Winter Festival in Theapan (Part 22)

"~~~! Hey!" A frustrated voice called out to Vorbuk as his blurry vision cleared. That familiar face glaring him down was one that he had long missed.

No, rather... He long wanted to punch it and demand an explanation for why he'd been tossed aside so cruelly without a word of goodbye. Vorbuk felt himself sighing without his own will. This was not the present but rather he was entrapped in a memory from long ago.

"... You-" The young Vorbuk started to argue only to find himself cut off from speaking.

"Brother." The young man declared.

"... What?" Vorbuk questioned the young man's mental state the more time he spent with him. Spending years alone as a homeless child on the street he had never come across someone so innocent and kind of heart as that young man felt to him. As a stubborn child Vorbuk found it difficult to accept that kindness with ease.

"You've been coming to learn from me at this building for several months now, child. You really can not so much as call me brother?" The young man argued as he'd taught Vorbuk the way of arts. Whether it was painting or the piano he'd never left Vorbuk's life to remain dull and colorless. Learning from him the young Vorbuk's life had finally had a sense of color brought to it that made him feel more alive then ever before.

The young Vorbuk could not accept the kindness that was given to him however and could only refute the idea of referring to the young man as his brother, "Why should I?"

Smiling the man stepped over to where Vorbuk was sitting and pulled the origami he was folding into a swan out of his hand and glanced it over as he spoke, "The world can not revolve simply around one person alone, child. Light can not exist without darkness and it can be said to be true in the opposite. You don't need to see me as your brother. I only hope that you can allow me to become a feint light in that darkness that you feel entrapped inside and when that day comes that you find someone you can truly care for I hope you do not hesitate to let that wall of yours down a bit more."

"What on earth are you talking about? Give me my origami back-" The young Vorbuk reached out for his swan back only to find it swiftly being pulled further from his reach.

"Thank you for the gift." The young man smiled and turned to walk away from him so that the origami could not be retrieved. "I simply do not want this child's trust to be destroyed by mistakes of mankind."

"I'm not a child." The young Vorbuk refuted the idea of being called a child even though at the time he was. He did not grow up with the same innocence as most children his age. Nearly impossible for him to see the light in the world around him the young man hoped for Vorbuk's vision of the world to be colored in with bright dreams for his future. Vorbuk at the time could not understand why the man cared so much about the way he viewed the world. What would change in his life by simply embracing things he could only dream about?

"Yes," The young man chuckled at the child's refusal to see himself as young. "Shall we get to studying now?"

Motioning Vorbuk to sit down by him at the piano as he began to play for the child. The child's eyes following his hand's every action and motion as if he was mentally recording him playing. Tunes as gentle as a whistling stream through the mountains echoed throughout the room. By the time the music stopped the child was frozen in place as if he could not find a proper reaction.

There was something about the piano that made the child's heart race and yet he felt at peace within himself by listening to it. No matter how much he tried he struggled in the beginning when he tried to learn how to play from the man. However as months passed by Vorbuk's talent soared.

Outsiders who heard him play began to make casual visits by the building in order to listen to him play during his practice. Eventually the young man was forced to restrict others from entering the same hallway as the room he taught Vorbuk inside. That was because he was worried they would disrupt the time he had to teach Vorbuk properly.

One night as young Vorbuk was leaving the classroom the man called out to him from behind, "Can I ask you a question?"

"What is it?" Vorbuk had felt frustrated because of how much the man seemed to push himself into his life. It could have also been said that he did not mind it at the same time. Somewhere in the middle of it all the child's heart was conflicted.

"Would you be interested in making your hard work public? I think you could learn a lot if you let others see just how far you've come. You're destined for great things child so you should embrace what you enjoy in life." The man gave Vorbuk a nudge in a direction that would later bring his life in his original world to become one of wealth and fame. None of that mattered to Vorbuk. Neither the fame nor the wealth was what he wanted in life. As long as he was living that was enough for him.

Vorbuk shook his head, "I am not interested in putting my artwork out for others to linger around."

"If you work towards your own gallery you could share your piano as well." The man pushed further. He knew how much the child lit up when he touched the piano. "It wont happen right away but if you start small at first you can eventually get that."

A place to truly feel at ease... Would that be possible? The child thought as he desperately wanted to live without being anxious all the time. A life where he could be at peace and with only those important around him.

Important people?

Who would those be?

The child considered the young man to be someone important to him in a way. He taught him many things and was always there when he came. Yes, he could consider him as someone important in his life. The young Vorbuk was unaware that the man he considered a friend would leave one day without saying a word about it to him.

"Alright." Vorbuk nodded as he grasped the only string of hope he had. The man in front of him would never bring harm intentionally to him. That was something he could sense from him after years of experience in dealing with people who meant him harm.

The young man's eyes lit up as he clapped his hands together with excitement, "Great! I will help take care of everything to guide you. This talent can not go wasted!"

Everything seemed hazy again as Vorbuk's eyes fluttered and he heard Prince Leo calling out to him from the side.

"Vorbuk! Are you alright?!" Prince Leo was grasping Vorbuk by the shoulders as he began to worry when he saw Vorbuk spacing out so deeply. It was almost as if Vorbuk was in a trance and it made him worried.

Vorbuk hesitated before responding when he realized he had lost himself in memories of the past. He could not understand why his mind wandered to the old times so clearly; perhaps he had drank too much with the others. Forcing out a reply he heard the sounds of approaching people, "It was nothing."