#dcaum

The plane landed after a 5-hour flight. I was in first class, asleep in my seat, covered with a blanket. My back was aching, and my butt hurt from sitting so long. The pain was so intense I thought I'd left a mark on the seat, even though my butt is rather large. When I heard the captain announce, "Passengers, we have arrived in Mexico City. We hope you enjoyed your flight," I opened my eyes quickly and saw through the window that we were on the runway. I looked to the other side and saw my father reading a book.

"We're here, son. Let's get our luggage and wait for the Uber that will take us to the capital," he said, getting up from his seat, still reading his book.

Without giving it much thought, I obeyed his order, stood up from my seat, and before leaving the plane, stretched my arms and shook my head slightly. Upon exiting, I noticed that the "AIFA" airport was very large, but I didn't pay it any mind. I suppose Mexican airports are almost the same as those in the United States.

But what an idiot I am! I haven't introduced myself. My name is Kon-El, I'm 19 years old, I'm somewhat famous, I'm an influencer, a model, and a newcomer about to enter the music industry. I'm the son of the genius billionaire businessman, Lex Luthor, the president of LexCorp, one of the largest and most diversified multinational corporations in the world. Many people think I'm a typical spoiled, arrogant kid just because my father has money, but they're wrong. I'm a guy with a good heart, willing to help anyone regardless of their social class.

Two days earlier, we were living peacefully in Metropolis, in an incredibly expensive apartment with a great view of the city. We had numerous modeling contracts; without a doubt, my life was perfect, just as it was and as I deserved. Then my father received a call from work; his presence was urgent. He obviously told me, but I couldn't care less. It's worth noting that my father and I don't have a good relationship. He was very absent because of his work and didn't have time for me, so I was already used to him not paying attention to me. When he returned, without explanation, he ordered me to pack my things. We were going to Mexico City. The reason he took so long to give me during the plane trip was that Lex Corp was bankrupt. The company had countless debts to pay off, and if they didn't, the company could be seized. But not only that, my father was accused of corruption, of embezzlement and manipulating figures, making the situation even worse. My father became a fugitive from justice. Instead of facing the consequences, He chose to flee the United States.

I didn't care what happened to him, but I realized that this would also affect me, tarnish my reputation, and ruin my career, so I had no choice but to leave Metropolis with him. He told me that this didn't involve me, so I didn't have to worry. But at first, I didn't understand why we were going to Mexico to hide. A strange acquaintance of his had told him that Lex Corp wasn't very well known in Mexico, not even by the government, so we could stay there indefinitely while my father tried to sort things out. He implied that I wasn't recognized there, or something like that.

After a long wait of an hour, the Uber arrived to take us to Mexico City. During the drive, I looked out the window and saw that everything was very different. There was endless vegetation, bridges, some houses, even a river. It was a long drive, but I even enjoyed the road trip. I knew it was unfamiliar; it wasn't the countryside of Smallville. It was different countryside, but it was worth seeing it for the first time.

After an hour's drive, we arrived in Mexico City. I was fascinated to see this city, which I had never visited. I had only traveled to places like Hong Kong, Thailand, Dubai, Puerto Rico, Tokyo, and even my birthplace, South Korea. The tall buildings, the monuments, the shops, the atmosphere—everything was foreign and unknown to me. We were no longer on the streets of Metropolis, but on the streets of Mexico City.

My father explained that we would now be living in a neighborhood called Condesa, located in the Cuauhtémoc borough of Mexico City. I even looked it up online; Condesa is known for its tree-lined streets, historic architecture, pet-friendly atmosphere, and wide variety of cafes, restaurants, and nightlife. I hope it doesn't disappoint.

"And where will we live?" I asked, looking at my phone.

"We'll live in a cheap apartment. I told you I didn't have enough money for an expensive one," he said seriously. Hearing his answer, I grumbled. My father looked at me and replied, annoyed, "Don't be mad at me, young man. At least be grateful we found a place where we can be comfortable until this situation is sorted out."

"Fine," I replied, taking out my wireless headphones and I put them in my ears; I preferred listening to Blackpink to my father.

After a five-minute drive, we arrived in la Condesa. I was surprised too, because if what the internet said was true, its streets were beautiful, like the neighborhoods of a metropolis. A while later, the car stopped. We had arrived at the apartment. I got out of the car and looked at the apartment. It was a small, two-story building. It was modern, it seemed luxurious, even the colors were nice. The Uber driver got out of the car to go to the back and open the trunk and started taking out our belongings. I decided to help him; I even gave him a tip. The driver thanked me, then got back in his car and left.

"What do you think?" my father asked, holding his suitcase.

"It's small, but it's nice… Now what?" "I asked, looking at him.

"Well, the owner told me to wait here until she comes out to give us a little tour of the apartment. There's no other option but—" He was interrupted when he saw the owner of the apartment coming out of the main entrance. "Ha, you just had to summon her," he said sarcastically.

We approached the woman, and when I saw her, I was speechless. She was brunette, blonde, and wore clothes that were somewhat formal but also a little daring.

"Buenas tardes, Mr. Luthor, my name is Alicia Mendoza," she extended her hand to greet my father, and they greeted each other that way. "I'm the owner of the apartment. It's a pleasure to have you."

"Likewise, Mrs. Mendoza," he said, pulling his hand away. "You seem to have a lot of enthusiasm for your work."

