Chapter 1: Opening Image
Merak sighed, stirring the pot of noddle he was preparing. The kitchen was filled with the aroma of garlic and butter, a comforting scent that usually calmed his anxious mind. He had always been the one to take care of the house, the one who ensured everything ran smoothly. His brothers, Ombre and their younger siblings, were more than happy to let him handle the domestic chores. It was his way of coping with the chaos of their lives.
Merak's eyes flicked to the clock on the wall. It was almost time for dinner. He checked the table, making sure each setting was perfect. The silverware was aligned, the plates were polished, and the napkins were folded neatly.
Merak stepped back, satisfied with his work. He was about to turn off the stove when he heard the front door open. Footsteps echoed through the house, and a moment later, Ombre sauntered in, his phone still clutched in his hand.
"Hey, Merak," Ombre greeted, his voice a lazy drawl. He tossed his jacket on the couch, not bothering to hang it up. "Smells good in here."
Merak nodded, his expression stoic. "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes."
Ombre glanced at the table, his silver eyes scanning the meticulous settings. "Damn, that looks nice."
"Thank you." Merak smiled at Ombre, before walking to the hallway. "I will go get Akauri and Ankoku."
"K." Ombre said, walking to his room. He shut the door behind him.
Merak hummed, before knocking on Akauri's door, "Akauri? Ankoku? Please come here and eat." He waited for a moment, then knocked again, a little louder this time. "Akauri? Dinner's ready."
The door creaked open, revealing Akauri, the eldest brother. He was tall and slim, his black hair styled in a sharp faux hawk. His brown eyes met Merak's, and he gave a small nod. "Merak, you know Ankoku hates it when we call him that," he said, his voice formal and precise.
Merak shrugged, "He's not here yet. I just wanted to make sure you were coming."
Akauri sighed, "Alright, alright. I'll come. Ankoku is in his room." Akauri rolled his eyes, but his expression softened as he looked at Merak. "You know, you don't have to do all this alone, Merak. We're all here to help."
Merak nodded, but his expression remained stoic. "I know. I just... I like it this way."
Akauri sighed, "Alright. Let's go see if Ankoku is still sulking in his room."
They walked down the hallway, Akauri's heels clicking against the hardwood floor. Merak followed, his steps silent. They reached Ankoku's room, and Akauri knocked softly. "Ankoku?
Dinner's ready," Akauri called out, his voice firm yet gentle. There was no response from inside the room. Akauri exchanged a glance with Merak, who simply shrugged. Akauri knocked again, this time louder. "Ankoku, come on. You can't hide in there forever."
After a moment, the door creaked open, revealing Ankoku. He was tall and slim, his black hair styled in a wavy quiff. His black eyes met theirs, and he flashed them a winning smile. "Sorry, guys. I was just... meditating."
Akauri raised an eyebrow. "Meditating, huh?"
"Yeah, it's fun." Ankoku gave them a wink, before opening the door completely. "Sooo... What's up?" Ankoku asked, his smile never wavering. "You two look like you're about to interrogate me."
Merak raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable. "We were just... wondering why you were taking so long."
Ankoku chuckled, "Well, I was just trying to find the perfect pose for my Instagram. You know, the one that'll make all the girls swoon."
Akauri rolled his eyes, "Ankoku, we don't care about your Instagram. We care about you. You've been in your room all day."
Ankoku sighed, "I've just been thinking about that incident... with Ombre... He has been... talking much. Is he home yet?" Ankoku asked, his voice laced with concern. Merak and Akauri exchanged a glance, understanding the unspoken question. They had all noticed Ombre's strange behavior lately, his sudden bouts of depression and overwhelm.
"He's in his room," Merak replied, his voice steady.
"He's been on his phone most of the day."
Ankoku's smile faded, replaced by a look of genuine concern. "I've been worried about him. He's been so... different lately."
Akauri nodded, his expression serious. "We all have. But we can't force him to talk. He'll come around when he's ready."
Merak nodded in agreement, but his eyes remained fixed on Ankoku. "You know, Ankoku, you're the only one who can get through to him. You're the one who can make him laugh when he's down."
Ankoku's eyes widened in surprise. "Me? But I'm just... me. I'm not like you two.
I'm not smart like Merak, or responsible like Akauri. I'm just... Ankoku." He shrugged, his gaze dropping to the floor.
Merak stepped forward, his brown eyes meeting Ankoku's. "Ankoku, you have a way with people. You make them feel seen, heard. That's a gift. And it's something we all need right now."
