When I was 6, the Wu family came to the orphanage with their only son, YiFan. I remembered how happy I am when I met him, when I met his parents. How happy I am when the strict old woman from the orphanage told me that Mr. & Mrs. Wu wants to adopt me.

I wondered back then why they're going to adopt an orphan when they have a super cool son. He's older than me by 3 years, YiFan was 9 then. He doesn't talk much, just trailing behind his parents with a very cool and composed look despite being a kid. He looked like a young master, the one I'm always seeing on the tv with all the guard whenever he's going out of the house.

When they told me I'm going to be adopted and Mr. & Mrs. Wu wants to talk to me, I did my best to show my best attitude. I even showed them a lot of aegyo so they'll think I'm cute. I was scared that once they saw how ugly of a child I am, they would change their mind and would leave me on the orphanage again.

I hate the orphanage. First of all, there's a lot of bullies. I'm very small back then and I'm always getting bullied by the taller ones. Second, they're not giving us enough food, we're kids, we're supposed to eat a lot so we'll grow faster and healthier but, no. In the morning all they're giving us is milk & a slice of bread and that's all until afternoon. Lunch is so little but no one has the courage to ask for more. Dinner is always a little rice with a bowl of vegetable soup, no less no more.

Now that I'm thinking about it, we can only eat a proper meal when we're going to have visitors. A couple that was looking for a child to adopt. That place is so lonely. Everything is dark at night. When it's 8, all lights are out and all the kids should go to bed, no exception. I wasn't able to look at the stars, I don't even know how they really look like in person. I'm always seeing them on television and magazines but that's all. I've never once see them personally when I was still staying at that prison hiding in the name of an orphanage.

The first time Mr. & Mrs. Wu talked to me, they showed how much they like me. Mrs. Wu hugged my small frame and kissed my tainted pink cheeks. Mr. Wu is smiling to me, a very warm smile. No wonder Mrs. Wu fell in love with him.

YiFan. I saw him once when they first came. The second time they came he's not with them and the day I was going to be adopted, he's with them again. He said hi to me in a very gentle way. He smiled, the first time I saw him smile, it was so bright, he looks so happy. His smile is the same as his father's, it was so warm and welcoming.

He helped me get my things while his parents are doing the negotiations on the orphanage's scary office. He asked me a lot of things and even told me he'll lend me a whole lot of his toys as long as I'll play it with him. A 9 years old boy, still playing toys. I am 6 and I'm already working on the orphanage. I'm used to wiping the windows, sweeping the yard, watering the flowers, and even washing my own clothes.

I felt super happy from the bottom of my heart when YiFan said I will never do any of those anymore after getting adopted. He promised me that I'll live a very happy and easy life. YiFan told me then that all I need to do is be good, follow every word Mr. & Mrs. Wu are going to tell me and play with him forever and always.

I asked him why his parents are adopting when they have him. He told me his mom cannot bear a child anymore but he wants a baby brother. That means I am adopted to become his baby brother. Literally speaking, he's my owner. I am his. 

~~~ 

"Tao~ you're dozing off again. Eat your food." Kris ordered.

"Kris gege~ don't you have school today? Go. I'll eat my food. Promise." he said in a weak voice. He was smiling at him but the older is not budging at his seat at all.

"I'm home tutored from now on. Mom hired a tutor for me." he said as he walk to the younger to spoon-fed him. "Eat." he ordered. Tao opened his mouth and chewed the food that Kris fed him. He swallowed it and looked at Kris again.

"Why are you home tutored? You should go to school." he said worriedly.

"I can't leave you alone Tao, you know that right? There's no way I'm going to school while you're all alone here." he fed the younger again who hesitantly opened his mouth to swallow the food.

"I'll be fine gege~. The nurse will be with me."

"I fired the nurse. You have no other choice so shut up and eat your food before I get angry." he warned him. "I'll stay here by your side until you're not sick anymore and that's final."

"But gege.. .I don't think I'll hea. . ."

"Tao!" he warned him again. "How many times do I have to tell you that I don't want to hear that from you? You'll heal! Stop talking now and just eat!" he scolded him.

Tao flinched at Kris' sudden raise of voice. It was ringing on his ears, it was hurting him from inside out. The older is always angry for the past few months. The older is strict because he loves him and he knows it. He knows it very much. He pouted and quietly took the spoon from Kris' hand and starts eating on his own while still pouting.

The older sighed as he watch him. He looks tired too and he knows that his older brother is not getting enough sleep too just like him. He doesn't like it, that Kris is staying at the same room as him but the older insist on it. He said if they don't agree to it then he'll kidnap Tao at night and he will lock the younger on his own room.

"Tao. I'm sorry that I raised my voice okay? I just really hate it when you're saying that." he said.

"It's okay gege. I'm sorry too." he smiled slightly to assure him.

The older smiled back and got near him. He opened his arms and welcomes the older who immediately gets the message. They hugged and they stayed like that for a minute until Tao starts coughing. Kris grabbed the tissue faster than lightning and passed it to Tao.

After a while the younger finally stopped coughing. Kris is at ease too and currently taking a rest on the couch near the big glass window of the room. He looks sleepy, he looks like he's ready to be in a deep sleep any moment. Well, actually, it's not that long until he really did fall asleep on the couch.

Tao watched the older drifts to sleep. He smiled, his older brother is so kind and handsome. Every girl would surely kill for him. Bad thing now that he's not going to attend school anymore, no one would be able to see how great of a person he is. Tao starts to reminisce again while watching his older brother.

