Effect: The Next Generation [✔️]

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Hours Later

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"Hey kiddo. Can I come in?"

Dad suddenly knocked on my room's door.

Currently, I was sitting on my bed and playing with Xuefen while he's in his cat form. He's usually the most clingy and playful when he's like this.

We share this room together, so we'll get plenty of chances to bond more on this journey.

"Yeah! Come on in!"

Dad came in and sat on the edge of my bed.

"Xinrei told me about how you saved me. I'm very grateful and very proud of you Jeongho. I couldn't have asked for a better son"

He smiled at me.

Hearing him say that made my eyes well up with tears, and made my skin go pale. I put Xuefen down, and he looked up at me with confusion and concern.

"Hey. Are you feeling alright bud???"

He came closer, and gently moved my hair out of my face.

I couldn't help but let my tears fall from my eyes as I silently began to cry. Dad only sighed once he noticed this.

"So something did happen... You wouldn't be acting like this if nothing happened... Jeongho, please tell me what's wrong..."

Dad pleaded, with a worried look on his face.

I calmed myself down a bit and wiped away my tears before I began explaining.

"I'm really sorry..., for everything... I haven't been a good son to you... I keep pushing you away, when the truth is I wanna be just like you..."

"Jeongho... I don't care about that. You're still my son, and I'll love you no matter what. Even though I wanted to spend more time with you, I decided to let you be. I knew that if I tried to force my affections onto you too much, that would only make things worse. I much rather this happen, then for you to have ended up completely hating me"

He reassured me, gently petting my head.

I'm grateful and happy that he still loves me, but I held my head down, remembering what happened not too long ago.

"Ok... I can tell that something else is bothering you. Jeongho, did I do something while I was being controlled that upset you?"

He asked, gently raising my head up.

"It wasn't anything that you did, but what you said..."

"I see... Do you mind telling me what I said?"

"...Well, there are a number of things that I remember. You turned me down every time I called you dad. You said that I can't save anyone, that I'll never become a hero, and that I'll never be your hero. And you told me to stop calling you dad. But it really hurt when you said that if I didn't treat or acknowledge you as my father before, then why should you treat and acknowledge me as your son. I know that you didn't mean it and that you didn't know what you were saying, but it still hurt..."

"Oh Jeongho... I'm so so sorry... I wish that I could've stopped myself from saying that to you..."

"It's fine.. I just really wanted to save you. Not to prove myself, but so you wouldn't suffer anymore. I didn't care about being anyone's hero. I just wanted to save you.."

I wiped my eyes again to keep my tears from falling.

"Jeongho, you don't have to hide your tears. I know that you want to be tough, but showing a little weakness once in while is one of the strongest things that you can do. Holding it in will only make things worse. And besides, you're still only fourteen. You don't have to act tough all the time"

Dad gently moved my hands away from my eyes, and I immediately hugged him, to which he quickly returned.

I didn't notice it the first two times I hugged him before, but I feel so safe in his arms. It's just like when I was a kid when I would hug him. I feel just as safe and secure...

"Hey dad...?"

"Yeah kiddo?"

"I love you..."

Dad was silent for a few seconds, but then he held me closer.

"I love you too...~"

He sounded very happy, and when we broke the hug, he was smiling.

"Do you and Xuefen wanna get some ramen with me before you go to sleep~?"

He excitedly asked, smiling brightly.

"Sounds good~"

"Noodles~~!"

Xuefen cheered, suddenly shifting back to normal.

"I'll lead you two to the kitchen then~"

Xuefen sat himself on my shoulders, and we got up and excitedly left the room.

We made sure to be quiet, as to not wake anyone on our journey. Once we reached the kitchen, Xuefen and I sat down while dad made the ramen.

"Hey Jeongho"

"Yeah dad?"

I gave him my undivided attention, being greeted with his warm smile once again.

"Just so you know, you are my hero~"

After he said that, I couldn't hide the smile that quickly arose on my face.

Xuefen noticed this too, and started smiling too, added on to his cute giggling.

"...I appreciate that~"