Leave Me Alone, Big Brothers! [BL]-Chapter 171: Paths We Choose

Saturday morning.

Inside Nael’s bedroom, Lucas, Malvin, and Roger were all there.

They had gathered there after breakfast, still processing the announcement Nael had made at the dining table. Nael had told them that he and Nathan were going to get ice cream together.

Malvin sat on the sofa. He looked at Nael with a mixture of happiness and total disbelief.

"Are you sure about this, Nael? You’re actually going with Nathan? Did you force him?"

Nael happily sat on the sofa with his brothers and looked at Malvin. He looked a bit offended.

"No! I didn’t force him. Do you really think I have the power to force Nathan to do anything? He’s the one who asked me."

Roger sat on the other sofa, swinging his legs. "That’s really something. What did you do to him? Usually, he avoids everyone."

"I did nothing. Last night he came to my room. He congratulated me on the trial tests. Then he saw my broken phone. I think he felt regret about what happened before. Then he asked me to get ice cream today."

Lucas let out a short laugh. "He felt regret? That’s unbelievable."

"I don’t know why he asked. But he was very sweet last night. Anyway, I don’t care why. I’m just excited to go with him." Nael smiled broadly.

Malvin let out a long breath. He looked genuinely pleased, though there was a hint of envy in his eyes. "I think you’re the first one of us to actually go somewhere with him by his own choice. I wish we could make him feel that comfortable with the rest of us."

Lucas stood up, shaking his head. "What are you talking about? He went with me to the racetrack last night. I was the first one to take him out of this house."

Roger interrupted. "Hey, don’t you remember the cake? He gave me cake. I’m the first one who actually got into his heart."

Malvin sighed. The conversation was turning into a competition. It seemed like a race to see who could get Nathan’s attention.

"Damn, I think it’s hard for me to get close to him. He never lets me stay close."

Roger laughed and patted Malvin on the shoulder. "Just wait for your birthday. Maybe if you’re lucky, he’ll give you a gift. Or at least he might not hit you."

Malvin let out a frustrated sigh but didn’t argue. He looked at Nael again. "Can I come with you two? I can drive."

"Oh... I’d love to. But I really want to go alone with him. But don’t worry, next week, I’ll ask him again so we can go together. Okay?"

Nael loved Malvin very much, but he didn’t want to make Nathan uncomfortable since Nathan was the one who invited him.

Malvin understood. He gave Nael a small, supportive smile. "Don’t worry about it. Just enjoy your time. It’s great to see the two of you finally getting closer."

At exactly eleven o’clock, Nathan was in his own room. He heard a firm knock on his door.

"Nathan! I’m ready!" Nael shouted from the hallway.

Nathan looked at the digital clock on his desk. He was surprised. Nael was exactly on time.

He stood up, slipped on his sneakers, and grabbed his heavy jacket. He made sure his wallet was in his pocket.

Nathan opened the door and stepped out. He saw Nael standing there. Nael was wearing a clean, pressed button-down shirt under a high-quality wool coat. He looked very neat.

"Where are you going dressed like that?" Nathan asked, looking at Nael’s outfit.

Nael looked down at his clothes. "Why? Is it too much?"

Nathan shook his head and started walking toward the stairs. "No. It’s fine. Come on."

They walked down to where Louis was waiting. As they drove away from the mansion, Nael began to talk.

He didn’t stop. He spoke about everything that came to mind.

"Alexander has a new project," Nael said, looking out the window as they passed through the city. "He’s building a new apartment complex in Sunday Hill. I told him he should give me one of the penthouse units. I like that area. It’s very close to where Roger’s house is."

Nathan was looking at his phone, but the mention of Roger’s house made him look up. "Roger has a house? I thought he lived at the mansion."

Nael nodded. "Everyone has their own place already. Alexander, Malvin, Leo, Roger, and Lucas all have private houses or apartments in the city. It’s good for them when they want some quiet time or when they have private business. Sometimes they stay there for days."

Nathan remained silent. This explained why his brothers weren’t at the mansion sometimes.

"What about you?" Nathan asked.

"Malvin told me I’ll get my own house when I turn twenty-one," Nael said. "That’s why I’m asking Alexander for the apartment now. For now, I still like staying in the mansion. I don’t like being alone."

Nathan looked at his twin. "You actually like it there? In that house?"

"Why wouldn’t I like it?" Nael asked.

Nathan shook his head. He couldn’t understand how Nael could be comfortable in a place filled with guards, cameras, and the constant tension of their brothers’ lives.

But Nathan realized Nael was different. Nael felt lonely if people weren’t talking to him. Nathan, however, preferred to be by himself.

