"Brother!"
Inside a white room, a young man's voice echoed after seeing a familiar figure.
The young man had black hair and a slim body. He had fair skin due to lack of sunlight. His facial features were also soft because of his young age.
The man was lying down on an inclined bed, surrounded by machines connected to his body.
At the side of the room was a long glass table. On top were different kinds of food, a mixture of healthy and unhealthy ones, and a cake in the middle.
"Happy 14th Birthday, Jayce!"
Entering the room, Red smiled widely. He was 6 years older than his younger brother.
His brother Jayce, despite his frail body, had managed to greet him cheerfully.
Red chuckled. Jayce greeted him as if he hadn't visited here just a few days ago.
Jayce's eyes gleamed with joy. His smile widened as he replied, "Thank you, Brother!"
Red raised his left hand which he had been hiding behind his back. In his left hand was a piece of medium-sized paper bag.
"Here's my gift for you."
Jayce's eyes widened. His heart was filled with anticipation as he saw the red paper bag.
Red quickly reached out to Jayce as he tried to sit up properly. In Jayce's current state, even a simple movement can be a hard thing to do.
Red took the rolling table from the side and slid it in front of Jayce. He put the paper bag on top so that it would be easier to open up.
Red knew that Jayce loved surprises.
Jayce quickly delved into the paper bag. He forgot that there was a needle connected to his hand.
Even though there was slight pain from moving, Jayce didn't mind it as he was already used to it.
Watching Jayce's excitement, Red couldn't stop smiling. He sat behind Jayce and watched him as he opened the paper bag to see what was inside.
He wanted to help Jayce, but he refused his offer.
Red reached out for Jayce's head. He slightly patted it. "You'll like that."
Jayce's eyes widened as he took out Red's gift. "Thank you for this, Brother!"
Jayce was genuinely excited. Red's gift was a 3d figurine of a character that he had been playing in Rise of Dawn.
Jayce's eyes became blurry as he stared at the figurine. He held unto it as if it was glass that could break easily.
It has been close to 3 years since he last caught a glimpse of the character he had made
Jayce made his character with all his heart. He poured his childhood into it.
That's why looking at the figurine felt like missing something. Staring at it felt like coming back to the days when he was still well.
A tear fell into Jayce's cheeks as he looked at the side, facing Red. With a slight sob, Jayce reached out to his brother's arms. In there, he cried softly.
Red closed his eyes as he hugged Jayce back. He fought the tears forming in his eyes. He could barely contain them.
"D-Don't cry, Jayce. It's your birthday today…" Red's voice almost broke.
Looking at his brother's current state, Red couldn't help but be sad. It has been 3 years since they were celebrating Jayce's birthday like this — inside a hospital room.
"If you cry like that then you wouldn't be well."
Jayce slowly nodded. He slowly wiped the tears that were continuously streaming down his face. A bitter smile appeared on his lips.
"Brother, do you think I will still be able to go out here?" Jayce feared that he wouldn't be able to leave the hospital room. He was scared that he wouldn't be able to have a normal life.
It has been 3 years since they found out that Jayce had leukemia. They tried chemotherapy in hopes of treating it, but because Jayce was still young, his body couldn't handle it.
However, instead of helping, the chemotherapy made Jayce's situation get worse over time.
"Of course. I know that you'll get well and we'll be able to play the game again together." Red slowly nodded. He brought a smile to his face, even though it was a forced one.
Jayce sighed. He pouted as he looked at his brother in doubt. "You always tell me that, Brother. But...I'm still here."
Red tilted his head to the side. He slightly chuckled before putting his hand on Jayce's forehead. He slightly flickered it.
"Don't think negatively. It's your birthday today." He tried to make the atmosphere lighter.
"What do you want to do today to make your birthday special?" Red asked Jayce. He tried to change the topic to avoid the negative emotion.
Red looked around to see if he could find something interesting that they could do together. However, there was nothing new in the room, except for the food.
Jayce looked at his brother admiringly. His eyes twinkled. "Brother, let's do what we usually do."
Red's forehead creased. "But we have been doing that every time I visit here."
Red glanced at his phone. He and Jayce would usually watch compilations of his gameplays on the internet.
At some point, Red had gotten enough of watching it over and over again. He was already tired of watching compilations of his game, but he couldn't complain because of his brother.
Jayce shook his head. "It doesn't matter, Brother. Remember that I'm your biggest fan, rightttt? And I haven't played the game for too long. I miss it already."
Jayce was also a player of Rise of Dawn before he got sick. Red and he would usually pay together in the past as a way to bond.
Red chuckled. He slowly nodded. "Yes, Sir. I won't forget that," he joked around.
Sitting beside Jayce, Red fixed the way he was sitting up. He opened Youbox and placed his phone on the table. He put a bottle at the back so that it wouldn't slip.
The two of them watched a few videos of him together.
Red wasn't paying attention to the video running on his phone's screen. His eyes were just fixated on Jayce.
His heart warmed after seeing the liveliness in Jayce's eyes.
It was rare for Jayce to act this cheerful except when he was watching these videos — the videos of Red's previous games in the professional scene.
Jayce, as he watched the videos, felt proud of his brother's achievement in the gaming scene. He couldn't be any happier while watching it.
Jayce remembered that he was the reason why his brother started playing the game. Red would just play because Jayce would force him to do so.
However, that changed after a few weeks.
Red found genuine enjoyment and happiness in the game and he started to enjoy it alone too.
When professional teams first scouted Red, he declined them all. It was Jayce's persuasion that led him to join Blazing Faze after 3 years of playing.
However Red's career, at its height, soon came to an end after hearing his little brother's condition.
Red decided to prioritize his time with his family.
Remembering it, Jayce's fingers fidgeted. He hid it under the table, but Red still noticed the sudden change in Jayce's behavior.
Jayce bit his lower lips and removed his gaze from the screen.
Guilt surrounded his heart.
Jayce looked at the ground. With a heavy heart, hetook a deep breath.
"I'm sorry again, Brother…"