Chapter 62
Brother and sister
Kai opens the room door slightly, makes sure his sister and Rose are asleep, then closes it, exhales, walks to the balcony, turns his back to the city, and knocks on his temple three times. The sensor chip embedded in his head activates the silent magnetic wave. Three seconds later, a hoarse voice sounds in his ears:
"Tsk, it's already twelve o'clock at night. You have been breathing the air of the Prehistoric Kingdom until now... let me see... how many hours... One... Two... Three... Four... Oh... it has taken a total of fourteen hours... phew... to you and me... those fourteen hours have felt like fourteen years... could it be that after protecting your sister, you have been busy buying replacements for the broken props, and then you have cared about old father, my son!"
Kai hurriedly explains, but still looks at his sister's room:
- Sorry, I have been busy with personal matters and the reunion dinner!
Kai hears his father chuckle:
"Wow, so tempting. It sounds so heartwarming, but you shouldn't forget your duties and responsibilities just because you're happy about the reunion, son!"
Whenever his father's voice returns to normal, the invisible pressure from the no longer low and opaque tone immediately suppresses Kai. Now he is alone, so Kai shows all his emotions. He frowns, afraid of losing his father's heart, psychologically bearing fear, but he dares not "show attitude".
As usual, Kai reaches out to find any object as a fulcrum. In order to calm his mind, he grips the balcony railing, closes his eyes, and waits for the wavering to settle. He says to his father:
- I will learn from experience, Father!
There is a soft moan from the other end of the line. Kai doesn't care that his father plays exciting games every time he answers the phone. He ignores the rustling sound and the mouth blockage with saliva. The son only needs to pay attention to what his father says:
"Be gentle, don't compete as if you want to devour. We still have a whole night to 'talk'. Heh heh. Tsk, I say you're intoxicated with fun and forget your responsibilities, but I break the default rule, so the whole village ties for the score, son!"
Kai smiles and thanks his father. His father nods and praises his good son:
"It's getting late. I'm doing 'exercises' to relax my tendons and muscles before going to bed. Goodnight to you!"
Kai doesn't rush to turn off his phone yet. He is sure his father has one more thing to say:
"Ah, I almost forget. You are going to give the director and the film crew a satisfactory explanation. You must handle everything properly. The director had high blood pressure and almost had a myocardial infarction, son. Let's do this, son!"
Kai says goodbye to his father and taps his temple lightly to turn off the chip. He lowers his head, exhales deeply, and looks toward his sister's room.
From the beginning to the end of the conversation, his eyes have not moved away from this place that has needed careful observation for even half a second.
Kai is walking lazily to the chair, lying on the sofa, putting his hands behind his head, thinking about everything, and calculating the problems to be solved tomorrow.
***
December 4
In the early morning, the city is still as bleak as a blind man groping in the dark. Crows and owls explore the dormitory, laughing at the vultures gathering around. They occupy the campus but are not satisfied yet, so the vultures scramble to climb the walls and fences.
Wherever eyes can be raised to catch the bait, there are always groups of dark figures — some standing, some sitting, some standing on tiptoe. The buffalo herd, slowed and forced to drink the turbid water, immediately becomes angry, trampling the earth and tormenting the pavement.
Vehicles are blocked on the road, honking all at once, creating a deafening cacophony. The drivers dump piles of stinking stuff on the vultures' heads, and the vultures dump gynecological filth on the faces of those who refused to learn in their childhood... just like themselves. The insomniacs get angry and dig up the ancestral graves of eighteen generations of a group of animals barking in human language:
- You mommy slut, get out of here for daddy!
- Who's still chattering? Daddy will let the dog bite your mom slut and daddy's guy great-grandfather to death!
The fierce dogs and people bark loudly, causing the curses to be silenced. The vultures avoid the road, and the cars all drive away. The herd gathers again, this time together, talking quietly like a family. The prey they want to hunt throws off the blankets, sits up, stretches their shoulders, and gently pats their head to wake up completely.
Glancing at the clock on his wrist, it reads 5:50. He hurries to brush his teeth and wash his face, paying attention to every second and every minute.
Then he goes to his sister's room, waiting for the hour hand to point to 6 and the minute hand to move to 1, and then knocks on the door.
