Maverick (Blank)
Chapter 18: Kaelan (5)
[Brother Rohan... he... passed away]
Blank jolted. His fingers went weak, holding a bouquet of flowers. (Huh? Impossible.)
The entire room fell silent. His eyes twitched, and his head experienced intense pain. (No... It can't be...)
He closed his eyes. His breath exhaled slowly. (Rohan's death... Because of me?)
His eyes opened, and Natalia was still hugging Blank tightly. The hug from earlier this afternoon happened again so Natalia could calm down.
"Alright, Natalia. This isn't your fault." With trembling shoulders, Natalia answered, "But... but brother... brother Rohan..."
Blank looked weakly, after seeing Rohan's parents and Kenzo. (This isn't the right time to talk.)
Blank patted Natalia's shoulder. Slowly, the flow of tears began to subside with his method. His gaze focused on the girl. "It's okay, Natalia. This was all an accident, exactly as Kenzo said."
Natalia loosened her hug. Her cheeks were red due to the guilt enveloping her. "Natalia, go sit back down."
With a stammering sentence. "Y-yes, bro El."
Blank turned his body around. (I'll go to the cafeteria. Better get drinks for them.)
A cold corridor with an antiseptic smell hit his nose. Heavy steps with a pale face but not forcing himself to be strong.
The cafeteria looked quiet. He approached the refrigerator on the right. Six bottles of ionized water were placed in the basket and given to the cafeteria attendant.
Beep.
"Total is $15, sir." A wallet was taken from his pocket. Money was handed over. "Thank you, sir."
Blank nodded his head. His mouth couldn't speak right now, and he immediately went to where Rohan was.
During the walk, as he passed several rooms. A 13-year-old child with bandages wrapped around his head. His eyes were weak, and his right leg was in a cast. (There was no one there before.)
Blank approached. "Are you alone?"
The child glanced at Blank briefly and returned to his previous state. "My mom and dad died in an accident."
Blank was startled. Even though he himself was shattered this time, seeing someone more broken in front of him made him angry at himself. He bit the flesh inside his mouth.
But Blank took one bottle of water and extended it to him. "I understand... this is for you."
With a forced smile Blank gave. "Drink this. With this, you'll become strong."
The child was silent. But his hand took the drink and opened it. One gulp passed his throat.
The child stuck out his tongue. "It doesn't taste good."
A small laugh escaped Blank's mouth. "That's water with a bit of ions. But it's refreshing, right?"
The child tried drinking a second time. Even though his expression was like he had just drunk lime juice directly, he still finished it.
Blank half-squatted. "Oh, what's your name?"
The boy clenched his hands on his knees. "Alex... Alexander."
Blank raised the corners of his lips until his eyes closed. His hand reached for Alexander's curly hair and ruffled it.
"A good name. Alexander means strong, right?"
Blank took his hand. "I'm Kaelan. Nice to meet you." Blank finally left and said, "See you again, Alexander."
With a weak body, Alexander watched him. "Yes..."
Step by step, Blank finally arrived at the room. The door opened, and everyone was still bowing their heads. "Natalia, this is for you."
Natalia looked at Blank. "Ah, yes... Thank you, bro El."
Kenzo sat on an iron chair, and Blank approached him. "Kenzo, this is for you too."
His eye bags were thick and slightly swollen. "Thank you, Kaelan. You're a good person. Sorry you have to see me in this condition." Blank shook his head.
"It's okay. Get some rest."
His steps moved softly on the ceramic floor surface. A cold air enveloped him with guilt as he approached the mother and father. (Phew...)
Blank sighed. "Mr. Rohan, Mrs. Rohan, I brought you some drinks—"
Smack.
As Blank handed the bottle, the mother's hand slapped the bottle hard. Blank froze. Stuck in an unpleasant situation. The mother looked at him. "Go away!"
The father tried to calm his wife. The two of them cried again, and Blank could only watch them.
Blank bowed his body. "I apologize." Then placed one water bottle beside them. But the bottle was thrown at Blank's face.
"You scoundrel!" Several securities entered, and the nurse on duty calmed Mrs. Rohan. Blank stood alone with a blurry gaze. His forehead was slightly red.
