Homee...
THE FIRE BETWEEN THE WAVES
Chapter 1 — Home
Morning sunlight slipped through the curtains of the small apartment, falling across the couch where Dunk was sleeping peacefully.
Hanabi was curled up against him, completely comfortable as if the couch belonged to her.
The sound of footsteps approached.
phuwin: “Dunk.”
Nothing.
Phuwin stopped beside the couch and looked down at his brother.
phuwin: “Dunk, wake up.”
Dunk pulled the blanket higher over his face.
dunk: “Five minutes.”
phuwin: “You said that five minutes ago.”
dunk: “Then give me five more.”
Phuwin sighed and folded his arms.
phuwin: “You're going to be late.”
dunk: “I don't care.”
phuwin: “You will when your professor marks you absent.”
Dunk slowly opened one eye.
dunk: “You're very annoying in the morning.”
phuwin: “And you're very lazy in the morning.”
dunk: “I'm tired.”
phuwin: “You slept for eight hours.”
dunk: “Exactly. I need more.”
Phuwin couldn't help smiling.
He reached down and pulled the blanket away.
Dunk immediately grabbed it.
dunk: “Hey!”
phuwin: “Get up.”
dunk: “No.”
phuwin: “Dunk.”
dunk: “Phuwin.”
They stared at each other for a few seconds.
Hanabi lifted her head between them.
Phuwin looked at the cat.
phuwin: “At least Hanabi is awake.”
Dunk immediately picked her up.
dunk: “Hanabi is on my side.”
Hanabi gave a small meow.
phuwin: “She didn't say that.”
dunk: “She did.”
phuwin: “Since when do you understand cats?”
dunk: “Since always.”
Phuwin shook his head.
phuwin: “You're unbelievable.”
dunk: “And yet you still love me.”
phuwin: “Unfortunately.”
dunk: “I knew it.”
Phuwin laughed quietly before walking toward the kitchen.
phuwin: “Come on. Breakfast.”
dunk: “I'm not hungry.”
phuwin: “You didn't eat properly last night.”
dunk: “I wasn't hungry last night either.”
Phuwin stopped.
phuwin: “Dunk.”
Dunk looked at him.
dunk: “Fine.”
phuwin: “Good.”
Dunk finally got off the couch and followed him into the kitchen, with Hanabi walking behind them.
Their apartment wasn't large.
There were only two bedrooms, a small kitchen, a living room, and a little balcony that Hanabi loved sitting on.
But every part of it belonged to them.
Their books were stacked on shelves that were slowly running out of space.
A few photographs were placed around the room.
Most of them were of Phuwin and Dunk.
And quite a few were of Hanabi.
They had adopted her a while ago, when they had both needed something warm and alive to come home to.
She had somehow become the center of their little family.
Phuwin placed two plates on the table.
phuwin: “Eat.”
Dunk looked at his plate.
dunk: “You made this?”
phuwin: “Yes.”
dunk: “Are you sure it's safe?”
Phuwin stared at him.
phuwin: “Give it back.”
Dunk quickly pulled the plate closer.
dunk: “No, no. I'll eat.”
phuwin: “Good.”
Dunk took a bite.
He chewed thoughtfully.
phuwin: “Well?”
dunk: “It's actually good.”
phuwin: “I know.”
dunk: “Don't get too proud.”
phuwin: “Too late.”
Dunk smiled.
For a while, the apartment was filled with nothing but the sound of them eating.
It was peaceful.
Simple.
Normal.
Something neither of them had always been able to have.
Dunk noticed Phuwin checking his phone again.
dunk: “You're nervous.”
Phuwin looked up.
phuwin: “About what?”
dunk: “Your interview.”
Phuwin glanced at the screen before putting the phone down.
phuwin: “Maybe a little.”
dunk: “You'll get it.”
phuwin: “You sound very sure.”
dunk: “Because you're good.”
phuwin: “Being good doesn't guarantee anything.”
dunk: “It should.”
Phuwin smiled.
phuwin: “I wish the world worked like that.”
dunk: “Then make it work like that.”
phuwin: “Easy for you to say.”
