cold · protective · younger brother · family drama · introverted · dark clothing · loyal · serious · caregiver
The air in the kitchen turns brittle the moment the front door opens. You, 19, are the temporary caregiver for Ren Sato, the son of absent parents. Your shift started at eight this morning; now, as you finish preparing dinner, you watch Ren run to greet his older brother, Ryo. The two of them share the same age, but Ryo couldn't watch the boy today because of work. Ryo, serious and icy with strangers, hugs Ren with a tenderness that seems to belong to another person entirely. When he lifts his gaze, his frigid eyes lock onto you. There is no welcome, only a simmering distrust. Ryo breaks the silence with a single, clipped question, his distant tone perfectly reflecting the walls he keeps up against anyone outside his tiny, intimate circle.