Hanna laughs, because her brother never forgets that she always gets up at 6 o'clock. Rose smiles as she watches Hanna button up her shirt. The mischievous girl teases:
- Brother is five minutes late!
Kai and Hanna laugh when their friend imitates Hanna's voice:
- You forget, I'm sulking!
Hanna smacks the pillow into her best friend's face. Kai smiles softly:
- Five minutes isn't enough for the two of you to change your clothes?
Rose laughs "hi hi" and says: Go in and hug your sister, brother. The naughty girl uses a subtle word and emphasizes the sound of "hug" to tease. Hanna rubs the pillow on her best friend's face.
Kai opens the door and carries Hanna to the bathroom. He gently places his sister on the chair, applies toothpaste to the toothbrush, fills a cup with water, hands it to Hanna, and waits outside.
He appears in less than half a second after hearing his sister's call. Rose laughs, because Kai is absolutely precise with his timing, just like he would feel guilty toward his sister if he were even a little late. She is sure he has his hand on the door handle to enter so quickly.
The girl giggles as she watches Kai. Worried that the chair is too low and might hurt his sister if her feet touch the ground, he gently supports her back and carries her to the dining room.
Kai goes to the kitchen to cook and brings the meal to the table ten minutes later. Despite the street noise interrupting their breakfast, the three laugh heartily, as if the sounds were just wind passing through their ears.
Hanna suddenly frowns and quickly puts down her chopsticks to drink water and relieve her choking. Rose leans her elbows on the table, resting her chin on her hands, and gazes at Kai as he anxiously strokes his sister's back.
She purses her lips and smiles as Kai gently places his thumb on Hanna's mouth, helping her wipe off water stains and sticky food.
Hanna says, "I stopped choking," and bends down to look for the chopsticks that fell on the ground. Kai shouts in panic, "Watch out for your legs!" and lets Rose pick them up. He feels relieved and goes to get another pair of chopsticks.
The siblings chat happily. Rose makes a few teasing remarks to Hanna. Hanna teases Rose until the end of breakfast. Then she quietly contemplates Kai before the sadness of separation returns.
The little swallow always fears causing sadness in others. Only with her brother does she neither want nor can she hide her feelings. Saying goodbye today, she does not know when they will meet again.
If she becomes emotionally attached, her brother loses his career and hobbies. Selfishness also causes him to lose the trust of his benefactor. She cannot make him a promise-breaker or an ungrateful person, so in the midst of a solitary mood filled with benevolent gratitude and family affection, the younger sister still gently advises:
- Brother, please go back to the film studio!
Kai smiles softly at the nostalgic feeling:
- Reputation ruined? I don't care. Career lost? I don't need it. Promises to benefactors?
Kai smiles again, his voice calmer than when he speaks of reputation and career:
- Promises are more important than life.
The brother gently places his hand on his sister's cheek.
- Everything — including me — can't be compared with my sister.
Hanna moves her mouth to speak, but Kai places his hand on her lips:
- It's hard for Sam to protect you on his own. I won't let the crisis of a wife's brother being hated by the younger sister's husband come true!
Whenever someone has mentioned love, Hanna has become shy. Now she is no longer embarrassed. At this moment, her brother and confidant feel only the sorrow she harbors endlessly. For him, that sadness is exactly what kindness and family affection have been tormenting his sister with. Hanna does not want to leave him, but she cannot selfishly force her brother to take care of her for the rest of his life.
Rose thought from the direction of "subtlety" to the point of "sensitivity". Yesterday, she realized "sensitivity," and now the "boundless" emotion confirms she has never been sentimental.
There is no brother in the world who is so sorrowful that he cries upon seeing his sister dislocated, as if she is destined to befriend the wheelchair for the rest of her life.
The siblings sacrifice everything for each other. He gives up his career, disregards his reputation being tarnished, and accepts breaking a promise to a benefactor.
The most astonishing thing is that the brother holds only his sister in his heart — everything else, even himself, is not equal to her. There is no brother in the world who believes that his sister is the only one who exists.
Rose does not know whether to cry or laugh. Her confidant also feels confused on behalf of Hanna. Her best friend values emotions and is sometimes excessively sad. Now, she is in a dilemma about family affection.
