Chapter Text
Barrow was confused, did the guy re-introduce himself to him? he was not sure, but he has an inkling feeling that 'Kim Jun Seo' is a 'Korean' name. He was still not used to hearing such... weird names. Though, then again, even the names in his previous world are also weird. Like Cale. Cale means Dog. He doesn't know wether to be amused that Cale Henituse's name means 'Dog' or be sad that his own name also means 'Dog'.
Hmm... does the names in this worlds also have meanings? Or are they just jumbled up letters put together to form an 'okay' name. He made sure to reserve that thought once he and Henituse are alone again, he still have more curiosities about this world after all.
"Very well then. I will be going, make sure to take care of your brother Kim Rok Soo." Kim Jun Seo said with a smile as he began to walk away from the twins, his steps were silent for a while before he suddenly placed more pressure in his steps, it seems he had slipped up in his hobby of silently walking. Kim Jun Seo has never made such a minor mistake in his whole life, perhaps it is because of old age getting to him? Or was he excited because his precious twins are learning to be like him? Life really is a mysterious thing that even he could not predict.
"Haaah..."
Cale Henituse heaved a heavy sigh as his posture relaxed, it was as if the danger had left his side, both figuratively and literally. Of course, the 'danger' was his father.
He sat down once more and practically slumped down on the couch as his mind kept repeating the mistake that he had done. He had made the mistake of lying to his father, though his reason was quite understandable, there was a very high chance that their father heard Barrow speaking. That man... had very good hearing to the point that he could hear every voice in this vicinity as well as a pin drop.
That man is also someone who could easily tell if someone is lying to him or not, though perhaps he and Barrow are an exception to that as their actions and way of thinking are unpredictable enough that even a God cannot tell their next moves.
Before he got drowned in another over thinking situation, he heard Barrow's curious voice asking him yet another stupid question.
"Hey, why are you like that? Is something wrong?"
For some reason, Barrow's voice had a hint of worry in his voice, seriously, there's barely anything happening in this damned household, Barrow himself did not know why he was worried for Cale. 'Henituse just sighed and had an agitated face- why does he has an agitated face, is something wrong? Agh! I'm doing it again!'
Barrow hit himself on the head which made Cale look at him weirdly, did the villain finally become crazy? Well, he always was, but he never openly showed it to his enemy...said enemy was sitting right beside his wheelchair.
'...Should I call a nurse? Does being a comatose patient also get them some brain damage? I think I've read about it once in an article... so... should I call a nurse? His hand must have hurt too since he has a pretty hard head.' Cale, who has no idea why Barrow hit himself, thought that the White Star has brain damage due to 'sleeping' for a long time.
Barrow took a deep breath and calmed himself down before asking another question because it seems that Cale has no plans in answering his question. "Anyway, what's the black rectangle flat box again?"
"That's a television it's...."
[Year xxxx]
[Cale Henituse/Kim Rok Soo: 9 years old: Alive.]
[Cale Barrow/ Kim Myung Dae: 9 years old: Alive.]
"Okay... say it slowly."
"I am Kim Myung dae, preferably called 'Barrow', I am a nine year old Korean. I have a twin brother named Kim Rok Soo, preferably called Cale, he is ten minutes younger.'' Barrow said in Korean language, his accent is still sloppy but he can now speak and understand the language. He was fortunate enough to have a good language teacher, which is little brother. Despite being born in the same day, Barrow was actually born ten minutes earlier which made him the older brother.
"Wonderful, you're getting good." Cale lamely praised, there wasn't really a benefit for praising the dramatic radish which is why he didn't dramatized his praise, or in other words, he didn't use his glib tongue.
"Yes that's right, a few months from now and I'll finally be able to speak fluent Korean." Barrow grinned broadly, proud of himself for finally being able to succeed in his goal. He then looked down at his red palms as well as the ruler in Cale's hands, he sweat dropped, Cale was a good yet scary teacher. Every wrong word he said got him a hit on the palms, though it was very light, he had so much mistakes to the point that his palm started to sting and go red. He was glad that Cale is weak.
"If you're so confident with that statement, then I'll start teaching you how to read and write in Korean then." Cale said with a small smirk as he saw Barrow's eyes tremble at his statement.
"Haha... very funny, let's not...? Yes...?" Barrow said with a nervous chuckle as he continued to sweat.
