On a Saturday evening, the soft hum of the television buzzed in the background as Nathan sat on the couch, scrolling through his phone. He couldn't help but grimace as he scrolled through yet another post about his father. The video of Bernard crashing the Red Dreams concert had gone viral—millions of views, comments, and memes flooding the internet. Nathan couldn't believe how quickly it had spread. It was all over social media, and now, news stations were picking it up, too. It was only a matter of time before someone tried to make a spectacle out of his father.
Nathan slouched deeper into the couch cushions, his mind spinning. He absentmindedly tugged at his shirt—a bright green t-shirt with a cartoon hamster on the front. The hamster, standing on its hind legs, wore an exaggeratedly fierce expression as it let out a tiny, whimsical roar, with the word "ROAR!" emblazoned in bold, playful letters on the back. The shirt was something he bought online, and though the silliness of it usually lifted his spirits, today it didn't even come close. Paired with his worn-out jeans and scuffed sneakers, Nathan's outfit clashed with the weight of his emotions. He looked down at the cheerful hamster and sighed.
He paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing at a headline: "The Flying Durian Man Strikes: Chaos at Idol Concert!" Nathan groaned, shaking his head in disbelief. How had this become his father's legacy?
As he scrolled through the comments, a familiar notification pinged on his phone. It was a message from Sarah, his girlfriend, asking if she could come over to talk about something urgent. Nathan's stomach tightened. She wouldn't say it was urgent unless it was serious.
Before he could respond, there was a knock at the door. Nathan glanced up, half-expecting to see Sarah, but when he opened the door, he was met with a different face—a tall, professional-looking woman in her early thirties. She had neatly styled black hair, a sharp blazer, and a badge that read CNA—Channel NewsAsia, one of Singapore's major news networks.
"Mr. Ng?" the woman asked with a polite smile, holding up her press credentials. "I'm Jia Li from Channel NewsAsia. I'm here to talk to you about your father, Bernard Ng—the, uh, 'Flying Durian Man.' We'd love to do an interview with him at our station tomorrow."
Nathan's jaw clenched at the mention of the nickname. He had grown to despise how the world saw his father now, reducing him to a viral sensation rather than a person struggling with mental illness. He glanced back at the living room, hearing nothing from Bernard's bedroom. He had been worried that something like this would happen—that people would start knocking on their door, eager to turn his father into a sideshow attraction.
Trying to keep his frustration in check, Nathan turned back to Jia Li and forced a smile. "Uh… thanks for the offer, but we're not really interested in doing interviews right now," he said, his voice tight.
"Oh, I understand," Jia Li said smoothly, clearly used to reluctant interviewees. "But we believe your father's story has captivated a wide audience, and it could be a great opportunity for him to share his side of things. We'd be happy to accommodate any special needs or requests. It's really just a chance for him to tell his story—on his terms."
Nathan didn't trust that for a second. "Yeah… thanks. But no." He nodded firmly, stepping back a little, hoping she'd get the hint.
Jia Li didn't budge. "I think people would love to hear about what led to his, uh, performance at the Red Dreams concert. And of course, we could talk about his unique, colorful life—"
"Sorry, not interested," Nathan said quickly, his voice more curt this time. He inched the door a little more closed, trying to escape the conversation.
"Mr. Ng, I understand your concerns, but if you change your mind—"
Nathan's phone buzzed in his pocket, saving him from having to come up with a polite excuse to end the conversation. He fished it out, seeing Sarah's name flash on the screen. He gave Jia Li a quick nod. "I really need to take this. Thanks for stopping by." He started to close the door.
"Wait, if you could just—" Jia Li began, but Nathan had already turned away, focusing on his phone.
"Hey, Sarah," he answered, his relief obvious in his voice.
"Nathan, I'm outside. I need to show you something. It's important," Sarah said, her voice urgent. There was a hint of worry there that Nathan didn't like.
"Okay, I'll come down in a second," Nathan replied. "Just… give me a minute."
When he hung up, he realized he hadn't shut the door completely. He sighed, turning around to finally close it, but his stomach dropped when he saw that Jia Li had stepped inside the apartment, looking around with curiosity.
"Excuse me, what are you doing?" Nathan said, a little too sharply.
"Oh, I didn't mean to intrude," Jia Li said with a nervous laugh, raising her hands in mock surrender. "I just thought I could get your thoughts on—"
Nathan was about to tell her to leave when he heard a noise from the kitchen. It sounded like… a thump? His brow furrowed as he turned toward the sound, instinctively stepping into the hallway to investigate. Jia Li followed behind him, her curiosity piqued.
As they rounded the corner into the kitchen, Nathan's eyes widened in disbelief. There, standing on top of the dining table, was Bernard. He was crouched slightly, as if preparing to launch himself off the table, and in front of him was a dining chair—clearly the platform he had used to get up there in the first place.
