3 Convictions

"Who are they?" Kopi questioned with a twisted expression.

"The only thing I know is that they should be Father's co-workers from their appearance." 

Jerry then yawned.

"B-Brother… I want to take a rest," said Jerry in a soft voice.

"Sure!" Kopi replied without hesitation as he leaped out of his seat and rushed to his brother's back.

Once he clasped the handle, he asked, "Do you want to sleep on our Father's side?"

Jerry thought of a sudden joke and replied, "If there are still other beds, then that will be more than fine." He giggled.

Kopi tittered, contradicting the ache in his heart.

He swore to himself, 'Since I have awakened my Gift, and seems to be a legendary one. I assure you, my brother, that this place will be temporary.

One day… We will live in the same house as Elder White Beard or even more grandeur. We can eat three… no, even however you want in a day. Our Father can finally retire from his work and can even learn how to drive a car.

We can look… for our Mother.'

Once he thought of his Mother, a somber flickered in his eyes.

Despite constructing a notion that his Mother must have another Family, he believed more in his Father.

Something must have really happened to his Mother.

'And finally…' Kopi stared at his brother's back. 'We can cure your disease.'

"Brother? What are you thinking?" Jerry questioned, perceiving the silence behind his back.

"W-What? No, it was nothing." Kopi then pushed the wheelchair.

'I apologized, my little brother. I don't want to make any empty promises. But these convictions have been engraved deep inside my heart.

I will die if I can't fulfill it.'

Resolutions flashed in his eyes as he gripped the wheelchair tightly.

However, with a slight pressure… a creaking sound resonated. It awoke him and Jerry, who dozed off. He asked with a panicked voice, "W-What was that, brother?"

"I-I…" Kopi let out a bitter smile. "I seemed to have crushed the wheelchair's handle."

Silence ensued, and it was getting awkward with each second.

Suddenly, Jerry burst into laughter, and Kopi soon followed.

Just like that, the previous depressing atmosphere was replaced by a burst of vigorous, buoyant laughter.

"That was funny, brother." Jerry wiped the tears with his gunt finger. "But I'm so tired now. You can just push me in every part of the wheelchair."

"That's for sure." Kopi nodded and started to push the back of the wheelchair instead.

Honestly, he was surprised by his strength. Although the wheelchair appeared to be frail, there had been no cases he could crush the handle when it was only a slight strength he utilized.

He even recalled one time when he was so furious that he gripped the handle with full strength, but a single crack appeared.

But now…

'Did I really become stronger after that?' Kopi tried to recall what the voice inside his head had said. 'The Aether Core that is now filled with energy makes me stronger?

That means I should awaken a strength-based Gift!

But why did it say extract the Gift or something?

Remove and make it mine?

That is absurd!'

Kopi's head felt like it was on the verge of exploding, collapsing under the strenuous concept of his Gift. It never made sense, it never did.

He studied a lot of the gifts he could possibly awaken.

Strength, Speed, Elemental Affinity, Weapon, and even Economic Gift: all of them were no strangers to him.

However… Gift that could extract Gift?

It never made any sense!

Kopi almost collided with the wheelchair to the protruding object out of the ground. With the imperfect wooden wheel and the missing floor, it would be inevitable for a rock to jut out of the earth's surface.

Even if Kopi removed them every day, they would slowly appear.

It was relieved he managed to stop the wheelchair in time without disturbing Jerry, whose head tilted sideways with closed eyes.

Even with the momentary shift and the slight quivered movement that should have startled him awake, he remained asleep.

Kopi heaved a sigh of relief.

'I will find out soon why.'

Kopi discarded those confusing thoughts as he slowly lifted Jerry without visible effort.

Awe-struck wrapped his expression, and his heart trembled in excitement. He had the urge to move Jerry's body like weights, but he quickly believed it was an inhumane act. He had already cursed himself for having those thoughts.

Placing Jerry beside his Father, his expression softened and was a bit emotional. He was about to check on his Father's condition again when he heard Jerry mumble in slumber.

"We will be rich… someday…"

Kopi smiled and restrained from letting the tears crawl out of his eyelids. He, instead, was optimistic and nodded at his brother's words.

