Life in the Kim household was hard. It was strict, unforgiving and cold.

Being the younger one of the two sons was even harder because being ‘smart’ was already checked, being ‘the top of the class’ was already checked, being ‘good in sports’ was already checked and just being ‘perfect’ was already checked.

His short life, now that he was 10 was spent in trying to outdo his older brother and it was excruciating because his brother was no less than ‘perfect’. But there was nothing else other than that because he was taught nothing else but to be perfect.

He wouldn’t know whether he hated it or liked it. He did not know.

But he knew that it wasn’t quite normal because boys his age did not stay shut inside the whole day studying about philosophy or advance math or taking up swimming classes, dance classes, lessons on history and music.

The only time he thought he liked his private classes was art but only when Ari had barged in to join him. She was a horrible artist but nevertheless drew anything that came to his line of sight and she was funny. Whenever the teacher, strict and uptight like all others turned around or takes bathroom breaks she would say something or show him her drawings and make him laugh. He thought that felt good.

As for his family, it was his mom and ‘them’. They were strangers who meet on dinner tables once in a while and have a very tense meal. His mom, he thinks is perfect. S