Chapter III - Sign of Change

Waking up early in the morning to prepare for school, Sophie stretched for a bit.

“Ugh, I’m only first year and I’m already so sick of it. . .” she complained out loud.

Schools in South Korea were notorious for their difficulty, and the pressure of getting into a good college was at an all-time high. It is easily said that studying in Korea is a full-time job. Sophie was an excellent student though, which one would doubt based on her carefree attitude and lack of long study hours. Her grandpa was always proud of her achievements. However, the first real test she'd have to face in high school were the notorious midterms that were held mid to late April. Most students already stressed about them weeks prior to the actual exams.

Making her way into the hallway, she glanced towards Arthur’s doors and sighed. Sophie knew he'd need time to readjust and was worried.

“I wish things could be different,” she whispered downheartedly. “I better go downstairs and prepare something to eat. . . Yesterday was a good lesson.”

She ran down only to see Arthur snooping around the kitchen.

“Art, you’re already up?” she was utterly dumbfounded, having never seen him wake up so early.

He was often late for school which put him in a lot of trouble and made his grades suffer in first grade.

Arthur turned towards her holding a glass of water.

“Yeah, I woke up a few hours ago-”

It's 6:35 AM, just how early did he get up if he woke up a few hours ago? There is no way. . .

“-had to also finish up cleaning the room and go on a morning run.”

“You’re kidding me right?” she asked in disbelief.

“About what?” Arthur asked back confused.

Instead of answering, she rushed upstairs.

"Where are you going?" he asked loudly, but shrugged his shoulders and awaited her return.

She opened the door to his room, only to find his words true. The room looked nothing alike. The posters were taken down, the books boxed, dust wiped, curtains taken down, windows cleaned and even the bed moved closer to the window. Once a gloomy room, now remained relatively vacant, but one that sun now peered into.

Returning downstairs, she pinched herself to check if she was dreaming.

“I can’t believe it. . .” she mumbled.

“I just cleaned up the room. Is it really that surprising?”

“Yes! I mean, don’t get me wrong I love it. However. . . Umm. . . It's just that I've never expected you to do something like that.”

“Thinking so little of your Oppa, that’s not a nice thing to do,” Arthur teased placing his hand on her shoulder.

“You’re right,” she said with a sigh of disbelief lowering her head.

“Don’t take me seriously. . . I’m only messing with you. Now give me a smile and help me figure out how to make fire.”

She glanced at him and burst into tearful laughter.

“Make fire? What are we in the middle ages?” she was practically yelling unable to hold back.

He sighed but chuckled along. It felt nice watching her be cheerful and carefree.

“Is it possible you don't remember how to use the stove?”

“Ah. . . Well. . .” he mumbled awkwardly averting his gaze.

“So it was true!" she yelled at him as her expression turned to annoyance. "You had no idea how to cross the road either!”

“I’ve figured it out!" he defended himself with his hands held up. "Granted it took me a second, and also seeing someone else do it, but hey! I’ve learned!”

“You really don't remember anything, do you?” she asked worriedly.

“It’s just the technical stuff that I don’t get. No need to worry so much. I’ve already gone out for a run and returned alive.”

“Umm. . .I can tell. You're in a desperate need of a bath Oppa. . .” she waved her hand in front of her nose.

“I still got things to do, so I’ll take a bath later.”

“I should stay at home and help you. . .” she whispered feeling unconfident in leaving him alone having learned the truth.

“No. . . What you need is to focus on your own things to do. If I can’t manage on my own, then how can I face you tomorrow?”

He was kidding, but Sophie didn't find it as funny having crossed her arms and left considering if she should stay for real.

“Anyway Sophie, I do have a question for you.”

“Hmm?”

“What’s with that outfit? You wore a similar one yesterday.”

“It’s the school uniform? You have one as well,” she said before a realization hit her. “You do remember school, right?”

“Oh is my sister a hidden genius?”

“Genius? Wha-" she paused in disbelief. "No. . . Where did you get an idea like that?”

“Well it just surprised me to see a girl attending school,” he crossed his arms, ignorant of how the world works.

"No way. . ." she shook her head. "I need to realize what it means when you say that you don't remember anything. We're not in the middle ages Oppa. . ."

Ah. . . Guess women now go to school as well. Well, that’s good. Probably should not say anything else by the standards I know, don’t want to cause trouble.

“Alright, I'ma head to school after we eat, but tonight I’m sitting you down and we are having a long study session.”

“Study session, what are we studying?”

“We are going to attempt and teach you how the world works again. . . You have to eventually return to school.”

“I attend a school?”

“Every kid our age attends one. You’re currently second year in high school. One more year and you’ll be off to college.”

“What year are you?”

“I’m first year. I was hoping I could use you to figure some stuff out, never expected it to be the opposite.”

“I apologize,” Arthur said with an awkward chuckle.

“No worries,” she sighed but at the same time felt relief knowing Art was alive. “I told you already, I’ll take care of you. You just get better, okay?”

“Deal!”

