Chapter 14 - Are You Crazy

Samuel blinked his eyes as if surprised, then hesitantly opened his mouth.

“Gabriel…”

“Yeah.”

Eventually, he looked at me and said,

“Brother, you were upset last time because you got a math problem wrong.”

“…Huh? Math?”

“So I brought your textbook. In case you wanted to study while resting.”

“Ah, no. How did you know that?”

I almost screamed but held it back.

I had been silently wailing alone in my room, embarrassed that I’d gotten a middle school level problem wrong, so how did he see that?

“I saw through the crack in the door. You are kicking off your blanket.”

“……”

Shame washed over me.

“Sa-Samuel. I’m really grateful that you thought that far ahead for me. But still.”

First, gratitude was gratitude, and scolding had to happen when necessary.

“Don’t go around alone without telling me. What would you do if you ran into a weird person like this time?”

“I didn’t know that person was a bad person. But he had your medicine bottle… I’m sorry, brother.”

“It’s not your fault. Haah.”

My feelings became complicated.

Samuel may seem blunt, but he’s a thoughtful child who takes care of various things for me.

When I received a message from Jayden earlier that Samuel had come all the way to school, my heart nearly jumped out of my chest, and when I saw him get beaten by Henry and rolling on the ground, I thought my breath would stop.

Fortunately, Samuel wasn’t badly hurt, my chastity was safe, and now that Henry was being forcibly transferred, the incident had come to a close.

So now I should feel at ease… but something bothered me.

It felt even more unsettling because I didn’t know the reason.

‘Y-yes, your younger brother threatened me so terrifyingly that I did it without realizing it!’

Most of Henry’s excuses were nonsense and lies.

But those eyes bothered me.

‘With his eyes wide open and blue, he suddenly grabbed my arm and threatened me, it was so scary…!’

His trembling pupils were at a level where even a third party could tell just by looking how frightened he was.

At the time, I simply thought he was shocked about being called in for the school violence committee matter…

Suddenly, Jayden’s voice came to mind.

Back in elementary school, Jayden, who was eating pork cutlet, once said this to me:

‘He’s kind of scary.’

‘Who?’

‘Your younger brother.’

Jayden, who had encountered Samuel a few times, continued with a dark expression.

‘He acted all friendly with me earlier, but then completely ignored Yollanda?’

‘What? He did?’

‘You should have seen the look in your younger brother’s eyes when he glared at Yollanda. I almost pissed myself from fear. Did the two of them fight or something?’

‘…No, it was their first meeting.’

At those words, I felt uneasy.

After I collapsed from Yollanda’s pheromones and was hospitalized, Yollanda considerately avoided me diligently. But he ignored not only me at school but also messages I sent on my phone, and in our game chatroom, he’d run away as soon as I logged on, which secretly hurt my feelings.

But if this wasn’t simply running away because he felt sorry toward me, and perhaps there was another reason…

I immediately shook my head vigorously to stop the thought.

‘Don’t slander Samuel. The kid could have forgotten to greet him. This isn’t the military, are you trying to discipline my younger brother?’

‘Ugh. You disgusting younger brother otaku bastard.’

After that, Jayden didn’t talk about Samuel anymore. Neither did I.

I had resolved not to doubt Samuel, a promise I’d kept since I first saw that snow-white baby nine years ago.

…But then why am I remembering a conversation from so long ago now?

[The reason I’m ruined like this… it’s all because of you, Gabriel!]

A certain shadow I’d forgotten suddenly reared its head.

“…Brother.”

That shadow wrapped in sticky darkness…

“Brother. Are you okay?”

At that moment, the shadow retreated at the warm heat I felt on my lips.

“Your lips are pale.”

Small, white fingers pressed down firmly on my lower lip.

“Are you cold?”

“……”

“Do you have a cold?”

Samuel, who had been staring at my face intently, grabbed my hand and pulled me.

“If you’re cold, let’s sleep together.”

Before I knew it, I was lying down side by side next to Samuel.

As I met the blue eyes looking at me while lying on his side, I felt déjà vu.

‘If you’re sick, sleep with me.’

When I was suffering from a foul smell due to sudden changes in my constitution…

Six-year-old Samuel was looking at me with warm eyes that didn’t match his expressionless face.

