He Is Not My Brother's
About Us
"You sure you don't want to go to college there? Everyone wants to go to Scholar University, Marsh." Jerome's voice rang out between the beats of the hammer.
"I don't want to leave Amy alone, Dad."
"Are you sure?" Jerome stopped his hammer knocking and stared fixedly at M's face.
M looked at the backyard of their house which was overgrown with long grass. He took a breath before answering, "Yes. It's okay if I go to college in the next town. Except...." M did not continue his words. He did not want to say anything that might make Jerome angry.
"Except what, Marsh?“
M gulped. Between wanting and not saying the things he himself wanted. "Unless I wanna stay here and take care of Amy."
Jerome put down his hammer and sat down on the stairs leading to the backyard of the house that looked unkempt. His eyes looked at the vast sky decorated with thin clouds. "You know it's impossible."
"Therefore I must be here guarding my sister."
"Marsh... You know what? I never expected you to look after your sister. I just wish you two could take care of each other." Jerome rubbed his hands. "Dad knows you're not a good father. I left you, then hoped everything would be okay. Miraculously everything is fine. You and your sister grew up well, even too well. Without me noticing, I abandoned you."
"No. I don't," said M. His father's shoulders were soft. "Dad is the best dad."
"Don't say that. I'll feel very guilty. Especially if it turns out that because of the father, the father's son can not achieve what he wants."
"No. It's not. I'm fine if I don't attend Scholar University, Dad!“
"Marshall, even if we only meet a few days a year, but that doesn't mean I don't pay attention to you. You said you wanted to be an astronomer, right?"
M gasped at his father's question. He likes the night sky. He has popular science books about the universe. M also secretly set aside an allowance to buy a long exposure camera to photograph the stars. Only Amy and Jimmi know his hobby that he runs secretly.
"Tuition there will make your dreams come true." Jerome patted his son's shoulder. "Don't worry about your sister. Mrs. Larry said he didn't mind if Amy stayed at his house while we were gone."
M looked at his father in disbelief. "What does Amy want? He's not going to go home with Jimmi."
"Who said?" Jerome frowned. "Jimmi will go to Scholar University as well. Didn't he tell you?"
M shook slowly. "He hasn't said anything."
"Marsh, this is your future. You deserve to achieve your goals." Once again Jerome patted M on the shoulder and resumed his work of fixing the table. While M looked at the sky that was starting to darken.
Without the children's fathers noticing, Amy overheard almost their entire conversation from behind the door.
§§§
"*Mmm...." A toddler pulls up the shirt of a boy who is eating cotton candy in his hand.
"What?“ The boy turned around and looked at the toddler who was still whining.
"This..," Another stocky boy handed his cotton candy to the toddler. "He wants to, Marsh."
"Oh, I thought he was just calling me. He just said 'mmm... m..' keep."
"Yes, he called you M. That's not bad, M."
"Ah, yes. He should have spoken quickly. Let me have a chat, Jimm."
"Yes. I'm also impatient. Your sister is so cute and adorable!“
"M. mm...." This time the toddler pulled back his sister's clothes. She looked at her brother with adorable round eyes.
"He wants more, M."
"You understand a child, huh?" m said to his friend. Soon he gave the candy to the toddler who wore a green dress toska without arms.
"Hey! Who gave Amy candy? Mom, right, told you not to give her candy!" A woman in a red puffer shirt came to pick up the toddler and immediately cleaned her mouth with a wet tissue.
Hearing that, Jimmi and M immediately run to the yard and intend to play there. Avoiding scolding that might come out of the woman who is carrying the toddler.
...
That morning, after tidying up his bed, Jimmi rushes to do his routine. Run around the village in the morning before taking a shower and going to school.
"Jimm.... Hold on!“ Mrs. Larry stands in the way of his son who has been wearing a training suit with a navy sports jacket.
"What's up, Mom?" Jimmi said in a lazy tone. He knew exactly what his mother would say.
"You want to go to school there, right? Don't say no." Jimmi had heard the question dozens of times from his mother's mouth. But Jimmi never answered that question.
"Yes" replied Jimmi.
Mrs. Larry smiled brightly. "Goodoo. I know you must be happy to go to school there, too."
"Hmm" muttered Jimmi then he circled his mother's body and rushed out of the house.
On the street, Jimmi starts running small. The streets were still empty and the air was still slightly piercing because the sun had not yet appeared.
Jimmi doesn't really care. Almost every day he enjoyed it. However, however, his heart continued to think about this village. In a few months he will go to the capital to study there. Something he wanted so much in the past. One step closer to his dream.
But one little thing bothered him. No, for him now it was bigger than he had ever imagined. In fact, it was now filling his mind like a balloon that kept blowing but never bursting.
It was not this village that was on his mind. There's only one person. However, that person attracted several people, places, as well as memories with him. Makes Jimmi's mind cramped.
Amy. The girl was the source of the anxiety that was engulfing Jimmi's heart. Jimmi never thought that he would care too much about his best friend's sister. He used to be so excited to be able to study at the best university in the country. Now, after he has achieved his wish, he hesitates because it means he will be away from the rude girl.
Leaving Amy wasn't really the only thing that worried the guy. The problem is that M is also likely to leave her sister. Jimmi can't imagine Amy having to be alone without her sister. What will the girl do that? All this time M was always there when Amy was tough.
The second possibility also made Jimmi unsettled. M will probably stay and skip to study at the Scholar University. Though he knew that his best friend had tried hard like himself to be able to enter through a special path. After all, M's dream will only be realized if he continues his studies at the Scholar University.
On one hand he wants M to reach for the dream with him but on the other he wants Amy not to be alone. And the guy couldn't find a middle ground between the two. It made him a little frenzied silently.
Jimmi took a breath and saw that the sky was starting to light up. He realized that there were two pairs of shoes on the street.
"When were you there?“ ask Jimmi awkwardly. He knew the owner of the dark blue and green shoes well.
"Three minutes ago. Maybe...." M smiled lightly in a black jacket from a famous sports brand.
"It looks like her mother has scolded her" Amy said without turning her face away. The girl looked calm with an ash training suit without a jacket. From a distance, he looks like a guy.
"Sokay know!“ Jimmi glanced at Amy and sneered. He wanted to scream, 'This is all because of you, you know?!'
"So, what makes you stagger while jogging?“ M grabbed the nape of his best friend without stopping running.
Jimmi glanced at Amy with a somewhat uncomfortable look. "It's a man's business. We'll talk later."
Amy rolled her eyes, noticing that Jimmi had just glanced at her. "Please, gentlemen." Then Amy ran faster ahead of her brother and Jimmi.
"Wait!“ Jimmi stopped running, making M who was embracing him also stop the movement of his legs. "We'll wait for Amy to get far enough."
"What's wrong? This about him?“ tanya M with a curious face while preparing to launch a ledge for her best friend.
"It's about the three of us." Jimmi's face looked very serious. The guy ran back followed by M. Then they move slowly accompanied by chatter that makes both of them lose their mood and grim.
Seriate...
***********
Hi, readers...
Starting next month, Lemon Love will change the title to He is (Not) My Brother.
Make sure you're not mistaken later if the title has been changed, okay? 😉
