13. Family Conference

Both of his parents stared down at him, who sat in a simple wooden chair in the kitchen. Bao felt like a big mass of grey clouds was over their heads announcing the storm that was to unfold upon him. Behind the brewing storm before him, he saw his sister, crouched on the stairway trying to eavesdrop on them, or so he thought. And despite his heart going at the alarming pace of a train at full speed he pretended to be calm maintaining a straight posture and face.

"Son, do you know what we want to talk about?"His father asked with a dark tone.

"I have no clue, maybe about what happened a year ago?"

"No that's not it. Your mother came to me yesterday, saying that lately, you've been leaving the house without saying where you are going or what you have been doing for then to come back home at late hours, reeling into your room with a pale face looking like a zombie. You even screamed at her twice in the last few days. What do you have to say about your behaviour?"

"Wh...what I have to say, you ask? Not much... except what I already t...told her, I went to my friend and felt sick when I came home, it is nothing unusual with my frail body after all."

"That's all?! And what about you screaming at her?"

"I... I'm sorry mom."

Bao felt the rage deep inside him dwelling up, he wanted to scream at them to fuck off and that he didn't do anything wrong, but nothing of that came out of his mouth, all he did was give them a humiliating apology, which made him even angrier. Both of them exchanged eye contacts when he rose his head.

"For now let's leave it at that. I... no, we thought that it would be better if you started looking for a job, maybe just a simple part-time work for the time being so that you could... you know... integrate yourself a bit. If you want I could ask around at my workplace if someone might have some relatives who need part-timers if you want..."

Crushing seconds of silence followed where they only stared at each other.

"Ca...can I think about it?"

"Sure, that is okay for us, take your time."

A bright smile showed on their faces as he stood up and walked away.

"Ah and son?"

He stopped halfway on the stairs.

"W...we know that yo...you are feeling guilty about what happened a year ago but we want you to know that no one of us blames you for anything, just don't make us worry like that again okay?"

With a simple nod of the head, he continued going up the stairs where his sister waited with a smile reaching from one bone cheek to the other.

"Let's go shopping today shall we? After all, you need something decent to wear for a job interview right?" She asked.

"I still didn't agree to search for a job."

"But you'll do it right?"

His sister's intuition got even sharper during his absence but he still needs to think about how to combine it with playing VR. Without a response he entered his room and closed the door behind him before crumbling to the ground, his back leaned on the door and his head lifted towards the roof, tears rolling down his cheeks. After everything his family went through because of him and all that he did to them, how could his father say something like that? Just because of him they even went as far as to sell their family heirlooms.

It took a while for him to calm down and not long after he did someone knocked at the door.

"Are you ready to go shopping now?" It was his sister's voice.

"Right now? It's already four!"

"Yes now, otherwise you're never gonna do it, we both know that, furthermore it's a good opportunity to spend some time together after so long."

"Okay, okay just give me a second."

He wiped his tears with the end of his sleeve and opened the door, staring right into the cute little face of his sister.

"Shall we go then?"

She wrapped her arms around his' as they walked to the nearby shopping district, consisting of one long street with shops on both sides. Since it was weekend and not a single cloud was in sight, the street was filled to the brim with people who went shopping making it impossible to walk through the crowd, especially with his sister clung on his arm, causing him to bump into people left and right.

"Hey you scranny guy there, do you have a problem!? Bumping into me and not even apologizing, who do you think you are?" Someone grabbed him on the shoulder.