The morning light flowed through the blinds, spilling thin golden rays across the ceiling. Daewon shifted, the familiar weight of exhaustion still clinging to his body, but it wasn't as suffocating as before. His body was still aching, but it was a faint soreness now, a soreness he could tolerate.
For a moment, he just lay there, staring at the ceiling. The events of the previous night still replayed in his head, his parents' questions, their awareness, their worry. He had expected them to scold him, to tell him he was reckless. And they had. But the concern in their voices had been real. That was something he wasn't used to yet.
The world felt quiet. Soft footsteps echoed from the kitchen, the faint sound of water running in the sink, and occasional clatter of dishes, normal morning sounds that should've felt comforting. But for Daewon, they were distant.
He lay still, staring at the ceiling. His body still ached from last night, each bruise was a dull reminder of his failure. His father's cold voice, his mother's trembling hands. The silence that followed after.
It wasn't just the pain that made his chest feel tight, it was everything. The weight of the conversation, the realization that his family had noticed more than he thought. How had he been so blind.
But then, a soft knock was at the door.
"Big bro?" It was Jinwoo that knocked at the door, his voice was quiet and almost hesitant.
Daewon sighed, as he pushed himself into a sitting position. "Yeah?"
The door slowly opened, but Jinwoo didn't step in right away. He stood still in the doorway, didn't move a muscle. His eyes were scanning Daewon before he finally decided to walk inside. There was no teasing smirk, no sarcastic comment. Just silence.
"You feeling any better?"
Daewon ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah don't worry about it. Just sore, that's it."
Jinwoo nodded, glancing down at his hands. "Mom made breakfast. She told me to wake you up before it gets cold."
He sat at the edge of the bed, gripping the fabric of his hoodie almost like he was trying to keep himself together.
Daewon frowned. "What's with the look, cheer up a bit... geez."
Jinwoo fidgeted with the hem of his hoodie, that was something he only did when he was nervous, like an old habit. "I've been thinking you know... about your words from last night. About how you didn't want to tell us because you thought it wouldn't change anything." He looked up, his expression serious yet deep inside, all he felt was sadness and remorse for not being by his brother's side.
"But that's not true, big bro... I-"
Daewon then let out a dry chuckle. "Not true? I handled things on my own before, I always handled things on my own. Yet I still got my ass kicked, so how? Telling you guys wouldn't have made a difference at all."
"It would've made a difference to me!" Jinwoo said, clenching his jaw.
He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "You always act like you have to deal with everything alone, like you have no one by your side, like you're the only one who can carry all of this. But you're not. You have us!"
Daewon tried to open his mouth and argue, but Jinwoo wasn't finished.
"You really think I didn't notice?" his voice grew frustrated. "I saw it, hyung. I saw everything. How you always came home covered in dirt? How you were barely able to move while your body was in pain? I was always making silly jokes about it, trying to ignore it. But deep down, I knew something serious was going on. I just..." he looked away, clenching his fists tight.
Daewon stared at him. He hadn't expected this, not at all.
Jinwoo let out a slow exhale. "I should've said something sooner. I should've done something, anything."
Daewon looked away, quietly staring at the ceiling. His throat felt tight. He then snapped to reality and shook his head. "It's not your responsibility."
Jinwoo scoffed and looked at his brother's desk. "You're my brother. Of course it's my responsibility." He looked at Daewon again, his eyes showed a rare kind of honesty. "I want to spend more time with you Hyung. Not because of what happened, but because I miss how things used to be between us, before you joined this school. I miss the times when we'd walk home side by side, spend endless hours playing video games, and laugh at the dumbest jokes like nothing else mattered to us. I really miss it Daewon."
Daewon swallowed, caught off guard by the weight behind his little brother's words.
Jinwoo's eyes glanced up as he let out a slow breath. "Just... dont't shut me out, okay? If something happens again, tell me. Promise me that."
