"Listen, kid. Stick with your big brother, and you'll eat well, live well, and experience the greatest joys this world has to offer."
Rojen's face was flushed, and with his guard down, he started talking without thinking.
"What are the greatest joys?" the boy asked eagerly.
"Women, of course!"
"Long legs... big boobs!" Rojen shouted.
And just like that, under Rojen's questionable guidance, the boy he'd met by chance seemed destined to head down a very dangerous path.
"What are women?" The boy grinned foolishly. "I think being with you, big brother, is the happiest thing in the world. I wish I could stay with you forever."
Rojen sobered up instantly, black lines practically appearing across his face.
"Hey, get a grip! I'm not into guys!" He grabbed the boy by the shoulders and shook him, but the boy just kept smiling, already lost in his own happy fantasy.
Then, without warning, the smile vanished. He threw himself into Rojen's arms and burst into tears.
"Big brother... do you know how lonely I am?"
"I want friends. I want a family. I want to live like everyone else."
"But..."
"Why does everyone hate me? Why won't anyone stay with me?"
"I hate it so much..."
Every word struck Rojen straight in the heart, leaving him speechless.
Even now, neither of them had asked the other's name. They were complete strangers, yet after spending only a short time together, it felt like they were family.
Maybe this boy was ruthless, cold, and overbearing in front of everyone else. But right now, he was just a child who had never truly grown up, a little brother who needed someone to care for him.
"It's okay."
"From now on, stay with your big brother. I have companions I trust with my life, and you'll make friends with them."
"And starting today... we're family."
Rojen hugged him tightly as he spoke.
Hearing those words, the boy's sobs gradually faded. Exhaustion finally overtook him, and he drifted off to sleep.
"Get some rest. You'll feel better when you wake up."
Rojen gently laid him down on the grass, wiped away his tears, and quietly stood up. Then he turned and walked away.
Even in his sleep, the boy looked restless. His body trembled faintly, tossing from side to side as though he might wake at any moment.
Suddenly, his eyes snapped open.
"Big brother!" he cried out in panic, his eyes filled with fear as he searched his surroundings.
Rojen was nowhere in sight.
His heart sank.
"You're awake already? Didn't sleep very long." A warm voice came from behind him.
The boy spun around.
"Big brother!" Joy instantly filled his face.
"Your clothes were completely worn out, so I went and bought you a new set. Try them on." Rojen tossed him a bundle of clothes, a brand-new sky-blue shirt and a pair of jeans.
"Big brother..."
Holding the clothes in his hands, the boy started crying again. He couldn't even describe what he was feeling; he only knew that no one in the world had ever treated him as kindly as the man standing before him.
"Come on, don't cry."
"You're my little brother now. It's only natural for your big brother to take care of you." Rojen walked over, ruffled his hair, and smiled.
"Little brother?" The boy looked up at him.
"Of course. You call me 'big brother,' so that makes us brothers. And since you're younger than me, you're obviously my little brother." Rojen pinched his cheek. "All right, get changed. Let's see if they fit."
The boy nodded hard, stripped off his tattered clothes, and quickly put on the new outfit.
Afterward, Rojen took him to the river to wash his face and hair. When the dirt was gone, a handsome, delicate young face appeared.
"Not bad. Pretty handsome, actually. You've got about thirty percent of my good looks." Rojen looked the boy over with a satisfied smile. "You're way too skinny, though. Eat more meat from now on. That's how you'll grow strong."
"Tch." The boy clicked his tongue in mock disdain.
Still, he couldn't hide the happiness in his eyes. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd changed clothes. The simple sky-blue shirt and jeans fit him perfectly and felt far more comfortable than the rags he'd been wearing.
The two walked side by side along the edge of Upper Yard, chatting as they went.
"Big brother, are there really that many islands like Upper Yard in the Blue Sea?" The boy's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"Of course," Rojen nodded. "The world is enormous. Skypiea is just a single island."
"Then... can I go there too?" the boy asked timidly.
Rojen laughed and looked down at him. "What are you worrying about? You're my little brother. Wherever I go, you go. Of course you can come with me."
The boy beamed. But the smile quickly faded.
"But... I still have to get my revenge."
"I have to make them pay."
"Revenge?" Rojen frowned.
"Those people who laughed at me... looked down on me... treated me like I was nothing."
"I'll make them suffer for it."
"I'll show them how powerful I am!"
A dark, violent aura burst from the boy, and his delicate features twisted with hatred.
'Smack!'
Rojen slapped him on the back of his head.
"Ow!" The boy clutched his head and glared at him. "What was that for?!"
"Kid." Rojen bent down until they were eye to eye. Towering over him by more than two heads, he spoke in a calm but stern voice. "Remember this."
"W-What?"
For some reason, the fearless boy suddenly felt nervous. It was as if he were standing before a natural predator.
"Everyone goes through pain and hardship," Rojen said. "But if you keep drowning yourself in that pain..."
"...it'll drag you straight into the abyss."
The boy shuddered.
"Instead, take a step forward. Leave that pain behind and keep making yourself stronger."
"One day, your achievements will be the ultimate answer to everyone who mocked, despised, or looked down on you."
"That's what a real man does."
"Don't let hatred blind you. Figure out what you truly want."
"Do you want to keep clinging to the mockery and loneliness that don't deserve another second of your life..."
"...or do you want to open your arms to a new life, new friends, and a whole new world?"
"I'll give you three days. Think it over."
With that, Rojen turned and walked away without another word.
The boy stood frozen, Rojen's words echoing over and over in his mind. By the time he came back to his senses, Rojen was already gone.
"Big brother!" Panic flashed across his face as he shouted and searched in every direction.
But there was no sign of him.
The boy slowly clenched his fists. Blue arcs of lightning flickered across his body as he fell deep into thought.
Just as Rojen had said, he needed to find his answer.
'Cling to the past... or walk toward the future?'
For the boy, it was the hardest choice he had ever faced.
(End Of This Chapter)
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