As the car turns around a familiar bend, Arek takes a quick glance out of the window and vaguely recognizes the entrance to the community. He's been taking the occasional peek out the window and now he's slowly used to the vaguely familiar scenery. It really is home...Arek reaches out, his hand hitting the window glass. Further, just a bit further and I can touch the gate to the community where I spent the first seventeen years of my life...The gate hasn't changed one bit, Arek notices, scrutinizing it. But I...He glances down at his pearly while hands and freezes. His hands are covered in blood, it's drip, drip, dripping down endlessly thoroughly obscuring the pearly whiteness to the point where there's only blood, so thick it can never ever be washed off-
Screech. The car makes a sudden halt and Arek pitches forward, his face nearly making intimate contact with the dashboard as his mind jerks out of the illusion. Arek looks down at his hands. They're clean but it's as if he can still see the blood staining them...that'll never be washed off. "Ha!" He lets out a sharp laugh then glances up, seeing Sayan roughly getting out of the car. Looking out to the side, Arek notices a group of people standing in front of the community.
Are they blocking us? Arek watches as Sayan walks up to the group. As soon as they spot him, they start saying something, making hand gestures. Sayan says something in response that causes the people to gesture increasingly wildly. With a click, Arek slips out of the car and jogs over to the group.
"Hello!" Both Sayan and the group turn towards Arek and he finally gets a clear look at the group of people. They consists of four people: a middle aged couple and their son and daughter by their appearance. The couple and their son look just like a picture perfect family from a cover ad, with perfectly styled auburn hair and emerald eyes, however their beauty is more artificial, their outfits heavily made up and accessorized like a too bright knockoff rather than a naturally shining gem. Meanwhile, the daughter stands to the side, her gray hoodie and green hair contrasting sharply with the rest of her family. She stands off to the side, slightly separated from the rest, her face obscured by her hood.
Upon seeing Arek with his curls almost reaching his waist, clad in his dark robe, the couple furrows their brows, the son lifts his face in distain, and the girl's expression remains obscured under her hoodie.
"And who are you?" The middle aged man sniffs.
"Me?" Arek points to Sayan. "I'm this guy's brother." At this, all four of the family members whip their heads towards Arek.
"...Arek?" The middle aged man asks, his tone disbelieving.
Arek blinks. "Yeah."
"You...wow, you're back already? Going abroad for a few months, you've really...grown." The man says, his expression clearly displaying the opposite. Arek blinks again. Abroad? Oh was that the excuse brother arranged for me? Still...
"Who are you?" The man chokes. Looking at Arek's perfectly innocent expression he attempts a smile. "What is this? You've only gone abroad for a few months and you've forgotten your uncle?" Ohhh, no wonder he has that familiar hair and eyes. It's my uncle...wow, I have like no impression of him. I think he brought me toys before? But...
"What are you doing here outside our community uncle?"
"Oh, ha ha, well I'm here to talk to your brother.
"About what?"
"Er well..." Looking down at the "naïve" young man, a devious glint suddenly appears in Arek's uncle's eye. "Well you see we were just asking your brother to allow us to help him out a bit...you know, with company matters and the such..."
"Why?"
"Ah?"
"Why should he? Brother is doing a fantastic job with the company." Hearing this, Sayan, who'd been silent all this while, abruptly turns to look at Arek.
"Ahaha, well I know you care for your brother but you've been out of town for a bit and you wouldn't know-"
"I know brother and I know the company. It can't do without him."
Arek's uncle grits his teeth, barely holding back the words "what would a naïve little boy like you know." Finally, he forces another smile.
"Well, he should at least allow us to help him out a bit..."
"Why? He doesn't need any."
"See here, it's not easy for one person to manage alone."
"Brother's doing fine though."
"A bastard from who knows where should just keep his claws away from our company!" Ahh...there it is. Looking at his fuming uncle who was finally pushed to the point of revealing his true thoughts, Arek's mind travels to another similar memory. (Note: Memories are in first person).
"Why would you leave the company to some unknown bastard?"
"Don't say that, he's Selena's child."
"But not yours."
I wasn't sure about the word "bastard" but this sentence is clear enough. I nearly choke, my ten year old hands covering my lips to keep myself from making a peep. I came here to ask my dad for permission about the school trip but I didn't expect to hear such a big secret instead. Brother isn't dad's child? My mind goes to that familiar dark skinned, dark haired boy. Sure, he looks nothing like us with our pale skin, auburn hair, and hazel eyes but I though that was just because of his mom. I never got to meet her but dad always talks about her.
Apparently, she was a really talented woman but life just didn't go her way. He says that Brother is a lot like her, intelligent and driven. Brother is smart, he helps me with my homework all the time so it's not weird that he's already helping dad with the company even though he's only fourteen. I quickly press my ear to the door realizing that the two men are still speaking.
"Are you seriously going to let that basta-"
"I'll let Sean escort you out. Sean!"
"Yes Sir."
"Hey! You can't do this-hey!" A second later the door opens and I press my tiny body to the side, hoping they don't see me. Sean pushes the guy out, I think he's my uncle, then he turns to go back into the room. For a second, I think his eyes pass over me and I freeze. But he goes back in and I'm not sure if he actually saw me.
"Sean." I hear dad's voice calling out as Sean steps back into the room. "Do you think I'm doing the right thing?"
"In what way Sir?"
"Giving that boy the company."
"It's your decision Sir."
"That's right I decided this. I decided to groom that boy to be my heir, if he's anything like Selena he'll definitely be capable enough."
"And the second young master?"
"Arek?"
"Are you going to groom him as well?"
"Why should I? Let him be a child, Sayan should be more than capable enough to take care of the company himself."
I jerk back from the door, my mind spinning. I remember Darius from class talking about how his dad is already teaching him how to take care of his family's company. I'm not completely sure what a company is but I remember it's big and important. But dad is giving that to Brother Sayan...does that mean I'm less important than Brother?
Arek jerks out of the memory in time to hear his uncle continuing to curse Sayan. "Didn't you know? That boy is a bastard, he isn't even your father's son-" Bam.
The middle aged man jerks back as Arek's fist makes intimate contact with his jaw. Instantly, there's a moment of silence as everyone stares at Arek, stunned. Then the middle aged woman shrieks, the boy jumps up to fight Arek, and the girl simply backs away. Arek grabs the boy's fist as it comes for him, twisting his hand behind his back, causing the young man to shriek. The uncle watches Arek in horror, pointing a shaking figure at him while his other hand clutches his mouth rapidly filling with blood.
"You-you monster..."
Arek raises a brow, opening his mouth to provoke him, only to feel a large, warm, calloused hand cover his mouth and drag him away. He's about to struggle when he smells a familiar men's perfume. Instantly, he stops and follows the person obediently. Sayan leads Arek back into his car and the two drive into the community. They both remain silent, Arek gazing out of the window and Sayan gazing forward, until Sayan finally opens his mouth.
"Why..."
"What?"
"Why did you punch him?"
"Because he's a piece of trash." Sayan doesn't respond, perhaps stunned by his answer. Finally, he speaks again.
"You knew that I'm not your father's son."
"Yeah." More silence.
Then Sayan clears his throat. "Thanks."
"Hmm?" Arek finally turns his face from the window upon hearing that unfamiliar word coming from his brother's lips. Instantly, he spots Sayan's red ears. Arek quickly turns his head back to the window, hiding a smile.
the bros honestly so cutee