Before Nathan could say anything, Bernard suddenly leaped off the table, flipping through the air in what could only be described as a shockingly graceful front flip. He landed on the floor with a soft thud, his arms stretched out like a gymnast sticking a perfect landing.
Nathan blinked, frozen in place. Jia Li stood beside him, equally stunned. Neither of them could believe what they had just seen. Bernard glanced over at them casually, as if nothing unusual had happened, then did a double-take when he noticed Jia Li standing behind Nathan.
"Oh, sorry there, Nathan," Bernard said with a sheepish smile. "You should've told me we'd have guests over." He dusted off his hands and stepped off the table as if performing acrobatics in the kitchen was an everyday occurrence.
Jia Li was speechless, her mouth hanging open as she tried to process what she had just witnessed.
Bernard approached her with an extended hand, a friendly grin on his bruised face. "You must be Nathan's girlfriend," he said warmly. "It's nice to meet you."
Jia Li blinked, clearly flabbergasted. "I… No, I'm not—" she stammered, glancing at Nathan for help.
Nathan sighed, rubbing his temples as he tried to figure out how to explain this. "Dad, this isn't Sarah. She's from the news," he said, trying to keep his voice calm.
"Oh!" Bernard's face lit up in recognition. "The news! Well, I've been watching it all day. They keep talking about some 'Flying Durian Man'—whoever that is. Crazy stuff, right?" He chuckled, shaking his head. "I mean, I'm just here practicing my parkour, and apparently, I'm already famous. Guess I'm a better parkour specialist than I thought!"
Nathan shot a sideways glance at Jia Li, who still seemed too stunned to speak. "Okay, Dad, let's just… take a break from the parkour, alright?" he said, guiding Bernard gently toward the living room.
"Parkour is all about precision, you know," Bernard said matter-of-factly. "You've got to land just right, or else—bam! But don't worry, I've got Jiawei guiding me. Says I should try jumping between buildings next."
Nathan cringed internally. Jiawei. That must be the new voice his father had started hearing. It wasn't Gerald anymore—no more flying durians. Now it was parkour advice.
"Uh-huh," Nathan said distractedly, leading Bernard to the couch. "Why don't you sit here for a minute, okay? I've got to take care of something."
"Sure, sure," Bernard said, sitting down and grabbing the remote. He turned the TV back on and settled in, oblivious to the chaos he had just created.
Nathan turned back to Jia Li, who had finally regained her composure. "So, as you can see," Nathan said slowly, trying to keep his tone polite, "now's really not the best time for an interview. My dad's been through enough already."
Jia Li opened her mouth to respond, but before she could get a word out, Nathan's phone buzzed again. He glanced at it, seeing another message from Sarah: "Nathan, this is really urgent. Please hurry."
"I'm sorry," Nathan said quickly, cutting Jia Li off before she could protest. "But I need to go. Thanks for stopping by." He motioned toward the door, hoping she would take the hint this time.
Jia Li hesitated for a moment, clearly wanting to push the issue, but then she nodded, realizing she wasn't going to get anywhere today. "Alright, Mr. Ng," she said with a tight smile. "But if you change your mind, please let us know. We'd really love to hear your father's story."
"Will do," Nathan said curtly, already walking toward the door.
Jia Li gave one last glance at Bernard, who was now engrossed in the TV, then followed Nathan to the door. She stepped out into the hallway, and Nathan gave her a quick nod before closing the door behind her. He exhaled a long breath, feeling a mix of relief and frustration.
Nathan pocketed his phone, then hurried back into the living room. He needed to find his dad and make sure he wasn't going to pull another stunt while he was gone. "Dad, I've got to go meet Sarah outside for a minute," he said, trying to keep his voice calm. "But I don't want you to be here alone. You're coming with me."
Bernard looked up from the TV, a puzzled expression on his face. "Sarah? Oh, sure, sure. But tell Jiawei to hang on—he's giving me some tips on how to nail that rooftop jump."
"Uh-huh," Nathan muttered, shaking his head. "Just… come on."
Bernard stood up and followed Nathan to the door, muttering to himself about parkour techniques as they left the apartment. Nathan glanced around nervously, hoping Jia Li wasn't lurking somewhere in the hallway. He didn't need any more interruptions today.
As they stepped outside, Nathan spotted Sarah waiting by the entrance to the building. She was pacing, her face filled with worry. Nathan immediately noticed that she didn't look like her usual self—her outfit, normally a bit more stylish and slightly well-coordinated, she wore a loose gray hoodie, slightly wrinkled as though it had been hastily grabbed from a chair, paired with faded blue leggings that had seen better days. Her hair, usually tied back neatly or styled with care, was pulled into a messy ponytail, a few stray strands escaping and framing her face. She wasn't dressed poorly, but there was a visible lack of the usual polish she always carried with her. When she saw them, she rushed over, her eyes darting between Nathan and Bernard.
"What's going on?" Nathan asked, trying to keep the anxiety out of his voice.
Sarah hesitated for a moment, then handed him her phone. "You need to see this," she said quietly.