Brother.

 

"Young master, it is time for your classes" 

 

The air is stiffling. Even if I don't do anything, everything progresses at once. It is useless to fight the predestined, a tomfoolery. Time won't wait and nor does the world. I closed the book softly. It was one of those lecturing books, a pointless book. I stood up, prim and proper, and faced the old butler that serves me. My father's eyes. 

 

"Let's go" It's useless to struggle. There's nothing that we can gain from it. I cast a look at the sceneries outside the window panes. Gardeners are at labor in the scorching heat and I am at the comfort of my manor. But, was I really in comfort?

 

"Is there anything wrong, young master?" I shook my head.Thoughts are not to be said aloud. Even so, one cannot stop thinking. I peeled my eyes from the sceneries and switched it to my path. The path set for me. 

 

"Minseok, dear, good morning" I curtsied politely. Automatically. Respect and manners are another part of rules and order. They are actions that the puppeteers expected for us to follow. And I am a puppet. 

 

"Good morning to you too, mother" Dressed lavishly from head to toe, the woman I call mother smiled. Satisfaction that her puppet is still working. She kissed my cheeks as a sign of affection. A pretension. I forced a smile to answer her affection. Another pretension. 

 

"Are you on your way to school dear?" I nodded as an answer, still smiling. The woman held my tie and fixed the assumingly crooked parts on it. "Be careful then, alright?" A warning. I sense the foreboding danger that shall await me this day. Her cunningness knows no bounds. 

 

"Of course, mother. Of course, I will" I answered with the same faux smile. A jest that irritates her. She replied same. Another bow to be taken before I excused my self. The old butler following behind me. Trust is something only fools can afford. It is not something cheap and easily attainable. In my case, it does not exist. 

 

Nothingness. The vast darkness that surrounds me assures me of neither safety nor danger, it assures me of insanity. I must be sleeping again, the faded noise of the engine must mean that I am on my way to school. A flicker of light appeared in front of me. A man stepped up from the shadows with his usual loopsided grin and messy hair.

"Brother" He nodded and lazily scratched his head before muttering his trademark greeting. "Sup!". I bowed politely like I was taught since young. The figure frowned, a usual reaction.

"You're really stiff, Minseokie" I scrunched at the his endearment and he found it appealing as he chuckled merrily like a child. He was always like this free-spirited and extremely out-of-this-world. A man that the world never can chain down. He was one of the fools that fought the predestined and failed. Futile. "It's not really like that Minseokie, it's not futile. Have a little faith" he smiled.

"Have faith" I repeated. 

 

"Young master, we have arrived" As I opened my eyes light attacked me mercilessly. I winced and let out a groan before fixing myself. Prim and proper. Neat and orderly. I stepped out of the car and was subjected to the scorching heat. "Good day, young master"

 

"Yes, good day too, Baehyun-ssi" School. The most boring place in the world. Especially this one. Childrens with assured futures flock together boasting about the wealth of their family, flaunting about their blessedness. Another mundane and rather illogical action that makes me wanna puke. My feet felt heavy like a lead but I dragged it to enter this infrastructure called school.

 

"Good morning, Minseok-ssi" The class president greeted. Like a leech ready to my blood off. Manners are a must. An absolute rule that means good upbringing.

 

"Good day, class president" I responded and entered the classroom ignoring the eyes plastered on me. All of them are as cunning as everyone in this world is. The sceneries outside the windows are much interesting than whatever talks they could offer. Yet, socialization is needed to prosper connections and tools in his armory. Words drilled into me by father. Chatters of useless things does not interest me and yet here he is faking a chuckle at the small chatters of the group of elite that forced themselves. The sound of the door opening signals the arrival of the teacher and my salvation from this hypocrisy. I shifted my gaze to the sceneries outside the windows barely listening to the discussions that are too elementary for my liking. Even teachers here are boring.

 

Libraries are my sanctuary. The rule of silence means freedom. Freedom of my thoughts to run amock without any interruption whatsoever. And so, I always find seclusion on the walls of this bibliosanctuary when time previlige me. But it seems like even here is being corrupted by boredom. The librarian, a poor little mouse trapped in the house full of cats, can do little to relieve the situation. In this world, those with power and gold are always right. 

 

"This is the library. Please do bear in my mind" I closed my book unable to digest this foolish behaviour. My sanctuary are mine alone, it need not be corrupted because of boring reasons. "Jongdae-ssi, please perform your duties well"

 

"Y-y-yes. P-p-please exercise silence inside the library" The man stuttered. Not a surprise though and the retaliation that came was, of course, as to be expected. Irritation. Violence. Superiority. These are the symptoms of foolish people who tried to fight the predestined desperately. My brother was a legend because of those symptoms at these very school. The bad weeds. I stood up and taking my book to the librarian who lay on the floor knocked out. 

