Chapter LVI – Responsibility

It wasn’t often that Arthur woke up grunting, but staying up all night made him sleep through his morning routine.

“Fuck. . .” he mumbled barely able to keep his eyes open. “What time is it?”

The sun had already peaked.

Presuming he was home alone, he didn’t care much about appearance. His wobbly walk would’ve gotten him mistaken for a drunkard. Before, he was able to go without sleep for several days, fighting harsh battles until his body collapsed on the brink of death. Now, he struggled without solid eight hours of sleep. He found it laughable but at the same time refreshing. It was proof that even though he lived through such hardships, his body overcame that trauma. It left him wondering if the reasoning behind it was the fact that the body wasn’t originally his, thus not allowing the trauma the body itself suffered to carry over.

The occasional nightmares of the past that would resurface from time to time were negligible when compared to the blessing he felt every night, being able to fall asleep carefree.

Arthur was caught off guard when he saw Ryung making plum tea in the kitchen. It was unusual to see him home on a day that he was supposed to be working.

“You’ve woken up,” Ryung spoke up first. “Have you been reading those novels all night again?”

His voice was calm, and his question nonjudgmental.

“Maybe,” Arthur smirked, hiding the fact that Ryung’s assumption, while fair, was in fact wrong. “How come you’re not at work?”

He quickly shifted topics while refraining from telling the truth. He stayed up all night watching movies with Irene until she passed out from exhaustion. Reason why Ryung made the wrong assumption in the first place was that he caught Arthur reading novels on more than one occasion in the past few days.

Having rummaged with Don, Arthur selected a handful of books that were boxed, reading them diligently. To his surprise, he found them captivating to the point where time would fly by. The only books he got to read in the past were related to religion and bestiaries to aid him in his quests. Had it not been for Draneel, a friend of his who closely resembled Max, Arthur wouldn’t’ve known even the stories told to kids.

“I was supposed to have a day off tomorrow, but a colleague of mine got engaged, so I switched my shifts around.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re resting,” Arthur poured himself water while trying to figure out the best way to escape the awkward situation.

What made things worse was that he hoped to sneak out of the house and meet up with Max. Now, he had to cancel those plans since getting out was near impossible.

“Arthur, would you mind sitting down with me while I drink tea?”

“Sure,” Arthur yawned deeply before sitting down.

“Would you like some?” he offered him a cup as there was more than enough boiling water.

“No, thank you.”

Arthur remained expressionless. He didn’t wish to show his disinterest in the conversation due to just waking up. The tension between the two had drastically increased over the past two and a half weeks. Ryung on the other hand remained composed, blowing towards his cup to cool it down faster.

“About what happened-” Ryung started talking but was interrupted by a very subtle, yet still noticeable sigh.

“I’m in the wrong,” Arthur lowered his voice. “I understand that I’ve put you in a tough position, and my reactions weren’t-”

“I’m the one who should apologize,” Ryung interrupted him.

“I’m truly sor-. . . Wait, what?” Arthur was taken back by Ryung’s sudden apology.

“I’ve never given you a chance to tell me the truth about what happened. I was shocked when I got the call from school and even had to leave work early. At that moment I was so fearful of what might happen to your future, and I still am. . . But my actions were shortsighted. For that, I’d like to apologize.”

“I, ugh-” Arthur was left speechless, having to take a moment to sort himself out. “You don’t have to apologize. In fact, I’d rather you didn’t. . .” he paused briefly, letting out a sigh of frustration. “The truth is so awkward and unreasonable at best.”

“None of that matters if it’s the truth,” Ryung placed his hand over Arthur’s. “Sophie told me last night what happened to your friend. The one that defended your sister.”

“I could’ve handled things better. Coming home with an attitude wasn’t the smartest idea I’ve had. Had I been in your shoes, I doubt I’d listen as well.”

“In the future, regardless if I’m wrong, take your time and calmly try and explain yourself. I’ll make sure to listen. Instead of hating me for punishing you, consider it a lesson of patience. Besides, as of now you’re no longer punished. However, I do want you to promise me not to lie in the future. Alright?”