Ankoku looked up, surprise etched on his face. "Really?"
Akauri nodded, "Yeah, really. We all have our strengths, Ankoku. Yours just happens to be... people."
Ankoku's smile returned, this time softer, more thoughtful. "I... I guess you're right."
Merak hummed, "Now, I'll go get Ombre. You two go to the table and eat." Merak said, turning around and walking towards Ombre's room. He knocked on the door, "Ombre? Merak knocked again, this time a little louder. "Ombre? Come on, man. You can't skip dinner again."
After a moment, the door creaked open, revealing Ombre. He was still in his white jean jacket, blue jeans, and light blue, red, and purple dress shirt. His silver eyes met Merak's, and he gave a small nod. "Yeah, I'm coming," he said, his voice flat.
He stepped out of his room, his phone in his hand. He had bangs over his eyes and looked exhausted. "Sup." Ombre greeted, his voice a lazy drawl. He followed Merak to the dining room, his phone still clutched in his hand. Ankoku and Akauri were already seated at the table, waiting for them. The table was set with precision, the silverware aligned, the plates polished, and the napkins folded neatly. Ombre raised an eyebrow, his gaze flicking to the meticulous settings. "Wow, Merak. You've outdone yourself today."
Merak simply nodded, his expression stoic. "I thought it was time for a change." He gestured to the table, "Please, sit."
Ombre shrugged, walking to his seat. He kept his phone in his hand and sat down. Though it took him a while before he started eating.
Once everyone was done taking their food, Ombre took only a small portion. He kept his eyes on his phone, scrolling through it. Ankoku noticed this and decided to try and engage him.
"Hey, Ombre, what are you looking at?" Ankoku asked, his voice casual.
Ombre looked up, his silver eyes meeting Ankoku's. "Just... stuff."
Akauri, who was sitting at the head of the table, looked at Ombre with concern. "You've been on your phone a lot lately. Is everything okay?"
Ombre shrugged, his gaze dropping back to his phone. "Yeah, everything's fine."
Merak, who was sitting across from Ombre, looked at him with a stern expression. "Ombre, we're all here for you. If you need to talk-"
"I don't need to talk, Mer." Ombre said, his gaze meeting Merak's before dropping back down to his phone, and continued to scroll.
The room fell silent for a moment, the only sound the soft hum of Ombre's phone and the distant ticking of the clock.
Ankoku, ever the peacemaker, decided to change the subject. "So, Merak, what's for dinner? It smells amazing." He took a big bite of his food, his eyes closing briefly in pleasure.
Merak, grateful for the distraction, replied, "It's just spaghetti and meatballs. Nothing fancy." He took a sip of his water, his eyes flicking to Ombre. "I thought it would be a nice change from the usual takeout."
Akauri nodded in agreement, "It's great, Merak.
You've outdone yourself." He took a sip of his wine, his eyes scanning the table. "You know, we should do this more often. It's nice to have a home-cooked meal together."
Ombre finally looked up from his phone, his silver eyes meeting Akauri's. "Yeah, it's nice. Thanks, Merak." He took a bite of his food, his expression softening slightly. "I'm glad you think so. It's not every day I get to cook for everyone."
Ankoku chuckled, "Well, you should. You're the best cook in the house.
We all know it," Ankoku said, his smile wide and genuine. He took another bite of his food, his eyes closing briefly in pleasure. "I don't know what I'd do without your cooking, Merak."
Merak smiled at Ankoku, his eyes softening. "You'd probably starve," he said, his voice dry. He took a sip of his water, his gaze flicking to Ombre. "Or resort to eating Ombre's takeout."
Ombre looked up from his phone, his silver eyes meeting Merak's. "Hey, my takeout is delicious. You're just jealous because you can't cook like me," he said, his voice teasing. But eventually, he went back to his phone.
The conversation flowed around him, but he seemed distant, his mind elsewhere. Merak noticed this and decided to try and engage him again.
"Ombre, have you seen that new movie that just came out? The one with the superheroes?" Merak asked, his voice casual. "Yeah, I've seen it. It was... okay," he said, his voice noncommittal.
Ankoku, who had been listening to their conversation, perked up. "Really? I've been dying to see it. What did you think?" he asked, his voice eager.
"I mean, the trailers looked amazing, and the cast is incredible."
Ombre shrugged, his eyes still glued to his phone. "Yeah, it was alright. The action was good, but the plot was a bit predictable."
Akauri, who had been quietly eating, looked up at Ombre. "Predictable? Really? I thought it was a fresh take on the superhero genre." "Well, it's not like I'm an expert on superhero movies or anything. I just thought it was a bit... cliché."