 

"Jongdae-ssi, I will borrow this book" The librarian scampered towards my aid and produced the neccessary cards to be filled up. Wu Yifan, heir of a massive chinese trading company, glared at me vehemently. 

 

"So, the legendary Kim Ryuwoon's brother is this sissy, huh?" Annoyance was subjected at me. Soon is violence. But that was something that I can easily waltzed out. A simpleton's action is always readable and indeed with my silence to his taunts came his forceful grab of my collar and his angry glare. Wu Yifan towers me and tries to intimidate me with the difference between our structures. While he is a definition of tall, I am the definition of short. The man who has my collars on his hands is the school's king. The bully. The most powerful person that bothers to exercise his rights. In other words, there are many that even this man cannot dare lay a finger but finds opposing him a very menial job. And regardless of reasons, they let this big fish eat the weak ones inside this ocean we call heirarchy. 

 

"I suggest that you immediately withdraw your hands, Yifan-ssi. I don't like having my uniform messed up" I sighed. But, there are times where the predator must be subjected to the fear of being preyed upon. It is not of my interest to take part of this heirarchy game but one's superiority must be exercised from time to time. A king must always pretend to care about his people especially the excellent ones. "I need not repeat, right? Take. Your. Hands. Off" And as expected, the chinese took his hands off me. Even if, by theory alone, possess the physical strength to defeat me, he wouldn't. His kingdom would topple the moment he lands his first hit. 

 

"Tsk" He clicked his tongue and eyed the wide-eyed librarian who was trembling because of the tension. He glared. "You, be prepared" He warned. How immature. Those who pretend strong are always taking out on the weak. 

 

"Ah, I forgot." Wu Yifan and his gang halts at their tracks. If you exercise your power make sure it is for a better reason and not for foolish reasons. Another wise word my father drilled. "I would prefer if you stay quiet on the library. And, take it easy. Jongdae is a very excellent librarian and it would be very saddening if suddenly hurt himself, right? Dont you think so too, Yifan-ssi?" I smiled. Mockery and intimidation. A combination that works very well. A combination that can only be used by those born on the top. A weapon I really loathe.

 

"You basta--" A hand stopped his words and a shook his saviours head as if reminding him who he was dealing with. Zhang Yixing, only son of the chinese pharmaceuticals head, is the only wise person in the group and is one of those persons who lets the big fish swim the way they want. I am deeply intrigued why he took Yifan's side. He bowed politely and I acknowledged it with the same bow. A settlement of a silent negotiation. The librarian sighed and immediately thanked me but I shrugged it off. Another boring day. 

 

 

"Look, look, it's Yifan and his gang again. They are ganging up against someone again." Bees are busy collecting honeys. These people are as busy collecting gossip. 

 

"I thought they are bullying that scholarship student" says the other. 

 

"We have a scholarship student?"

 

"Haven't you heard?"

 

"Really? People like that really exist in this school? You know how hard the exam for scholarship is."

 

"Apparently he passed. He's the school librarian."

 

"Apparently? Dude it's for sure. No one would sponsor him in this school if he didn't pass. So? Why did they shift their attention to the transferee?"

 

"That's what I don't get"

 

"Must be hard for the transfer student, huh?" How pointless. They take the pity stance but look at those exhilarated faces as if watching a well-made movie. Hypocrisy is at its finest inside this school. Images must be maintained and thoughts must be controlled. Else, they are branded by names and are attacked by criticism. I glanced at the scene where their eyes are fixed and grinned. Someone is going to fall in his throne and the school will be in a wildfire. At least something develops. 

 

"Hey, hey!" Someone finally noticed. But too late. All too late. I hummed humorly intrigued by the sudden change that this school shall be subjected into. I wonder until when will the dominoes topple. 

 

"What?" 

 

"Isn't that Kim Jongin's butler?" Correction. Precious butler. Adoration. And only love. I chuckled softly amused by the ignorance of these people. Do Kyungsoo is not someone one should mess with. Especially not for a heirarchy game like this. There are many special characters in games that are weak-appearing but is truly frightening and one of them is this petite genius named Do Kyungsoo. 

