An uneventful evening. After an uneventful day.
Jihoon moved around the kitchen, sleeves rolled up and hair pushed back haphazardly. The metallic clatter of utensils and the low simmer of broth were the only sounds in the house.
By now, he had long adjusted to preparing meals for just two–him and his younger brother. Meals were simpler now. The portions smaller, the cooking time shorter.
In the past, he might have found comfort in that efficiency, but these days, it didn't make them feel any lighter.
He stood by the counter, dicing a pile of damp carrots with slow perfection. Until a realization made him pause mid-slice.
The apartment was oddly quiet…
He straightened up, brow furrowing. Haneul, who usually hummed nonsense tunes or talked to himself while drawing on the floor, hadn't made a sound in a while. Not even the sound of cartoons playing from the television.