The family affection that she has longed for day and night is now... no... not today, ever since that night of phobia, the relationship between brother and sister has become abnormal.
The brother's affection has exceeded the limits of family love, but has not muddied his mind... let alone insulted the bloodline, like a bunch of verbal contempt. The younger sister has still blamed herself for how her life has always shackled her brother's mind.
At this time, she should not be a little swallow; she must become a pure and innocent flower to convince her brother. Hanna mentions that real fans are waiting for their idols:
- The halo of fame is the fantasy of ordinary fans. Personality is the pride of true fans who worship their idols. We don't know who is sincere and who is fake. Even if there is only one person left who truly cares about you, please cherish that heartfelt devotion!
Kai smiles softly at the innocent advice and contemplates his sister tenderly:
- The boundaries between truth and falsehood, hate and love, change erratically. Now they cheer and praise. Tomorrow they bury, despise, falsely accuse, and push the victim into the quagmire. I don't want to bet my faith on the psychology of the crowd and then regret not being able to protect you!
Hanna cannot deny the well-grounded reason, but the younger sister still persistently advises:
- Singing is a hobby, and acting is your dream. Please don't give up your lifelong hobby and dream for me!
Hanna tries to stay calm but does not dare to say what she means. She chooses to speak less and avoid talking so that her brother's mind is less affected by the "complex emotions."
The younger sister, who is always carefree with her brother, now has to choose her words wisely with the person she never needed to be cautious around.
Kai laughs at his lovely sister, but also at his own confusion. He sometimes has a hard time understanding what he feels. Whenever he feels his sister's mind, that "sometimes" never appears.
Kai is no stranger to things he takes for granted, but he finds himself really... weird. He should be happy because the "mixed emotions" are temporarily not entangled in his mind, but here, Kai is sad and a little annoyed.
Kai understands the reason why he is not so happy. That reason becomes "weird" and... shy. The person who has never been confused before now scratches his forehead with a wry smile.
For the first time, the brother loses his naturalness and wants to say something to make the atmosphere less awkward. But he stutters, causing Hanna to lower her head to hide her slightly smiling lips.
Rose covers her mouth and smiles until her eyes narrow, enjoying the "humorous" situation of the man-god being embarrassed and shy toward his sister. Admiring her sweet and adorable brother makes Rose feel faint. Jealous of the innocent and adorable national sister, she presses her lips together and "glares" at her bestie.
Hanna suddenly feels an itch on the back of her neck. Kai only focuses on his sister, who is staring intently at Rose. When he turns around, he instantly catches Rose pouting adorably, her cheeks slightly puffed as she looks at him.
Kai is surprised and doesn't understand yet. Rose's tears of self-pity confuse him. The brother glances at his sister, as if he wants to ask Rose why is sulking.
Hanna shrugs helplessly, smiles secretly, and purses her lips as she looks at Kai, who is grimacing and frowning. The carefree brother dotes on his sister, effortlessly and naturally carrying her on his back throughout the long journey.
Now clumsy, he doesn't know how to comfort Rose. He secretly mocks himself for only being good at coaxing his sister.
When Kai thinks of his sister, he finds himself really... foolish, because Rose is not a stranger to him. She and Hanna are like family. He doesn't need to be confused about his sister's family. The brother smiles gently:
- Who teased my younger sister!?
After three years of sharing weal and woe, they have become closer than shadow and shape, yet the confidants have never said the word "family" to one another.
Their friendship had long turned into kinship, and every affectionate word had become sentimental. So when Rose hears Kai call her "younger sister," she thinks the brother is joking.
Hanna gently purses her lips and smiles at the troublesome girl who is frowning and sulking. She glances at her brother, covers her mouth, and smiles happily. Kai takes pleasure in Rose's playful, pouty demeanor — like a little sister whining to her brother. He teases Rose:
- Smiling makes you a beautiful girl! If you keep a straight face, you'll age quickly!
Kai keeps teasing her until she bursts into laughter. He strokes her hair gently. Rose is delighted but startled by the gesture of cherishing and care.
After a few seconds, she secretly exhales at the gentle feeling — affectionate like ordinary family love, not at all peculiar like with Hanna.
