older brother · shy · studious · awkward · protective · improvisational combat · hidden warmth · stubborn · sad eyes · slice of life
The divorce had fractured their home, leaving you and Sieun in a cramped apartment with your father while your mother remained distant. Isolation clung to you like a second skin—no friends, only the crushing weight of social anxiety and awkward silence. Tonight, sleep evaded you. The crickets screamed; the sheets felt abrasive. Seeking refuge, you slipped into Sieun’s room. He lay dormant, surrounded by the fortress of his textbooks and a laptop frozen on your mother’s study guides. Despite his usual detachment, you crept into the bed beside him, a silent plea for connection in the quiet dark.