After the girl had finally fallen asleep, her brother carefully tried to sneak out of her room- only after making sure his twin was resting peacefully and comfortablly. He looked at her one last time, a soft expression in his eyes, before quietly leaving and entering his own room.
He grabbed his phone and dialed a number. "Sungchan, it's not the best timing right now." came the voice on the other end.
"Huhh? H-Hyung? I...I thought-"
"Hyung allowed me to pick up..."
There was a short silence.
"Is he still with you?" Sungcha asked carefully. The older brother glanced at the man sitting next to him but gave no reply.
"...Okay" Sungchan understood quietly.
"What is wrong, Sungchan?" the voice asked. "I am home..." Sungchan admitted, waiting for his brother's reaction.
Silence followed.
"Is she fine?" the older one asked eventually.
"Well... physically... she is fine. She is not hurt." Sungchan answered hesitantly.
"But?" the older one pressed, confusion in his tone.
"U-uhm..."
"Sungchan! Spill it! What is with her?" he demanded, impatience and worry mixing in his voice.
"S-She... I think... what happened... today.... triggered something... I'm worried, hyung... I... I feel bad, because it's my fault... " Sungchan admitted, guilt heavy in his tone.
The male on the other line stayed silent for a moment.
"What... what do you mean?" he finally asked. "She is frustrated... she was mad when I arrived."
"Mad?"
"At me... because I was not home for so long... or even contacting her..."
The older male didn't answer, only swallowed heavily. His chest tightened.
"She tought you did what I did..." Jaehyun concluded. He tried hard not to sound hurt, but his breaking voice betrayed him. He wanted to hit himself for stuttering, for sounding so broken.
"Yeah... k-kinda... it frustrates her that you never came back or called."
"What did she say?"
"Y-You don't wanna kno-"
"Sungchan! Tell me..."
"...She hates you... she thinks you left us because you don't care about us..."
The older brother swallowed hard, sighing, his emotions twisting painfully inside him.
"H-Hyung?"
"I-I..." was all Jaehyun could manage, his voice trembling, not knowing how to react.
"I told her that you are still looking after us, but I couldn't convince her... You know, she lost the safety net that kept her from falling deeper. I may be her twin, but that's exactly why it is harder for her to believe me! Your word always meant more for her than mine. What she had with you... I will never be able to actually replace that... no one will..." Sungchan's voice cracked.
"Auntie was mad too... I think I made her worry about you even more again... She is still calling every hospital nearby. And now... I have run out of ideas what to tell them anymore, hyung."
"Nothing. Just... just try to distract them like before..." Jaehyun said, clearly trying to hold back tears.
"Hyung...."
"Mhhm?" he answered, his voice breaking. "N-Nevermind... I'll hang up..."
"No... tell me what you wanted to say...."
"She told me... she wished she had gotten killed today...."
Silence.
"She said what?" Jaehyun asked again, disbelief in his voice.
"D-Did she told you-?"
