Chapter 6 [Rain]

A Few Hour Later,

I get off the motorcycle, as it finally stops at its destination, the junkyard. I look around to a familiar sight, as Lina and I often come here to clear our mind. I look at Lina, she takes off her helmet and the cold wind blew gently her long brunette, for a moment I was hypnotized by it.

I shake my head vigorously bringing me back to reality when I finally took my helmet off and look at the sky, a heavy gray cloud getting closer to our location.

"It gonna rain soon" I exclaimed.

"Don't worry, we will be quick." Lina said.

"I'm blaming you, if my cloth getting wet today" I grumbled, then I move to a barrel, taking a sit on top of it.

"Okay let begins," Lina says energetically,

I clear my throat, "welcome everybody to the weekly Power test" I said while clapping my hand jokingly, "Our only contestant, Lina Johnsonnnn", imitating an announcer's voice.

She looks at me arrogantly smirking with both of her hand on her waist, posing like a superhero "first up, the test of strength" I said while tapping the barrel, to mimic a drum roll.

Lina then walks to an old rusted car, and with ease lift it off the ground with one hand. I was amazed by her strength, it has been only two years since I found out about her power and we have been doing the test for a year now, her strength has grown exceptionally, if her strength keeps on growing, she could probably become the strongest person on earth.

I clap loudly, she notices and begins to twirl the car around with a grin on her face, showing off her power to me, "SHOW OFF!!" I said loudly, I cross my arm and smile.

"I just having a bit of fun" Lina replied, then she throws the car on top of a stack of an old car.
I stand up from my sit and move a couple feet away from Lina, this is the most dangerous part of this test. checking the distance between me and Lina, making sure that I at a safe distance.

"Okay, I'm ready for the second test," I said loudly, Lina looks at me, her left eyebrow raised, "you don't have to be that far," she said annoyed, "are you crazy? I don't want to get hurt".

"Flight Test!!," I say loudly, Lina looking at her hand, determination and focus filled her eyes then she shakes her body around relaxing it.

"You can do this Lina" I cheer for her from afar. She looks at me smiling then went to focusing her power again. When she closes her eyes, her body begins to float up slowly off the ground. I cross my finger, my mouth beginning to form a smile. She then floating forward slowly -That it, she did it.

"YOU DID IT!!!" I cheer loudly, then she opens her eyes looking down at her feet, realizing she did it, "You RIIIGHT!!....." she didn't even finish her sentence when her body violently fly forward, so fast and heading my way. My eyes widen and my instinct flares up, I quickly jump to the right, dodging her.

BOOM - she crashes to abandoned buses behind me, flying shrapnel everywhere, dust float in the air.

"LINA!!!" I screamed while running toward the crash. Near the crash, I begin pulling out pieces of debris one by one, panic filled my heart. Suddenly, the debris begins to shake, I back away from the debris. Then, Lina lifts the derbies off her, coughing from the dust, no injury can be seen but her cloth is torn a bit. I felt relieved as I saw her was uninjured from the crash.

"You almost give me a heart attack you know that,"I say, worried in my voice, "please no more flying," I said.

"I'm sorry for worrying you," Lina said grinning, her hand waving the dust away from her face. I look at her then look away and moving to the spot where I was sitting, needing to take a seat.

"Okay, Last test" Lina said, "no more test please,"I said.

"Come one, it the final one," she said, making puppy eyes toward me " FINE...," I said grunting, she knows that I can never say no to those eyes. That damn puppy eyes it so adorable I just can't say no to them.

She dashes toward a barrel, opening the lid then reaching into it. I look at her confused wondering what is he looking for. Then she takes out a handgun from the barrel, I was shocked to see a handgun "Where do you get the gun?" I ask. 

"Your uncle" she replied.

"Wait, what?! UNCLE!!" I curse out his name while facepalm myself, she then moves the barrel toward me, my instinct flares up avoiding the line of sight "Woah, give me that" I said worried then move closer to Lina, and grab the gun away, I check the safety first, it on. "Damn it, uncle, you don't give a gun away to a minor, " I said aloud.

"It fines, uncle Touka, said I can use it only when you are around to supervise," Lina said, I sigh. 