Arthur considered it for a while. He was struggling to give his word. While he knew how to lie and break the rules, once he gave his word, he treated it like law.

“Grandpa, I can promise not to lie to you from this point on, however, I can’t promise that I’ll tell you everything that happens even if you ask. I know it might sound unreasonable, but if I’m not telling you something, there is heavy reasoning behind it. If you’re fine with that then I don’t mind giving my word.”

“We all have our secrets Art. I hope that one day you can learn to trust me and feel free enough to share your troubles,” he squeezed Arthur’s hand gently. “Until then, I’ll try and be understanding.”

“Thank you. . .” Arthur glanced down at Ryung’s hand which held him. “Than I swear it upon my name that I shan’t lie to you from this day onward, but will retain my right to keep quiet,” he let out a sigh. “Guess that means I have to deal with the consequences of my actions as well. . .”

“Taking responsibility is part of growing up.”

“Indeed. . .” Arthur took a deep breath and looked back at Ryung. “I’ve got a confession to make.”

“What is it?”

“It’s about your punishment. . . I-. . . I’ve actually snuck out of the house while punished. Sophie was at school and you were at work, so it was easy to get away with. I’m sorry,” Arthur sounded genuinely apologetic.

“That’s fine,” Ryung chuckled, pulling away his hand. “It’s normal for kids to rebel. I’ve done it when I was young as well. Sneaking out once or twice isn’t that big of a deal. Though, from now on I expect you to follow my punishments if given.”

“About that. . . It wasn’t once or twice, more like every day,” Arthur awkwardly smiled while squinting his eyes, his words stunning Ryung.

“Well. . .” Ryung let out a sigh. “It wasn’t necessarily a fair punishment to begin with, so I’ll forgive it this time.”

“Thanks. . .” Arthur lowered his voice. “If anything, the punishment was felt because I was unable to see someone I’ve been dying to see. Made me realize just how used to her I’ve gotten. . .”

“You talking about Irene?” Ryung smiled.

“You remember her name?” Arthur asked since he knew Ryung had difficulties with names, thus every morning when they talked both Sophie and he would have to remind him whenever telling him about funny moments.

“It’s hard to forget the name of someone who my grandson is besotted with.”

“That’s one way of putting it,” Arthur chuckled. “So does that mean you forgive me?”

“I do. . .” he smiled gently. “No matter what you do in life, Arthur, I’ll always be there to help you out. No matter the circumstances. Remember that.”

“I will. . .”

“It doesn’t mean I won’t criticize you, but I’ll always be there for you,” he took a deep breath, readying himself for the full truth. “Alright, now tell me everything that truly happened.”

Arthur contemplated what he could say but in the end, he chose to keep Sophie’s situation a secret. Regardless of importance, it wasn’t his place to say. It took a bit of explaining, but he gave a pretty accurate description of what had happened that day and why they were forced to keep quiet. Sophie explained but refrained from being as detailed.

The important detail she left out was about Tae’s identity and his troublesome reputation, which forced Don to act out in the first place. Having realized how horrible that could’ve gone for Sophie, Ryung made sure to memorize Don’s name and remain forever grateful to the child. Arthur could tell that he cursed his own weakness, unable to help his grandchildren in time of need. His reaction gave Arthur the confidence to stick to his decision and keep Hana’s misdeeds a secret.

“What your friend did was nothing short of heroic. Not only that, but you’ve taken on the burden of keeping his actions a secret for his sake. Most would call it foolish, but that’s what true friendship is,” he let out a deep sigh of relief. “I’m glad to know that my grandson is friends with such wonderful kids. Cherish them. . .”

“I do, and I’m sorry for the consequences of my actions.”

“You’ll find a way to deal with them. That’s also a part of growing up,” he chuckled. “However, know that the way you handled it wasn’t necessarily the right way.” Arthur knew what he was going to say next. “Defending someone and getting revenge are two different things. What your friend did was defending those in need, and what you three got was vengeance.”

“But-”

“There are no buts. . . Vengeance is a path that many take, and it never brought happiness.”

“Grandpa,” Arthur shifted his tone to be gentler yet serious at the same time. “While it’s true that my actions were made out of anger, but that wasn’t the only reason I did it. Had we not done that, they would’ve picked another target to bully later. The thought of it happening again. . .”