"No. I don't want you to be as stupid as a slot. You should at least be better than a ten year old in reading and writing Korean. ah. I'll also need to teach you the Korean from the other Korea." Cale calmly said as he sipped his cold water, there wasn't lemons nor apples here which made him just drink plain cold water.
Barrow heaved a deep sigh and plopped himself on the ground, not caring at the pain on his butt because he abruptly sat down. He felt as if Cale was worse than the devil, seriously, does this guy really have high expectations that he'll managed to learn both South and North Korean language, way of writing and accent?
...Though it makes him feel relieved that Cale has high hopes for him. It makes him a bit happy that Cale thinks that he could achieve such a feat that would normally burden a normal person. Learning a language that is VERY different from yours is quite hard, especially when the language you're learning is so damned complicated.
There were only these damned 'homonyms' that he needs to learn! Roan language did not have any 'homonyms' which made it easy to learn, but the language in this world has many. Like- how can '눈/nun' be both 'eye' and 'snow' at the same time? How in the world are you even supposed to differentiate those two words when you're not given any context or sample sentences??
There were also these 'tongue twisters' that Cale makes him do, seriously, what's even the point of those confusing things? To test his ability to say something fast without stammering?
"..."
Barrow was speechless, he did not expect that the First Dragon Slayer's text would be the exact same as the language he was being taught. Was it a good thing, or a bad thing? Of course it was a good thing as he still remembered most of the contents in that book then it would be beneficial for him if he manages to translate it.
Though he was a bit curious, was the First Dragon Slayer a transmigrator that originally came from this world? It would not be too surprising as a God likes to meddle with mortal's lives as if they are just wooden dolls. Wooden dolls to be discarded when it's not entertaining anymore, or to be abandoned when the owner finally sees another doll that is more to their liking or more entertaining.
One could say he was a hypocrite for finding those behavior of Gods annoying, because he too also discards his minions that aren't useful to him anymore.
"Hmm..." Barrow hummed as he narrowed his eyes at the thing written on his paper. It was '김명대', he had absolutely no idea what in the world that read. He wanted to ask Cale as to what it read but he was a bit afraid that his palms would get slapped by the damned ruler again.
But it seems that he didn't need to ask the question as Cale had already answered it for him,
"Your name."
"What?"
"The thing I wrote on that paper is your name hyung, it's read as 'Kim Myung-dae'."
Barrow's mouth formed into an 'o' as he looked down at the piece of paper once again, smiling slightly. So that's how his name is written in 'Korean' language, huh?
"How about your name? How is it written?"
"It's the thing written below your name."
Barrow's reddish brown eyes gazed down on the other name below his, it was written as '김록수'. He tilted his head, he has a guess that the 'Kim' is the '김' since both of their names has one. He smirked proudly at himself and then pointed at the '김' and proudly said,
"Then this is read as 'Kim', right?"
Barrow's smile broadened when he saw Cale nod his head, but it instantly fell when he saw Cale's own smirk.
"But do you know what it means?"
"..."
"Hm?"
"...no."
Cale closed his eyes and then nodded again, "It's quite understandable that you don't. It means, 'Gold'."
Barrow was speechless for a moment before,
"...The surname suits you. You gold loving lunatic."
"Hyung-nim. Write an essay tomorrow with good grammar and is written in full Korean."
"Fuck."
[Year xxxx]
[Cale Henituse/Kim Rok Soo: 10 years old: Alive.]
[Cale Barrow/ Kim Myung Dae: 10 years old: Alive.]
"...What do you call a 'brother' in Korea?" Barrow finally asked the question that has been circulating in his mind for countless of weeks. Since he and Cale Henituse are biologically related in this life, then shouldn't he start calling and acting like a big brother for this gold loving lunatic? He may not be a decent parent figure but he sure as hell can try and be a good big brother for this sacrificial bastard.
"Older or younger?" Cale lamely asked as he munched at the cookies that their mother gave them.
"They're... different?" Barrow questioned as his shoulders slumped down again, seriously, why is everything so damned different in this 'Korea'??
Cale raised an eyebrow and nodded his head.
"Younger brother. What do you call a 'younger brother' in 'Korea'?"
"'Namdongsaeng' means 'younger brother' in Korean, but you can also use 'Dongsaeng' which means 'younger sibling'. Though you don't necessarily need to be actual siblings to be called that, you could just be friends and it would still be okay with being called that, but you need to be an older male to use the term 'dongsaeng'. On a side note, you shouldn't use that term when calling out to them, you should use their name. Now that I think about it... now that you reading, writing and speaking lessons are over, I should teach you about cultures and honorifics." Cale placed a finger under his chin and looked towards Barrow who froze at the thought of new lessons.
