First Arc: Fraternity or...Sorority?

Act I: The Lee Family

Scene One

Lay hopped off the taxi cab and waved the bills into the driver’s hand with a gentle smile on his face. He watched the cab speed off downhill before taking in his new surroundings. For a moment, he doubted whether the driver drove him to the right address; however, after seeing the unbelievably huge iron gates which spanned the entire hilltop like the Great Wall of China, the Lee Family crest carved in gold metal right at the center between the bars, Lay had to convince himself that he was indeed at the right place.

Two hours ago, Lay had touched down on Korean territory and was annoyed at the fact that he had no one to fetch him at all. Lay made a total fool of himself by even attempting to speak in his broken Korean, which resulted to ridiculous jumbling of random Korean words when he inquired about directions. He had flown all the way from New York only to find himself lost in a sea of people who spoke a completely different language, without a map and a guide, and a laughing stock amongst these creatures who understood little English. Wasn’t his own mother supposed to welcome him at least?

But, Lay brushed the thought away as he remembered that his mother was already on her honeymoon with her new husband, Lee Sooman. Their love affair had started off as a simple encounter when Prince Charming became the princess’s knight in shining armor, except that his mother played the role of Cinderella. What the actual story was, Lay did not want to remember. Love was a far-fetched topic for him because it was something he never really understood.

Right now Lay was being thankful and was beginning to be filled with excitement coupled with anxiety.

He had lived half of his life in what has been dubbed as “The City That Never Sleeps” and knew the hundreds of bustles and hassles the forever crowded, industrial New York City had to offer. To the people who lived there, time ticked fast. They made the best out of every second and were too liberated enough to do what they wanted to do. They did not follow strict customs and traditions; they simply followed the common norms. They were free.

Finding himself standing somewhere on top of the hill and overlooking the great panoramic view of Seoul, Lay savoured the breath of fresh air. He was born in Changsha, China, and he had missed so much of the East that when he thought of being left in New York, he feared he would forget about his cultural identity. Though this was not China, at least he was this close to home; but, the closest thing to his home will be nothing other than his own mother’s home-cooked spicy lobsters.

All the while, Lay was also anticipating the kind of life he would have. Deep inside he knew he did not make the wrong choice, though he was really hesitant at first. A CEO for a stepfather? Eleven other siblings? A luxurious life? He could only use one word to describe everything. Wow.

Just as Lay was trying to find a way to enter the property—actually, he was searching for a doorbell and some CTV hidden somewhere; well, CTVs had to be there…just some where—a limousine was fast approaching the gates, making him side step to pave way for the grandiose car. It stopped in front of him as the gates opened automatically. Lay raised an eyebrow. How high-tech can things be in this house?, he thought.

Lay peered through and was more than glad to see that the windows were rolled down. He bent down a little to get a better view of the passenger sitting comfortably at the back seat. To Lay’s surprise, the boy was wearing fancy shades, their frames made up of sparkling objects—wait, are they actually diamonds?—which glinted against the rays of the early afternoon sun. Lay felt himself sweating as he fumbled for the right words to say.

“Um…Kamsarang?” Lay’s eyes twitched as he finished his sentence. The word was so foreign to him that a nagging feeling was tugging at his chest, telling him that what he said was entirely wrong. Desperate, Lay repetitively pointed towards the road ahead and then back to himself. He dreaded that he must be looking like a lunatic right then and there.

The boy removed his fancy shades and folded them against the collar of his tank top which was made of sequins the color of teal. To Lay, the boy looked all glittery—a beautiful contrast against his tanned skin and jet black hair and dark eyes.

The boy snarled and in a tone that hinted impatience, he asked the driver, “Did you hear anything, Hongki?”

Unquestionably, Lay could not understand the younger boy’s Korean but the Chinese was not stupid enough. He had been analysing the boy’s manner of speaking and his movements—the way his eyes rolled, the way he tapped his fingers impatiently against his kneecap, the way his lips curled into an unmistakable snarl which later turned into a growl.

Rude.

Lay opened his mouth to say something but even before the words rolled out of his tongue, the car sped off past the iron gates, which automatically closed. Lay broke into a run and followed the car, dragging his trolley behind him and waving his free arm wildly in the air in an aimless hope that the driver would see him through the side mirrors and stop the car to give him a hitch. As expected, the limousine never stopped and continued to speed through the road, becoming smaller and smaller the farther it travelled.

No one was going to help him. He had come to Korea to be alone. To try to fit himself into a place that would never fit with him. Try to be someone others would be pleased. Lay trembled at those thoughts. He didn't sign up for this kind of life. He wanted a more normal life, away from the buzzing people and away from the fast tracks. Then, maybe none of his step-brothers was interested in seeing him. Maybe he was going to suffer and get bullied all the time. Maybe... Lay's mind was full of maybe's, making him sigh heavily as his feet treaded to a halt. Just where in this hill is Lee Sooman’s house?

It was already noon and it was scorching hot. Lay could feel the painful heat of his impending sunburn and his body being bathed in hot sweat. If he were to walk under the trees at the side of the pavement, he was just as sure he would lose his way. He only had the main road to guide him and he prayed to the gods he would reach his destination soon.

[A/N]: Hello~ As what you have seen above, this storyline is going to be composed of ARCS (yes, I intend to make this one a series), which would be divided into ACTS and then into SCENES. Each chapter, therefore, is going to be just a brief one (I'm limiting the word count between 800 and 1000). Be warned that the story would focus more on bromance/friendship/family/bond instead of . Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter even though it has been really descriptive. I know~ Descriptive scenes are usually boring, but I think a descriptive scene is the more appropriate approach in this one. Well, actually I think that it really depends on how an author starts his/her story and how it goes on and on. So, enough of my blah blahs~ Kkkk~ Thank you! And, see you in the next chapter! :)))