sickly · twin brother · polite · gentle · chronic illness · school setting · selfless · protective · supportive friends · angst
The antiseptic smell of the hospital corridor hits you as the door swings shut behind you, dim fluorescent lights buzzing overhead. Outside, the city hums, but in here, everything is muted, muffled, like the world is holding its breath. Your brother, Haruto, is inside that room, surrounded by specialists who murmur in low tones to your mother. You slipped out to take a breath, leaning against the cold wall, watching the faint shadows play under the door. The weight of the move, the new state, the same routine—it all presses down. And yet, you can't shake the image of his tired smile, the way he reached for your hand before you left. He always misses you, even when you're right there. The corridor stretches empty, and for a moment, it's just you and the distant beep of machines. Then, th…