-7:30 am that very day before Jin got hit by a truck-

When Jin left the house, the woman was furious. “He thinks he is that his family suffered the most in the depression” Her eyes flared. It was because he said these exact words that made her angry. She and her family was also affected by the depression. She too fought for food.

But what he said wasn’t wrong. Seeing it through his point of view, one can only work hard to obtain a future. Time is money. To cut every second down and spend each and every moment working hard to just have a comfortable living at the time, it was already hard enough.

For someone like her, she grew up knowing god. Believing in god, saying grace, and worshiping him was how she was raised. She was taught that god created the world. She was taught to thank god for the food he allowed them to eat every day. She was even taught that god protected her. For religious people, god was their sky, their sun, their moon, and all that is good in this world.

But for someone like Jin, he wasn’t taught that god existed. He did not know any other god. His mother and father gave him life. They brought him food every day to eat. His father and mother protected him and nurtured him to become who he is now. They were his skies, his sun, and his moon and all the good that existed in this world. Thus, if there were such a thing as god, for Jin, his mother and father were his gods. Blasphemy as it may be, but it is more of a blasphemy for Jin to believe in anyone else or believe in someone more than his parents.

The more she thinks about it, the more the saw how wrong she was. But she shook her head in disbelief. She started to eat at a faster pace. She drank the milk in one gulp and tore up the chicken like there was no tomorrow.

”*Humph* Never mind that. What about the food?” she said in a low voice. “Who worked so to raise the chickens? Farmers of course. Who delivers the milk? People of course. Who made the dishes? Jin of….. course...” The more she say it, the more she realize what he meant.

Where did the food come from? From Jin’s hard work. Who delivered the milk? Obviously it was Jin who brought all the food home. Who made the dishes? Of course she couldn’t. When she was alone, the food she made never tasted this good. All this happened, all this was possible because he worked hard and those before him worked just as hard. If it was god that allows humans to eat, it was humans who worked to their bones in order to eat. Just because god said, “I’ll allow you to eat” doesn’t mean the same thing as, “I’ll prepare the food for you to eat”. Food requires effort to be able to be eaten. It takes effort for food to be edible and delicious. But being thankful to be allowed to eat is just as important to her.

When she stared down at the food, she felt really guilty. The man came stark naked just to find clothes, found out that his family moved away, had no help anywhere near him, took her frustration when she had a bad day and yet he was still able to make food for her. Food’s taste are usually affected by the cook’s mood. Yet they all taste delicious today.

She looks all over the room. The room itself was kept clean, he never made any messes, stocked up on a bunch of food, and he cleaned up after her when she was drunk. He even cleaned her clothes for her as well.

But then she thought about the poisonous soup. “Was it really poisonous? Maybe the soup was just bad. But then he said that everyone else but him died. So why was he still alive?” she muttered.

She didn’t want to think about things anymore. So she finished her food, cleaned up and went to the living room to watch some TV. When she turn the TV on, it had the most recent news.

“Reporting in! Here we found two gay men having *** in the middle of an alley way. They were found in possession of crack, cocaine, angel dust and many more drugs. That explained why they were so high. They are also perfectly positioned in a ** position and seemed to pass out due to over *******.

A woman who was in the alley way reported to the police that they originally intended to rape her! They chased her down until a savior came out of nowhere and beat them down in order to save her. ‘He then took off his track suit top to cover her and called the fire department. The police came afterwards’ she said.

But what really happened here? Are the men gay and convicted of using a multitude of drugs and then just ****ed each other until they passed out? Or are they really rapist that used the drugs and wanted to rape this poor woman?” the new woman said on TV.

When the woman heard this, she cracked up. Be convicted of using drugs and labeled as gay drug addicts or partner in crimes convicted of a rape? Which was worse? Either way, they were going to jail. But when she looked over to Jin’s track suit, it only had the pants. “Nah. Can’t be. I’ve seen him all my life. He never fought once in his entire life” she laughed.

When nine o clock came around, she immediately got dressed and went to work.