“You got a good heart, but one-day things might escalate out of your control. Do you understand the weight of such actions? Even if you’re in the right, one day the idea of solving things with violence could potentially lead to someone losing their life. Do you understand the burden of having to take a life?”

Arthur remained silent. Once again he was left powerless to say what he truly felt simply due to his secret. He knew better than anyone how hard it was to take a life. Arthur’s hands had been tainted by a river of blood, and not all of it belonged to monsters.

“Grandpa, I understand perfectly the weight of a life,” he looked Ryung straight in the eyes. “Trust me when I say that. But, if I don’t have to fight for the rest of my life I’ll be the happiest person in the world. I’m tired of conflict, and the need for violence.”

“Then if you do understand, you must aim to avoid acting out at all cost. Unless it’s to protect someone. . .”

“I promised you that I wouldn’t lie, so I’ll tell you the truth,” Arthur’s gaze turned colder and his voice deeper. “If violence solves the problem before me, I will not shy away from utilizing it.”

“It seems that no matter what I say, your belief will not falter,” he let out another sigh. “Just promise me that no matter what, you won’t be the one to start a fight without a just and moral reason.”

While they shared similar views, Ryung was the type of man who’d rather endure humiliation and neglect his pride for the sake of peace, with the exception of defending his family. It was easy to tell if one were to pay attention to the way Ryung lived his life. Working two jobs to keep his grandkids well dressed and fed, allowing them to attend a prestigious school as well. There was nothing about him that wasn’t worthy of respect.

However, Arthur was sick of self-sacrifice. If forced to, he would do anything out of self-defense. While Ryung had a different ideology, he wasn’t ready to push it onto his grandson. Especially when knowing that his ideology, which he doesn’t regret, was what put him in the situation that he was in at the time. He wasn’t going to tell Arthur to not defend himself.

“While I’m not afraid of violence, that doesn’t mean I’d ever wish to embody that which I despise. I’ll never allow myself to become someone who misuses strength. I swear it on my name.”

“I’ll hold you to your word. . .” Ryung whispered, but softened up with a smile.

“May I ask you something?”

“I’ll allow it,” Ryung chuckled.

“Is the reason you live the way you do because of our parents?” Arthur observed Ryung’s sudden mood swing, which went from a smile to sadness in an instant. “I’ve found a photo of my parents, and it left me wondering.”

Rare were those that’d lived a life as humble and self-sacrificing as Ryung did. Arthur had previously assumed the same, but the picture raised too many questions left unanswered. He didn’t expect to get a proper reply, but seeing his reaction was quite telling already. The story behind it all began to intrigue him. The question of what really happened was one shrouded in mystery.

“While I can’t say that I haven’t wronged someone, I can say that I wasn’t the cause. . .” Ryung spoke as his voice trembled. “Arthur, you have your secrets and I have mine. However, I want you to know that I too am taking responsibility for my actions, or lack of. Hope that my words satisfy your curiosity.”

Arthur was surprised by the response, but all he could do at that time was cover Ryung’s hand like he did his, and give him a gentle smile followed by a nod.

“Thank you for sharing. I won’t trouble you about it.”

“It’s natural to want to know about your parents. Maybe not right now since there was so much to take in already, but if you’re still curious in the future, I’ll tell you all about them.”

“I’d appreciate that,” Arthur gently squeezed his hand before letting go.

“It seems my cup of tea is empty,” he chuckled looking at the cup.

“Would you like me to pour you another?”

“Thank you, but one is plenty. I’ll have to go rest up a bit more, but if you don’t mind, I’d like us to go shopping together later in the day. That’s of course if you’re free since I’m sure you’d want to see the little miss.”

“I’ll gladly go with you,” Arthur chuckled. “She’s busy tonight anyway, but I hope I’ll get to see her tomorrow.”

“I’m sure you will,” Ryung got up. Approaching Arthur, he hugged him. “I trust you. Just stay safe, alright?”

Arthur gripped Ryung’s hand that had embraced him.

“I will.”

Chapter End.

Thank you for reading.