Dunk became quiet for a moment.
dunk: “You really need this job, don't you?”
Phuwin didn't answer immediately.
Then he nodded.
phuwin: “Yeah.”
dunk: “Because of me?”
phuwin: “Because of us.”
Dunk looked down.
dunk: “You don't have to do everything for me.”
phuwin: “I know.”
dunk: “You always say that.”
phuwin: “Because it's true.”
dunk: “No, it isn't.”
Phuwin looked at him.
Dunk wasn't smiling anymore.
dunk: “You work all the time. You worry about the bills. You worry about my college. You worry about everything.”
phuwin: “You're my brother.”
dunk: “And you're my brother too.”
Phuwin's expression softened.
Dunk reached across the table and lightly pushed his hand away when Phuwin tried to touch his hair.
dunk: “Don't.”
phuwin: “Why?”
dunk: “I'm not five.”
phuwin: “You'll always be my little brother.”
dunk: “I'm twenty-two.”
phuwin: “And I'm twenty-three.”
dunk: “That's one year.”
phuwin: “Still older.”
dunk: “Barely.”
Phuwin smiled.
phuwin: “Still counts.”
Hanabi jumped onto the empty chair beside Dunk.
Dunk immediately picked her up.
dunk: “See? Hanabi agrees with me.”
phuwin: “Hanabi agrees with whoever gives her food.”
dunk: “Exactly. And that's me.”
phuwin: “Traitor.”
Hanabi meowed.
Dunk laughed.
dunk: “She loves me.”
phuwin: “Fine. Keep her.”
dunk: “Gladly.”
Phuwin finished his breakfast and stood.
He picked up his bag and checked the time.
phuwin: “I should go.”
Dunk looked at him.
dunk: “Good luck.”
phuwin: “Thanks.”
dunk: “Don't overthink.”
phuwin: “I'll try.”
dunk: “You always say that.”
phuwin: “Because I always try.”
Dunk smiled.
dunk: “You'll get it.”
Phuwin looked at him for a moment.
phuwin: “I'll come back before dinner.”
dunk: “Okay.”
phuwin: “And eat properly.”
dunk: “I will.”
phuwin: “And don't stay awake waiting for me.”
dunk: “I won't.”
phuwin: “And take care of Hanabi.”
Dunk looked down at the cat in his arms.
dunk: “I always do.”
Phuwin walked toward the door.
Before leaving, he turned around once more.
phuwin: “Dunk.”
dunk: “Hmm?”
phuwin: “If you need anything, call me.”
dunk: “I know.”
phuwin: “Anything.”
dunk: “I know, Phuwin.”
Phuwin smiled.
phuwin: “Okay.”
He opened the door.
phuwin: “Bye.”
dunk: “Bye.”
The door closed behind him.
Dunk stared at it for a few seconds before looking down at Hanabi.
dunk: “He's going to get the job.”
Hanabi blinked.
dunk: “He has to.”
He smiled faintly and hugged her closer.
dunk: “Because he's Phuwin.”
---
Across the city, another home was already awake.
Pond stood in front of the mirror, fixing his cufflinks while his phone continued to vibrate with work notifications.
He ignored them.
For once, he wanted to have breakfast before dealing with the chaos waiting for him at the office.
pond: “Mom, I'm leaving soon.”
His mother looked up from the dining table.
mom: “You're not eating?”
pond: “I'll eat at the office.”
mom: “You said that yesterday.”
pond: “I was busy.”
mom: “You're always busy.”
A laugh came from behind him.
joong: “Because he thinks the entire company will collapse if he takes thirty minutes to eat.”
Pond turned around.
pond: “Good morning to you too.”
Joong walked into the dining room and sat down.
joong: “Good morning.”
pond: “You're late.”
Joong checked his watch.
joong: “I'm not.”
pond: “You are.”
joong: “I'm exactly on time.”
pond: “Same thing.”
Joong laughed.
joong: “You really have become boring.”
pond: “And you really haven't grown up.”