In her work office, many people were chattering about. She went over to her cubicle and sat in her chair. He name plate, Meracle, stared right at her once she sat and looked down. Over hearing the others at the work place, she could tell that it was about the morning news. The news was so hilarious that everyone couldn’t stop to think of the possibilities. Gay convicts? Rapists+partners in crimes? A savior in the darkness? This was all too exciting for them.

Meracle couldn’t help but to smile at the news as well. But her work came first. She worked for the very first four hours of her job and took her break. During her break, she looks up Jin and his past.

When she looked up his name, she was surprised. He wasn’t wrong about the poisonous soup. The article states, “Boy miraculously survives food poisoning” but never states how.

“*psst*” a voice behind her called.

She turns around to see who it was. The person was Dennis, a co-worker that sits right next to her during work.

“Yes?” she was slightly nervous.

“Looking up the miracle boy?” Dennis ask her.

“Miracle boy?” she was surprised that Jin was called the miracle boy.

“Yeh. He was called the miracle boy when he survived the incident fourteen years ago.” Dennis said proudly.

“Oh you mean the poisonous soup thing?” Meracle was interested.

“Yeh! See, the article states the boy survived. But not one person knows how” Dennis spoke excitedly

“But if not one person knows, then how did they know he survived?” Meracle asks Dennis.

“Simple. The one who ran the shelter confessed that he poisoned the soup because there were too many people and wanted to lessen the food share amongst the hungry. But the boy survived. So fearing that he would get sent to jail for a long time, he confessed” Dennis said. “Actually, I know who this kid is” Dennis said while looking down at the floor.

“Oh? Who is it?” Meracle was now enticed.

“You really wanna know?” Dennis smirked

“Yeah! I want to know this miracle boy!” she exclaims in low volume.

“His name is Jin. The same Jin that died a few months back but we never knew why he died.” Dennis said in a sad voice.

“Eh? Is that so? Then it must’ve been a miracle that he lived so long” Meracle said with wide eyes.

"Did you know meracle?"

"Eh?" she didn't know what to say.

"Jin was born in a homeless shelter" Dennis said sadly.

"Wait. Did you just say that he was born in a homeless shelter?" Now this shocked her even more.

"Mmmh He was born during the depression. During those years, I saw him being born and saw how he grew up. He was a boy that was born in the shelter eighteen years ago. I was one of the people who saw him being born in that shelter. But I never took interest in him.” Dennis confesses.

Jin was born in a homeless shelter? Meracle was still surprised.

“But did you know his name is Jin? The same Jin that died a few months back? He was also born premature as well”

"B-but then, that would mean" she now knows. Despite his malnutrition from birth, he still looks healthy.

"Yeh. But the thing was that he was born malnutrition-ed. His family did whatever it took to feed him. Even fighting at the homeless shelter. His parents even fought off the hungry people. Not to mention the rapist amongst them." Dennis said in admiration.

"I-I never knew that..." she was shocked.

"Of course you wouldn't. I didn't know it was him either until he was four years old" he said casually

"Wait, four?" her eyes widen once more.

(The conversation from here on out continues in a pattern from Dennis to Meracle.)

___________________________________________________________________

"Mmhmm. When he was four, he ate the soup that killed those who drank it. However, he survived. Want me to tell you how?"

"No... I mean, yes...."

"Before he had the chance to drink the soup, he offered it to his mother and father. He kept on insisting for them to drink it all but they only drank half. He drank the other half. Thus they were weakened and nearly died because of the soup."

"What?"

"Yep. The day after, they were weakened, people thought they died. But all of Jin's family survived. Everyone else was enraged. 'How could god be so unfair to us while giving them a chance to live?' and so everyone else took out their anger on them. They continuously beat them to a near death state for a week straight"

"My god... That's inhuman"

".... I was… one of them..." the man bitterly said.

"You too!?"

"I lost my mother and brother! I did what he did as well. But they both died! So what else is there to say? We had to vent it somewhere. So we chose them"

"B-but..."

"... Jin who was only four, had to be sheltered. His parents took the beatings for him. On the eighth day, everyone decided. We decided to kill them" Dennis continued. His eyes sharpened as he said it. It showed a sorrowful hate. Not hating another person, but hating one-self.

