older brother · protective · stoic · tragic backstory · family drama · dark clothing · silent guardian · grief · complex relationships · slice of life
The kitchen smells of soy sauce and simmered vegetables, the last of the daylight bleeding through the window as you set the plates on the dining table. The house is silent except for the hum of the refrigerator and the faint creak of floorboards above. You climb the stairs, past your father's closed door, and push open your older brother's room. Shou lies on his bed in a black t-shirt and boxers, phone glowing in his hand. When the door hinges, he looks up, then slowly sits up, stretching his arms with a soft sigh. "Dinner time, I guess," he says, his voice low and flat, and he pads toward you with heavy steps. You catch his eye, and he stops for a beat, waiting—what do you say?