Just like right now.

“Isn’t it warm?”

I moved my lips and asked Samuel.

“…Samuel.”

“Yeah.”

“You’re my younger brother, right?”

“Yeah.”

Even at the sudden question, Samuel nodded without hesitation.

“I’m Gabriel’s younger brother, Samuel.”

Then Samuel said to me,

“Brother, you can’t get sick.”

“…You too, Samuel.”

“I hate it when brother is sick.”

“I also hate it when my younger brother is sick.”

At the conversation repeating like a loop, laughter eventually leaked out.

Samuel also lifted the corners of his mouth and giggled.

“What are we doing?”

“Right?”

At that small and innocent laughter, it felt like my vision cleared up.

The surroundings brightened, and Samuel’s white and soft face came into view.

‘Right. What am I doing doubting him now? Such a cute and gentle kid.’

“Thanks for bringing the textbook, Samuel.”

“Yeah. Study hard so you get 100 points on math this time.”

“You’re not teasing me, are you?”

“I’m serious though. Thinking of brother struggling alone in your room feeling embarrassed…”

“You are teasing me. Want to get scolded by brother?”

“No.”

Like that, Samuel dove under the blanket to hide, and I rolled up the blanket like a mat and hugged it.

While I was playing and wrestling with Samuel like that for a while, the hospital room door swung wide open.

“Dad’s here! What are you two doing?”

My adoptive father, carrying a huge sushi set, blinked his eyes and looked at the two of us.

“Don’t tell me… you were having fun without Dad?”

“Ah. I was just talking with Samuel.”

“Now that the kids have grown, they’re leaving Dad out… I should tell Yasmin everything.”

By the time we finished pacifying our adoptive father who was about to dial an emergency line to our adoptive mother, it had already become late at night.

In the end, that day, three men ended up staying in the hospital room side by side.

* * *

In darkness where not a single ray of light entered.

[One.]

The boy moved his lips and muttered in a hoarse voice.

[One. One. One….]

He had already forgotten how far he’d counted.

So he decided to just count one.

While he was repeating “one” for who knows how many times,

The narrow door opened and light poured down.

[Good job.]

The boy was pulled out from the narrow shelf.

His legs, which were beyond numb and had no sensation, couldn’t even stand properly, so he ended up falling.

The tall boy who had pulled him out said with a proud smile,

[You were hiding well in hide-and-seek just like I told you?]

[Mom and Dad…?]

When the small boy voiced the question he’d been holding onto, the big boy nodded.

[Yeah. They made a huge fuss since you disappeared for two days.]

[Then…]

[They were both so happy.]

The big boy said while holding back laughter, as if something was so amusing.

[They said they felt so relieved that the troublemaker had disappeared?]

[……]

[Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. But they were just so delighted.]

After that, led by the big boy, they went somewhere together.

There, the small boy was slapped hard on the cheek by his mother.

He was severely scolded not to ever do such a thing again, not to cause any more worry.

And then she turned her back and left the house.

[I guess parents don’t necessarily love their children.]

The big boy said while cupping the small boy’s cheek.

[Instead, brother will cherish and love you.]

[……]

[I’m your only real family.]

The large palm pressed hard on his stinging cheek.

[You understand, right, William?]

The boy couldn’t answer.

Was it because his cheek hurt, or was it because he wanted to deny it?

He couldn’t know that much.

“……”

Samuel opened his eyes.

In the dark hospital room,

Beside his biological father who had fallen asleep, Gabriel lay with his eyes closed.

Black hair disheveled messily in his school uniform shirt.

Seeing his defenseless expression, Samuel was lost in thought for a long time.

He reached out his hand and covered Gabriel’s right cheek.

Eventually, he applied force and pressed down on the cheek.

Just like what the small boy in the dream had experienced.

“I understand, brother…”

The answer that no one heard scattered and disappeared into the void.

***

After the Henry incident, Abraham Lincoln Middle School was turned upside down.

It was shocking that a male student thought to be a quiet omega had committed attempted rape, but an even bigger and more overwhelming scandal had broken out.

“Gabriel, I knew it.”

“Are you crazy?”

It was because of me.

“I knew he was born with a silver spoon… but I never imagined it was a super-alloy platinum spoon.”

“BK Group. This is insane…”