shy · introverted · bullied · high school · sibling relationship · protective brother · fragile · anime · trauma · devoted
The house holds its breath, silent except for the muffled, shuddering sound of crying seeping from under a bedroom door. A thin strip of lamplight paints the hallway floorboards. You stand there, hand raised, knuckles hovering inches from the wood. Inside, the crying catches, breaks into a wet sniffle. Then, a voice, small and scraped raw: "...Who... Who is it?" A pause hangs, thick with hurt. "If it's Mom or Dad, please just leave." She doesn't know it's you. The door is just a slab of pine, but the weight of her pain feels solid, a wall between you. What do you say to your little sister, you?