Chapter Text
Boboiboy Fanfiction
© Boboiboy | Animosta Studio
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Taufan is weaker than the others. He has been easily prone to illness since childhood, even frequently going in and out of the hospital. In a single year, he could be hospitalized more than twice. He doesn’t have any chronic diseases, his body is just naturally weaker.
Because of this, Taufan spends more time indoors rather than playing outside with his brothers. He would pretend to be busy reading a book whenever one of his brothers invited him to play. But every time Gempa saw his face, he knew that Taufan wanted to play with them too.
Father and Mother might seem to give more attention to Taufan because he’s always sick, sometimes making Gempa and his other brothers jealous. But thinking about it now, wasn’t it unfair for them to feel jealous of Taufan? They were born with strong and healthy bodies, able to run under the scorching sun while laughing. Meanwhile, Taufan could only sit by the door, watching them play.
They were so cruel to their brother, how could they distance themselves from him because of jealousy? Taufan always sat by the door, watching them play. Maybe there would be a book on his lap, but every time they turned to look at him, Taufan would wave at them. This was proof that Taufan also wanted to be close to them in his own way. Maybe he couldn’t play with them, but he would always appear in their memories of childhood.
It had been years since their childhood, and Gempa had forgotten when they last spent time with Taufan. Now he was 24 years old, the same age as Taufan. It might be a bit late to realize it, but Gempa hoped he could still mend their sibling relationship.
Gempa took a deep breath to steel himself, then knocked on the door in front of him. He waited for the person inside to open the door for him, but after a few minutes passed, there was no response. He repeated his action, knocking on the door but this time accompanied by calling out the homeowner's name. Still, there was no answer. Gempa thought the owner might not be home at the moment, so he checked his phone to see the time; it was only 10 AM. He decided he would come back later.
That was his intention, but just as he was about to turn around, Gempa heard the sound of something falling. And the sound was quite loud. This made Gempa panic. He knocked on the door again, this time while calling out the owner's name and trying to open the locked door. The thought of breaking down the door crossed his mind, but he decided not to do it.
He didn’t know how long he had been doing this, but then he heard the sound of a key turning, and the door opened. This time revealing a pale, slender young man with messy shoulder-length hair. Dark and heavy bags were under his eyes, his glasses were askew, and his hair was disheveled. The blue sweater he was wearing looked faded and worn out, but despite his pitiful appearance, the sparkle in his blue eyes never dimmed. And Gempa would always say this: those blue eyes were like sparkling sapphires.
“Astaghfirullah, brother! Your head is bleeding!” Gempa exclaimed. He quickly took some tissues from his bag and pressed them against the wound on the young man’s head. Meanwhile, the young man in front of him looked confused.
“What are you doing here?”
“Hold on, brother! Let’s go inside now, I’ll treat your wound.” Gempa urged the young man to go back into the house. He continued to mutter under his breath at the homeowner while making him sit on a chair and searching for the first aid kit that should be available in this house. Once he found it, Gempa started scolding him again while treating the wound on the young man’s head. Thankfully, it was just a small cut, though there was quite a bit of blood. Gempa had been really panicked earlier when he saw him show up with a bleeding head.
“What were you doing? How did you get hurt like this?”
“Huh? I... I think I fell asleep earlier. Then I heard someone knocking on the door. When I got up to open the door, my vision blurred and I fell. I think I hit something but I don’t remember what.”
Gempa was at a loss for words. He was torn between scolding the young man in front of him and apologizing for showing up unannounced. In the end, he could only sigh and give a small smile.
“Why... are you here? You were just here with Mom two days ago. Did something happen?”
Gempa shook his head. “No. Nothing happened. But maybe I should introduce myself properly.”
“Huh?”
“Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Gempa, I’m 24 years old, and from now on, I’ll be your assistant. Please take care of me.”
“Huh? WHAAT?!”
...
Let Gempa properly introduce himself this time. He is Gempa, the third child of seven brothers and the youngest of the other two twins, and this year he has turned 24 years old. Initially, he worked at a small private company in the financial sector but resigned after a year of working there.
