Just Friends And Nothing More

Chapter 03

Erathia is an artificial island located in the Pacific Ocean, strategically positioned between the Asian, Australian, North American, and South American continents. The island covers a vast area of 100 million square kilometers, making it one of the largest islands in the world. Its average population is 1.2 million inhabitants, not to mention the wide variety of tourist attractions the island offers.

After a brief moment of silence, Ethan chose to interrupt the meal, standing up and heading towards the dining room door. The unexpected gesture surprised everyone present, as he was always known for his understanding and calm approach.

The situation caught everyone off guard, including Ethan's mother. Later that night, Ethan sat on his bed, leaning against the wall, while browsing on his mobile device. Suddenly, a familiar voice was heard.

"p*********y has the potential to negatively affect memory," the voice declared.

"I presume you acquired this knowledge from extensive personal experience," Ethan replied.

"It's interesting to note your constant ability to provide answers for every situation," Nathan observed, with a tone of irony.

"It would be interesting if I didn't possess such a characteristic," Ethan replied, using an ironic tone akin to his brother's.

Nathan approached the young man's bed and sat on the edge, establishing a brief moment of silence. After a few minutes, Nathan decided to break the silence, feeling the need to do so. However, Ethan was proactive and spoke first.

"How has married life been for you?" the young man asked, causing a slight surprise in his brother.

Despite his disregard for Kamilla, Ethan supported his brother's marriage to her. However, everything changed when Alice came into the world, as the arrival of the child was the catalyst that led the young man to reconsider his perspective towards Nathan's wife. Despite their differences, Ethan made a great effort not to treat Kamilla with hostility, as he did not want to be rejected by his niece.

"Well, in my opinion..."

"In what way exactly?" Ethan asked, showing interest. "Please be more specific."

"Recently, I have been dedicating most of my time to work, neglecting the opportunity to visit my home and check on the well-being of my family," Nathan informed.

"I see... Are you guys going to come live with us, then?" Ethan inquired.

"Yes, given that our father has been appointed as president, he will need a vice president, and there is a possibility that I will take on that position... By the way, my brother, are you upset?" Nathan asked, intrigued by his brother's behavior during dinner.

"Me? Absolutely not," Ethan replied assertively.

"Then what was the reason behind your reaction during dinner?"

"I was simply surprised, nothing more than that," Ethan replied calmly.

"I see. I'll pretend I believe you," Nathan responded with a hint of skepticism.

"Believe me, if it's of any interest to you."

After the brief dialogue, the brothers returned to the previous silence, until Nathan spotted the game "God of War: Ragnarok" on a modest shelf. He promptly stood up and made his way to the spot to acquire the game.

"It's really surprising to see that you got this game!" Nathan exclaimed, showing it to his brother.

Ethan, who was absorbed in his mobile device, shifted his attention to his brother, who held the game in his hands.

"You haven't had a chance to play it yet?" Ethan asked, unsurprised, considering Nathan's busy schedule, which barely allowed him time to come home, let alone dedicate himself to games.

"I had no idea it was already released," Nathan replied with evident excitement.

"If you're interested in playing, you can use my computer."

"Really? You're giving me the opportunity to play?"

"Of course, feel free to use the computer as much as you want... The access password is 'Knights'."

"Thank you, brother."

After expressing his gratitude, Nathan, filled with excitement, made his way to the computer, adjusted the chair, and promptly took his seat, proceeding to activate the device.

[...]

At dawn the next day, the young man woke up to an intense glow reflecting on his face, making it difficult to immediately open his eyes. After a few moments, his eyes adjusted to the brightness and he gradually opened them, noticing that the radiance was coming from the window, whose curtains were undrawn.

He turned his gaze to the side and saw his brother completely immersed in the game he was playing. Ethan, still feeling sleepy after waking up, initially suspected that he was experiencing momentary hallucinations. To dispel this assumption, he brought his hands to his eyes and gently rubbed them, then returned his gaze to his brother, aware that this experience was not an illusion or mere daydream.

"Could you kindly inform me if you dedicated the entire night to digital entertainment?" Ethan asked.

"Good morning. And no, I paused my activities after you and Alice fell asleep from exhaustion," Nathan explained.

"When you say 'you and Alice,' who are you referring to?" Ethan asked, sounding somewhat confused.

"I'm referring to you and Alice, who contributed to a festive atmosphere, but it's worth mentioning that there was some disarray."

Ethan, remembering the promise he had made to spend some time playing with his niece after dinner, gently got out of bed and stretched. In an effort to adjust the environment, he partially closed the curtains and made an effort to organize the space, folding the blanket and neatly arranging the comforter.

While carrying out these tasks, a thought occurred to Ethan. Since his brother got married, their mother had converted his old room into a personal gym. This idea bothered him until he decided to address the matter.

"By the way, Nathan, could you tell me where you guys stayed overnight, considering that our mother converted your room into a gym?" Ethan asked, showing interest in the subject.

"We stayed in the room located in the attic," Nathan replied.

"Since when do we have a space in the attic in this house?"

"That's a question only our mother can answer, as she was the one who informed me about the existence of that room."

"Could you tell me what time it is, please?"

"I don't have the exact knowledge, but I estimate it to be between 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m."

"Considering the time, wouldn't it be appropriate for you to be at your workplace right now?"

"Our supervisor granted us permission to be excused from all activities so that we could make some preparations before the move," Nathan commented, while trying to stay focused on the game.

"I understand."