Merak, who had been listening to their conversation, chimed in.
"I thought it was quite innovative. The way they handled the origin story was different from the usual superhero trope." "Yeah, I guess. But I've seen so many of these movies that it's hard to impress me anymore." He sighed, running a hand through his black hair. "I just wish they'd take more risks, you know? Do something unexpected."
Ankoku nodded, his black eyes wide with understanding. "I get that. It's like, you see the same thing over and over again, and it just gets boring."
Ombre nodded, before taking his plate and bringing it to the sink. After he washed it and put it away, he waved goodbye. "I'll be in my room, guys. See ya."
"You aren't going to eat anymore? You've been eating less and less, Ombre. Please, take a little more." Merak said, his voice soft yet firm. He gestured to Ombre's plate, which was still half full. "You need to eat more, Ombre. You're getting too thin."
Ombre sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I just... I don't have much of an appetite lately, Merak. I've been... stressed." He hesitated for a moment, his silver eyes meeting Merak's. "Work has been... tough."
Merak nodded, his expression understanding. "I know it has. But you can't let it affect your health, Ombre. You need to take care of yourself." He paused, his gaze flicking to Ombre's plate. He stood, taking a plate and putting noddles on it. "Here, eat." Merak said, placing the plate in front of Ombre. "I'll make you some soup too. You need to keep your strength up."
Ombre looked at the plate, then at Merak. He sighed, taking the plate and sitting down. "Thanks, Merak. I appreciate it."
Merak nodded, turning to the stove. He started boiling water for the soup, his mind racing. He knew Ombre was going through something, but he didn't know what. He had been distant lately, and his usual enthusiasm for gadgets and tech had faded. Merak had noticed the change, but he didn't know how to address it. He was good at numbers and patterns, not people.
He noticed Ombre standing up, trying to hide back in his room. "Ombre. Sit." Merak said, his voice firm yet gentle. He gestured to the chair next to him. "You don't have to be alone right now, Ombre. We're here for you."
He sighed, obviously annoyed, but listened. He sat back down on the chair, watching as Merak placed a lot of food in front of him. "Uhm... this is a bit much, Mer." Ombre said, his voice soft. He looked at the plate of food, then at Merak. "I'm not a kid, you know. I can take care of myself."
Merak nodded, his expression serious. "I know you can. But I like taking care of you. Now eat." He sat down next to Ombre, his eyes fixed on him.
Ombre sighed, picking up his fork. "Fine."
Ombre grumbled, taking a bite of the noodles. He chewed slowly, his eyes fixed on the table. The room was silent for a moment, the only sound the soft clinking of forks against plates.
Ankoku, ever the peacemaker, decided to break the silence. "So, Merak, what's new with you? Any interesting projects at work?" he asked, his voice casual.
Merak looked up from his plate, his brown eyes meeting Ankoku's. "Not really. Just the usual data analysis and reporting." He shrugged, his expression unreadable. "Nothing exciting."
Akauri, who had been quietly eating, looked up at Merak.
"You know, Merak, you should consider taking on more responsibilities at work. You're one of the smartest people I know, and you have a knack for numbers. You could be doing so much more than just data analysis."
Merak shrugged, his expression stoic. "I'm happy with what I'm doing. I like the predictability of it. It helps me... focus." "I get that, Merak. But you know, there's a whole world out there waiting for you. You could be doing something amazing."
Ombre, who had been quietly eating, looked up from his plate. "Yeah, Merak.
You're so good with numbers, you should be doing something more challenging. Something that'll let you use your skills to their fullest potential." Ombre chimed in, his silver eyes meeting Merak's. "You could be a data scientist or something. Or even a financial analyst. You'd be great at it."
Merak looked at Ombre, his expression unreadable. "I don't know about that. I'm not sure I'd be good at something like that. I like the predictability of data analysis. It's... comforting."
Akauri nodded, his expression understanding. But you know, sometimes we need to step out of our comfort zones to grow.
And I think you'd be amazing at it." Ankoku added, his black eyes filled with genuine belief in Merak.
Merak looked at Ankoku, then at Akauri and Ombre. He saw the sincerity in their eyes, the genuine desire to see him grow and succeed. He felt a warmth spread through him, a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time. It was... nice.
"I'll... I'll think about it," Merak said, his voice soft. He looked down at his plate, a small smile playing on his lips.
Ombre, who had been watching Merak, smiled. It was a real smile, not the forced one he had been giving them lately.