It wasn't because he didn't fit in with the environment or because the salary was low. In fact, the employees there were so friendly and kind to him, and the salary offered was quite generous for someone who was still a beginner. But Gempa had another reason for resigning from that company.
The reason was the blue-eyed young man in front of him.
Taufan, his second older brother and one of the twins.
His brother, who was physically much weaker than the other siblings.
Taufan is a writer. He is quite well-known for several of his works, such as 'The Dancing Butterfly', 'The Sun Ring', 'Breath of the Wind', 'Hero', and 'Echo'. In fact, 'The Sun Ring' has now been adapted into a film and is recognized as one of the most anticipated films of the year. It is also rumored that 'Hero' and 'Echo' will soon be adapted into films and animations.
Unfortunately, being a writer means you have to pour your heart and soul into your work. Taufan always said that a writer is recognized as a writer if they live for their writing and how they succeed in bringing the reader into the world they create. In Gempa's opinion, Taufan is that kind of writer. He is deeply dedicated to what he works on, which means he often neglects his health for the sake of his work.
That is the reason why Gempa chose to resign from his job. He had a goal to take care of his brother.
"Wait... wait. What do you mean, Gempa? My assistant?"
"Yes, starting today, I am the assistant to the writer Taufan."
"But how is that possible? Weren't you working in finance?"
Ah... Gempa forgot that Taufan often fell behind on news about the outside world. Since the age of 22, Taufan had no longer lived with them. He bought his own house with the money earned from his works. The house was relatively simple but large enough for just one person to live in. At that time, Taufan reasoned that he needed peace and quiet to write, but Gempa felt there was another reason behind it. And since living alone, Taufan had become very rarely gathered with them anymore, which made the information he had about them very limited. Especially when Gempa left his previous job, he didn't make any fuss about it. His company accepted his decision, his parents didn't mind his actions, and the other brothers felt that Gempa knew what was best for himself.
But it seems that Gempa did mention to Taufan about him changing jobs. Maybe Taufan thought he had just changed companies and was still in the same field?
"I quit my job at that private company last year. And six months ago, I got a job at the publisher that will publish your work this time. And this time, I was assigned to be your assistant."
"Huh?!"
Taufan looked very confused, and in Gempa's opinion, his brother's confused expression was very cute. But as much as Gempa enjoyed teasing Taufan, he preferred seeing his brother resting well. Didn't Taufan just say his vision blurred while walking? It was likely that Taufan hadn't been resting properly or, as usual, he forgot to eat.
Wasn't this his goal from the beginning? The reason why he left his promising job and moved to a field that wasn't really his because he wanted to take care of Taufan and become closer to his brother. As he mentioned earlier, it might be a bit late to realize his past foolishness, but he hoped it wasn't too late to mend their brotherly bond.
"It would be better if you rest now, we can talk about it later."
Taufan was still in a daze, his focus seemingly torn between wanting to protest Gempa's words or obeying them. Gempa took advantage of this to gently push his brother into his bedroom and help him lie down on his bed. Taufan's eyes quickly closed as soon as his head touched the pillow, and he fell asleep immediately.
Gempa smiled softly as he watched Taufan's sleeping face. He removed the glasses Taufan was wearing, adjusted the blue sweater his brother was wearing while thinking about how thin Taufan had become.
It seems he should start by cooking something so that Taufan can eat regularly from now on. Looking around Taufan's messy room, Gempa sighed softly. He would cook after tidying up this place.
Gempa couldn't believe Taufan had been living alone for the past two years. Sure, their mother often visited to bring food or just to check on Taufan, but still. The Taufan in Gempa's memory was a child with a weak body, easily falling ill just from trivial things. This was the reason their father and mother seemed so attentive to Taufan, even forbidding him from leaving them. Gempa still remembered the uproar caused by Taufan when he said he would live alone. He remembered how their father looked so angry and their mother looked so worried and sad.
But even though he had a weak body, Taufan's resolve was never weak. Once he decided on what he thought was right for him, it was not easy to change his mind. And when Taufan said he would live alone, he was already determined about it. Their father and mother still didn't agree with it until now, but they could never stop Taufan from doing what he wanted.