"Please don't..." Barrow said in a weak voice before abruptly standing up and then placing his hands on his lips as he looked down at his little brother who was still lazily eating cookies. It's been two months ever since Barrow has been able to walk and stand up on his own again, although it still places a burden on his body when he tries to exercise his lower body.
"Okay. From now on, I will call you 'dongsaeng'. So you better call me 'older brother' now."
Cale raised an eyebrow at the last statement that Barrow said, 'This fool...'
"I've been calling you 'big brother' since last year ago."
"What?"
Barrow blinked.
"...yes. 'Hyung' means 'older brother' and is used by males... You haven't noticed?"
Barrow dumbly nodded. He had absolutely no idea that Cale Henituse was the first one that accepted that they are now siblings and should just suck it up and be a good brother. Does... does that mean that Cale is okay with his enemy being his brother??
This hero... really is odd...
"The fuck are we wearing?" Barrow furrowed his eyebrows as he tugged at the scarf loosely tied around his shoulders as well as the white long sleeve button up shirt. The scarf was an ugly shade of gray, in his eyes at least, in the real word it was actually just a vibrant red scarf.
"Uniform..." Cale, who was wearing the same thing but had a badge on his chest pocket, sighed as if he did not like being out in the open. He did not like how their father practically dragged him and Barrow outside. Seeing the other children already got his social battery drained.
"For what?" Barrow asked as he supported his little brother who seemed to not have enough energy to even stand up. Seriously... his brother's amount of energy as well as strength is very laughable. Even an old guy has more energy than him and a toddler could also have more strength than him.
Barrow did not receive a reply and instead the body he was supporting became limp and heavier. "Huh?" was the 'smart' reply that left his lips as he looked down towards his brother who had his eyes closed.
His eyes widened and shook slightly as he panicked, drawing the little body closer to his. What the fuck?? Did Cale Henituse suddenly collapsed?? In the middle of their conversation??
Wait... was his curse taking effect?
He frantically checked for a pulse and heaved a sigh of relief when he found one. Good. That was good. Cale was just unconscious, not dead. As much as he did not want to admit it, he did not like the idea of his little brother dying.
"Father...! Father! Rok Soo is...!"
Barrow called out to his father who fortunately was about to approach them. Kim Jun Seo dropped whatever he was holding and approached the two. He held Cale and then sighed in relief before looking at Barrow with a soft smile on his face.
"Don't worry... he's alright. It seems that his narcolepsy is worsening..."
Barrow's lips became tight shut as his voice seemed to get caught in his throat, his father's eyes did not seems gentle. He did not look like a parent who was relieved that their child is not in a critical situation rather... he looked like an enemy. An enemy that felt disappointed upon the survival of the hero.
"I-I'll hold him!" Barrow squeaked before snatching Cale's body from the man. He did not want his brother being held by the man he will now consider as an enemy. Was this why Cale is always tense around their father? Their 'father' did not have the gaze of a father, instead he had the gaze of a predator.
Kim Jun Seo's eyes narrowed before curling up into a pair crescents. "I see..."
...
That was the first time that Barrow had been in front of Cale when he had a narcoleptic episode, the little red haired villain swore that he would never leave his little brother who had a high risk of being in danger because of his narcolepsy. It would be bad if Cale had an episode while being around strangers or at an unknown location.
[Year xxxx]
[Cale Henituse/Kim Rok Soo: ???]
[Cale Barrow/ Kim Myung Dae: 11 years old: Alive.]
Barrow's face was stoic and focused as he tired to shoot his target in the gray dot, which is, like a 'bullseye'. In truth, he had absolutely no idea what a 'bullseye' is, he had just heard someone from another station saying it when his shot almost got the big gray circle. He had an inkling feeling that the big circle isn't actually color gray, but he had no way to know about it as his little brother was not by his side.
He clicked his tongue when he missed again which made the person besides him flinch and jerk which made the guy shoot the lowest point of the target. The guy turned towards him and flinched again when he saw the stoic look of the kid, such a scary kid... how did he even manage to get to this part of the training so fast? Most trainees only manages to get here when they're already fourteen.
