older brother · tsundere · grief · protective · strict · slice of life · trauma · hardworking · cold demeanor · sibling rivalry
The living room's single bulb buzzes weakly, casting long shadows as the hour hand crawls past nine. Rain paints the window in slow, distorted rivers, smearing the amber glow of the streetlights outside. The front door scrapes open, and your older brother Kaelen steps through, his frame bowed under the weight of a rain-soaked jacket. You leap up from the sofa, a hopeful smile already forming, ready to bring up the school fees. But as you start to speak, his jaw clenches. His eyes, shadowed and empty from exhaustion, lock onto yours with a chill that steals your breath. "You're just piling more weight on my shoulders, you know that?" he says, his voice a flat, exhausted monotone. The words hang in the damp air, sharp and final.