“Hmm…” Aether munching, trying to focus on the food in front of him.
“Delicious, right?” Penelope’s mother asked, her gaze lingering on Aether as she watched him with a knowing smile.
Aether nodded awkwardly, his mouth too full to speak. He continued eating in silence, feeling the weight of her stare. Penelope’s mother subtly signalled her daughter with a glance, and though Penelope hesitated, the silent conversation between them was unmistakable.
Aether noticed the strange exchange and couldn’t help but wonder what was going on, ‘What’s with these people?’ he thought, just as Penelope suddenly leaned forward, holding a forkful of food towards him.
“Ahhh~” she cooed, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
Aether stared at her, bewildered. His confusion only deepened when he saw her glance at her mother, who gave a subtle nod of encouragement, urging her not to back down.
“I don’t think—” Aether started, trying to pull away.
“It’s just food,” Penelope’s mother interrupted with a soft, coaxing smile. Then she added with a playful wink, “Or… are you worried about ‘Feeling’ something else?”
Aether’s lips twitched in annoyance, but he relented, opening his mouth to take the bite.
Penelope’s face lit up with pure joy, her heart skipping a beat as her cheeks turned a brighter shade of red. Seeing her daughter’s happiness, her mother’s smile softened with a mix of pride and affection.
‘What the fuck is wrong with these people?’ Aether screamed inwardly, ‘And what the fucking fuck is wrong with me?!’ He couldn’t understand why he couldn’t say no to her mother!
Penelope’s mother took over, gently but insistently stuffing more food into Aether’s mouth. She did it with such care as if he were her own son.
Aether’s heart pounded faster, his emotions spiralling out of control, especially seeing the deep care in her eyes, He knew he needed to leave as soon as possible before things got even more complicated.
But then, just as he was about to excuse himself, Penelope’s mother spoke up again, “It’s already night, why don’t you stay over?” she suggested with a small, inviting smile that made Aether’s heart skip a beat, ‘Hell no!’ he screamed inwardly, panic rising in his chest.
He glanced at Penelope, who was eagerly watching him, her eyes filled with hope.
“I’m sorry, but I really need to go,” Aether said quickly, pushing himself away from the table and heading toward the door.
As he stepped outside, he heard Penelope’s mother chuckle softly, while Penelope’s face fell into a sad, disappointed pout.
Meanwhile, outside,
Aether clenched his chest, feeling his heart racing uncontrollably, ‘W-What is this?’ he wondered, trying to shake the unsettling thoughts from his mind.
But the image of Penelope’s mother’s smirk kept flashing before his eyes, haunting him. He vowed to himself that he would never visit that house again!
Never!!
Just then, a deep voice broke through his thoughts, “Who are you?”
Aether lifted his head to see a man in his thirties dressed in expensive, professional clothing, looking at him with a frown.
Aether gave the man a brief glance before turning to leave, not wanting to engage.
The man’s frown deepened as he entered the house, and Aether watched from a distance, his mind piecing things together, ‘He must be the father…’ he thought, shrugging off the encounter as he continued walking away.
…..
…
[Damn, man, you fell for her mother, didn’t you?]
Words appeared in the air before him.
Current Aether slapped his forehead, his face turning red, ‘It’s just teenage hormones… nothing more’ he told himself, though he couldn’t shake the feeling of unease. He glanced at the level bar that hovered in the air, noticing it was lowering toward a ‘😇’.
As if the words could read his thoughts, they changed:
[Hormones? I think… It’s the first time you’ve received gentle love from a motherly woman, isn’t it? The emotions you buried deep after losing the love you received from your own mother are starting to surface, right?]
Aether’s heart tightened, but he remained silent, letting out a deep, resigned sigh.
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Suddenly, the words shifted again:
[Happy times don’t last long, do they?…. now…]
As the reels of his life began to spin before his eyes, Aether steeled his heart. He knew what was coming next. He knew the storm that was about to hit.
Penelope had started to nag him more and more, her persistence growing with each passing day. At first, he tried to avoid her, desperate to keep his distance.
“Why do you keep nagging me?” he asked, frustration lacing his voice.
“I… I just want us to be friends!” Penelope replied, her tone pleading.
“Sorry, I already have two friends!” Aether shot back, turning to walk away.
But Penelope’s determination was unwavering. She continued to pursue him, her persistence a constant presence in his life…. And true to his vow, Aether never went back to Penelope’s house.
A year passed, with Penelope relentlessly nagging him only increased even more… slowly but surely, chipping away at his defences.
Finally, one day, Aether sighed, the weight of her persistence finally breaking through.
“Fine… We can be friends,” he said, his voice tinged with defeat.
“Yay!!” Penelope shouted, her joy overflowing as she hugged him tightly. Aether’s face turned bright red, and he quickly pushed her away, flustered. “N-No touching, girl!!” he stammered.
Penelope nodded, but there was a dangerous glint in her smile… one that reminded him too much of her mother.
