Leave Me Alone, Big Brothers! [BL]-Chapter 42: Something Inside the Box

Chapter 42: Something Inside the Box
The dining room buzzed quietly as the twins entered, Nael slightly stiff in his movements. Nathan walked behind him, careful and silent, lowering himself into his chair with more caution than usual.
Alexander noticed immediately.
"Morning," he said, eyes sweeping over both boys. "How are you two feeling today?"
Nael immediately blurted out, "My butt hurts."
Alexander smiled, understanding his brother’s suffering. "He just wants you to learn. I hope you won’t do it again. I’m sure he won’t hesitate to come if you misbehave again."
"I already regret it," Nael muttered, rubbing his backside dramatically. "I think he used his full strength this time."
Nathan stared at his plate, face neutral, but the tiny wince as he shifted in his seat said enough. Alexander noticed, but Nathan didn’t give him a chance to comment.
"I’m fine," Nathan said quickly, even though he wasn’t fooling anyone.
Nael looked at Nathan, grinned, "You’re not fine. You squeaked when you sat down."
"Shut up," Nathan hissed, his ears warming. He didn’t want to look weak.
Louis tried to hide his smile.
Before the teasing could continue, Roger entered, cheerful as ever, whistling as if he were the only person in a pleasant mood.
"Good morning, everyone!" he chimed.
Then he stopped.
His eyes landed on Huan, who was standing behind Alexander with Jack and Louis. His appearance today was unusual; Huan looked paler and tired, with his collar buttoned all the way up. Roger didn’t miss a thing, not the way Huan avoided eye contact, not the faint red marks he had tried (and failed) to hide.
Roger’s smile broadened. "Well, well... someone looks exhausted."
Huan realized Roger’s words were directed at him. He stiffened. "I’m fine."
Roger immediately sat down in his chair, but he wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to tease the aide. He smirked. "That collar’s working overtime, though."
Huan touched it instinctively, his face turning red. "What do you mean? I feel a bit cold."
Roger lowered his voice just enough for the adults. "If Alexander wants to leave marks, at least let me teach you how to hide them properly."
Huan’s ears burned.
"Stop teasing him," said Alexander, slowly lifting his coffee cup, not looking at either of them, but the slight upward curl at his lips betrayed him.
The twins, thankfully oblivious, continued bickering.
Nael jabbed a finger at Lucas’s plate. "That sausage will be MINE!"
"You didn’t even touch yours!" Lucas replied calmly.
"I want yours!"
Alexander looked at both of them. "Do I need to teach you table manners again, Nael?"
Nael immediately fell silent, pouting. Lucas stuck his tongue out at him.
Alexander finally set down his cup.
"Eat your breakfast. And no more running in the halls. Especially if you can’t handle Grandpa’s discipline."
Nael whined. "I can handle it! My butt just can’t."
Nathan looked away, face red with secondhand embarrassment.
Breakfast finished, Nael immediately removed his napkin and looked at Alexander.
"Alex, I need to go out with friends today. Can I take Louis back?" asked Nael.
Nathan, who was drinking his juice, immediately looked at Nael. He also wanted to go out, and he was sure Alexander wouldn’t let him go without a bodyguard.
"I want to go out too," said Nathan, his voice unconsciously silencing everyone. He quickly added, "If I need a bodyguard, I want Louis."
Alexander looked at the two of them. Louis had been assigned to guard Nael from the beginning because he was the youngest bodyguard and very skilled with weapons. Nael quickly grew fond of him.
And during Nathan’s week there, Jack was temporarily assigned to guard Nael. But it seemed like the boy wanted Louis back.
Alexander looked at Nathan. "I’ll ask Jack to accompany you."
Nathan looked at the bodyguard Alexander had appointed. His face immediately scrunched up. That man was one of the men who had pointed a gun at him when he first arrived.
He shook his head. "No, I want Louis."
Nael looked at Nathan. Usually he would give in, but he really liked Louis, he didn’t want to lose him. "Louis has been looking after me since the beginning. You can stay with Jack."
Nathan looked displeased. "Why don’t you stay with Jack?"
Jack felt hurt that no one chose him. "What’s wrong with me? I can protect you both!"
Nael was silent. He didn’t want to hurt the bodyguard’s feelings, because Jack was the same age as Alexander and was sometimes very rigid and strict. He would call Alexander immediately if Nael had a problem, and Nael didn’t like that.
Meanwhile, Nathan just didn’t like him. The man scared him.
Louis stared upward, silently begging the ceiling for mercy.
Alexander leaned back, studying both boys like he was analyzing a hostage negotiation.
"You know Louis is only one person. You can’t divide him. One of you has to give in," he said.