And at that moment, Blank felt a dilemma within himself until the conflict ended. Blank only waited for Rohan to be taken back to his residence so the funeral could be held the next day.
The next day at 08:30 at the cemetery. Blank, Kenzo, and Natalia watched Rohan's burial. (Rohan... May you rest in peace.)
Everything went smoothly. They followed until the end and prayed together. After the funeral, the three of them sat on iron chairs not far from the grave to rest briefly.
Blank looked at Kenzo. "Kenzo, I want to know about the surgery."
Kenzo leaned back. "Rohan had severe bleeding, and the back of his skull was cracked, so many nerves were damaged."
"Is that so..." The three of them talked together for about 20 minutes. Until...
"Friends, I have to work at 10:00. I'll go first." Natalia waved her hand. Blank and Kenzo answered with smiles.
Blank stood up. "Then I'll go first too, Kenzo. Are you going home too?"
Kenzo shook his head. "Maybe I'll stay a bit longer." Rohan's family was still in front of the grave, diverting Blank's attention. "Alright, I understand."
Blank said goodbye first and walked out of the cemetery. His clenched fist hit his own forehead. "Ugh!?"
"I don't understand my life right now."
Blank took the card the mysterious man gave him. "Hey, I'm not coming to your place tonight."
Blank threw the card into the trash. "The way you made things difficult for me already makes me sick."
Blank walked along the sidewalk, but at the same time... "Hey, you damn brat!"
That voice reached his ears. Blank looked to the right and only saw a narrow alley. (Is there a sound from in there?)
"Big brother..."
His pupils shrank. It was a girl's screaming voice. (Wait? What!?)
An alley with lots of graffiti mixed with unkempt trash cans and worn brick walls.
Blank slowly entered the alley cautiously. From across the street behind a large tree, a man with white hair watched him.
"Look, that child really is his descendant." The man's eyes followed Blank's steps. "Don't get killed, okay. That's where Kaeri died before."
Blank didn't know. He kept slowly observing the current situation in front of him. After reaching the source of the sound, Blank tried to peek from behind a wall.
One person with two small children: a boy holding a piece of wood in his hand as resistance, and the second was a girl hiding behind the boy. They were around 10-12 years old.
The man shouted in front of them. "Hey, kid, give me that jewelry!"
Firmly, the boy answered, "No! You stole it from my mom!"
Blank furrowed his brow. Looking to the left side, there was a wooden stick, and behind it was bubble wrap in a trash can. (This can be used.)
The man grabbed his collar. "Hey, who cares about your mom? She deserves it."
"You bastard!" The boy bit his hand. With pain, the man shouted, "You bastard!"
The man took the boy's wooden block and raised it as if to hit. The little girl behind him hugged her brother. "Brother."
Thud.
One blow hit the man's head until he fell sprawled and hit the wall. The left side of his forehead began to bleed. The one who hit him was Blank. (Sorry, there was no other way.)
Blank looked at the two children. "Are you two okay?"
But to his shock, the boy took the jewelry and money from the wallet of the man who fell sprawled.
"Hey, don't steal!"
The boy stood up. "He hasn't paid our mom yet, so I'm taking it."
His brow furrowed. "I don't understand."
"Come with us."
The two children walked away, leaving him. Blank's eye twitched. (Huh? What is this?) Blank walked with them.
"Hey, what are your names, and how old are you?"
"My name is Riku, 12 years old, and my sister's name is Raya, 10 years old."
Blank looked at his sister. Raya only looked at Blank while biting her own lip and holding her brother's hand tightly.
"Is that so? Where are we going now?"
Casually, Riku answered, "Shut up and just follow."
Blank's ears felt hot. "Hey, is that how you treat someone who helped you and is older?"
But all of Blank's annoyance stopped when they reached their destination. Blank froze in his place right now.
One sentence was written on the front door.
[Under the shade of the underring]
"Wait... this..."
Riku and Raya entered inside with Blank. Riku said, "Our home is on the 2nd floor." Blank looked with his mouth open and his left eye blinking.