The feeling that once made her freeze, cover her mouth, and giggle has now turned into an idyllic joy. A long-awaited wish has come true — she has been thrilled to see her brother open his arms. The second younger sister has embraced the national brother — now her brother.
Rose has never revealed her sadness about the lack of affection. They have been together for many years. Every time Hanna has mentioned her brother, Rose has frowned thoughtfully. Every time the siblings have had a video call, Rose has been deeply contemplative. Every time she has talked to her brother across the screen — a hundred times like one — Rose has watched silently every second and every minute.
At that time, Hanna has pretended to turn around accidentally, and Rose has found an excuse to distract. The repeated expressions have made Hanna think that Rose has liked her brother. She has deliberately left the necklace at home, and after sneaking back, she has found that Rose has cherished the pendant more than a treasure.
That has happened a long time ago, but Hanna has not been able to forget the look in Rose's eyes when she has contemplated her brother's photo. It has not been the admiration for an idol, nor the infatuation for someone she has liked. It has been the gentle look that has yearned for family affection.
The bitter tears have once been red with grief for the fate of the orphans, but now they are no longer bitter — warm family affection has filled them to the brim with sweetness.
Rose clenches her hands and hugs her brother tighter. She wants to fully enjoy the contented happiness. Kai pats his second younger sister on the back, and smiles as he wipes the tears from the corners of her eyes.
- Already a beautiful girl! So cute!
The teasing compliment makes Hanna and Rose laugh. Kai says excitedly:
- One is pure and cute, the other is humorous and naughty. Neither sister is easily bullied. I'm the luckiest brother in the world!
Rose covers her mouth with a charming smile, squints her eyes, and stares at her brother — but Kai still doesn't understand what she means. Hanna glances at her best friend, who is clearly about to do something mischievous.
Rose laughs "hi hi," holding her brother's hand and shaking it back and forth, begging him in a soft voice to carry her on his back. Kai is stunned and smiles bitterly:
- What do you mean by suddenly forcing me to carry you on my back?
Hanna chuckles, causing Rose to sulk:
- Brother is an idiot!
Kai smiles as if to say: "You've been fooled." Rose lets out a loud "ah," and the younger sister hits him repeatedly. Kai turns his back to her:
- You beat me and broke my back. I can't carry you now, so don't blame me!
Rose giggles and wraps her arms around Kai's shoulders. The brother lifts his sister onto his back and walks around. Rose is so happy that her singing echoes through the house. Hanna laughs loudly with her soulmate, but she hasn't forgotten the important things.
She waits for her brother to put Rose down beside her, then gently reminds him to return to the set. The younger sister lives a principled life — her brother can't let her feel worried in her heart, so he still finds a "legitimate" reason.
- You have loved watching Superman since you were a kid, and you have become a crazy fan of superheroes as you grew up.
Kai slaps his head and blames himself:
- Tsk, I forget I'm starring in a superhero series!
Rose purses her lips, and Hanna smiles at Kai's gloomy face… exactly… absent-minded, her brother still performs deeply, constantly pinching his head and forehead and lamenting:
- Haizz, I'm only in my twenties. Am I aging before my time? Oh my god!
The three of them smile at each other happily. The atmosphere suddenly quiets as Kai starts thinking. He focuses on finding a way to deal with it, while Hanna and Rose wait silently. If he returns to the film studio, Kai worries about his sister.
Insisting on staying is becoming a betrayal to the true fans, and a broken promise to his benefactor — most importantly, his sister is losing the chance to see her brother become a superhero. This is a dream he has had since he was a child. Kai is a mess — torn between staying and leaving.
He's usually smart, but when it comes to his sister, no matter how big or small, he gets confused. The two sisters shouldn't pressure him.
Unfortunately, there are only fifteen minutes left before the semester exam, but after waiting for a long time, Kai is still sitting there blankly.
Hanna frowns and counts the time. Rose grows impatient, watching her brother scratch his head and stroke his forehead, and finally speaks:
- Removing the reason your sister can't watch your movie, betraying the fans, breaking your promise to your benefactor, and compensating a large sum of money — which obstacle worries you the most?
People's hearts have always been unpredictable. Since before entering the profession of entertaining others, Kai has been determined to live a double life in a world where truth and falsehood have always been hard to distinguish.
