(Arc 2 : Blood and Love )

Gwenval was in shock. He never expected someone as jovial as Ashlay to have experienced such trauma.

"You really don’t remember anything ?"

Ashlay nodded.

“Absolutely nothing. However, I remember my time in hospital, though. Not only did I not speak a word of Korean, but I also had no control over my body. Now, I can knock someone out with a single punch." Ashalay laughed."

"What happened to you?"

"I was involved in a serious car accident in Thailand. After colliding with another vehicle, my father’s car fell into a ditch. He died on the spot, and I ended up in a coma. My mother couldn't bear to live in Thailand anymore after that. Luckily, an advanced treatment that could help me recover was just developed in South Korea at that time. So she chose to leave with me and start a new life here. After some time, I stopped asking her about my father because I saw that it hurt her. Uncle Watt wouldn’t tell me either."

"What about the family on your father’s side?"

"He was an orphan. I did some secret research, but I found nothing. What's more, my mother forbade me from going to Thailand for several years. She wanted me to stay focus on my recovery, my new life and my studies. Thanks to Uncle Watt, who took great care of me, I also didn’t feel like I was missing a “dad”. Now, I’ve reached a point where forgetting is not such a bad thing."

"Despite everything that happened to you, you turned out well."

Drinks and appetizers were served.

Gwenval raised his glass to Ashlay, inviting him to join him.

"I toast to the young man you have become, Ashlay." Gwenval announced with a smile.

" And to our extraordinary meeting Gwen Gwen," Ashlay added.

After taking a few sips and starting to eat, Ashlay changed the subject.

"Speaking of father, what about yours? Having a brother who's a prosecutor and a father who's a judge must not make life easy every day. Your family must be very strict, right? And what about your mother? What does she do? Did your parents object to your career choice?"

The musician stopped eating and looked up at his interlocutor.

" That’s a lot of questions."

" I’m so curious about what kind of life you had that I got carried away. Also, the last time, when my mother asked you about your father, you seemed out of it. Do you have problems with him?"

Gwenval took a sip of his cocktail.

" My relationship with my father is similar to yours."

" What do you mean?"

" It is almost non-existent. My mother died when I was five, after which he became very withdrawn, and we haven’t interacted much since. Lioren took on the roles of big brother, father and mother to look after me."

"I’m beginning to understand why your brother is so protective of you."

"I must admit that it can be suffocating at times. He puts so much pressure on himself to be blameless and take care of me, that he neglects his own well-being. The worst part is that he knows it."

Gwenval continued to drink and eat.

" Your brother became a prosecutor to make the world a safer place for you, or something like that?"

Gwenval nodded.

"It was partly because of me that he chose this path, but he always hated injustice. However, just like the fact that he wants me to stay safe and healthy, I don’t like seeing him take risks, either. I dream of the day when he will find someone who can take care of him."

"From what I've seen, I find it hard to imagine your brother in love." Ashlay joked.

Gwenval laughed too.

"Me too."

"And why did you choose music? You said your mother had died. Was it for her that you chose this path? Was she a musician?"

"Hmm... Maybe a bit. I was very young when she died. The vague memories I have of her are when she was teaching me to play the piano. Even without her influence, I naturally turned to music. According to the other family members, I resemble her when I play."

"What did she die of?"

"She had a congenital heart condition. She spent most of her time in hospital or at home. The doctors said it was a miracle that she could have my brother and me. She was also a talented pianist and a beautiful woman. My father loved her very much. That is one of the reasons why that he avoids me more than Lioren. I remind him of his wife."

The main course was served.

Ashlay raised his glass to Gwenval, inviting him to drink with him again.

"I toast the handsome man you've become, Gwen Gwen." Express Ashlay affectionately.

The musician raised his glass and drank with the young man.

"Thank you, Ashlay."

After enjoying a delicious dessert, the two young men went for a walk in the area.

They entered a wooded area with benches, tables, and sports facilities.

On the way, Gwenval spotted an egg in a bush. It was intact and had probably fallen from its nest, which was located on the tree right next to it. Ashlay carefully picked up the egg and climbed up the tree to return it to its place. Then, he let himself fall back to the ground without getting hurt.

Gwenval, who had observed the scene, applauded the brave young man.

"Gwen Gwen, I want to show you something."

Ashlay took the musician’s hand and quickly led him down a small path.

