[2 years ago]

bits and pieces of shattered glass, filling the empty floor in that vast room. As I stood with blood trickling down my forehead, I could see my father in front of me, eyes filled with rage and face full of disappointment. at that very moment, his rough breathing was the only thing I could hear. even though there were people there, no one dared to utter a single word.

beside me, I could feel my sister grasping my arm while shaking heavily. when I saw her face, fear filled her eyes. blood had drained from her pale face, still frightened by my father's action.

"Get out..." my father said in a calm yet intimidating manner, his finger pointing at the door to the outside.

"Dad..."

I came here today with a bit of hope left in me. a hope that maybe he would accept me for who I am. with the belief that, even if I cannot become the person he dreams of, I would be able to stand proud in front of him.

"Even if you reject me, please..."

All I wanted was to talk to him, face to face, even if that might be our last conversation. but at that moment, his face faced the floor, completely avoiding me.

the face of someone who has truly given up on trying.

"...LOOK AT ME !! SAY IT TO ME DIRECTLY, DON'T HIDE YOUR FACE!"

a scream filled with anguish came from the depths of my throat. I don't care if he chews me out, at least we will have an honest conversation. but his action of ignoring me...

despair. the feelings that enveloped me at that very moment.

when the words left my mouth, my father reached for the ceiling. his hand fell with great speed towards the table in front of him. he slammed the table with great force, shattering the glass, and snapped the table in half.

SLAM!!

"GET OUT!!!" my father said as his hands bled from the shards of glass.

"dear!" my mother hurriedly attended to my father whose hand was now bruised and wounded.

"...just get out." my mother pleaded to me. I could feel the distress and contempt in her voice. hearing that, I could only slowly walk towards the entrance with my head hanging low. As I passed through the door, I could see everyone's faces aside from my father's.

the attendant's confused expressions,

my relative's scornful demeanour,

my mother's discontent eyes

and my sister's concerned face.

that night, blood continued to trickle down my forehead, painting the white snow red. despite the hurting wound, the pain doesn't bother me that much.

but nothing I say could describe the wound left in my heart that day.

that night, I left the house with an emotion I do not wish to feel again.

----------------------------------------

[PRESENT DAY]

"You're here?"

a disgruntled face shown on his face. I assume he would have thrown me out of the house if he could. I guess meeting me on an auspicious day like today would deteriorate his mood.

I remember how he reacted similarly when I attended my sister's wedding. seeing this, I could only chuckle in a self-deprecating manner.

"is it wrong for me to attend a party I'm invited to?"

"..."

silence fills the space between us, but I know what kind of person my father is. he wouldn't do anything too extreme in front of these guests.

'He is that kind of person after all.'

a man who cares too much about his appearance, that he would forsake his son to avoid being looked down on by everyone else.

'At least, he won't throw a glass bottle again'

That thought makes me unconsciously rub the scar that he left on my forehead.

seeing the place filled with tension, I swiftly tried to get away, avoiding any further trouble. but then, the blonde-haired man near us stopped me in my tracks, blocking me with his body.

"you're Fauna's brother? my name is Daniel, Helen's fiancee. a pleasure to meet you" the man exclaimed while offering a handshake. a question mark appeared in my mind, wondering why he stopped me.

I don't know if he knows about my past relationship with Helen, but I could see Helen on the side looking nervous from our interaction.

the man in front of me is quite a charming guy. a well-defined face, a fit body comparable to an athlete, and a tall stature. when I looked at him standing beside Helen, even I could see that they were a perfect match for each other.

"My name's Leo, Fauna's brother, and Helen's Childhood Friend" I answered his introduction whilst I accepted his handshake.

as we both introduced ourselves, Daniel seemed to have realized Helen's weird conduct. the graceful and composed Helen is nowhere to be seen. even others could realize that she was acting differently at that moment. suddenly, Daniel's complexion changed, like something had just clicked in his head. he took a look at my face once more before striking up another line.

"Childhood friend? Ah, you're the infamous Leo Armstrong..."

"...the one that ran away?" Daniel exclaimed as He looked at me with a sneer.

suddenly, from the word that came out of Daniel's mouth, the crowd started bickering around.

"Leo? I see, no wonder I recognized his name..."

"he's here? does he have no shame?"

"I heard he is kicked out of the family, why is he here?"

the crowd chatter started to fill up the room. in front of me, I could see my father's fist start to form. he looks even more dissatisfied with my presence now that everyone's attention is on me. surprisingly, He then looked in my direction, with a face full of pity. I thought he directed that to me, but I realized I was wrong as someone appeared behind my back.

"what's wrong brother?" from behind, Fauna appeared as she looked around seeing everyone acting unpleasant towards me.

at that moment, her face that was smiling turned into an annoyed face, seemingly knowing what I had been through.

"Why are you surrounding my brother??"

"Daniel, did you do it??" she said as she faced Daniel, full of determination.

