I'd always wanted a brother.  I was a single child, and no one really played with me because my parents were very strict.  They had to approve of whoever it was I was playing with, and most of the time, they said that whoever I brought home wasn't worthy enough to be on our property.  One day, I confronted my parents about my loneliness, and they promised me to get me a brother.  Three years later, still no signs of a baby.  But there was a kid, roughly the same age as me, coming up the small gravel path that led to my house - or more like mansion - from the road.

The boy had black hair that hung over his eyes, and his bangs were dyed red, but it was cut high enough for him to be able to see.  His large doe-like eyes that were slightly hidden behind thick framed glasses looked up in my direction and I swear that our eyes locked then, but he looked away like nothing happened and continued to stumble up the path.  I wondered what he was doing here, when I saw my father going out to greet him.  The kid seemed freaked and he froze, his eyes widening (if that was possible, thinking about how big they already were).

He looked like a total nerd, with those glasses and fidgety actions.  I huffed.  If I had to live with him, my social status would go down, not that I cared, really.  I didn't really understand why I was popular in the first place.  But that was beside the point.  I just really, really hated people who acted nervous around me, though.  It was really agitating to watch, and they took forever to get one word out.  So...it was annoying.

And, of course, that kid just had to be one of those people.

And, to make it worse, he was apparently going to be my brother.  Or so my mother said.

"Umma!" I whined, trying to break away from her death grip.  "I don't want to meet him."

"You must," she snapped, baring her teeth.  When she did that, she looked like a rabid animal.  And to play it safe, I sighed and followed after her to the living room, where the glasses kid just sat there, staring at nothing.  "Say hi," my mother hissed.

"Hi," I said bluntly.  He looked at me and stared, but didn't utter a word.  After a few moments of awkward silence, I said, "What, are you like, mute or something?"

"Byunghun!" my father yelled, and I saw the boy flinch.  I, on the other hand, didn't even budge as my father knocked me on the head.  Lightly though.  He hated hurting people; he had a hot temper, but apologized really quickly.  That's probably why my mom stayed with him.  "How rude of you to say that!?  Apologize!"

"I was just wondering," I grumbled as I rubbed my head.  "Sorry for being rude," I said in a flat tone.  

"Sorry, Chanhee.  He's like this a lot," Umma said, rolling her eyes.  The boy, named Chanhee, just nodded numbly.  I saw Umma smile.  Wow.  So, they get pissed when I don't vocally respond to them, but they don't get pissed when he doesn't.  All the more reasons to think he's mute.

Suddenly, my phone rang, breaking the awkward silence that had somehow made its way there.  "Hold on, I'll be right back," I said, and picked up, walking into the bathroom and locking the door.

"Hey, Niel," I said once I was seated comfortably on the sink.

"Hey, Byunghun hyung," he replied.  He never forgot his honorifics, although his tone could sound rude.

"What?" I asked irritably.  I really liked Niel; he was a good kid.  It was just that he took forever to get to the meat.

"I was wondering if you could come hang out?" he said, his tone hopeful.

"Ugh, I can't.  I now have a so-called brother, who I probably have to take care of since-" Suddenly, someone started banging on the door.  "My parents are lazy asses who won't do it themselves.  Gotta go now, or else my is going to be gone tomorrow.  See you in school."  With that, I hung up and hopped off the sink, unlocked the door and stepped past my father who just seemed surprised.  "What now?" I grunted, leaning against a wall.