"You’re going to get your own house soon, right?" Nael asked.

"I want it," Nathan said. "I’m still looking for the best piece of land. I made a deal with Alexander. He’ll buy it for me. I can’t buy it myself because I’m a minor."

"So you’re really going to move out of the mansion?" Nael asked. His voice sounded quiet and sad.

Nathan nodded. "I’ll live on my own."

"Are you going to live with Zane?" Nael asked.

Nathan didn’t answer right away. He hadn’t thought about that part of the future yet. He remained focused on the short-term goals of their agreement, as it would be over in a few months.

"I don’t know. I’m not thinking about that right now."

"Can I stay with you sometimes?" Nael asked, leaning closer. "When you have your own house?"

Nathan looked at Nael’s hopeful face. "It depends. I think I’ll let you stay for one or two nights a month."

"What? Only twice?" Nael exclaimed.

"One or two," Nathan repeated.

Nael pouted and leaned back against the seat. "That’s even worse."

They were silent for a few minutes as the car moved through traffic. Then Nael spoke again. "When are you going to start your driving lessons? Alexander said you wanted a car."

"Soon," Nathan said. "After the final exams are over. Did you already take lessons?"

"I didn’t need them," Nael said. "I already know how to drive. When I turn eighteen, they’ll just get me the license."

Nathan clicked his tongue. "You’re so lucky."

Nael felt a small pang of guilt. He realized that Nathan had missed out on all the normal experiences they had shared in the mansion.

"If you take your lessons, you should take me with you. We can go to an empty street together, and I can help you practice. It’ll be fun."

"We’ll see," Nathan said.

They arrived at the Panda Ice Cream stand. It was a popular spot on a busy street corner. Even though the weather was very cold, there were people waiting to buy. Nathan found it strange that people wanted to eat frozen dairy in the middle of March.

Louis parked the car nearby. He watched as the two boys entered the shop. Louis went to a coffee stand next door, ordered a black coffee, and sat at a small table where he could keep an eye on them.

Inside the shop, Nathan and Nael sat at a small table near the window. Nael was eating a large bowl of strawberry and vanilla ice cream. Nathan had a simple chocolate cone.

"Have you filled out your passion form yet?" Nael asked. "The one for the university applications?"

"Not yet," Nathan said.

The passion form was a document their school required. It was used to help students decide which career path they should follow and which university programs they should apply to. It required them to list their interests and long-term goals.

"What do you want to be?" Nathan asked Nael.

In the past, Nathan had never thought about a career. He only thought about survival. He had assumed he would take any job that paid money quickly.

"We will all get our roles in the company eventually," Nael said, scraping the bottom of his bowl. "We have to help Alex. Roger and Leo aren’t interested, but I want to help. So I’ll take classes in business management."

"I don’t think you need to go to school just to help Alex," Nathan said.

"I need to learn anyway," Nael argued. "I don’t want to look stupid."

"Don’t you have a personal passion?" Nathan asked.

"My passion is fencing," Nael said. "And I already spend all my time doing that. I have enough experience with it. It doesn’t need to be my job." He paused and looked at Nathan. "And you? What’s on your form?"

"I wanted to be a doctor," Nathan said. "But I think it’s too late for that now."

"Why?" Nael asked. "You still have plenty of time to study. You’re smart."

"It’s not something I really want right now," Nathan said, looking out at the street. "Thinking about it, I think I’d rather start a business. I want to make enough money to open a good orphanage. A real one. One without corrupt people in it. I want to run it myself and make sure the kids are actually treated well."

Nael stared at Nathan. His eyes began to well up. "Oh, Nath..."

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Nathan asked.

"You really are an angel," Nael said.

"Nope, I’m not," Nathan said firmly. "I don’t want to be an angel because once you make a mistake, you’ll be cursed for the rest of your life. I don’t want to do it just to be praised anyway. I know how suffocating life was in the orphanage, with all those cruel and corrupt people."

Nael looked down at his empty ice cream bowl. A look of deep guilt crossed his face. "I’m sorry..."

"I didn’t tell you that to make you feel bad," Nathan said. "I’m just telling you that the world outside your mansion is very scary. When you have no power and no money, the world is a place of suffering."

"I wish I could have taken your place," Nael said sincerely.

Nathan looked at his twin and let out a short, dry laugh. "You would have died on the first day. Don’t even think about it."

Nael pouted, feeling insulted. "I’m not that weak!"

"Not only weak, you’d cry all the time. I can just imagine it."

"No way!" Nael protested. "I’m much tougher than you think!"

Nathan didn’t argue, he just laughed. But that only made Nael feel even more insulted.