A Blooming Love Story (Erehisu)

Chapter 10.5- Zeke

"The boy wonder". That was a nickname Zeke was known for since an early age when he was sent to military school in Liberio. He lived in Liberio with his parents and paternal grandparents. Within a year of Zeke being enrolled at the school, his mother met an untimely death and Grisha suddenly transferred jobs to an unknown place called Paradis. It's a city surrounded by mountains and near the coast. Instead of taking Zeke with him, Grisha opted to leave Zeke in the military school. Eren Kruger kept tabs on Zeke for Grisha. Kruger did not exactly act as a father figure but instead like a watcher. Tom was the one who filled in the father role. They met one day when Zeke was sitting on a bench processing the news from Kruger that his father remarried within three years since he left Liberio and had a son.

When Zeke met Eren for the first time, it was also the first time his father decided that Zeke will spend a summer in Paradis with him, Carla, and Eren. Zeke was certain he was gonna use a pillow to take the young baby's life. For months, he convinced himself that he wouldn't need a brother ten years younger than him from a different woman with a man he grew to despise. However, when Zeke looked at Eren for the first time, he felt an instinctive need to protect him.

He unexpectedly enjoyed his time playing with Eren and listening to Carla talk about the eccentric customers she had at the bar. It almost felt like he was connected to his family again and discreetly hoped Grisha would let him stay with them. Yet, when the autumn leaves arrived, Grisha informed Zeke that he would be sent right back to military school. The night before he left, Grisha told Zeke the circumstances surrounding Dina's sudden death and how it wasn't just a random accident. The "boy wonder" was tasked with finding clues surrounding his mother's death but to be careful not to tell anyone but Kruger of the mission.

Tom catches the speedball Zeke throws at him. "Careful Zeke. You know it's not your fault, right? People grieve differently."

"My father isn't grieving. He doesn't have to hide his secret anymore."

"His cheating behavior does not correlate to your mother's death."

"How do you know? I think it's very convenient."

Tom walks towards Zeke and puts his hand on his shoulder. "I barely met your father, I don't know how he is but I do know he loves his family. He has a funny way of expressing it but regardless he cared about your mother and he cares about you."

Zeke looks away. "If he cares so much, he wouldn't tell me to go on a stupid chase like I'm a detective or something to find my mom's supposed killer. He's doing this so he can make himself feel better for cheating on her before she died."

"Perhaps, perhaps you're right."

Zeke snaps his head back to Tom in shock and Tom gives a small smile.

Tom: "Don't you want to be right?"

Zeke looks down in contemplative thought. "Who cares what I want."

"I do. I care about what you want and it sounds like you just want to be happy, right?"

"Yes, I do."

"Good." Tom takes a folded paper from his back pocket and gives it to Zeke. "I think your father may care about you but he's doing more harm than good. For the upcoming summer, why don't you enroll in this?"

Zeke takes the piece of paper. "A camp-based off the school? I don't know. That's like the camp for the military school kids here and I'm terrible at physical activities."

"This camp isn't just any ordinary camp, it's not all about brawns. It's a Marlean Warrior camp that's about brains too. That's how I joined, became a counselor, and now I'm one of the directors."