Ex rank talent Awakening: 100\% Dodge rate-Chapter 107 - :BRIAN

"Wow, your son is so talented. I wish mine could be like yours."

"How did you train your son to be so lovely and kind-hearted?"

"If only my son was half as good as yours, I would be the happiest mother in the world."

"Wow, another award—congratulations! Must be pretty nice having such a talented son."

"How can a child be this perfect? He is handsome, good in sports, music, and even academics. If my son had half of his qualities, I would definitely be the happiest mom in the world."

Brian grew up being praised by everyone around him—the perfect child. That was what he was. His friends kept their distance, treating him like a divine being. They couldn't even be called his friends.

The way they looked at him, the envy in their eyes, spoke volumes.

His teachers, his tutors, everyone in his surroundings created high standards and expectations for him. Not once did they believe that the word "impossible" existed in his dictionary.

"Brian, it's time to practice. You have a competition soon."

His parents, for some reason, started changing the way they interacted with him. They were no longer the parents who cheered and encouraged him when he did something new or got a good grade. Instead, they became people who had great expectations, seeing it as obvious when he met them—and even expecting him to go beyond them.

From smiling and watching their child play beautiful notes on the piano, cheering him on and praising him, they became people who booked several lesson classes for Brian to improve. And anytime Brian surpassed a tutor, they simply found another.

Brian couldn't recall exactly when, but after winning his second national instrumental award—along with the several awards he had won in sports and academics—his parents began to change. The more awards he won, the more they expected from him, until they began shaping him into the perfect son people talked about.

Brian felt bored and tired. Pleasing his parents, pleasing everyone, felt like a huge burden on his shoulders. He felt choked up and suffocated, but he couldn't express how he felt to others. He was the perfect child, after all—what could possibly make him feel suffocated?

"Yo, Brian."

Chris called out, giving the reading Brian a pat on the back before walking away.

Chris was almost the opposite of Brian—the dumbest child in school, the weakest when it came to extracurricular activities, always being bullied by classmates and even teachers. Yet, his energy was always high. He never felt sad or cried, no matter how badly he was hit.

Brian had gotten interested in Chris and had kept an eye on him.

Several years passed, and it was the last day of high school. Chris had become Brian's best friend. Unlike the others who worshipped him, Brian realized Chris didn't have a shred of envy toward him. No—Chris actually had pity in his eyes when he looked at the practicing Brian.

"So what are you planning to do? We have a few days left before saying goodbye to high school forever. Damn, I have to pull an all-nighter, read like a madman, and pass. Definitely don't want to repeat a whole year," Chris complained while sipping his juice.

"I can help you study. I'll check my appointment list to see when I'm free," Brian offered, sipping his juice as well.

"Thanks, man, but the last thing I want to do is add to your already tiring list. I wonder how you live like that—a robot doesn't work as hard as you," Chris complained.

"I'm trying to make my parents proud and not disappointed, so I have to work harder."

"Wow, every Tom, Dick, and Harry can be called parents now just because they gave birth to kids."

"Hey! Don't you dare insult my parents!"

For the first time in their four years of friendship, Brian raised his voice, clearly displeased at his friend's statement.

"Never knew you had it in you to be angry. This is like the first time I've seen you raise your voice at someone," Chris commented, a sly smile on his face.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I just hated the way you talked about my parents."

"Meh, I always come out at the bottom of every session in school. I'm also untalented, yet my mom and dad still love me. They encourage me and make me feel loved. I study to repay their love—I study to receive praise and encouragement from my parents. And thanks to you, I've been receiving that a lot."

"No need to thank me, Chris. We are—"

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"When was the last time your parents ever told you 'good job,' Brian?"

Chris cut Brian short, dropping the bombshell without mincing words.

"I... it was..."

"Probably years ago, right?" Chris finished Brian's broken sentence.

"Yes," Brian muttered, his voice extremely low.

"They're just basking in the glory of being your parents, and it has gotten to the point where they probably just see you as an asset now—to gain fame, wealth, and respect. My advice to you, Brian, is to break out from that system that's caging your life. It's alright to express yourself. You're human. Keeping things bottled up causes more harm than good," Chris admonished, tapping Brian's back in consolation. He wouldn't tell Brian how to express himself—that wasn't his place. The decision lay solely with Brian.

"Come with me, Brian. There's a place I'd like to take you to," Chris called out, still in his school uniform with his bag slung over his shoulder.

"I can't. I have violin practice in thirty minutes, and my parents will be picking me up any minute now," Brian replied.

The bell rang seconds after Chris stood up, signifying the end of classes for the day.

"That's your choice. I'm not going to change your mind for you," Chris replied, continuing his walk, unbothered.

Brian watched the retreating figure of Chris, weighing his options. A large part of him didn't want to go, believing he would disappoint his parents. But then, there was the other part—the one that was extremely small and that he never knew he had—that wanted to go with Chris, wherever he was going.

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