwardly gritted his teeth with hatred boiling inside of him, this was hatred towards everything but he still manage to suppress this urge.

"Mom, I am going up to my room. I lost my bracelet so can you call the Rift and Gate Management to report the location where I found the rift. It is in that abandoned factory." Randy said to his mother in a calm voice.

"The abandoned building? What were you doing in that place?" She said with a frown on her face.

'Why do you care? Do you truly want to know why I was there? I was tortured by my classmate and his friends in that building. But you don't actually care, do you? You and dad never cared about me so stop asking me these questions!' Randy inwardly responded in annoyance, but he did not really express or say this out loud.

'I will just make up something since that's better than saying something that would get her act to like a kind mother that she has seized to be as far I am concerned.' He indifferently thought and then opened his mouth to speak.

"Mom, I was just walking with my friend whose house was towards that direction. I just met him on my way home and decided to talk with him as we walked, but who would have thought that after I separated from him, I would actually run into those monsters." Randy explained to his mother.

"Don't bother reporting that you saw two monsters escaping the rift. You don't have any proof and I am assuming that you have no idea where they went either, right? Just go to your room and leave this to the government. They are already searching the perimeters anyway, and if there are monsters or beasts out there, they would find them sooner or later. There is nothing you can do to help with that." The indifferent voice of his mother resounded from his mother.

'I wasn't going to tell them even if you didn't tell me. But that doesn't mean that I won't tell others about it. Jiang Chen would definitely want to hear about such intriguing matter.' Randy silently thought himself dismissively.

"Okay, I will head to my room now." Randy agreed with his mother, and he then walked up the stairs leading to the second floor. However, on his way, he heard a voice behind him.

"There is food in the refrigerator if you are hungry."

'Tsk, how annoying. Whatever!'

"Okay, mom. I will come down later when I finish showering." Randy said in response without stopping in his tracks as he made his way towards his room.

…

University Registration.

"I have registered for the university entrance exams!" Randy revealed to them.

""Impossible!""

Two simultaneous voices that harmonized unusually well with each other resounded in the living room of the mansion.

'What the hell is with their reactions? Are they not even going to act like they're happy that their son had managed to register for the university entrance examination?' Randy displeasedly thought but acted otherwise.

"Whoa! What's with those reactions?" Randy almost jumped from fright when he heard this response from both of his parents. 

"Randy, I know that you wanted to attend university, but it is impossible to do so without awakening your ability or having energy compatibility. That was why we…" Nathan said, clearly hinting at something.

'That's why you what? Not like I care what you all think anyway but…'

"But I have already awakened my innate ability though, so that should not…"

"What?!"

'...matter anymore? What is it this time? These reactions, so unsightly.' Randy did not like these reactions from his parents, not one single bit.

Nathan then doubtfully asked: "Randy… Don't you hate us… for the way we treated you in the past?"

"Why would I hate you?" 

'Of course, I hate you all, do you really want me to tell you that face to face?' Randy silently this to himself in irritation.

"I am serious, so give me a serious answer, Randy." Nathan said to him.

Randy replied: "Of course, it will be a lie if I said that I did not harbor some hatred for you all at some point when I did not receive any attention from you all, but…"

He paused and then continued: "But lately, I don't feel that way."

""Why is that?"" Both Nathan and Riley carefully asked simultaneously.

'Ahhh, this is so annoying. Do I have to explain everything to you? Shouldn't this be enough of a response? Whatever, let's just tell them what they wanted to hear so badly with those expressions on their faces.'

"You're my parents and I feel like there must be some underlying reason why you would start treating me like that even though I have no idea why. I remember that when I was young, you both never treated me like that. I think it all started when… it was only when I had started exhibiting changes in these eyes of mine... Only then did I begin to sense a difference in your treatment towards me… "

"And also, when I couldn't awaken my innate ability, that was when you all started being stern and while constantly telling me that I was useless since I could not awaken my innate ability and that I would not be able to survive in this world if I stayed like this." 

"But none of that matters, as I have already awakened my ability now. In that sense, there is no need to know why you both started treating like that."

Randy arranged his words and then answered his parents as eloquently as he could at this time.