"..." Daniel could only answer with silence.

he knows it's not right to pick a fight with a newlywed bride at her party.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

"sorry Fauna, Daniel's a bit too energetic today" Helen appears from Daniel's back, trying to console Fauna.

hearing my sister's statement, everyone in the crowd decided to disperse to avoid making trouble for her. As everyone started going back to their spot, I could see Helen holding Daniel's hand, looking at me with a face full of guilt.

My sister besides me had guessed from my gesture and Helen's, that Daniel was the one who caused the commotion. She looked at Daniel with a glare that could cut a person.

Fauna gestured her hand slitting her neck towards Daniel. Daniel from the distance could only shudder instinctively.

"Let's go brother" Fauna pulled me in the opposite direction of Daniel and Helen's.

running away from the scene, we then walk towards where Fauna's husband is standing, he is happily enjoying an assortment of chocolate on his plate.

"Congrats on your wedding Hiro, or should I call you brother-in-law now?" I said to him. With an excited gaze, he offered me a handshake and replied to my greetings.

"Big Bro Leo, thank you for coming"

Hiro, my brother-in-law. his short and black hair gave him a refreshing look. He has almond-shaped eyes, his smile gives off a warm feeling, and his gesture is truly that of a gentleman. compared to the gaudy Daniel, Hiro looks more approachable even though they both are similarly handsome.

"sorry for attending without formal attire"

"It's fine, tonight is Christmas anyway. just enjoy the party" he said, while taking a wine glass from the table, giving me one. my sister who saw us talking gleefully left us alone for a while, she knows we have a lot to catch up to.

"how about we talk outside, I need some fresh air. inside feel so stuffy with all the crowds"

"Sure" I replied as I followed him to the door. As soon as we're outside, both our breaths release a misty cloud. thankfully, the wine that we're drinking keeps our bodies warm.

Hiro was an underclassman of mine during my High school days. He started pestering me after he fell in love with Fauna in his grade. knowing that Fauna had a brother, he decided to get close to me.

he's quite the crafty kid I must say, he realized how attached Fauna is to me during those days that he started bothering me instead. at first, his unrestrained rambling annoyed me a lot, but I warmed up to him after some time.

'Can I call you big bro?' was one of his catchphrases that he would say randomly from time to time. this question caught Fauna off guard almost every time. if she's in a good mood, Fauna would only blush in bewilderment as she hides her embarrassed face. if not, she would unleash a punch that would make anyone tremble in fear. looking back at it, even I was impressed by his tenacity.

As time went by, We started to hang out a lot, despite Fauna not being present some of the time. Fauna who saw what kind of person Hiro is also warmed up to him gradually. though his randomness and talkative attitude can be quite tiring to handle.

as we started to chatter about random stuff, Hiro suddenly asked a question.

"by the way, did you meet senior Helen already?"

"I did..."

"what's with the awkward answer? don't tell me you still hold some feelings for her?"

I started to swirl the wine in my glass around, my eyes wandering around the sky, thinking about the question Hiro had asked. after some time, I could only come up with one conclusion.

"I would be lying if I said I have no more feelings for her. though I don't know if this feeling is my affection towards her as a romantic partner or an affection for a childhood friend"

"Big Bro... sorry. sh*t, I know I'm insensitive, but I always fail to read the mood" His eyes started to droop low, making a face like that of a dog that has done some fault. I could only chuckle seeing the similarity.

"Don't worry about it. that's a part that made you charming after all" I pat him on the back trying to encourage him.

"Thanks, big bro."

"Wait... so, does that mean you met Daniel?" Hiro looks at me with a concerned look. apart from my sister, Hiro would probably be the only person in this room who still has a positive relationship with me. his concerns warm my heart a little bit in that place where all I receive is a cold gaze from the attendee. unconsciously, I patted his head like I would usually pat my sister. that caught him off guard, though he didn't seem to particularly dislike it.

"I have. though I don't appreciate his remark towards me, I don't mind it as long no one else is inconvenienced."

"...but if he had ruined your guy's wedding after-party, I wouldn't have let him go that easily"

"even if I might not have won in a fistfight, ha ha ha," I said as my cackle filled the area surrounding us. though it looks like Hiro didn't quite catch my joke.

"don't you feel mad big bro?" I could feel the animosity from his question, ignoring the joking atmosphere I tried to maintain.

"After everything you guys had experienced together in the past, after everything you have done for her, don't you feel anything knowing that senior Helen is now engaged to someone else?"

Hiro's question was filled with concern for me with a mix of hostility towards Helen and Daniel.

I realized, to Hiro, Helen had done something unforgivable to me. Helen had left me during my most vulnerable time.

'Does he still feel guilty for not being present when Helen dumped me?'

After hearing that question, I could only smile towards Hiro.

"Don't be silly, I am no Wiseman."

"then how can you be so calm? " Hiro asked with a confused and slightly irritated tone.

"even I could not keep my temper after I learned of her engagement to Daniel. even when she greeted me before, it took all of my willpower to smile at her."

"your reaction towards all of this baffles me," Hiro said while looking at me with eyes full of fury.

it makes me kind of envy him, the fact that he can easily display that kind of emotion in him.

"what do you expect me to do then? pray for her downfall? give her hostile treatment?"

"you know full well, I cannot do that."