"I know. I just like to receive people from all over. I'm a very sociable lady," Mrs. Alicia said flirtatiously. Then she saw me. "Even with guapo like this little one. Is he your son?" -

"Yes, his name is Kon, say hola" she said while stroking my head.

"Hola "I greeted listlessly.

"Aww, how cute" the woman said, and at the same time, she grabbed my cheek. "But what are you waiting for? Come in, come in, I'll give you a tour of the apartmento."

After the super boring tour and enduring her desperate voice, she finally led us to our apartment. Its door was made of solid wood, and its lock was black, with the number "5" above it. The woman pulled a key out from between her breasts ¿¡who in their right mind keeps keys in that area?! She put the keys in the lock and opened the door

"Come in, sweeties, bienvenidos to your new home" she said while posing in a flirty and provocative way, looking at my dad. " If you need anything, I'm always at your service" she said before leaving in a sensual manner.

That's so cringeworthy, even our landlady in Metropolis wasn't this bad. #UltraCringe. We moved into our new apartment and honestly, my expectations were just okay. It had a living room, a kitchen, a medium-sized dining area, two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a tiny patio off the kitchen, but it was pretty decent in my opinion.

"Do you like it? "Is it nice?" my father asked, looking around the room.

"Yes, it's nice," I said listlessly.

He pointed to the doors at the far right. "Perhaps you should go choose your room, son. In the meantime, I'll contact the guys who will deliver the furniture."

Without saying anything, I went to the hallway and opened the door to the left of the other one. The room was actually quite small. I went into my room and confirmed it. The bed was a bit big, the wardrobe was next to the bed, a large television faced the bed, and a large window to the right with a small balcony outside. I threw my suitcase down and collapsed onto the bed. I stared at the ceiling for a while, thinking about the whole trip I had taken, and I can tell you that I enjoyed it. Seeing the roads, the heavy, almost novelistic atmosphere, the huge city, the markets, the streets, the kind treatment, like that of Mrs. Alicia, was different from what we had in Metropolis.

"I'm not sure what you want to see." After a while, the workers arrived and began to bring in the furniture, since the apartment didn't have that much, and if you're wondering what I was doing? Well, in short, I was decorating my room, putting up my movie posters, especially from the 80s like Robocop, Back to the Future, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial among others, posters of my favorite singers and groups like the Saja Boys, Logan del Rey, LISA, Blackpink, Coldplay, etc.; I even hung up some framed pictures I brought, like some photos from my modeling shoots, my vacations, one of which was a picture of Baby Saja, one of the members of Saja Boys, autographed by the group members, with a phrase that said, “My dear friend Kon, remember to shine and achieve all your dreams, they will always come true, love from your friend Baby Saja.” There was also a picture of me partying with some of my other best friends who are famous, like Courtney Whitmore “Stargirl,” Jaden Smith, Aidan Gallagher, Zuko Yun, Katara Cat, and my best friend Yoonchae, one of the girls from Katseye.

“Oh Yoon, I don’t know what I’ll do without you, my friend,” I said as I hung the framed picture on the wall.

After about 15 minutes, I finished putting my clothes away in the closet, set up my PlayStation 5 on the TV, made my bed, and that was it—my room was completely organized. It definitely looked just like my old room in Metropolis. I left my room and watched the movers finish bringing in some of the furniture, like sofas, chairs, the table, and more.

"This will be here forever," I said and turned back to my room.

It was already 8:00 PM. My father had called me for dinner, but I wasn't expecting that since I was used to him being absent, even at dinnertime. When I got to the dining room, I saw my father setting out the plates and glasses until he saw me arrive.

"Sit down and eat, son," he said as he headed to the kitchen.

"Okay," I obeyed, sitting down in one of the four chairs as I watched my father bring in some plastic bags. He put them on the table and took out some Styrofoam plates with lids. "What are these?" "I asked," he said.

Without answering, he opened the bag. "Roasted chicken. I bought it at a chicken shop near the apartment, and the owner told me they're the most delicious in this neighborhood."

With a fork, he picked up a piece of chicken and put it on my plate. "Wow, that looks delicious," I said, looking at the food for a while before my father placed what appeared to be fusilli pasta next to the chicken, which made my mouth water.

"Kon, can I talk to you?" my father asked.

"Uh, sure, about what?" I asked, confused.

"What did you think of the car ride?" "I asked," he said.

Wow, what a way to break the ice I've been used to since I was a kid.

"Well, uh, I thought it was nice, something I never thought I'd see being away from Metropolis," I said, a little nervous.

"Kon," he put his hand on my shoulder, "I know it was hard for you to leave Metropolis, to leave your friends, school, I understand…you're angry with me for the stupid thing I did, but I just want you to understand that this move is so we can relax a little from this situation, and I'm doing this for your own good…to protect you." His hand brushed against my head, stroking my hair. "Through thick and thin, we'll be together, like father and son…like it should have been from the beginning. Do you understand?"

Hearing that from my father was definitely unexpected, even a small smile. I've almost never seen my father smile. Without looking at him, I answered with a "Yes," but he didn't say anything else and started eating.

I really can't believe it. I don't know what stupid thing my father did this time, making us leave Metropolis, having to leave our apartment building, leaving my home where I had so many friends, giving up visiting the places I went to almost every day?