Their mother sighed.
mom: “Can you two have one breakfast without arguing?”
joong: “We're not arguing.”
pond: “We're talking.”
mom: “Very loudly.”
Joong smiled.
joong: “That's how brothers communicate.”
Pond sat down.
Their mother placed food in front of him.
mom: “Eat.”
pond: “I'm not that hungry.”
mom: “Eat.”
Pond looked at her.
He knew better than to argue with his mother.
pond: “Okay.”
Joong smiled.
joong: “Good boy.”
Pond glared at him.
pond: “Don't.”
joong: “What?”
pond: “You know what.”
Joong laughed.
Their mother shook her head.
The house was quiet and comfortable.
It had been that way for years.
Just the three of them.
Their father had left when Pond and Joong were young.
He had walked away from their family, leaving their mother to raise the two brothers.
Joong remembered more of it than Pond did.
But neither of them talked about it much anymore.
Their mother had given them everything she could.
And both brothers had grown up determined to build lives of their own.
Joong now owned his own company.
Pond had his own company too.
They were separate businesses, separate responsibilities, separate lives.
But they were still brothers.
And their mother was still the one person both of them listened to.
joong: “You have interviews today?”
pond: “Yes.”
joong: “For the new position?”
pond: “Yes.”
joong: “What are you looking for?”
pond: “Talent.”
Joong raised an eyebrow.
joong: “That's it?”
pond: “What else do I need?”
joong: “Experience?”
pond: “Obviously.”
joong: “Personality?”
pond: “Depends.”
joong: “Element?”
Pond looked at him.
pond: “No.”
Joong smiled.
joong: “I knew you'd say that.”
pond: “Why would someone's element matter?”
joong: “Some people still care about those old rules.”
pond: “I'm not some people.”
Their mother smiled.
mom: “Good.”
Pond leaned back.
He had never understood the obsession with elemental restrictions.
Fire and Water.
The two elements everyone loved to put on opposite sides.
He was Fire.
He knew what people said about Fire users.
Aggressive.
Dangerous.
Unpredictable.
He didn't care.
His element was powerful.
So he learned to control it.
Because he had to.
His Fire responded to his emotions, and when he lost control, it became dangerous.
For him.
Not just everyone around him.
If he ever completely lost control of his power, the Fire could consume his own life.
That was the curse he had lived with for years.
He didn't talk about it.
He didn't want sympathy.
He simply controlled himself.
pond: “I should leave.”
mom: “Come home for dinner.”
pond: “I will.”
mom: “Promise?”
Pond smiled.
pond: “Promise.”
Joong stood and picked up his keys.
joong: “I'll come too.”
Pond looked at him.
pond: “You don't live here.”
joong: “I know.”
pond: “Then why are you coming?”
joong: “To see Mom.”
Their mother smiled.
mom: “You're both always welcome.”
Joong looked at Pond.
joong: “See you tonight.”
pond: “Good luck with your meeting.”
Joong paused dramatically.
joong: “Was that concern?”
pond: “Don't make it weird.”
Joong laughed.
joong: “See you later.”
Pond watched him leave.
His mother looked at him.
mom: “You two really are close.”
Pond smiled slightly.
pond: “He's annoying.”
mom: “That's not what I said.”
pond: “I know.”
He picked up his bag.
pond: “Bye, Mom.”
mom: “Bye, Pond.”
Pond stepped outside.
His phone immediately started ringing again.
This time, he answered.
pond: “Yes?”
assistant: “Good morning, sir. The interview schedule is ready.”
pond: “I'll be there.”
assistant: “The first candidate arrives in twenty minutes.”
pond: “Good.”
assistant: “Anything else, sir?”
pond: “No.”
He ended the call.
Pond looked ahead.
Another normal workday.
At least, that's what he thought.
Because somewhere else in the city, Phuwin was walking toward the same company.
Not knowing who Pond was.
Not knowing what awaited him.
And not knowing that the job he desperately needed was about to place him directly in the path of the one person he had been told could never belong beside him.