"I don't want to be a person who hopes for someone else downfall"

never once in my life, have I ever felt rage even when someone wrongs me. some would say that I am selfless, but they're wrong. animosity within myself is just a hassle to deal with.

"you asked me, why don't I feel anything? Why am I calm? even after knowing Helen is engaged."

I lean to the rail guard near me with a sad smile on my face.

"It hurts, it hurts so much. I feel like all the wounds that I received from that day have opened up again. I have been repressing this feeling for years after we broke up, but now, all those feelings are catching up with me." I continued to talk calmly, but even then, I could not stop the flow of the tears.

"huh, it looks like the tears aren't stopping" I felt the tears continue flowing out, disappearing into the snow.

I could see Hiro's concerns seeing how my tears weren't stopping. but what baffles him even more is how I'm able to talk calmly despite nonstop tears.

"Are you okay, big bro?"

"Hiro, It's not that I don't feel anything. It's just that, the feeling is not enmity nor animosity."

"all that is left is regret"

"..." Hiro could only silently gaze at me staring into the sky. He knows that if even I didn't say anything to berate Helen, then who is he to talk badly about her?

though I do appreciate how concerned Hiro is towards me.

I'm really glad someone like him is now married to my sister.

after a while, I was finally able to stop my tears. my face is red, a little bit tipsy from drinking the wine Hiro had provided.

"(hick-) sorry, for being such a depressing friend and brother-in-law."

"no... it's my fault for bringing it up" Hiro said with a bothered expression

"hey, stop being upset for me. I appreciate the concern, but you need to enjoy today, it's your party after all"

"That's true," he said as he chugged the wine from his glass.

as we both got a little tipsy, we then continued to chat under the snowy sky. we talked jovially as friends would, catching up with each other. the wine and conversation had washed away all the negative feelings in my heart, at least for that moment.

"Hiro, Brother, why did you leave me behind?" Fauna pouted as she asked Hiro. it seemed she was looking for us, without realizing we had gone outside.

"Sorry, We're just busy catching up. we haven't talked in a while"

"huh, why does it feel like I'm the one third-wheeling despite today's occasions?" Fauna crossed her arms as she asked Hiro while leaning towards him.

"ha ha, looks like I'm getting in the way of your lovey-dovey time" I could only laugh at Fauna's remark while teasing them a bit.

"lo-lovey dovey time?!?" both Fauna and Hiro were startled by my commentary.

"Hey, I know both of you are newlywed, but why are you guys acting like a new teenage couple? blushing profusely from that kind of remark"

"sh-shut up" Fauna replied

"ha ha ha ha"

our laughter filled the surroundings.

snow from the sky, bound by gravity as they gradually fall to the ground, filling the environment with cold energy, but strangely my body is filled with warmth. is it from the wine? or is it from the company of friends and family? I do not know. but what I do know, is that I do not regret coming here today. Despite all that happened, I was able to see my sister, catch up with a long-time friend, and have a great time all around.

as the night grew late, snow started stacking on top of each other, we then decided to walk back inside the house.

before we entered the room, I decided to say goodbye and told them I was going to leave early instead. it's not like there's anyone inside I would like to meet apart from these 2 anyway. and considering they're both the star of today's party, I'm sure they're gonna be crowded the moment they enter.

"Well, I guess it's farewell for today"

"thank you for attending, brother" they both replied.

before I left, I gave Hiro a handshake.

"congrats on your marriage. I leave my sister to you" I said to him in a somber tone. seeing both of them side by side gave me a bittersweet feeling. my good friend and my sister. now, they're both married to each other.

I cannot describe how it feels. does Dad also feel this way? though I am only her brother, it was once my responsibility to protect her. now, she is off to build her own family with her life partner.

"Protect her, cherish her, and make her happy, okay?"

"Brother..." Fauna on the side looked at me with a sombre expression.

"leave it to me, Bro"

"Good"

next, I went in front of Fauna.

I stand in front of her. we both look at each other. I tried to voice what I was trying to say, but no words came out of my mouth. suddenly, Fauna hugged me out of nowhere.

"you seem like you need a hug,"

".... thanks."

we hugged for a while in the middle of the falling snow. the words that I wanted to say started to come back to my mind again.

"congrats on your marriage"

"hmm"

"take care of each other, if you have anything you're worrying about, don't keep it to yourself. now, you have a husband to talk to about your worries"

"hmm"

"but if you need me, contact me. I'll always be there to help."

"hmmm"

"take care of Dad and Mom okay? I can't be here now, so I'm counting on you."

"hmmm"

we hugged for a while more before I finally loosened the hug.

I look at her, my little sister. I still vividly remember we used to hug like this when we were young. that little girl has now grown into a full-fledged adult. but in my mind, she is still my dear little sister who can't do anything without her brother's help.

"take care of yourself okay?" I look at her face-to-face with a smile.

"hmmm" she nodded while replying my smile with an even wider smile.

after the hug, she and Hiro walked towards the door meanwhile I went straight to the gate. while waving at both of them, I said my goodbyes.

finally, I left the Christmas party.