Eternal life

Chapter 10

Young Saeng was woken up by nurse, as she softly patted his shoulder. He bolted up, waking up from creepy dream, and looked behind him, to see that sun is already setting, even though, when he arrived it was right above him, as for the midday. He tried to remember what kind of dream made him feel so strange, but he again couldn't. Then he looked at Aeri, which was giving him questioning look. 'What are you doing here?'

He gave her a faint smile, while massaging his sore neck. 'Oh, just decided to wait for you after visiting my new workplace...'

Aeri looked at her watch. 'Sorry, my shift prolonged. How it went?' She wanted to know more about his day, but she realised what time it was. 'Oh, but first, we have to get going, I'm already late for something...'

'Oh, I'm fine, I will get home.' He stood up to walk out.

Girl grabbed his sleeve, to stop him. 'No, come with me. Have you eaten?' She walked in front of him.

Young Saeng found himself dumbfounded by her behaviour. He patted his stomach. 'I wasn't hungry.' But as he said those words, it grumbled. He lowered his head.

Aeri chuckled. 'Yeah, right. Come with me, I just have some short business to attend, then we'll eat something.'

'Girl, literately, right now I have tears in my eyes.'

She laughed and they both got into the car. They travelled in silence, lost in thoughts. Finally they arrived at some place and Young Saeng recognized it was school, so he looked at nurse with questions marks in his eyes.

'I have to talk with my brothers home teacher, it won't take long. Wait.' Saying those words she got out of the car and entered the school.

Man stayed inside and started to play with the radio, but he couldn't find anything to listen to, so he turned it off. He leaned back on seat and closed his eyes to snooze for a moment. He drifted away with his thoughts of how this day ended. He surely didn't expect to find job so quick, but either he wasn't sure if it's okay. He felt heavy on heart.

After like fifteen minutes he heard something happening outside the car and he opened his eyes. He saw Aeri and some young student, probably her brother, approaching the car, arguing. He rolled down the window to listen to the conversation. His curiosity won over good manners.

'Wait, stop right there!' Nurse was behind her brother, as he keep on walking, not listening to her, heading to the car. She tried to catch him. 'What do you mean part-time job?!'

'Ah, shit...' He swore quietly. 'Yeah, part-time job.'

He was already taller than her, but still thin. Beside this similarity, they didn't share common face features. She usually was all cheerful, even when not smiling, but he looked gloomy and lofty. When he spoke it sounded as he was mad at her.

'For what do you need a job?!'

'For money, obviously.' He answered scoffing and was still going towards the car.

Aeri grabbed him by his hand. 'Stop right there! Explain! All you have to do is to learn and take care of grandma, so explain for what you need a job?!'

He bit his lip, irritated. Maybe they were real siblings overall? He shoved off her hand and tried his best not to scream. 'Yeah, like I can't have my own urges. All I need to do is what you need from me.'

'Stop behaving like a spoiled brat, you have your duties! For what, in hell, I work overtime?! Just for you, for you to have better life!'

'Did I ever asked for that?!' He couldn't hold it in any longer. Tears showed in his eyes. 'I never asked for anything! Shit! I want to have my own life! My own!'

She decided to attack his conscience. 'Therefore you'll leave me or granny?'

'You shouldn't put such a task on my shoulders in the first place! Do you even know how hard it is?! To be daily called by different name?! To not be in ability to say whenever she want to hug me or hit me?! Do you know?!'

'I know. But if she won't have us...'

He interrupted her. 'Have me. Have only me. You meant to say.'

'I can't do two things at once. Either I do work and you have a place to live, school to attend or I take care of both of you and we're left with absolutely nothing. Choose.' She also was dried emotionally. She said it with her teeth clenched.

'But you also have to choose! Do you want me to be a teenager or a caregiver?! '

Aeri couldn't stand it. 'Get in the car right now.' She ordered without looking at him. They finally got near the car so she was pointing at it.

'Answer!' He was all red on his face.

'I won't! In one minute you're saying that you're an adult, that can take care of himself alone and in other – you want to be pampered like a kid. If you want an answer I will tell you when you mature a little bit.'

'Shit!' Tears started to run on his face. He turned around and opened the car doors with an impact, got in and slammed them loudly.

Aeri took deep breath and for a second she leaned on the hood. She looked up and was the gaze of Young Saeng, as he hurriedly closed the window and started to avoid her look. He didn't even try to look around, feeling as someone behind was angry with his presence.

She again breathed deeply and finally took a seat in the car. She started the engine and adjusted the rear-view mirror to look at her brother. He meanwhile drilled his gaze in the front seat, where unknown man was seated. Young Saeng didn't know what to do with this situation, especially when the atmosphere in the car could be cut with a knife, so he huddled on his seat.

Aeri broke the silence first. 'Yejun this is my friend, Jo Young Saeng. Young Seang, this is my brother – Yejun.'

Young man turned to teenager with a smile. 'Hi, pleasure to meet you!'

Yejun was looking only at his sister, not moving an inch. 'Again, something I didn't ask for.' Aeri rolled her eyes.

'Okay, you don't have to! But if I would say one thing, is just that your sister really works hard, today she forgot to change her shoes in work.' He pointed at her feet, where her hospital shoes were still on. Aeri and Yejun looked there.

'Shit! And you said it just now?!' She was thinking hard what she should put on, but she clearly left her sneakers at work.

'I noticed only moment ago, when you two where, well, WALKING towards the car.' He emphasized the word walking, hence he saw and heard everything.

'It's rude to eavesdrop.' Yejun sent daggers with his gaze towards Young Saeng and grabbed him by a collar.

'Ok, stop it already!' She took Yejun's hand off of Young Saeng's collar. 'Enough for today!'

Teenager leaned back and started to take out the headphones out of his backpack. Aeri noticed it. 'Before prince shuts himself in his castle, will he be so kind and tell me, where grandma is staying while he's at his job.'

Yejun bit his lip. 'Mrs. Kwon.' He put the headphones in his ears and started to play loud music, looking blankly outside the window.

'Thank you.'

Finally they departed. As for the road to the school, the silence in the car was as one of those calm and with a lot of thoughts, the way back – or more like continuation of moving somewhere – was extremely quiet, awkward and suffocating. Therefore Young Saeng felt truly uncomfortable.

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