1 Into the New World
"Bro, hurry up, I want to meet my Prince TaeTae, I have been waiting all my life for this moment. I can't be late. Come on, hurry up!" the cute, teenage girl banged on the door impatiently.
A disgruntled voice replied as he opened the door but quickly softened his tone upon seeing his precious little sister.
"Erika, you should not move around so much, your health is not in the perfect condition. You need to save your energy for the concert tonight. Be good, or we will stay at home tonight." He warned in a serious tone.
The girl, Erika immediately quietened down and stood with her hands by her side, looking up at her brother meekly, he smiled at her barely concealed impatience glimmering in her eyes.
"Okay, okay. Let's go." He grabbed his sister's hand and locked up the house before walking briskly over to the bus stop across the road.
Alistair looked down at his sister and grumbled. "Why do you want to catch the bus? You know I can drive, right?"
She did a small twirl before hugging his side in a cute manner. "But I want to sit on a bus with you, all those oppas always meet a beautiful noona on the bus in those dramas, doesn't big brother want to meet a beautiful noona?" She asked innocently.
Alistair coughed in embarrassment at this unexpected attack, he felt mortified when the old couple behind them burst out laughing. He was not even sure whether they knew what a noona or oppa was, but he turned around only to see them smiling brightly before they looked away upon seeing his awkward expression and attempted to stifle their laughter.
Erika pulled on his arm a few more times, believing her brother was simply too embarrassed to admit it and so continued her mischief. "Big brother it's okay, I am sure you don't need my help with all those pictures of beautiful noonas on your phone… mmpphh."
Alistair quickly pulled Erika into a hug and covered her mouth before she spouted anymore nonsense.
Coughing lightly once again, his eyes lit up upon seeing their bus approach.
"Haha, Erika you've been watching too many dramas again. Haha, look the bus is coming. Quiet
down now. Haha."
He tugged his sister onto the bus and tapped their travel cards before finding a seat in the middle of the bus.
Erika had always been a window seat person and Alistair did not begrudge her this little bit of happiness. He preferred aisle seats, at least that way he could protect her more easily if something bad were to happen. Like those creeps who thought when no one was paying attention they could touch others and pass it off as an accident.
Or those that chose to take the opportunity to steal from other passengers. Public transport was truly the worst. Alistair was once a champion of public transport, but as soon as he got his licence and brought himself a car, he felt liberated from the trauma of being packed in like sardines with hundreds of other people. The sweat, the intense and clashing perfumes and the odd farts intermingling in the tight space. Thank you, next, as a wise American philosopher once said.
In fact, this was the first time he had taken public transport in at least two years, if Erika had not insisted on the "full adventurous experience", he would not have bothered.
Erika was only fifteen, nearly eight years younger than him. They were orphans, their parents had passed away when he was fifteen and she seven. They had left them with a house and a sizeable sum of savings, held in a trust until they came of age and cash in the bank.
What this meant was that they had not been lacking for money, ever. He had been able to attend some of the best schools and university in the country and she too had been doted on heavily by him all these years.
However, as with most things in life, when it rains it pours, upon finding out about their parents' death, Erika was diagnosed with congenital heart disease. It had lain dormant and was non-life threatening, however, the heavy emotions triggered her already weaker heart and she fell into a coma for three months.
Those three months were the longest three months in all of Alistair's life. He had been dealt blow after blow and he greatly feared that his entire family would be ripped from his life in the span of a few days.
In this darkness, he discovered the world of K-pop, as cliché as it sounded, it kept him from succumbing to his dark desires. He railed against the world, shouting from the rooftops, at just how unfair his life was.
First, they took his parents and now they wanted to take his beloved sister.
Everyday he asked a simple question, why?
Silence was all that answered him. Well, as silent as the world could be in the middle of a major city. The hustle and bustle continued, the honking and shouting remained, the world kept moving on. With or without him.
Alistair saw for the first time that day, just how insignificant he was. As a fifteen-year-old child, he became jaded and cynical, where one would usually be running about with verve and joy, wide-eyed and experiencing their youthful passions.
Yet, the world was not fair.
Fortunately, he stumbled upon something that managed to speak to his heart. Music. More specifically K-pop.
Half a month into his sister's coma, after the doctors once again shook their heads in frustration and reassured him in the warmest tones that she would waken anytime now. Alistair left in disappointment and returned home, still hoping to hear his sister's voice one more time.
As usual he cleaned and maintained Erika's room, making sure it was ready for her eventual return. However, on this day he stumbled upon her mp3 player. Curious as to what she could have been listening to, he pressed the play button.
What could only be described as noise was playing, it appeared to be the end of the song and he looked at the display with mild curiosity.
"Super Junior: Sorry, Sorry."
Straight afterwards, it began playing a soothing melody and the voice of an angel sang.
"Uh, huh, listen boy, my first love story…" He was enraptured. Sitting there in a daze he did not even know where time went. He did not understand what they were singing, but the feelings it brought out from within him was something he had not expected. Music, this music, their voices and their intentions were perfectly conveyed towards him.
The tune was so cheerful and before he knew it, Alistair felt a tear fall down his face. He blinked in confusion and realised that this was the first time he had cried since his parents passing. Even when his sister collapsed, he had been holding strong to this belief of his. He needed to be strong. He needed to be a man. There was no one else Erika could rely on. He could not give in to his emotions.
Struggle, struggle hard. Live, live faster, harder. Tears? He had no time for them. Vent? What a waste of breath.
However, it was in this moment that he had let down all the barriers he had unknowingly built around his heart. Strange. How peculiar. That something from thousands of kilometres away could so easily penetrate into the depths of his heart.
They did not know who he was. He did not know who the singers were. Even so, they had managed to do something for him that perhaps even they had not expected.
For the first time in his life, Alistair felt immense gratitude. He laughed and he cried his heart out. He vented all his frustrations, ranting and raving like a madman. In the end he smiled, he was sure that if his sister saw him in this state, she would laugh at him forever.
What he would not give to have her here right now, he had thought.
But he had hope now. He felt optimistic now. All he needed to do was wait patiently. One month, six months, one year or even sixty years he would wait.
Tidying up Erika's room from the mess he had made, he put the mp3 player back where he had found it. Looking back at the room, he whispered a quiet, "Thank you." Before he gently closed the door.
Every morning from that day onward, he would calm himself down with a daily dose of K-pop. It allowed him to break away from the shackles of life.
Even after Erika woke up nearly three months later, he had continued to keep his routine. However, he was too embarrassed to show his sister this side of him. A classic, closet K-pop fan.
