Touch

On a sweltering summer day, sitting in a cool, air-conditioned room enjoying hotpot is undoubtedly one of life’s greatest pleasures. For two Awakened like Jiang Yunshu and Samuel, this was no exception.

At the table, Yunshu tossed various ingredients into the bubbling broth, chatting away. “I’ve heard people say the food here is great. I’ve been back a few times since my first visit, and it really is quite good.”

“And it’s a great deal, too. They recently launched this ‘Couple’s Set’—it’s affordable and the portions are huge. Very practical.”

In the middle of her chatter, Yunshu noticed Samuel sitting across from her, motionless. He hadn’t removed his gloves, let alone his mask; he showed no intention of eating whatsoever.

Yunshu scooped several slices of cooked mutton onto the plate in front of him. “What are you dazed for? It’s all cooked. Hurry up and eat.”

“You eat first,” Samuel said. “Once you are finished, I will eat.”

“But why?” Yunshu asked. “Is it the heat? Hotpot has to be eaten fresh to be good. It won’t taste right once it cools down.”

“No. It is simply because it is… inconvenient for me to remove my mask.”

Perhaps not wanting Yunshu to misunderstand, Samuel elaborated: “The reason I do not wish to remove it is that my body is covered in scars. They are frightening, even loathsome. I worry that once you see my true appearance, you will be too disgusted to eat.”

“Is it really that dramatic? You sound pretty young. How could you have that many scars?”

“I truly do. They are everywhere. Please, believe me.”

Yunshu had been skeptical, but hearing the absolute sincerity in Samuel’s voice, she found herself starting to believe him.

Then again, as a magical girl, Yunshu had plenty of confidence in her own stomach for the macabre. In the past six months, she had seen all manner of bizarre and grotesque monsters. How could a few scars possibly scare her?

“Is that all?” she said confidently. “Then don’t you worry. I’m very brave. Just scars won’t scare me at all. Go ahead, take the mask off.”

“Yunshu, are you certain?” Samuel asked. “There were others before who insisted I remove the mask, just as you are doing. Without exception, they were horrified once they saw my true face.”

“That’s because the people you met before weren’t me,” Yunshu countered. “Forget scars—even if you were missing limbs, I’d accept it.” She grinned proudly. “I’m not an ordinary person, you know. Scars can’t scare me.”

“Very well. Since you have said so, I shall comply.”

“That’s the spirit! I’m actually very—”

Yunshu swallowed the rest of her sentence. Samuel had removed his mask, sunglasses, scarf, and top hat, revealing his face completely to her.

Samuel had a head of neat, short yellow hair. Looking only at the left side of his face, he was undoubtedly a handsome young man. However, that handsomeness ended at the midline. From the corner of his right eye down to his jaw, several deep, heavy burn scars raked across his cheek.

These massive burns occupied the entire right side of his face; blackened, charred skin tangled with raw red flesh, creating a sight that was both haunting and gruesome. As the scars trailed down his neck, they grew larger, aggressively claiming more space on both sides of his body.

After a brief moment of shock, Yunshu asked with genuine concern, “What happened to you? Were you badly injured in the past?”

Her reaction was not what Samuel had anticipated. In his mind, he expected her to be panic-stricken, not looking at him with such worry.

“Are you not afraid of me? This is what I look like.”

“I’m not afraid. Maybe the old me would have been. But lately, I’ve seen situations similar to yours.” Yunshu recalled her battle with Liang Meijiu, who had ended up with half her body nearly charred to a crisp. “It’s a bit startling at first, sure, but after looking for a while, it’s just a face. Nothing to be scared of.”

“Anyway, you haven’t answered my question. How did you end up like this?”

Samuel fell silent for a moment. “When I was a child, I once lost control of myself. I was severely injured, and in the end… I became this.”

“Oh… sorry for bringing up a sad memory.” Yunshu asked again, “Have you tried getting treatment?”

