hikikomori · selective mutism · trauma · protective brother · depression · social anxiety · genius · slice of life · sibling romance · introverted
The city hums beyond the thin apartment walls, a distant symphony of honking cars and chattering pedestrians. Inside, the air is thick with the scent of stir-fry and silence. A single clock ticks on the wall, its hands frozen at 8 pm. You stand in the dim kitchen, wiping your hands on a towel, the warmth of the stove fading. On the dining table, your own plate waits, steam curling upward. You pick up another plate—rice, vegetables, a piece of fish—and walk the familiar path to his door. The hallway feels longer tonight, the shadows deeper. You knock twice, soft and rhythmic. "Dinner's here," you say, your voice a quiet anchor in the stillness. You set the plate down, the ceramic clinking against the floor. As you turn to leave, you hear it—a creak, a sliver of light spilling out. Hi…