Daewon hesitated at first, he was unsure whether to speak or not. He wanted to tell Jinwoo it wasn't that easy. That it wasn't about shutting him out, but the opposite. Daewon wanted to protect him. But seeing his little brother sitting there in silence, fists clenched like he was fighting back tears. It made him rethink everything.
"Okay..." His voice was quiet, but it was the most honest thing he had said in a while. Jinwoo exhaled, some of the tension in his shoulders started to ease little by little. The room went silent again, but this time it wasn't uncomfortable.
Finally, Jinwoo decided to break the silence by standing up. "Now let's go eat before Mom drags you out of bed herself. And I promise you, she will not hold back."
"She wouldn't." Daewon said, letting out a tired chuckle. His little brother snorted. "Wanna bet?" Daewon then sighed and slowly sat up. His body was still in pain, but he managed to bear it.
Jinwoo waited at the doorway calmly, watching his older brother for a little longer before finally going to the kitchen. The kitchen was warm, the smell of breakfast was filling the air. Their mother, Haejin, turned at Daewon when he entered. Despite the worry and concern in her eyes, she didn't say anything. Instead, she simply set down a plate of eggs and bacon in front of him.
"Eat now." she said softly. Daewon didn't say anything back. Instead, he nodded and sat down.
Their dad, Sanghoon, was already at the table, reading the newspaper like usual, but his eyes darted towards Daewon before returning to the article he was reading. Jinwoo sat across from Daewon, slowly cutting his eggs and bacon, but he still watched his older brother every now and then, as if he was making sure Daewon was eating.
The silence wasn't as deadly as last night. It wasn't exactly comfortable, but it wasn't filled with anger or frustration either. Just something... unspoken?
Finally, a faint buzz broke the silence. Daewon then checked his phone, he received a message from his friend, Seojun.
"Hey, don't forget man. Let me know if you need anything."
It was a simple message, yet for Daewon this was something rare and precious. Because he'd never really had friends before, so even a few words felt like a gift he was waiting for almost his entire life.
Sanghoon finally set his paper down and looked at Daewon straight in the eyes. "You going to school today?"
Daewon then paused. "Yeah."
Haejin still looked a bit upset from yesterday. "Are you sure you're up for it?"
Daewon cut her off. "I'll be fine, really." He said, trying to sound more confident than he felt.
His dad studied him for a moment, then sighed and nodded. "Don't push yourself too hard, son."
He didn't expect those words from his dad. Jinwoo then joined in. "Hey, what do you say about walking to school together today, hm?"
Daewon looked up at him, surprised by the suggestion. It had been years since they had done something like that, and he wasn't sure why Jinwoo would still want to do it. Still, there was honesty in his eyes and that made Daewon pause.
"Walk to school? Why?" He asked as he raised an eyebrow.
Jinwoo shrugged nonchalantly, but Daewon could tell he was being serious. "I dunno... just thought it'd be nice. Haven't done it in a long while. Besides, we're both up early. So why not?"
Daewon's intention was to ignore it, but seeing the hopeful look on his brother's face made him rethink his decision. "I mean... sure, why not."
A wide smile appeared on Jinwoo's face. "Alright big bro, it's settled then!" Their mother sighed, shaking her head. "At least eat properly before you go." Jinwoo smirked. "Yeah, gotta get your strength back. Can't have you looking like a zombie at school, hahah."
Daewon rolled his eyes but didn't argue, he then continued to stuff food in his mouth.
After they were both done eating, they grabbed their bags and headed out the door. The streets were quiet as they walked to school. The weight on Daewon's chest seemed to ease up even more now, because his little brother was walking beside him. That was more than enough for him.
"Try to keep up, old man." Jinwoo teased, poking him lightly with his elbow. Daewon rolled his eyes, a small chuckle coming out. "Old man? You're the one who's slow little brother."
Jinwoo laughed. "Slow? I could still beat you in a race, with my eyes closed as well!
Daewon smirked. "I bet I could outrun you without even trying." Jinwoo gave him a funny look. "Alright, alright. Let's see if you can keep up on the walk at least."