The gentle morning sunlight slipped through the curtains of Al’s room.
But the softness was abruptly interrupted by a loud, firm knock at the door.
Al rubbed his eyes, still half-asleep, and moved to open the door.
The person didn’t wait for an answer—she walked straight in.
"Huh? Sis? You’ve been knocking on my door quite a lot lately. Is there another party or something?"
Aurielle didn’t return the smile. She simply walked over and placed a sleek white box on the small table beside his bed.
"This... is your payment for last night."
Al looked at the box, opening it slowly.
Inside was the latest model YPhone—one of the world’s top smartphones, a symbol of elite status and advanced communication tech.
Aurielle continued, her gaze shifting to the window.
"My contact, Dad’s, Mom’s, and all our siblings’ numbers... they’re all in there. Use it.
I’ve never seen you with a phone before. Don’t tell me you don’t even have one?"
"That’s enough," Aurielle cut in quickly.
She turned and left without another word.
Click. The door closed behind her.
Al kept staring at the new phone.
Then, he opened the small drawer beside his bed.
Inside was a sleek black smartphone with a small light-blue logo at the top left corner: Al-Tech.
A model not yet released to the public.
He held both phones in his hands.
One was a symbol of a sister’s affection—or rather, a small reward.
The other... was a hidden piece of tech no one in the world even knew existed.
Al took a deep breath, then let out a faint smile.
He flopped back onto bed and returned to sleep.
The sun hadn’t risen high when an unfamiliar ringtone woke Al up.
He blinked, confused, fumbling around his pillow.
"Huh? Which phone is ringing?"
He looked over at the small table—there were two phones.
The white YPhone from Aurielle... and the black Al-Tech he’d always used.
The one ringing... was the old one.
Al picked it up, curious who would call this early.
Suddenly, a loud voice shouted from the other side:
"AAAAAALLLL!!! YOU WON’T BELIEVE THIS!! GET TO MY PLACE, RIGHT NOW!!"
Click. The call ended abruptly.
Al stared at the screen, stunned—
Then it rang again. Same number.
"And YES, this time there’s CAKE AND SODA! HURRY UP!" Click.
He stared blankly for a moment, then smiled faintly.
"That’s Indra, alright..."
Stretching a little, he got up and headed to the bathroom.
Today, his steps felt lighter than usual.
Al arrived at Indra’s house, which was more bustling than usual.
Several of Indra’s father’s employees were moving documents and boxes around.
As soon as he entered, Indra’s mom greeted him from the living room.
"Oh, Al! You came. Indra’s been yelling for you nonstop."
Al flashed his signature sweet smile.
"Of course I came, Auntie. How could I refuse an invitation from a woman as lovely as you? This house lights up just because you’re in it."
She chuckled, shaking her head.
"Oh my, you’re getting smoother with those compliments. Go on, he’s waiting in his room."
Al waved politely and walked into Indra’s room.
Inside, Indra was sitting on the floor, radiating joy like he’d just won a lottery.
"AL!! LISTEN TO THIS!! MY DAD’S COMPANY JUST GOT INVESTMENT!!"
Al raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah! From a major company in Nipponia! Not only did they invest, they appointed my dad’s firm as the official supplier of fresh fish for the whole region. The demand’s insane!"
Indra laughed, standing up and spinning around like a child on sugar rush.
"And that means... the Norvalien family problem is OVER! They’re probably burning with envy right now! HAHAHA!"
Indra suddenly stepped closer, eyeing him suspiciously.
"But wait... two days ago you told me, ’a miracle will happen.’ You already knew this would happen, didn’t you? Was this your doing? Did the Virellano family help us? If so, I’ll tell Dad to prepare a gift basket right away."
Al just shrugged and smirked.
"Ah... no need. Just forget it. As long as everything’s okay now, that’s all that matters."
Indra squinted at him.
"Al, how could we not express our gratitude to the Virellano family?"
"Don’t. Seriously, don’t go there. Okay?"
Right as the air started to get a little tense—
Indra’s mom came in, holding a tray of fresh cake and warm tea.
"Chat over snacks, alright?"
"WAAHH! Auntie, you’re a lifesaver!" Al shouted, immediately sitting and grabbing a slice.
"This is amazing. Easily the best cake I’ve had—second only to one baked by angels!"
Indra laughed at the corny line, though in his heart, he still wondered why Al refused any thanks for the Virellanos.
But as he watched Al laugh and joke around with his mom, Indra sighed quietly.
No matter what you’ve done, Al... you’re still my brother. And I’ll have your back—no matter what.
The rest of the morning passed with lighthearted laughs and quiet warmth.
As if the world outside, filled with secrets, danger, and conspiracies... didn’t exist at all.
That morning, Al got ready earlier than usual.
Today, the school was holding an intensive preparation session for the National Exams, and as a scholarship student, his attendance was mandatory.
Before leaving, Al stopped by the dining room.
"I’m heading out now, Auntie, Uncle, Indra!"
The three came to see him off at the front door.
Al looked at them for a moment, then calmly said:
"Make sure to keep wearing those bracelets."
The three of them nodded, showing off their wrists—each adorned with a sleek black band.
They thought it was just a fashionable accessory... but it wasn’t that simple.
"We’ll wear it for sure. It’s been a real lucky charm for us. Thank you, Al," said Indra’s father.
"If anything happens, that bracelet will save you before the police can," Al murmured, then turned and walked away, light-footed as ever.