~~~

The Wu's house is literally a mansion. So YiFan really is a young master~. Now I know why they adopted me. Their son is lonely. The house itself looks so big and lonely, I totally get why YiFan wants to have a baby brother.

YiFan toured me around and helped me put my things on my room. Oh yeah~ my room, it's bigger than the room on the orphanage where 10 kids are being squished. And!! There's a LOT of toys just like what YiFan said. Most of it are Panda stuff toys. I wonder if his favorite animal is a panda.

I remembered asking him that. He laughed at me until his stomach hurts. He said Panda is definitely not his favorite animal but it could be, sooner. He said he loves dragons but they don't exist anymore. I though, "duh~ of course they don't! They never existed!". I didn't say it out loud because I don't want to destroy his dreams. LET THE KID DREAM. I don't even know if he knows that, and he might hate me if I say it out loud.

"If you don't like Pandas? Then why is it all Pandas? I'm sure I didn't say to anyone it was my favorite too." I said to him while he's pulling me to the biggest bed I've ever seen on my entire life.

"Remember when I first saw you at the orphanage?" he asked and I nod. Oh Gosh! I can still remember how happy I am when my skin felt how soft the bed is. It was heaven and I never want to leave that soft bed ever again. EVER! I said that before so now I really am not leaving the bed. Be careful what you wish for right?

"I do remember." I answered shyly.

"I immediately thought of a panda when I saw you. You resembles them." he said while smiling. He looks super handsome when he's smiling like that, he should just always smile.

"Huh? Me? Panda? Why???" I asked innocently.

"I don't know. Maybe because of your eye bags? Why do you have them? Are you always sleeping late at the orphanage?" he asked.

"No. We sleep at 8 sharp. Lights off. We can't even see the stars because there's no window inside the room. You saw it right?" I said to him.

"Oh! Then mom and dad made the perfect decision to put you in this room right? See! There's a big window! You can always see the stars now!"

YiFan ge excitedly said to me as he points to the big window. He's right! It was so big and clear! I can see how blue the sky is through it. I felt so lucky and loved by God. I thought before that maybe that was a gift from God for all the hard work I did on the orphanage. I was so thankful and I promised that I'll be a good kid and I will never be bad to Mr. & Mrs. Wu and even to YiFan. I don't want them to return me to the orphanage. EVER!

"Thank You." I said out of nowhere. Well, I really am very thankful to him and I blurted it out then.

"For what?" he asked with a smile.

"For wanting a baby brother and for adopting me. I promise I'll be a very good baby brother to you. I'll do whatever you tell me. I PROMISE."

"Tao. It's okay. All you have to do is stay by my side. ALWAYS."

"ALWAYS??"

"ALWAYS AND FOREVER!!"

"ALWAYS & FOREVER???" I asked.

"ALWAYS AND FOREVER!!" he answered. We both laughed at how compatible we are.

~~~

"I guess Forever and Always doesn't exist huh~." Tao told himself then he yawned.

Before he knew it he was already drifting to sleep. He's in pain so he was glad that his body is telling him to sleep. Maybe he won't feel the pain anymore when he sleeps and maybe he'll fell better after he wake up later. He looked at Kris one last time before he finally closed his tired eyes. He dreamt about Kris. The same old dream he was always getting ever since he got sick.