In a remote village, behind a low house, several slightly older children surrounded a frail boy with a face full of pockmarks, who looked terrified. They kept hurling verbal abuse at the pockmarked child and occasionally shoved him, making the already timid boy even more frightened.
“Spill it! Did you, you ugly thing, steal my stone? Tell me! Where did you hide it?!”
One of them, who seemed to be the leader, kept interrogating the frail child. From what they were saying, it sounded like the leader had lost a uniquely shaped stone, and they had immediately suspected the frail child, whom they always bullied.
With the way they refused to listen to any explanation, it seemed as though the frail child was retaliating for their long-term mistreatment. But given how flustered and at a loss the child looked, it was clearly just a frame-up. They were simply looking for someone to take out their stress on. The supposed lost item was probably just a convenient excuse, exactly like how they always bullied this kid.
And just as usual, a voice reached their ears from behind.
“Stop it right now!”
Everyone turned to look. Sure enough, as always, standing on a small hill behind them was a boy who was taller and more handsome than the rest of them. He was the older brother of the boy being bullied.
Seeing that Ke’er had arrived as usual, the leader boy stopped trying to continue bullying the frail child. He snorted coldly and led his gang away.
This wasn’t the first time they had done this. Every time they bullied this kid, that guy named Ke’er would come running to help him. At first, they had tried to gang up on Ke’er. In the beginning, they could barely win, but later it turned into a one-sided beating. Even when they all attacked together, they could never beat Ke’er again. Who knew how that guy got so strong? He should be about the same age as them.
After that, as similar incidents kept happening, an unspoken rule formed between them. They would only bully the boy for a short while, then Ke’er would come to stop them, and they would just call it a day and head home to avoid getting beaten up.
Watching the group walk away, Ke’er helped his younger brother up and then said indignantly, “Those guys are too much! Kolin didn’t do anything, and they treat you like this! I’ve taught them a lesson several times, but they still won’t change! So annoying! Kolin, you should fight back too! Otherwise, you’ll just keep getting bullied!”
Seeing Ke’er come to help him as always, Kolin felt genuine gratitude, but also a sense of inferiority brewing inside.
“It can’t be helped. It’s not like I’m not weak and scrawny, and on top of that… so ugly?” Kolin said in a low voice.
Hearing this, Ke’er’s eyes widened.
“Ugly?! How is that possible?! So what if you have a few more pockmarks? It’s no big deal! I had them too before, but they went away later! As for being weak and scrawny, if you train hard, you’ll definitely improve!”
Ke’er said confidently. From his tone and expression, he really believed every word he said, which made Kolin, who had no confidence in himself, feel even more inferior.
Unlike Ke’er, Kolin looked quite similar to him, but because of the many pockmarks on his face and malnutrition, strangers never thought they were brothers at first glance.
Also, Kolin wasn’t as strong as his older brother. Maybe because the family gave the best things to his brother, he was as frail as a three-year-old compared to Ke’er. He didn’t have Ke’er’s strength, nor even a tenth of his courage. Kolin both admired and envied his brother.
Looking at his brother, who was so different from him, Kolin became even more convinced that he could never become like him. He said dejectedly and fearfully, “Can I really become someone like you? I really don’t feel like I can do it.”
Seeing his younger brother’s lack of self-confidence, Ke’er said earnestly, “Look at you, you’re exactly like me two years ago! Before long, once your pockmarks disappear, you’ll definitely become a handsome guy like me!”
Hearing this, Kolin couldn’t help but say, “But what if my pockmarks never go away? Then won’t I be stuck like this forever?”
Ke’er shook his head and said with great confidence, “Don’t worry! It was the same for me! In a couple of years, no, maybe just a few months, your pockmarks will be gone! What? Don’t you trust your big brother?”
Faced with his brother’s inexplicable confidence, Kolin could only nod and temporarily believe what he said.
Just then, a pleasant female voice cut in.
“Oh, come on! Why are you running so fast? Can’t you wait for me?”
A little girl walked over. Though still young, it was already clear she would grow up to be a beauty. As soon as he saw her, Kolin blushed slightly and lowered his head, not wanting her to see his pockmarks.
Of course, the little girl didn’t even glance at Kolin. She went straight to Ke’er, took his hand, and acted very intimate with him. Watching from the side, Kolin felt envious. He wished she would treat him like that too.
This little girl had moved to the village over a year ago. Her name was Eleanor. Not only was her name beautiful, but she was also very pretty. At least to Kolin, who had hardly met any girls his age, Eleanor was like a fairy descending to earth, making him unable to help but admire her.
But reality was cruel. Although Eleanor often played with the two brothers after moving here, it was mainly for his older brother Ke’er. As for him, she probably never even cared.
Thinking about this, Kolin, who already had no self-confidence, felt even more inferior. Watching the two of them, who looked like a passionate couple, Kolin wished he could turn into a rat and crawl into a gap in the ground.
Fortunately, Ke’er noticed Kolin’s discomfort. He pulled his hand away from Eleanor, took Kolin’s hand, and prepared to go home with him.
But just then, Eleanor stood in front of them, fidgeting. She clasped her hands together and said shyly, “Oh, right, Ke’er. About that matter, did your parents tell you?”
Kolin looked curiously at his brother, wondering what Eleanor was talking about.
But when Ke’er heard Eleanor’s words, his expression turned a bit grim. He hesitated, met Kolin’s questioning gaze, and then said vaguely, “They… they did. I’ll make preparations tonight.”
Hearing this, Eleanor happily left, leaving behind Ke’er, whose face showed a bit of guilt for some reason, and Kolin, who had no idea what was going on.
Seeing his brother’s inexplicable guilt, Kolin couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Brother, what did Mom and Dad tell you?”
Ke’er hesitated for a moment, then finally spoke up. “It’s nothing really. It’s just… Eleanor’s parents have a relative in a nearby town. They want to take Eleanor and our family, since we’re close, to visit together and buy some things in town.”
Hearing this, Kolin’s eyes lit up, and he became excited. Thinking about the scenery in town, Kolin said expectantly, “Really? That’s great! I haven’t been to town in a long time! The last time was years ago! I don’t even remember what it was like. I finally get to go again! I’m so looking forward to it!”
Seeing Kolin so full of anticipation, Ke’er felt very reluctant, but in the end, he told him their parents’ decision.
“No, Kolin. Only us, not you.”
Hearing this, Kolin was stunned. His earlier anticipation vanished like a puff of wind.