The two ate together and chatted a bit. Sophie’s cooking was breathtaking. She prepared eggs with vegetables in a way Arthur never tasted before. He found her to be quite charismatic and clearly intelligent. She worked her on her physical fitness. It was clear as day that she took good care of herself. After Sophie left for school, Arthur got back to cleaning up where he left of.

Two hours passed and Arthur was already making progress. He dared not touch devices that he didn’t know the use of, as well as moving stuff around based on his design. While returning some of the dishes that were still left in his room, he met an older man in the hallway, probably in his mid-70s.

“Arthur. . . It's really you!” his voice trembled.

Just how much trouble did I cause?

“Grandpa, I see you’re up.” he whispered.

“Why are you up Arthur? You should be resting. . .” he asked worriedly grabbing him by the arm.

His grip was surprisingly strong.

“Worry not, I’ve rested more than enough. I was starting to feel bored so I began cleaning up a bit.”

“Cleaning?” he looked around puzzled. “You mean to tell me you’ve been up doing chores since you woke up? I thought it was Sophie, she is the one who takes care of the house.”

“Yeah, it was me. . . But grandpa, do not worry, Sophie made a killer breakfast. We already ate, and there should be loads left for you.”

“I guess since it is ready, I can pack up a few bites. Though I must head to work right after.”

“Grandpa, you work at your age?”

“Someone has to feed those mouths of yours while you finish with your studies. Soon you shall be heading for college!”

That’s right, we have no parents to support us and since school is as tough as Sophie said, then I can imagine how hard it must be for grandpa to make enough for all of us.

“How about I find a job?”

“Nonsense!” he objected instantly. “We are fine my dear Arthur. It is good to see you in such good health.”

I guess it’s obvious that something is different with me. His reaction looks similar to Sophie’s.

“Fine, but if you need someone to help you out, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Thank you, but if you’re already doing chores, why not attempt to tackle your room?” he asked but suddenly panicked. “I don’t mean to force you! Don’t take it the wrong way. It’s just motivational to see you clean up the living room, but we must treasure the place we sleep the most. Without good sleep, the rest of the day becomes much more difficult.”

“Amm. . . Grandpa, I’ve already finished that. There are only minor details that I’ll finish up today.”

Ryung's eyes went wide and his mouth was gaping.

His reaction was even more extreme than Sophie’s, if Arthur had known better he would have pretended otherwise. The old man nearly fell from shock.

“Grandpa. . . Things are changing, don’t worry so much. I’ll help out as much as I can, OK?”

The old man teared up but quickly darted into the kitchen. While packing the food, he mumbled to himself. It was hard to tell what was said, but he was grateful to the heavens.

Heavens huh. . . Guess some things never change.

“I’m off to work Arthur, but I’ve left some pocket money on the table if you need anything. I’ll make sure to give you your allowance tomorrow as well. Please hold on until then.”

I probably can’t even refuse him. Might as well just accept and save up for something. Maybe I should buy them a gift in the near future.

After the old man left, Arthur was alone in the house once again. He could dedicate the rest of the day to cleaning and meditation. Around 6 PM, his sister Sophie finally returned.

“Wow. . . This place is spotless. Puts my cleaning to shame. . .” she complimented leaving her shoes and backpack in the hallway.

“How was school?”

“Umm. . . Stressful as always. . . I’ll manage thou.”

“Grandpa is still not back, does he always work so late?”

“Yeah. . ." she mumbled walking towards the living room. "He works long hours.”

“What does he even do?”

“He's a janitor in a shopping mall. Though, he works nearly twice as long for extra cash. His shift usually ends as soon as the mall closes.”

“I see. . . Must be rough.”

Sophie crashed on the couch, raising her feet onto the knee high table while stretching her arms back.

“That’s why I wanna hurry up and finish with studies as soon as possible. That way I can get a job and take care of him. . .”

Arthur sat down next to Sophie. Placing his hand on her head, he playfully messed with her hair, similar to how Lee Hae did at the hospital.

“Hey! What was that for?” she asked flustered.

“You’re a good kid, but don’t worry since I’ll be taking care of you from now on.”

Sophie chuckled and closed her eyes but couldn't help but smile to the sound of his words.

“How are you gonna do that Oppa when you don’t even know how to take a bath?”

“I know how to take a bath!” he answered flustered.

“You don’t even know how to set up warm water.”

“Who needs warm water when you have mental fortitude?”

“Mental fortitude, huh?” she whispered through a chuckle.

Shit, I forgot how bad my mental health must have been before the accident.

“Sophie. I know it’s hard to believe, but things have changed. It’ll take time to get used to it, and for me to prove it. And. . . I know I might not have your trust but. . .”

“Stop. . .” She whispered cutting him off with a hug. “I believe in you, I always will.”

Arthur was caught off guard and left speechless.

“Thanks. . .” Arthur whispered into her ear as the two still hugged before kissing her head.

The siblings remained quiet for a while before finally breaking away from the hug.

“It’s time to show you as much as I can. Daily lesson one begins now!” she yelled out enthusiastically. “Well maybe after you take a bath first. . .”

Half an hour passed. Sophie set up a hot bath for Arthur to take, god knew he needed one after so long. She couldn't help but laugh at how flabbergasted he was by the concept of a shower, let alone mixing water through a faucet.