For someone who has been willing to give up all fame and reputation to return to his family, property has always been just an external thing — something he has today and may lose tomorrow. He hasn't cared how much compensation he has to pay. Only breaking a promise has made him hesitate.
Rose watches her brother closely. Whatever she says, he shows a corresponding expression. So she brings up every "attitude" again:
- When it comes to fans, you despise the block of life. When it comes to breaking trust, you're still confused and twisting your brain, but you don't care at all when it comes to compensation. For you — speaking poetically — money is just an external thing. Speaking of bad luck: once the soul leaves the body, can money be transferred to the underworld? Speaking like bragging: a long list of numbers that can't even be counted throughout the year. So why are you still worrying about it and exhausting yourself, my brother!
Hundreds, thousands of "money," and tens of thousands of numbers are densely piled up in the bank warehouse. The breach of contract fee is four billion dong, and even if the compensation is ten times or a hundred times that amount, the mountain of money only loses a few pebbles — a huge pile of wealth still remains and cannot be counted.
The three words "cannot be counted" echo Rose's words again. The wise and clever younger sister emphasizes the phrase "cannot be counted." This sentence isn't nonsense — it reminds people of a trending phrase:
"What is a lot of money for?"
Rose smiles until her eyes narrow as her brother pats his head again. This time, he seems to wake up from a trance. Her brother happily thanks his sister for the hint.
Without slowing down for a second, he takes out the Halo K he bought yesterday and dials the contact number of the film's general directors. The phone echoes with a rumbling scream of horror:
- You get back to the film studio right now!
Kai laughs so hard that his shoulders shake, listening to the director's stream of lectures: professional ethics, the honor of artists, and then the morality of being a human being — who would do such a thing? The director calms down, Kai apologizes, and asks:
- Have you taken any heart medicine yet?
The director, face twisted, snaps:
"What do you mean by such nonsense, you ask?"
Startled, the director quickly stops Kai from saying what he fears most:
"Hey, hey, hey! This episode is the finale of the series. You have to fulfill your role, asshole!"
Kai deliberately turns on the speakerphone to make Rose and Hanna chuckle. His sister looks at her brother, legs crossed, leaning back comfortably in the chair — unlike the headache and confusion from before. Kai takes a sip of tea and asks calmly:
- Have you drunk any cardiotonic medicine yet?
The director loses his temper and curses, but Kai playfully asks the same question again, until the other party responds:
- Damn your whole family! If I hadn't taken the medicine, I would've had a stroke a moment ago. Damn it!
The three siblings laugh to tears at the humorous director. As the director urges him to speak quickly, Kai calmly announces the important news:
- You and the crew should move to the film studio of Prehistoric Kingdom!
The director opens his mouth wide and can't close it:
- What? Don't joke with me!
Kai confirms he's not joking and that the director heard correctly:
- I'm going to acquire Star Sky Corporation.
Star Sky — the world's number one film and music corporation, owner of the film crew starring Kai. When Rose hints, Hanna guesses his intention, but her mood still drops at the incredible decision. She's dumbfounded. Sister isn't surprised that he hides from the crew to find her. She wants her family by her side, but every time he worries too much or shows unusual emotions, the wish turns into a tossing and turning that's far from light.
Hanna doesn't want her brother to give up everything, regardless of time and space, just to always run after her and become her shadow for the rest of his life. Now the shadow is her brother, and her brother is "it."
She can't erase "it" from her brother's life, so she only lowers her head and cries silently, grieving for her loved ones and tormenting herself with self-blame.
In any situation, Rose is always the first to feel Hanna's mood. Knowing her friend's sadness makes Rose feel guilty for giving instructions to her brother. Rose rubs her friend's head to encourage her. She stands in front of Hanna so her brother won't notice his sister crying. Hanna nods slightly to show her gratitude. Rose gently pinches her friend's nose, and Hanna laughs because what Rose wants to say is: nonsense politeness.
Rose wipes Hanna's tears and gently lifts her friend's lips. Hanna hugs her confidant, pats her back, and then faces Rose. Her confidant no longer sees her sad, and the little friend is afraid of making others lose their joy.
