"I rarely went back after that."
"If I did, I'd probably end up having a huge argument with them."
The old man spoke quite openly about some of the less admirable things he had done.
"I didn't want to argue with them."
"But you know how it is. Sometimes people can't control their emotions."
"Luckily, I still had a younger brother."
"He was twelve years younger than me."
"I left home before he'd even grown up."
"I didn't spend much time with my brother."
"My parents were also a little worried I'd lead him astray."
"If he'd picked up my rebellious streak, they probably would've been furious."
The old man gave a self-deprecating smile.
"They kept a very close eye on him."
"And my brother turned out just as they'd hoped..."
"He got excellent grades, was accepted into a good university, and landed a job in a government department after graduating."
"My brother's life unfolded according to their expectations, step by step."
"Don't get me wrong."
As if he realized his words might have been misconstrued, the old man waved a hand. "I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that."
"Everyone has their own way of living."
"The most important thing is to be happy with your life."
"I went home for the first time in ages when my brother got married."
"Before that, I'd had another huge argument with my family over my refusal to get married."
This injury was the first time the old man had stayed in one place for so long since setting off on his journey.
The rare spell of peaceful, ordinary life had given him plenty to think about.
Many memories from the past rose to the surface of his mind.
With everything that had happened recently, he realized he was starting to