Taufan's house is a simple house with a living room, two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom. The yard isn't very large but enough to plant a few types of flowers. Actually, this house is too big for one person to live in. Gempa remembered their mother worrying that Taufan had been scammed by the real estate agent, but Taufan seemed fine. He even said that he really wanted this house and reasoned that if he had a lot of stuff, then this house was perfect for him—although Gempa worried it was because Taufan didn't want to panic their mother or that he was unaware he'd been scammed.
Whatever the case, the house had already been bought by Taufan, and his brother seemed to like it. What Gempa needed to do was help Taufan take care of it while he also took care of his brother.
Cleaning Taufan's house turned out to take much longer than Gempa had anticipated. It seemed that Taufan wasn't someone who cleaned often—not that Gempa was surprised, given that Taufan, once immersed in writing, could even forget to eat. Gempa remembered starting to clean Taufan's house at 10:30 AM and finishing when it was almost 4 PM. The hunger in his stomach reminded Gempa that he hadn't had lunch. Looking around, Gempa nodded in satisfaction at his work and decided to stop cleaning for today. It would be better to start preparing dinner; who knows, his brother might have woken up while Gempa was cleaning and now wanted to eat.
Fortunately, two days ago when Gempa visited with their mother, they brought plenty of groceries. So, Gempa didn't have to worry about what to cook. For today, he started with a relatively simple menu—just corn soup and fried chicken for their dinner.
While frying the chicken, Gempa heard a thud, causing him to worry that Taufan might have hit something and hurt himself again. Gempa quickly turned off the stove and rushed to Taufan's room, only to find his brother trying to gather the books that had scattered across the floor.
"What's wrong?"
"Gempa? Is it already Saturday?"
Gempa smiled in confusion. Wasn't it just Monday?
"Are you the one cooking? Didn't Mom come with you today?"
Gempa grew even more confused. Why was Taufan asking this? Hadn't Gempa clearly stated his purpose when he arrived earlier that morning?
"I had a funny dream, Gem. In my dream, you said you wanted to be my assistant." As Taufan said this with a laugh, Gempa could only smile helplessly. So that's what it was. Gempa approached Taufan, touching his shoulder and suggesting that it might be better if Taufan washed his face or maybe took a bath first, leaving the books to be tidied up by Gempa. Although confused, Taufan followed Gempa's advice. It wouldn’t be long before Taufan realized that what he thought was a dream was actually reality, but it was better if his brother figured it out on his own without Gempa having to explain it again.
Gempa had finished organizing Taufan's books and was about to return to the kitchen when he heard Taufan's shout and hurried footsteps. Gempa smiled when Taufan opened the door to his room forcefully. He glanced at Taufan from head to toe before laughing and grabbing a blanket from Taufan's bed.
"Gempa! Don't tell me you were serious about becoming my assistant?!"
Gempa laughed, not answering Taufan's question. Instead, he draped the blanket over Taufan's body. "Don't run around naked again. You'll catch a cold."
Taufan reflexively held the blanket draped over his body, looking confused. However, as he realized what Gempa had done, his cheeks turned a shade of red. Ah, when it wasn't about books or writing, his brother really didn't care much about other things, did he?
"I'm going back to finish preparing dinner. You should continue with your bath. Afterward, we can have a long talk," Gempa said. He ruffled Taufan's hair, who still stood frozen in place. Thankfully, Taufan didn’t say anything more and just nodded his head. Gempa returned to the kitchen to continue cooking, which had been interrupted earlier. Should he prepare more food? Seeing Taufan’s body earlier, Gempa grew more worried that his brother might be malnourished. Taufan was very thin and looked like he could be blown away by a small gust of wind. As far as Gempa remembered, Taufan’s body was much fuller when they were still living together.
Maybe it would be a good idea to ask their mother about this. Gempa made a mental note to call his mother after dinner with Taufan today.
