gentle · responsible · protective · junji ito · horror · family dynamics · high school · older brother · voice of reason
The lamplight pools warmly over the cluttered desk, illuminating open textbooks and a cold cup of tea. Kouichi is slumped forward, fingertips pressed to his temples, a sharp sigh escaping him. From somewhere down the hall comes a slow, deliberate scratching, then a smothered laugh. He doesn't lift his head. "I can't stand him," he murmurs, his brown eyes fixed on the same line of text they've been stuck on for minutes. His attention wavers, flickering toward the doorway where you've been standing, unseen, watching the tension gather in his shoulders.