Barrow gritted his teeth and then sighed, placing down the firearm gently before turning towards the instructor who was looking at him with a calculative gaze.
"I heard that your twin has been put down."
The instructor smirked in amusement. Kim Myung-dae was such an interesting child that did not have any balance in him, the only person who can make him docile is his dear little twin who was unfortunately put down into mental treatment. Without his beloved twin, Kim Myung-dae is an empty shell or perhaps... he's a person without his mask of childishness.
The instructor was quite interested with this kid. The kid was very childish and energetic like any other kid but when his stoic twin disappeared from his side, he became serious. Day by day, Kim Myung-dae started to resemble his father's personality more and more. The Kim Family of this generation really are interesting individuals.
Barrow snarled when he heard the ugly Instructor's voice and comment. That guy really is ugly both inner and outer appearance. Such a despicable waste of oxygen in this damned world, he should just perish and die so that he could at least help the plants have their needed nutrients.
"And I saw you eyeing my mother. Do you want me to tell Father, hm?" Barrow gave a snarky response, he had learned from his little brother that black mail is the best way to shut somebody up. He had also learned that black mail could also lead you to some troublesome shits if the person you blackmailed had more power than you. But in this situation... Barrow had more power than the instructor.
The instructor's face turned red at the obvious mocking of the soon to be Marshal, he clicked his tongue and scowled. He does not have the right to hurt the little Marshal...-nim... because that would be an immediate sign of treason. He did not have the power to properly 'discipline' this rude child as he knows that he would be executed or be put into the 'Three Generations Punishment'.
"Fucking brat." the instructor grumbled.
Barrow's lips twitched into a small smirk as he heard that grumble before he blinked, he was suddenly reminded of Cale's lessons about honorifics and stuff and how it's quite important. Should he have used honorifics? No... no. Cale doesn't even use honorifics with the crown prince! No way in hell is he going to use honorifics to someone he does not like.
Barrow nodded at his thoughts before walking away, presumably towards the location of his Mother.
His Mother was a lovely fellow, she likes to give Cale and him fond smiles as well as gentle eyes, at least Barrow could say that this Mother of theirs is a proper Mother. In terms of giving parental love that is. She's still quite... troubled in taking care of kids, it's probably because she was quite young or maybe she didn't want to have any kids at all! Barrow wouldn't blame her for not wanting kids, he finds them too hard to take care of. He's amazed that his lazy sloth-like little brother managed to take care of three children, a bit more if the wolf siblings are included, and many man children.
Although... even if their Mother is proper in terms of giving parental love, she did not seem there... It just looks as if she is an inanimate object that would only function to their given commands. She does not have her free will and her smiles are painted with empty lies that are not malicious. She was just a woman that wants to reassure her children with her fond smiles that was so perfect you wouldn't even notice that it's fake.
He sighed before putting up a smile when her mother's figure came into view. His mother is pretty simple, compared to those who are in his original Universe that is, she has straight hair that is neatly styled. She has small narrowed eyes that looks fitting of her appearance. Her skin is pale(?) and she looked healthy. The only thing that could ruin her image would probably the odd choice of clothes? Formal clothes did not suit her that much but since she's the First Lady then she needs to wear it... wether she likes it or not.
"Good Morning Mother." Barrow gave a simple greeting. He noted to ask Cale... whenever he gets back... if there are also 'formal' and 'informal' speech in 'Korean'. Speaking of Cale... 'Have they been feeding him well? What if he get's sick? He doesn't have his big brother by his side! He might also get a narcoleptic episode!'
Yoo A-Yeong, their mother, smile froze as she stared down at her oldest son. Her eyes were widened slightly and her posture was stiff when she heard Barrow's greeting. There wasn't really anything wrong with the greeting but the pronunciation... is not something you should here. The pronunciation that Barrow used was mostly used in the other Korea.
She calmed herself down and fixed her smile before gently saying, "Good Morning to you too, Kim Myung-dae... where..." she stop herself from asking before shaking her head.
"Yes?" Barrow asked with a tilt of the head, did he slip up? Did he accidentally spoke in Roan Language? Cale would be so disappointed in him if that was the case.
"Nevermind... Your brother would be released today. Are you excited?"
Barrow's eyes sparkled at the first great news that reached his ears for the past six months before nodding courtly, not wanting to show his excitement.
Yoo A-Yeoung smiled gently and patted her son's head. Her son is really adorable... he's trying to keep a straight face even though she could see him practically vibrating in excitement.