"Don't worry, we will," mumbled Kopi in response.

With his emotions now alleviated slightly, like a peaceful mind and heart, he glanced at his Father.

Just like that, the rage slowly built up whenever he thought of his Father's coworker and his neighbor.

There was even an enormous scar covering his Father's forehead on the left side, even including the eyes.

Only now Kopi had the time to scrutinize his Father's face.

The cold blood from before slowly vanished, and there was now a scar covering his left eye.

Kopi was worried.

'Don't tell me he is now half-blind?

Those bastards! What did they do to him?'

He clenched his teeth, trembling in rage, his face contorted into wrath, and his teeth resonated a creaking sound.

Staring at his Father's face, there was an emergence in his mind.

"Father! You should have not been kind to them! I recalled that you always brought two lunchboxes brimmed with rice and a variety of dishes just to share with your coworker!

Look at them now. Who knows what they have done to you?

This is your fault!

You should not have been kind to them!

Not only them but the neighbors also!

Weren't you always saying that building connections with them would benefit us if we were in danger or in dire need of help?

But where are they?

They even scorned my little brother for being too loud.

If it was not because of what was on their mind, they would have literally shut my little brother up!

Or even killed him."

Kopi mumbled with a voice filled with fury. 

He was even being pessimistic, but he cared no more.

After all, there was a probability it would happen.

If it did…

"Y-You… This is happening because of you. You are kind to them, but they are not. You should not have. If you only…" Kopi could not find the right word to follow.

Should he say his Father should have been passive and stopped his good-natured personality? What would happen if he did?

Nothing, right?

However, he believed that their circumstances should have not happened because of his father's behavior.

"A-And…" Kopi broke down into tears. "Why did you have to plead to that shitty Mayor for my finances? Weren't you saying you could afford my college? If it was not because I saw you when we strolled and ended up in the Government, I would not have seen you kowtowing so embarrassingly.

My classmates would have not seen you, and they would not have not distanced themselves from me.

Earlier, in the school, the rumors were already spread.

No classmates tried to talk to me… 

No one…

This is your fault, Father!"

Kopi realized he was increasing his voice, and when he did, he quickly glanced at his brother.

His expression was the same as before, so he heaved a sigh of relief.

However, he finally grasped what happened.

He was blaming his Father.

Kopi suddenly chuckled with a face dampened with tears and mumbled, "I am the worst son, aren't I?"

Kopi was reminded of his conversation with Elder White Beard.

He said exactly the same thing.

No matter how he tried not to blame his Father for what happened earlier, his emotions betrayed him.

He was indeed furious with his Father, especially when he was mocked from the school.

Suddenly, Kopi exhaled… for a long while.

He gazed at his Father's face, now finally halted his tears, and smiled bitterly.

"Don't worry, Father, this useless son of yours will do his best to leave from this poverty. One day, you can be kind to others and not be reciprocated with something you didn't want.

However, Father…

I apologized."

Resolve appeared in his eyes as he continued, "I apologize for not following your example henceforth.

I will not be kind to others like you. I will only think of myself and ours. If you ask me to do something for others' benefit, then I will apologize for rejecting you.

I hope you will understand.

It's just something I learned from you, too." He smiled.

He stood up, out of the bed, and was at ease when he realized he almost collapsed into the bed.

After all, according to logic, now that he was stronger, his weight should have increased too, right?

Furthermore, the bed was already debilitated to begin with. If it was not for his little brother, who weighed only 30kg, he would have not let his little brother sleep while his Father was present.

'But where would I place my brother when there is only a single bed?' Kopi chuckled at the thought.

Kopi shook his head and started to walk, desiring to get the towel and bowl to clean his Father's face.

He has to remove the dry blood.

However, just when he took the fifth step, a ringing noise resonated. He panicked, afraid his little brother would be disturbed by his sleep, so he quickly looked for it.

It wasn't difficult to locate the phone since only his Father had it.

And… his Father always placed it in his pocket.

Pulling out the phone, he didn't even glance at the name as he answered it, worried his little brother might awaken.