At dinner, strangely, Taufan didn’t say much. Gempa had thought he would be bombarded with questions from his brother, but it turned out that Taufan chose to eat while casting suspicious glances at Gempa. Gempa could only smile and chuckle to himself. He hadn’t expected this side of Taufan. He had thought his brother was a mysterious figure, hard to approach, but it turned out Taufan had a childish side like this.
"So, do you want to ask your questions now?" Gempa broke the silence between them, unable to stand the quiet any longer. Taufan shivered at the sound of Gempa's voice, looking at him with hesitation, even though Gempa could easily read what Taufan was thinking. Sometimes, Taufan was like an open book to him, very easy to read.
"Why did you suddenly change jobs?"
"Hm? It wasn’t sudden. I’ve thought it through carefully and even discussed it with Mom and Dad."
"But, Gem, being an assistant to a writer is very different from managing finances!"
"I know. That's why I’m asking for your help in the future because I know I have a lot to learn in this field."
Even though Gempa gave a reasonable answer and maintained a calm demeanor, Taufan still seemed anxious. He ruffled his hair like someone who was frustrated—or maybe Taufan was indeed frustrated at that moment.
"Gempa, answer my question honestly. Why did you leave your promising job and switch to something completely unrelated to what you're good at?" Right now, Taufan sounded very serious. He probably wouldn’t accept any reason from Gempa, no matter what it was. The only thing left was to tell his brother the truth. Gempa hoped Taufan wouldn’t misunderstand his good intentions. The last thing he wanted was for Taufan to misinterpret his motives.
"Maybe you’ll think I’m being reckless, but I’ve thought about this for a long time. Even before graduating from college and before applying for jobs, I had been thinking about this for a while. Unfortunately, I was more cowardly than I thought. I only had the courage to take the step a year ago." Gempa smiled wryly.
Taufan didn’t say anything. It seemed he knew that Gempa’s explanation wasn’t finished yet.
"Everything I’ve done, the reason I quit my job and chose to work as an assistant to a writer, is because I want to be close to you."
"Close to me?"
"Yes, I want to take care of you. I want to be with you. I know it’s very late to start, but I hope you’ll give me a chance."
Gempa didn’t dare look at Taufan. He was afraid of the expression his brother might show him. Maybe Taufan would look at him with disappointment or perhaps feel disgusted with Gempa for only trying after 24 years of never even attempting. Whatever it was, Gempa wasn’t sure he could handle it. But seconds passed, and Taufan still hadn’t said anything. Whether he liked it or not, Gempa glanced at his brother and found him deep in thought. He looked so serious, who knows what was on his mind at that moment.
"So, if I sum it up, the reason you did all this is because of me?" Taufan asked. His tone sounded normal, without accusation or anger, or any of the things Gempa thought would be there at first. Even his facial expression seemed neutral as if they were talking about something else.
"Yes... exactly. But don’t get me wrong! I didn’t do this out of pity or anything like that. I really want to be close to you."
Taufan nodded. "Alright then. After all, it’s your decision."
Huh? Just like that?
Gempa thought Taufan would yell and scold him for only trying to get close after years of ignoring him. What is this? Why did Gempa feel like something was off?
They continued their dinner as if the conversation hadn’t happened. Taufan began explaining his new novel and what Gempa had to do as his assistant. He seemed to have accepted that Gempa would now accompany him not just as his younger brother but also as his assistant. Taufan even started giving Gempa tasks that needed to be done immediately. Oh, this was a new side of Taufan that Gempa hadn’t seen before. All this time, Taufan had always appeared as a somewhat mysterious figure, loving books but understanding and kind-hearted. Gempa hadn’t expected Taufan to be so strict when it came to his work.
"Tomorrow, I’ll be visiting the Cathedral Church out of town. You have to come with me, so prepare yourself now," Taufan said as they finished dinner. Gempa didn’t have time to respond before his brother retreated to his bedroom, saying he needed to continue his novel as he had a sudden burst of inspiration.
Gempa sighed. Well, this was his job now. He had to remain professional.
This is the story of Gempa becoming the assistant of a famous novelist, who is his own brother.