"Having a brother is insane!" Devon exclaimed upon hearing the news.
"Isn't that a good thing? Now I won't have to worry about anything; my parents' attention will be on their new son, and I'll have a freer life," Dash said, waving his hand with excitement.
"Don't be foolish. Haven't you thought that you'll be used as a babysitter on many different occasions? Before, they didn't have kids, so you were taken care of by others. But now, you'll have a more significant responsibility than even Kung Fu..."
Devon's words hammered into Dash's mind, causing him to collapse in front of his friend, murmuring, "That can't be possible..."
He hadn't thought of it that way, perhaps because he never really fulfilled his role as a brother. It was then that he realized the significance of his responsibilities.
"Do you think my life will suddenly be filled with responsibilities?" Dash wanted to cry but stopped himself, knowing that his upbringing wouldn't be different from that of his siblings, so he stopped dwelling on it.
"I don't think so. You'll still be focused on Kung Fu and nothing else..." Devon diverted her gaze to her book, paying no attention to Dash, who was pacing nervously.
"How about this? Having a brother is like getting a subordinate. I'll have to invest time until he grows up, but it'll be a great help when he can do things on his own."
"It's still the same; you'll have to take care of him when your parents aren't around, and besides, there will be responsibilities at family events..." Devon had no siblings but had cousins, each of whom was a little demon she didn't want to see unless it was the annual family gatherings.
"Well, that's inevitable..." Dash calmed down and began to distract himself with other things while Devon continued reading her book.
In the past few days, things had been quiet. Dash had to stay calm because, according to Mr. Kim, he needed to recover from accumulated fatigue. To pass the time, he spent it with Devon, who also didn't have much to do.
As he waited for the days until the Kung Fu tournament in China, Dash's days were calm while he also guided the students who continued to attend the dojo with surprise.
…
Elsewhere, two men were having a somewhat intimate conversation.
"Do you like the new job you've taken on eventually? My security hasn't been a problem for a long time, so you can continue teaching at the dojo I opened for my son. But remember, the choice is yours if you want to keep teaching him."
In a mostly dark room, Frederick sat next to Mr. Kim, who was calmly sipping a glass of wine as they watched the fire in the fireplace.
"I started following him because I didn't exactly know how to fill my time after losing more than I thought I could gain in this life. I didn't think his son would be so determined to learn and put in so much effort, but he's been doing it since I started teaching him..."
Mr. Kim's words were calmer, his tone serene, and his gaze lost in the flames that faintly lit the room.
He was once a great Kung Fu master who was instructed by the best. However, after falling in love with a beautiful woman who unfortunately fell ill, he set aside everything to take care of her. It was then that he met Frederick Hale, who promised to help him as long as he worked for him under any conditions. While he earned money as always, after many years, Mr. Kim lost the love of his life. As a token of gratitude for the help he received, he continued working for his benefactor until he figured out what to do with his life.
"My son has good taste; your teachings could serve him well in the future. I'm not sure if guiding him into martial arts at such a young age was the right thing to do..."
Frederick hesitated at this point about that matter.
His son was ordinary until recently, now his attention was on Kung Fu and tournaments where he faced other competitors. The taste of victory is addictive, but someone like Dash shouldn't be so interested in it at his age. It's true that there's nothing wrong with it, but he deeply believed that for Dash, there was nothing more than training now. His trivial attention to his son dimmed as if he no longer had to worry about him, but somehow, he felt empty.
"Now, with a new son on the way, I feel more at ease having someone to take care of. Dash is growing up fast, and he's so mature that he only calls me when he needs something he can't handle himself."
Mr. Kim smiled discreetly and said, "When there's no one left for Dash to compete against, he'll stop taking the hard path and focus on things like love, friendship, and family, which are the only things that matter in life."
"He's right..." Frederick had to build his own family over a past he wanted to forget; that's how things were.
"Now that the dojo is starting to make a profit, everything seems to be going well. But don't you really worry that your son is joining tournaments? His free will is unique; I never had that with my father, after all."
Frederick smiled and said, "I didn't have it, and I always wanted it. Unless my son makes bad decisions, I prefer not to stop him from doing anything so he's aware of what he has. If I have a foolish son, I'll have to guide him personally. But since Dash understands all these principles, I'll ignore the fact that he's become interested in contact sports."
After discussing Dash's matters, the focus shifted to the tournament in China. Because Elena was pregnant, she would stay home, avoiding the long journey. Dash spoke with his father and told him that there was no need for everyone to accompany him. With Mr. Kim's assistance and Devon's family, it's more than enough support for the competition. Moreover, being such a closed event might not be fun to attend.
That was also Dash's excuse to be more at ease on his trip. In the end, Dash would travel with Devon's family, who had everything paid for, and would be under Mr. Kim's care, who knew his way around China due to his previous work.