"...Hahaa... how the tables have turned..."
Barrow happily said and laughed slightly as he slowly pushed the wheelchair that Cale is sitting on. Said person was just eating ramyeon all the while enjoying the gentle breeze. If Cale were to have a say in this, he would say that it's beneficial! Why? Because he doesn't need to walk. He also doesn't needs to move around the wheelchair using his hands because he has a sla- older brother to do that for him.
"Hm... but it's looks like you are enjoying it rather than finding it annoying." Barrow sweat dropped as he looked down at his little brother who only nodded slightly.
Barrow waited for a few moments before casually saying,
"The God of Death spoke in my dreams today."
COUGH!! cOUGH! cOuGH!
Cale choked on his noddles when he heard the casual drop of a bomb as he pounded his fist on his chest. He frantically searched for his glass of water as he gulped down the contents of it.
...
After that embarrassing scene, Cale's face became stoic again as if nothing happened, he coughed into his fist and asked, "What did he say?"
Barrow's lips formed into a thin line after seeing his brother just casually ask a question right after almost choking to death. He sweat dropped and unconsciously patted his brother's head. He loves his brother even though he's weird.
"One year from now and he's going to send a 'Guide Book' of this world for us, well technically it's only for you since he did say that you're the only one who could read it."
COUGH! cOUGh! coUGh!
[Year xxxx]
[Cale Henituse/Kim Rok Soo: 12 years old: Alive]
[Cale Barrow/ Kim Myung Dae: 12 years old: Alive.]
"Hm..."
Cale hummed as he opened up the letter that came with the Guide book that the God of Death sent them. He's pretty sure that there's some downside in this guide book since it looks too good to be true.
"What's that?" Barrow asked with a raised eyebrow.
"A letter that came with the God of Death's 'guide book'."
The 'guide book' would disappear as soon as you finish reading all of it. Well... the contents are the only thing that would disappear but you'll still have the book.
It will...
Cale's eyes narrowed at the information as he sighed, the God of Death... was actually helping them. There was no downsides in the 'guidebook', it was just pure things that could help them smoothly live their life comfortably.
"What was written?"
"Just some side notes from the God of Death."
Barrow felt as if he was being dismissed by his brother, judging from the simple and vague answer that he was given. He sighed and shook his head, his little brother was so secretive! He still hasn't explained to him why ⬛ ⬛⬛ ⬛⬛! Maybe because it was unimportant? Or was it because he still did not trust Barrow? It pains Barrow a bit at the thought that Cale still hasn't fully trusted him yet, although the former hero has good reasons not to trust him, it still pains him.
Cale on the other hand finally opened the vintage looking 'guidebook'. The God of Death probably thought that vintage things looks pleasing to the eyes. The book cover was made of leather and has a black and white ribbon to it. The book cover also had gold engravings that forms roses, stems and leaves. The pages looked quite yellow and the contents looked like it was hand written. It had a very neat handwriting per say.
Only I know the end of this world.
Cale rose an eyebrow. Was this a first point of view novel kind of thing? Oh well... the prologue is starting quite strong too. Is it a transmigration or reincarnation manhwa? Or perhaps a regression one? He knows that those are the only genres that could have this kind of prologue.
Who would even say 'end of this world' if it's not... a book... Oh. OH.
One day our MC finds himself stuck in the world of his favorite webnovel. What does he do to survive? It is a world struck by catastrophe and danger all around.
His edge? He knows the plot of the story to end. Because he was the sole reader that stuck with it. Read his story to see how he survives!
'Not another fucking catastrophe!'
Cale's left eye twitched before sighing. It seems that his guess is right. The 'main character' of this world and him almost have the exact same situation. Fiction overlapping with reality? Was that what happened?
'And I guess I will be the one to truly know this world's end. Because this guy definitely changed the ending.'
Cale nodded to himself and pat himself on the back as if consoling himself that he's not the only person here who ruined the plot and ending of the story they read just because they got thrown into the world of that story. Yep. He's definitely not the only one. And this story will definitely have misunderstandings. Definitely. Other readers should know the pain of being misunderstood.
Barrow furrowed his eyebrows and dumbly watch his brother have a full on consoling session with himself. Are heroes... normally weird like him or is his little brother just special?
He shook his head then gently patted his little brother's head, surely it would at least help his brother feel better...?
