Air Hero

Opening up

“Alright, if that’s all, then I will be heading back now. After all, your report about a device that could create an alternate space is very crucial for our fights against the evil mastermind in the future. I’ll be leaving then. I hope that I can see you at school again too.”

“I will go to school as soon as I get discharged. Take care, teacher.”

Kalina then calls someone on the phone and explained about the device. After that, she goes back to the place where Max is being held. At this time, Max is still sleeping, and Kalina just watched his sleeping face.

“Tell me, boy, are you really someone unpredictable? As a psychologist, I shouldn’t put myself in my patient’s place, but I just can’t do it after reading so many things about you. I want to empathize with you so much. After all, I lost people that are precious to me, and I know how hard it is.”

After that, Kalina ordered people to move Max into sitting on a chair for a more comfortable position. Once again, the lights are on and centered on Max as he wakes up due to it.

“Alright, let’s start by introducing ourselves. My name is Kalina Maxwell. You can just call me Kalina without needing to address me as miss, teacher, or doctor, and as I’ve told you before, I’m a teacher and a psychiatrist at sector 53 United Heroes school. Can you tell me more about yourself? Name? Age?”

“Max, 15 years old.”

“I know that you have a superpower. Why are you hiding it? are you a criminal that used their power without a license?”

“No, I’m not a criminal. It’s just…”

Max seemed unable to continue with his explanation. What if his answer will be considered as an unlawful act and a rebellion towards the United Heroes?

“It’s alright. You can tell me everything. After all, I am here as a psychiatrist. I will keep what you tell me inside this room confidential.”

“Is that true?”

Deep inside Max's heart, he also wants someone that he could pour his emotion too. It’s just that he doesn’t have that kind of figure. He can’t open up to the people in the orphanage, and he barely knows anyone else. All the coped-up feelings he has inside his heart, is it alright to tell it to this person he just meets?

“Are you someone that I can trust?”

Max asked as if he is begging. After all, he is also desperate, holding his stress all to himself. Adding the recent nightmare that his brain subconsciously blocked out of killing someone, Max is already at the edge of being broken to pieces.

Max, pure but deep eyes, are now staring at Kalina. She wanted to blurt out yes immediately due to her job, but it will seem fake since if she admits that she is someone that he can trust, and she betrays that, Max will be broken entirely without any hope of recovering.

“Max, I am now acting as personnel that is sent directly by the United Heroes association. However, if you like, I can become your personal psychiatrist for free. You should know that a psychiatrist is a professional job to handle mental distress, and I believe you could use my help. I won’t tell the people at the association about the things you told me inside here if it wasn’t related to the incident. What do you say?”

Max lost deep in thoughts. At this point, he feels exhausted, like he just wants to forget all of his problems and live like a normal boy his age, but he couldn’t. He looked at Kalina which seemed like a friendly big sister that you could find next door. Maybe, he will give the last chance to stay alive. Max looked at Kalina and nodded his head.

“Alright, I… will try to trust you.”

“Great, let’s start again?”

“Okay.”

“So, tell me, why are you hiding your power? Don’t you know that if it is confirmed that you have a superpower, you will be able to be admitted into the United Heroes school, and you can even live in the dorm prepared by the association? Your life will be better than the one in the orphanage. Well, I didn’t mean to say that life in the orphanage is bad. It’s just living in the United Heroes school dorm is way better.”

“I understand what you’re trying to say, Kalina. However, how can I go to the United Heroes school and enjoyed my life? After all, the price that I have to pay for this power is the death of my parents.”

“What do you mean? I read that your parents died in the bombing incident.”

After that, Max explained what happened that day. How he got mad at his parents and lashed out at them.

“Even if you say that it wasn’t my fault, my wish to get my ability appraised causes them to accompany me to the United Heroes headquarter. How… how can I live my life and feigned that their death has nothing to do with me? I am the one that caused their death. How can I even hoped to get into a hero school?”

“I see you’re blaming yourself for it, Max. What I am about to say might seem too cliché, but I hope that you won’t blame yourself. I think your parents must be glad that you survived the incident. Your parents must want you to walk the path of becoming a hero too. Since they accompanied you to the headquarters to get your superpower appraised, I believe that they are supporting your dream of becoming a hero, right?”

Tears slowly come out of Max’s eye. If his parents are still alive, they will be really happy for Max and support him fully with his dream of becoming a hero. Just like Yuna that is being supported by her parents despite the passing of Yuna’s brother, Yoon.

“What I want to say, if your parents are still alive, they must want you to become a hero too. Rather than living like this, blaming yourself. Living your life fully is the best way you can do to repay your parent’s sacrifice.”

Max never really think of it that way. He keeps on blaming himself for what happened, to the point that he wants to suicide. He never looks at it from the perspective that Kalina just told him. If his parents are still alive, they will surely be very happy for Max and support him to become a hero.