24 Promise (1/2)
Chairman Liu left the room, and I heard Davide mumble something.
”Big bro, I nearly didn't make it…”
I saw him pout, and it made me chuckle
”Why are you so down? You're a scholar!”
”Yeah… but Dad said I could be the best,” he looked up at me with warbling lips, ”and I knew big bro would get in cause you're really strong, but you did so much better than me!”
Guilt tied a knot in my stomach. I was giving this incredibly talented boy unrealistic expectations. I had been trying to cultivate from the day I was born. I was basically cheating!
”Big bro, am I weak? Even a girl did better than me!”
His words reminded me of my encounter with the demon. He convinced me I was weak, but it was all a charade. Sure, I wasn't doing it intentionally, but that didn't make me any better.
”You're not weak. Did you see how many kids were out there? You beat all of them.”
”Yeah… but I'm not the best…”
His attitude surprised me.
”Do you really want to be the best?”
He nodded emphatically.
”Isn't that just what uncle Tony told you?”
”No, it's not Dad. He just said I could be really strong.”
”Well, if you wanna be the best, are you gonna let this little thing stop you?”
Davide looked confused, and I leaned in closer to him.
”If you wanna be the best, you've gotta work hard. That's what the Chairman said, right?”
”But big bro, you're just too strong!” he cried out, his eyes turning red with tears.
I couldn't watch this anymore. I had to tell him.
”I'm gonna tell you something, but you can't tell anyone else. You gotta promise me.”
”Yeah, I promise.”
”No, you need to really promise me. Pinky promise?”
”Wassat?”
”Here,” I held out my pinky finger, ”wrap your pinky around mine.”
He hesitantly reached out and grabbed my pinky with his.
”This is the strongest promise there is. If you break this, you have to swallow a thousand needles.”
”What?!”
”I mean, if you break this, I'm not your big bro anymore.”
Davide looked distraught for a second, before putting on a brave face.
”I pinky promise.”
”Okay. I don't have a special body like you. A weird man came to me when I was a baby, and he gave me a technique. I've been using it for years now.”
”Is that why you're so strong big bro?”
”Yeah, it is. I cheated on the test.”
”But big bro, how did you cheat? That's how strong you are, right?”
I laughed on hearing those words. How could an eight year-old put it so simply? The Soul Becoming World technique was a part of my own strength. Without my effort, it was just a book.
”Yeah. You're right.”
Davide clenched his fists tightly and put on a determined frown.
”I've gotta find a weird man.”
”Uh… no… I think you should stick with the teachers.”
”Are they gonna teach me a technique like yours?”
”Probably.”
I smiled at him, and a thought crossed my mind. Had I really helped by telling him about my technique? He had already bounced back, and had plenty of determination by himself…
I needed someone else's opinion. I would talk to father about it when I went home.
”Alright, lets go find our parents.”
We walked to the square and found our parents standing at the front of the line.
”Baby, are you okay? I was worried sick…”