“I have. My parents took me to many famous medical institutions, but we always returned disappointed. We even sought out Awakened with healing abilities, but they were powerless against my condition.”

In many human nations, one could find medical facilities run by Awakened healers. With enough money, securing their services was usually easy.

“I see… oh! Wait! I recently met a particularly powerful healing-type Awakened. Maybe she can help?”

Samuel declined her kindness. “Thank you, but I have already tried something similar. Long ago, my parents took me to see the world’s top healers. They, too, could do nothing for my wounds.”

“Even they couldn’t help?”

“My situation is quite specific. They could only heal me for a lifetime.”

“I see.”

Yunshu stood up and sat down beside Samuel. “Do you feel pain from such serious injuries?”

“Not much. According to the doctors, the nerves in the epidermis were destroyed along with the skin. I don’t have much sensation there.”

“Is that so…” Yunshu fidgeted slightly, then asked, “Can I… touch them?”

Samuel went quiet. Since he had become this way, this was the first time anyone other than a doctor had said such a thing to him.

After a long pause, he replied, “You may, if you do not find it distasteful.”

“Okay.”

Receiving his permission, Yunshu slowly placed her hand against the scars on Samuel’s face, tracing them carefully. The uneven, slightly damp texture felt strange to her, but not unpleasant. She traced from the corner of his eye down to his neck, moving slowly and with great care.

Only when her fingers reached the edge of his clothes did Yunshu realize she might have been a bit too bold. She pulled her hand back quickly, apologizing profusely. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry! That was a bit over the line.”

“It is fine. I do not feel that what you did was over the line at all, so you need not apologize. Furthermore… the sensation of your touch was very novel.”

Among all the women Samuel had met, Yunshu seemed to be the only one who, upon seeing his face, didn’t show disgust but instead drew closer to touch him. He remembered clearly those women who claimed they didn’t care about looks, only to display unmistakable loathing and contempt once they saw what was hidden behind the mask.

Aside from his parents, everyone he knew tried to minimize physical contact with him after seeing his hideous form. Yet, this girl named Jiang Yunshu seemed utterly unfazed. Her eyes held no revulsion—only curiosity.

To her, Samuel wasn’t some scarred, disgusting monster; he was simply an ordinary person who looked a bit different.

Though Samuel didn’t have much physical sensation, a strange, cooling warmth seemed to emanate from where Yunshu’s hand had been, reaching all the way to his heart.

Under the influence of this peculiar feeling, Samuel found himself speaking almost impulsively: “May I… take off my gloves as well?”

The moment he said it, he felt a pang of regret. How could he be so thoughtless? The scars on his hands were far more horrifying than those on his face. It was already a miracle that Yunshu didn’t mind his face; how could he ask for more?

“Sure!”

To his surprise, Yunshu agreed readily. “You don’t even have to ask. Of course you can.”

“But the scars on my hands are even more terrifying.”

“So? You’ve been wearing such thick clothes in this heat for so long. It’s only normal to want to take them off and cool down.”

“But…”

Samuel tried to protest, but Yunshu cut him off. “No ‘buts.’ There’s no one else here. Just do what makes you comfortable.”

“But—”

“Gosh, you’re so hesitant! Here, let me help.” Without waiting for his reaction, Yunshu reached over and pulled his gloves off.

Just as Samuel had warned, the scars on his hands were even more gruesome, twisted, and shocking. But to Yunshu, it was nothing. After touching his face, her tolerance had clearly peaked. She showed no fear at all; instead, she treated him like any other friend, pushing a pair of chopsticks into his hand.

“There! Isn’t this way more convenient? It’s a pain to use chopsticks with gloves on. It’s not like you’re a—”

Samuel didn’t know how to react for a long time. Eventually, he gripped the chopsticks tightly and said, “Alright. And… thank you.”

“Stop thanking me and just eat! It’s getting cold. We still have plenty of places to go after lunch!”