2107, United States.

The beating of the rain against the windows drummed its heavy beats into his ears as he sat by the kitchen counter, not bothered to move his plate to the giant dining table which could seat more than ten people at once.

He sat alone at the kitchen counter, the cool marbled surface numbing the senses in his arms as he quietly picked at his dinner prepared by a personal chef his father personally picked and hired – steamed salmon fillet with sautéed mushrooms and peas with a hint of pepper – clean food, healthy but as bland and unappetising as all his previous dinners ever since he moved to the United States.

He spent his nights like this by himself in a mansion too big for him alone, too big even with his dozens of other hired staff which maintain the space and leave the moment their jobs are done, never even sparring a glance or muttering a word to him as they carried on with their chores.

He felt ignored as the workers enter wearing masks, shielding half their faces – a rule set by his father – to prevent any unwanted exchange of bacteria happening between them and the fragile immune system he possessed, further harming or slowing down his healing process.

He definitely was better, the cancer cells subsiding day by day and his body generally stronger according to his doctor, but his father never wanted to risk it, never fully trusted the drug that the doctors inserted into his bloodstream which was claimed to be able to slow down the production of cancer cells in Hakyeon’s body alongside shots of white blood cells to aid the process.

But the drug was still in its developing stages and was never clinically tested on humans or approved before they inserted it in him. But it was working. He was a guinea pig, an illegal one as they plunged needle after needle of the foreign substance into him while his father silently watched at the side lines. But it was working.

“It’s our only chance to help you my son.” His father spoke as he placed a steady hand on Hakyeon’s shoulder, the words ‘my son’ rolled off his tongue with ease now compared to the past where his father probably never even acknowledged his existence.

And Hakyeon chose to believe his words, clinging onto this fantasy that his father actually cared for him.

He would gladly be their guinea pig until every cancer cell in his body was deemed disposed of because he didn’t want to die yet, not when he was living in this fantasy world where his father gave a damn about his wellbeing.

His father who was the main reason he was living in this foreign country, the reason he was still walking on his own two feet instead of lying on his deathbed in his home country, Korea, as the cancer cells ate away his life, the reason he was stuck in the mansion like a confined princess. But he was getting better. He was going to live. At least that was what he told himself every night before he closed his eyes so he wouldn’t fear of the horrors he might wake up to if it was all just a dream.

It was real. All of it was real. He was going to live. If not for his father then for himself.

*****

A week later

He was back home from his weekly vaccination, stepping out of his personal driver’s car, thanking the older man in English before heading towards the front door of his house. His right hand was placed over the left one which was bandaged neatly after the shots which made it hard for him to get his keys out of his pockets since the nurse warned him not to stop applying pressure onto his hand until the numbness in his arm faded.

After several attempts of struggling and a lot of shimmying he finally managed to get them out and unlocked the door. With a relieved sigh he stepped inside, tossing his shoes to the corner of the door and walked sluggishly to the kitchen for a glass of water. He didn’t bother calling out to see if the maids were still at home because normally they weren’t so he continued his way, his silent footsteps loud in the empty house.

When he filled his cup with cool water, he strolled to the living room, wanting to pass out on the fluffy couch as soon as possible, feeling the medicine that was pumped into his bloodstream taking its effects on him. Entering the living room he stopped in his tracks, startled to see two male figures sitting rather comfortably on the couch.

His heart leaped out of his chest as he saw his father taking a sip from his cup of hot liquid, his expression shocked by the unannounced visit from his father and changed to confusion as he turned his vision towards a young boy no older than fifteen sitting quietly beside his father. His father cleared his throat as he noticed Hakyeon standing at the doorway.

“You’re home boy- “his father began, straightening his suit jacket he continued, “Come here boy, we have things to talk about. Regarding your brother.” Mr Cha pointed towards the little boy and Hakyeon could swear his heart stopped for a moment.

He stared at the little boy seated beside his father as he tried to digest the information that was being shoved in his face about how he was related to this boy by blo