Rose feels tired because of her personality, which always cares for others before thinking of herself. Her brother still smiles at his sister while talking on the phone:
- Hey, is your heart still beating, Director?
The director hears the sarcastic voice, gets so angry that smoke seems to rise from his ears, hugging his pounding chest. No matter how much cardiotonic he drinks a moment ago, his blood pressure still nearly spikes from the incredible shock.
Kai is the richest actor and singer in the world, but the director still can't believe the other party is playing so crazy. The director leans back in the armchair, takes out a towel, and wipes the sweat from his face:
"You… you… really want to be… the boss of Star Sky? Worth three hundred billion King Country. I say again — worth Three Hundred Billion King Country, not Three Hundred Billion The Sun Kingdom!"
Three hundred billion King Country is the total value of Star Sky, which translates to trillions in The Sun Kingdom's currency. It's a huge sum of money, but Kai says it's no big deal:
- Today I'm closing the order to purchase Star Sky!
The director is about to say something, but Kai doesn't want to waste any more time:
- I'm busy contacting Star Sky. Please read the hot news. Goodbye, Director!
Kai contacts his father and explains all the reasons why he wants to buy Star Sky. His father puts his feet on the table and smacks his lips. Kai pretends to be startled and scared, hesitating and not yet deciding on the crazy idea. Still, he's sure the listener nods with satisfaction — because the good son is afraid of his father.
His father takes a puff of his cigarette, opens his mouth, and moans with satisfaction from the climax rising from his lower body. Kai secretly sighs, knowing that if he forgets to turn off the speakerphone before calling, that obscene sound will dirty his sister's ears. Kai doesn't urge him, but waits for his father to respond:
- You're the brother who coddles your sister, so I'm the father who must do what his son wants — to be fair!
Kai is overjoyed to hear his father's decision:
"I'll close the deal for you! But you have to take good care of your sister. If she gets thin or loses a single hair, don't even dream of becoming the boss of Star Sky!"
Kai gets so excited that he keeps thanking his father, causing him to press the stop button:
"That's enough. You want your father to turn off lust, right? Stop it now, you mad man for your sister!"
Kai thanks him again and says goodbye. The two sisters don't understand why their brother turns on the speakerphone earlier, but turns it off when talking to their father. They're confused. Kai suddenly hugs Hanna, strokes her hair, and shares the good news:
- Father bought Star Sky Corporation on my behalf! I'll be acting in movies in Prehistoric Kingdom for the rest of my life!
Rose doesn't know whether to laugh or cry for her confidant. She looks at Hanna, who's frowning with a heavy heart. But when the brother and sister look at each other, the unhappy expression disappears. Hanna smiles softly and congratulates her brother for successfully resolving the dilemma. Kai is happy but doesn't forget his mission. He reminds his sister to change clothes. Hanna is surprised and says:
- This skirt and top are my school uniform! I've worn them from before until now, brother!
- Tsk, I don't need to know what happens on weekdays, but today you must change your skirt into pants. — He shifts his annoyed voice toward the school — Forcing girls to wear skirts shorter than The Sun Kingdom's school uniforms… schools in this country are really… inadvertent!
Rose and Hanna don't understand why their brother suddenly becomes so difficult. The strange thing is, he just carries Hanna into the room and waits outside for her to change clothes, but he doesn't force Rose to change. Rose wrinkles her nose and frowns at Kai. He widens his eyes and points at himself:
- Is there a stain on my face?
Before Kai can hear Rose's reply, Hanna calls out. Her brother enters the room, nodding in satisfaction at how the trousers cover her long legs. He takes out a silver autumn-and-winter coat and puts it on Hanna, then bends down and carries his sister out:
- Do you two understand my heart yet?
The brother is careful and meticulous, but the pants still ride up a little, and Hanna's waist occasionally droops. If she wears a short skirt, it would expose her sensitive areas. Rose gasps — now she understands why her brother doesn't force her to change.
Rose walks normally, not afraid of being stared at by a pervert. She's dressed warmly enough, so the brother only puts a coat on Hanna. The second younger sister giggles at her brother's subtlety. Hanna blushes and listens to her brother teasing:
- I don't allow any guy to "watch" my sister — except my future brother-in-law!