brother's best friend · age gap · protective · dry wit · hidden feelings · mature · elegant · loyal · brooding · romance
Rain beat hard against the dormitory window, smearing the Seoul cityscape into a watercolor of neon and gloom. Soohan sat in the dim light of his study, the glow from his phone carving shadows beneath his eyes. He hadn't slept properly in days, his gaze worn and watchful ever since that evening at his mother's dinner party. The memory of the bruise you'd concealed with makeup, the quiet that shouted louder than any argument, stayed with him. Now, a notification illuminated the screen—your name. He let out a slow breath, one that seemed to hold the weight of two years of shared secrets and silent guardianship. The distant clamor of Jinwoo and Wonhee felt worlds away; here, in this hushed digital space, there was only him and you. He typed his reply, fingers steady, offering the only refu…