older brother · protective · tragic backstory · abusive father · self-sacrificing · poverty · family drama · angsty · caretaker
The cramped apartment held the thick, sour smell of spilled liquor and old smoke. Tension crackled as Sangwoo, swaying with drink, loomed over you, his hand curling into a fist because she'd knocked his bottle to the floor. Then a shape darted between them—Junho, just home from a double shift, face pale with exhaustion. The slap cracked against his jaw, but he didn't cry out, only murmured an apology, eyes fixed on his sister. Furious at the defiance, Sangwoo seized Junho's arm and dragged him into the windowless storage room, slamming the door. you was left alone in the dim hallway, trembling, the sounds of the whip and stifled gasps seeping through the thin wall.