"...Dokja died again." Cale rubbed his temples as he looked at the page over and over again. Not only is this 'Kim Dokja' getting him frustrated because of all his deaths it is also making him a bit relieved that... Thank God! None of his companions are like that.
Barrow, who was looking at him sternly with dark eye bags below his eyes sighed for the nth time this day. "What the fuck are you doing up at Midnight?"
Barrow did not enjoy the light that was coming from Cale's lamp. Seriously, how is this person so motivated when it comes to reading but so drained when it comes to daily activities...? Once again. His little brother is so damned weird.
"Hmm... I was just reading. What do you think was I doing?"
Barrow grumbled and then stood up from the bed as he snatched the book away from Cale who let out a "Hey!". Barrow ignored his little brother and promptly sat down on the 'guidebook' which made Cale look at him with a baffled expression.
"You aren't getting this book unless you have eight hours of sleep." Barrow said sternly as he rubbed his eyes to get the sleep away from them. Welp. It seems that he will stay up today.
"Kim Myung-dae. You can't just make me sleep, I just... can't-"
Right after Cale said that he collapsed because of a narcoleptic episode which made Barrow chuckle and then shake his head. This fool...
[Year xxxx]
[Cale Henituse/Kim Rok Soo: 13 years old: Alive]
[Cale Barrow/ Kim Myung Dae: 13 years old: Alive.]
Cale and Barrow smiled as they served a couple of soldiers as well as the instructor some cooked meat. It would be the first time in their lives to eat some meat for they are too poor to afford them. It would be a good first impression to give someone food, no?
"Ah... Thank you little marshal-nims." A soldier said sweetly as he gave the two their own smile, though he is not too fond of the Kim Family, he at least likes the children since they are helpful and nice... like angels. Cale however was much more helpful than his brother that is why they have dubbed him 'Hananim' for that reason as well as... another reason.
"Your welcome soldier-nim!" Barrow said happily as he grinned brightly which made most of the soldiers there chuckle and comically shield their eyes from the 'brightness of the smile'.
"Your welcome soldier-nim." Cale, the more quiet of the two, said quietly as he smiled softly.
Kim Jun Seo, who was watching his children from the sidelines, smiled coldly as his eyes glinted with amusement. He did not know that his children were like that... How... interesting. Should he put a tail on them?
He hummed, "I am quite proud of my children."
Kim Ma-ri, his sister who was going to be the next Marshal in case he dies, nodded in approval. She too is interested in her nephews, specially Kim Rok Soo. That child specifically was a whole nother' story than his brother. Though perhaps she shouldn't have favorites... after all both of them have their masks. Both of them can also be described a dool, but they are not 'new' or 'loved', rather they are 'broken' and 'abandoned'.
"...Put a tail on them." she said.
Kim Jun Seo looked at his sister and nodded in agreement, "Yes... I was thinking about that...Though I am curious as to why you would want to put a tail on your dear nephews? Didn't you love them to the point that you made me halt Kim Rok Soo's mental medication?"
Kim Ma-ri clicked her tongue at her brother's comment. "Both of them took after you, surely enough they would sooner or later plan an escape. Like yours."
Kim Jun Seo, who was suddenly reminded of his teen days, scowled at his sister before sighing. She did have a point. Those two probably have a plan by now.
...and he was right.
[Year xxxx]
[Cale Barrow/ Kim Myung Dae: 14 years old: Alive.]
"Ugh! Fuck!"
Kim Jun Seo, who was normally calm and collected, shouted in frustration. He and his soldiers did not manage to catch his cheeky little youngest son. That damned brat had a flawless plan to the point that they wouldn't have found out if he did not notice the lack of smiles from his oldest son. His oldest son, Kim Myung-dae, would only smile if Kim Rok Soo was there.
He ruffled his own hair before a smirk adorned his face.
"Damned brat... now I know how my father felt when I also escaped. "
He laughed and then sighed before slumping down his chair. It was a good thing that he has some soldiers sent in the other Korea, he had a feeling that his youngest son would go there considering that Kim Rok Soo knows the dialect there as well as the culture.
"Let's just see if you're a smarter rat than I am, Kim Rok Soo."
He looked towards his vault of money before shaking his head and sweat dropping. His son even robbed him. Damn brat was smart enough to crack the code... or maybe he managed to see the code?
"Haaah.... This is a disaster."
His son even finished his training years first before escaping... haaah.... that brat is really troublesome. He's just so... predictable yet unpredictable at the same time...!
