Liam

My mouth gaped open as I eyed the figure in front of me.

No way. . .

My hands slowly started to shake as I took small steps towards them. I felt my eyes getting wet as I jumped on them.

“G-Grandma Momo!” Her warm hands wrapped around my waist as she pulled me closer. “I-I-”

“Ah, calm down.” Her huge fingers patted my head as I pulled away from her. “Don’t cry, Liam.”

This feeling of warmth. The feeling I felt whenever I was in my mother’s embrace. I felt it from her. Maybe because Grandma Momo was like a mother-like figure to me. When we were young, she used to visit us from time to time to look after us. I felt this feeling not because she is my grandma. I felt it because I belonged in her embrace. My home. My safe haven.

“Hehe.”

“Aren’t you going to invite me inside?” She covered her mouth as her eyes widened. “Don’t tell me that you had hit your head so hard that you-”

I think I would have lost my mind if I wasn’t even able to recover some memories. The emptiness. The vague feeling of being lost in your own mind. I don’t want to feel it again. I don’t want to lose those precious moments.

“Don’t be like that Grandma Momo.” I smiled as I carried the lunchbox in her hand. “I can never forget you.”

“Ah, my baby.” She said as she looked behind me. “Where is that super-active sister of yours?”

“Oh, she is sleeping. Both of us caught a cold.” I said as I sneezed.

“Come with me.” She pulled my hand as she walked into the kitchen. I silently wiped my escaped tears. “Thank god I had decided to visit you guys.” She shook her head as she began to cook something for us.

“Wake up that brat as well.” She said as she took the lunchbox from me. “Both of you fresh up and come to eat.”

“Yes, Grandma Momo.”

I headed to Oliver’s bed as I shook her. “Oliver, wake up.” Her body turned towards me as she stretched her arms.

“No.” She murmured in her sleep. “I want to kill that Yuna.”

I chuckled as I bend down to her ear. “You can. After eating Grandma Momo’s delicious food.”

Her body jolted up as she suddenly sat up on the bed. Her eyes were wide open as she looked at me. “Grandma Momo is here?”

I nodded my head as Oliver dashed to the kitchen while screaming at the top of her voice. “GRANDMA MOMO!”

“AH, KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT, BRAT!” Grandma’s voice roared in the house as Oliver became quite.

“Ah, this is awesome.” Oliver ate the last piece of rice as she got up to keep her dishes.

“Of course, nobody can resist my food.” She boasted as she flexed her muscles. “Your Grandma just isn’t known for her food.”

“Yeah, ten times winner of wrestling league held in Peony Mir.” Oliver spoke as she sat beside me. “Also known by the name of ‘Terror Master’.”

“Brat.” She hit Oliver in the head as she groaned in pain.

“Why do you always hit me?! Why not Liam?!” Her lips pouted as Grandma had a disgusted expression.

Her expressions softened as she patted my head “Liam, he is such a nice boy.”. A shy smile came upon my lips, my cheeks bursting in a red blush.

“Nice boy my ass.”

“As if your ass is even worth anything.” Grandma spoke as she sipped her tea.

“Grandma!”

“What? I am telling the truth.” She kept her tea down. “Boys nowhere days like girls who are tall and have a nice ass, unlike you.”

Oliver scoffed as she slammed her hand on the table. “What would you know about boy’s standards? Boys are into girls who can defend themselves and are savage. Just like me.”

“Tisk, really?” Grandma turned towards me. “What about you, Liam? What is your ideal type?”

“Huh?” I looked at them as their eyes were now on me, begging for an answer. “Oh, maybe a girl who has a soft nature and is independent. Honestly, I am not into girls who cuss so much.”

“See? Even your own brother doesn’t like girls who are like that.” She shook her head in disbelief. “I can’t believe that my own grand-daughter will remain single for her whole life.”

“Grandma!” Oliver whined. “I am not going to stay single forever. Liam’s standards are different. In fact, everyone has different standards. I am sure some boy will definitely like me.”

“Yeah, let me see who is going to ask you out after finding out about your violent nature.”

“Don’t act like this isn’t your fault. I got this violent nature from you.”

“Brat, if you wanted to get my genes, you should at least have gotten an ass like mine.”

“As if Grandpa was impressed by you. I am sure it was an arranged marriage.”

“No, it wasn’t.”

The pin dropped. The bomb blasted as an unknown tension rose in the room.

Silence fell as I turned towards Grandma. This was unexpected. Oliver’s mouth hung open as no words came out. Grandma quietly sipped her tea as she kept the empty cup on the table. A storm clashed as both Oliver and I erupted with questions.

“Wait- you guys loved each other?”

“Were you guys dating before your marriage?”

“Weren’t your parents mad at you guys?”

“Are you sure you didn’t force him to marry you?”

A glare was thrown towards Oliver as she sat quite. “If you both will shut up for once, I would happily narrate about my story.”

She got up as both Oliver and I watched her actions. “But as I have work to do, I’ll tell you next time.”

“That’s not fair!” Oliver exclaimed.

“You can’t leave us like that.”

Grandma Momo turned towards us, her hands resting on her waist. “Young man and young lady. Since I am legally and biologically older than both of you with a large margin, I have full authority on myself.”

She wore her sandals as she opened the door. “Thus, I can leave you guys hanging.” She closed the door shut as both of us sighed.