"Wait! You too!?"

"...."

"...." Meracle was speechless. She never heard this from Jin at all.

"But things went wrong. On the day we executed the plan, his family didn't die. We stabbed them continuously but they didn't die. They had the stubbornness of a cockroach. But then... it happened."

"What happened?"

"I don't know much myself. I was knocked out in a flash. But all I saw was a little kid standing atop a mountain of corpses when I woke up.

"He killed people? How is it that they let such a little monster alive?"

"Heh, if you called him a monster, that would be a joke. If he was a monster then it would make us look like cute rabbits. No he is more like a natural born demon. It was because of us that he became like that. He killed because he and his family was about to be killed. Is it so wrong to kill if you were about to be killed?"

"... I... don't know..."

"Meracle, I know that you are a religious person because I often over hear you talk with your family. I know that they encourage you to believe in God everyday. But It takes more than just to believe in god and praying to him to save your family if not your own life. Jin chose to take action when it was necessary, just like his father but in a more gruesome and dark way. Instead of acting like a shield, he turned into a demonic weapon. Jin killed people with whatever he had at lightning speed. Be it hands, feet, mouth, blood, or spit. He truly fought like a demon. He bit the neck and ripped out the arteries, he furiously clawed away their flesh until you could see the white calcium, and broke bones. I didn't know where he pulled such strength from. It was like he was possessed by an unholy being. His eyes were deep red with rage and you can even see the air becoming thick with malice. He pulled his family members one by one to a safe corner and stood there like a demonic sentry protecting them within a ten feet radius. But even after all that, he wasn't given a break. He had to fight the securities and they were worse. But he still killed them mercilessly. He moved faster than anything I’d ever seen."

"Then how did he become so docile?"

"I don't know. After the gruesome event, the police arrested them and we never saw them again."

"Wait, if it was so gruesome, how were u able to stay alive?"

"... He spared me. No, not only me, most of us in the shelter were spared or those who were alive at least. The only condition he gave was that we were to keep our mouths shut and we agreed. We weren't going to keep our word to a child. But then that also happened. A mysterious man came in and gave us clothes and food on the condition to keep our mouths shut. At first we didn't agreed with the condition but then the man's right hand flickered Thus we had no choice but to accept our spared lives."

"Then let me ask you, when Jin and his family came into the shelter, how many people were there in his entire family?"

"Eh? Why?"

"Just answer the question. Please. Along with their ages."

".... The depression hit twenty five years ago... so I guess his mother and father looked thirty due to stress or something and she looked two months pregnant.... His brother was seven and His sister was five so about four? Five if you include the fact that she was already pregnant"

"TWO!? They already had two children? Then that means that his family... already had his brother and sister to raise..."

"Hmm yeah. They had it hard because they were also newly-weds on the very first day the depression came. How I know this? My father and mother also talked to them and tried to keep their spirits up. I listened closely to their conversation and a bond kinda form between my family and his family. I was only four at the time when they came in the shelter."

"I see..."

"I also looked up Jin in order to apologize for my mistakes. But after… many long years i gave up. I unknowingly met him during my middle school years when I was twelve but then he disappeared half the school year. It was funny because I flunked three years straight during my middle school years and only by chance did i meet him. Then during my high school years i met him again but i forgot what I wanted to say to him. Only when he died did I remember him. I still couldn’t say sorry to him.” Dennis grimly smiled.

“…..” Meracle couldn’t say anymore. Jin really lived his life in one of the harshest conditions. She firmly believed that everyone suffered their own sad past but now she realize how bad his past was. It was also because she watched Jin during his middle school years. When he was on his own, he took beatings like a punching bag like no one else can. When it came to innocent people or his friends, he would come in and act as their shield whenever it was possible to ease their pain. But when it came to his family, he pulls out the unknown strength to protect whatever was close to him. Thus Jin wasn’t wrong when he said that he wasn’t religious, it was because he was more of a realist than most people. But it didn't affect his view of the world or his "innocent" jolly personality when she was with him.

_________________________________________________________________

“I have to go now. See you Meracle” Dennis said as he extends his hands.

