DongHae´s pov.

Blown up

(follow-up to Messed up)

Everyone is somehow unique. Sometimes I think that people are too different, that in the country of heroes and villains aren´t even two similar people and that´s why we don´t get along. When you are born, you have to choose, whether you are going to be a hero or a villain. I´ve chosen to be a hero because with my abilities and traits, as a villain I could wipe everything out. Being a hero was much easier for me and I decided to stick with it for the rest of my life. Most people stick with what they decide. Yet, there are some, who are constantly wavering.

I opened the heavy front door of the building that I owned. It was a small and old building with few rooms and calm tenants. I walked across the perfectly clean hall and opened the door to the dining room. We had a diner, similar to those in tiny hotels with a bar counter and a kitchen behind it. The room was lit and smelled of dumplings and black coffee, a radio was playing in the background and someone let out a hearty laugh. I put my winter coat on a hanger and was glad for the warmth that began thawing my frozen limbs. I greeted quietly the few tenants in the room and sat down to an empty table. Before I even managed to find out if dumpling were really today´s menu, a plate with them landed in front of me together with a thick soup, hot tea and table wear.

“The broth is from a duck, it´s the best in winter,” I looked up at Hyukjae who gave me a grin. “But it´s a bit greasier than chicken or beef broths.”

“I like it,” I said when it seemed that the thin man was waiting for an approval. When I gave it to him, he smiled even wider and sat down in front of me. I began eating, it was delicious, indeed. Hyukjae was a good cook, he was a perfect landlord in that aspect.

“Hey, Donghae,” he then became a tiny bit more serious, “I would use some superpowers, would you help me?” I stopped eating and frowned.

“What is it?” I asked sternly. Hyukjae looked me in the eyes and then sighed, his expression was a broken smile with a hint of regret.

“It hurts me that you keep your guard up around me still,” he cleared his throat a composed himself again, “The snow on the roof piled up and it could be dangerous if the temperature goes above zero and it becomes too heavy. I tried to clean it with a shovel but it´s too much for me.”

“I see, I will take care of it,” I told him, stealing a glance from my food to check if he cheered up or not.

“Thanks, you´re the best,” Hyukjae smiled gently. “I will let you eat now, tell me if you want a dessert too.” After that the man stood up and waltzed behind the counter, humming a melody while doing the dishes.

When I´m with Hyukjae, I can´t help but keep my guard up. I met the man about a year ago when I was in his bar the day a customer detonated. I didn´t manage to save anything but the barman, and to compensate for it, I gave the man a place to stay and a job. I thought I won a lottery at first, Hyukjae was an incredibly capable landlord. He was born to be one, with being good at both, managing a building and giving his ear to anyone that came to him with a heavy heart.

But there was one big problem with Hyukjae. He wasn´t exactly black or white, his trait was connected to his heart and his emotions, therefore he was easy to get influenced. Also, he could tell apart villains and heroes but he didn´t feel the need to differentiate. He could hold a conversation with just anyone. I couldn´t possibly trust Hyukjae, although the man was head over heels for me and came running whenever I would just think of calling him. I felt like I should protect myself from Hyukjae´s emotions, they screamed instability and there wasn´t anything I hated more than that. Hyukjae was grey, something between black and white and that wasn´t healthy for anyone here.

“What´s for dessert?” The landlord just came from the kitchen and found me standing in front of the glass cover sitting on the counter.

“Cream bread,” his face brightened when he found me in his territory. “Vanilla and lemon flavoured, it´s delicious, I swear.”

“I believe you,” I chuckled.

“At least you trust my baking skills,” Hyukjae sang and took away the glass lid to give me a piece of the cream bread. “Here.” He presented me with a small plate with a very deliciously looking dessert. I treated Hyukjae with a smile because I felt slightly guilty for doubting his intentions earlier. And that´s how our friendship worked, Hyukjae destabilizing the bond and me returning it the equilibrium.

The next morning, I helped Hyukjae with the snow. I used a shock wave and threw the snow blanket far away where it gently descended in a form of fluffy snowflakes on the city park. Hyukjae offered me a cup of coffee but I had to go to work and left him on the rooftop in his thick mittens and bright purple jacket. For the rest of the day I only thought of that scene and worried, whether I didn´t hurt Hyukjae. That could trigger a change and he could slip on the bad side again.

I thought I should return home earlier today but on my way I encountered a robber and then stopped to help an old grandpa carry some heavy boxes with books. When I finally got back home, the diner was already empty. The lights were on though, and my plate with dinner was standing on the counter, covered by cellophane. The radio was playing different music than usual popular mix or news, it was jazz, Hyukjae´s personal playlist. The landlord himself was dozing off on a chair behind the counter, with a table cloth in his hands. Next to him was a single whisky glass.

I decided to act quietly, I didn´t know the meaning of all this but it worried me. I took off the cellophane and put my plate into the microwave. I picked the chopsticks from the cup on the counter and placed them on my usual table. Then I carried there my warmed meal and began eating, listening to the jazz music and racking my brains over Hyukjae.

“I didn´t hear you coming,” the yawning landlord slowly shuffled to my table when I just finished the dinner. He brought a cup of tea for me and the whisky glass that had only a little bit of liquor in it. He hid hi