AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Mass chapter mission time! Support me in win win by unlocking the privilege chapters to get mass releases. MR will be given based on the following conditions:

1000 privilege chapter unlocks= 3 extra chapter mass release

5000 privilege chapter unlocks= 5 extra chapter mass release

10,000 privilege chapter unlocks= 10 chapter mass release.

This is applicable for every month! Please do support this book by buying as much privilege chapters as possible

....

* Seventeen Years Ago*

The bell rang loudly, indicating the start of a new class. All the students were running towards the classroom, eager not to be late. The crowd rushed, scrambling towards their respective classes but a single boy was running the opposite direction.

He sprinted through the corridor in a hurry. Some of his friends tried to talk to him but he brushed past all of them. His dark hair was slightly matted with sweat while a worried expression dawned on his handsome face.

"Siwan where are you going-" His science teacher was about to ask but Siwan ignored him and kept on running towards the front door of the school. His heart was beating fast, scared about something.

Please be safe! He prayed. Please!

Once he reached the field outside, he cried out, "Hobin!"

No one responded to his call but Siwan kept on searching here and there. He looked under the benches and the supply closets for his younger brother.

"Hobin!" he yelled, looking for the seven year old boy. Even though Hobin was very young, he had shown astounding skills. His sharp intellect and uncanny ability to study had promoted him up from elementary to the final year of middle school in a span of two years. Unlike other children of his age, Hobin was too smart. He was on a whole different level and his genius mind was too much for people to handle.

Unfortunately, it made him a favorite target of bullies.

Siwan got the news that a bunch of high school students were tormenting Hobin on the field. Their schools were combined together with the middle schoolers in one building while the high schoolers in another.

He dashed across the football field, frantically looking for his brother. If anything happened to Hobin…

*Sniff*

Siwan's ears perked in alarm. He could hear someone crying nearby. Following the soft sobs, he headed towards the bleachers which were a few meters away. Siwan peered between them to see a small figure with auburn hair sitting in a corner under the bleacher. The scrawny boy's cries were muffled as he silently cried with his head on his curled up knees.

"Hobin…"

The boy looked up to see his older brother. To Siwan's horror, Hobin's tiny face was bruised and battered. His lips were cut and his eyes were turning purple. The bruise was going to swell a lot, making the next few days quite painful for the little child. His clothes were dirty and torn. Moreover, Hobin's gloves had been ripped off his hands, making him feel even more vulnerable.

Siwan immediately took off his jacket and put it over his brother.

"Who did this to you?" Siwan demanded. "What happened?"

"I-It was Yang Chunseok and his friends," Hobin whimpered. A strange look passed through Siwan's eyes but he sighed and sat next to his brother.

"Where does it hurt?" Siwan asked, trying to touch his brother's bruise but Hobin backed away.

"Don't," he mumbled. "O-Otherwise, I'll see your memories again."

"It's fine as long as you're not touching me with your hands," Siwan assured him. "Besides, I don't mind if my younger brother sees my memories. We're family after all."

Hobin hid his hands behind his back as Siwan lightly touched his swollen eye.

"Ow!" the child winced. Siwan was now worried. The bruise was worse than he thought.

"Let's go to the nurse's office and get you treated," Siwan suggested but Hobin shook his head.

"Can I just stay here for a while?" he begged. "I don't want to go near other people."

Hobin was scared. He was not scared of people but of himself. The strange things which happen to him, things which he saw. Everything was messing up his head and he had no one to talk to. No one understood what he felt and it was frustrating him.

"Fine," Siwan replied. "We'll sit here for a while then."

He crossed his legs, patting his brother's head. Hobin clutched his hands together behind him, scared and confused.

"Why am I like this?" he finally asked. "Why am I a freak?"

"Who called you a freak?" Siwan asked in a sharp tone.

"Everyone."

Siwan sighed and said, "You're not a freak. You're my brother. A small, tiny bean."

"I'm not a bean!" Hobin said, feeling annoyed. Siwan called him a bean because he was the younger one and much shorter than the rest of the people he goes to school with.

Siwan pinched his cheek. "Bean!" he winked.

"Bro…" Hobin began. "I'm scared. What if this power doesn't go away? What if it becomes worse?"

He looked up at his older brother, his eyes brimming with fresh tears.

"Will I be a freak for the rest of my life?"

Siwan did not know what to answer him. Hobin was dealing with a huge burden at such a young age and it troubled Siwan to no end. He loved his brother with all his heart but he was afraid that Hobin's powers would one day go out of control. And when that happened, Hobin would suffer the most.

"You are not a freak," Siwan repeated. "You're my brother. No matter what happens, you'll always be my brother. So what if you have strange powers? I don't see you as a freak. I see you as a little bean. My little bean."

He put his palm on Hobin's shoulder, firm in his words.

"But, everyone else thinks that I'm a freak," Hobin mumbled.

"Then they are the freaks," Siwan stated. "Not you. If they're bullying you for something that's not your fault, then they are the monsters and freaks. You're a good kid. So don't be afraid of them."

He paused before adding, "I'll never let them hurt you."

Hobin slowly flashed him a smile. As long as his brother loved him, nothing else mattered. He nodded, wincing at the pain.

"Here," Siwan said, taking out a pair of gloves from his pocket. "I always keep extra. So don't worry. Now let's go to the nurse."

Hobin took the gloves and put them on. Siwan stood up and extended his palm but Hobin shook his head.

"Piggy back ride!" he insisted.

"Aren't you a little too old for that?"

But it was impossible to refuse Hobin when he was in his pleading mode. Siwan conceded and bent over.

"Hop on!" he mockingly groaned. Hobin yelped and jumped on his brother's back, holding him tightly.

"Bro, what's mom gonna make for dinner tonight?" Hobin asked as his brother carried him away.

"I think Mrs. Jong will cook tonight," Siwan said.

"I want spicy crab cakes! The ones mom makes!"

"Mom isn't home tonight. How about I cook for you instead?"

"But you suck at it."

Siwan let out a laugh, chatting merrily with his brother as they walked back to the school. For a moment, Hobin forgot about his pain. He was happy to be with his strong big brother. That was all he wanted.