After a few meters, they arrived at a flowery meadow on a hill, illuminated by the moon. The city and a few stars were clearly visible. There was also a somewhat dilapidated gazebo and a dimly lit streetlamp.

“Do you like this place ?”

Ashlay asked excitedly. He walked back and forth through the area, looking for something interesting.

"It looks like a secret garden."

The musician went to sit on the grass and looked at the landscape. Ashlay joined him and watched in silence. To the young man, Gwenval was like one of the beautiful fairies described in Korean tales.

"What's the matter? You suddenly became silent." Gwenval asked, his eyes fixed on the sky.

When he didn't receive an answer, Gwenval turned to Ashlay, who was looking at him intently.

The musician reached for the young man and gently removed a leaf from his hair, pulling him out of his reverie.

"My charm has subjugated you so much that you can't even express yourself anymore?"

To his surprise, Ashlay nodded seriously. Gwenval found his suitor's current expression very funny and could not help but laugh.

"Sorry, I didn’t think you were going to answer me so frankly."

Ashlay realized that he had let his feelings get the best of him and burst out laughing.

An hour later, while they were lying on the grass, Ashlay suddenly stood up, looking a little dark.

"We should go home. It's going to rain."

"Hm? How do you know?"

Although it was starting to get a little chilly, there were no clouds on the horizon.

"It's a kind of sixth sense. It never fails. Trust me."

Even though he tried to hide it, Gwenval could tell that the young man was suddenly in a hurry to leave, so he agreed.

On the way back, Gwenval noticed that something was wrong with Ashlay.

About thirty minutes later, they arrived at the musician’s residence.

"Ashlay, are you okay? You’re a little pale."

The latter nodded and smiled.

"It's okay. I'm just tired."

.".. Are you sure?"

"Should I invite him up?"

Ashlay nodded.

"Yes, don't worry. Thanks for the evening, Gwen."

"Thank you, too. I enjoyed the moment."

After saying "goodnight" to his beloved musician, Ashlay watched him enter his residence.

Soon after, his expression changed suddenly. He became even paler and began to tremble. He quickly grabbed a bottle of pills from the glove compartment. He swallowed two pills at a time, and closed his eyes with one hand on his chest.

Upon returning to his apartment, Gwenval headed towards the bay window to observe the sky. As Ashlay had "predicted," the rain began to fall.

"It’s really raining."

Gwenval stood in front of the window for a few minutes. He remembered Ashlay’s face before they left.

"Was it really fatigue?"

____

The next morning, the musician received a message from the young entrepreneur wishing him a good day. Gwenval felt reassured and relieved that he had worried about nothing.

Response to Ashlay: "Thank you. Did you get some rest?"

Ashlay reply : "Yes, thanks to you. ❤️"

"This kid..." Gwenval whispered with a smile.

Later that day, Gwenval went to his recording studio as usual.

He had just picked up his coffee when he heard sounds of a crash coming from an alley not far away.

"Isn't it not too early for this kind of thing?"

A high school student was being attacked and bullied by a group of older young men.

"Hey! Stop it !"

Just as Gwenval was about to intervene, another young man appeared. He seemed to be a student in his early twenties.

The newcomer stood between the high school student and his attackers.

"You should find something more useful to do instead of stripping people."

"What’s wrong with borrowing money from a friend?"

"A friend?"

The young hero turned to the high school student. The latter quickly shook his head. He explained that, he and one of the men's brother were classmates but hadn't interacted much.

Gwenval, who was watching the altercation from a distance, had noticed the high school student had expensive belongings. He quickly understood why the young boy was being attacked.

“I don’t think this is the best way to ask someone for anything, let alone a friend.” Declared the newcomer.

"And what do I care?" exclaimed aggressively one of the thugs.

As they were about to push the young hero to prevent him from disturbing them for longer, one of the men found himself thrown to the ground. The young student got into attack position, ready to fight.

"Interesting." Thought Gwenval.

After several exchanges of sharp blows, the thugs were exhausted, while the student could continue this act all day. But, not wanting to admit defeat, one of them grabbed a nearby glass bottle and tried to hit the young man on the head. However, he was disarmed by a half-empty coffee cup.

The fight froze instantly.

"What is that?!" Who did this?

"Sorry. I took you for a trash can." Gwenval apologized with an angelic smile as he advanced toward them.