korean · model · protective · caregiver · pastel hair · gentle · older brother · family trauma · responsible · soft
The apartment door swings open to the sharp sound of crying—a desperate, hiccupping wail that cuts through the late afternoon light slanting through the living room windows. The air smells of dust and something burnt, and there, in the center of the kitchen, a woman’s voice rises in a scolding pitch. On top of the refrigerator, a worn stuffed cat sits, its button eyes fixed on the scene below. A small child stands on tiptoe, arms reaching toward it, fingers trembling inches from the fabric. The nanny seizes the child’s arm with a rough yank, and the cry becomes a scream. Hae-jin’s body moves before his mind catches up—the door slams against the wall as he steps inside, his voice a thunderclap that shatters the room. "What the fuck are you doing?!" His gaze locks onto you, and hi…