North - South

Non-aggression pact

Pyongyang, Lunar New Year

"Omma!"

With such a frustrated cry, Jeong Hyeok left the room. Sighing, his mom cast him a glance which was a silent pleading for help; the little one really seemed not wanting to be reasonable with her. Mu Hyeok, a couple of years older – though when his brother acted like that the years seemed rather 20 – followed his younger brother into his room, where he was used to close the door and obtusely play the same piece for hours when things didn't go as he pleased.

Jeong Hyeok had protested with their dad. And when the man, upset, had left the table, had protested even more with their mom whose only fault was to have assumed the role of the peacekeeper. Then, when Mu Hyeok had taken their mom's side – for reasons which were obscure to the boy -, he had left the room, as furious as his dad had been before him, and had run to close himself into his room, crushing on the keys to vent part of the bottomless anger. Ishhh!

"Jeong Hyeok... please be reasonable," Mu Hyeok nearly begged. It was a common opinion that Jeong Hyeok had been a candy-sweet child, and still was the sweetest boy. Always smiling, dutiful and obedient. And that common opinion happened to also be true, most of the time. Though when he decided something or had something inside his mind, there was no possibility to persuade him, especially when it was about his piano.

"Ani! I need to practice! The prize! Don't you understand how important it is?"

"Are you sure you can't skip a single evening? You already are the best in your school, Jeong Hyeok-ah."

It was since their childhood that Jeong Hyeok took part – winning, mostly – in competitions and prizes. He was what people called a prodigy, way far the best in the country. Mu Hyeok had no idea of what it meant, being a prodigy – he liked playing too, yet certainly not at his brother's level, which also was the reason why he'd been destined to a different career -, though if he had to guess, skipping the practice for one evening only shouldn't have been such problem.

"No. I can't." His brother had no idea of how much pressure was on his shoulders. It wasn't about being the best among other pianists, it was about overdoing himself. Coming home as a winner and proud because he had done his best. Besides, for once in a lifetime he knew what to do with the money of the prize. And plus, there was the Swiss. He had never competed with pianists of other nations. What if their level would have been way more advanced than his? Of course, he was going to Swiss to learn, that was what he repeated to himself. But he didn't want to start from a bottom which was too bottom. And learning German was already asking him to sacrifice precious hours, with all those 'ch,' and tenses and conjugations.

"Jeong Hyeok-ah," Mu Hyeok sighed. He loved him, but sometimes the boy really stressed his patience, "you know appa needs us."

"I know," the little one replied, suddenly calm. It wasn't a good sign. In fact, Mu Hyeok stayed silent, waiting for him to turn from the piano and look into his eyes.

"He has to stop using us for his career. I hate his career, I hate it. He has already forced you to join the army. What else does he want?"

Jeong Hyeok had never had the kind of nature which could have been compatible with his dad's. Martial and uber-serious the one, sensitive and sweet the other. Jeong Hyeok was like their mom, and the fact that he had inherited his nature from a woman contributed to make him not suitable for his dad's liking. He knew that the only reason why he'd been allowed to pursue his dream about becoming a pianist was that he was the second son, that the first had sacrificed his wills to their dad's, and that all the members of the elite were used to send their children in Swiss.