If it scares you, ruin it. If it breaks, replace it.
Once upon a ti, Zishi had a bear. It was a really cute bear. It was brown, chubby, and fluffy. That bear was given to him by his brother when he was four years old, and he had treasured it dearly.
Zishi was a scaredy-cat. He was afraid of almost everything: the dark, thunder, even the footsteps of the maid walking outside his room. He was afraid to sleep alone. His mother originally slept with him, but as he had grown older, he felt shy sharing a bed with her.
Then ca his big brother, Aires... but them sleeping together didn’t last long, as Aires always had nightmares during the night, and the cries he made always scared Zishi.
With no other choice, Zishi was given a safety bear by Aires. He told him to hug the bear whenever he felt scared. The bear would protect him.
What Aires said was true. He loved the bear and felt a strong sense of security whenever he was with it. He had had the bear for almost five years, but all of a sudden, his comfort bear suddenly beca strange.
The storm outside howled. Lightning struck. The bear’s stitched face twisted into sothing grotesque under the flash.
Zishi stared at it in horror and shrieked.
Aires jolted awake. Their rooms were just beside each other. His mother had done that so that whenever sothing happened to Zishi, Aires would be quick to respond.
The maids followed, and soon their mother ca down the stairs in her silk robe, worried and elegant.
"What happened, my darling?" she asked, pulling Zishi into her arms. Despite valuing her sleep, whenever Zishi needed sothing, she never hesitated to give him all her attention.
Zishi clung to her. "It was the bear!" he wailed. "It looked at wrong! It looked scary, I swear!"
They all looked down at the broken toy that had been tossed on the ground. It was the bear he had loved for years. Its fur was matted, its eye almost half-detached from years of being squeezed tight during thunderstorms. It didn’t turn into a monster. It just looked worn after all those years. It was an old toy.
Aires hesitated. "Zishi... it’s just your bear. You always hug it when you’re scared."
His mother thought sothing bad had happened. But it was just an old toy. If Aires had done this, her response would have been different.
"That old thing?" his mother said with a soft chuckle. "You’re far too big for that now, love. Why not throw it away?"
Zishi bit his nails. "But it had been with all those years..."
His mother caressed his head, her voice gentle. "Mommy can buy you a new one tomorrow. An even better bear. Softer, fluffier. One that won’t scare you. How about that?"
Staring at the worn-out toy, Zishi hesitated for a mont before nodding. He was already soothed by her promise. A new toy just like his old one... and even better!
She kissed his forehead. "Good boy."
Aires watched as Zishi threw the old bear into the fireplace. It curled up into flas, and its face looked distorted as if in a silent scream—and Zishi didn’t even flinch this ti.
A Day Later...
Aires walked into Zishi’s room, holding sothing behind his back.
Zishi, who was playing with small soldiers, looked at him. "What is it?" But his eyes were already gleaming with excitent. His mother had told him that his brother would be the one to buy him a new bear.
Aires pulled out a bear. It was new, pristine, and soft as clouds. "I saw this in the shop. I thought... maybe you’d like this one better."
Zishi’s eyes lit up, and he grabbed it and hugged it like it had always been his.
He didn’t say thank you.
...
The room was quiet now.
Zishi was looking down from the balcony. On the ground was the man he had viewed as a friend. The guy who gave him a sense of security that he had never felt before.
Now, that man... whom he didn’t even know by na... was lying on the ground, body mangled, blood pooling beneath him.
He staggered after seeing the blood. He slowly walked back inside the room and sat on the couch, legs tucked beneath him like a bored prince.
His hands were trembling... not from fear but from a sense of urgency. He needed it replaced.
Was he impulsive? His mother and brother were not here. No one could cater to his request. What should he do?
He was no longer looking at the body, as if what had happened a while ago was sothing insignificant...
Zishi sobbed. This was a behavior of his that the man had hated. That habit had annoyed Zishi. That man had always scolded him.
It felt peaceful now. Quiet. Undisturbed. He could cry peacefully... but he wanted a sense of security.
"He scares ," Zishi muttered as he buried his face in the soft pillow. "He was always there when I needed him, but what if he was the one doing it? Like trying to beco a hero? ssing with then saving ..."
It was just paranoia. But Zishi, as spoiled as he was, wanted his fear gone imdiately. S
He grabbed his phone from his pocket and dialed a number.
The butler answered within seconds. "Young master, what happened? Is there anything you need? Backup is slowly arriving now. You just need to stay there and keep yourself safe."
Zishi wasn’t even listening. He sobbed. "Find another bodyguard. Mine went missing."
The butler went silent.
"Oh," Zishi added, tapping his finger on the soft couch, "and find a new friend, too."
The butler hesitated. "Any particular qualifications, sir?" But he didn’t sound surprised, as if he was already used to it.
Zishi smiled faintly. He was already placated. As always... this was always the routine. Then he thought of it like a shopping list.
"Bookish. Quiet. Reliable. Sharp-tongued, but not disrespectful. Glasses preferred."
His eyes flicked toward the balcony... then away, like dismissing a bad mory.
"Soone... reliable," he said softly, tilting his head.
"And soone who won’t scare ."
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