We are still in Nickson's point of view.
______________________
"I know he is around here somewhere," Yuki's voice resounds through the other side of the wall I have jumped not too long ago.
"Really?" Another voice, which must have been Roxanne, her best friend, walks around the corner, looking for clues about my whereabouts.
As luck would have it, I have already landed on the other side, bringing with me is my shoulder bag that cushions my fall. Although there is a digital table inside, the sheets and other materials are enough to catch me like a pillow, leaving my technology unscathed.
However, there is a slight bump on my bottom, especially when I palpate the cover using my hands. As I look at my butt, a slice in my pants greets my eyes, revealing my azure boxers underneath. Luckily for me, there aren't people around to gaze at my wonderful ass. It could have been a humiliating event that will scar me for life! Even if they could, I would bet they would feel envious of me.
"I can smell him here," Yuki calls out once more. It is a sudden line that makes her look perverted than I do.
As if making a shred of evidence, Yuki sniffs on the ground like a dog. Her friend, Roxanne, joins her for the search and snuffles together. I know these performances since I peek through the wall to get a closer look at them.
It is difficult to contain my laughter as they continue to search for the entire alley. After finding nobody inside, they assume I am not there with them and vanish from their sight. Little do they know I am just on the other side of this panel.
"What are you doing here, Master Seo-jun?" A familiar voice calls out for my attention.
As I swivel behind, my butler, Chung-hee, greets my eyes. He extends his hand and offers me a lift with my car already waiting at his rear.
"Thank you." I accept his offer and grab his arm, allowing myself to ooze out from the butler before me.
"Why are you here?" My eyes stare at his soul, wanting to know what is exactly his agenda upon meeting me here.
I have never called or informed him about my location. Not unless he knows that I have been sneaking out from my apartment, neglecting my academics, which leads me here in front of the clock hotel.
"Lucky me to stumble with you." With a casual look, he returns my gaze and answers.
I know when Chung-hee is bluffing me out with his excuse. He curves his lips and eyebrows, and flashes me a smile.
The two of us cannot lie even if we have to, considering that he is the one who taught me that when I was still a child. Wilson even discourages me from cursing, but I will leave the story for a different time.
As I head towards the car, Wilson stops me from my tracks by stretching his arms, preventing me from going inside.
"What is it now, Wilson?" I turn around and face his eyes, narrowing on the ground.
Upon lifting his face, he meets my gaze and tells me, "I was the one who sent them here, Master Nickson."
My eyes grow wide upon hearing his statement. All this time, I have thought that they are here for the Clock hotel, or me, by chance.
But that does not matter anymore since they are the least of my worries. I cannot get close to my brother, let alone casually talk to him. I have avoided him countless times already, uncertain of what to do when the time comes for me.
"It has been a week, Nickson."
"Five days, Wilson. Only five." I correct him, knowing that it is still April 2 on my calendar. "We will have a field trip next two weeks, so I need to fix this right now before anything else."
Wilson turns silent as he continues to watch me go inside the automobile. After a few seconds, my butler follows suit, starts the engine, places his hands on the wheel, and drives us back inside my building.
From the looks in his eyes, he wants to say something, particularly about me going back to school. These following days, I have neglected my work as the vice-president of our school. I take my chances for granted, and it must be about time that they will kick me out of my position.
"That punishment will hinder me from making mangas." The thought scares me as I sink myself from my awful daydream, visualising the results of my means.
"You can always ask for help from your friends." Wilson breaks the noiseless atmosphere as we make our way through the parking lot of my building.
I could not give him a direct answer since I know I do not have many friends. But as I push the gates open, the two images of my classmates flash inside my mind, trying to reach their hands for me.
"Even though I hate you, you are still the vice-president of the school and the manga artist of my light novel; remember that!"
"It would be a drag if you can't help me now. Look at all the works you have left me!"
I can imagine them right now scolding me for abandoning my duties both as a student and as an officer of the international school. The former student council members must have left an unpleasant impression about me, considering that I have forsaken my job in the first few days of my work. If this is my company, I could have fired that staff right this instant, hearing no excuses from the guy.
"Maybe I should reconsider firing someone," A thought barges inside my mind, thinking that it might be cruel to kick out someone because of his or her tardiness on the job.
….
"Are you off to the Clock Hotel again?" I find Wilson standing in the living room, ironing my student uniform near the gate. I guess he has noticed my scheme of getting out and stalking my brother from afar.
"Are you going to tail me, Mr. Butler?" I return his question while sliding the door wide open and wait for his response.
But Wilson never plans on giving me an answer. He just chuckles to himself and continues ironing the clothes as he hears me leave the house.
Like any other day, I detour to the road and spot the Clock Hotel from afar. I know the inside-out of the place, since I own the hotel.
For this occurrence, I will make a unique approach. I will enter inside and catch my brother off guard. In that way, we will have no other choice but to communicate with one another.
As I push through the glass door, someone jostles me, nudging my body at the side. Once I turn around, I notice Yuki and her friend, Roxanne, perching at the corner, waiting for someone, and that someone is my brother.
"Are they on good terms?" As my mind asks a rhetorical question, Sung-ho brings them a cup of coffee to chit-chat. Looking at their expressions, they act sincerely at each other, as if talking about something in the past.
I cannot read their lips, given that coming closer will blow my disguise. Shortly, the two women stand up and leave the place, bringing the coffee in their hands. My brother-all alone on the round seat stays for a couple of minutes and resumes back to his work.
"What did they talk about early this morning?" I glance at my watch and see that it is 8:00 A.M., still early for school, especially since we are the student council officers of our school. But the two ladies free their schedule and meet with my brother.
Do they even know that I have a brother? If they do, they would be angry about my reasons for ditching my work for spying out Sung-ho.
As I am about to exit the building, the two girls from before obstruct my path. Noticing their arms crossing at each other, I think I upset them upon seeing my face. I gently lift my head and meet their leer.
"Welcome to the hotel, and how may I help you?" I try to act ignorant about the situation. But that is one stupid mistake that I have learned throughout my lifetime.
"Why the heck are you here, Nickson?" Yuki shifts her arms and rests them on her waist. This situation is not looking too good for me.
"I was passing by and saw this hotel!" I retort, gesturing my hands, presenting the sign above my hand. Fortunately, I do not have my eyeglasses on, giving me a boost in confidence about the matter.
That courageousness is unmatched against my brother, who is making his way in our direction.
Running with the speed of light, I escape my sticky event and make it out of the building. Luckily for me, I have trained my body into a temple that allows me to sprint through the wind and flee from the situation.
But it is still a loss for me since I could not steel my heart from talking with my brother, Sung-ho.