After their tense day at school, Joong, Pond, and Fourth returned to the Gemini mansion, walking through the servant's entrance with heavy steps. As they entered the small dining area for the staff, their father stood waiting, his arms crossed and his face etched with displeasure.
“I heard about what happened at school,” he said sharply, his voice low but cutting.
Joong, Pond, and Fourth froze. Fourth looked away, already anticipating the scolding.
“What were you thinking, getting into a fight?” their father snapped, glaring at Fourth. “Do you know how embarrassing this is for me? For the family you work for?”
Fourth clenched his fists but stayed silent.
“You boys are here to repay a debt, not to cause trouble,” their father continued, his tone cold and unrelenting. “The Gemini family has been generous enough to let you stay here and send you to school. I won’t have you ruining this chance with your stupidity.”
“They were bullying Pond,” Joong said quietly, stepping in to shield his brother. “Fourth was just standing up for him.”
Their father’s expression hardened. “And who told him to play the hero? Keep your heads down and stay out of trouble. The last thing we need is for the Gemini family to think we’re more of a burden than we already are.”
Pond, who had been silent until now, spoke up, his voice soft but trembling. “We’re trying our best. We didn’t mean for this to happen.”
“Trying isn’t enough,” their father snapped, cutting him off. “You don’t get to ‘mean well.’ You do what you’re told, and you stay in line. Is that clear?”
“Yes, sir,” Pond replied, lowering his head.
Fourth looked like he wanted to say something, but Joong shot him a warning glance.
“Good,” their father said. “Now get out of my sight. There’s work to do.”
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The brothers retreated to the library, their assigned area for the evening’s chores. The room’s usual warmth, with its dark wood shelves and soft golden lighting, felt oppressive as they worked in silence, each lost in their thoughts.
Fourth broke the quiet first, his voice low and angry. “He doesn’t care about us. We’re just tools to him. Tools to repay his stupid debt.”
Joong sighed, dusting a high shelf. “You’re not wrong, but what choice do we have? He’s made it clear how things are.”
Pond glanced up from where he was stacking books, his expression conflicted. “Even if he doesn’t care, we still need to do our part. It’s not like we can leave. Where would we even go?”
“That doesn’t mean we have to let people walk all over us,” Fourth argued, his voice rising. “I won’t just sit there while someone picks on us, no matter what he says.”
Joong set down his cloth, turning to face his younger brother. “No one’s saying you should let it happen, Fourth. But you need to be smart about it. Punching someone is only going to make things harder—for all of us.”
Fourth opened his mouth to argue but closed it again, frustration flashing in his eyes.
Pond stepped in, his voice soft but firm. “We’re all frustrated, but we have to stick together. That’s the only way we’ll get through this.”
Joong nodded, putting a hand on Fourth’s shoulder. “We’ll figure it out, okay? Just... don’t give them a reason to make things worse.”
Fourth sighed, his shoulders slumping. “Fine. But I still hate how we’re treated.”
“Join the club,” Joong muttered, earning a faint smile from Fourth.
The tension between them eased slightly as they returned to their tasks. Despite the coldness of their father and the challenges they faced, they had one thing that couldn’t be taken away: each other.
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Shadows
Fanfiction(P.s this is Dunkjoong, fourthgemini and Phuwinpond) In this story, Joong and his brothers-Pond and Fourth-work as servants and protectors for Dunk and his brothers, Phuwin and Gemini, as part of their father's debt to the wealthy family. Despite th...
