𝐋𝐚𝐰 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 (𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐙)

26



"Is there anything wrong Mars? You are looking at me more than usual."

"It's because you're so handsome I couldn't help but stare. The blueberry looks good on your head," He's referring to my recently dyed blue hair.

"Why did you dye it?"

"I like dying my hair."

"For no particular reason?

Mars stops walking and sees a small insect crawling across the cafeteria; it's black scales and sickly legs are sore eyes upon the creamy white limestone tiles.

"Yes, other than the fact that I look good in it, like you said," I sat down with him on one of the tables.

Oh, wait, Mars had an outside visitor just before meeting me.

"Mars, is everything okay?"

The insect seems to be more appealing to him, or disgusting judging by his scoff.

"Just slightly agitated, nothing out of ordinary. Dealt with enough people today."

The insect's tiny legs scrambled frantically as it was picked up by Mars's slender fingers. Using his other hand he picks the cockroach's tiny legs one by one.

"Who was the person you dealt with?"

...

He seems really pensive for someone who just ripped off a roach's torso. I can't see his face due to his slightly disheveled hair covering his face however he holds full attention to the regenerating cells growing at an alarming rate.

"My stepfather, who constantly mistreats my mother but never lays a hand on me. He immigrated to the U.S without a visa so it's hard for him to get a steady job so he moves around a lot. I don't know why but that...scoundrel had enough money to travel me here."

The nasty tone of disgust sent shivers down my spine.

"On the phone, he told me he was unemployed a few weeks ago... there is no way he traveled alone..."

He locks his eyes on mine.

"Unless helped by an outside source."

Unwavering, his eyes fixate at me, never blinking.

"Well, you must have a very generous social worker," Exactly why am I catering to his opinions again? Oh, because I must have had a connection to his father he suspects me to send his stepfather north. Makes sense.

"Oh Mr. Kim, I didn't know you liked to play dirty. If lying makes you happy then you do you."

This has gone astray from the purpose of our therapy session. I came here to do mediation practices and discussions but unfortunately, Mars is a tough cookie. He holds grudges and will passively-aggressively but relentlessly find an excuse to fire me.

"You may not like your new father as much but you might like your biological father."

He looks up again, eyebrow raised, making creases on the black star stamped on his eyelid,
"I only had one father. But carry on."

Alaska has really fluorescent lights, and at least the windows are kept clean so I can see the never-ending dirt road that seems to lead to nowhere.

"Your father...what should I say? He was an enigma, more so than some of the people I've met there."

"More so than Wooyoung?"

"If being sporadically ruthless is considered enigmatic then yes. However, he was more than that. I can't really describe it but-"