Seven Years Ago (1)

Nickson B. Park

(Eight years ago) I am writing this part in the past tense since this is a memory from Nickson.

......

"Sung-ho, what are we going to play today?" I tapped my brother's shoulders and inspected the ball rolling through his arms. It was a modern trick he had learned on the internet and showed it to me. Impressed, I motioned my fingers for him to give the ball so I can mirror his performance.

My brother, Sung-ho, swivelled behind and passed me the ball.

"Seo-jun, we can play with this!" Sung-ho gestured his hand for me to kick the ball to him. I adhered to his instructions and gave a gingerly sweep to the sphere.

The toy gradually rolled over to his side. After a few seconds of waiting, the orb eventually reached his feet.

"No! You should do it like this!" Sung-ho, being a prankster, swept the ball with intense strength, making it fly over towards the wall. The sphere bounced back as soon as it hit the panel, marking it with a greyish shade on the surface.

Unfortunately, the ovoid toy hit and shattered the towering window. The glass rained above us, almost injuring our skin. Luckily, nobody got hurt by our play. But the adults who had heard the commotion hurriedly ran outside to check for the two of us.

My father came out of the crowd, bringing with him were his set of paperwork. He examined the broken window before shifting his head in our direction.

"I did it!" My brother stepped up and confessed, leaving me out of the blame. "My brother was only watching. Please spare him, father! I was the only one who kicked the ball."

I wanted to retort, but my mouth could not speak a single word. It almost felt that the surroundings muted me with something stapled in my mouth.

My father heaved out a sigh and approached us. He then knelt and scanned our bodies.

"Did anybody get hurt?" My father stroked our arms, looking for any stains of crimson liquid dripping on our hands.

My brother and I shook our hands, professing that we were unscathed during the process. After noticing our reply, my father exhaled once more, this time with relief.

"Good. Promise me you will never do it again, okay?" My father's voice soothed the atmosphere as he flashed us with a gleam. His hands reached out for our head and shuffled our bed hair as he gave out a faint laugh.

As he retracted his arms, I noticed his breathing changed for a second, with his hands palpating his chest. But as a kid, I knew nothing about his conditions. All I understood was that we were living a good life together with my brother and me.

The days went by like a breeze. It was the usual occurrence day after night, horsing around with Sung-ho. My father occasionally visited our home and brought us new toys and sweets for the two of us. My mother, who we had not even heard of, never gave us a reply.

But after six months, our father called our attention. His face was pale as a corpse as he gave out two envelopes for us to read.

"Seo-jun, I will give this company to you. Nourish it since this will become your source of money in the future." My father handed me the documents needed for the small business that he owns. It was a small-scale company that earned scant and nameless from the people. However, my father saw potential in the unsung property and purchased the firm.

I signed the contract alongside my brother, who had a confident expression painted on his face. My father also gave him a corporation, only slightly more manageable than mine. It already had funds and products that were both selling well for a minor business.

"I will never shame you, father!" My brother rhapsodically confessed and slid the paper on the table.

My father unshakably gave him a nod and allowed him to leave. I was still reading the terms and conditions of the contract, avoiding any mistakes that may affect me soon.

It took me several minutes to finish reading the entire thing as I browsed through all of them and understood them in every detail. After completing the documents, I finally gave my sheets to my father.

"Son, do what you think is right, and always remember that we love you." My father gestured his hand for me to come closer to his arms. I instinctively complied and wrapped my arms around him while shedding a tear.

It was our ultimate goodbye, considering that I would run my company with my hands. Our family shares their wealth by distributing any potential businesses that their children can fatten. By the age of fourteen, our family will provide the ropes for handling the company shares. The process includes: learning the stock, socialising with people, and managing a team.

Because of an unforeseen event, my parents gave the firm to us. The two thought it was the ideal time to learn their ways. They did not want us to grow ignorant about their businesses, so they hired the professors to teach us about handling our corporations.

"Father, I am afraid, and I do not know why." My body became tense, considering this was a distant leap for a seven-year-old child.

My father met my eyes with a worried look carved on his face. He wanted to help me with my troubles, knowing that I felt worried about my future. However, he thinks that this was the correct way to provide a vibrant fortune.

This method was the only thing he knew to raise the two brothers, since he knew that time was picking him away.

A year had passed, yet I had learned nothing about my company, even with the help of my instructor. He was a brilliant teacher that presented the lessons well. But I had difficulties understanding such intricate meanings behind my work.

Sung-ho was not a brainless son, given that he was older than me by seven years of age. Within a year, he had earned 234, 750, 546 Won for his business. His company became famous in a flash, and the news pronounced him as the prodigy for a fourteen-year-old boy.

"You haven't learned a thing or two, brother!" Sung-ho teased me while bursting into laughter. He was mocking me throughout the year upon knowing my earnings.

"I do not have an idiotic brother in my life!"

His words pierced through my chest. After all, he was the only person I could talk to about my problems.

"Sung-ho, can you please teach me about this?" I turned to him and presented the problems with my company. My instructor refused to give me the answers, following the orders of my father.

"You're a fool for not knowing simple business techniques." Sung-ho rummaged behind and threw the shoulder bag at me. Upon opening the bag, I saw countless books that I had yet to read during my study hours.

"The problem about you is because of your kindness. People take advantage of that shit, and you better change that." Sung-ho rushed in my direction and pushed me away. It was the first time that I have seen him enraged throughout my life.

It was as if he hated my existence. I felt that my brother, Sung-ho, hated me for becoming his relative.

"I will study in Japan to pursue my dream of becoming a manga artist. This room makes me feel sick, especially when I know you're inside of it!" My brother gyrated around and spitted on the floor before heading towards the exit.

I, who had enough of his actions, reached out to the ends of his shirt.

"Brother, why are you acting like this to me?" Tears came flowing through my cheeks as I realised he was flying away to a different country, away from me.

My brother took a glance and pointed to the books lying on the floor. "You need to change your ways and prove to our parents that you are worth it!."

After saying his goodbyes, he stormed off and left me inside my forsaken room, with the volumes motionless on the floor. The words that my brother said were still ingrained inside my head, ringing throughout my ears.

"Brother! Please don't leave me." No matter how hard I cried for his name, my brother never returned to me that day.

Following his words, Sung-ho left Korea and travelled to Japan, purchasing another business firm in the country. His name flared throughout the city halls and soon gained popularity on the internet. The people hailed him as a rich student, beaming with potential and success.

For months, I snivelled alone inside my room, refusing to stay outdoors. Depressing days ate me alive as I heard my brother's voice chiming inside my mind.

Suddenly, someone knocked on my front door, with an unfamiliar voice calling out for my name.