Nael and Nathan looked at each other. Clearly, neither of them wanted to give in.
"Please let me have Louis back," Nael pleaded.
Nathan shook his head. "No. If it’s not him, I don’t want any bodyguards."
"Come on! You can have another guard!"
"Why not you?"
Alexander raised a hand. "Enough."
Silence fell instantly.
He turned to Louis. "Louis. Seems like they both like you. So, you choose."
Louis paled. "Me?"
"Yes," Alexander said. "You’ve been guarding Nael for years, and you’ve been guarding Nathan this week. You know their temperaments. Decide."
Louis looked at Alexander pitifully, feeling like he had been thrown under the bus. He looked at Nathan... then at Nael... then back at Nathan... then at Nael again.
Nael clasped his hands together dramatically. "Louis, please! You promised we’d go to the café today!"
Nathan said nothing, just stared with that quiet, piercing look that somehow made Louis even more stressed.
"Louis," Alexander said, voice patient, "we’re waiting."
Louis swallowed hard. He stood there for a long time, his expression growing more tortured by the second. Even Roger stopped eating to stare.
Huan watched sympathetically beside him, whispering, "Just breathe—"
Louis didn’t breathe.
He opened his mouth. Closed it. Looked at Nael again. Looked at Nathan again. Sweat formed at his temples.
"This is cruel," Roger whispered with a grin.
Nael leaned in and whispered loudly to Nathan, "If he chooses you, I’m crying."
Nathan muttered back, "Cry quietly."
Louis’s soul left his body.
Finally, he exhaled shakily, shoulders sagging.
"...Boss?" He looked at Alexander.
"Yes?"
Louis slowly looked down.
"...Please fire me instead."
Even Nathan blinked. Nael gasped. Malvin choked on his tea.
Alexander froze for two whole seconds, then pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Oh for—Louis, you’re not getting fired."
Louis whispered, defeated, "Then please, help me... I can’t choose between them."
A long, painful silence followed.
Then Roger clapped once. "Honestly? Fair."
Nael stomped. "NO! He has to choose!"
Nathan folded his arms. "He’s coming with me."
"No! With me!"
Louis whimpered quietly.
Alexander let out a deep sigh.
Roger chuckled. He looked at Louis. "Better you be my guard."
Nael and Nathan immediately refused. "NO!"
Alexander held his forehead. "Okay, I’ll set his schedule: one month with Nael, one month with Nathan. No arguments. For today, you can choose to go with Louis or with Roger. He’s not busy, I think."
Roger nodded. "Yep, I can go with you."
Nael looked at Roger. He immediately shook his head. "I don’t want him today."
Roger glared. "Why? Since when did you start rejecting your favorite brother?"
Nael clicked his tongue. "You’ll make my friends too busy asking for photos with you. I don’t want you to bother us."
Roger sighed, then looked at Nathan.
Nathan immediately refused firmly. "No."
Roger dramatically clutched his chest. "I didn’t know this kind of rejection would hurt me so much."
Jack chuckled, feeling better now that the twins had rejected him too.
Malvin smiled, looking at Nael. "Do you want to go with me?"
Nael looked at Malvin’s neck, which was still bandaged. "Are you okay? You’re still hurt."
"I can go with you. I know your friends too. So it will be great," said Malvin. He was actually busy, but he didn’t want the two kids to argue. Even though in the end there would still be bodyguards following them.
Nael finally nodded.
Nathan breathed a sigh of relief; he was getting Louis today.
Two hours later.
Nathan was ready with his thick jacket. He only brought his card and the rest of his savings. As he was about to close the balcony door, his eyes shifted to Leo’s room.
Something caught his attention,
again
. He hadn’t seen his brother since yesterday. And now he saw a hand waving from behind the glass.
What was that? Was Leo in danger?
He paused for a moment. Surely nothing could happen in a mansion as secure as this?
Nathan tried to ignore it. But his curiosity got the better of him. He was worried that Leo might need help.
He should have called a guard, but he looked for his brother’s room himself. He had to hurry because Louis was waiting for him on the terrace.
When he arrived in front of the room he believed to be Leo’s, he knocked several times.
"Are you okay?" he asked, trying to sound casual. But there was no answer.
When he pulled the door handle, he was surprised to find that it wasn’t locked. Slowly, he opened the door.
"Leo? Are you in there? Are you okay?"
Nathan entered the room. He was quite surprised to find the room full of paper and tape. And a large box in the middle of the room.
He was about to leave when he saw the box move. His eyes sharpened.
The box moved again, more wildly this time.
"Leo?" he called, looking around the room again.
"Mmph!" This time, a groan came from inside the box.
Nathan was startled. "Leo? Is that you?"