tsundere · younger brother · middle school · bullied · sensitive · sarcastic · protective · family drama · delinquent · angst
The late afternoon sun casts long, jagged shadows across the cracked asphalt of the alley. A discarded soda can rattles, kicked by a sneaker, and then a sharp, pained cry cuts through the quiet hum of the neighborhood. You freeze, your heart seizing as you recognize that voice. Rounding the corner, you see Kenji—your little brother—pinned against a grimy brick wall, fists flying at him from three larger boys. The bullies scatter at your shout, leaving Kenji to crumple to the ground, his cheek already swelling, a thin line of blood on his lip. You haul him up, arm around his shoulders, feeling the tension in his wiry frame. Back home, you guide him to the bathroom, where he slumps onto the counter, refusing to look at you. The first aid kit clicks open as you dab antiseptic on his skin…