"Why do you even need a gun for?" I ask, my eyebrows furrow.

"It for the final test," she said nonchalantly.

"The endurance test?" I said then look at the gun, realization struck me "you want me to shoot you?" I said aloud, Lina nod.

"ARE YOU CRAZY!!!" I yelled.

"Wait, this is the surprise that you were talking about at school," I said then holster the gun in my pant and lean on the barrel behind me, I sigh heavily while messaging the bridge of my nose.

"Haru, I want to know, if I can stop a bullet" Lina pleaded. "besides I trust you if anything happens I know, I'm in good hands" she reassured me, an unscared smile on her face.

"you are way to trusting Lina..." I said, then I look at her, I can see that she really want to know the answer but for what reason. is it worth it to sacrifice the safety of her self just to know the answer, if I don't do it, she will probably find another way that even dangerous than this.

"Fine" I relented, "raise one of your hand up in the air" I command her, Lina raise her left hand up in the air.

I unholster the handgun and check the barrel to see if it loaded, then I take out the magazine checking the ammo in it. I slot the magazine back into the handgun, release the safety, then pull the slide back, loading the bullet in the barrel. I aim down the sight targeting Lina left hand.

I look at Lina, she has a serene smile on her face, her starry eyes looking directly at me showing me how much she trusts me to do this. I close my eyes and listen to my rapid heartbeat, I take a long breath to slow down my heartbeat.

I aim down the sight and squeeze the trigger, I can feel the gun recoil in my hand. The sound of the gun is masked by the thunder and drip of water slowly fall from the sky hitting my hand, smoke can be seen in coming out of the barrel handgun.

I look at where the bullet when and surprised to see a hole in the body of an old car to the left of Lina, my eyes widen, Lina open her eyes and check her hands, the bullet left no mark on her hand, "The bullet ricochet" I said surprised.

Suddenly, the rain begins to pour heavily on us both, realizing this we both quickly run to the nearest shelter. I click the safety on the handguns and holster it in my pant, then I would wipe the water off my face as I was at the shelter. I look at Lina, she stands there staring at her hand where the bullet hit.

"Are you okay?" I ask, she doesn't reply, she just stands there, it like she in a daze, drop of water hit the zinc roof masking the silence between us. I grew tired of the silent, I then slap the back of her shoulder " I so jealous right now!" I said jokingly, she snapped to reality and look at me, a grin on her face but her eyes show worried.

I walk to the horizontal pole and lean on it, I gesture Lina to follow me. She smiles and walk toward besides me, also leaning on the pole. "I'm guessing you invincible now," I said then sighed. "So what you gonna do now? now you know you can stop a bullet" I ask.

I can see Lina contemplating on how to reply to my question, I cut her off before she could answer "You know you don't have to save the world just because you can stop a bullet" I said while my eyes wander to the ceiling. In the corner of my eye, I can see her smiling hearing what I just said. Suddenly, she leaned her shoulder against mine.

I can feel my heart beat faster and my cheek heating up. 

"Can I ask you a question? what were you talking about with Stephanie earlier" she asked, her eyes looking down.

I scratch the back of my head as I remember what just happened earlier, "she asks me to go out with her" I said. 

"Oh..." she let out, her head lower down. 

"But I refuse," I said, Lina's head raise up in surprised and turn toward me, her eyes widen. 

"you refuse? I thought.." she blurts out.

"you don't know everything about me," I said nonchalantly, then I boop the tip of her nose. Lina had the biggest smile on her face while her cheek reddens, I look at her, my heart skips a beat because of her cuteness- I just want to hug her so much right now but I didn't.

My head keeps thinking that this is a perfect time to confess my love to her, I don't care what happens, I just don't want to have regret in my life - Lina then squeezes my arm while leaning on my shoulder, her fragrance lingers in my nose. I was about to confess when Lina said 

"I wish we could stay like this forever"

It's a stupid wish, it would be impossible to stay like this forever, sooner or later we need to move, but somehow an someway I know what she meant when she said it. Yes, It a stupid wish, yet a wish I would grant for her for now. Maybe I can hold off my confession just for her, there is other perfect time to confess, it not the end of the world, right? I sigh.