Meracle stood up to shake his hand. When Meracle shook his hand, she realize that it was abnormally cold.

Dennis and Meracle parted ways in opposite directions. Once he was a fair distance away he said, "I know you were watching me old man. Did I do a good job?" in a quiet voice. Shortly, an old man appeared in a cloak of satin white.

“You’ve done well Dennis. Did you say all that you needed to say?” an aged voice asks him. It wasn’t the angel of death, but the aged voice from Jin’s dream.

“Ah yeah. Thank you for exchanging my life for his. He himself … he… is just too nice. In truth, I should’ve died a long time ago. But I was saved by him. Not only he saved my life during my early years, he saved me later on in my teens. He also saved my sister a few years back. I had six good years to live as well because he saved me. But I did not achieve much nor did I do much for myself. I chose to spend the remaining of my years with my loved ones helping out my sister in order for her to have a brighter future. Compared to him, I have not done as much as he did.” Dennis said with a sad content voice.

“Don’t look so down Dennis. Not only did you courageously exchanged your life for his, you've also chose to take the harder path. It takes more courage to live out your remaining years in 'peace' knowing when you will die and using your remaining life to help others before you die than to live a short and exciting life not knowing when you will die and living only for yourself. Each person has their own paths and each paths has its own meaning.

Never forget Dennis, Jin also chose to live just like you. He unknowingly spent his remaining years next to his loved ones and became their hope, shield and sky. He gave them a way to live and gave them hope. It is just that his path had to intertwine with being the paragon of light.” The old voice said. "As a reward, I'll tell you one more thing. Your sister Gisela with the neon green hair, Jin saved her recently. She came home from work like everyday but had an unlucky run in with a pair of rapists but Jin came right on time with his shoes and beat them. So now she is guaranteed a good future! HA HA!" The old man laughed.

"Ha! Sounds just like Jin. Never become a hero in the daylight, only a shield at most. But once night time hit, he might just be your knight in shining armor." Dennis laugh. "Did he throw the shoe?" he asks the old man.

The old man smiled. "Yeah. Although he didn't receive the heaven's blessings yet, he still was able 'subdue' them quite nicely. Shame that the heaven's decree hadn't taken effect yet. Or else his good karma would go up a notch"

"Eh? The angel of death didn't deliver the decree yet nor gave the heaven's blessings? What is the angel of death doing? Don't the angel of death know that if the decree is not in effect, then it is useless for the angel of death even if Jin becomes a saint?" Dennis was shocked. So Jin was still strong even if he did not receive the blessings from the heavens yet nor from the decree. All he had for him was coming back to life!

"Meh, the angel of death will figure it out sooner or later. Maybe it was because that I sent the angel of death a good distance away" the old man said with a sinister smile.

"Ha ha... You sure are scary old man. Oh well then. I'm really jealous of his good luck despite not having heaven's blessings nor does he have heaven's decree in effect" Dennis was now sure that Jin has more luck than the devil himself.

"He he... He would've came back anyhow even if you didn't exchange your life" the old man said to Dennis.

"W-wait! I just gave up my life for no reason then!? I want my life back!" Dennis was slightly furious. Had he known, he would've never exchange his life.

"NOPE. Your fault! Ha ha! But in all seriousness, you gave your life and did a really good deed. Thus you are promoted to saint because of your good deed. Trust me, Jin is not an ordinary person and should you do a good favor to him, you will be repaid back many more times. Now in your next life, you could become a rich person, die and become a caretaker of the heavens." The old man laughed.

Dennis sighed in resignation. The old man quickly taps his shoulder signaling him that it was time to go.

Dennis turns towards Meracle's direction facing her back. He smiled sadly and said, “Tell Jin thank you for saving my life as well Meracle. Take good care of him” and then vanishes along with the old man. His voice echoes in the room towards her.

Meracle turns around thinking that she just heard Dennis sad voice. But then she saw no one. “Strange” she mutters.

Meracle won’t know this until later on but Dennis was “fired” on the same day. Dennis left quietly so that no one will be bothered by his existence. He only told Meracle these things about Jin because he knew that she knew little about Jin.