The Invasion (Part 2 of the KaiSoo Fanfic Series)

Chapter 9

Asher finds that as the days without his brother around accumulate, his effort and motivation to stay strong and hidden fade. He still goes to school every day as he's expected to and he does well as he's expected to, but he doesn't make as much of an effort to obey the rules as he did during the first months of Jongin's absence. He sleeps in Jongin's bed every night and reads a little bit more of his father's journal each day, and those things seem to give him hope that he'll keep his promise and come back. But every time he wakes up and finds he's still in Jongin's old bed, his ability to hold onto that hope fades, too. 

School isn't much better than his living quarters. Many of the kids pick on him for not being respectful to the adults and for not doing his work as he's told to in class. Asher would try to tell someone about this, but he knows it would be of no use for him to. After all, who would believe the little brother of a criminal? And in some ways, that's the reason Asher is mad at Jongin. Ever since he left, he feels like everyone has been keeping a close eye on him, monitoring him 24/7 as if they expect him to be the next one to make a mistake. He feels scared and anxious knowing he's in the center of everyone's silent attention. 

His class is on a recess break and they all talk with each other during that time, but Asher just remains seated at his desk in silence, a new hobby he's learned to love. A small group of the kids in his class look over at him oddly and walk over to him. 

"Asher," one of them says and Asher looks up at them lazily. "Why do you not talk to anybody?"

"Yes, do you not know it is rude to not converse with the people around you?" another says. 

Asher just sort of looks up at them with one cocked eyebrow. "You really think that's considered rude? Not talking to people you see literally every day?" he says, widening his eyes a little as he speaks.

"Yes," the third one says. "Our guardians and the Government say so, so it must be true."

"Huh," Asher huffs and snickers, sighing as he removes his hand from his cheek and sits up somewhat straight. "Well, I hate to break it to you, but I think They've been lying to you," he adds and all of them let out a big gasp as if they witnessed him murder an innocent person. 

"How can you speak so poorly of our Government?"

"And our guardians as well? Have you no respect for the people that have helped us survive?"

"It is not so unlike him to say such a thing," the first one who spoke earlier says. "He is the sibling of a criminal, is he not? His brother caused much disorder in our society, so it is to be expected that he turns out like him as well." This sends Asher over the edge. He's put up with their snide comments for almost two and a half years, but he's done listening now. It's about time he stood up talked. It's what Jongin would want him to do. 

"Don't ever talk about my brother like you know him," he says in a threatening tone of voice, clenching his jaw as he stands up from his seat. "He is not a criminal, all of you crazy people just think he is because They tell you he is! All he did was try to spread the truth and what does his work get? Ignorant morons like you going around and talking shit about him. Well, I won't have it anymore. So, anything you want to say about him from this day forward, you might as well say to me." None of the three young children reply to his words, but they really do not have time to because the school adviser walks in a few moments later. 

"Kim Asher," he says as he marches over to him. "I will not stand to have that sort of foul language in this classroom. Take your belongings and go to the office. I will be calling your guardians and they will come to pick you up. You are done here for the day."

"Whatever," Asher says, sighing and rolling his eyes as he grabs his bag and slings it over his shoulder. He strides out of the room and down the hall, not bothering to say hello to anyone who passes or apologize to anyone he runs into. He's sure he'll get scolded for that, too, but at this point, he really could care less about the "rules".