 

"Oy! Somebody inform the teachers!" Anxiety and fear only arise when you realized your mistake. In this kind of game if you unluckily chose the wrong box to mess with you end up falling. I closed the book I was reading again, not without placing the bookmark on its place, and started to head towards the infirmary. Connections with close allies must be maintained. Besides, he can't let something as interesting as this pass by without having ticket to the V.I.P seats. What happens when people of the same power clashes?

 

 

Lee Taemin, Choi Minho, Oh Sehun, and Kim Jongin. It seems that words travel fast. Very fast. I immediately took a step away from the injured butler for his master to gain access. As expected, Kim Jongin did not find the event well appreciated. Rather, his expression screams the beginning of turmoil. And so does his allies. 

 

"Kyung, are you fine? Are you alright? Who did this?" Do Kyungsoo sighed knowing well what his situation means. It means war. The whole school would be in turmoil and things should get interesting and not mundane for a while. Masks are stripped off and betrayals are to be expected. But for me, it means a lot of time to spend inside the library and solitariness. The butler refused to answer. "Who. did. this?" The nurse trembled. Even the authorities here are prey to the heirarcy system inside the school afterall they are what we, the elites, call commoners. 

 

"Jong--"Kyungsoo tried to calm his master down but aggravates his wounds in the process. Jongin carressed his butler's face like a lover would. Softly and tenderly. The bubbles inside my pacified and still heart slowly moved. Brother. Affection at its purest form. 

 

"Minseok-hyung, you're the school's neutral king. The king that stands still and never moves even though you have the ability to silence both camps at once. If you still lay true to your principle and remains neutral, I believe you know what must be done" Jongin breathed darkly. Like a venom was making his blood boil and let rage activates the switches that must never be . 

 

"Of course. I will be an expectator of this war. Nothing more, nothing else. Therefore, do as you please" I smiled. My ticket to peacefulness has been brought. Taemin and Minho sighed and smirked. Like predators ready to hunt their preys. Sehun remained emotion void but the mere fact that his game console is absent in his hands means that he is also a participant of the team. Jongin stoop up despite Kyungsoo clinging on his sleeves and shaking his head. He gave up though after a look on his master's eyes. All hell breaks loose. 

 

 

"Madamme, the young master had not touched the lunch once again" 

 

"That infuriating brat. Put some on his dinner. Make sure he won't find out" I sighed. They are repeating the same conversation every time, haven' they grow tired of it yet? Hypocrisy. Idiocrasy. Insanity. Order. Rules. This world is such a boring place. But looking at the moon makes you think the world is beautiful. Then what makes it dull?

 

Humans.

 

"Good evening, Minseok-hyungnim" Joonmyeon. My brother. Step-brother. Son of that woman. One of the wise creatures left in this world. A poor child caught in the whims of his useless mother. 

 

"Good evening, Joonmyeon" I need not make connections with unnecessary and dangerous factors. But, Joonmyeon is someone who surpassed the level of a simple danger. He's a full-pledged enemy in my dictionary. If humans is to be compared with robots then Joonmyeon and I are of the same model types. Manufactured with the aesthetic of one man's perfection and are equipped with the proper machineries that makes it superior against other. The real bookcase elites. Puppets that are manufactured to flaunt honorable esteem and are tools for boasting. Even as brothers, we are not entirely chummy. We know better than letting our guards down. I smiled before I excused myself. The air is really stiffling. 

 

 

Brother.

 

My brother's room remain untouched. Things are left the way they are. A picture frame on his bedstand. Of father, mother, and him. I lay down on his bed closing my eyes in exhaustion. I am his replacement, a tool that lost its purpose, and not, supposedly, the heir of this family. 

 

Minseok, my jade. 

 

Now that I think about it sincerely, my brother acts more of a goofy father than a real big brother. His loopsided grin that appears immediately as he sense my presence and the way he squabbles as he talks with me is the very definition of an idiot father. 

 

Minseok, my beautiful jade.

 

I opened my eyes and trailed over his room. It's been a few weeks since I last entered even though it's located just across my room. This place is a secret hideout. It's a forbidden place to anybody but me and I won't let anyone defy that. A book on his bedstand caught my attention. 

 

Would you like me to read you a story? 

 

It's a bedtime story. A children's book. One that he repeats over and over again. I skimmed throught it and found a card. An invitation card. I examined it carefully. And produced a grin as I read it's contents. 

 

 

You're invited.
To make your wish come true. 

 

 

If you have a wish what would it be? What a pointless question. My answer has been set from the start. I grinned and placed the card on my pocket. I guess I have to buy a new virbio. Let's see, what more can this world offer.