"Gah! That brat would be the end of me!"
He continued being dramatic despite knowing that a pair of reddish-brown eyes are watching him. His other son.
"What the hell? Did he go crazy?" Barrow mumbled as his brows furrowed. Why would a calm person like him be so frantic with the escape of one person? He could literally just send out soldiers to find his little brother. Though... his little brother is quite a sneaky rat, he would surely know a place where he could get protected or a place where he would not be detected.
But... he was also quite shocked. His brother has always told him that he would escape, he just didn't expect it to be yesterday. That guy didn't even ask for help nor said good bye.
He shook his head fondly as he sighed. His brother would surely go back for him. Definitely.
"Oh god... this is driving me crazy...!"
Barrow gripped his hair in frustration. About a while ago he had come into his brother's room to check if he was asleep, completely forgetting that his brother wasn't with him.
"haaah... keep it together Barrow! Your brother is gone...! Wait no- he isn't!"
Barrow groaned and then buried his face in his brother's pillow. He was so used to checking Cale if he's sleeping daily that he had unintentionally checked his brother's room for more than three months if he was sleeping. He should get rid of that habit of his.
His head then shot up when a sudden thought came into his mind,
"Oh no... what if he gets a sworn brother in the other Korea?? Will he forget about me??"
He took a deep breath before shaking his head. Surely his brother won't forget about him. Right? Right. Cale Henituse loves him! Platonically of course. He had learned that 'love' was being used most of the time as romantically that you need to classify that it's platonic love. Seriously... everything here can be misunderstood and he hates it.
"Well... if he... if he gets a new hyung then I would get a new dongsaeng!"
Barrow huffed and then turned away as if he just turned away from Cale's disapproving face that was definitely not besides him. Oh god... he's hallucinating.
[Year xxxx]
[Cale Henituse/Kim Rok Soo: 15 years old: Alive]
"Aigoo... Another day of work... why do people always comes to me for help? There are other hackers in this damned world...! Why me??"
Cale sighed in despair as he rested his chin on his fist, he had absolutely no sleep since yesterday because he got a request from a Government Official. Good thing that he did not come across unnecessary things while he was trying to find the information he needed... last time he came across something...
Cale shuddered, suddenly remembering when he saw files upon files of beheaded men as well as child p*rn while he was trying to check how someone got lots and lots of bit coin. Turns out his customer's friend was actually a murderer and a pedophile, thankfully he managed to point the suspect to the cops... anonymously of course, he did not want unwanted attention. He did not want to have that kind of experience again.
Thankfully, his customer was kind enough to pay him more than their initial agreement. He was a bit happy but still shaken because of his discover. Nevermind. He was VERY happy that he got more money.
"Haaah... the things I do for money..."
He shook his head slowly before straightening his back when he got a notification. Was there another customer? Aigoo... he still has fifteen more pending requests...
He opened up the notification and tilted his head as he blinked owlishly. Someone tagged him? Who the hell even managed to find his account? He never posted anything there nor decided to socialize, he just made a social media account so he can track what the fuck's happening in the world.
OMGGGG!!!
Guys! We've finally found out the identity of the world known hacker 'Silver Shield'! Turns out it's a 'he'! Our team managed to caught him in the act of reporting yet another pedophile that he came across! How noble of him!
@Weakhuman
"..."
"These damn millennials... They even have a whole team??"
Cale rubbed his temples and buried his face in his palms as he screamed into it. What the hell?? He took all his time to stay anonymous for two whole years only for his identity to be discovered... and even posted for the whole world to see!
It has only been five minutes since it was posted and it already had ten thousand likes...! His slacker life... his peaceful...
Knock! Knock! Knock! Thump!
He jolted upwards and looked towards his door. His eyes widening in horror as he realized that the police station he reported in was very near to his house which means... the 'team' that found him knows about his address.
"You've got to be kidding me!"
"...Oh no... I forgot about Barrow...!"
Cale gasped when he suddenly remembered that his brother was still with their family.
"...oops? What should I tell Barrow? Haha..."
He laughed nervously before slowly packing a bag for all the things he would need to get Barrow out of their residence. Huhh... he would be proud of that guy if he manages to stay sane without his guidance.
[Year xxxx]
[Cale Henituse/Kim Rok Soo: 16 years old: Alive]
[Cale Barrow/ Kim Myung Dae: 16 years old: Alive.]
"Are we in the right subway?"