‘I-I feel like I signed up for something dangerous….’ he thought.
The next thing Aether knew, he was lying on her lap, her fingers gently running through his hair.
Yes, she had finally broken through the walls he had built around his heart.
Her hard work had paid off, and she had managed to worm her way into his affections!!
“You’re really stubborn, you know~ Look at my eyes, lovely bastard~” Penelope said playfully, rubbing the tip of his nose with her finger. Aether smiled up at her, feeling a warmth in his chest that he hadn’t felt in a long time… most of all, he felt little shy seeing her treating him like a child.
But then Penelope’s expression turned warm and serious, “Don’t worry… You won’t regret loving me… I promise I’ll never leave you, I will take care of you for eternity…”
Aether stared into her eyes, his own growing moist… His lips trembled even more.
He slowly lifted himself up as she leaned down, their lips meeting in a gentle, tender kiss…. their first!
And soon…. Aether’s family discovered his declining grades and his behaviour at school.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” his mother shouted, her voice filled with fury and disbelief. She couldn’t comprehend the news she had just received from the school office.
Aether stood there, motionless, like a statue, his emotions locked away behind a cold mask.
His stepfather tried to calm her down, placing a hand on her shoulder, “It’s okay, dear. Not everyone is blessed with talents… Though the teachers said some harsh things, let’s give him a chance. He might still turn things around—”
“No!!” his mother cut him off, her fury undiminished. “I’ve had enough of this!! You will not—”
But before she could finish, Aether finally spoke, his voice cold and indifferent. “So, you’re just going to accept this as a fact?”
Both his mother and stepfather flinched at the sound of his voice. His mother tried to speak again, her tone more uncertain. “Fact? What else am I supposed to—”
Aether interrupted her, his gaze piercing through her, “You’re not even going to ask why I became like this?” His emotionless eyes bore into hers, and she unconsciously took a step back. “W-What—” she stammered, but before she could finish, his stepfather stepped forward, trying to take control of the situation.
“Aether, calm down first,” he said, his voice firm but cautious.
“Calm down?” Aether tilted his head, a mocking smile playing on his lips, “Who the fuck are you to come between me and my mother?”
His stepfather frowned, his patience wearing thin, “Mind your words, young man—”
“FUCK OFF!!” Aether roared, grabbing the man by the collar, his face twisted in fury,
“You son of a bitch!!
I know what you are hiding! you’re more rotten than anyone I’ve ever met in my life!!
And now you act like you care about me? You think I’m buying this bullshit?!” Aether spat, his voice filled with venom.
“A-Aether, stop it!” His mother tried to intervene, her voice trembling with fear.
But Aether ignored her, his eyes locked onto his stepfather, “I’m starting to think you’re the reason my grades have been falling… Did you bribe the teachers?”
“Aether, stop this!!”
“Tell me, did you fucking bribe them? Bitch?!” Aether demanded, lifting his stepfather off the ground with terrifying strength.
The man trembled in his grasp, trying to maintain his composure. “A-Are you blaming me for your own failures?”
Aether gritted his teeth and with a sudden burst of rage,
Thud!
Aether’s fist connected with his stepfather’s face, sending him crashing to the floor.
“AETHER!!!” his mother screamed, horror etched across her face.
Drip, Drip…
Blood dripped from his stepfather’s nose, and just then, Aether’s little brother came down the stairs, his eyes wide with fear, “F-Father?” he cried out, running towards his fallen father, his small fists pounding against Aether’s chest.
But a single, cold glance from Aether was enough to make the boy stumble back in terror.
The situation was spiralling out of control when a small, broken voice echoed through the house.
“Get out…”
Aether frowned, turning towards the sound….. His stepfather, despite the pain, managed a slight, triumphant smirk.
His mother, staring at the ground, repeated herself, “Get out…”
“Mothe—” Aether started, trying to reach out to her.
“DON’T YOU DARE CALL ME MOTHER ANYMORE!!” she screamed, tears streaming down her face.
Aether’s hand froze in mid-air, trembling, “M-Mo—”
“GET OUTTTTT!!” she screamed again, her voice filled with nothing but pain and fear.
Aether tried to move closer, but she stepped back, her terrified expression cutting him deeper than any words could… His heart shattered, the pieces falling away into a void he couldn’t escape.
“Don’t hurt, Mommy!!” his little brother shouted, standing protectively in front of their mother, his small body shaking with fear, his eyes brimming with tears.
“I… I…” Aether tried to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. He saw his mother pull his little brother into a tight embrace, her back turned to him.
Slowly, Aether lowered his gaze and began to walk away. But just as he reached the door, her voice, cold and cutting, stopped him in his tracks.
“You never understood me… not me, not your father, not even your little brother… You’re nothing but a defective product, only good for laughing at the misery you create.”
“He..Hehehe…..”
Her words echoed around him as Aether cried (Laughed), and stepped outside, his heart shattered into pieces too small to ever be put back together.