“Grandma Momo always leaves us hanging.” Oliver yawned as she got up. “She is like an incomplete mystery novel. So many secrets and questions always left unanswered.”

“That’s what makes her special.” I said as I followed her to our bedroom.

It’s true. Her mysterious nature, yet kind heart always fascinated. She is the currently the head of our family. Even though Mom and Grandma Momo have a rough relationship with each other, Mom never objected in us going to her home. I wonder why. I mean, they used to be so close. Wait-were they always like this or did something happen?

“Easy for you to say since you were the closest to Grandma Momo.” She got under the covers as I sat on my own bed. “You both were like best friends. Always together.”

I smiled as I looked at our family photo. “Yeah.”

I still doubt everything around me. My family, friends, classmates and . . .

“I have nothing to talk to him about.”

I clenched my fist, gritting my teeth hard as her brown eyes came into my mind. Why? Why her?

Her brown eyes triggered my veins as the fire flared. The burning touch of the hot iron rod touched my skin as I felt intense pain. The heat, the burning, the anger. It’s all because of her. The one who took away my soul. The reason of my life. The real me.

Her sharp nails tore my canvas as each of the nail slashed through my skin. Pure red blood flooded the canvas as she stared at her destruction in delight.

The True Devil. 

Oliver’s snores slowly filled the room as I laid on my bed. Staring at the wall with an empty mind. Reminds me of the hospital.

Grandma Momo was from dad’s side of family. Ever since we were kids, both Oliver and I used to visit her in the hills. All summers were spent at her house. Her house wasn’t that far away. We just needed more days to stay there. Last year, we weren’t able to visit her due to my condition.

Bold and strong. These words suit her very well.

“You guys didn’t have to visit us. Both of us are fine now.”

I scratched my neck as Yuna and Cecilia stood in front me. Both of them had polythene bags filled with what I suppose was medicine and food.

“Still, friends should take care of each other.” Cecilia slightly smiled. She turned to Yuna who wasn’t meeting my gaze. “Yuna, say something.”

“Um-”

“Liam! Where are my favourite chocolates?!” Yuna looked up upon hearing Oliver’s voice. He met my gaze as he looked away. I led to both of them to our bedroom.

“Liam, where-”

Oliver looked at them as she fell silent. I guess she really fell silent upon seeing Yuna. She pouted her lips cutely as she pointed at Yuna.

“Liam, what is this girly boy doing at our house?” With a puffed mouth, her gaze was locked at Yuna. “You know that this guy is my enemy, right?”

“Before he is your enemy, he is my friend.” Yuna and Cecilia sat on my bed as Oliver shook her head in annoyance.

“Still! I don’t want to see his face.”

“It’s not like I wanted to see your face, pig.” Yuna spoke as Cecilia nudged his arm. “Besides, I can see that Liam became your personal servant.”

“Liam!” Oliver exclaimed as she looked at me. “Am I forcing you to do it?”

“No, you are not.” I scratched my neck shyly as Oliver turned to Yuna in victory.

“See? My brother is okay with it.”

“Yeah, you are literally ordering him.”

“You-”

“Now.” Cecilia cut her off, being the peacemaker of their arguments. “Why don’t Oliver and I have some girl time? Besides, I have some handsome idol posters and videos for us to watch.” Cecilia sat beside Oliver, handing her a notebook. “I thought of making this for you.”

“Aw, thank you.”

Upon getting a sign from Cecilia to leave the room, Yuna and I exited the room, heading to the kitchen. Yuna placed his bags on the counter as I began preparing dinner.

“You guys can have dinner with us.” I told him as Yuna rested his body on the counter. “I am sure you guys have brought things needed for it.”

“It was Cecilia’s idea to have dinner together. Those bags contain ingredients for dinner. The other one has that pig’s chocolates.”

I looked at him shocked as I began cutting vegetables. Noticing my expression, he said. “She bought it.”

“I didn’t even ask.”

Yuna scoffed. “Your face says something else.”

“What does it say?” I smirked as Yuna sighed in annoyance.

“Can we not talk about that pig? Seeing her face gives me headaches. It’s good that she fell sick so I can take a break.”

“Are you sure about that?” I eyed his injuries, which were now covered in bandages. “Oliver would increase the number of injuries on your body.”

“It’s not like I can’t hit her.”

“Boys aren’t supposed to hit girls.” Oliver spoke as she walked past me.

“Well, girls aren’t supposed to hit boys.” Yuna spit back.

“I can!” She leaned closer to his face.

“Then so can I.” He spoke in his dangerously calm voice as they both threw glares at each other.

“Now, stop it will you both.” Cecilia spoke.

“He is the one who had started it.”

“Here.” I took her favourite chocolate from the bags and handed it to her. “Take the bags as well.”

“Thank you, Liam.” She pecked my cheeks as she went back to her room, followed by Cecilia.

Silence fell until I added the vegetables to the pan. The sizzle sound covered the silence as Yuna sighed.

“You know that the date is coming closer.”

The spatula dropped from my hands as my gaze lowered.

The room grew closer as my breath felt heavy. The walls . . . They are merciless. I gulped my suffocation down as I stayed silent.

It was meaningless. No matter how hard I tried, I had to face it. It was like trying to stop a river from meeting the sea. No matter how hard you try, it will somehow change its path- determined to reach its destination.

In my case, my biggest nightmare yet to come.

“I know.”