It didn't take a genius to realize that aspiring to be a doctor was a rather ambitious goal. Yet every single person at the dinner table continued to eat as if nothing had been said at all. It was no surprise, after all—this was a conversation that had been repeated countless times since both Lily and I were kids.
Still, as if adhering to a sacred family tradition, Mom continued her pitch. "Let's think about it. You have the grades, Son. If anyone in our family can do it, it's you."
'Anyone in our family,' she said. By that, she didn't just mean the four of us—she was including extended family as well.
To be the first doctor in the family, huh…
"Furthermore," she continued, "Doctors make a lot of money. If you became one, your Dad and I would be able to live the rest of our lives peacefully!"
As she spoke, her usual reserved and calculated demeanour shifted into one of genuine excitement, as if she was talking about a picture-perfect dream she had envisioned countless times.
"Honey," Dad interrupted, his childish smile slightly strained. "Let's just leave it up to him to decide, okay?"
Surprisingly, Mom didn't push back. She paused, the light in her eyes dimming as she woke up to reality again. "Yes, dear. I know. It was just a suggestion. Nothing more."
With that, the familiar silence of our family dinner returned. Or at least, that's how it was supposed to go. Yet Mom's words from earlier continued to echo in my ears, overlapping with all the other times I had heard them in the past.
"You should become a doctor."
What a noble profession. One that gets to save lives and help people. Surely, someone who aspired to be a doctor—or encouraged others to become one—should have noble reasons as well, right?
No.
I don't know about other families, but in mine, the reason was simple. Money and success. Doctors make a lot of money, and therefore, in Mom's eyes, they were successful. No—not just my Mom. Maybe it isn't as extreme with Dad, but I knew that he felt the same way. That becoming a doctor is the greatest form of success. They just wanted me to be successful, and therefore, wanted me to become a doctor. That's all there was to it.
Still, becoming a doctor…
If I were to voice my own opinion on it, it'd be simple—I didn't care. Whether I become a doctor, an engineer, or something else entirely, it was all the same to me. As long as I made money, it didn't matter.
As I lowered my chopsticks for another bite, they collided with a dull *clink* against the bottom of the bowl, snapping me out of my thoughts. The bowl was empty. I didn't even get to savour the meal.
Not giving it much thought, I stood up from the dinner table and placed the bowl into the sink. Just as I was about to climb the stairs, a loud voice called out from behind me.
"WAITTTTT!"
Lily scrambled off her seat, threw her bowl into the sink with a loud *clatter*, then ran up to me and slapped me on the butt before I could even react. She wore a wide, chaotic grin.
"Okay," she said, as if nothing had happened, "you can go now."
I clicked my tongue and gave her a light kick to the shin. She flinched and tried to get out of the way, but she was too slow.
"Ow!" she yelped, "What was that for?!"
My eyes involuntarily narrowed at the sheer audacity of her question. "Me? Why did you tell me to stop? And why did you hit me on the butt?"
She simply shrugged. "Dunno. I just felt like it."
What???
Before I could question or voice my indignation, however, she gave me a small shove, urging me forward. "Anyway, stop holding up traffic! Hurry up!"
Says the one who told me to wait in the first place.
Still, I did as she asked and proceeded up the stairs, keeping my complaints to myself. We arrived at the upstairs hallway, and after a few seconds, I entered my room. I took one step toward my bed before I was brutally pushed out of the way—though I barely even moved.
Lily jumped onto the bed with a giddy smile and yanked the pillow back. When she saw that there was nothing there, her head snapped excitedly in my direction.
"So you saw it, didn't you?! Did I get you? What happened to it?!"
She was obviously talking about the duck.
With a loud sigh, I crossed my arms and leaned against the wall with an uninterested attitude. "To answer your first question, I guess I fell for it?"
Lily's chest puffed out with pride—before I shot it down.
"But there was nothing to fall for anyway," I added matter-of-factly. "It's just a duck under a pillow."
Her shoulders drooped, clearly dejected. I felt a pang of guilt, but my own pride overran it. As an Older Brother, I couldn't admit that my little sister 'got me' in any sort of way. I had to shoot those hopes down before they even formed.
"As for your second question—" I let a slightly mischievous grin slip onto my face. "I threw it out."
The pillow fell from her hands. By the time it hit the mattress, an overdramatic, angry scowl creased her face. "Why would you do that?"
I shot a quick glance toward the closet where the duck was currently hidden before turning back to Lily. "Well, that's a stupid question. What guy keeps a plushie in his room? Especially one from his sister?"
Lily's face slowly crumpled into unfiltered hurt, her eyes trembling, the corner of her lips shaking. "Y-you…" She couldn't even form a proper sentence, almost as if she were genuinely hurt—though I knew better. And I knew she knew, too.
Still keeping up with the act, Lily sprang out of my bed and ran out of my room. "I HATE YOU! I DON'T WANNA TALK TO YOU ANYMORE!" She slammed the door shut behind her.
The moment she left, a dead quiet settled over my room. I continued to stare at the door, her words replaying over and over again in my ears.
"I HATE YOU!"
I couldn't help but chuckle.
Yeah, yeah. I hate you, too.
I walked over to the closet and opened the doors carefully, making sure not to make even a single sound. I moved the storage boxes aside until I saw the duck.
I continued to stare at it for a few extra seconds, ensuring it was still—and would remain—there safely.
Once I was satisfied, I set everything back into place, closed the closet doors, and then climbed into bed. The night was still young—it was 10 p.m.—but that was early for me.
I wasn't tired since I had just taken a nap, so I spent the rest of the day reading whatever romcom I could find until I eventually passed out.