Shiller pulled the curtains close as he stood by the window, a gruff voice came from behind him: "Doctor, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, a meteor just passed by." Shiller shook his head as he turned around, saying to Robert, who lay on the bed: "Since the emergence of Iron Man, there's been an increase in meteors in the New York sky. I surely hope the couples at the academy never find out that their cherished shooting stars might just be the remnants of failed plane crashes."
Robert seemed to have improved a lot, even managing to crack a smile at the joke, his face still a bit stiff due to the tranquilizers he had taken.
"I am sorry, Robert, due to your remarkable abilities, we had to administer sedative drugs during your medication process. Otherwise, if you were to lose control, everything in here might get destroyed." Shiller, holding his notebook, took his seat beside the bed.
"Of course, Doctor." Robert looked down at his hands, saying: "Ever since I gained these powers, I've only caused destruction. Sometimes, even I can't distinguish whether it was intentional or merely a loss of control over my powers."
"Actually, even before I had these powers, I was always causing trouble." Although Robert seemed rather weary, he appeared to have something to get off his chest: "Christmas is coming soon, right? I remember the Christmas before I left home... the atmosphere was even worse than it is in this sickroom."
"What happened?" Shiller asked.
"I can't remember anymore." Robert shook his head: "Some minor issues. Perhaps I hadn't flown to the nearest airport for him to fetch me, or perhaps I brought home a girlfriend he didn't like."
"Who is 'he'?"
"My dad." Robert twisted the bedsheets with his hands. Looking at his eyes, Shiller asked: "You've never mentioned your family to me, what kind of person is your father?"
"Just like any father in the world." Robert responded vaguely, before adding, "He expects me to do everything his way, to live the life of success as he defines it, regardless of what I truly desire."
"Judging by your attitude, it seems you don't want this?" As Shiller poured a glass of water for Robert, the latter softly shook his head, saying, "He is a successful man recognized by society. There's nothing wrong with leading such a life."
"The only problem is, starting when I was three years old, he hoped I could become him. Every speech, every action, should conform to the behaviors of a successful prosecutor's childhood."
"It seems, he has placed a great deal of pressure on you."
"Actually, I've never known what he wanted me to do." Under the influence of the sedative, Robert seemed a bit dazed, yet this allowed him to speak from the heart: "Maybe, he himself doesn't know what he wants me to become."
"He was successful, so he believed that if I take the path he's set for me, I will also succeed. However, the path he took was not planned by others, there's no particular pattern to it."
"Thus, sometimes he wants me to do things one way, then after a while, he changes his mind and wants me to do things another way. Whether the command tone or the serious attitude, it's always the same, except what he wants me to do is completely different, often contradicting the earlier request."
"He said I shouldn't be frolicsome, I should be Serious, but also said I shouldn't deal with my classmates and teachers indifferently and express myself lively."
"He said I should have a sense of responsibility, a sense of justice, but also said I should be flexible, cater to all tastes."
"If I couldn't achieve what he wanted, he would say that that was how he acted when he was my age and that these abilities were what granted him his success. He claimed that if I would truly learn from him, I wouldn't appear so dim-witted."
Robert closed his eyes, speaking in a slightly raspy voice: "He would often become inexplicably angry, asking me if I thought he was unworthy of being my father, if I preferred my mother because my maternal grandfather is wealthier, if I looked down on him."
As Robert fell silent, Shiller let out a deep sigh. If he were to make a judgement, Robert's father was a classic personality that could feature in a textbook, just like his failed method of upbringing.
"First things first, this is not your fault." Shiller looked at Robert, setting the tone of the conversation, before continuing, "Your father wasn't educating a child, he was educating the failed version of himself."
Before Robert could reply, Shiller nodded, saying: "Indeed, he has achieved a relatively high status in society, but that doesn't mean he isn't a failure."
"Your father takes pride in his achievements and emphasizes his success to everyone. However, what he doesn't mention is that he still has too many unfulfilled desires."
"These desires could be unattainable, revealing them could damage his perfect image, or perhaps they are simply too shameful to be uttered. Regardless, he is not as content with his current state as he appears to be."
"But there is another way for him to express these desires, and that is 'educating' you."