Love Director [ENG]

Chapter 22: Everything is worthless

"That's unusual." Gus remarked as he stared at his phone, surprised by the odd tone in his neighbor's voice. Since they were kids, he had never fully understood Paint's thoughts.

Paint had always been the neighborhood darling, with his cute face and obedient nature. Everyone liked him, and he always brought home snacks from the neighbors. Gus, on the other hand, was more of a troublemaker, breaking things often. Yet, it was strange that this well-behaved kid liked to follow him around.

Initially, when his mom told him to let Paint play with him, Gus found it annoying. But no matter how rough he played or what he said, Paint never got angry. Gradually, Gus grew fond of him. He also realized that having Paint around meant more snacks for both of them from the neighborhood moms.

Having a little brother like Paint wasn't so bad after all.

Moreover, Paint had twin siblings, and he often felt neglected by his parents. Gus would tell him comforting things, which only made Paint stick to him even more.

As they grew older, Paint's cute face turned handsome. Gus felt a bit jealous, wondering why his parents hadn't given him such good looks. But Paint never saw himself as handsome; he always praised Gus for being cooler and more heroic, just like when they were kids. That made Gus proud, of course.

Whenever Gus introduced Paint to his female friends, they would gush over how cute Paint was. This only made Gus more eager to show him off.

But by high school, Gus found hanging out with Paint less fun. Why should he run around with the kid next door when he could stay in and play games? Besides, he was more into his own friends, leaving less time for Paint. But Paint never got mad or sulky. Every time they met, he'd run to Gus with a big smile, calling his name excitedly.

Paint's generosity continued as they grew. Whenever Gus wanted a snack that Paint had, he would give it to him immediately. If Paint's dad bought him a new game, Gus would borrow it and never return it, and Paint never complained. He'd give Gus anything he asked for.

It was fun back then, but Gus felt selfish as he got older. So, he stopped asking Paint for things. When Gus got into a university far from home and moved to a dorm, their bond didn't weaken. Every time he came home, Paint would greet him with the same big smile and make whatever food Gus wanted, reminding Gus of the bad habits he'd instilled in him as a kid.

Gus tried to be a better older brother, but time was limited. Given a choice between his nong and his girlfriend, he'd naturally choose his girlfriend. Besides, Paint was getting more handsome, and Gus didn't want to risk bringing his girlfriends home. He feared she might dump him for Paint. As he started working, their interactions became even less frequent.

Those days, Gus came home only two or three times a month. Then he met his current girlfriend. He had realized some time ago that he wanted to wake up next to this woman every day. He was ready to ask Nin to be his life partner.

What did that have to do with the nong next door? Paint was among the first people he wanted to tell. The twins still felt like neighborhood kids to Gus, but not Paint. He saw Paint as a real younger brother. Besides his parents, Paint was the one he wanted to tell first because he believed Paint would genuinely be happy for him.

But instead of a blessing, Gus had shocked Paint senseless. Gus found it funny, but it also made him more excited. Just imagine, if Paint was this stunned, how moved would his girlfriend be? Proposing was a once-in-a-lifetime event, and he wanted to make it as memorable as possible for his girlfriend.

He was ready, just missing the final piece of equipment, but he had already exceeded his budget by spending too much on other preparations. Moreover, he needed to save money for the future wedding. Thus, Gus thought he might have to settle for something else for now. The impression might not be as grand as he had initially planned.