After he was done, it was her turn. While waiting for her, Arthur was excited to finally figure out what stuff around the house did.

It didn’t take her long, but after changing into more casual clothes, she finally made her way to the kitchen. To her surprise, it seemed Arthur was occupied. . .

Holding the fridge's handle, he kept repeatedly opening and closing it in quick succession. Sophie smiled because she knew exactly what he was trying to do.

“Dammit, I know I saw it. . .” Arthur mumbled.

“Trying to catch the lights off?” Sophie spoke up without the ability to hold back her chuckle.

“Ah, you’re done already?” Arthur responded, letting go of the fridge door and glancing to the side. “I was doing no such thing.”

A blatant lie.

“I’ve done it too. . . Plenty of times in fact,” Sophie admitted approaching him.

Grabbing hold of the door handle, she opened the fridge doors wide.

“Look,” she pointed towards a small switch. “When the doors close, they press on that small switch, making the lights turn off. When you open the doors, the switch is no longer pressed and the lights turn back on again. This is so that the lights are automatically turned on and off. That way we can see if it’s too dark, but when it's closed, it doesn’t waste energy.”

“Genius. . .” Arthur responded, pondering just how far humans took their inventions.

“Oh my foolish Oppa, that’s nothing.”

It was true. There were many things around the house that Arthur simply didn't understand.

“Come here,” she instructed him, slowly approaching the stove. “If you turn this switch, you will turn on the stove. Thanks to electricity, it’ll heat up and we can use it to cook things. Give it a few moments and you’ll feel the heat slowly.”

She grabbed him by the hand and placed it a bit above the burner. Moments later, just as she predicted, he could feel the tingling sensation of warmth that the stove produced.

“Ta-da!”

“Wow. . . But how do you control how hot it gets?”

“See these numbers? Well, they specify the degree to which you wish for it to heat up. The higher it is, the hotter it gets. Also, never touch the burner, that’s the surface you cook on. At least don’t touch it while cooking or after you finish because it needs time to cool off. You might get burned otherwise.”

“That much was obvious. . ." he mumbled to himself, but she warned him just in case. "So, you just flip the switch back once you are done with it?”

“Bingo!”

“So what’s next?” he asked enthusiastically.

“This!” she pointed to the microwave. “The best invention in the whole wide world. Do you need a quick meal? We got you covered. The food is cold? Worry not! Got leftover pizza that probably won’t taste so good anymore? We will make it bearable. It simply does it all.”

“Amazing!” he could not help but appreciate just how small yet useful all these things were. “So how do you use it?”

“Simple really,” she said, opening up the microwave. “You open it up like this, place something inside and close it. Then you turn on the timer here, as you can see you can set it up for as long as you’d like. Typically, you’ll figure out how long you want to microwave stuff by trying. Set it to low, then test it slowly and increase the timer until you’re satisfied.”

She put a cup of water into the microwave and closed it off. Setting the timer to half a minute, the cup began to spin in circles.

“Now, some do say that you mustn’t put metal into the microwave such as spoons, forks, and so on. Some claim otherwise, but I’ve never dared to try it. Even the internet gives different answers.”

“The internet?”

“We’ll get to that eventually. . .” she sighed, realizing just how much he doesn’t know.

As the timer ran out, the microwave suddenly stopped and beeped.

“Did it break?” Arthur asked confused.

Sophie chuckled.

“Sorry!” she apologized trying to hold back her laugh. “It didn’t. . . It’s finished.”

She opened the microwave, took out the cup, and placed it on the table.

“Touch it."

Arthur dipped a finger in only to find the water warm.

“Amazing. It can do that with anything?”

“Yeah. Just don’t forget to not set the timer for too long.”

The two laughed for what seemed like hours, having fun going over each household device. Some take longer than others to explain, especially the remote to the TV. The first time he saw it, he believed it to be a magical projection. She also took the time to explain to him how high school worked. Sophie didn't know what exactly changed Arthur to be the way he was now. She had a hard time believing that the memory loss would turn him around completely. He was also too cheerful for someone who had realistically lost everything in a single accident. Part of her wondered what dark secrets he had to make him the way he was, but she was glad. Glad to see that her brother was getting better.

“So what are the devices that everyone keeps looking at on the street?”

“Ah, these?” she asked, taking out her phone.

“Yeah, those things.”

“Similar to the TV, there is a screen which shows you images. You can use the phone to contact someone, send messages, and even watch videos or play games. Though most people use it for the SNS.”

“SNS?”

“Social media. It’s a bit too much info, for now, so we will get to it later. We have plenty of study sessions to go.”

“There is a bit too much if you ask me. . .”

“To think that my brother, who was always involved with tech, is now more clueless than me.”

“Can’t be helped, maybe now I can become better than you in other fields.”

“Tough chance! I’m so far ahead already.”

“Complacency shall be your downfall, young one!”

“I’m only a year younger Oppa!” she yelled back with a beaming smile.

The two continued joking around the rest of the night, eventually having a nice family dinner with their grandpa.

Chapter End.

Thank you for reading.