Chapter 8 - MY YOUNGER BROTHER IS ACTUALLY...?
LUO YAN finished eating the last drop of porridge in the bowl. Then he drank the glass of warm water. He's really getting tired of eating soft foods like this. He couldn't wait to eat meat and seafoods, all kinds of them. And chocolates, ice creams, cakes. But his diet was pretty strict. If he wanted to return to top shape as soon as possible, he had no choice but to follow it.
"Are you done?" his older brother asked, he was sitting on a chair beside his hospital bed.
"Yes, Brother."
Luo Ren picked up the empty glass and bowl and put them on the tray on the bedside table. "Are you ready for your morning sunshine routine?" he asked with a little bit of teasing.
The doctor recommended for him to soak under the morning sun for at least ten minutes. He'd been inside a hospital room for seven years. He's sorely lacking in Vitamin D and the sun's rays was the biggest source of that. So every morning he would go to the hospital's big garden and stayed there, of course, with the help of others.
It was often his father who would go with him. But when this week started, his father could only go here every other day. The only reason Luo Yan could think of why was because of a problem in the company. His father looked like a very capable man. If he could still visit Luo Yan, the problem probably wasn't that serious.
His father and older brother started alternating in visiting him. Today, it was her older brother's turn.
Luo Ren carefully picked up his little brother and put him on the wheelchair. He put a thick blanket on Yan Yan's lap and also on his thin shoulders. It was already the middle of Spring but the wind at S City was still a little bit chilly.
"You ready to go out?" he asked.
Luo Yan looked up at him. His peach blossom eyes bent into a smile. "Yes."
His brother pushed his wheelchair out of his hospital room. He still couldn't walk, so a wheelchair was a must. He would start his physical therapy tomorrow. Luo Yan couldn't wait to start walking again and properly moved all his muscles.
They just left the hospital room when they ran into Luo Jin. He was wearing a black windbreaker and jeans paired with the latest air jordan shoes. Luo Yan was slightly surprised seeing this little brother of his. He thought he would never visit him again. Maybe this time he could finally ask him if he really did hate him.
"Ah Jin!" he greeted him excitedly.
Luo Jin scowled as if he found his greeting irritating. Then he ignored him and looked at their older brother instead. "Why did you call me here for?"
Oh, so it was their older brother's idea? He probably remembered the last time Luo Yan asked if their little brother hated him.
"I have to go somewhere today so you have to accompany Yan Yan."
"What?" Luo Jin exclaimed. "Why the hell would I have to do that?"
"Because you're his brother. But sure, if you have better things to do, you can leave and I'll just ask a nurse to accompany our brother."
A myriad of emotion crossed Luo Jin's face. From anger to frustration to helplessness. "Fine. I'll do it."
"Good. Then you can start now by taking Yan Yan to the garden," Luo Ren said before turning his gaze down to Luo Yan. "Yan Yan, brother will have to leave. You have to get along well with Xiao Jin, okay?"
"Yes, Brother." [And thumbs up on forcing him to stay with me.]
Luo Ren said his goodbye and then Luo Jin took his place behind Luo Yan's wheelchair. He pushed the wheelchair, grumbling all the way. When they reached the garden, Luo Jin pushed the wheelchair under a tree where the sun was not too strong but could still reach Luo Yan.
Luo Yan raised one of his brows. Despite looking so grumpy, this kid was actually quite attentive. Looking at him right now, Luo Yan decided that it's the right timing for his ultimate cuteness attack.
"Ah Jin, you can go. I know you don't like being with me," he said showing a sad expression.
Luo Jin looked down and saw this. "I already told Brother that I'll be here so I won't leave," he said with his usual annoyed tone.
"Really?" Luo Yan looked up as if happy to hear what Luo Jin said but when he saw that Luo Jin was scowling at him, the happy expression on his face immediately vanished. "Ah Jin, do you hate me?"
Luo Jin was startled by this question. And when he saw Luo Yan's clear eyes turned watery, he started to panic. "Don't cry!"
As if on cue, big fat tears fell down from Luo Yan's eyes. "I knew it, you really hate me."
Luo Jin was flustered. He didn't know what to do. This was the first time he felt so helpless and useless at the same time. But one thing's for sure, he didn't want to see his brother cry. So he crouched down in front of Luo Yan and looked straight at him. "I don't hate you. So please don't cry."
That's right. Luo Jin didn't hate Luo Yan. How could he? If there's someone he hated, it's himself. After that car accident, he often asked why was he the only one who was saved? Why did their mother have to die? Why did his favorite brother have to suffer a coma with little to no chance of waking up? While he only had some minor injury.
All those whys piling up and he just slowly turned into this child who's full of anger. Anger at the world, anger at the unfairness of life, anger at that driver who smashed his truck at their car, and anger at himself. He released that anger by the only way he knew. Fighting. But no matter how much he fought with others. He was still filled with so much anger.
When Luo Jin received that call from his first brother, telling him that Luo Yan was awake, of course he was happy. Happy beyond anything. But he couldn't properly express that happiness. So when he's faced with his second brother's thin form, he couldn't help but become rude. Especially everytime he saw the effect of that accident on Luo Yan.
He was so thin and small. His head probably couldn't even reach Luo Jin's shoulder. Even his memory was gone. And here was Luo Jin, completely healthy. It just made him even angrier.
But looked at where it got him. He made his second brother cry. The brother who just woke up from a long coma. He hurt him without even meaning to. How could he be such a jerk?
"I don't hate you," he repeated.
"Y-you really don't?"
He wiped Luo Yan's tears with his fingers. He was not used to acting gentle, but he wiped it as gently as he could. "I don't."
"Then don't show such unhappy expression when you're with me. It makes me sad."
"I won't."
"And you also have to visit me whenever you don't have school."
"I will."
Luo Yan raised his pinky finger at Luo Jin, his eyes clear and full of expectation. "Pinky promise?"
Looking at the expectant face of his second brother, Luo Jin had no choice but to hook his pinky finger with Luo Yan's. "Promise."
"Then you have to call me 'brother'. Father said that I'm older than you, so you have to."
"Don't push your luck, pipsqueek." As he stood up, he couldn't stop the small smile that appeared on his lips.
Luo Yan, of course, saw that. A bright smile crossed his face as well. So, Luo Jin didn't really hate him. He's just a big tsundere.