What Can I Do

Chapter 7 ~Grip the handrail, or my hand, whichever you like

The day of the fair had quickly arrived, and everyone was excited about it. 

It was only an excuse for the school to make more money, and have the kids occupied with cheap food and impossible games. It was a flimsy and pathetic thing that should not have warranted any excitement or entertainment, but was still a favourite school event that the students loved. 

Every year Haru and Jae would go together, and this year was no different. Haru was pulling Jae by the hand, eager to get into the fair and buy some cotton candy. Jae let himself be pulled, laughing, knowing about Haru's sweet tooth. 

They had been at the fair no longer than ten minutes, before Jae had spotted Brian at an ice cream stand. Jae's eyes lit up and he called out to him, walking up to where he was standing. Haru saw him too, and followed Jae towards him.

"Hyung!" He called, and Brian turned when he heard his voice.

Jae caught up to him saying, "You don't mind if I call you that, right hyung?"

Brian was surprised at the term but nodded his head.

Haru shyly nodded her head towards him, Brian only sparing her a glance.

"Hyung, come join us! We're about to go on the drop tower." He pointed to the small attraction that barely offered much thrill, only about 50 feet off the ground.

Brian paled slightly while looking at the tower but didn't want Jae to know he was afraid of heights. He put on a mask of indifference and tried to make up an excuse not to get on the ride.

"I just had some ice cream, I don't know, I might throw up."

"Aw, come on! You won't throw up, the ride is tiny. Please?" Jae begged and Brian disagreed, the ride was very much not tiny. 

However, he complied, not wanting to disappoint his friend.

Yesterday Jae had spent the entire afternoon at his house, talking with him, playing video games, and eating his food. Brian found that he didn't mind much. 

Jae talked to him as if they had been friends for years, instead o two people who had only started talking that day. Deep down, Brian admitted it was nice having someone that wanted to hang out with him. 

Being an only child, he never had any siblings to play with as a kid, and his parents would always be too busy with work to play with their kid. They were both lawyers at the same work firm and barely saw each other outside of the office. Both his parents were very passionate about their jobs, Brian thinking they sometimes cared more about their cases than their child. He grew up in a very big and lonely house, his parents neglect making him bitter towards them. 

When he was in his first years of high school, he tried everything to make his parents notice him. He pierced his ears, got into fights, broke school rules. But every time the principle would call his parents, it would go straight to his parents secretary, or they wouldn't even show up to see what their son had done. 

Even when he got suspended from his school, his parents didn't even make it home from work that day. Brian had only got an email that stated they were disappointed in him and that they had transferred him to a different school. He had punched a wall that day. 

He barely saw his parents more than twice a week, but he had gotten used to it, and given up trying to get their attention. His parents never spent time with him and everyone at school avoided him from the rumors of his behavior at his old school. He never expected anyone to ever want to genuinely be around him with him because of this. 

However, Jae did not comment on the fact that there was no one in his giant house, or that his room was incredibly messy because Brian never bothered to clean it. Why would he when no one ever came in it? Not even his parents.