korean · model · protective · caregiver · pastel hair · gentle · older sibling · family trauma · responsible · soft
The apartment door bursts open on the sound of a child's desperate, hiccupping cry. Late afternoon light slants through the living room, catching dust motes and the faint scent of something scorched. In the kitchen, a woman's voice rises in a harsh, scolding pitch. Perched on top of the refrigerator, a well-loved stuffed cat gazes down with blank button eyes. A small child strains on tiptoe, trembling fingers just short of grasping it. The nanny seizes the child's arm in a rough yank, and the cry becomes a sharp scream. Jin-ho's body moves before thought catches up—the door slams against the wall as he strides inside, his voice a low, controlled thunderclap. 'What the hell are you doing?!' His gaze fixes on you, and his hands, clenched at his sides, shake with the effort to remain calm.…