And at the same time, as Blank walked with the two of them, several people came out of their rooms.
"Wow, a customer, at this hour of the day?"
"Hey, isn't that a child? But he's quite tall? Maybe it's allowed?"
"Hello, kid, come here. I'll give you the best service available here."
The hairs on Blank's neck stood up. He rubbed his own hands while looking at the two children in front of him. (Wait... That means their mother...)
Their steps stopped when they saw a room with a door labeled 'A Class'.
Riku pointed. "This is our home."
Blank was shocked. Silent as a stone. Riku opened the door.
"Mom, we're home."
A young blonde woman in pink clothes sitting at her makeup table glanced. She smiled and hugged both children.
"Riku. Raya. You brought a customer during the day? He's handsome, but isn't he too young?"
Riku shook his head. "No, Mom. He saved us when we were attacked by the man who didn't pay last night."
The mother patted both children's hair. "Ah, really? That's amazing!"
The little boy named Riku gave the jewelry and money obtained from that man.
"This is the jewelry and the money, Mom."
The woman's face flushed, and her eyes sparkled. She hugged her children warmly again and pressed her cheeks against Riku and Raya's faces. "Oh my, thank you."
The woman looked at Blank, who was silent with a gaze full of bewilderment at this moment. The woman flirted with him.
"You're the one who helped? Want a free service?"
Blank turned his face away. "No."
The hairs on Blank's neck stood up, and his legs felt weak now. But Blank faced the woman again. "I want to talk to you."
The woman was surprised, then looked at her two children. "Riku, there's a new book over there. And Raya, Mom has a small doll on the bed."
Riku and Raya nodded their heads and smiled.
"Mom is going on a short date." Waving at the two of them.
Blank scratched his neck where it didn't itch. (Huh... Scary...)
The woman stood up and invited him, "Upstairs, there's a party place. Since it's still daytime, it's quiet."
Blank looked at her. The woman walked in her heels to the third floor of this place. The mother of the two children opened the entrance door. A place that was still dirty and not cleaned was seen. Stains of drinks were everywhere, and a fishy smell crossed his senses.
The two of them sat facing each other on a red sofa. (Why is this sofa sticky?) He looked at the woman in front of him.
"Why would someone like you be here?"
"You're small but sweet too. It's very rare for someone to ask me questions."
"Are you really their mother? You look like a woman in her mid-20s."
She bit her finger in front of Blank. "Haha, are you flirting with me? I'm almost 30, you know. Do I look that young?"
"You had them at 17, right?"
"That's right. So, when are we going to have fun?" The woman giggled.
"Never."
Blank sighed. "I know you want to work. I can help you."
The woman patted both her cheeks. "You want to be my husband?"
With a disgusted expression, Blank answered. "That's a huge misunderstanding."
"Then what?"
"Your children. I think they can still develop. I can see their potential—"
The wooden table was hit with a clenched fist. "Shut up!"
Blank's collar was pulled in front of her. "You feel pity, you bastard?" The collar was released. "Get out and never bother us again."
She walked out, leaving Blank alone. When the woman had left, his head ached, and a sentence from when he was little crossed his mind.
[I will help children in difficulty so they can rise and strive]
Blank's heart felt as if slashed by a knife. Silent and helpless, then he stood up again. (Ah... I guess she's right...)
Blank walked back to the lower floor with thoughts still chaotic. (So I can't save children, huh...)
He held his forehead. (What would Brother Kaeri do now?) Both hands slapped his cheeks. (No. But they have become a warm family even in a place like this.)
Blank walked and passed Riku and Raya's room, but he heard voices from inside.
"Raya, when you're 17, you can work like Mom, okay? You're pretty."
His steps stopped and froze. His eyes widened completely.
"Riku. Good work today. Tomorrow there's jewelry from this woman, and you also have to take money from the person Mom gave you. The location is tomorrow."
But instantly, at the same time...
CRASH!
At that very moment, their door was forcefully kicked open. The teenager behind that door stood in front of them. With a burning heart and tightly clenched fists until veins were visible on his arms, Blank said:
[You crazy woman]